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dplyr & tidyverse for data processing
How can I load tabular data into R?
How can I slice and dice the data to ask questions?
Read data with the built-in
Read data with dplyr's
Use dplyr and tidyverse functions to cleanup data.
- Foundations of Data Science
- R basics in Galaxy: tutorial hands-on
- Advanced R in Galaxy: tutorial hands-onTime estimation: 1 hourLevel: Advanced AdvancedSupporting Materials:Last modification: Sep 28, 2022License: Tutorial Content is licensed under MIT The GTN Framework is licensed under MIT
Best viewed in RStudio
This tutorial is available as an RMarkdown file and best viewed in RStudio! You can load this notebook in RStudio on one of the UseGalaxy.* servers
Launching the notebook in RStudio in Galaxy
- Instructions to Launch RStudio
- Access the R console in RStudio (bottom left quarter of the screen)
- Run the following code:
download.file("https://training.galaxyproject.org/training-material/topics/data-science/tutorials/r-dplyr/data-science-r-dplyr.Rmd", "data-science-r-dplyr.Rmd") download.file("https://training.galaxyproject.org/training-material/assets/css/r-notebook.css", "gtn.css") download.file("https://training.galaxyproject.org/training-material/topics/data-science/tutorials/r-dplyr/tutorial.bib", "data-science-r-dplyr.bib")
- Double click the RMarkdown document that appears in the list of files on the right.
Downloading the notebook
- Right click this link: tutorial.Rmd
- Save Link As...
Alternative Formats
- This tutorial is also available as a Jupyter Notebook (With Solutions), Jupyter Notebook (Without Solutions)
Hands-on: Learning with RMarkdown in RStudio
Learning with RMarkdown is a bit different than you might be used to. Instead of copying and pasting code from the GTN into a document you'll instead be able to run the code directly as it was written, inside RStudio! You can now focus just on the code and reading within RStudio.
Load the notebook if you have not already, following the tip box at the top of the tutorial
Open it by clicking on the
.Rmdfile in the file browser (bottom right)
The RMarkdown document will appear in the document viewer (top left)
You're now ready to view the RMarkdown notebook! Each notebook starts with a lot of metadata about how to build the notebook for viewing, but you can ignore this for now and scroll down to the content of the tutorial.
You'll see codeblocks scattered throughout the text, and these are all runnable snippets that appear like this in the document:
And you have a few options for how to run them:
- Click the green arrow
- ctrl+enter
Using the menu at the top to run all
When you run cells, the output will appear below in the Console. RStudio essentially copies the code from the RMarkdown document, to the console, and runs it, just as if you had typed it out yourself!
One of the best features of RMarkdown documents is that they include a very nice table browser which makes previewing results a lot easier! Instead of needing to use
headevery time to preview the result, you get an interactive table browser for any step which outputs a table.
dplyr (Wickham et al. 2021) is a powerful R-package to transform and summarize tabular data with rows and columns. It is part of a group of packages (including
ggplot2) called the
tidyverse (Wickham et al. 2019), a collection of packages for data processing and visualisation. For further exploration please see the dplyr package vignette: Introduction to dplyr
This tutorial is significantly based on GenomicsClass/labs.
In this tutorial, we will cover:
- Why Is It Useful?
- How Does It Compare To Using Base Functions R?
- How Do I Get dplyr?
- Data: Mammals Sleep
- Important dplyr Verbs To Remember
- dplyr Verbs In Action
Why Is It Useful?
The package contains a set of functions (or "verbs") that perform common data manipulation operations such as filtering for rows, selecting specific columns, re-ordering rows, adding new columns and summarizing data.
In addition, dplyr contains a useful function to perform another common task which is the "split-apply-combine" concept. We will discuss that in a little bit.
How Does It Compare To Using Base Functions R?
If you are familiar with R, you are probably familiar with base R functions such as split(), subset(), apply(), sapply(), lapply(), tapply() and aggregate(). Compared to base functions in R, the functions in dplyr are easier to work with, are more consistent in the syntax and are targeted for data analysis around tibbles, instead of just vectors.
How Do I Get dplyr?
To load the required packages:
Remember that you can install new packages by running
Or by using the Install button on the RStudio Packages interface
Here we've imported the entire suite of tidyverse packages. We'll specifically be using:
|This provides the
read_csv function which is identical to
read.csv except it returns a tibble
|All of the useful functions we'll be covering are part of dplyr
|A dependency of
dplyr that provides the
%>% operator
|The famous plotting library which we'll use at the very end to plot our aggregated data.
Data: Mammals Sleep
The msleep (mammals sleep) data set contains the sleep times and weights for a set of mammals. This data set contains 83 rows and 11 variables.
url <- "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/genomicsclass/dagdata/master/inst/extdata/msleep_ggplot2.csv"
msleep <- read_csv(url)
The columns (in order) correspond to the following:
|column name
|common name
|taxonomic rank
|carnivore, omnivore or herbivore?
|taxonomic rank
|the conservation status of the mammal
|total amount of sleep, in hours
|rem sleep, in hours
|length of sleep cycle, in hours
|amount of time spent awake, in hours
|brain weight in kilograms
|body weight in kilograms
Compare the above output with the more traditional
read.csv that is built into R
dfmsleep <- read.csv(url)
This is a "data frame" and was the basis of data processing for years in R, and is still quite commonly used! But notice how
dplyr has a much prettier and more consice output. This is what is called a
tibble (like a table). We can immediately see metadata about the table, the separator that was guessed for us, what datatypes each column was (dbl or chr), how many rows and columns we have, etc. The
tibble works basically exactly like a data frame except it has a lot of features to integrate nicely with the
dplyr package.
That said, all of the functions below you will learn about work equally well with data frames and tibbles, but tibbles will save you from filling your screen with hundreds of rows by automatically truncating large tables unless you specifically request otherwise.
Important dplyr Verbs To Remember
|dplyr verbs
|SQL Equivalent Operation
|select columns
|filter rows
|re-order or arrange rows
|create new columns
SELECT x, x*2 ...
|summarise values
|allows for group operations in the "split-apply-combine" concept
dplyr Verbs In Action
The two most basic functions are
select() and
filter(), which selects columns and filters rows respectively.
Pipe Operator: %>%
Before we go any further, let's introduce the pipe operator: %>%. dplyr imports this operator from another package (magrittr).This operator allows you to pipe the output from one function to the input of another function. Instead of nesting functions (reading from the inside to the outside), the idea of piping is to read the functions from left to right. This is a lot more like how you would write a
bash data processing pipeline and can be a lot more readable and intuitive than the nested version.
Here's is the more old fashioned way of writing the equivalent code:
head(select(msleep, name, sleep_total))
Now in this case, we will pipe the msleep tibble to the function that will select two columns (name and sleep_total) and then pipe the new tibble to the function
head(), which will return the head of the new tibble.
msleep %>% select(name, sleep_total) %>% head(2)
How would you rewrite the following code to use the pipe operator?
prcomp(tail(read.csv("file.csv"), 10))
Just read from inside to outside, starting with the innermost
()and use
%>%between each step.
read.csv("file.csv") %>% tail(10) %>% prcomp()
Selecting Columns Using
Select a set of columns: the name and the sleep_total columns.
msleep %>% select(name, sleep_total)
To select all the columns except a specific column, use the "-" (subtraction) operator (also known as negative indexing):
msleep %>% select(-name)
To select a range of columns by name, use the ":" (colon) operator:
msleep %>% select(name:order)
To select all columns that start with the character string "sl", use the function
msleep %>% select(starts_with("sl"))
Some additional options to select columns based on a specific criteria include:
|Select columns that end with a character string
|Select columns that contain a character string
|Select columns that match a regular expression
|Select column names that are from a group of names
Selecting Rows Using
Filter the rows for mammals that sleep a total of more than 16 hours.
msleep %>% filter(sleep_total >= 16)
Filter the rows for mammals that sleep a total of more than 16 hours and have a body weight of greater than 1 kilogram.
msleep %>% filter(sleep_total >= 16, bodywt >= 1)
Filter the rows for mammals in the Perissodactyla and Primates taxonomic order
msleep %>% filter(order %in% c("Perissodactyla", "Primates"))
You can use the boolean operators (e.g. >, <, >=, <=, !=, %in%) to create the logical tests.
Arrange Or Re-order Rows Using
To arrange (or re-order) rows by a particular column, such as the taxonomic order, list the name of the column you want to arrange the rows by:
msleep %>% arrange(order) %>% select(order, genus, name)
Now we will select three columns from msleep, arrange the rows by the taxonomic order and then arrange the rows by sleep_total. Finally, show the final tibble:
msleep %>%
select(name, order, sleep_total) %>%
arrange(order, sleep_total)
Same as above, except here we filter the rows for mammals that sleep for 16 or more hours, instead of showing the whole tibble:
msleep %>%
select(name, order, sleep_total) %>%
arrange(order, sleep_total) %>%
filter(sleep_total >= 16)
Something slightly more complicated: same as above, except arrange the rows in the sleep_total column in a descending order. For this, use the function
msleep %>%
select(name, order, sleep_total) %>%
arrange(order, desc(sleep_total)) %>%
filter(sleep_total >= 16)
Create New Columns Using
mutate() function will add new columns to the tibble. Create a new column called rem_proportion, which is the ratio of rem sleep to total amount of sleep.
msleep %>%
mutate(rem_proportion = sleep_rem / sleep_total) %>%
select(starts_with("sl"), rem_proportion)
You can many new columns using mutate (separated by commas). Here we add a second column called bodywt_grams which is the bodywt column in grams.
msleep %>%
mutate(rem_proportion = sleep_rem / sleep_total,
bodywt_grams = bodywt * 1000) %>%
select(sleep_total, sleep_rem, rem_proportion, bodywt, bodywt_grams)
Create summaries of the tibble using
summarise() function will create summary statistics for a given column in the tibble such as finding the mean. For example, to compute the average number of hours of sleep, apply the
mean() function to the column sleep_total and call the summary value avg_sleep.
msleep %>%
summarise(avg_sleep = mean(sleep_total))
There are many other summary statistics you could consider such
n() (returns the length of vector),
first() (returns first value in vector),
last() (returns last value in vector) and
n_distinct() (number of distinct values in vector).
msleep %>%
summarise(avg_sleep = mean(sleep_total),
min_sleep = min(sleep_total),
max_sleep = max(sleep_total),
total = n())
Group operations using
group_by() verb is an important function in dplyr. As we mentioned before it's related to concept of "split-apply-combine". We literally want to split the tibble by some variable (e.g. taxonomic order), apply a function to the individual tibbles and then combine the output.
Let's do that: split the msleep tibble by the taxonomic order, then ask for the same summary statistics as above. We expect a set of summary statistics for each taxonomic order.
msleep %>%
group_by(order) %>%
summarise(avg_sleep = mean(sleep_total),
min_sleep = min(sleep_total),
max_sleep = max(sleep_total),
total = n())
Most people want to slice and dice their data before plotting, so let's demonstrate that quickly by plotting our last dataset.
msleep %>%
group_by(order) %>%
summarise(avg_sleep = mean(sleep_total),
min_sleep = min(sleep_total),
max_sleep = max(sleep_total),
total = n()) %>%
ggplot() + geom_point(aes(x=min_sleep, y=max_sleep, colour=order))
Notice how we can just keep piping our data together, this makes it incredibly easier to experiment and play around with our data and test out what filtering or summarisation we want and how that will plot in the end. If we wanted, or if the data processing is an especially computationally expensive step, we could save it to an intermediate variable before playing around with plotting options, but in the case of this small dataset that's probably not necessary.
Key points
Dplyr and tidyverse make it a lot easier to process data
The functions for selecting data are a lot easier to understand than R's built in alternatives.
Frequently Asked QuestionsHave questions about this tutorial? Check out the tutorial FAQ page or the FAQ page for the Foundations of Data Science topic to see if your question is listed there. If not, please ask your question on the GTN Gitter Channel or the Galaxy Help Forum
- Wickham, H., M. Averick, J. Bryan, W. Chang, L. D. A. McGowan et al., 2019 Welcome to the tidyverse. Journal of Open Source Software 4: 1686. 10.21105/joss.01686
- Wickham, H., R. François, L. Henry, and K. Müller, 2021 dplyr: A Grammar of Data Manipulation. R package version 1.0.7. https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=dplyr
Did you use this material as an instructor? Feel free to give us feedback on how it went.
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Citing this Tutorial
- Helena Rasche, Erasmus+ Programme, Avans Hogeschool, dplyr & tidyverse for data processing (Galaxy Training Materials). https://training.galaxyproject.org/training-material/topics/data-science/tutorials/r-dplyr/tutorial.html Online; accessed TODAY
- Batut et al., 2018 Community-Driven Data Analysis Training for Biology Cell Systems 10.1016/j.cels.2018.05.012
Congratulations on successfully completing this tutorial!
@misc{data-science-r-dplyr, author = "Helena Rasche and Erasmus+ Programme and Avans Hogeschool", title = "dplyr & tidyverse for data processing (Galaxy Training Materials)", year = "", month = "", day = "" url = "\url{https://training.galaxyproject.org/training-material/topics/data-science/tutorials/r-dplyr/tutorial.html}", note = "[Online; accessed TODAY]" } @article{Batut_2018, doi = {10.1016/j.cels.2018.05.012}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.cels.2018.05.012}, year = 2018, month = {jun}, publisher = {Elsevier {BV}}, volume = {6}, number = {6}, pages = {752--758.e1}, author = {B{\'{e}}r{\'{e}}nice Batut and Saskia Hiltemann and Andrea Bagnacani and Dannon Baker and Vivek Bhardwaj and Clemens Blank and Anthony Bretaudeau and Loraine Brillet-Gu{\'{e}}guen and Martin {\v{C}}ech and John Chilton and Dave Clements and Olivia Doppelt-Azeroual and Anika Erxleben and Mallory Ann Freeberg and Simon Gladman and Youri Hoogstrate and Hans-Rudolf Hotz and Torsten Houwaart and Pratik Jagtap and Delphine Larivi{\`{e}}re and Gildas Le Corguill{\'{e}} and Thomas Manke and Fabien Mareuil and Fidel Ram{\'{\i}}rez and Devon Ryan and Florian Christoph Sigloch and Nicola Soranzo and Joachim Wolff and Pavankumar Videm and Markus Wolfien and Aisanjiang Wubuli and Dilmurat Yusuf and James Taylor and Rolf Backofen and Anton Nekrutenko and Björn Grüning}, title = {Community-Driven Data Analysis Training for Biology}, journal = {Cell Systems} }
Do you want to extend your knowledge? Follow one of our recommended follow-up trainings:


