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How to Clean Concrete Floors
Four Methods:Formulate a StrategyClean Interior Concrete FloorsClean Exterior Concrete FloorsRemove Stains from Concrete Floors
A durable and versatile material, concrete remains a standard in exterior flooring and is a popular alternative to traditional interior flooring. Concrete can be smooth and plain, or it can be stamped with unique designs, stained to match any décor and fashioned to fit specific space requirements. Proper maintenance is essential to keep the concrete clean and improve its longevity regardless of the types of concrete floors you have in your home or business. This article will explain what tools you need to clean interior and exterior concrete floors and the proper methods to use to achieve optimum results.
Method 1 of 4: Formulate a Strategy
Method 2 of 4: Clean Interior Concrete Floors
1Dry mop stained or stamped interior concrete floors to remove dust and other debris.
- A soft cotton mop head is best to clean concrete floors to avoid surface scratches.
2Apply a damp mop coupled with a mild cleanser to a small section of your interior concrete flooring and move your mop back and forth to remove surface dirt. Use a clean cotton towel to dry each section of freshly-washed concrete before you move on to the next portion of flooring.
- Mild dish detergent or neutral cleanser offers optimum cleaning results.
- Wash and dry the concrete floor in sections to ensure no section of flooring remains wet for an extended period. Concrete floors — especially stained concrete — can discolor if moisture is not removed promptly.
- Use a cotton towel to avoid scratches that can be caused by synthetic fibers in blended-fiber towels.
Method 3 of 4: Clean Exterior Concrete Floors
1Push a synthetic-bristled broom up and down your exterior concrete surface to remove large pieces of debris and surface dust.
2Use your garden hose to remove surface dirt from your exterior concrete.
- The pressure generated by an average garden hose will suffice to remove basic dirt build-up.
3Seal your exterior concrete floor every 1-to-3 years to protect the concrete from the environment and wear-and-tear from heavy traffic.Ad
Method 4 of 4: Remove Stains from Concrete Floors
1Apply dry laundry detergent to a stain on interior concrete floors and allow it to sit for 10 minutes. Scrub the stained area with hot water and a nylon-bristled scrub brush. Repeat the procedure until the stain is no longer visible.
2Treat exterior concrete stains with diluted bleach. Pour the diluted bleach on the stain and let it sit for several minutes. Use hot water and a scrub brush made with nylon bristles to scrub the stained area. Replicate this method until the stain disappears.
- You can use a power washer to remove difficult stains from exterior concrete. Ensure that you employ the right nozzle to avoid damage to your concrete.
Give us 3 minutes of knowledge!
- Wax interior concrete floors every 3 years to protect the finish and to maintain the beauty of your flooring.
- Harsh acid-based chemicals can damage the finish and color of your concrete flooring. Use mild cleansers to avoid permanent damage to the surface of your concrete.
Article Info
Categories: Carpet and Floor Care
In other languages:
Español: limpiar pisos de concreto, Deutsch: Betonböden reinigen, Português: Limpar Pisos de Concreto, Русский: почистить бетонный пол, Italiano: Pulire i Pavimenti in Calcestruzzo
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The Chiefs had an incredible turnaround in 2013. They went from 2-14 to 11-5 in one season while scoring 219 more points and allowing 120 less points. Overall, it was a change of 339 points in one season. Andy Reid did an excellent job of changing the mindset of the offense while adding an identity to the defense. On both sides of the ball, Kansas City somewhat overachieved their skill set. They were 21st in the league in total yards, but they scored the 6th most points. Their defense allowed the 24th most total yards while allowing only the fifth most points. Their success was by limiting turnovers on offense while creating turnovers on defense. This led to the second best turnover margin (+18) in the league. Andy Reid will return for his second season as head coach. He is 141-98-1 in his NFL career with one Super Bowl appearance. Doug Pederson will run the offense, and Bob Sutton will be in charge of the defense. The Chiefs finished 10th in the NFL in rushing yards (2,056) with 17 rushing TD's. The passing attack ranked 24th in passing yards per game (208.8) with 24 passing TD's and a league low 8 Int's. Their offensive line allowed 41 sacks. On defense, Kansas City did struggle a bit in rushing defense. They allowed 4.5 yards per carry, which led to 1,923 rushing yards (22nd). The Chiefs did play well in the red zone as they allowed only 9 rushing touchdowns. Their pass defense ranked in the bottom third of the league in passing yards allowed per game (247.6). They allowed 25 TD's with 21 Int's. Kansas City overcame some of their shortcomings in pass coverage due to an above average pass rush (47 sacks).
In the off-season, the Chiefs lost three offensive lineman - Branden Albert, Jon Asamoah and Geoff Schwartz. Albert was the team's best pass protector while being a slight liability in run blocking. Asamoah was league average in run blocking with some value in pass protection. Schwartz finished the year as Kansas City's best all-around offensive lineman. Their only replacement on the line was G Jeff Linkenbach. He struggled in both pass and run blocking in limited snaps with the Colts in 2013. Their defense lost DE Tyson Jackson, LB Akeem Jordan, S Kendrick Lewis and S Quintin Demps. Jackson played well against the run while being a slight negative when rushing the quarterback. Jordan also helped as a run stopper. Lewis and Demps were both liabilities at their position when they were on the field. WR Dexter McCluster also left to sign with the Titans. The only two players of value that were added to the team were DEVance Walker and LB Joe Mays. Walker is a minor upgrade as a run defender. Mays has been a backup player for most of his NFL career with no value rushing the quarterback.
In the first round of this year's draft, Kansas City selected DE Dee Ford. He is an undersized speed rusher with his biggest asset being his quickness. His lack of size will hurt him as a run defender. His overall speed is a negative and he'll need to add more power to his game. The Chiefs didn't have a second round pick. With their 3rd round pick, they drafted flashy C Philip Gaines. He has plus speed with elite quickness, but his lack of strength will hurt him against physical wide receivers. His tackling skills are below average and he has no value in run support. RB De'Anthony Thomas was added to replace the Dexter McCluster role in the Chief's offense. He is undersized (5'9″ and 174 Lbs.) with plus acceleration and quickness. He'll add value if Kansas City can get him into space, plus he may upgrade their return game. QB Aaron Murray was selected in the fifth round for QB depth. With the last two picks in the sixth round, the Chiefs tried to add depth to their offensive line with Zach Fulton and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. Fulton is a slow-footed power blocker who will have more value in pass protection. Duvernay-Tardif is an upside developmental player from Canada. He'll have value in pass protection while also being an asset in the run game.
The core of Kansas City's offensive line will be made up of 2013 first-round draft pick RT Eric Fisher, C Rodney Houston, and LG Jeff Allen. Fisher was the first player selected in last year's draft, but he struggled in both pass protection and run blocking. Eric allowed 7 sacks last year. He had shoulder surgery in the off-season as well as treatment to correct an issue with a sports hernia. Kansas City really needs him to take a huge step forward as he is expected to move over to left tackle. Houston will enter his third season of his NFL career and second as the starting center for the Chiefs. Last year he allowed five sacks while being a slight liability in run blocking. Allen was selected in the second round of the 2012 draft. Last year he struggled in both run blocking and in pass protection. He too really needs to make a step forward in his third season in the NFL. 2012 third-round draft pick Donald Stephenson is expected to move to right tackle this season. He struggled in both run blocking and pass protection last year. Free agent Jeff Linkenbach is expected to be the starting right guard. He was signed as a free agent from Cincinnati in 2010 with low value in both run blocking and past protection. This offensive line is loaded with question marks. The pedigree on some players suggest upside with more experience. Overall, there is enough talent to have success, but they need to show growth while getting more experience.
Position Breakdown
Kansas City had success on the defensive side of the ball due to two plus pass rushing defenders - Justin Houston and Tamba Hall. They combined for 23 sacks, 15 QB hits and 100 QB hurries. Both players also had success against the run and in pass coverage. Former first-round pick LB Derrick Johnson was one of the best coverage linebackers in the league with some value rushing the quarterback. 2012 first-round draft pick NT Dontari Poe was very good against the run with some value as a pass rusher. DE Mike DeVito was the team's best run defender in 2013. This team has one of the better cover safeties in the league in Eric Berry, but it does have some risk at the quarterback position. Last year Kansas City finished the year with 47 sacks which helped cover up their weakness in his secondary. They added another pass rusher in the draft in Dee Ford and a possible upside cornerback in Philip Gaines. The Chiefs were an opportunistic defense in 2013 as they scored 4 touchdowns on kick returns plus 7 on interceptions and fumbled returns, which led to them being the highest scoring fantasy defense in 2013. This season they will only have success if they continue to pressure the quarterback. I don't expect them to be as fortunate scoring defensive touchdowns, but there is enough talent to repeat as a top 10 fantasy defense in 2014.
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subset: commoncrawl


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The second season of "The Glee Project" kicked off Tuesday night, and country crooner Maxfield had the unfortunate honor of being the first "Glee" hopeful to be eliminated.
The 22-year-old singer/songwriter from Nashville just didn't have enough personality for "Glee" showrunner Ryan Murphy. However, Maxfield says he is still grateful for his "Glee Project" experience -- and at least he got to meet Lea Michele before getting the boot.
HuffPost TV chatted with Maxfield, via phone, about his short-but-sweet "Glee Project" experience, meeting Michele, not knowing Lady Gaga and singing in front of Murphy, who Maxfield says is kind of like "an onion."
It's never easy being the first one to go, but at least you got the added bonus of meeting Lea Michele, right?
She's definitely not the hardest person to look at!
Were you shocked that Lea was the first guest mentor of the season?
I didn't have any expectations going in, but when Ryan [Murphy] walked out, I thought that he was the guest mentor. So when Lea walked out, I just thought that was awesome. You have the creator of the show and you have a drop-dead gorgeous girl, so that was an incredible experience.
