Spectacular Hi-Def Aerial Photos Take You On A Breathtaking Tour Of The World

A group of photographers based out of Moscow, Russia have embarked on a fascinating project that’s taking them to some of the most beautiful locations earth has to offer. Amassing over 2000 images of 200 different locations on their website so far, the group has covered a lot of ground. With photos from the North Pole […]

The post Spectacular Hi-Def Aerial Photos Take You On A Breathtaking Tour Of The World appeared first on DIY Photography.


via DIYPhotography.net -Hacking Photography, One Picture At A Time
Spectacular Hi-Def Aerial Photos Take You On A Breathtaking Tour Of The World

Compare and Synchronize Databases with MySQL Utilities

The mysqldiff and mysqldbcompare utilities were designed to produce a difference report for objects and in the case of mysqldbcompare the data. Thus, you can compare two databases and produce a report of the differences in both object definitions and data rows. While that may be very useful, would it not be much more useful to have the ability to produce SQL commands to transform databases? Wait no longer! The latest release of MySQL Utilities has added the ability to generate SQL transformation statements by both the mysqldiff and mysqldbcompare utilities. To generate SQL transformations in either utility, simply use the –sql option to tell the utility to produce the statements.Object Transformations with mysqldiffIf you would like to compare the schema of two databases (the objects and their definitions), mysqldiff can do that for you and produce a difference report in a number of formats including CSV, TAB, GRID, and Vertical (like the mysql client’s \G option). However, its greatest feature is the ability to generate transformation statements to alter the objects so that they conform. Best of all, mysqldiff works on all object types including the ability to recognize renames so you can get a true transformation path for all objects. For even greater flexibility, you can generate the difference in both directions. This means you can generate transformations for db1-to-db2 as well as db2-to-db1 in the same pass. Cool.The following shows an example of running mysqldiff on two servers where some of the objects have diverged. It also shows how you can generate the reverse transformation statements.$ mysqldiff –server1=root@localhost –server2=root@otherhost \–changes-for=server1 –show-reverse util_test:util_test \–force –difftype=SQL# server1 on localhost: … connected.# server2 on localhost: … connected.# WARNING: Objects in server1.util_test but not in server2.util_test:# EVENT: e1# Comparing util_test to util_test [PASS]# Comparing util_test.f1 to util_test.f1 [PASS]# Comparing util_test.p1 to util_test.p1 [PASS]# Comparing util_test.t1 to util_test.t1 [PASS]# Comparing util_test.t2 to util_test.t2 [PASS]# Comparing util_test.t3 to util_test.t3 [FAIL]# Transformation for –changes-for=server1:#ALTER TABLE util_test.t3 DROP COLUMN b, ADD COLUMN d char(30) NULL AFTER a ENGINE=MyISAM;## Transformation for reverse changes (–changes-for=server2):## ALTER TABLE util_test.t3 # DROP COLUMN d, # ADD COLUMN b char(30) NULL AFTER a, # ENGINE=InnoDB;## Comparing util_test.trg to util_test.trg [FAIL]# Transformation for –changes-for=server1:#DROP TRIGGER IF EXISTS `util_test`.`trg`;CREATE DEFINER=root@localhost TRIGGER util_test.trg BEFORE UPDATE ON util_test.t1 FOR EACH ROW INSERT INTO util_test.t1 VALUES(‘Wax on, wax off’);## Transformation for reverse changes (–changes-for=server2):## DROP TRIGGER IF EXISTS `util_test`.`trg`;# CREATE DEFINER=root@localhost TRIGGER util_test.trg AFTER INSERT ON util_test.t1 # FOR EACH ROW INSERT INTO util_test.t2 VALUES(‘Test objects count’);## Comparing util_test.v1 to util_test.v1 [FAIL]# Transformation for –changes-for=server1:#ALTER VIEW util_test.v1 AS select `util_test`.`t2`.`a` AS `a` from `util_test`.`t2`;## Transformation for reverse changes (–changes-for=server2):## ALTER VIEW util_test.v1 AS # select `util_test`.`t1`.`a` AS `a` from `util_test`.`t1`;#Compare failed. One or more differences found.Generating Data Transformation with mysqldbcompareThe mysqldbcompare utility provides all of the object difference functionality included in mysqldiff along with the ability to generate transformation SQL statements for data. This means you can make sure your test or development databases are similar to your production databases or perhaps even your offline, read only databases match your online databases. Like mysqldiff, you can also get the reverse transformations at the same time. Very cool, eh?The following shows an example of running mysqldbcompare to generate differences in data.$ mysqldbcompare –server1=root@localhost –server2=root@otherhost \inventory:inventory -a –difftype=sql –changes-for=server1 \–show-reverse# server1 on localhost: … connected.# server2 on localhost: … connected.# Checking databases inventory on server1 and inventory on server2## WARNING: Objects in server1.inventory but not in server2.inventory:# VIEW: finishing_up# VIEW: cleaning#[…] # TABLE supplier pass FAIL FAIL ## Row counts are not the same among inventory.supplier and inventory.supplier.## Transformation for –changes-for=server1:## Data differences found among rows:UPDATE inventory.supplier SET name = ‘Wesayso Corporation’ WHERE code = ‘2’;INSERT INTO inventory.supplier (code, name) VALUES(‘3’, ‘Never Enough Inc.’);## Transformation for reverse changes (–changes-for=server2):## # Data differences found among rows:# UPDATE inventory.supplier SET name = ‘Never Enough Inc.’ WHERE code = ‘2’;# DELETE FROM inventory.supplier WHERE code = ‘3’;## Database consistency check failed.## …done
via Planet MySQL
Compare and Synchronize Databases with MySQL Utilities