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subset: commoncrawl


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What is the CDCA?
The Council for Development Canada-Algeria (CDCA) is a non-profit organization, active and attentive to its members, bringing together business people and personalities of both countries to support each other in the development of successful industrial and commercial relations for the benefit of Canada and Algeria.
Our founding members represent reputable companies. We have the support of the authorities of both countries and already established working relationships with other business associations, particularly in Algeria.
Track record
In 2015, a group of Canadians and Algerians particularly interested in business activities between their countries, but also in the quality of bilateral relationships in general, felt that it was necessary to create a more proactive organization to collectively prepare for the challenges that lay ahead, but also to better understand and monitor the conditions that lead to success for industrial or commercial partnerships, and this for the benefit of all stakeholders.
They believed that they had between them the appropriate elements to achieve their targeted objectives, better than any other prior such initiative.
This led to the creation of a non-profit organization duly registered with the Canadian authorities in the spring of 2016. Its main mission is to mobilize businesses, governments and organizations around the consolidation of trade relations between Canada and Algeria


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Pigeon Loans makes it easier for friends and family to lend each other money
The recent turmoil in the stock market and the wider US economy is a harbinger of a recession, with the finances of the average American and forcing them to depend even more on the hundreds of billions in interpersonal loans made between family and friends every year. However, lending money to friends and family is complicated and risks straining and breaking relationships. Loans pigeons, a consumer FinTech startup founded by Kaben Clauson and Brian Bristol, is harnessing technology to make lending to loved ones a financially and emotionally transparent process. The Miami, Florida-based startup has raised $2.5 million from Y Combinator, FundersClub, Kleiner Perkins Scout Fund, Sovereign's Capital, Goodwater Capital, SaxeCap, Pareto Holdings, True Culture Fund, Magic Fund, Legal Tech Fund , Mentors Fund, Ascendo Venture Capital, and various angel investors.
Jahanzeb and Ashley Sherwani, angel investors in Pigeon Loans, say, "Pigeon Loans is the perfect use case for technology: it empowers people to meaningfully help those they care about, while ensuring accountability and trust to make sure everyone is on the same page. By motivating people to stay on track with repayment, it creates a win-win situation for everyone involved, which is the kind of impact we wanted to be part of. »
"Predatory lenders target borrowers who are looking for small loans and are likely to fall into the trap of high interest and high fees. Pigeon Loans helps people avoid falling into the trap by enabling a borrower to secure a loan from friends and family," said Ash Shrivastav, an early adviser and investor in Pigeon Loans.
Frederick Daso: What are some of the psychological and interpersonal barriers that arise when lending money to friends or family?
Kaben Clauson and Brian Bristol: Loans to friends and family have always been viewed with skepticism in the United States. The American philosophy of self-reliance leaves many borrowers embarrassed or ashamed of having to ask for money. In other countries around the world, a sense of shared community facilitates the commoditization of this type of loan. Many Americans' "independence streak" has left much of the $200 billion a year in the "friends and family loans" market under the radar.
The fear of losing with friends and family loans can be quite high. We've spoken to hundreds of lenders who haven't been repaid on time or have seen their relationships deteriorate because of the money. The truth is, interpersonal loans often ruin friendships without proper planning.
Both parties need a clear repayment plan to avoid ruining a friendship. Setting the correct expectations seems to be the key to this development.
Daso: How dependent is the average American on borrowing from family and friends?
Clauson and Bristol: A recent feature in Bloomberg cited that nearly 27 million Americans relied on borrowing from friends and family in 2021. In 2020, the number was just under 20 million. These loans are expected to increase significantly as record inflation and consumer debt begin to take their toll. The increase in loans to friends and family has come disproportionately from minority communities, which often have less access to the traditional credit system.
Daso: For person-to-person loans under $1,000, how does the lender usually spend the money? On average, how quickly is this money paid back to the lender?
Clauson and Bristol: Loans under $1,000 often fall into the "emergency" category. These loans are often used to repair someone's car that they need to get to work or to cover housing costs for a short period of time. With more Americans living on paycheck than ever before, we see many turning to friends and family to weather a financial surprise.
Visiting friends and family is usually the best option for getting the money you need fast while avoiding payday lenders who charge high interest rates.
Daso: Beyond the financial organization and structure that Pigeon Loans provides to lender and lender via technology, how is the product designed to address the psychological and interpersonal challenges of lending money to a loved one in his life ?
Clauson and Bristol: As founders of Pigeon Loans, Brian and I have first-hand experience of the awkwardness of borrowing and lending with those we know.
First, our product starts by helping both parties understand how payments will be made and on what schedule. Proper planning helps solve most problems with these types of loans.
Second, the system then gently reminds borrowers to make payments on time, helping our lenders avoid the awkward monthly text of "hey, when will you send me that money?"
We also have a strong education center that guides lenders and borrowers through best practices for handling late payments and defaults and managing a healthy relationship. Having a third-party software system in place greatly reduces the embarrassment of these types of loans.
Daso: Beyond the complementary professional experiences of your co-founding team, what are your respective personal experiences in lending, and how have shaped what Pigeon Loans has become today
Clauson and Bristol: Kaben saw his family having to borrow a lot of money during the financial crisis of 2008. The pain of dealing with financial losses and then managing those loans for years always seemed to him to be a problem that needed to be solved. As he got older, he borrowed to launch my first startup. Without the willingness of my family and friends to help me, I would never have been able to pursue my business dreams.
During the pandemic, Brian was asked by his family for a large sum of money. He wanted to help, but he didn't want the headache of managing that loan over the years. He needed a solution to make these loans as automated as possible and started building Pigeon Loans V1.
Daso: What is an aspect of your startup's history that many people do not yet know?
Clauson and Bristol: Many are unaware that Pigeon Loans has recently changed its business model to make our lending tool completely fee-free. We believe that the economic difficulties that many of our users are experiencing should not be increased in the form of fees. The best way to monetize the tool we've built is to give our clients referrals to other fintech products and services that can help them further their financial journey. This business model allows us to serve the greatest number of users in a way that promotes a better financial future for them and their families.