Were you nervous?
I was pumped. I was like, "Let's go for it. Let's do it." I was more nervous about singing Lady Gaga and making sure that I had my lines right -- and getting the dancing right. I was definitely nervous about that. [Laughs.]
I loved how honest you were about your ignorance of Lady Gaga's music. I think you said that you had never listened to one of her songs all the way through before.
I really haven't! They didn't show this, but I remember that exact moment when my jaw dropped and Nellie looked at me and started laughing. She was like, "Max, are you serious?"
At the time of filming, you had only started singing six months ago, and you were competing against all of these kids who had been performing their whole lives.
Right. I always sang, but it was one of those things where everyone told me to shut up and stop singing, so I never actually thought that I could do it. When I started writing and singing again, I went out and performed somewhere and an accomplished singer/songwriter said, "I really like you voice." That was when I really thought that I could do this professionally.
Why did they tell you to shut up?
I'm not sure, but I know that after speaking with family members and friends, they've said that I've grown tremendously in the last few months. Now, looking back, I feel bad that they had to listen to me. I can't even imagine.
You had a hard time in the vocal booth with Nikki Anders.
Yeah, that was tough. I've always been on the other side of the booth engineering, so this was my first time in the booth. I don't know what happened. It all just happened really fast. If I could go back, I know I could have killed it. For the love of God, I could not sing on key.
What happened during the video shoot? They said that you were hiding in the background.
I forgot to smile. I didn't know that I was supposed to smile during the thing! I was having fun, but I forgot that I was having fun. For me, it was just one of the those moments where I had never been in that situation before. I never had to perform with 13 other people before. I was having fun, but I just wasn't showing it.
Then you had to sing in front of Ryan Murphy for your last-chance performance. Now, I'm going to be honest. When I think of Ryan, the first thing that comes into my head is Lord Voldemort from "Harry Potter."
[Laughs.] I agree! That's awesome! Yeah, he's kind of scary, but then there are these layers. When you start to peel away the layers of the onion ... you know, you can't really peel, you just have to use a knife and cut right through.
I'm glad we're on the same page. Last season, Ryan made a comment about how he's always wanted a country singer on "Glee." Did you go into it thinking that could have been you?
Definitely. I think that's something that "Glee" needs, someone to break up those generic, pop Top 40 songs. I think it could have been awesome. If I had another chance to audition for that role, I'd love to be that character.
You and Chord Overstreet could have done a country duet.
Right? Us Nashville boys need to stick together.
What did you think about your last-chance performance song, "You Were Always on My Mind?"
I thought that was a great pick, and I really love that song by Willie Nelson. But in the back of my mind, I was kind of hoping for something more upbeat, something that I could rock out to on stage, like a Jason Aldean song. I really wanted to show Zach that personality that he was looking for. It was just meant to be. I think it's really awesome that Tyler was able to stay. He has such an inspiring story that really deserves attention.
Right, and "The Glee Project" is not really a talent competition. It's a personality competition. Last season's winner Damian McGinty wasn't the strongest singer, but he had a charming personality, and it made Ryan want to write for him.
I loved how they played his character up [on "Glee"]. They really made him a leprechaun! When I started the show, I remembering thinking, "Man, if I won this thing, I could see [Ryan Murphy] putting me in a cowboy hat with a big belt buckle, and then I'd be riding into the school on a horse. He would totally do something crazy like that.
Please tell me that Zach Woodlee is that awesome in real life.
He's the greatest. He's so awesome. My favorite dance move is the Pretzel, and I remember him telling me that his favorite dance movie is the Pretzel, so that just made everything awesome-er. He's just a fun guy. I don't know if he knows what's going on while he's doing it, but the choreography always comes together really well.
"The Glee Project" airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on Oxygen.
For more of what to watch this week, click through the slideshow below:
(8 p.m. ET on Fox) season premiere In Part One of the two-night Season 10 premiere, 18 aspiring restaurateurs will once again brave Chef Gordon Ramsay and his fiery personality. The contestants compete in an intense culinary academy to prove they possess the right combination of ingredients to win the life-changing grand prize: a head chef position working under Executive Chef Kevin Hee at Gordon Ramsay Steak at Paris Las Vegas. Followed by the season premiere of "Masterchef."
(8 p.m. ET on ABC Family) season finale As the fourth season draws to a close, Ben considers transferring to Dylan's school while Anne shares some news with her loved ones.
(9 p.m. ET on Bravo) 90-minute season premiere Countess LuAnn de Lesseps, Sonja Morgan and Ramona Singer welcome Aviva Drescher, Carole Radziwill and Heather Thomson as they navigate their hectic lifestyles of jam-packed social calendars, careers, children and city living.
(10 p.m. ET on Sundance) series premiere double-bill This 14-part series traces the lives of four dynamic, outspoken and beautiful women who, by accident or illness, have been paralyzed from the neck or the waist down. From executive producer Gay Rosenthal ("Little People, Big World," "Ruby"), "Push Girls" captures the daily challenges and personal triumphs of these women, and will shatter all expectations of what life in a wheelchair can be.
(8 p.m. ET on ABC Family) season premiere A summer has passed since Aria, Emily, Hanna and Spencer found out about Mona being "A" and Maya's death. With the terror seemingly over and an alleged murderer now behind bars, the town of Rosewood is slowly healing from old and new wounds and trying to get a sense of normalcy. But what looks normal for each girl is not necessarily so. With post-traumatic stress, anger and the acquisition of more secrets, the four Liars are anything but fine. Now all back together and coming upon the second anniversary of Alison's disappearance, the girls find themselves back on the defensive when a shocking event rocks Rosewood. Followed by the midseason premiere of "Jane By Design."
(9 p.m. ET on NBC) season premiere The adventure dating series returns with new host Jenny McCarthy and 14 new singles who bring more drama, more conflict, more laughter and more tears to the jungle -- with an ultimate goal of finding true romance. The 14 men and women are initially paired up but in a shocking surprise, seven additional men are brought in to kick off the adventures as trios. The trios are immediately thrown into a challenge that forces them to navigate rough waters and crawl through a snake-infested well. The premiere episode concludes in an emotional elimination ceremony that will break up some teams and strengthen others.
(9 p.m. ET on TNT) season premiere Jane and Maura's friendship suffers following the shooting of Maura's biological father, gangster Paddy Doyle (guest star John Doman). Jane also finds herself in the middle of an Internal Affairs investigation. And her relationship with Agent Dean (guest-star Billy Burke) is exposed. Jacqueline Bisset and Ed Begley, Jr. also guest-star. Followed by the season premiere of "Franklin & Bash."
(10 p.m. ET on Oxygen) The show settles into its regular Tuesday timeslot with the first competition show of the season, as the finalists tackle the theme of Individuality.
(9 p.m. ET on USA) season premiere In the fourth season premiere of USA's highest rated series, Hank Lawson embarks on a fresh start with his medical practice and separates from his brother Evan, who also starts his own venture. As Divya attempts to reconcile the brothers, HankMed teams up once more in the face of a Hamptons emergency. Followed by the season premiere of "Necessary Roughness."
(9 p.m. ET on Syfy) season premiere On the Season 2 premiere, the team heads to Warsaw, Kentucky, where a woman's home is suffering hauntings, possibly from two steamboats which crashed in a fiery collision, killing more than 60 people in 1868. Next, they travel to Huron, Ohio, in a race against the clock to remove the dangerous energy from an abandoned silo, scheduled to be destroyed in 48 hours.
(10 p.m. ET on TV Land) season finale When Melanie's hair blow out lasts unusually long, Joy and Victoria demand to know who's blowing out her hair. When Melanie tries to keep it a secret from them, tensions arise amongst our ladies and the two rival hairdressers at Elka's favorite salon. Followed by the finale of "Happily Divorced."
(8.58 p.m. ET on Fox) series premiere Fox has a double-bill of new dating shows from 8-10 p.m. on Thursday, starting with "Take Me Out." We're more intrigued by the unabashed "Voice" rip-off "The Choice," which sees celebrities such as DJ Pauly D, Romeo, Jeremy Bloom and Jason Cook take to the spinning chairs to choose attractive singles to take on a date, sight unseen. It kind of ignores "The Voice's" central premise, since all of the single contestants are supposedly attractive and thus not in need of a blind audition, but it should have some novelty value.
(9 p.m. ET on NBC) series premiere When charismatic Chief of Surgery Charlie Harris (Michael Shanks) at Hope-Zion Hospital ends up in a coma, he leaves the hospital in chaos -- and his fiancée and fellow surgeon, Alex Reid (Erica Durance), in a state of shock. Along with newly arrived star surgeon, Joel Goran (Daniel Gillies), Reid races to save Harris' life. As the action unfolds, the comatose Harris explores the hospital halls in "spirit" form, not sure if he's a ghost or a figment of his own imagination. Reid, along with her fellow doctors, press on to save his life and those of their other patients as they deal with the complicated and courageous decisions that are made in their daily struggle to keep hope alive.
(10 p.m. ET on A&E) series premiere double-bill This new original real-life series follows the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office, a world where the sheriff is like a king, voodoo is a common practice and no police call is routine. Located 45 miles south of New Orleans, the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office investigates thousands of incidents every year. With the fiery personalities of the local Cajuns and the Louisiana justice system unlike any other (it's the only state that is ruled under Napoleonic law), there's no such thing as an ordinary police call. Whether it's a creepy sighting of the Rougarou ("shape-shifting swamp monster"), a distressed neighbor reporting a stolen air conditioner during a heat wave, or a lead on a gruesome local serial-killer case; the deeper into the sticky swampland the deputies delve, the stranger and more mysterious the calls become.