Algal Bloom is Turning the Great Lakes Green

Algal Bloom is Turning the Great Lakes Green

The algal bloom in Lake Erie is particularly bad this year, thanks to a combination of agricultural runoff, sunlight, and warm water. The result, as seen by NASA’s Landsat 8, is the Great Lakes turning slowly green.

Algal bloom peaks in September, but the level is already high, and rising. Algae can make drinking water unsafe, but public water is reportedly still ok for human consumption.

[NASA]

Image credit: NASA

via Gizmodo
Algal Bloom is Turning the Great Lakes Green

Meteorite Explosion Caught In Time Lapse Video

This is pretty awesome: while filming a time lapse of the night sky, Marc Donahue inadvertently captured an exploding meteorite in the atmosphere earlier in July in Santa Cruz, California.

While shooting some timelapses, we saw a huge bright flash in the sky. It even lit up the entire ground. We looked up and saw a huge streak across the sky of burning dust. I did the calculations and the dust fell from the sky for at least 50 frames of my timelapse. Each exposure was 15 seconds long, so that means the burning dust fell for 12.5 minutes.

It’s a lucky shot, and a really neat thing to see captured on film.

[h/t to Marc Donahue]

via Gizmodo
Meteorite Explosion Caught In Time Lapse Video

20 Stunning Military Images That You Absolutely Have To See

20 Stunning Military Images That You Absolutely Have To See

These are the 20 most brilliant military images I found around these wonderful intertubes this week. Not only do they highlight the amazing things America and our allies’ service people do on a regular basis, but also the photographers, both military and private, that work so hard to gives us a view we could never see with our civilian eyes.

Top shot: Ioannis Lekkas via RAF Lakenheath- A quartet of 493rd Fighter Squadron F-15Cs break formation high over UK.

20 Stunning Military Images That You Absolutely Have To See

Petty Officer 1st Class Jamie E. Parsons via U.S. Coast Guard- Instructors, crew and students of a Coast Guard National Motor Lifeboat School class train for heavy weather boat operations in the harsh environment of Cape Disappointment in the Pacific Northwest.

20 Stunning Military Images That You Absolutely Have To See

Tech. Sgt. Michael R. Holzworth via U.S. Air Force- U.S. Navy Lt.Nathan Clayville an electronic counter measures officer from the Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 139 from Whidbey Island, Wash. stands on top of a EA-6B Prowler during pre-flight checks on the Nellis, flight line while participating in Red Flag.

