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- "This storied clan of vampire hunters has engaged in mortal combat against Dracula countless times in the past. However, one day the Belmonts simply vanished. In their absence, a number of clans have risen in their place to continue the fight against evil."
- — Official description in Order of Ecclesia
The Belmont Clan (ベルモンド一族 Berumondo Ichizoku?) is, by far, the most important and prominent clan in the Castlevania series. However, despite their role in history, they are not the only main protagonists seen throughout the franchise, but typically play an integral role in most games' storylines.
Since the eleventh century, the Belmonts are entrusted with the duty of slaying Count Dracula and various other creatures of the night. For this purpose they use as their main weapon the sacred whip known as the Vampire Killer, which has the power to destroy any entity of darkness, and also has the power to destroy the count. They also use other weapons to accomplish this, which coupled alongside their skill and power made them formidable enemies of the creatures of darkness.
Castlevania saga
The Belmont Clan was not formed with the purpose of destroying creatures of the night until after Castlevania: Lament of Innocence, when Leon Belmont vowed to kill the night. It was in the same time period that the Vampire Killer —the Belmonts' primary weapon— was created. Afterward, the Belmonts' sole duty became protecting Transylvania from darkness.[1]
Sometime between the events of Lament of Innocence and Dracula's Curse, the Belmonts showed great power and this led to the people of Transylvania fearing them. Due to this, they were banished and lived away from civilization for a long time, until 1476 when Count Dracula waged war upon humanity. At this time, no other person, man or woman, was able to stand up against Dracula's forces.[2] The Church was left with no choice but to find a Belmont, which proved to be a difficult task as they could not find one anywhere in Transylvania. Their search gave results, however, when they found a youth who went by the name of Trevor Belmont. Trevor defeated Dracula, and after this display of heroism, the Belmonts were hailed as heroes and allowed to live among people once more.[3]
Until the 19th century, the Belmonts steadily defeated Dracula during his resurrections. However, sometime after the events of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, the Belmonts vanished and did not appear again until 1999, when Julius Belmont came and defeated Dracula once and for all. Until that point, the Morris Clan took hold of the Vampire Killer, as the Belmonts were not allowed to touch it until that time.[4] However, the inhabitants of Wygol Village were descendants of the Belmont Clan, which resulted in the rogue Ecclesia member, Albus, abducting them in the hopes of finding a way to bypass the deadly aspects of his stolen Dominus glyphs and use them in order to ensure his adopted sister Shanoa didn't end up being killed from using them herself.
Dark Night Prelude saga
The progenitor of the Belmont Clan's vampire slaying ways in this universe was Sonia Belmont. Sonia was born in a remote mountain village located in Transylvania. One night, when Sonia was 17 years old, she encountered a young man named Alucard. The two formed a bond together.[5]
However, tragedy suddenly stroke — the mansion where Sonia was raised was attacked by grotesque monsters serving Count Dracula. This Demon King had been invading European countries one by one with his army of monsters. He did this out of revenge for the death of his wife at the hands of humanity. Sonia found her grandfather, mortally wounded. Her grandfather told her that it was time for her power to be unleashed. Sonia took her grandfather's whip as a memento in her hand, setting out to Dracula's Castle.[5]
Sonia traveled across the Transylvanian countryside to Dracula's Castle, destroyed Dracula's minions, and eventually defeated the Count himself. She vowed that her descendants would be there to put an end to him again, if he were to return one day.[6]
After having had crossed paths with Sonia, Alucard decided to seal himself away before she would press on to face his father, unable to deal with seeing his father dying as well. However, Sonia gave birth to a child soon after. He would continue both Alucard's legacy and that of the Belmont Clan.[7][6][8]
Power and means of combat
It is unknown what power the Belmonts possess or if they even possess any supernatural powers, aside from the magical powers some of Trevor's descendants have due to his marriage with Sypha Belnades.[9] This magical power is perhaps most prominent in Juste Belmont, as he uses spell books to empower his sub-weapons.[10] Julius also mentions that he has magical power.[11] Whether this is the same kind as the one Juste wields or not is unknown. However, when Leon Belmont, the eldest known link in the Belmont's lineage of Vampire Hunters, first meets Joachim Armster, he's able to perceive the presence of vampirism in him.[12] This could hint to a natural predisposition throughout his family's bloodline to detect and confront vampires, or the forces of darkness in general. Also, during the events of Curse of Darkness, it's stated that only the blood of a Belmont has the power to open a portal to another dimension beneath Dracula's Castle, and indeed it was obtaining a sample of Trevor's blood, Isaac's true intention for fighting him. A similar event takes place in Dawn of Sorrow, where it's only with the power of a Belmont, in this case Julius, that an energy barrier can be dispelled, granting access to the Mine of Judgment, the lair where Death dwells.
Some have mentioned this power of Belmonts. For example, Simon Belmont says "That is the power of a Belmont!" in Castlevania Judgment after completing his super finisher. Soma Cruz also states, after defeating Julius, that "You took it easy on me. I could tell. The strength of a Belmont... No... the strength of a vampire hunter is greater than this.", which may imply that vampire hunters in general have a certain strength. Furthermore, the Belmonts were exiled because their powers were seen as fearsome by the people of Transylvania. However, it has not been confirmed if the Belmonts have a special power (aside from the magical power of Sypha) or not.
