It’s now been almost two months since I played the Grinch, and do you know what? My kids still haven’t asked for any of their toys. Kids don’t really need “toys” in the traditional sense (more on that below).Clean-up is tough, and teaching it really does take time (and practice, and patience…). (My) kids know how to make a mess regardless of how much or little stuff they have available to them.Here is what I took away from this experiment: But - do you know what? NOT ONCE did my kids ask for any of their other things back. Yes: even with virtually nothing in it, our playroom quickly devolved into A Huge Mess. And I figured it would solve the problem (or at least break the cycle, hah). In any event, I made a drastic decision: I took away everything - ALL THE THINGS. I tell them to clean up or I will take their toys they either complain about the injustice of the world or shrug and say they don’t mind at all, depending on the day. I offer to help them clean up they gladly accept my help and then proceed to play while I clean up around them. Here was my thinking: I ask them to clean up they whine. Without advocating that you quit shopping or “cancel the holidays” altogether (we’re not Scrooges!), it feels like being intentional with our purchases might exactly be what the world needs right now. Oh, and there’s a shortage of truck drivers.” Long story short: the supply chain is failing at multiple points and it’s no easy fix. (And yes - again - toilet paper!) As the manager of the Florida network of Costco stores told Meg earlier this month, “we have toilet paper waiting on cargo ships outside of L.A., we just can’t unload the stuff… and we’re out of warehouse space. This logistical crisis is going beyond the discretionary-spending sector and is already beginning to impact the availability of *essentials*, like food and medicine, as Amanda Mull recently wrote in The Atlantic. In short: it’s not necessarily a great time to (further) tax an overburdened system. are swamped - and consumers aren’t getting the “stuff” they ordered (and certainly not at the “Prime” speed they’re used to). As Slate reports, “Americans are currently buying a record amount of stuff, and that spending binge is crashing the transport and warehousing network meant to move it all.”Ĭargo ships camped out at Long Beach/Los Angeles port complex ( deluge of products into the country is creating a bottleneck, and the result is that the nation’s production factories, storage warehouses, transportation systems, workers, docks/ports, etc. Rather than being a problem of demand not meeting supply (as was the case early on… remember how hard it was to get a turkey or toilet paper last year?), this new wave of supply chain issues stems from widespread labor shortages (that’s a whole ‘nother issue…) met with economic success and unprecedented consumer demand and spending, especially at the more affluent levels. There’s been an on-and-off consumer supply chain crisis throughout the entirety of the pandemic, but on the eve of this year’s holiday season, the situation seems to present a fresh dilemma for consumers. ![]() 6 Gifting Alternatives For Families Things Are Weird This Year Wherever you find yourself, we wish you all the happiest and safest of holiday seasons this year. (We also have book picks for readers and listeners at every age - and books are always a great gift, IMO.) These contain carefully curated toy and gift options that are geared toward open-ended play, freedom of creativity, and long-lasting quality. If you have no interest in going down this rabbit hole and/or find yourself still in need of traditional gift options, we’ve left up our guides from previous years, which you can see here (2020) and here (2019), and you can always peruse our evergreen gift guides for different ages. Thus, we’ve been inspired to make this year’s holiday a Smalliday. ![]() We’re simply sending this editorial out into the world as an honest expression of where our team members are at this year, which is to say… feeling different about recommending a big holiday shopping bonanza. Now, we’re not suggesting that anyone boycott the holidays or cancel gifting altogether, nor would we presume to impose our own feelings of reticence upon anyone else.