(9 p.m. ET on OWN) series premiere As members of one of the nation's largest emergency response teams, these four female firefighters are ready to battle against nature's most unforgiving forces. Viewers witness the drama, action and danger of their jobs as they respond to life and death situations. With the ending of each shift, these women also open the doors into their personal lives as they strive to balance being mothers, wives, girlfriends and daughters.
(9.30 p.m. ET on TLC) season finale The finale features a bride who returns to Lori's store with a story about her unforgettable maid of honor; a bride who fights with her honorary "bridesman" and a same-sex couple who can't seem to agree on a color choice.
(10.30 p.m. ET on IFC) series premiere On this comedy game show, a panel of comedians compete in inane challenges to win surreal prizes. Contestants are armed with nothing but their wits as they respond to images they've never seen before, make up songs on the spot, complete drawing and sculpture challenges and interact with modern dancers, puppies, babies, gospel singers and more, all under the watchful eye of host Kurt Braunohler.
(9 p.m. ET on Syfy) original telefilm For everyone who has ever fantasized about seeing Snooki being eaten by a shark ... With a cast including Tony Sirico, Paul Sorvino, Jack Scalia, Joey Fatone, William Atherton and Vinny Guadagnino, the movie unfolds during the July Fourth weekend at the Jersey Shore, where angry sharks are on a rampage, devouring residents, leaving it to the local Guidos to save the day.
(8 p.m. ET on VH1) series premiere This spinoff follows the lives of five women allegedly connected to "The Outfit," Chicago's version of the Mob, as they bear the cross for the sins of their Mob-associated fathers. With lives that are right out of newspaper headlines, each woman has chosen her own way to live her life in the city that was once home to Al Capone, sometimes in spite of, and many times because of, who her father is. Along the way, these women battle their friends, families and each other as they try to do what's best for themselves and their children.
(9 p.m. ET on HBO) season premiere Sookie and Lafayette struggle with the aftermath of Tara's shooting, while also cleaning up after Debbie Pelt. Meanwhile, Bill and Eric, cleaning up a mess of their own, are visited by the Vampire Authority, one of whom is Nora, a woman from Eric's past. In search of the missing Marcus, Alcide's werewolf pack comes after Sam. With Bill away, Jessica enjoys her new freedom by partying with local college kids; Jason is visited by the recently turned Rev. Steve Newlin; Terry's PTSD is reignited by Patrick Devins (Scott Foley), an old Iraq War buddy; and Alcide turns up at Sookie's to warn her about the recently resurfaced Russell Edgington. Followed by the season finale of "Veep."
(10 p.m. ET on AMC) season finale In the season finale, opportunity is in the air for everyone and Pete meets a stranger on the train. And of course, in true "Mad Men" fashion, we don't know much else.
(10 p.m. ET on OWN) season premiere From the swinger lifestyle to young girls entering convents, from arranged marriages to child pageants, the new season of "Our America with Lisa Ling" takes viewers along for an in-depth look at some of the most controversial and thought-provoking issues in the United States today. In each episode, Ling immerses herself into the lives of the people she meets and challenges viewers to understand different perspectives and sometimes even question what they themselves have always believed to be true. The first episode focuses on little girls who hope to become beauty pageant princesses.


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There is a huge demand on bioinformaticians to provide their biologists with user friendly and scalable software infrastructures to capture, exchange, and exploit the unprecedented amounts of new *omics data. We here present MOLGENIS, a generic, open source, software toolkit to quickly produce the bespoke MOLecular GENetics Information Systems needed.
The MOLGENIS toolkit provides bioinformaticians with a simple language to model biological data structures and user interfaces. At the push of a button, MOLGENIS' generator suite automatically translates these models into a feature-rich, ready-to-use web application including database, user interfaces, exchange formats, and scriptable interfaces. Each generator is a template of SQL, JAVA, R, or HTML code that would require much effort to write by hand. This 'model-driven' method ensures reuse of best practices and improves quality because the modeling language and generators are shared between all MOLGENIS applications, so that errors are found quickly and improvements are shared easily by a re-generation. A plug-in mechanism ensures that both the generator suite and generated product can be customized just as much as hand-written software.
In recent years we have successfully evaluated the MOLGENIS toolkit for the rapid prototyping of many types of biomedical applications, including next-generation sequencing, GWAS, QTL, proteomics and biobanking. Writing 500 lines of model XML typically replaces 15,000 lines of hand-written programming code, which allows for quick adaptation if the information system is not yet to the biologist's satisfaction. Each application generated with MOLGENIS comes with an optimized database back-end, user interfaces for biologists to manage and exploit their data, programming interfaces for bioinformaticians to script analysis tools in R, Java, SOAP, REST/JSON and RDF, a tab-delimited file format to ease upload and exchange of data, and detailed technical documentation. Existing databases can be quickly enhanced with MOLGENIS generated interfaces using the 'ExtractModel' procedure.
The MOLGENIS toolkit provides bioinformaticians with a simple model to quickly generate flexible web platforms for all possible genomic, molecular and phenotypic experiments with a richness of interfaces not provided by other tools. All the software and manuals are available free as LGPLv3 open source at http://www.molgenis.org webcite.
High-throughput technologies have boosted biological and medical research and the need for software infrastructures to manage and process the large datasets produced is widely accepted [1-3]. Bioinformaticians are under continuous pressure to both tackle the complexity and diversity of new biological systems and analytical methods and to translate these quickly into flexible informatics infrastructures, while keeping up with the unpredictable evolution of molecular biotechnologies and the increasing scale of experiments. While standardization of tools and data formats in open source projects like the Generic Model Organism Database, GMOD [4], and the Open Bioinformatics Foundation, OBF [5], have been indispensable in reducing the development efforts needed via reusable and easy to integrate components, new research must also be quickly accommodated, for which efficient software variation mechanisms are needed.
Figure 1 outlines the 'model-driven' development method that several bioinformatics projects adopted in recent years to enable fast and flexible infrastructure development [1], for example Taverna and Galaxy for analysis workflows [6,7], CCPN for processing tools [8], and the early MOLGENIS for biological data management [9]. See our review [1] for a more complete overview. This method consists of three components: extensible 'standard' software that provides a vast array of reusable components; a high-level modeling language (domain-specific language, DSL) to specify biology-specific customizations to this software; and a software code generator to automatically translate (or execute) such custom models into all lower level program logic of the complete working software, saving all the effort needed to write the software by hand.
Figure 1. Model-driven development. Many minor and major changes have to be written in software code before a 'standard' software infrastructure accommodates a particular research. Using 'model-driven' development methods a bioinformatician only needs to model what is needed for his experiment using a therefore optimized domain specific language (DSL). Generators quickly produce all the software logic to compose a full software infrastructure that accommodates these needs. When experimental needs change, a bioinformatician can (re)run the same generator with an adapted model file to quickly produce another variant of software infrastructure. This vastly reduces 'time-to-research' and enables bioinformaticians to quickly develop a suite of software infrastructures, with each variant accommodating a specific research task, while still on track to reuse, integrate and share the best standard features with other labs and bioinformaticians.
In this paper we present the evolution of MOLGENIS into a generic, model-driven toolkit for the rapid generation of bespoke, data-intensive biosoftware applications [10]. We demonstrate step-by-step how bioinformaticians can use a domain-specific language to efficiently model the biological details of their particular biological system, and use MOLGENIS software generation tools to automatically generate a web application tailored to the experiments of their biologists, building on reusable components. Next, we evaluate the results of these methods in the development of a range of MOLGENIS applications [9,11-15], that is, software applications generated using the MOLGENIS toolkit. We found up to 30 times efficiency improvement compared to hand-writing software, while providing a richness of features practically unfeasible to produce by hand but not yet provided by related projects. We conclude by inviting the bioinformatics community to add more MOLGENIS models, components and generators to quickly generate all the software infrastructures biologists want to have.
The MOLGENIS toolkit is based on the method of model-driven development which emerged in the 1990s from the computer industry. The key to success is the clear scope of the toolbox (i.e., what family of software applications should be produced with it) and separating which features should be fixed (e.g., reusable components common to all MOLGENIS applications) and which features should be variable (i.e. modeled and generated per MOLGENIS application instance), a process known as domain analysis [16]. Below we discuss MOLGENIS' initial domain analysis, its modeling language, generators and reusable components.
Domain analysis
Table 1 summarizes the initial set of features we required from MOLGENIS information systems when we started; it explains why these features are indeed required, and describes what parts of the features are common and variable over experiment databases. To obtain this picture, we analyzed 20 existing microarray databases next to many requirements interviews, see Table 1 in [9].
Table 1. Common and variable features of MOLGENIS information systems.
The second step was to implement the common and variable parts, which we started with
a prototype. Here we applied the
yourself principle (DRY) [17]: every piece of design knowledge must have a single, unambiguous, authoritative representation.
We therefore searched through the prototype software code. If we found identical pieces then we put them into the library of reusable components. If we found very similar pieces of software code, we put the common parts into a generator and the variation
points into the modeling language. In each subsequent step we evolved the MOLGENIS
generator, only incorporating new functionality when we repeatedly needed it.
During the next six years of using the MOLGENIS generator we added numerous functions and optimizations, such as filters for the data, viewing data as a 'matrix', downloading data as CSV files, enabling programming interaction via R and web services, and so on. The generators ensure that 'old' MOLGENIS application variants can benefit from these improvements: when a MOLGENIS instance is re-generated, these improvements are automatically integrated into the new version.