20 Stunning Military Images That You Absolutely Have To See

Spc. Joshua Leonard via U.S. Army Europe- Soldiers from Charlie Co. 2-104th Cavalry Regiment from the Pennsylvania National Guard pose for a group photo after a battle simulation for distinguished visitors during part of the field training exercise at Saber Strike 2014. Saber Strike 2014 is a joint, multi-national military exercise scheduled for June 9- 20. The exercise spans multiple locations in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, and involves approximately 4,700 personnel from 10 countries. The exercise is designed to promote regional stability, strengthen international military partnerships, enhance multinational interoperability and prepare participants for worldwide contingency operations.

20 Stunning Military Images That You Absolutely Have To See

Senior Airman James Richardson via U.S. Air Force photo- A B-1B Lancer takes off from Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, to conduct combat operations April 8, 2015. Al Udeid is a strategic coalition air base in Qatar that supports over 90 combat and support aircraft and houses more than 5,000 military personnel.

20 Stunning Military Images That You Absolutely Have To See

Sgt. Steve H. Lopez via U.S. Marine Corps- Lance Cpl. Zachary Palacio engages his target with an M240B squad automatic weapon during machine gun sustainment training. Palacio is a motor transport operator with Combat Logistics Battalion 15, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit. Elements of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit are ashore in Djibouti for sustainment training to maintain and enhance the skills they developed during their pre-deployment training period.

20 Stunning Military Images That You Absolutely Have To See

Lance Cpl. Brian Bekkala via U.S. Marine Corps- Lance Cpl. Chance Seckenger with 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, rides in a Combat Rubber Raiding Craft during launch and recovery drills from the well deck of the USS Green Bay, at sea, July 9, 2015. Talisman Sabre is a major bilateral exercise that enhances the combat readiness and interoperability of U.S. and Australian forces across a range of military operations.

20 Stunning Military Images That You Absolutely Have To See

Etat-major des armées / armée de l’Air- French Mirage 2000s execute a section takeoff under a sparkling night sky while support anti-terror operations in Mali.

20 Stunning Military Images That You Absolutely Have To See

SSgt Matthew B. Fredericks via U.S. Air Force- U.S. Army Soldiers, assigned to the Michigan National Guard secure a landing zone during an infiltration/exfiltration mission, part of Exercise Northern Strike at the Joint Maneuver Training Center, Camp Grayling, Mich., July 23, 2015.

20 Stunning Military Images That You Absolutely Have To See

Sgt. Michael Needham via U.S. Army National Guard- An MV-22 Osprey lands during a personnel recovery training exercise in Southwest Asia, July 28, 2015. The 185th Theater Aviation Brigade conducts interoperability training missions to enhance mission capabilities between U.S. Army aviation and other U.S. military forces.

20 Stunning Military Images That You Absolutely Have To See

Staff Sgt. Bobby J. Yarbrough via U.S. Marine Corps- Marines from Amphibious Assault Platoon, Company E, Battalion Landing Team 2/6, conduct splash and recovery operations during a certification exercise off the East Coast of the United States. The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (26th MEU) and the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group are being certified by evaluators with the Expeditionary Operations Training Group in preparation for a deployment later this fall.

20 Stunning Military Images That You Absolutely Have To See

Senior Airman Nicole Sikorski via U.S. Air Force- Senior Airmen Giselle Toro and Tristen Geray, 37th Airlift Squadron loadmasters, prepare for a U.S. and Bulgarian air force formation flight over Plovdiv, Bulgaria, July 14, 2015. Loadmasters are responsible for the proper loading of cargo onto an aircraft and ensuring passengers are safe and comfortable during travel. In addition to securing cargo, Toro and Geray were both responsible for the safe departure of paratroopers from the aircraft during the flight.

20 Stunning Military Images That You Absolutely Have To See

Unknown photographer via U.S. Navy- An Osprey is bathed in the deck lights glow while operating from the stern flight deck of an Amphibious Assault Ship.

20 Stunning Military Images That You Absolutely Have To See

Sgt. Paul Peterson via U.S. Marine Corps- Lithuanian soldiers and U.S. Marines from the Black Sea Rotational Force engaged opposition forces in a partnered attack during Exercise Saber Strike at the Pabrade Training Area, Lithuania, June 15, 2015. Fifteen nations and more than 7,000 service members took part in Saber Strike to promote security and cooperation in the region.