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7/8/2023 0 Comments Pinball hd buttons![]() Finally, my opinion on the look of the Duo Pinball will match that of the Gamer in that it lacks color, pizzazz, and style – something that'll really make the controller stand out. Unless the device is capable of working with other pinball games, then I'm all in. The stand that comes with the Duo Gamer has it, so why not this one? Oh and that cost – 60 bucks? Yikes! I think we can go a little lower than that shall we? I know this is a one of a kind controller, but given how few the tables you can actually play with the controller, I think the cost doesn't match what you'll get in the long run. Another annoyance is the lack of an opening to plug in your iPad to recharge. Or you can switch off the Bluetooth in the tablet. So you'll have to wait for your iPad to fully power down before that bright blue light switches off. Next there's no on/off switch like the Duo Gamer. Much like the Duo Gamer, the Duo Pinball only works with select games, namely Pinball HD and HD Collections you can't use the device for any other pinball app, which is unfortunate because there are so many to choose from. Overall the Duo Pinball is a unique controller that truly brings home pinball machine experience. The Duo Pinball holds the iPad in position firmly, so there are no slip ups during gameplay and the padded bottoms ensures that the controller won't slide everywhere when things get a little hectic. I love the click of the buttons and the pull of the plunger mixed in with all the bells and whistles of the Pinball HD games. The controller really enhances gameplay by giving you that feel of actually playing a true machine. The Duo Pinball makes for one unique controller again there really isn't anything like it on the market that I've seen and I googled it - nothing comes close. And after spending some quality time and getting in touch with my pinball roots, it's time to give my verdict in the TOV Breakdown. And as a stand, you can use your iPad with the accessory for tasks such as web browsing, twitter, etc., so long as the screen stays in the vertical. I'm kinda feelin that AC/DC board, even though there aren't any vocals.įinally the Duo Pinball can either rest on a table, tray table on an airplane, or even rest comfortably on your lap. With either app, you can "try before you buy" the purchased boards, that way you can see if it's worth it. Again any additional boards must be purchased. Now Pinball HD Collections is a free app, and only gives you one board. Pinball HD cost 1.99 and offers 3 boards at the jump – The Deep, Jungle Style, and Wild West if you'd like additional boards you'll have to pay a fee. At this point, the controller works with only two apps - Pinball HD and Pinball HD Collections. And like the Duo Gamer, you simply pair the device and you're set to play. ![]() Simple enough right? You like the iPad through teh top and the device interacts with the tablet through Bluetooth, similar to the Duo Gamer. The Duo Pinball works as an iPad stand with a pinball machine spin to it on either side you have your flipper buttons and to the right you have your plunger. ![]() Enter Discovery Bay Games and Duo Games, who've done well with the Duo Gamer and now the iPad gets another treat in teh form of Duo Pinball, the first pinball controler I've ever laid eyes on. But I never would have thought I'd see the day when I company would go all out and create a pinball controller. Now I grew up with pinball machines and I freakin love them in all forms - from the big machines in arcades, to the console versions, even those cheap plastic ones you can get anywhere and everywhere. Why? Because I've never seen anything quite like it on the market. ![]() I was gonna save this next review for last in the Duo Games trio, but it's such a unique piece that I just had to get it out there. 7/7/2023 0 Comments Ipack visual![]() On the USB you will find complete teaching resources for 13 lessons and 2 enrichments as follows: Design and technology 1 x Pre-cut 4/6 side Kaleidoscope pack.One set of pre-cut cardboard templates for each experiment: Tech Talk Livestream playback - Lesson in a box - The concept - Join Caroline Keep, Alasdair Trench & Kevin Spurr.What is Lesson in a box and who is it for.Tech Talks - Halo HD live stream playback.A solderless TT motor board assembly guide.A printable template to cut out by hand is also included in PDF format.DXF files for making additional cardboard templates.Shake table experiments for KS4 - Earthquake comparison (1 lesson).Seismic shaking table experiments in KS3 - Solid Structures (1 lesson).Visual data experiments in KS4 (1 lesson).KS3 Air resistance and drag experiments (1 lesson).KS4 Selection and If statements (1 lesson).Prototyping the design in KS4 (1 lesson).KS3 Mood Light Cultures of Lighting Challenge (Work plan - 6 lessons).On the USB you will find complete teaching resources for 13 lessons and 2 enrichments as follows:Design and technology 1 x Pre-cut 4/6 side Kaleidoscope pack.One