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April Challenges
Adults (18+) are invited to complete the April challenges for a chance to win a prize! Pick up an activity sheet at the Coshocton Public Library or West Lafayette Branch OR print from home using the links below. Completed forms may be returned at the Coshocton or West Lafayette Library, in the outdoor drop boxes, or by taking a photo and sending it to firstname.lastname@example.com. Forms must be returned by Monday, May 2, 2022.
April Challenges:
- Astronomy Word Search
- Plus, join the NASA @ My Library virtual challenge on Beanstack!
- Hike Like a Suffragist Walking Challenge


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One of the most exquisitely memorable moments of the past two nights of Democratic debates came when Senator Elizabeth Warren turned to former Maryland Congressman John Delaney, after he claimed Democrats couldn't run on "fairy-tale economics," and declared, "You know, I don't understand why anybody goes to all the trouble of running for president of the United States just to talk about what we really can't do and shouldn't fight for."
People loved it so much that Delaney's Wikipedia page was quickly edited to announced that he'd died at the hands of Warren at the debates.
At the far other end of the podium, Marianne Williamson was similarly discussing her positive outlook. The candidate was the most searched during the debate, and GOP pollster Frank Luntz claimed, "She's cutting through the clutter tonight." Donald Trump Jr. was a fan, claiming she won both nights.
More From Harper's BAZAAR
Williamson certainly has big ideas: She appears to believe that positive thinking is more powerful than nuclear radiation.
Still, according to Frank Bruni's New York Times column, Warren is the one on "fantasy island."
He wrote that the other candidates portrayed Warren and Sanders as "fantasists peddling policies—single-payer health care, the decriminalization of illegal border crossings, the elimination of all or most college debt."
I wish they would call "fantasy island" by its proper name: Iceland.
Iceland is a country that, at least, allows for universal health care and free higher education at state schools.
You could say something similar of two other other islands, Australia and New Zealand.
In New Zealand, prime minister Jacinda Ardern has pledged to introduce three years of free college education by 2024. And while tuition isn't free in Australia (though it was until 1989), college debt doesn't present the same problem, and students generally don't worry they'll be saddled with debt they can't afford. Student loans are interest free and deducted from earnings only once the former student is making at least $39,000 a year. At which point, 4 percent is deducted from their paycheck. In America, student loan companies begin collecting from anyone who makes $18,000 at a rate that varies from 10 to 20 percent. There's also interest on those loans. Now, the United States has had a system like Australia's on the books since 1994, but somehow we never got around to implementing it effectively.
We could look to that other fantasy island, Britain, where a National Health Service (NHS) is so uncontroversial that it appeals not only to expats, but to people who thought that Brexit would help add funds to the NHS.
As for the other progressive idea: The Green New Deal often gets dismissed as a progressive "fantasy." But it's hard to call it a fantasy when China is already plunging trillions into renewable energy and looking into building a solar energy plant in space. In better times, this is the kind of technology race we'd be competing with them on. As it is, Donald Trump says—in spite of 97 percent of scientists agreeing that climate change is real and man-made—that climate change is a hoax invented by the Chinese. Given their current actions, it certainly is an expensive hoax for them to be playing on themselves.
A good way to gauge whether or not a policy idea is mere pie-in-the-sky fantasy is to ask yourself, "Does basically every other developed country have this?"
Places that provide health care, good climate change policies, and affordable higher education? Yeah, there are a ton of places that do that.
Because the terrible things in America, like the scourge of gun violence, do not happen in other countries the way they happen here. And one of the tragedies of American exceptionalism is the continued reiteration that the United States is the greatest country in the world.
You should ask, well, at what? Because if we confront the grim reality of the situation, most other countries are providing better value to their citizens than the tax dollars we're willing to put into endless wars.
The ideas progressives are talking about seem big only in America. In the rest of the developed world, they seem pretty normal.
What might end up being the truly dangerous fantasy is the idea that we don't need to do anything to catch up to them.
Jennifer Wright is BAZAAR.com's Political Editor at Large. She is also the author of 'Get Well Soon: History's Worst Plagues and the Heroes That Fought Them' and 'It Ended Badly: 13 of the Worst Break-Ups In History.'


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I love squirrels. I want one as a pet when I grow up. Er, get a house. Another house. One that I pay for myself. And isn't a townhouse.
I prefer more of a log cottage-type home in the mountains, in a clearing in a forest near a stream. So I will have lots of squirrels there.
But, for the moment, I get to stalk the cute little twitchy rodents here in DC! While waiting for a friend to come down to go to the farmers' market with me, I paparrazied the local wildlife. Then I put the photos together with some the first couple seconds of a 6-minute-long remix of a song by a band I'm going to see on Thursday. (It's the Komodo remix of the song "Stakeout," by Freezepop. It is an absolutely perfect theme song for a squirrel. The first few seconds don't include my favourite line: "From far away I check you out." So stalky.)
I swear, I'm working on the soybean plant profile. It is hard to decide what to include and what not to include. It's already 825 words, and I haven't even gotten into any information about growing it, I just talk about random fungal and bacterial infections. I know I'm pretty wordy, but hell, that's ridiculous.
Random mention number two: I replaced the puppy-killing pregnancy-remedy mint with some spearmint at Mr. Yogato. I don't want people spontaneously aborting if they're preggers (unless they want to), and I don't want everyone's pet to die (unless it's their choice, of course). Spearmint is a much better option. (By the way, the Man of Yogurt at Mr. Yogato let me know that he has a Google alert set up, so he knows about the seed surprises, because he knew about the post... A shame.)
So, hier ist das Eichhörnchen (here is the squirrel).
- ► 2012 (139)
- ► 2011 (86)
- ► 2010 (111)
- Flaming Fiasco, Excitement At Work!
- Pumpkin, Zucchini, Squash
- Chickpea
- Did Anyone Order Some Drum Circles?
- Man, I Gots All Sortsa Pests
- Happy Earth Day, Wormies!
- MACA Denounces Michelle
- Lentils
- Kidney Bean, Black Bean, Navy Bean
- Ding Dong, The Witch Is... Decorating
- The White House Garden
- Earth Month
- Envy Soybean
- Will Flower For Food
- Twitchy Critters
- Ever-Expanding Obsession
- Making My Worm Compost Bin
- Sweet Potato Et Cetera Soup Puree
- And Now For Something Completely Different
- Round Two
- It's A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood
- I'm In!
- ▼ April (22)