20 Stunning Military Images That You Absolutely Have To See

Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Robert S. Price via U.S. Navy- Sailors participate in a low light small arms training exercise aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71). Ross is conducting naval operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe.

20 Stunning Military Images That You Absolutely Have To See

Staff Sgt. Jarad A. Denton via U.S. Air Force- A U-2 from Beale Air Force Base, Calif., prepares to land at Royal Air Force Fairford, England, June 9, 2015. U-2 pilots have a small margin of space to effectively land the plane without causing damage to the aircraft.

20 Stunning Military Images That You Absolutely Have To See

Petty Officer 3rd Class Ryan Kellogg via U.S. Coast Guard- A 25-foot Response Boat-Small crew from Coast Guard Station Seattle conducts an early morning escort of a Washington State Ferry Dec. 22, 2014. Station personnel routinely escort ferries in Puget Sound as part of the service’s Ports, Waterways and Coastal Security mission to ensure the safety of more than 22 million passengers traveling on the system annually.

20 Stunning Military Images That You Absolutely Have To See

Cpl. Andre Dakis via U.S. Marine Corps- Marines assigned to Force Reconnaissance Platoon, Maritime Raid Force, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, prepare to conduct a high altitude high opening (HAHO) jump from a CH-53 Super Stallion during category 3 sustainment training in Louisburg, North Carolina, June 6, 2015. The training allowed the Marines to practice proper techniques and procedures while in preparation for deployment to the 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility later this year.

20 Stunning Military Images That You Absolutely Have To See

Cpl. Ricky S. Gomez via U.S. Marine Corps- A U.S. Marine attached to Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment – “The Lava Dogs” fires a Javelin at a simulated enemy tank during Lava Viper aboard Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii, May 29, 2015. Marines of Weapons Company train and conduct anti-armor procedures while at Lava Viper.

20 Stunning Military Images That You Absolutely Have To See

Senior Airman Colton Elliott via U.S. Air National Guard- A KC-135R Stratotanker rests on the flightline at Roland R. Wright Air National Guard Base, Utah, June 25, 2015. The aircraft’s principal mission is air refueling, which enhances the Air Force’s capability to accomplish its primary missions of global reach and global power.


Contact the author at Tyler@jalopnik.com.

via Gizmodo
20 Stunning Military Images That You Absolutely Have To See

Gun Production Up 140 Percent

ColtAR15There’s finally numbers to back up the old “Obama is the best gun salesmen” sayings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) stated that gun production has increased 140% during the Obama presidency based on 2013 production numbers. The Hill reported that 4.5 million firearms were produced the year before President Obama took […]

Read More …

The post Gun Production Up 140 Percent appeared first on The Firearm Blog.


via The Firearm Blog
Gun Production Up 140 Percent

Review: A Lego Brickumentary Is the Lego Doc You’ve Been Waiting For

Review: A Lego Brickumentary Is the Lego Doc You've Been Waiting For

Lego has built its empire just like the interlocking bricks themselves, by connecting kids and adults, using pop-culture and mass appeal. On July 31st, A Lego Brickumentary will premiere. It’s the very first full-length documentary chronicling the powerful toy brand.

The film is narrated by a minifig voiced by Jason Bateman, who maintains a lively and chipper, Everything Is Awesome-type feel, which really resonates for fans. Beginning back in the 1930s when the company was first founded by Danish carpenter Ole Kirk Kristiansen, the history of Lego is recreated through a series of stop-motion Lego scenes. It’s a pretty effective way to cover the major moments in the company’s history. The stop-motion scenes were also spliced with archival footage and photographs. By the 1950s the company was on a course for world domination, once it realized the formula of success lay in their revolutionary interlocking design, which meant the possibilities for building were virtually limitless. It is actually pretty awesome watching the history of Lego told through Lego stop-motion.