set of pre-cut cardboard templates for each experiment: 1 x Visual computing pack quick start guide.2 x Visual coding guide poster - Part 2.2 x Visual coding guide poster - Part 1.1 x 5 spoke injection moulded yellow wheel for Right angle geared hobby motor.1 x Solderless motor board for right angle geared hobby motor.1 x Klip motor driver for BBC micro:bit.11 x Kitronik ZIP Halo HD for micro:bit.1 x 2GB swivel USB stick, containing everything needed for planning and delivery of each lesson.Visual computing Micro Bit Kitronik: contents The kits are packaged in a sturdy reusable tray from Gratnells to keep them together and safe between uses. ![]() The topic kits include a complete lesson plan with cross-references to: lesson slides, workbooks/worksheets, checklists, etc., technician's notes and, where appropriate, AFL tips with answers and plenary.The tools not only meet KS3/KS4 (US equivalent - Grades 6-8/9-10) criteria, but also support personal development by encouraging students to see conventional STEM activities as valuable across the curriculum.These thematic kits provide an overview of multidisciplinary visual computing. ![]()
Nevertheless, Douglass continued, “it was enough for us that Abraham Lincoln was at the head of a great movement, and was in living and earnest sympathy with that movement, which, in the nature of things, must go on until slavery should be utterly and forever abolished in the United States.”ĭouglass highlighted Lincoln’s ability to marshal the “earnest sympathy and the powerful co-operation” of those loyal to the United States to accomplish what was otherwise impossible, the destruction of the Confederacy and slavery along with it. Frederick Douglass’s speech at the dedication did not shy away from rebuking Lincoln for his flaws: his early plan to remove blacks from the United States, his delay in embracing the cause of emancipation, his restraining of more radical abolitionists in his command. ![]() It was inaugurated in the presence of President Grant and other representatives of the federal government along with DC’s black community. The monument was financed at considerable expense by freed (and free) blacks. But the historical pedigree of the memorial should give serious pause to those calling for its removal. The iconography of the Emancipation Memorial is indeed unfortunate, appearing to depict a relationship of paternalism between Lincoln and the slaves. DC delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton plans to introduce a bill to remove the statue from Lincoln Park, the same bill that would remove a statue of Andrew Jackson. In Washington, DC, protesters announced they plan to tear down the Emancipation Memorial depicting Lincoln hovering over a kneeling freed slave. ![]() In Madison, Wisconsin, a statue of Colonel Hans Christian Heg, an antislavery activist who dedicated his life to abolition and died fighting the Confederacy, was torn down, beheaded, and dumped in a nearby lake. Grant served as a Union general and as president he used every power at his disposal to dismantle and suppress white supremacy in the former Confederate states. Grant, described by one observer as “a slave owner too, before the Civil War,” was torn down. Yet the recent wave of removals of Confederate statues has been interspersed with protesters tearing down Union memorials. ![]() Protesters tearing down confederate monuments and public officials ordering their removal is the right step to rectifying the injustice done to the memory of those they sought to subjugate. Protesters attempting to topple down a statue of Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Square in Washington, DC. Confederate statues are idols of the order they sought to preserve and extend, one of white supremacy and black bondage. ![]() Most were raised decades after the Civil War to mark the defeat of Reconstruction and restoration of white supremacy to the South and elsewhere in the United States. This is why the removal of statues commemorating Confederate figures is entirely justified.