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Abstract: I. Solo Recital: Friday, April 11, 2013, 7:30 p.m., Taylor Theatre. Cendrillon (Jules Massanet) Opera Role. II. Solo Recital: Saturday, February 8, 2014, 7:30 p.m., Recital Hall. "Warum betrübst du dich," "Wilst du dein Herz mir schenken" (Johann Sebastian Bach); Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 (Hector Villa-Lobos); "Kennst du das Land" (Hugo Wolf); "Kennst du das Land" (John Duke); "Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt" (Robert Schumann); "Net tolko tot kto znal;" (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky); "Aime-moi" (Pauline Viardot); "Vaga Luna" (Vincenzo Bellini); "Aragonese" (Gioacchino Rossini); "Befreit," "Ruhe Meine Seele," "Ständchen," "Amor" (Richard Strauss). III. Solo Recital: Thursday, March 5, 2015, 7:30pm., Recital Hall. "Youkali," "J'attends un navire," "Wie lange noch?," "Come up from the Fields, Father" (Kurt Weill); "Tom Sails Away" (Charles Ives); "Le disparu," "Bleuet," "C," "Fêtes galantes" (Francis Poulenc); Ariettes Oubliées (Claude Debussy); Cabaret Songs (Benjamin Britten); "Waldseligkeit," "Selige Nacht," "Hat dich die Liebe berührt" (Joseph Marx). IV. D.M.A. Research Project. CROSSING OVER: EXAMINING THE CHALLENGES OF A CLASSICALLY TRAINED FEMALE PERFORMING MUSIC THEATER REPERTOIRE. This document explores the pedagogy of a classically trained singer as well as that of a music theater performer exploring similarities and differences. Musical examples are referenced throughout. A discussion of style of the megamusical and the 21st century musical provides context. A final chapter on repertoire suitable for bridging the styles provides a reference for the teacher and singer.
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How many times we lose hope? How many times we give up on small silly things? How many times we feel everything is lost and we just step back from everything we have ever built together? How many of us simply stop believing in our dreams because of one brutal stroke of luck? If you are one of those people you must read this story of extraordinary courage, faith and hard work ..the rags to riches kinds, the fairytales, only with a twist that the protagonist is a mother of two who indeed married a warrior but turned her life into happily ever after simply by not giving up when she should have been shattered.
Meet Mrs Jyoti Nainwal, wife of Naik Deepak Nainwal and now Lady Cadet Jyoti Nainwal.
It was not always her plan. Born and brought up in Dehradun Uttarakhand and married to a soldier who belonged to Kanchula village in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, Jyoti always had simple dreams of a simple home maker. Her home and family comprising of two small children daughter Lavanya and son Reyansh eant the world to her. Since she had married a fauji, in her married life of 6.5 years she could never stay with her husband Naik Deepak Nainwal. But they had plan to do so, Naik Deepak Naninwal the tall fair and well built soldier epitomized being a soldier. He was committed to his job and loved his motherland India. Naik Deepak had joined the Indian Army soon after completing his education and was recruited into 1 Mahar of the famed Mahar Regiment, a regiment of the Infantry known for its fearless soldiers and numerous battle honours. In all throughout his life he had been part of Ghatak platoon of various units he was posted in, only because of the sheer brilliance he exuded and skills he possessed. In his last posting he was posted to 1 RR battalion deployed in Jammu and Kashmir. He was also a dotting husband and father and he was looking forward to live in a peace station along with his family as soon as his Rashtriya Rifles tenure was over but it never could be.
Operation Rakshak
On 10th April 2018, information was received from the intelligence source about the presence of terrorists at a house in Wani Mohalla in Khudwani village of Kulgam district of J&K. The joint team swung into action and the suspected area was cordoned off. On being challenged the terrorists fired at the troops and a fierce gun battle ensued thereafter. The gun battle continued for over 12 hours till the morning of 11 Apr 2018. However, during the heavy exchange of fire Naik Deepak Nainwal got hit in his spine area and sustained serious injuries. Initially he was shifted to Delhi's Army Research and Referral hospital for treatment and later he was transferred to a military hospital in Pune, for further specialized care. However, Naik Deepak Nainwal lost the battle for life and succumbed to his injuries on 20 May 2018.
When Jyoti heard the news about his husband being hit by bullets she rushed to Army RR hospital. By the time she reached he was already operated. He had become a paraplegic and lost sensations in his limbs. It was for the first time ever he stepped out of her home and it was not a happy sight. FInding her husband bed ridden and knowing he would never get up was heart breaking. her heart was crushed in thousand pieces but she did not cry and wanted to look strong before the doctors and authotirities becuase deep down at the bottom of her heart she wanted to stay in the hospital and look after her husband. She knew it was not permitted but it was her husband,her whole world. When Naik Deepak Nainwal opened his eyes and found Jyoti before him,the first thing he said was
"Ye kaisi shakal bana rakhi hai? life me kuch bhi ho jaye kabhi aisi shakal mat banana. Fauji ki biwi hai tu"
And that changed everything. Just like the purpose of deepak and jyoti is to be together and brighten ferociously. Jyoti found her purpose and stayed with him for next forty days of Naik Deepak Naninwal's life as long as he was alive. She says
"There was a turmoil in my mind but I controlled my feeling because my husband needed me. If I'd not have shown myself strong Doctors would not have allowed me to stay with him and look after him. During that stay the humanitarian gesture of Army touched me to a great deal. That was my first exposure of the world. I was weak and vulnerable but Army extended all the support they had to offer to me, sometimes beyond their limits. Army looks after its Veer Naris may be this is that feeling which allows soldiers to risk their lives leaving behind their families."
She also says
"Those 40 days when he was in Hospital were best days of my life with him. We lived in joint families and then we had kids. I could also never join him in 6.5 years of our marriage because he was mostly posted to field stations. So that was the only time when I truly get to live along with him. I would write poems and he would listen. He also told me to join forces if something happens to him. He said I knew you were strong but never knew you were this strong. You infact can be an officer in the Army. that thing stayed with me even after he was gone."
Naik Deepak Nainwal left this planet and enter the greater realms where only people with supreme sacrifices secure their places. Jyoti was with him when he took his last breath. She says God gave her those 40 days to make her strong. Prepare her for life and also was kind enough to give her an opportunity to be with her husband one last time as she had never been able to do so. Life was changed after that. All relationships were changed. The way people looked at her was also changed. That particular time Jyoti derived all her strength from her mother Guddi Devi, Brother Naveen Khanduri and her daughter Lavanya. There is a viral picture of Lavanya where she looks like crying with folded hands at her fathers coffin but Jyoti told me
"Swapnil people thought she was crying but actually she was whispering to her father. She was telling him that one day she will become an Army doctor so that no one else's father become a star just as her did. I had told my children that their papa had become a star and now I will be their papa. My kids don't call me mummy anymore. They call me Papa."
Jyoti's story of empowerment is also the story of rising above odds and what truly can happen if families supported their daughters. She says she belonged to an OR's background, middle class people were her society who never treated her with kindness. As soon as she was a widow people were eager to put shackles on her but her brother stood with her sister Jyoti and pledged to give her all support she needed to become an army officer, he looked after her kids, her house and everything else she was supposed to look after alone now. Her mother, a wise woman she also said to her on the day her husband was given last honours
"Beta Now onwards you take the rebirth. Now you have to gift your life to your children. You have to give them a purpose a good upbringing so that they dont look upon other for an example. You have to become their example. It is up to you now what direction you want to take your children towards.."
"Tujhe aab janam dene wali maa hi nahi balki Karam dene wali maa bhi banana hoga!"
These lines touched Jyoti deeply. She gave her first SSb attempt in December 2018 just six months after her husband's veergati. She failed but her family did not allow her to give up. Her children no matter how young they were would speak words of wisdom to her that how badly they want to see her in uniforms. Jyoti even shifted away from them so that she could study with complete focus. She sought help from Mahar regiment, her husband's regiment and they readily provided her with all the help she needed. they even appointed a Brigadier level officer Brigadier Cheema as her mentor and send her to a coaching center run by another Mahar veteran Colonel M P Singh. She says how both the veterans have played huge roles in getting her prepared for SSB. Her English was weak. She was coming from ORs background. All her life she had only been involved with household responsibilities and these veterans knew how SSB is all about personality test. They knew she needed to change internally.
" I remember how Brigadier Cheema Sir would send me English story books and give me a deadline to read it and later ask questions regarding that book like what I learnt from that book or why the ending was he way it was etc. So I could never skip reading those books."
She would wake up at 4 Am every morning and go running several kilometers. She would be scared that people will mock her finding in western wear running rather than living a life a widow is expected to live. She kept on giving SSB attempts until the day she was selected and it was her 4th attempt
"I have seen people giving after some attempt but I kept on giving SSB attempts thinking what have I got to lose. Every time I will give an attempt and fail I did not returned home empty handed. I learnt something each time. Sometime a young boy would teach how to sit straight or I would learn climbing the rope watching the other one. I was determined to give my attempts as long as I was eligible for it. "
Her hardwork paid off and she was eventually able to crack the toughest of all the exams SSB and she has recently joined OTA Chennai on 29th january 2021. When I asked if she has any tips for thousands of defence aspirants she said
"There is no trick for SSB. SSB is all about being yourself. Indian Army clearly asks Do you have it in you. These are about those 15 officer like qualities they seek in each aspirants and you can not pretend if you don't have those qualities you can only develop them and made those qualities aspect of your attitude and part of your personality. Suppose for an example an officer is a leader and any defense aspirant can start taking initiative in his life simply by participating more in his own house. The aspirants also must be aware of current situation than mugging over the crack codes or answer books simply by genuinely taking interest in their surrounding. And yes I would also suggest defense aspirants not to give up rather try to focus on their overall grooming and developing their personality from the scratch each time they fail."
When at the last I asked her is there any message she wants to give to hundreds of women just like her " Veer Naris" she said


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Main menu
News2day Visits our Mindful Space
On Thursday the 6th May, we were delighted to welcome Michael from RTE2 News2day who came to visit our school to film our brand new Mindful Space. They had heard about our wonderful new addition through the Walk In My Shoes Mission Possible Awards, where our school was shortlisted down to the final 3 from all the countrywide entries. For more information on these awards visit:
Our Student Council did a fantastic job speaking on camera and sharing their thoughts on our new Wellness area and what its like being on the school Student Council. They discussed the jobs they carried out in school and what they had worked on during the year. They have played a vital role in helping our school improve the well-
We were delighted to receive our Amber flag in the post for all the work and effort the whole school has put in in making SS Peter and Paul JNS a happier and friendly space to be part of.


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Peach Coffee Cake
- Serves:
- Serves 9
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Did you make this?
Snap a photo and tag @macheesmo so I can see your work.
This is a moist and dense coffee cake with fresh peaches baked on top. Perfect with a big mug of coffee or as dessert!
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly butter an 8×8 baking dish.
2) Stir together streusel ingredients. Mash butter into the streusel to make sure it is evenly distributed. Set aside until needed.
3) In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or with a hand mixer, cream together butter and sugar for the batter. Meanwhile whisk together dry ingredients separately (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt).
4) Once butter/sugar are light and fluffy, add in eggs, one at a time, and then mix in sour cream, vanilla, and cinnamon.
5) Stir in dry ingredients in two batches and mix until just combined. Try not to overmix the batter.
6) Pour half the batter into your buttered 8×8 dish. Then top with 2/3 of the streusel mixture. Then top with the other half of batter. Finish the cake with the rest of the streusel and top the cake with sliced peaches.
7) Bake coffee cake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes. Make sure the center of the cake is cooked through with a cake tester.
8) Let cake cool for 10-15 minutes and then slice and serve. Can be made a day in advance without a problem.
This delicious recipe was brought to you by Macheesmo. Read the full post at https://wp.me/pkSYO-8rD.