Review: A Lego Brickumentary Is the Lego Doc You've Been Waiting For

However, it’s not all rainbows and minifigs. There have been plenty of issues that have popped up over the past few decades that shed light on the perpetuation of gender constructs, by launching sets aimed squarely at ‘girls’. In response, the film highlights Alice Finch, an AFOL (Adult Fans of Lego) known for her amazing builds. Unfortunately, Finch feels a bit like a token, and there are many, many women AFOLs out there the filmmakers could have reached out to or at least referenced more heavily. For instance, Mariann Asanuma was a Lego Master Model Designer until she branched out to become the world’s first and only female Freelance LEGO Artist.

Review: A Lego Brickumentary Is the Lego Doc You've Been Waiting For

I would have liked just a bit more in-depth analysis of gender issues, since Lego clearly didn’t always have a gender problem.

Review: A Lego Brickumentary Is the Lego Doc You've Been Waiting For

The filmmakers Daniel Junge and Kief Davidson come from a place of socially-conscious documentary filmmaking, and I was really hoping A Lego Brickumentary would go into more detail as to the social impact of Lego, from its use as a therapeutic method for autistic children and people suffering from PTSD, to the toy company’s reinforcement of gender stereotypes with sets such as the Lego ‘Friends’ series. As mentioned, these were only touched upon, which is a shame, because non-Lego fans will likely take the film as a very well-done infomercial.

Junge won the Oscar in 2012 with Saving Face, which exposed the horrible acid attacks against Pakistani women, and Davidson was nominated for an Oscar for Open Heart, about impoverished Rwandan children in need of open heart surgery. Don’t get me wrong, the film does cover child psychologists using Lego with autistic children, but I felt like it just touched the tip of the iceberg.

Review: A Lego Brickumentary Is the Lego Doc You've Been Waiting For

For me, Lego has always been more than just a toy. Even when I was young. It was the first toy, and pretty much only toy for kids of the 80’s, that didn’t come prepackaged with a story. Sure, you had Lego Space sets and Lego Pirate sets, but the point was to build these sets and then make them your own, add your own narrative to them. Barbies, Transformers, G.I. Joes, all those Mattel and Hasbro toys fit a certain mold and didn’t require too much imagination, and certainly didn’t require creativity to build. Even Transformers, simply transformed from one thing to another. Mostly, you just recreated scenarios you saw on the shows that promoted the toys sets.

Lego is different from those other toys. Lego grows with you. That’s one of the more salient points the documentary makes and gets absolutely right. How many toys from childhood have the versatility and aesthetic appeal to grow with you?

Review: A Lego Brickumentary Is the Lego Doc You've Been Waiting For

One thing to keep in mind with Lego, there are no rules or directions. Sure, you can following instructions for building a set, or you could just let your imagination run wild. This is nowhere more impressive than the AFOL crowd. Seeing what Master Builders and amateur super-fans can design and build can be truly inspiring. Not only are these mega-sculptures engineered impressively, but they also show that there’s an art to the build. The film highlights Nathan Sawaya, a Lego artist who uses the bricks to create three-dimensional sculptures.

Review: A Lego Brickumentary Is the Lego Doc You've Been Waiting For

The film ends with the building of an almost life-size replica of a Star Wars X-wing fighter. What I wanted more of was the company’s comeback from near collapse in 2003. Critics of the brand at the time argued that the company was inundating the brick market with too many custom pieces and that the brand was getting diluted.

Some may criticize the documentary as being too niche, too focused on people who are already fans of the 80-year old toy brand. But, what the film does so well is use its charm to showcase just how diverse the toy company is in its appeal, spending a great deal of time exploring the evolution of Lego, from its humble beginnings as a wooden Danish toy, to the global enterprise that all but dominates the modern toy industry. I wouldn’t necessarily consider it one long infomercial for Lego. Would a documentary about ice cream make me want to run out to an ice cream shop? Hell yes.

While there may be a few bricks that don’t quite fit, I loved the film for what it was. I just wanted more.

Here’s where you can rent or purchase it on Amazon.

Review: A Lego Brickumentary Is the Lego Doc You've Been Waiting For


You’re reading Leg Godt, the blog with the latest Lego news and the best sets in the web. Follow us on Twitter or Facebook.

via Gizmodo
Review: A Lego Brickumentary Is the Lego Doc You’ve Been Waiting For