Modeling language
Figure 2 shows how a custom MOLGENIS application can be defined in a single file. The file is written in MOLGENIS' modeling language. This enables compact specification of what experiment database is needed, i.e., to declare how an experiment is organized in terms of data types and their relationships and how these data are to be shown on the screen. Figure 2 shows the following features: Three data entities: ❶Experiment, Sample and Hybridization; the Experiment entity has six fields, including ID, Medium and Stress (because it needs to administrate microbe experiments). To minimize the modeling work we choose sensible defaults in the domain-specific language, a principle known as convention over configuration: each field has to be set to a value by the researcher unless specified to be nillable❷; field can be edited (updated) unless specified to be read only❸; each field is default of type 'string' (a variable character string of length 255) unless otherwise specified to e.g., 'decimal'❹; and fields can be defined as having a relation to fields in other entities via a cross-reference (xref)❺. The user interface consists of a plugin❻ that renders the MOLGENIS header and tool menu; one user interface form❼ to control Experiments, with a sub menu❽, consisting of two child forms for Samples and Hybridizations. Child forms are automatically linked to the parent form based on cross references, e.g., the field 'Experiment' of 'Sample' references to the 'ID' of an 'Experiment'❾. By default, forms show each entity as one-record-per-screen unless specified as a list❿. The modeling language includes advanced object-orientation features like inheritance, as well as extensive help to document your model (not shown).
Figure 2. Example model. The detailed software needed for an experiment can be described in domain-specific language (DSL, left). The MOLGENIS generator reads the model and automatically produces the custom software infrastructure specified (right). The screenshot includes example data. See main text for a description of the numbers.
One can think of MOLGENIS' modeling language as a 'domain-specific language' (DSL) that is optimized to efficiently express a particular problem, task or area [18,19], in this case to compose biosoftware infrastructures. The level of abstraction is raised, so no lengthy, technical or redundant details on how each feature should be implemented in general programming languages have to be given [20,21]. Examples of other domain-specific languages include R/Splus for statistics, MatLab for mathematics, SQL for databases, HTML for layouting, and now MOLGENIS' modeling language for biological software infrastructures.
In most cases, knowledge of the DSL is all that is needed to produce a custom MOLGENIS application variant. The domain-specific language was implemented using XML so that model files can be edited using off-the-shelf XML editors. However, you may want to include hand-programmed components into a particular MOLGENIS instance. For example, for the eXtensible Genotype And Phenotype (XGAP) database application of MOLGENIS [11], we developed a 'MatrixViewer' that builds on the generated components, which saved us the work of writing the plug-in from scratch. This requires a model sentence that points to the 'plug-in' (allowing it to be seamlessly integrated) as well as hand-programming of the plug-in itself.
Reusable components
Each MOLGENIS application follows the widely accepted three-layered architecture design of web applications. Figure 3 summarizes some of MOLGENIS' reusable components and their variation mechanisms. MOLGENIS' reusable components provide building blocks with a modular structure, which allows them to be assembled in diverse combinations, similar to prefabricated houses that are built from modular walls instead of bricks. Some building blocks are semi-finished and need to be 'completed' before use (which is automated in MOLGENIS via the generators and inheritance). We based the design of MOLGENIS on industry-proven design patterns from the '
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Figure 3. Reusable components. (A) shows finished and semi-finished components that provide reusable features for displaying screens (FormView and MenuView), handling user requests (Form- and MenuController), and reading and writing to the database (DataMapper). (B) shows components of a completed software variant as described in Figure 2. Only the 'differences' needed to be added using systematic variation mechanisms (dotted lines) such as inheritance or parameterization.
The generators are compact specifications of how each database feature should be implemented. The MOLGENIS toolkit now has over 20 generators, but normal users will never need to take a look inside. However, for readers wanting to create their own generators, Figure 4 provides an example of the simple, text-based, generators we use. Each generator consists of two files: a Freemarker template that describes the code to be generated (similar to that shown in Figure 4a) and a Java 'Generator' class that controls the generating process. A new generator can be developed as follows: first write some examples of the desired programs by hand, where possible using similar patterns (see Figure 4b) and mark which parts are variable between them. Then copy one of these examples into a generator template (text file) and replace all variable parts with 'holes' that are to be filled by the code generator based on parameters from DSL (see Figure 4a). At each generation, the template is then automatically copied and the 'holes' filled, based on parameters described in the domain-specific language, saving much laborious manual work.
Figure 4. Example generator. MOLGENIS generators are implemented as templates. This example shows the generator for a database component (A). This template is applied to each <entity> in the model to generate many complete DataMappers that would otherwise need to be written by hand. (B) shows an example of the generated source files, in this case for <entity name="Experiment"> as described in Figure 1. The command $Name(entity) translates to the name of the entity ("Experiment") and command ${csv($entity.Fields, x)} means that command 'x' is applied to each field of the entity and returned as a comma separated string (csv).
To start generating your own MOLGENIS application, you can download a ready-to-use 'workspace' from http://www.molgenis.org webcite, which can be edited using the commonly used Eclipse integrated development environment (IDE) tool (http://www.eclipse.org webcite). Extensive manuals are available to help install the Java, MySQL, Tomcat and Eclipse software needed and to learn how to walk through the Eclipse workspace to edit models and generate and run MOLGENIS instances; most new users can complete this part in about three hours. Below we summarize the output you can expect as well as recent experiences from using this toolbox. Detailed examples on how these features can be used to support actual microarray or genetical genomics experiments can be found in [11,14,15].
Expected output
After completing a MOLGENIS model and running the generator as described above, you have a ready-to-use software application. Figure 5 summarizes the features you get when running the generated result as a web application: a fully functional system where researchers can upload, manage, browse and query their biological data that conform to the model, optionally enhanced with analysis tools to explore and annotate (depending on the plug-ins).
Figure 5. Expected output. Overview of a typical MOLGENIS application, in this case customized in EBI style. See main text for a description of the numbers.
Since the earliest MOLGENIS application [9], we have successfully evaluated use of the MOLGENIS toolkit to build a wide range of biomedical applications [11-15], ranging from sequencing to proteomics, including:
• XGAP: an eXtensible Genotype And Phenotype platform [11] for systems genetics (GWAS, GWL) to store all kinds of *omics data ranging from genotype to transcript and protein data. XGAP comes with plug-ins to view large data matrices and run processing tools on a cluster. See http://www.xgap.org webcite
• Pheno-OM: to integrate any phenotype data from locus-specific annotations to rich biobank cohort reports with the help of the OntoCAT ontology toolkit to create semantic mappings between related data items [23]. See http://www.ebi.ac.uk/microarray-srv/pheno webcite
• FINDIS: a mutation database for monogenic diseases belonging to the Finnish disease heritage. See http://www.findis.org/molgenis_findis/ webcite
• HGVBaseG2P: the data management and curation interface complement for HGVbaseG2P, a central database of genotype to phenotype association studies [12]. See http://www.hgvbaseg2p.org webcite
• MAGETAB-OM: a microarray experiment data platform based on the MAGE-TAB data format standard to create a local microarray repository that is compatible with the public ArrayExpress and GEO repositories. See http://magetab-om.sourceforge.net/ webcite
• NordicDB: the database of high-density genome-wide SNP information from 5,000 controls originating from Finnish, Swedish and Danish studies [13]. See http://www.nordicdb.org webcite
• DesignGG: a web tool to optimally design such genetical genomics experiments [14]. See http://gbic.biol.rug.nl/designGG/ webcite
More MOLGENIS applications can be found at http://www.molgenis.org webcite. Each of these MOLGENIS projects reported major benefits from the short cycle from model to running system to enable quick evaluation (500 lines of model XML replaces 15,000 lines of programming code) and use of the batch loading of data to evaluate how the newly built system works with real data. More often than not, MOLGENIS helped in finding inconsistencies in existing data that would otherwise have gone unnoticed, leading to experimental errors. In our experience, a typical MOLGENIS generator run gives you about 90% of the application that is desired 'for free', with the remaining 10% typically filled in using plug-ins that are written by hand. The MOLGENIS toolkit has also been used to extend or replace existing software applications: the ExtractModel tool allows you to generate a MOLGENIS application from an existing database, which can then be run side-by-side with code developed previously, providing the best of both generated and hand-written worlds.
Richness of features
MOLGENIS provides a richness of features not yet provided by other projects: BioMart [10,24] and InterMine [25] generate powerful query interfaces for existing data but are not suited for bespoke data management; Omixed [26] generates programmatic interfaces onto databases, including a security layer, but lacks user interfaces; PEDRO/Pierre [27] generates data entry and retrieval user interfaces but lacks programmatic interfaces; and general generators such as AndroMDA [28] and Ruby-on-Rails [29] require much more programming and configuration efforts compared to tools specific to the biological domain. Turnkey [30] seems to come close to MOLGENIS, having GUI and SOAP interfaces but lacks auto-generation of R interfaces and file exchange format.
In a recent perspective paper [1] we evaluated the general benefits and pitfalls of model-driven development, such as the ability to develop infrastructure in short cycles to get the application right, ensuring developers and biologists are thinking along the same lines and increasing quality and functionality for all. We further evaluated applying this method to both microarray and genetical genomics experiments [9], [11].
Here we have presented MOLGENIS in detail and reported the results of using this method against a wider range of applications. We conclude that using model-driven methods enables bioinformaticians to build biological software infrastructures faster than before, with the additional benefit of much easier sharing of models, data and components. Much less time is spent on customizing and gluing together individual components. The result is of higher quality because fewer incidental errors creep into the applications as a consequence of the automated procedures; best practices are applied instead of reinvented. And you do not need heavy-weight technology to implement a model-driven generator: simple text-based templates suffice to create biological software generators.
As a next step we want to expand the MOLGENIS toolkit to also generate data processing tools, including user friendly interaction, building on other 'model-driven bioinformatics' projects in this area, such as Taverna [6] to model/execute analysis workflows and Galaxy [7] to generate user interfaces for processing tools. We hope that many bioinformaticians will enforce our open source efforts and share their best models, plug-ins and generators at http://www.molgenis.org webcite, so that, in time, every biologist may find a MOLGENIS variant that suits his/her needs.