Ĭonfederate monuments were erected to read back into history the lie that these men acted with honor and out of duty, and that their public service should be commemorated. It honors those it depicts and exerts a subtle moral influence over the society that raises them in its public spaces. A statue is not merely a marker of some neutral historical fact. ![]() Let’s get down to business: The one true difference to the standard game in Spider is the fact that two suits are in use instead of one. The bottom line is: Playing Spider Solitaire with the cards sporting two suits! No matter how – it remains one of the most popular solitaire games and is quite challenging. Spell it however you like – Spider Solitaire 2 Suits, 2 Suits Spider Solitaire, Two Suit Spider Solitaire, or a crisp Spider 2 Suit. At the Spider Palace, you can select the custom rule Two Suits to play Spider Solitaire 2 Suits free and online. But if you have mastered the one-suited Spider, you are now ready to challenge Spider two suits. There is already enough to pay attention to, as we explained in Lesson 1, for example. If you have more tips you want to share with us, feel free to contact us at Now that you've gone through our guide, why not try your skills at a game of Spider Solitaire.For Spider newbies, the game variation with only one suit is well-fitted. The above tips and tricks should help you win more Spider Solitaire games. Spider Solitaire is a tough solitaire game with a lot of skill and strategy involved. Thinking ahead in a game like Spider Solitaire is essential for winning the game. A hidden card might be revealed with two moves, but on further investigation, it might be more advantageous to reveal the cards in four moves. The order of moves means a lot in this game. In our experience, doing everything you can to vacate a column in the very beginning is the best strategy. In fact, it's close to impossible to win a game without vacating any columns. There are mixed opinions on this point, but the consensus is that vacating a column in the first few rounds of play is important for the success of the game. So if you can, make the King the head of the sequence. The King is the first card in a full sequence of cards, which means that twelve other cards can fit on top of it. ![]() ![]() The King is not a bad card in this game, but it's definitely a card that you should be aware of. Empty columns can be used as temporary columns where you can "park" cards before moving them to other columns, almost like the free cells in a game of FreeCell. It might be tempting to move the first and the best card to an empty column, but that might not be the best move. You should be careful exposing aces unless it reveals hidden cards below. Therefore, too many open Aces means that there are fewer open spots on the tableau that other cards can be moved to. The only way that a card will end on an Ace is if a card from the stock ends up on it. Be careful with AcesĪces are the only cards on which you can't place other cards yourself. Think before you act is a good motto for a game like this, and if you get stuck, it's worth undoing all the way back to a point where you can go down another road. There is definitely luck involved in Spider Solitaire, but you won't win the game without a good deal of strategy, which makes patience essential. Whatever the case may be, be sure that you know how to play Spider Solitaire before you go through our tips. It might be a long time since you played the game, or maybe you're playing a new version of Spider Solitaire. This might seem like a no-brainer, but it's essential nonetheless. 7/7/2023 0 Comments Hearts of iron iv metacriticIn this department, Hearts of Iron is kind of weak, although I suspect that's because there's so much detail and effort put into the technology tree. In fact, the game ships with only a paltry three (!) scenarios, far less than even the original Europa Universalis offered, and of them, only the main one (spanning 1936 to 1948) really offers much in the way of extended play. ![]() Alternate histories are part of the strength of the EU series, and the omission of these possible scenarios weakens the game. How would things have been different if the Allies hadn't imposed such a harsh peace on Germany? The rise of the fascists in Germany wasn't guaranteed, and likewise the civil war in Russia could've gone the other way. ![]() I also would've liked some scenarios that had begun as far back as 1918 or 1919, right after the end of the Great War. That is no fun, and this is a flaw of the EU series, something Civilization does better - letting the player keep playing as long as they want to, rather than arbitrarily forcing an end. Ending the game at 1948 just feels too soon, often you'll be in the middle of some great struggle and the game just peters out on you. The years between 19 certainly were tumultuous and are of great historical interest, but I was disappointed to find that there weren't any scenarios offering greater stretches of time, allowing for even more alternate histories. That said, one problem I have with the time scale is the rather narrow historical window the game plays in. By coordinating attacks, you can time it so different forces from different provinces - armor and infantry, air units and motorized troops - all hit the enemy at the same time, thus letting you concentrate your firepower in one area. For example, travel from one province to another depends on the speed of the units making the trip and the type of terrain that has to be crossed. This means it's now possible to coordinate the attacks of multiple units precisely. Whereas in EU you're dealing with days, months, years, and even decades and centuries, the smallest unit here is the hour, which is much more appropriate for modern warfare. Also important is the time scale of the game. I don't think leaders can die by chance in combat it's never happened to me, although I did notice a bug wherein some of the generic leaders (in this case, my Italian air force commanders) dismissed to the officer pool sometimes wouldn't reappear, wasting valuable experience points. A nice touch is that many of the leader units have historical pictures that help individuate them, and they also have specialties - Rommel is a "Trickster" who gets surprise and camouflage bonuses, while Zhukov is a tank leader, best suited to leading the Red Army's armored formations. Individual units do not gain experience but their leaders do, and it behooves you to constantly put your best leaders in the thick of the fighting to maximize use of their bonuses, as well as give them even more experience and superior skill. I was also disappointed by the inability to rename your divisions, corps, and armies so that they're easier to keep track of - an oversight common to all the EU-engine games. ![]() ![]() This is a bizarre and unfortunate design decision. Unfortunately the designers chose to name the provinces after the major city in each area, which is fine for obvious locales like Paris or Berlin but trying to find "lost" armies by means of the obscure and forgotten colony names in the heart of Africa, for example, is quite a chore, and no American would ever refer to our states by their capital cities, most of which we can't even name. state (although the scale varies from place to place around the world - smaller for densely populated areas, to quite large for undeveloped wilderness). The smallest ground unit is the division, and the basic geographic unit is a province, a region of land roughly equal to a typical U.S. The results of individual battles are determined by chance, as well as the quality, composition, morale, leadership, and numbers of the units you've thrown into the fray. But in terms of your combat decision-making, your role is to produce as many technologically sophisticated units as you can, as quickly as you can, and maneuver them into position so they can deliver as much damage as possible. Strategy on a grand scale Hearts of Iron isn't by any means a tactical game, it's strategy on a grand scale, closer to Axis & Allies than Squad Leader, although in terms of complexity it's more like the latter. And now that I've been playing the game non-stop for the last couple weeks, I can say that Hearts of Iron, while having some notable drawbacks, is a solid addition to the EU line and the Paradox name. So when I heard the same developers were making a World War II-based game using a modified version of the EU engine, I was quite intrigued. 7/7/2023 0 Comments The matrix 4 official trailer![]() He goes back into the Matrix! Where are his glasses?! We'll reserve judgement until we actually see the film, but we are not best pleased. A trailer was screened as part of Warner Bros. Pictures 10. On August 24, 2021, the title was revealed as The Matrix Resurrections. But we simply must repeat: Keanu, where have you put your glasses? The Matrix Resurrections Official Trailer 1 - YouTube 0:00 2:52 The Matrix Resurrections Official Trailer 1 Warner Bros. debuted the trailer in September, just three months before the film is set to debut. Now the trailer has dropped, and the first question – the one about Yahya Abdul-Mateen II – has basically been answered. At long last, The Matrix 4 trailer has been released Warner Bros. He should be wearing them all the time and staking a claim for what is rightfully his, lest some Tik Tok-er try and take credit. The Matrix 4 trailer: Watch The Matrix Resurrections trailer here The first trailer was shown at CinemaCon on August 24 and released online for everybody else to enjoy on September 9. Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jada Pinkett Smith, Neil Patrick Harris, Priyanka. ![]() But the whole Y2K thing is muchos caliente right now, and Neo is practically the architect of the trend. The official trailer for The Matrix Resurrections is jam-packed with footage of Keanu Reeves’ Neo, Carrie-Anne Moss’ Trinity, and gravity-defying action scenes, but what’s missing is. For the fourth installment, only Lana Wachowski will direct while Lilly Wachowski will sit out. In the first Matrix, Neo saw a black cat perform the same motion twice in a hallway, and had a sense of déjà vu. ![]() At the time, we had no idea if these were merely shots taken from before he entered back into the simulated reality. Critic Reviews for The Matrix Resurrections A movie that is in direct conversation with itself and what came before, and while the routes it takes to get. The first shot in the trailer shows us a black cat in Neos therapists office. It’s safe to say there is a lot going on here and it looks like the film is gearing up. From visionary filmmaker Lana Wachowski comes The Matrix Resurrections, the long-awaited fourth film in the groundbreaking franchise that redefined a genre. The new film reunites original stars Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss in the iconic roles they made famous, Neo and Trinity. We understand that only people within the Matrix, those who are aware of the existence of an outside world, wear the cool little glasses. The first official trailer for The Matrix Resurrections was released on September 9, just after CinemaCon. From visionary filmmaker Lana Wachowski comes The Matrix Resurrections, the long-awaited fourth film in the groundbreaking franchise that redefined a genre. The latter appearance had many people speculating about his role in Lana Wachowski’s upcoming film – specifically, whether or not he’s Morpheus – but we had a far more important question on our mind: where are Keanu Reeves’ little sunglasses? It delivered an early peek at Neo and Trinity, as well as the (once) mysterious character Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will be playing. has been sprinkling out Matrix Resurrections snippets and teasers via. Moss exclaimed about her bullet-time shoot ’em sequence from the 1999 title: “I never thought ‘Dodge this’ was going to be a big deal.Over the past few days, Warner Bros. Said Reeves: “The first Matrix felt like something beyond yourself… You’ll hear the sentence ‘ The Matrix changed my life.’ I say, ‘Thank you, it changed mine too.” Prior to the trailer rolling, Reeves and Moss appeared in a making-of clip exclaiming how the first movie impacted their lives. No word yet as to when the trailer will hit social media - this was for the CinemaCon crowd only. The pic, directed by Lana Wachowski, is still slated to come out on December 22. Then a lot of jumping, a lot of twists in midair, karate and all the acrobats we expect from a Matrix movie. Matrix 4 trailer release date: Thursday, September 9 UPDATE: The trailer has now been released scroll down to watch it Basically, the site presents you with the same choice that Mr. A younger Morpheus tells Neo “time to fly,” handing him a red pill. Then a shot of Neo distorting into an old man in the mirror. Reeves comes in contact with Carrie Anne Moss’ Trinity in a cafe: “Have we met?” she asks Neo.Ī shot of blue pills spilling into a sink, as Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit” song plays. Unveils First ‘Matrix 4’ Trailer, New Look at ‘The Batman’ at CinemaCon The studio teased its upcoming slate, also including Dune, Malignant, King Richard, The Many Saints of. “We don’t use that word in here,” says Harris’ therapist. 7/7/2023 0 Comments Majesty 2 patch![]() The difference between mod version and original version is: Paid games to play for free. What this means is you _MUST_ keep your in-game fps below 60 at all times in order for the game to work properly.Majesty: The Fantasy Kingdom Mod is a modified version of Majesty: The Fantasy Kingdom developed by Herocraft Ltd. FPS below 60 doesn't seem to alter building speed. ![]() Anything above 60 fps will increase building times and potentially speed up enemy spawns (unconfirmed, but suspected). So it seems like that old bug is fixed.Ĭonclusion: The game's in-game timing system for building speed and probably other things (enemy spawns, quest triggers), is roughly tied to in-game fps. I also tested things both at 1x and 5x speed and there was no difference in how many in-game days it took. ![]() ![]() If you don't do this your building times will be up to 4 times longer than originally intended.ġ20hz refresh rate, vsync off both in-game and in control panel, 240-270+ in-game fps, took 8 days to build a guard tower and upgrade it one time.ġ20hz refresh rate, vsync on in-game, capped 120 fps, took 4.5 daysġ20hz refresh rate, vsync off in-game, vsync forced 'on' in control panel, capped 120 fps, took 4.5 daysįorced 60hz refresh rate, vsync on in-game, capped 60 fps, took 2.5 days to build a guard tower and upgrade it one time.