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Horizontal optical coherence tomograph (OCT) showing inflammatory cystoid macular edema with a subfoveal serous retinal detachment (SRD). The subfoveal SRD is visible as an optically clear space between the neurosensory retina and the retinal pigment epithelium filled with serous fluid in the central foveal area. A, Arrows point to measurements of the subfoveal SRD height. B, Arrows point to measurements of the neuroretinal thickness. Both measurements were performed using calipers in the OCT analysis program.
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Ossewaarde–van Norel J, Berg EM, Sijssens KM, Rothova A. Subfoveal Serous Retinal Detachment in Patients With Uveitic Macular Edema. Arch Ophthalmol. 2011;129(2):158–162. doi:10.1001/archophthalmol.2010.337
© 2022
To assess the clinical characteristics and effect on visual acuity (VA) of a subfoveal serous retinal detachment (SRD) associated with macular edema (ME) in patients with uveitis.
Clinical and optical coherence tomograph characteristics were retrospectively assessed in 37 patients with uveitic ME with a subfoveal SRD (case individuals) and 61 patients with uveitic ME without a subfoveal SRD (control individuals), matched for uveitis location, sex, and age. Scans of the case and control individuals took place between September 19, 2003, and July 21, 2008.
Patients with a subfoveal SRD had a shorter history of uveitis (P = .03) and ME (P = .03) and a lower VA (P = .003). Mean total retinal thickness (TRT) in cases exceeded that of controls (449 vs 326 μm; P < .001). The median subfoveal SRD duration was 2 months, and 29 of 36 SRDs (81%) had disappeared at the 3-month follow-up examination. The improvement in VA and the decrease in TRT after 3 months were better in the subfoveal SRD group than in the control group (P = .001 for VA and P = .001 for TRT), resulting in similar VA and TRT after 3 months.
A subfoveal SRD was associated with lower VA and developed typically in the early stages of uveitis and ME. The subfoveal SRD and VA reacted favorably to treatment with periocular and systemic steroids and/or oral acetazolamide.
Macular edema (ME) is a major cause of poor visual acuity (VA) in patients with uveitis.1-3 Frequently, ME also complicates the course of various other ocular disorders, such as diabetic retinopathy and retinal vein occlusions, and might develop after intraocular surgery.
After the introduction of optical coherence tomography (OCT) in 1995, it was observed that some patients with ME of diverse origins also have an associated subfoveal serous retinal detachment (SRD). The clinical effect of a subfoveal SRD in ME has not yet been extensively studied, and its consequences in uveitis have not yet been identified, to our knowledge. In patients with diabetic retinopathy, however, a subfoveal SRD was associated with poor visual outcome after grid laser photocoagulation and vitrectomy.4,5 Similarly, in branch retinal vein occlusions, the presence of a subfoveal SRD seemed to delay the absorption of ME and the recovery of VA after grid laser photocoagulation.6 The clinical relevance of a subfoveal SRD in uveitis patients remains unclear. In this study, we evaluate the effect on visual acuity of a subfoveal SRD in inflammatory ME.
Ours was a retrospective case-control study at the Department of Ophthalmology of the University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands. Approval was obtained from the institutional review board of the hospital. For the evaluation of the clinical effect of a subfoveal SRD, we randomly selected 37 affected eyes of 37 uveitis patients with ME with a subfoveal SRD (case individuals) from our OCT database (numeric code). As control individuals we selected 61 eyes of 61 patients with ME without a subfoveal SRD from our OCT database, matched for anatomical location of uveitis, sex, and age. The OCT scans of the cases and controls took place between September 19, 2003, and July 21, 2008. There was no statistical difference in the time span of uveitis in which no OCTs were available (before September 19, 2003) between cases and controls (median of 4.3 years in the 21 cases vs 7.2 years in the 45 controls; Mann-Whitney P = .55). The time the first OCT with a subfoveal SRD present was diagnosed was considered to be the time of onset of the subfoveal SRD. For the cases, the start of analysis (t = 0) was the time of the diagnosis of the subfoveal SRD. After the matching for age, location of uveitis, and sex, we used the first OCT in that particular year in the controls. The date of this OCT was considered to be t = 0.
We reviewed the medical records of the cases and the controls and registered sex, age at onset of uveitis, age at onset of ME, age at diagnosis of subfoveal SRD, type of uveitis according to anatomical location and/or specific diagnoses, duration of uveitis and ME at t = 0, associated general and ocular diseases, total retinal thickness (TRT), the presence or absence of vitreomacular traction or an epiretinal membrane, and VA at t = 0, 3, and 6 months. In addition, we registered treatment regimens used before t = 0 and thereafter. Treatment regimens were registered as topical, periocular, and systemic, which was divided into a group of immunosuppressive agents (prednisone, azathioprine, cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofetil, methotrexate, and infliximab) and a group composed of acetazolamide and octreotide acetate. Before t = 0, no differences in treatments with immunosuppressive agents or acetazolamide were identified (P = .33 and P = .78, respectively). No differences in the use of systemic or periocular steroids were observed between the subfoveal SRD cases and the controls (P = .70 and P = .12, respectively). All patients were classified using uveitis nomenclature according to the recommendations of the Standardization of Uveitis Nomenclature working group.7
The OCT was performed with a STRATUS OCT (model 3000; Carl Zeiss Meditec, Jena, Germany), and analysis was based on 6-mm 6-radial scan lines of each eye, centered on the patient's fixation point. The OCTs of the cases and controls were reviewed and coded in a masked fashion for the various types and features of ME.8 Patients were included if their TRT was greater than 210 μm in the 1-mm region and/or greater than 300 μm in the 3-mm region. Diffuse ME was characterized by increased retinal thickness, disturbance of the layered retinal structure, or spongelike low reflective areas. Cystoid ME was characterized by the formation of clearly defined intraretinal cystoid spaces.8 A subfoveal SRD was defined as fluid separating the neurosensory retina from the RPE, which was visible on OCT as an optically clear space between the retina and RPE. The subfoveal SRD height was measured at the fixation point manually at its thickest point using calipers and was defined as the average distance between the RPE and the outer neurosensory retinal surface on vertical and horizontal scans (Figure). The neuroretinal thickness (NRT) was defined as the distance between the inner and outer neuroretinal layers at the fixation point (Figure). The TRT was measured automatically with OCT retinal mapping software in the central 1-mm region and was defined as the sum of the NRT and the subfoveal SRD. Good reproducibility of these measurements using OCT mapping software has been demonstrated.9 For simplicity, in the "Results" section of the text, the TRT in controls is called the NRT when compared with the NRT of the cases.
Fluorescein angiograms were available for 32 patients within 3 months of the date of the OCT and available in 13 patients on the same day. The angiograms were examined for signs of central serous chorioretinopathy.
For statistical analyses the t, Pearson χ2, and Fisher exact tests were used whenever appropriate (SPSS statistical software version 15.0 for Windows; SPSS Inc, Chicago, Illinois). The χ2 or Fisher exact test was used to compare categorical data. To compare means of nonnormally distributed variables, we used the Mann-Whitney or Kruskal-Wallis test, and P < .05 was considered statistically significant. We transformed Snellen VA to the logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution (logMAR) to perform statistical analysis and afterward converted the results back to Snellen equivalents. Values in the text and Table are converted from logMAR to Snellen VA. Results are represented according to the distribution of the calculated variables, which means the mean is given if the variables have a normal distribution (Kolmogorov-Smirnov P > .05) and the median if the distribution is nonnormal. Using univariate linear regression analysis, the correlation of the variables duration of uveitis, duration of ME, type of ME, height of the subfoveal SRD, TRT, NRT, and presence or absence of cataract with logMAR VA (all at t = 0) were analyzed. These variables were also included in a multivariate regression analysis.
General characteristics and demographic data of the cases and the controls are summarized in the Table. Because of the matching, no significant differences in sex, age, and anatomical location of the uveitis were found. Furthermore, no differences in uveitis origin were observed between the cases and the controls. Diabetes mellitus was not present in any of the cases but was present in 8 controls, all of whom were without diabetic retinopathy (P = .02); systemic hypertension was present in 7 cases and 9 controls.
The uveitis was bilateral in 28 of the 37 cases (76%) and in 49 of the 61 controls (80%; P = .60). Macular edema was present in 19 of the 35 fellow eyes (54%) of the subfoveal SRD cases (OCTs were not available for 2 fellow eyes). In 8 of these 19 eyes, a subfoveal SRD was also noted (in 5 simultaneously).
At t = 0, subfoveal SRD–positive cases exhibited a shorter median duration of uveitis (33 months for cases vs 62 months; P = .03) and a shorter median duration of ME (2 months for cases and 17 months for controls; P = .03). In contrast, median VA at t = 0 was worse in the subfoveal SRD group: 0.30 in cases and 0.50 in controls (P = .003).
The median TRT (including the subfoveal SRD) was higher in the cases than in the controls (449 vs 326 μm; P < .001; Table). The median NRT was 359 μm in cases, which was not different from the NRT in the controls (326 μm; P = .92). In 8 of the 35 cases (23%; thickness data not completely available in 2 patients), no thickening of the neuroretina was found (NRT <210 μm) at the time of a subfoveal SRD.
When the patients were subdivided according to type of ME, the prevalence of the cystoid type was higher in the cases (28 of 37 [76%]) compared with the controls (36 of 61 [59%]), but this difference was not significant (P = .09). The median TRT in diffuse ME was lower than in cystoid ME (289 μm [range, 125-626 μm] vs 443 μm [range, 169-777 μm]; P < .001).
