diff --git a/asl_cards/db.py b/asl_cards/db.py
index c113030..7f1eb9c 100644
--- a/asl_cards/db.py
+++ b/asl_cards/db.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import sys
 import os
+from collections import defaultdict
 from sqlalchemy import sql , orm , create_engine
 from sqlalchemy import Column , ForeignKey , String , Integer , Binary
 
@@ -63,7 +64,7 @@ def open_database( fname ) :
     conn_string = "sqlite:///{}".format( fname )
     global db_engine
     db_engine = create_engine( conn_string , convert_unicode=True )
-    #db_engine.echo = True 
+    #db_engine.echo = True
 
     # initialize our session
     global db_session
@@ -89,8 +90,37 @@ def add_cards( cards ) :
 
 # - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
 
+def load_cards() :
+    """Load the cards from the database."""
+    # load the raw rows
+    query = db_session.query( AslCard )
+    cards =  list( query.all() )
+    card_index = defaultdict( lambda: defaultdict(list) )
+    # generate the card index
+    for card in cards :
+        d = card_index[ card.nationality ]
+        tag = card.tag.lower()
+        if tag.startswith( "ordnance" ) :
+            tag_type = "ordnance"
+        elif tag.startswith( "vehicle" ) :
+            tag_type = "vehicle"
+        else :
+            raise RuntimeError( "Unknown tag type ({}) for AslCard: {}".format( tag , card ) )
+        d[ tag_type ].append( card )
+    return card_index
+
+# - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
+
+def dump_cards( cards ) :
+    """Dump the card index."""
+    for nationality in cards :
+        for tag_type in cards[nationality] :
+            print( "{} ({}):".format( nationality  , tag_type ) )
+            for card in cards[nationality][tag_type] :
+                print( "- {}".format( card ) )
+
 def dump_database() :
-    """Dump the database."""
+    """Dump the raw database rows."""
     # dump the ASL cards
     query = db_session.query( AslCard )
     for card in query.all() :
diff --git a/globals.py b/globals.py
index c8e2207..7dffcd9 100644
--- a/globals.py
+++ b/globals.py
@@ -5,3 +5,6 @@ app_name = None
 # application settings
 app_settings = None
 debug_settings = None
+
+# AslCard table
+card = {} # { nationality: { "ordnance|vehicle": [ AslCard's ] } }
diff --git a/main.py b/main.py
index 4784017..fac4884 100755
--- a/main.py
+++ b/main.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QApplication
 
 from constants import *
 import globals
+import asl_cards.db as db
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 
@@ -27,10 +28,13 @@ def do_main( args ) :
 
     # parse the command-line arguments
     settings_fname = None
-    opts , args = getopt.getopt( args[1:] , "c:h?" , ["config=","help"] )
+    db_fname = None
+    opts , args = getopt.getopt( args[1:] , "c:d:h?" , ["config=","db=","help"] )
     for opt,val in opts :
         if opt in ["-c","--config"] :
             settings_fname = val
+        elif opt in ["-d","--db"] :
+            db_fname = val
         elif opt in ["-h","--help","-?"] :
             print_help()
         else :
@@ -43,12 +47,21 @@ def do_main( args ) :
             if sys.platform != "win32" :
                 settings_fname = "." + settings_fname
             settings_fname = os.path.join( QDir.homePath() , settings_fname  )
+    if not db_fname :
+        # try to locate the database
+        db_fname = os.path.join( globals.base_dir , globals.app_name+".db" )
+    if not os.path.isfile( db_fname ) :
+        raise RuntimeError( "Can't find database: {}".format( db_fname ) )
 
     # load our settings
     globals.app_settings = QSettings( settings_fname , QSettings.IniFormat )
     fname = os.path.join( os.path.split(settings_fname)[0] , "debug.ini" )
     globals.debug_settings = QSettings( fname , QSettings.IniFormat )
 
+    # open the database
+    db.open_database( db_fname )
+    globals.cards = db.load_cards()
+
     # do main processing
     app = QApplication( sys.argv )
     import main_window
diff --git a/main_window.py b/main_window.py
index fd94b03..227fae1 100755
--- a/main_window.py
+++ b/main_window.py
@@ -2,15 +2,42 @@ import sys
 import os
 
 from PyQt5.QtCore import Qt , QPoint , QSize
-from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QMainWindow
+from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QMainWindow , QVBoxLayout , QHBoxLayout , QWidget , QTabWidget , QLabel
 from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QMessageBox
-from PyQt5.QtGui import QIcon
+from PyQt5.QtGui import QPainter , QPixmap , QIcon , QBrush
 
+import asl_cards.db as db
 from constants import *
 import globals
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+class AslCardWidget( QWidget ) :
+
+    def __init__( self , card ) :
+        # initialize
+        super().__init__()
+        self.card = card
+        self.pixmap = QPixmap()
+        self.pixmap.loadFromData( card.card_image.image_data )
+
+    def paintEvent( self , evt ) :
+        qp = QPainter()
+        qp.begin( self )
+        qp_size = evt.rect().size()
+        # draw the AslCard image
+        qp.setRenderHint( QPainter.Antialiasing )
+        pixmap_size = self.pixmap.size()
+        pixmap_size.scale( qp_size , Qt.KeepAspectRatio )
+        pixmap = self.pixmap.scaled( pixmap_size , Qt.KeepAspectRatio , Qt.SmoothTransformation )
+        qp.drawPixmap(
+            (qp_size.width()-pixmap_size.width())/2 , (qp_size.height()-pixmap_size.height())/2 ,
+            pixmap
+        )
+        qp.end()
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+
 class MainWindow( QMainWindow ) :
 
     def __init__( self ) :
@@ -21,6 +48,18 @@ class MainWindow( QMainWindow ) :
         # load the window settings
         self.resize( globals.app_settings.value( MAINWINDOW_SIZE , QSize(500,300) ) )
         self.move( globals.app_settings.value( MAINWINDOW_POSITION , QPoint(200,200) ) )
+        # initialize the window controls
+        self.tab_widget = QTabWidget( self )
+        self.tab_widget.setTabsClosable( True )
+        self.tab_widgets = []
+
+        for i in range(0,3) : # FIXME!
+            card = globals.cards["Chinese"]["ordnance"][ i ]
+            w = AslCardWidget( card )
+            self.tab_widget.addTab( w , card.name )
+            self.tab_widgets.append( w )
+
+        self.setCentralWidget( self.tab_widget )
 
     def closeEvent( self , evt ) :
         """Handle window close."""