The Belmonts' primary weapon is the Vampire Killer, an extremely powerful holy whip that is especially effective against evil and unholy creatures, such as vampires. [13] Its full power can only be used without any consequences by a full-blooded member of the Belmont Clan. The Belmonts have also used sub-weapons as their other means to attack and they are generally very skilled in combat, whether it be with the Vampire Killer or sub-weapons. Thus far, the Belmont clan has been the most powerful one in Castlevania due to all this.
Belmont Clan members
Castlevania saga
Leon Belmont
Leon Belmont is the founder of the clan's tradition of vampire hunting and also the first known wielder of the Vampire Killer in its complete form, although he didn't defeat Dracula, as Dracula (known as Mathias Cronqvist then) got away before Leon can do anything to stop him. He was a knight once, but left his knighthood to pursue his betrothed's kidnappers, which led to the events of the game. After his efforts, the Belmonts' duty became protecting the people from darkness.
Trevor C. Belmont
Trevor is the first Belmont to have defeated Dracula and as such, has gained legendary status. Dracula had attacked Transylvania with his legions and no man could stand against him, which forced the church to find a member of the Belmont clan. This led them to find Trevor, whom defeated hordes of Dracula's legions, found valuable allies on his way, and ultimately defeated Dracula himself.
Christopher Belmont
A hundred years after, Dracula would re-emerge, more powerful than ever, and haunt Transylvania again. However, Christopher Belmont stood ready to face the Count and defeated him in combat. Dracula feigned defeat, however, and waited 15 years to spot an opening, which he did when Christopher's son, Soleil Belmont was born. He possessed Soleil after the boy turned 15 and forced Christopher to tread through five castles, face Soleil in combat and defeat Dracula again. Christopher saved Soleil and came out victorious.
Soleil Belmont
Christopher's son and used as Dracula's vessel. He was freed from his influence when he was defeated in battle by his father. He inherited the whip and title of Vampire Hunter afterward.
Simon Belmont
Simon is possibly the most famous member of the clan. Even though it was rumored that Dracula becomes stronger with each resurrection, Simon still went into the castle alone and fought his way through, eventually defeating the Count. He was badly wounded from the battle, however, and Dracula had cast a curse on Simon before his death. This curse did not allow the wound to be healed, and it was slowly killing him. It was not until 1698 that Simon, through a ghastly revelation, discovered the way to cure this curse, which involved gathering Dracula's remains and burning them. However, after gathering them, a sixth body piece previously unknown to Simon caused the Count to revive. He defeated him and burned his remains, being freed from the curse, and was ultimately victorious, saving Transylvania once more.
Juste Belmont
The castle had appeared suddenly, with no prior attack or ceremony. Juste had to explore the castle and discover its secrets and finally found out that it was through Maxim's other personality that the castle had resurfaced, albeit without its true master. Juste finally fought to save Maxim and, in the end, battled a wraith born out of Maxim's feelings that took over the appearance of Dracula. He saved the world and his friends from Dracula's corruption.
Richter Belmont
Richter's town was attacked by dark legions and as soon as he found out, he rode toward the town on his carriage. Unfortunately, he was late as Dracula kidnapped his fiancée, Annette and three other maidens from the village. Richter made his way through many formidable creatures and obstacles. He saved all four maidens and defeated Dracula, saving the world from darkness once more. Richter has also got the reputation of being the most powerful vampire hunter at the time.
Julius Belmont
Julius appeared sometime in the 20th century, the first full-blooded Belmont heir since Richter, and took up the whip. He, along with some comrades, defeated Dracula once and for all in the year 1999, sealing his castle inside a solar eclipse that took place. Julius Belmont was the strongest vampire hunter of his time, as confirmed on Aria of Sorrow.
Members from the Belmont clan who appear in works set in alternative timelines that spun off from the official timeline.
Sid Belmont
Trevor's descendant and possible grandson or great-grandson based on information from the book. Together with the descendants of the other allies that helped his forefather Trevor, he manages to subdue Dracula once again.
Desmond Belmont
A member of the Belmont active during the 17th century. His parents were killed by one of Dracula's followers. Together with his sisters Zoe and Dolores, he infiltrates the mansion of a cult that wishes to revive Dracula. However, they were unable to stop the ritual in time and Desmond is forced to fight the Count. He is victorious and manages to escape the castle, which is still standing for reasons unknown.
Zoe and Dolores Belmont
Desmond's younger sisters who aid him during his trek through the Order's mansion. They are both able to handle the Vampire Killer, but are not old enough to wield it yet.
Simon Belmont
A famous actor from the 1950's who is named after his famous forefather Simon. While shooting a movie based on his ancestor's exploits in Dracula's Castle, he accidentally breaks the seal that kept the Count locked away. Using the heirlooms of Simon, his armor and whip, he manages to put an end to the vampire.