Evaluation of the angiograms revealed that the subfoveal SRDs were not visible on fluorescein angiography (possibly also because of associated cystoid ME). None of the available angiograms showed the typical signs of central serous chorioretinopathy: no pigment epithelial detachments, retinal pigment epithelial alterations, or other foci of subretinal leakage were present. The subfoveal SRDs were much smaller than the subretinal fluid collections in central serous chorioretinopathy.
Median VA at the 3-month follow-up examination improved in both groups (P < .001 for cases and P = .03 for controls), but this finding was much more prominent in the subfoveal SRD group (P = .001, Table). An improvement in VA of at least 2 Snellen lines after 3 months was identified in 18 of the 36 cases (data for 1 case missing at 3-month follow-up) and 12 of the 53 controls (data for 8 controls missing at 3-month follow-up) (P = .007).
At the 3-month follow-up, the median TRT decreased from 449 to 275 μm (P < .001) in the subfoveal SRD group and from 326 to 289 μm (P < .001) in the control group. The decrease in the TRT after 3 months was more prominent in the subfoveal SRD group than in the controls (P = .001). The median NRT after 3 months was 261 μm in the subfoveal SRD group and 289 μm in the controls (P = .18). After 3 months the NRT had decreased significantly in both groups: 87 μm in the cases (range, −239 to 426 μm; P = .002) and 44 μm in the controls (range, −22 to 357 μm; P < .001); however, there was no significant difference between both groups (P = .28).
The median subfoveal SRD duration was 2 months, and 29 of the 36 subfoveal SRDs (81%; data for 1 subfoveal SRD missing) had disappeared at the 3-month follow-up OCT examination. The OCT examination results were not available in 7 patients with a subfoveal SRD at 3-month follow-up, but in 5 of them, OCTs within the first 3 months had already shown that the subfoveal SRD had disappeared. The range of the subfoveal SRD duration was 6 days (resolution after periocular betamethasone injection) to longer than 19 months (in the individual in question, the subfoveal SRD was still present on the last OCT).
Using univariate linear regression analysis, only the TRT was significantly associated with logMAR VA (R = 0.25, P = .02). In the subfoveal SRD group, the height of the subfoveal SRD did not correlate with the NRT (R = −0.13; P = .50). Using the NRT and the height of the subfoveal SRD (which was 0 in the controls) as the variables in a linear regression analysis, only the height of the subfoveal SRD was significantly associated with logMAR VA (β = .23, P = .03). In a stepwise linear regression analysis using the variables duration of uveitis, duration of ME, NRT, height of the subfoveal SRD, type of ME, and presence or absence of cataract, again, only the height of the subfoveal SRD was significantly associated with logMAR VA (β = .22, P = .04).
Treatment of the cases and controls during follow-up did not differ. No differences in the start of acetazolamide (or octreotide) therapy, periocular injections, systemic steroid therapy, or all immunosuppressive therapy were found (P = .37, P =.79, P =.37, and P =.15, respectively) after OCT at t = 0.
We documented that a subfoveal SRD developed typically in the early stages of uveitis and ME and reacted well to the recommended treatment given for inflammatory ME (periocular or systemic steroids and/or acetazolamide). Despite the presence of a subfoveal SRD and lower VA at onset, VA at 6-month follow-up was similar for patients with and without a subfoveal SRD.
Our findings on subfoveal SRD–positive ME in uveitis are distinct from some of the studies on ME of other origins. Diabetic subfoveal SRD–positive ME was associated with a poor visual outcome 6 months after a grid photocoagulation was performed4 and with a poor visual outcome after vitrectomy.5 Recovery of VA after grid laser photocoagulation in branch retinal vein occlusion was also slower if a subfoveal SRD was present.6 Our findings are, however, consistent with those of Gaucher et al,10 who reported that a subfoveal SRD was associated with early-stage ME. Previously, Markomichelakis et al8 found a subfoveal SRD to be associated with decreased VA in patients with uveitis. In contrast, Catier et al,11 and more recently Tran et al,12 could not identify a significant association between a subfoveal SRD and VA in uveitic patients. Our results indicate that VA of subfoveal SRD–positive eyes is worse during the presence of a subfoveal SRD; however, follow-up VA (at 3 and 6 months) was similar for both groups.
We hypothesize that in the early stage, VA is negatively influenced by the presence of a subfoveal SRD and its disappearance during follow-up might explain the larger visual gain but similar follow-up VA as the controls. One might argue that the controls had a longer duration of uveitis and ME and their improvement would be therefore limited. However, the decrease of the NRT in the cases was not significantly different from that in the controls (P = .28).
Our series included 8 patients with diabetes mellitus, all in the control group. Although none of the diabetic patients had documented retinopathy, we cannot entirely exclude the possibility that changes in retinal vascular permeability might negatively influence the visual gain in the controls.
We also demonstrated a positive correlation between the TRT and logMAR VA (P = .02) in uveitis patients, independent of the presence of a subfoveal SRD. This association was also reported by Tran et al.12 The Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network found a modest correlation between TRT and VA in diabetic ME.13 In addition, an increased TRT in patients with a subfoveal SRD was strongly correlated with lower VA compared with their nonsubfoveal SRD counterparts (Table).
The prevalence of subfoveal SRD–positive ME was reported in approximately 20% of uveitic eyes with OCT-proven ME.8,14 The exact occurrence of a subfoveal SRD in uveitic ME is difficult to examine because it is temporary. Ideally, the incidence and prevalence of a subfoveal SRD should be determined in a long-term follow-up study of all patients with newly developed inflammatory ME by frequent OCT examinations.
A possible hypothesis explaining the pathogenesis of subfoveal SRD could be the high resistance of the retinal tissue layers to the influx of fluid in the early phase of fluid accumulation (and inflammation). Therefore, the excess of fluid may first accumulate under the retina, resulting in a subfoveal SRD. Later, when more inflammatory damage develops and/or fluid volume increases, the retinal resistance may become insufficient, and as a consequence the fluid may enter the neuroretinal tissue and form cysts. After this extracellular cyst formation, the fluid finally would enter the intracellular environment. The transient aspect of a subfoveal SRD in uveitis and favorable response to treatment also support this hypothesis and the observation by Tran et al12 and Gaucher et al10 that a subfoveal SRD might also be documented in patients with normal NRT and without edema. In our study, 8 of the 35 cases (23%; data missing for 2 cases) had an NRT of less than 212 μm. In addition, Gaucher et al10 reported than 20% of the patients with subfoveal SRD–positive ME and diabetes had a normal NRT. Of interest, they observed that the subfoveal SRD could resolve itself despite worsening of the diabetic ME.
Also, using multivariate linear regression analysis, the height of the subfoveal SRD was associated with VA. The NRT in patients with a subfoveal SRD was not different from that in controls. This observation suggests that the presence of a subfoveal SRD itself has a negative influence on VA in patients with inflammatory ME. Possible explanations might include the impaired renewing of the photoreceptor cells or their inadequate nutrition in the presence of a subfoveal SRD. Another possible explanation for decreased VA in subfoveal SRD might include the diminished directional sensitivity (ie, optical Stiles-Crawford effect) and disorientation of the foveal cone photoreceptors.15,16
Macular edema develops in disorders accompanied by a compromised inner and/or outer blood retinal barrier (BRB). To our knowledge, the exact mechanism that determines the distribution of excess fluid in retinal layers, formation of cysts, and intracellular edema has not yet been identified.17 Intraretinal fluid distribution is restricted by 2 diffusion barriers, the inner and outer plexiform layers.18 In cases with a compromised outer BRB, the accumulation of fluid in the subretinal space, especially in the early stages, may be expected. In contrast, the accumulation of fluid in cases with a compromised inner BRB is not easily explained. Subfoveal SRD also develops in patients with (branch) retinal vein occlusions, in whom the primary lesion lies in the inner BRB. Kang et al19 postulated that in broken inner BRB, fluid and albumin might reach the subretinal space through the permeable external limiting membrane. However, the pathogenesis of subfoveal SRD in patients with a broken inner BRB deserves further investigation.
Obviously, our study has several shortcomings related to the character of the case-control study. We have chosen to match for age, sex, and anatomical location of uveitis. The matching for various additional factors involved in uveitis (eg, etiologic diagnosis, onset of uveitis, and onset of ME) was not feasible.
Our study was not designed to evaluate various treatment strategies for ME and subfoveal SRD. Overall, the systemic treatment modalities in the cases and controls did not differ. An important issue is the occurrence of an SRD after the use of steroids in various administrations.20 However, it is unlikely that a subfoveal SRD in our patients developed owing to steroid medication. First, the number of patients taking systemic or periocular steroids did not differ between the cases and controls. Second, a subfoveal SRD in ME reacted favorably to steroids. Finally, the small subfoveal SRDs in inflammatory ME have clinical characteristics distinct from those of central serous chorioretinopathy.
In conclusion, a subfoveal SRD developed typically in the early stages of uveitis and ME and was at the time of diagnosis associated with lower VA compared with the nonsubfoveal SRD group. The subfoveal SRD and VA of affected patients with uveitis reacted favorably to treatment with periocular and systemic steroids or acetazolamide.
Correspondence: Jeannette Ossewaarde–van Norel, MD, Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Utrecht, PO Box 85500, NL-3508 GA Utrecht, the Netherlands (email@example.com).
Submitted for Publication: January 20, 2010; final revision received April 14, 2010; accepted April 20, 2010.
Financial Disclosure: None reported.
Funding/Support: This research was supported by the Dr F. P. Fischer Foundation, Amersfoort, the Netherlands.