Availability and requirements
Project name: MOLGENIS
Project homepage: http://www.molgenis.org webcite
Operating systems: Windows, Linux, Apple
Programming language: Java JRE 1.5 or higher
Other requirements: MySQL or Postgresql, Tomcat or other J2EE container
License: GNU Lesses General Public License version 3 (GNU LGPLv3)
Any restrictions to use by non-academics: No
API: application programming interface; CPNN: collaborative computing project for NMR; CSV: comma separated values; DesignGG: experimental design of genetical genomics software; DRY: principle of don't repeat yourself; DSL: domain specific language; EBI: European Bioinformatics Institute; FINDIS: finish disease database; GEN2PHEN: EU project to unify human and model organism genetic variation databases; GMOD: generic model organism database project; GUI: graphical user interface; GWAS: genome wide association study; GWL: genome wide linkage analysis; HGVBaseG2P: human genome variation database of genotype-to-phenotype information; HTML: hypertext markup language; IDE: integrated development environment; JAR: Java Software Archive; LGPL: lesser general public license; MAGE-TAB: microarray gene expression tab delimited file format; MOLGENIS: molecular genetics information systems toolkit; NordicDB: Nordic Control Cohort Database with harmonized SNP information from Denmark, Estonia, Finland and Sweden; OBF: Open Bioinformatics Foundation; OntoCAT: ontology common API toolkit; PEAA: patterns for enterprise application architecture; QTL: quantitative trait locus; RDF: resource description format; REST: representative state transfer web services; SNP: single nucleotide polymorphism; SOAP: simple object access protocol; SQL: structured query language; UML: uniform data modeling language; WAR: web application archive file; XML: extensible markup language; XGAP: extensible genotype and phenotype software platform.
Competing interests
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Authors' contributions
MAS and EOB conceived the method and designed and implemented the first MOLGENIS generator suite. MAS, MD, KJV, TER, AK, JL, DA, GB, GAT, JM, and TA participated in the development of the MOLGENIS toolkit and/or have been developing applications using MOLGENIS as a platform. RCJ, HP, GAT, and AJB have been feeding requirements to steer future development. MAS drafted the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
The authors thank Jackie Senior for editing this manuscript and PANACEA (funded by the European Commission FP7 contract 222936), NWO (Rubicon Grant 825.09.008), the Netherlands Bioinformatics Center (NBIC), BBMRI-NL (funded by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research, NWO), CASIMIR (funded by the European Commission under contract number LSHG-CT-2006-037811), GEN2PHEN (funded by the European Commission FP7-HEALTH contract 200754) and the EMBL for financial support.
This article has been published as part of BMC Bioinformatics Volume 11 Supplement 12, 2010: Proceedings of the 11th Annual Bioinformatics Open Source Conference (BOSC) 2010. The full contents of the supplement are available online at http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2105/11?issue=S12.
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Becky has spent her entire career cooking and baking, which are also her favorite hobbies outside of work. For her, time spent in the kitchen not only relieves stress, but is lots of fun as well. Becky's love for baking began as a child, standing on a chair next her mom, adding ingredients and mixing up dough.
Get to know the members of the Land O'Lakes Co-op with a seasonal look at family life on the dairy farm.
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These creamy pumpkin cookies are tender little cut-out cookies delicately flavored for fall!
*Substitute canned pumpkin.
Calories: 80
Fat: 4g
Cholesterol: 15mg
Sodium: 45mg
Carbohydrates: 9g
Dietary Fiber: 0g
Protein: 1g
Cookies lack any real flavor. There are so many other cookies that are worth your time making. Dominant taste is white flour. I ground my own spices for this ? Who are these people who gave this 5 stars?. Results are not rewarding, look for another recipe.
I wanted a "healthier" cookie for my child's halloween school class treat. I used 2&1/4 cups whole wheat flour instead of 2&3/4 cups all-purpose and 3 tablespoons less butter (because I used whole wheat flour). I used halloween cookies cutters and decorated with raisins instead of the frosting. They turned out great, not very sweet at all, perfect for a halloween snack because the kids will be having so much candy this time of year.
I suspect the people who found these cookies dry overcooked them. I baked them for about 7 minutes and they were tender and soft right away. I didn't use the frosting in the recipe as I wanted to make Halloween cookies and decorated them with orange cookie icing - perfect pumpkin cookies actually shaped like pumpkins!
They were very dry and had a horrible texture. The flavor was okay, but the rest of it was awful. Not impressed.
I made these in the shape of pumpkins and decorated them with icing and sprinkles. The frosting isn't very good for fancy decorating because it doesn't hold it's shape but the cookies taste amazing!
Very soft dough that did roll out well after chilling. The flavor and texture right out of the oven wasn't that great. Very subtle flavor with almost a dry,cardboard texture. However, after cooling and being stored overnight in airtight container, the texture was soft and velvety and the pumpkin and spice flavors had really popped. Nice to be able to bake one day and frost the next!
These cookies were good and had a great texture, but needed the icing to actually have enough pumpkin flavor and sweetness. Next time I will up the spices in the cookie.
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Once the temperature drops a few degrees, I'm in full-on fall foods mode. Pumpkin bars, apple crisp, cranberry bread…you name it, I'm making it. However, most of it revolves around sweets. Why doesn't dinner get a fair chance?
Once the temperature drops a few degrees, I'm in full-on fall foods mode. Pumpkin bars, apple crisp, cranberry bread…you name it, I'm making it. However, most of it revolves around sweets. Why doesn't dinner get a fair chance? More ...
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Lost & Found: Have You Seen Halle Berry's Wedding Band?
Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry is grieving over the loss of her wedding band… Well, not exactly.
SR Exclusive: Meet Kris Jenner's New Man
On Tuesday I told you Kardashian matriarch Kris Jenner was off the market. But until now her mystery man's identity was a closely guarded secret. Jenner's new man is music industry executive Corey Gamble, who also happens to be singer Justin Bieber's co-manager (along with Scooter Braun).
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Alfonso Ribeiro and Wife Welcome a Boy, Alfonso Lincoln
Former 'Fresh Prince' actor Alfonso Ribeiro welcomed his second child — a boy — on Sunday, PEOPLE reports. Ribeiro's wife Angela welcomed her first child, Alfonso Lincoln Ribeiro Jr., who was born at 10:45 a.m. weighing 7 lbs., 10 oz.
"Alfonso Jr is home, happy and healthy," Ribeiro's rep told PEOPLE. "His parents are excited to begin their journey with him!"
Dad Says Walmart Accused Him of Kidnapping His Biracial Daughters
Everything little thing makes headline news these days. It doesn't matter if the headline news started out with good intentions.
A Prince William County, Virginia man says he will never shop at Walmart again after a security guard accused him of kidnapping his children.
Joseph and his wife Keana are an interracial couple.
Thursday started out normally for Joseph when he took his 3 daughters, a 4-year-old and 2-year-old twins, with him to a Walmart in Potomac Mills in Woodbridge to cash a check.
Joseph, who asked that his last name not be published, told Fox 5 DC that he spent a few extra minutes in the parking lot buckling the girls into their car seats.
Joseph said he went to pick up his wife, Keana, and when they arrived home, they were surprised to see a police officer waiting for them.
Naya Rivera and Rapper Big Sean are off the market
This news may not mean much to you but it's a significant development in the lives of women who lusted after rap star Big Sean. Unfortunately for them, Sean's heart is taken by 'Glee' star Naya Rivera. Sean, 25, and Naya, 26, attended the premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures' And Legendary Pictures' '42' at TCL Chinese Theatre on Tuesday, April 9, in Hollywood, California. Congrats to them. Hopefully their union will last longer than the average rapper relationship.
Photos: Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images North America
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Tiger Woods visits with daughter while new girlfriend waits in the car for an hour
Tiger Woods recently confirmed rumors that he was dating Olympic skier Lindsay Vonn on his personal website.
"Something nice that's happened off the course was meeting Lindsey Vonn," he wrote. "Lindsey and I have been friends for some time, but over the last few months we have become very close and are now dating. We thank you for your support and for respecting our privacy.
Vonn, 28, also confirmed their relationship on her Facebook page: "I guess it wasn't a well-kept secret but yes, I am dating Tiger Woods," Vonn wrote on Facebook. "Our relationship evolved from a friendship into something more over these past few months and it has made me very happy."
Apparently, the happy feelings aren't shared by Woods' ex Elin Nordegren.
George Lucas is off the market
Star Wars director George Lucas is engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Mellody Hobson. A spokeswoman for Lucasfilm Ltd. confirmed the couple's engagement after dating for 7 years. The 68-year-old director is best known for creating the wildly popular "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" movie franchises.
Hobson, a 43-year-old investment firm president, serves as chairman of DreamWorks Animation and is a financial contributor to ABC's Good Morning America, ABC News reports.


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Journey to Dragon Hill, where a hypersalinic lagoon sits behind the beach. Flamingos frequent this pool of water, which is far saltier than the ocean. You can also hike up a short trail to the top of the hill, which has panoramic views of the island.
In the afternoon, travel to Rabida to view a variety of bird and marine life. Relax on the red sand beaches or snorkel in the waves.
Cross to Sierra Negra, a large shield volcano. This area is the primary habitat for the Sierra Negra giant tortoise. View the tall trees and lush vegetation of the island on a simple hike around the area.
In the afternoon, transfer to the airport for your connection back to the mainland.


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Sweet as Syrup
Well, my good customer, Cliff in Oregon, received delivery of his LignoLab Pneumatic Suspension Equipment Support. Cliff chose the beautiful, refined, Maple finish to match his SoloVox Loudspeakers (the stand is also available in deep, rich Walnut).