įorced 60hz refresh rate, vsync off in-game, vsync forced 'on' in control panel, capped 60 fps, took 2.5 daysġ20hz refresh rate, vsync off in-game, vsync forced on but set to 'Adaptive (half refresh rate)' in control panel, capped 60 fps, took 2.5 daysįorced 60hz refresh rate, vsync off in-game, vsync forced on but set to 'Adaptive (half refresh rate)' in control panel, capped 30 fps, took 2.5 days ++I would also recommend using something like fraps that shows your in-game fps to make sure you're staying under 60 fps at all times. If you're using a 120hz monitor, force vsync on for majesty2.exe (manege 3d settings -> programs settings -> select majesty2.exe) in your GFX control panel BUT you MUST use adaptive at half refresh rate, so your monitor is still set to 120hz but your fps is capped at 60fps. If you're using a 120hz or 144hz monitor, set your monitor to 60hz globally (or you can have something like Nvidia control panel change it automatically whenever majesty2.exe is running) and then turn on the in-game vsync. If you're using a 60hz monitor, be sure you have either vsync turned on in-game or vsync forced on in your graphics card's control panel. What you need to do to fix this is one of the following: I also suspect other in-game timings are tied to your FPS as well, such as enemy spawn timers as i also noticed i was getting about 2-3 times more enemy spawns than them too (but i didn't thoroughly test this though). See the bottom of this post to see how i tested this, but the short version is your building times can be 4 times longer than intended with uncapped fps. Turns out that the time it takes to build a building is roughly tied to your in-game fps. They were building 4-5 buildings before being attacked whereas i couldn't build a single building before i had waves of enemies in my base already. It seemed like my building times were at least double that of various youtube video guides. 7/7/2023 0 Comments Album cover wall collage![]() Having appeared as a Bond girl in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Kari-Ann Muller featured on the front of Roxy Music for the sum of just £20. Often romantically linked with frontman Bryan Ferry, each model had their intriguing own back story. While many of the most memorable album covers of the early 70s were high-concept artworks designed by the likes of Hipgnosis or Roger Dean, Roxy Music’s approach was startlingly simple: glamorous imagery, more like a 50s fashion shoot than an album cover. ![]() The result: a gruesome spoof advert for an electric razor. Having come across the September 1956 edition of Man’s Life, an adventure magazine whose cover pictured a man being attacked by weasels, Zappa took the “Weasels Ripped My Flesh” caption for a title and challenged Parks to make something “worse than this”. Frank Zappa/The Mothers Of Invention: Weasels Ripped My Flesh (1970)Īs well as creating artwork for almost every Little Feat album, illustrator Neon Park’s distinctive style was put to unforgettable effect on a collection of Mothersmaterial recorded from 1967-69. Fully intact copies of the VU’s debut album are now hugely collectible rarities. ![]() It’s “Peel Slowly And See” banana peel was actually a sticker that revealed the phallic fruit beneath – a typically wry move from Warhol, though the joke was on anyone who removed the sticker. If Peter Blake’s Sgt Pepper album cover is the most famous example of British pop art, then Andy Warhol’s design for The Velvet Underground’s debut, released that same year, remains one of the most famous from the US. The Velvet Underground & Nico: The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967) Staged by British artist Peter Blake and his then-wife, Jann Haworth, the Sgt Pepper album cover depicted 58 different people, chosen by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Peter Blake, Jann Haworth and London art dealer Robert Fraser, presenting a fascinating cross-section of cultures, importance, and each Beatle’s individual interests like Marlon Brando, Karl Marx, and Marilyn Monroe.