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The Story: Don't eat the fruit in the garden, Eden,, It wasn't in God's natural plan., You were only a rib,, And look at what you did,, To Adam, the father of Man.
The Story: You smell like goat, I'll see you in hell
The Story: All the b***h had said, all been washed in black
The Story: And my blunt is my ho now
The Story: At home, drawing pictures, Of mounds of tots, With ham on top
"Summer Rain" Funny Misheard Song Lyrics
by ATB
Did you or a friend mishear a lyric from "Summer Rain" by ATB? Click here and tell us!
Misheard "Summer Rain" LyricsSometimes coming over me over me over me
Other Songs by ATBI'm In Love With A DJ
Funniest Misheards by ATB


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Transcending Party Politics - Marco.org →
Today's article by Dan:
I think the leading Democratic candidates have a fundamental philosophical difference in how they see the world. Next to this difference, the tiny disagreements seem pretty trivial. I don't think that Edwards and Clinton are completely wrong on the nature of effective leadership—but I do think Obama understands something they don't know. Perhaps the others have been in politics too long? Perhaps they're just too old to get it?


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Rolson (42969) Double Cylinder Foot Pump
* Steel framed foot pump with steel cylinders * Fitted with 480mm Flexible hose and thumb lock lever tyre connector * Gauge graduated in PSI (range 0-100PSI) and Bar (0-7Bar) * Includes Pre set indicator * Complete with football inflator adaptor * Use this Rolson Double Cylinder Foot Pump as the only manual air pump that your home will need. It features a steel frame a PSI gauge and a 480mm flexible hose. The versatile pump head is also compatible with a range of adaptors and comes with a football / rugby ball inflator included. Ideal for inflating tyres on cars and other vehicles. Specification:


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Google to overhaul AdWords user interface for marketing in multiscreen world
Google said it will redesign the user interface for AdWords so it can better serve marketers who are trying to deliver ads in a multiscreen world. While AdWords has seen a handful of minor updates previously, the redesign will be the first major overhaul of AdWords' interface since it was created more than 15 years ago, the company said. Certain advertisers will receive invites to test out the revisions and provide feedback. Google expects the overall effort to take more than a year to complete. "This is for a multiscreen world and that means a lot of advertisers will be able to reach their users whether they are on YouTube, browsing on a tablet or if they're using Google Maps," said Paul Feng, AdWords product management director. "The goal is for advertisers to reach their consumer with a message, not because they understand the intricacies of search."


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"Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live." —Jim Rohn
Food is the fuel to our body.
Eating healthy food and getting the proper amount of exercise and sleep will keep you fit and help it hold up over the long haul.
We at CPS Global School are observing the fitness week, and to educate our learners, CAIE1 conducted a show and tell on the topic "FOOD WE EAT"
Each learner depicted their favourite fruits and vegetables and spoke about the benefits of each.
This gave an opportunity for our learners to learn in a fun filled way, which also educated them the benefits of eating healthy from a young age.
Eat healthy and stay fit!


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I am all for celebratory bat flips, except those that hit umpires. But I'll give Kia Tigers hitter Lee Bum-ho a pass here because it's almost certainly an accident — he looked pretty apologetic — that he flipped his bat right into the ump after taking a walk.
Two thoughts crossed my mind upon watching the clip: The degree of difficulty on getting the bat to flip into the ump is high, and it's doubly bad because the pitch was definitely a strike.
That means Bum-ho's never getting a borderline call from that umpire again.


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You may have heard or read about a recent report comparing robotic hysterectomy to non-robotic methods (USA Today, Huffington Post, Today Show, etc.). The headlines varied but the message in each was similar to USA Today's "Robot-assisted hysterectomies booming, but better?" The story that the major media were reporting is based on the results of a recent study published this week in Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). We would like to offer our patients a little clarification about the criticism of robotic surgery contained in the JAMA article.
The study, from the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, questioned the advantage of robotic hysterectomy, but only compared with procedures known as Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy, Laparoscopic Subtotal Hysterectomy, or Laparoscopic-assisted Vaginal Hysterectomy. These are all minimally-invasive surgeries. The researchers found no significant difference in how quickly patients recovered or the number of surgical complications between the robotic and laparoscopic hysterectomies. If the procedures are equally safe and recovery times are similar, they conclude that physicians should prefer the laparoscopic hysterectomy because it is cheaper.
In our practice, we strongly prefer the robotic hysterectomy. The robot and the laparoscope are similar instruments because they both allow the surgeon to work through very small incisions in the abdomen. But the laparoscope is a hand-held instrument. It does not have a bendable "wrist" like the robotic instrument. It cannot give the surgeon a 3-D view inside the abdomen. Being a hand-held instrument, it cannot control very tiny movements as precisely as the robot. In short, the robot is much easier to use.
We are not insensitive to rising healthcare cost and its effect on society (public health considerations), but—as private-practice physicians—our first goal is to achieve the best outcome for our individual patients. That includes using the least-invasive surgery possible. Although laparoscopic technology has been available for over two decades, as recently as 2007, over half of all hysterectomies were still performed through a large incision in the abdomen. Why? The laparoscopic approach is either extremely difficult or impossible in many situations.
I understand this based on my experience as a teaching faculty member at UAB and, in the past few years, as I have taught other surgeons to use the robot. Physicians master the robotic hysterectomy more easily and are more confident to use it. I believe this is what drives the "boom" in robotic surgery, rather than another possibility suggested by the JAMA study—heavy marketing of the robot.
While the national trend toward minimally-invasive procedures is growing, abdominal hysterectomy still represents about 40% of all hysterectomies. At Sparks & Favor, (with excellent support from Brookwood Women's Medical Center) we made an early decision that the robot offered a major breakthrough in women's surgery, We are now able to offer a minimally-invasive procedure to around 90% of our patients who undergo a hysterectomy. Many of these are women who, because of large uterine fibroids, previous cesarean delivery, other abdominal surgery, or a very thick abdominal wall, would have required abdominal surgery.
The research study only measured the surgery's cost to providers (the government or insurance companies). It did not estimate the cost savings to an individual woman who goes back to work up to a month sooner. True, laparoscopic hysterectomies are also minimally-invasive. Women recover and return to their normal activities quickly. But let me re-emphasize that before the robot, not many women were getting minimally-invasive hysterectomies.
Some health policy experts have suggested that the money spent on very expensive technology might be better spent to train physicians to use the laparoscope. I don't agree. Like all new technologies the robotic surgery costs will decrease as surgeons become more efficient and robot manufacturers begin to compete in the marketplace. Residency programs need to concentrate on training excellent robotic surgeons, because there will always be situations where the laparoscope just can't do the job. The robot is here to stay.