No need for me to describe his impressions, I'll let Cliff do it for you…
" Here are some pics of the new LL stand.I finally got it installed and the system back up and running.I was trying to think of how I would explain my reaction to hearing it in the system for the first time:Imagine a guy sitting in a room,maybe an office or something,and in walks a very attractive and well put-together young woman who, without any warning or explanation, removes her top(completely)and starts to dance seductively before him.Can you see his face?His expression?
That is what I have looked like for the last couple of hours:Eyes bulging,mouth open,with the occasional scratch…of the head,er,scalp.
Having previously owned some very good specialty audio stands such as the Sistrum,Grand Prix Audio Monaco,Finite Elemente Pagode Master Reference, and heard and investigated some other very good ones(one a good bit more expensive than the Lingo),I have to say that I am once again shocked and utterly amazed by one of your products and the amazing craftsmanship and artistry in the service of music of Keith and Norbert. It is amazing that a wood stand(which does float),no matter how thick and well put together IT is,can increase the resolution and dynamics of an audio system to the degree that this one does.The tone or flavor of the system hasn't changed,it is just bigger sounding,much more resolved and dynamic,and much more holographic.
The LL should be a mandatory purchase for anyone with the Solovox and a TT.
Please thank the guys at Lingolab for me and thank you and J for bringing this stuff to us.
Cliff "
Thanks for the insight Cliff. It is amazing, isn't it?
Photo courtesy of Cliff C.
9 Responses to "Sweet as Syrup"
Well said Cliff, well said. I often urge reference system customers into using a Ligno, some are shy to make the jump. I hope some will read your comments and understand just how important this rack is in bringing out the full potential of a Shindo system.
To me it is not an accessory,but an essential.
Everything for me will now be thought of as pre-Lingolab and post-Lingolab.
Hope Matt doesn't mind me taking up space,but just want to add that it is really thrilling how musical details are popping out all over the place from records and music with which thought I was thoroughly familiar.Guitar licks,brush work,dynamic,percussive contasts are popping out and emerging from unexpected places and in ways I have never heard.On a lot of my records I am struck by the impression that I have never heard these songs like this before–even though I have heard them countless times before over thirty years or more.
One more cool thing,every drum kit seems to have gone from the one the girl plays for the White stripes to the one Neil Pert plays for Rush.A little hyperbole–but not much. I'm having fun tonight!
Very tantalizing! I love getting the most music out of a system. It takes an excellent rack to do it.
Lingolove update: Wow! It has really expanded the dynamic range.Listening to the Doors
"Blue Bus" (mono,of course) I was doing that thing were you about reach over and turn it up during the quiet passage,even though i already had the volume at almost 12:00.The level went down really low and Jim was only whispering,but I held off, and then a little later Wabang!The explosion came and I was stunned.This record ,and particularly that song, always sounds great,but it didn't sound THAT great before.
And it didn't have me feeling the need to go from higher volume to lower in the space of a couple of minutes before.And it didn't have THIS much punch before.
So I guess there might be a downside:the expansion of dynamic range might necessitate more frequent volume adjustments and might scare the kiddies or neighbors.
I can deal with that.
Now you're actually hearing what your Vosne-Romanee, Cortese F2a, SoloVox, Shindo 301 Player System and Auditorium 23 Hommage T1 can really do. And it sounds like you like it:-) For me the Lignolab rack is a tool I can not live without. Like a refrigerator, bed or stove- its a just become a necessity.
I think you are exactly right.Since I had gotten the 301 about 6 months ago,I had been really enjoying it and learning about it.But I had continued to feel that something about my system just wasn't quite as right or good as it ought to have been.So I played with VTA and VTF and continued to futz with speaker placement.I also continued to obsess
about possible amp upgrades or preamp or even speaker.I also thought about the LL.
But it was really Matt who talked me into actually getting the LL now and convinced me that it might be all I need.
Well,he was right as usual(does he ever get tired of being right about this stuff all the time?).
Matt said that with the addition of the LL, I would possibly not feel the need to move to bigger, more expensive speakers and that I would hear what my system was really capable of.
As I said,he was right,and what I now have,for the first time ever I think,is a complete system.There,I said it.I think I am done.I am where I want to be and can really,finally just concentrate on the music.
Thanks again,Matt (and Jonathan).
I think I might have a T-shirt made that instead of saying "Clapton is god",says "Norbert is god".That would really leave them scratching their heads,I bet.
Wow, that is indeed an enviable system. Being an owner of an Aurieges MM preamp, I too hope to enjoy and experience a full Shindo front end soon. Thanks to Matt for being helpful and patient as I traverse the varied landscapes of the hi end tube audio world. Although I have made changes to amps as my financial situation betters, I have not yet been able to reach the funds necessary to enjoy a Shindo amp. The only advantage is that I will have other amps to gauge the Shindo with once I get there. For those, like me, without deep pockets, but still want to explore amplifier options, lower cost alternatives remain the only choice. This does result in much swapping and selling because in the end, I'm looking for that full Shindo magic that only comes from a full Shindo front end. While I wait, I still enjoy the two constants in my system, and that is the Aurieges MM with Shindo IC's for amps and digital source. If I have a TT with detachable RCAs, I would use Shindo ICs there too. They have always sounded way better than any other cable I have tried in the sense that music always sound natural and at ease with them installed. I love reading this blog, it is always fun, informative, and the pictures are great. Thanks, Matt for always being there to answer my questions, Shindo related or not and your generosities. And thank you Jonathan for bringing this wonderful art of Shindo to the States, these are pieces of equipment that will be handed down to my child for sure who gets excited every time I ask if he wants to "push the green button" to turn on the preamp.
Best to all,
Bobby in Salem, Oregon
Hi Bobby,
Thanks for the compliments on the system.I do have to say that I am proud of it.
And especially now,at least aesthetically, with the addition of the LL.
I would also just like to recommend that you stick with the goal of getting a Shindo amp at some point to go along with your Shindo preamp and interconnects.
For a long time that was the heart of my system, before I could afford the Shindo 301 I so badly wanted or before even the Solovox.The Shindo amp and preamp are what brought the initial magic for me and a lot of others and allowed a different kind of and level of audio enjoyment with various sources and speakers.
Also would say don't overlook the A23 speaker cables.They are spectacularly musical and just right with Shindo and many speakers.
I actually live in Albany,OR–so I am not too far from you.I would like to extend an invitation for you to come down sometime and hear some records on the 301.
If interested maybe you could ask Matt for my email and we could work out a date.
In any case,enjoy.


text:
This really needs something a little more interactive then the board.
Jump on the IRC channel. If you don't have an IRC client use the web client.
I will be around for awhile.
I am on Redhat 8.0 since the install. Lost access to my previous partitions of Win 98 and Win XP.
I used Grub boot manager as suggested, installed it to the beginning of the boot sector to not block out the Master Boot record ( so the instructions said)
Any suggestions on how to regain access to the XP Pro Boot manager or Master Boot record.
I had used partition magic for Win 98 and Win XP Pro and had prepared a Linux partition in front of Xp Pro, after Win 98. But Partion Magic said I must Activate the Linux partition as the Primary partition and install the new system immediately to regain access to the system.
The Partition Magic Boot Disks now cannot load saying, " EZ Loader present but not active ".
Boot Up gives me Redhat or a Dos prompt choice.
*Knowledge of getting around in Linux is almost nil at this point. ???
This really needs something a little more interactive then the board.
Jump on the IRC channel. If you don't have an IRC client use the web client.
I will be around for awhile.
If you have a 98 boot disk then put it in your floppy and reboot. That will bring you up to an A:\ prompt. type c:\ and hit enter, that will take you to a c:\ prompt; then type in fdsk /mbr (there's a space between fdsk and /mbr). That will put your main boot record to a default condition. You'll need a lilo boot floppy to get back to linux. hope this helps, because I'm new too.Originally Posted by bill_bob
If you want to dual boot linux the most easiest thing to do if you are working on a clean empty hard drive. is to split the drive into two use dos fdisk load windows any flavour then linux red hat 8.0 if you use the gui installer just choose automatic install and use free space keeping filesystems intact. use grub as your bootloader since its more newer and more easier to set up than lilo


text:
Duchy tenants on Scilly 'ripped off' by Prince
Posted: July 04, 2013|
PRINCE Charles has been accused of ripping off his Duchy of Cornwall tenants on the Isles of Scilly by a Labour lord.
The Prince's estate says the duchy offers accommodation for "local people at local prices".
But figures from the Council of the Isles of Scilly, where the duchy has 700 tenancies, show that his tenants are charged an average of £130 a week, compared to £70 for council tenants and £100 for those in housing association accommodation.
The average household income on the islands of St Agnes, Bryher, St Martins, Tresco and much of St Mary's, all owned by the duchy, is £277 a week against a national average of £390.
Now Labour peer Lord Berkeley is demanding an independent review of the duchy's housing policy.
The duchy estate provides Prince Charles with a multimillion-pound income.
The statistics come from Richard McCarthy, chairman of the Community Housing Association and secretary of the Duchy Tenants' Association, according to a national newspaper. He told them the local authority has some of the poorest people in the UK, with the fourth lowest level of income.
It was revealed last week that Prince Charles has seen his income rise by £763,000 in the past year alone, thanks to the duchy making record profits of £19 million in the financial year ending in March, up 4.2 per cent on 2011-12. Since the credit crunch in 2008, its income is up 26 per cent – equivalent to a 16 per cent pay rise for Prince Charles.
Lord Berkeley said: "There's a common perception that the duchy is expensive and I think it only right that we investigate exactly what it is charging compared to other landlords."