Ĭlick here for an interactive Sgt Pepper cover to discover who’s who on one of the most important album covers of all time. Pepper album cover remains a pop art masterpiece that has influenced everyone from Frank Zappa ( We’re Only In It For The Money) to The Simpsons ( The Yellow Album). But the most important and, at the time the most expensive album cover ever made, the Sgt. The Beatles, of course, had plenty of iconic album covers in their career, including Abbey Road and The White Album. ![]() The Beatles: Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) Two decades later, The Clash and photographer Pennie Smith felt there was still none more rock’n’roll, and nicked the idea for the epochal London Calling vinyl album cover. Caught playing the guitar and singing during a performance at the Fort Homer Hesterly Armory, Tampa, Florida, on July 31, 1955, you can still feel the primal rock’n’roll energy from a young man ready to take over the world. Two simple words: “Elvis” and “Presley” (the latter barely hiding that controversial pelvis from view): that’s all it needed to say. While you’re reading, listen to our Greatest Album Covers playlist here. Our list of the 25 most iconic album covers of all time may not be exhaustive, but it certainly reveals why album covers deserve to be held in as high a regard as more traditional modes of artwork. While art might be a matter of taste, lasting legacy is something that’s more easily measured. The best album covers see these graphic designs bypass linear thinking and emerge with an image that is a bona fide work of art in its own right. Andy Warhol, meanwhile, dreamed up The Rolling Stones’ iconic blue jeans crotch and zipper on Sticky Fingers. Peter Saville made Factory Records a sensation with the radio waves of Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures (and many more). The firm Hipgnosis defined the 70s with their many optical illusions. Other iconic album covers are envisioned by creative masterminds. Sometimes album covers are helped on their way to iconic status because of the musicians they feature: photogenic stars, such as Elvis Presley, David Bowie, or Prince, whose godlike images are burned into our retinas. Sometimes they do all three: what is The Beatles’ Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club album cover, if not the ultimate manifestation of 60s psychedelia for the “peace and love” crowd? Truly iconic album covers don’t just define an album, they define an era, a generation, and, in some cases, an entire musical genre. 7/6/2023 0 Comments Homemade french toast![]() ![]() Moreover, a sweetener (sugar or honey) and flavorings (spices, vanilla, liqueur, orange or lemon rinds) are mixed in with the liquids, according to one's personal preferences. The reason why is because it makes the final dish more custardy - although the eggs that go along also help. half milk, half cream), to be more suitable. Traditionally, either milk or wine (mostly European countries) has been the preferred liquid for French toast.īut I found heavy cream or its creamy-yet-less-fatty alternative, half-and-half (i.e. As for my French toast, I will use stale bread always! Soaking Liquid You can test it out like I did, and attest to the results. Some may argue that leaving a thick slice of fresh bread to soak for only a few seconds will help prevent sogginess.īut even if true, it will also make the French toast less tasty, because the flavoring is mostly in the custard liquid. Personal preferences aside, using fresh bread makes it mushy! The type of bread is not as important as its thickness (¾ to 1-inch), and whether it is stale or fresh.Īlthough some recipes call for fresh bread, stale bread does a much better job of absorbing the custard liquid, while still keeping its shape and firmness. Some types of bread often used to make French toast are are French, Challah, and Texas toast, among others. In addition, it is known as pain perdu (lost bread) in France and as rabanada ( plural, rabanadas) in both Brazil and Portugal.īread, eggs, milk/heavy cream/half-and-half or wine, a sweetener (sugar or honey), flavorings (spices, vanilla, liqueur, etc), and butter or oil are the ingredients that are needed to make French toast. Just don't blame me later, OK?! Ready? What's French Toast?įrench toast is a 5th century dish made with bread soaked in an egg-custard liquid, then traditionally (pan or deep) fried, or baked (contemporary method).Īccording to Wikipedia, among its alternative names are eggy bread, Bombay toast, German toast, gypsy toast, poor knights (of Windsor), and Torrija (Spain). There is only one problem: you are bound to get addicted to it! and of course, I will show you how to achieve that custardy golden brown French Toast that we all love. The type of bread, ingredients used for the custard, soaking time, and cooking method can all play a role in how the final dish turns out. Learn 2 easy ways for How To Make French Toast - and discover the secrets and tips for the best French toast ever!įrench toast is a classic! But there is more than one way to prepare it, as you will see here. |