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Remembering Warrant's Jani Lane: 1964-2011
I've been an obsessed hard rock/heavy metal fan and collector since the early 1980s. If it's got a good guitar riff and attitude, I'm in.
The Life and Death of a "Song and Dance Man"
The body of Jani Lane, former lead singer of Warrant and reluctant poster boy for the '80s hair metal movement, was found in a Los Angeles area Comfort Inn on August 11, 2011 - a tragic and solitary end for a once-beloved performer.
For better or worse, Warrant and Lane himself personified the out-of-control success - and excess - of the late 1980s L.A. rock scene. Sadly, as the "hair metal" sound fell out of favor when the 90s dawned, Lane was unable to shake the dreaded "one hit wonder" tag that had been affixed to him despite his best efforts to be recognized as a talented and versatile songwriter.
Humble Beginnings and The Rise to Fame
Lane was born John Kennedy Oswald in Akron, Ohio on February 1, 1964. Young John demonstrated musical skills early in his life, drumming in a local band at the age of 11. He continued playing drums throughout his teenage years, but maintained an urge to move "up front" and become a vocalist/songwriter.
He accomplished this with a 1983 move to Florida, where he adopted his stage name and formed the local hard rock act Plain Jane with his future Warrant bandmate Steven Sweet. Plain Jane relocated to Los Angeles in the mid '80s to take advantage of the area's exploding hard rock scene, where they caught the attention of guitarist Erik Turner, whose band Warrant was getting off the ground. Turner invited Lane and Sweet to join Warrant, and the new lineup quickly conquered the Los Angeles club circuit.
Warrant signed a deal with Columbia Records and their debut album, 1989's Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich, became an instant hit. Warrant's songs were slick enough for mainstream radio and MTV, but had a hard-rock crunch that appealed to the headbanger crowd. The album hit the top 10 thanks to hit singles like "Heaven," "Sometimes She Cries," and "Down Boys," all written by Lane.
Warrant's sophomore album, Cherry Pie, was an even bigger smash, achieving a Billboard chart position of #7 and selling over 2 million copies in the U.S. The title track became Warrant's biggest smash and their signature song, much to the dismay of Lane, who wrote the track at the last minute under pressure from the record company to provide a "hit single."
Over the years "Cherry Pie" would become infamous for its hugely successful video, which many feel encapsulated the rampant misogyny of the hair-metal genre. Lane felt that the track overshadowed his songwriting on the rest of the album, but it didn't stop him from marrying the video's mega-babe, Bobbie Brown.
Later in his career, Lane was surprisingly vocal about his apparent hatred for "Cherry Pie," famously telling VH1 "I could shoot myself in the @#$%ing head for writing that song." (He later took back this remark, saying that the TV producers had simply "caught him on a bad day.")
By 1992 the hair metal scene was fading due to the newly-popular "grunge" movement and Warrant's third album, Dog Eat Dog, sold far less than its predecessors, despite being their most mature and accomplished work. Lane announced that he was leaving Warrant to pursue a solo career in 1993.
Struggling through the Grunge Decade...
Lane's exit from Warrant didn't last long. He re-joined the band (now sporting some replacement members) for 1995's Ultraphobic album, a decidedly "90s" sounding disc that garnered decent reviews and a small cult following but was still a far cry from their success of just a few years prior.
The alternative leanings of 1996's Belly To Belly fared even worse than Ultraphobic in the marketplace and after releasing a live album, several greatest hits compilations and a disc of cover songs, Lane left Warrant again -- seemingly for good -- in 2004. Warrant released the Born Again album in 2006 with new vocalist Jamie St. James (formerly of Black N Blue), while Lane attempted to restart his stalled solo career.
By the mid '00s, Lane was becoming more famous for stints in rehab, several D.U.I. arrests (one of which resulted in a 120 day jail term) and his appearance on the VH1 reality show "Celebrity Fit Club" than for any musical endeavors. The classic Warrant lineup attempted to reunite for a 2008 concert tour but they only played a handful of shows before Lane was out again, for the final time. Warrant has carried on with former Lynch Mob vocalist Robert Mason, releasing Rockaholic in 2011 and Louder, Harder, Faster in 2017.
Jani Lane was last seen on stage in 2010 as a fill-in vocalist for Great White while their front man Jack Russell recovered from surgery. At the time of his death, Jani was continuing to work on new solo material and had just taped an appearance on VH1 Classic's "That Metal Show" in July of 2011 to promote it.
The Los Angeles County medical examiner's office determined the cause of death as "acute alcohol poisoning."
On a Personal Note...
I have to confess that I was a latecomer to the Warrant camp. Like a lot of so-called "metalheads," I barely gave the band the time of day during their late '80s rise to fame, dismissing them as just another fluff-rock act.
Years later, when such juvenile musical prejudices became less important, I came across a used copy of Cherry Pie in a CD store and thought to myself, "Y'know, 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' was pretty bad-ass," so I bought it on a whim. Cherry Pie turned out to be a much better album than I'd expected, and since then I've acquired the bulk of the Warrant catalog.
Jani Lane was a better songwriter than most gave him credit for, myself included, and it's a shame that he'll mainly be remembered by the masses as "the Cherry Pie Guy." Take a listen to "Uncle Tom's Cabin" or "Mr. Rainmaker" off of Cherry Pie or "Andy Warhol Was Right" off of Dog Eat Dog and you'll see that he had much more to offer. He's definitely still missed.
© 2011 Keith Abt
Freya GUTIERREZ on October 13, 2018:
Im so devastated i just learned of jani's passing.. Me being in a car accident in 94 my brian wasnt the same .. On that note i deadicated and played the song Heaven at my sons funeral in 91 ...and i never Thought of any other song .. But Heaven .. I didnt see him as a one hit wonder and its wrong for anyone to just think of him as the cherry pie boy
Tom from Minneapolis on April 19, 2018:
I don't think Jani was ever known as a one hit wonder. Warrant had 4 top ten hits and sold 10 million records. Just a few of their videos have nearly 100 million views on YouTube. He was a rare talent with true star quality. In my opinion he was simply WAY too good for Warrant. Those guys in reality were cookie cutter musicians who were little more than session players, if that. Jani never had somebody like a Slash, Angus Young, Richie Sambora, Jeff Beck or even a Mick Ronson to bring a unique element to the sound. Jani could outwrite almost anyone from that era but never really had great musicians around him to develop a more distinctive musical style. The songs were fantastic but the production wasn't as innovative as it could have been. The super bands of that era were all truly group efforts whereas Warrant was basically a one man show. There were literally thousands of other guys they could have pulled in off the street to produce that same guitar work but unfortunately Jani was kind of stuck with them. Axl Rose wouldn't have amounted to much of anything without Slash, Duff and Izzy producing the GnR sound. Same goes for Motley Crue, Deff Leppard or AC/DC. Even David Bowie admitted it wasn't until he found Mick Ronson that all those great early songs he had started to take shape as something special. Jani was a gifted songwriter with rare ability both as a vocalist and charismatic front man. It's a shame he never had his own "Jeff Beck" (as Bowie once put it) to catapult him to that next level of stardom. There's no telling how his career might have ended up.
GodsOfRock from United States on May 18, 2016:
I recently found Dog Eat Dog for $1.99 at Goodwill. I was shocked how enjoyable the album was. I never cared much for the their signature hits, though "I Saw Red" is a fantastic ballad on their second album.
Anna-Maria on February 02, 2016:
It's a shame people didn't see that he was a great song writer. Uncle Tom's Cabin is my number one favorite song by them. They were so underrated as a band. It's a shame they will only be remembered for the cherry pie song. I do love the song but they were more deeper then that song. Thanks for the great article maybe this will help create a few new fans to look into there music.
Carleen on August 11, 2015:
I do recall that Cherry pie was there
signature song. However what I remember most was my love of Uncle Toms cabin and ode to tipper gore only on cassete tape I believe. They were great.
Keith Abt (author) from The Garden State on July 30, 2015:
Hi Dredd - sounds cool, I love rock n roll autobiographies, I will have to look into that one.
kethdredd on July 30, 2015:
Definitely a sad story. If you are ever in the mood for some tabloid style reading, I recommend picking up Dirty Rocker Boys by Cherry Pie's own Bobbi Brown. Pure garbage, but a fun read and some insight into Jani Lane.
Keith Abt (author) from The Garden State on August 11, 2013:
Hey Thief - same here, I more or less dismissed Warrant while they were current but years after their heyday had passed I found myself enjoying their stuff more than I'd expected.
...I agree, Dog Eat Dog and Ultraphobic are both great records!!
Carlo Giovannetti from Puerto Rico on August 11, 2013:
Nice hub. Despite them being dismissed as just another hair-band, I think I find myself revisiting Warrant albums a bit more than other bands of the same era. A couple of weeks ago I found myself listening to their DRFSR album repeatedly in my car, which is rare for me. I usually avoid repeating albums while driving, but I kept replaying this one two or three times. I even like a lot of songs in the lesser-known albums like Ultraphobic... and like someone else posted above, Dog Eat Dog was a good surprise.
On a related note, I saw Warrant live in 2003. Pretty good concert and the band was pretty cool afterwards during autograph signing.
Keith Abt (author) from The Garden State on August 11, 2013:
Bumpin' this one because Jani passed away two years ago today. R.I.P.
Keith Abt (author) from The Garden State on January 31, 2012:
It's certainly the one album of theirs that's aged the best.
Theocharis V from Piraeus, Greece on January 31, 2012:
I agree...Dog Eat Dog, was - maybe - their best. Voting UP!
Keith Abt (author) from The Garden State on September 14, 2011:
As always, thanks for stopping by, Manny...
manny on September 14, 2011:
I am never was a fan of Warrant and still do not care for them, but what I dislike even more is someone dying so young due to their inability to conquer their demons. Despite how I feel about his music, I wish the man had remained an active artist then a dead rock star, rest in peace Jani.
Keith Abt (author) from The Garden State on August 14, 2011:
Glad you enjoyed it, Justin.
Justin on August 13, 2011:
Nice post. A wonderful tribute to an amazing artist.
Keith Abt (author) from The Garden State on August 13, 2011:
Appreciate it, Joker. Thanks for stopping by!
theJOKERiv on August 13, 2011:
Great post!!!!!!!
Keith Abt (author) from The Garden State on August 13, 2011:
Thanx for reading Flora!
FloraBreenRobison on August 13, 2011:
I was never a metal head, but I was a teenager during Warrent's hey-day and remember them very well. (I remember grunge music, too, and I HATE it!) My favourite soing of theirs was "Heaven." Gorgeous. I remember Cherry Pie too.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane.


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Passion Pit debut video for "Carried Away"
Passion Pit is set to launch "Carried Away," the second single from their album Gossamer. Today the band released the track's official music video directed by sibling-duo Brewer (Alt –J, Purity Ring, War on Drugs), starring actress Sophia Bush and Passion Pit's Michael Angelakos. "The music video was shot in Los Angeles and tells the story of a love/hate relationship through a playful Godard- inspired narrative that follows the couple throughout their home," explains director-duo Brewer. You can watch the video now at Vevo: http://smarturl.it/
Passion Pit on tour:
2/15 Montreal, QC Metropolis
2/16 Toronto, ON Kool Haus
2/18 Rochester, NY Main Street Armory
2/19 Cleveland, OH Masonic Auditorium
2/21 Plymouth, MI Compuware Sports Arena
2/22 Chicago, IL UIC Pavilion
2/23 Madison, WI Orpheum
2/25 Columbia, MO Jesse Auditorium
2/26 St Louis, MO Peabody Opera House
2/28 Ames, IA Hilton Coliseum at Iowa State University
3/1 Denver, CO First Bank Center
3/2 Salt Lake City, UT Complex
3/4 Eugene, OR Knight Arena
3/5 Seattle, WA Paramount
3/7 San Francisco, CA Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
3/9 New Orleans, LA BUKU Music Festival
4/12 Indio, CA Coachella
4/19 Indio, CA Coachella
5/11 Columbia, MD Sweetlife Festival
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Fountaingrove Lodge - Santa Rosa, CA
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About Fountaingrove Lodge - Santa Rosa, CA
Experience FGL, the nations first active independent LGBT retirement community offering five-star services and ammenities with a continum of care in the heart of Santa Rosa, Sonoma County's wine country. You will find an invitiing, supportive and active resort lifestyle, located on 10 acres of exceptional natural beauty, where you can live, relax and enjoy a community of friends.
Entrance Fees ranging from 189,500k - 925,500k with Repayment Options and a monthly fee for services provided.
Indoor Amenities:
Bistro, Library, Art Studio, Activity & Card Room, Computer & Business & Fitness Center, Salon and Day Spa, Wood Shop, Wine Cave/Cellar, Private Dining, Formal Dining & Community Room, Cocktail Lounge, Movie Theatre, Great Hall
Outdoor Amenities:
Swimming Pool,Orchard,Bocce Court,Pet Park,Lanai Dining,Resident Gardens, Adjacent to golf, tennis, hiking trails and park
In the Main Building:
Services included in monthly fee:
All utilities except telephone and premium cable channels, weekly house keeping, Once a year deep cleaning, Concierge service, Maintenance of residence, public areas, buildings and grounds. Safety and security systems, Professional staffing 24 hours a day, Fitness program, Lodge-sponsored activities, Scheduled chauffeured transportation within ten miles, Continental breakfast and meal credits for lunches, dinners or guest meals, Educational, social, and recreational programs, 24-hour emergency call system, Valet service, Limited tray service during illnesses
Services included at additional Charge:
Dry cleaning & personal laundry, Pet care, Guest suite, Additional resident meals, Guest meals & catering, Chauffeured town car transportation, Meals delivered to your home, Grocery shopping