The duchy, which owns 131,000 acres across 24 counties, is coming under increasing scrutiny. Next month its officials are due to appear before the Commons Public Accounts Committee.
It was recently criticised after it was revealed anyone dying in Cornwall without writing a will would automatically have all their assets passed to Prince Charles.
The duchy claimed that money was then spent on children in Cornwall, but it was subsequently found to be funding scholarships at a posh Scottish school.
A Channel 4 Dispatches special, The Prince And His Secret Properties, was screened on Monday night.
Old Etonian Lord Berkeley is behind a Private Members' Bill calling for greater transparency of the duchy's affairs which will be given a second reading in the autumn.
He wants its profits to be handed to Cornish residents.
He said: "You do not have to be a republican to understand the importance of an open debate. There's always this feeling that if you criticise the duchy, then you're out on your ear. That cannot be right."
A duchy spokesman said: "As the major provider of residential accommodation on the Isles of Scilly, the duchy consistently favours letting to people who are resident on the islands and engaged in the local economy, at rents that are affordable for them. Negotiated rent reviews are undertaken sensitively and with due regard to circumstances on the Isles."


text:
Anglia Travel
The latest travel information for the Anglia region.
The latest travel information for the Anglia region.
The A130 southbound is partially blocked due to serious accident, two lorries involved between A12 Chelmsford Bypass (Howe Green) and A132 / A1245 (Rettendon Turnpike). Police will be closing the A130, which will mean most traffic using the A1245 instead.
Abellio, who run the Greater Anglia rail line, has been named Train Operator of the Year at the annual national Rail Business Awards.
Greater Anglia train operator Abellio says it's made real steps in customer service and punctuality in its first year in charge.
Greater Anglia have apologised for the delays that have disrupted services today


text:
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Made from solid teak, this sturdy bench is available in two different lengths and goes perfectly with the PCH Dining Table or as stand alone seating. The PCH dining table brings people together. The beautifully crafted solid wood table top, and chunky quarter round legs, really adds a presence to the room. Add the sturdy solid wood benches to complete the dining set.
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text:
Male Haxorus with with Bulldozer and Substitute going to Eraizaa for his Politoed!
oh and it has TM U-turn attached to it
- (Male Gengar) (Trade with Eraizaa)
Nature: To Be Decided
Level-Up Moves: Hypnosis, Lick, Spite, Mean Look, Curse, Night Shade, Confuse Ray, Sucker Punch, Shadow Punch, Payback, Shadow Ball, Dream Eater, Dark Pulse, Destiny Bond, Hex, Nightmare
Extra Moves: Energy Ball, Will-o-Wisp, Sludge Bomb, Psychic, Substitute
Wins: 1
Losses: 1
Draws: 0
Battles (+FFA): 2
This to Mon for a Zam
#065 - Alakazam
Obtained 12/08/2012 in trade with Bumblebee for Scyther
Battle Record:
Gender: Male
Ability: Synchronize or Inner Focus or Magic Guard
Moves: {16 + 4}
Teleport, Kinesis, Confusion, Disable, Miracle Eye, Ally Switch, Psybeam, Reflect, Telekinesis, Recover, Psycho Cut, Role Play, Calm Mind, Psychic, Future Sight, Trick
TM59 Hidden Power (Steel), TM50 Substitute, TM64 Protect, TM72 Shadow Ball
BM Encore
• urpg •
To that
ungrateful little muggleThe pokemaster for his mantyke/soul:
Flobberworm the Wormadam (Plant Cloak) ♀
Ability: Anticipation
Hidden Ability: -n/a-
Nature: Naive
Obtained: Traded Surskit to ChainReaction01 [As a Wormadam]
Level-up Moves: (14)
Tackle, Protect, Bug Bite, Hidden Power [Ground], Confusion, Razor Leaf, Growth, Psybeam, Captivate, Flail, Attract, Psychic, Leaf Storm
Extra Moves: (1)
(HM05: Flash)
Number of Battles: 1 [0/1/0]
Status: [Value: $11,500] Not UFT
Dinovolvin' since the Late Triassic
TM Twave to Kers for TM Trick Room
twave for my trick room
To FD for Froslass, then that Froslass will go to @The pokemaster for Ferrothorn, adding also Attract and Hidden Power that is unrolled.
Species: Beheeyem
Gender: Male
Ability: Telepathy or Synchronize
Type: Psychic
Record: Wo/To/Lo
Moves: Confusion, Growl, Heal Block, Miracle Eye, Psybeam, Headbutt, Hidden Power, Imprison, Simple Beam, Zen Headbutt, Psych Up, Psychic, Calm Mind, Recover, Guard Split, Power Split, Synchronoise, Wonder Room
TM Moves:
SM, BM, and MT Moves:
Captured: Capture Contest
Available For Trade: No
Species: Froslass
Ability: Snow Cloak
Dream World: Cursed Body
Obtained: Trade
Battles: 000
Level-up: Powder Snow, Leer, Double Team, Bite, Astonish, Icy Wind, Headbutt, Confuse Ray, Protect, Ominous Wind, Ice Fang, Wake-Up Slap, Crunch, Captivate, Ice Shard, Ice Beam, Hail, Blizzard, Destiny Bond
TMs/HMs: Shadow Ball, Thunderbolt
BM/MT/SM: Fake Tears, Sucker Punch, Trick
Value: $41,000


text: Beatrice Reiss | IBDB: The official source for Broadway Information IBDB: The official source for Broadway Information Official Broadway League sites: - sites - broadway.org broadwayleague.com broadwayfanclub.com kidsnightonbroadway.com stagespecs.org tonyawards.com Quick Search For: In This Category: All Show People/Org. Theatre Season Beatrice Reiss Performer Female Productions ProductionsDate of ProductionsHello, Lola[Musical, Comedy, Original] Performer: Beatrice Reiss [Ensemble]Jan 12, 1926 - Feb 20, 1926Sky High[Musical, Original] Performer: Beatrice Reiss [Chorus]Mar 02, 1925 - Sep 05, 1925Vogues of 1924[Musical, Revue, Original] Performer: Beatrice Reiss [Dancer]Mar 27, 1924 - Jul 12, 1924The Whirl of New York[Musical, Comedy, Revival] Performer: Beatrice Reiss [Ensemble]Jun 13, 1921 - Sep 17, 1921 Find out where Beatrice Reiss and are credited together © 2001-2015, The Broadway League, All Rights Reserved. (Copyright and Disclaimer)


text:
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|#1 (permalink)
Senior Member
Member Number: 20381
Join Date: Jun 2009
Drives: 96 Mercury Sable LS Wagon 3.0 DOHC Duratec
Posts: 71315
Mercon vs. Mercon V
I went back and read a number of threads on the Mercon V backward compatability stuff.
I know Ford says you can now use Mercon V in any Taurus with an Auto Trans. That was not always their position. Do they say what changed to allow them to change their position?
It is not clear to me if Ford endorses mixing the two in a trans that was originally spec'ed for Mercon.
I know some members have said they mixed the two and it has worked fine.
This topic has evolved over the years. As of today what is Ford's position on mixing the two fluids in a trans that originally called for Mercon.?
I know the Mercon V is a bit more money. Is there any real practicle advantage in using it over the Mercon? I can get the store brand Mercon (i.e. Supertech, Napa or Coastal) for a very good price and often in a convenient gallon jug. I never saw anthing negative over using the store brand ATF.
I don't mind paying more for the V but is it worth making the change in my next tansmission pan drop and filter change.
Last edited by nbpt100; 02-27-2012 at 11:07 PM.
|#2 (permalink)
Member Number: 37543
Join Date: Jun 2011
Chapter: Northeast
Drives: '97 Taurus SHO
Posts: 2339
I can settle the quality bit. Mercon V is synthetic, so it's operating temperature range is a lot better. Considering how junk our slushboxes are, you want that extra insurance for when the heat creeps up.
|#3 (permalink)
Crazy Devoted Member
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Most mercon v atf is synthetic-blend. There are full synthetic atfs that meet and satisfy mercon v specs.
Last edited by sheila; 02-28-2012 at 10:11 PM.
|#4 (permalink)
Technical Advisor
Member Number: 14275
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Location: Wisconsin
Chapter: Midwest
Drives: A blue car
Posts: 7,53982
Synthetic blend vs conventional. Ford stopped making regular MERCON a few years ago, and it's perfectly fine to use MERCON V now. MERCON V fluid should last a little longer and you might get slightly better fuel economy in the cold.
So personally I would go with MERCON V since it's better than the old fluid. If you don't want to buy it at the dealer you can use Valvoline MERCON V.
|#5 (permalink)
Senior Member
Member Number: 20381
Join Date: Jun 2009
Drives: 96 Mercury Sable LS Wagon 3.0 DOHC Duratec
Posts: 71315
I did find that Ford is saying the MERCON V is compatible with the Mercon and now the only ATF they recommend for previous Mercon applications.
It seems to bother people that Ford flipped their posion on this a few years ago. Understandably, this is confusing. I can only speculate why this happened. Some think the formulation changed. I read a lot in the past few days on this and I have not seen anything objective that suggests this. Some Other ATF MFG say they meet the Mercon V spec but are not certified by Ford to carry the Mercon Certification. I believe the Valvoline High Milage is one. Note there is a distinction in meeting/exceeding the spec and having certification by the spec owner. The former is the manufacturer saying saying so and the latter is the company owning the tradmark or spec agreeing with them. It likely comes down to politics and money.
I have also seen enough anecdotal endoursements from folks who have used the Super Tech, Valvoline and Castrol Mercon V that say it worked fine.
I found a good price on Castrol Mercon V at Advance Auto. Buy on line and PU at local store. You can use a coupon code online to get an additional discount.
Thanks to all who shared.
|#6 (permalink)
Crazy Devoted Member
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Iirc, mercon v is back-spec'd for mercon applications only, not where the old ford type f atf was required.
|#7 (permalink)
Crazy Devoted Member
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Drives: Sable LS Premium '03 Sable LS prem '03 Wagon Lin Cont '02
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After changing, the shifts are crisper, and the TQ lockup is sharp. I like that.
I cringe at the thought of TQ shudder. Been there done that in Essex with sloppy trans. Four of them.
I used Walmart fluid, "V".
Also did the same for my '03 but the difference was not so much. ~84K miles and the filter inside was dated "03" so it was original.
I see no reason to pay more for what I cannot see or feel.
There is some info not to mix types, but, that is not quite possible. But as for me, my 3 old Fords all came with "V" so no issue.
And this, I am sure going over 100K on original fluid is not the best, but mine is a local hauler and not a high priority. The engine and tranny will outlast the body in the rust belt.
|#8 (permalink)
Senior Member
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Drives: 96 Mercury Sable LS Wagon 3.0 DOHC Duratec
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That is correct and just to be clearer. I have only been refering to automatic transmission applications and the straight Mercon. No suffix after it. Ford says Mercon V CAN NOT be used in transfer cases that spec Mercon. But not a concern for us Tauri and Sable owners.
I did find that Motorcraft has two types of Mercon V. A conventional tranny fliud and a semi-synthetic.
The Semi-synthetic says it was developed to be used in Autotrans after 1989 which speced Mercon and in power steering units after 1998 which speced Mercon. I am not sure how they want this interpretted. It does not specifically say to not use it for said applications before those years. They are very specific when it comes to other substitutions. My interpretation is that it is fine. Why should synthetic vs. non be an issue in an earlier PS system as long as it meets the Mercon V spec?
You can read more about both here:
FCSD Chemicals and Lubricants
The site provides some good info on a variety of Motorcraft lubricants and chemicals.
|#9 (permalink)
Member Number: 45748
Join Date: Feb 2012
Chapter: Northeast
Drives: "The Blue Goose" - 1995 Taurus GL Wagon, 3.0L Vulcan V-6
Posts: 1518
I hope you all don't mind me re-opening this thread, but I have a question...
When I had the original Mercon fluid and filter changed this year; I assume my mechanic put Mercon V in it. (Neither my father nor I had ever changed it before.)
This summer, when temperatures hit 100+; the TC main bearing leaked like crazy. Now that temperatures are back below 90, it has once again stopped. (I drive 70 miles one way on my daily commute; basically across the DFW metroplex.
It had never done this before. I am wondering now if that is because Mercon V is a synthetic oil, and also because the transmission had 130,000 miles on it with regular Mercon. I am thinking next time I have it changed to have them put regular Mercon on it; and in the meantime top it off with regular Mercon as it is needed.
|#10 (permalink)
Technical Advisor
Member Number: 14275
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Wisconsin
Chapter: Midwest
Drives: A blue car
Posts: 7,53982
I don't think it has to do with the Mercon V instead of Mercon. I believe the fluid specifications and viscosities are pretty much the same. Mercon V might have more friction modifiers, and has synthetic content so it lasts longer. So I think if the seal was going to leak at high temps it would do so with either fluid.
A lot of shops still only stock Dex/Merc, so don't assume you got V unless you see it on your work order or asked the mechanic directly.
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text:
The Lighting Research Center has formed a collaborative group of researchers from around the world to collect data in different lighting applications using a special light measuring device known as the Daysimeter. This site is exclusively for the members of this collaborative Daysimeter User Group.
Members, please use the navigation menu on the left to access software, presentations, discussions, and more. For information about joining the Daysimeter Users Group, please contact Dr. Mariana Figuiero at (518) 687-7100.


text:
Lollapalooza is coming! This weekend, from August 3-5, Chicago's Grant Park will be taken over by eight stages and more than 140 performances. It begins at 11:30 a.m. on Friday morning and ends at 10:00 p.m. on Sunday night. That's a lot of music, and there's no way you'll be able to hear it all. Serious decisions must be made. The rest of your life will be determined by which bands you choose to see. That said, here are 10 performances I highly recommend you make every effort to check out this weekend.
The War On Drugs
Where: Google Play Stage
When: Friday, 2:15-3:00 p.m.
Why: The War On Drugs are making some of the best American indie-rock around. The Philadelphia band's tunes, like on last year's "Slave Ambient" LP, are hard-hitting anthems celebrating those working-class heroes and road-worn vagabonds who refuse to give up their pursuit of that always elusive American dream. The music summons the spirits of Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty, but it's the bizarre traces of drone, noise and experimentalism that set The War On Drugs apart.
Tame Impala
Where: Sony Stage
When: Friday, 3:15-4:15 p.m.
Why: This Australian psych-rock band sounds like it swallows a pound of shrooms right before they sit down to write a song. Their "Innerspeaker" LP showed them making muscular, but tripped-out rock inspired by Brit bands like King Crimson and The Pretty Things. Get ready for huge, swirling guitars, massive grooves and warm, totally zonked harmonies.
Black Sabbath
Where: Bud Light Stage
When: Friday, 8:05-10:00 p.m.
Why: Do you really need to ask? The 43-year-old, Ozzy Osbourne-fronted English rock band practically invented metal music, bringing black leather, anger, Satan and horror movie chills to what was previously a happy-go-lucky hippie party. Their 1970 album "Paranoid" is no doubt one of the top 10 rock albums ever made; over 40 years later, most children still learn how to growl the riff to "Iron Man" before they learn to walk. This is Black Sabbath's only North American concert this year. Be there.
The Black Keys
Where: Red Bull Soundstage
When: Friday, 8:30-10:00 p.m.
Why: The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney were high school friends in Akron, Ohio, and now they're one of the most popular rock bands in America. The Grammy-winning duo makes swinging electric blues-rock; the Keys' last album, the Danger Mouse-produced "El Camino," hits especially hard, but the hits are always danceable. (Yes, it's impossible to see both Black Sabbath and The Black Keys because their sets overlap. Sorry, but this is a decision you'll have to make for yourself.)
JEFF The Brotherhood
Where: Playstation Stage
When: Saturday, 1:30-2:15 p.m.
Why: When I interviewed Jake Orrall of the Nashville band JEFF The Brotherhood last month for RedBullUSA.com, one of his quotes was a rock 'n' roll mission statement. Asked about his songwriting and lyrical themes, he said the following: "It's all bullshit. I don't really believe in trying to write good or meaningful lyrics, because it's fucking rock 'n' roll, you know? Who cares?" Their latest album is the Dan Auerbach-produced "Hypnotic Nights," and it thrives on dirty riffs, lyrical simplicity and a "fight for your right to party" attitude. Don't expect profundity, but be prepared to rage.
Skream & Benga
Where: Perry's Stage
When: Saturday, 5:45-6:45 p.m.
Why: Lollapalooza founder Perry Ferrell has always been into EDM, but this year both Justice and Avicii are headliners. And on Perry's Stage, it's a weekend-long rave. One of the EDM highlights is this performance by the London producers Skream and Benga, two pioneers of dubstep music. There shall be plenty of wobbles and drops, but also a dubstep history lesson that young bucks like Skrillex cannot provide.
Frank Ocean
Where: Google Play Stage
When: Saturday, 8:45-9:45 p.m.
Why: The Odd Future affiliate Frank Ocean is responsible for the year's best R&B album, "channel ORANGE." All of the WTF moments (like his ridiculous rendition of the Eagles' "Hotel California") from last year's "nostalgia, ULTRA" are gone as Ocean focuses on serious, introspective songwriting. There's evidence of Prince and Stevie Wonder throughout, but Ocean's doing his own thing and doing it impressively very well. His falsetto chorus on "Thinking About You" is one of the most heartbreaking music experiences you'll have at Lollapalooza this year. Find someone to slow-dance with.
Where: Sony Stage
When: Sunday, 1:30-2:15 p.m.
Why: This Minneapolis band merges indie-rock, electronic music and R&B to achieve excellent results. On their debut album, "Give You The Ghost," frontwoman Channy Leaneagh drenches her voice in Auto-Tune, transforming it into a haunting presence that shimmers over the dreamy soundscapes. It's a creepy, otherworldly sound, but refreshingly unique and undeniably pop.
Sigur Ros
Where: Red Bull Soundstage
When: Sunday, 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Why: This Icelandic post-rock band makes such beautiful music that it's not unusual for people to cry during their sets (despite the fact that the songs are sung in a made up language). The group's normally sweeping, orchestral vision meets electronic drone, sparkle and fuzz on their new album, "Valtari." The result is the soundtrack to a motivational speech that will make you want to call your parents to tell them how much you appreciate everything they've ever done for you.
At The Drive-In
Where: Red Bull Soundstage
When: Sunday, 6:00-7:15 p.m.
Why: I once made a list of the best 50 albums of the 2000s, and At The Drive-In's "Relationship Of Command" took the number one spot. Like most people, I wasn't hip to their two earlier albums ("Acrobatic Tenement" and "In/Casino Out," both amazing) until after the "One Armed Scissor" video hit heavy rotation on MTV. The entire band was wildly flailing around like rabid beasts, which was a radical departure from the moody, shoegazing grunge bands that came before them. They were completely unhinged, militant and refreshing. Sadly, one year later, the band went on "indefinite hiatus." They popped up with new projects, like Mars Volta and Sparta, but it wasn't the same. So, after 10 years of silence, when they announced earlier this year they'd be playing a few reunion shows, it was great news. This might be the last opportunity to catch ATDI go nuts in the U.S. before they slither into hiding once again. Don't sleep on this.
Follow Elliott Sharp on Twitter @ElliottSharp for more news and updates.
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- The Urban Nomad Invades Lollapalooza 2011
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