Dark Night Prelude Saga
Sonia Belmont
Sonia Belmont was born in a remote mountain village located in Transylvania. One night, when Sonia was 17 years old, she encountered a young man named Alucard who was searching his father that he never met. The two formed a bond together. However, the tragedy suddenly stroke — the mansion where Sonia was raised was attacked by grotesque monsters serving Count Dracula and her grandfather became mortally wounded. Sonia took her grandfather's whip as a memento in her hand, setting out to Dracula's Castle. She managed to defeat him and gave birth to a son, fathered by Alucard, soon after.
Sonia's child
Sonia and Alucard's son in this timeline. He grew up to be a hero and eventually confronted Dracula as well.
Blood of the Demon - Nightmare of Blood Saga
The novel Castlevania: Blood of the Demon - Nightmare of Blood takes place in its own universe. In this world, the Belmonts are not related by blood. Each generation, a "guardian" is born that is destined to take the name of Belmont.
Sybil Belmont
Sybil Belmont is Lias's predecessor guardian. She appears in this novel.
Lias Belmont
Lias Belmont is Ray's predecessor guardian.
Ray Belmont
Ray Belmont is Simon's predecessor guardian. Also appears in this novel. His real surname is Andrews.
Simon Belmont
A different incarnation of Simon. He became Kresnik after dying and managed to defeat Dracula and was worshiped as a god afterward. His real surname is Werner.
References in other media
- In the PC game Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines there is a security unit at the end of the test chambers of the Fu Syndicate named the "Belmont Squad".
- In the PS2 and Xbox game Van Helsing, one of the libraries Gabriel Van Helsing walks through contains a book about "an ancient clan of vampire hunters called the Belmonts".
- In the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis game Zombies Ate My Neighbors, the vampire enemy's name is "Vlad Belmont". Makes sense, since the game was also published by Konami.
- The manga series Zatch Bell!, called in Japan Golden Gash!! (金色のガッシュ!! Konjiki no Gasshu!!?) featured a character named Sherry Belmont (シェリー・ベルモンド Sherī Berumondo?). She assists her partner Brago (who has has a slight resemblance to a vampire), and her main-weapon is a flail.
- In the Rosario + Vampire II manga series, the main character, Tsukune Aono, learns to control his vampire powers through the use of a magical whip that dispels demon power, called "Belmont". This is clearly a reference to the Vampire Killer and the Belmont Clan.
- Otomedius Excellent features a Belmont character playable in this game, her name is Kokoro Belmont, and she's the actual guardian of the clan (2011).
See also
- ↑ Castlevania 20th Anniversary Pre-order Bundle. Konami. 2006. Timeline. 1094: Castlevania Lament of Innocence.
- ↑ Akumajō Densetsu instruction manual. Konami. 1989. p.3, 4, 5, 6. RC-845.
- ↑ Akumajō Densetsu ending.
- ↑ Castlevania 20th Anniversary Pre-order Bundle. Konami. 2006. Timeline. 1797: Castlevania Symphony of the Night.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Akumajō Dracula: Dark Night Prelude instruction booklet. Konami. 1997. p. 3 and 4. RK138-J1.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Castlevania Legends ending.
- ↑ Alucard: Do not trouble yourself about it, Sonia. Now, I must sleep. I fear we shall not meet again. Farewell, my beloved, my beautiful vampire hunter.
- ↑ Famitsu 64+. Timeline. May issue. 1999.
- ↑ Castlevania (Lament of Innocence) Guide. History of Castlevania. Family Tree. Konami & NTT PUB. 2003.
- ↑ Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance instruction manual. Konami. 2002. AGB-ACHE-USA.
- ↑ J: I fear you are correct. Especially since I have magical powers.
- ↑ Leon to Joachim: This feeling... Are you a vampire?!
- ↑ Rinaldo: Now, that whip has become the bane of the children of the night.


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Items where Person is "Claridge, John B."
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Tenailleau, Christophe and Allix, Mathieu and Claridge, John B. and Hervieu, Maryvonne and Thomas, Michael F. and Hirst, James P. and Rosseinsky, Matthew J.. Modular construction of oxide structures-compositional control of transition metal coordination environments. (2008) Journal of American Chemical Society, 130 (24). 7570-7583. ISSN 0002-7863

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I enjoyed listening to this on boxing day.
It was a retelling of the weird old story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. As legends go, it is one of the strangest- you can feel in it the depths of some kind of tragedy that was the origin of the myth.
The story originates sometime in the 1300's in Lower Saxony, Germany. This from the Wikipedia entry-
The earliest mention of the story seems to have been on a stained glass window placed in the Church of Hamelin c. 1300. The window was described in several accounts between the 14th century and the 17th century. It was destroyed in 1660. Based on the surviving descriptions, a modern reconstruction of the window has been created by Hans Dobbertin (historian). It features the colorful figure of the Pied Piper and several figures of children dressed in white.
This window is generally considered to have been created in memory of a tragic historical event for the town. Also, Hamelin town records start with this event. The earliest written record is from the town chronicles in an entry from 1384 which states:
It is 100 years since our children left.
What dreadful events were being described no-one knows. A mass drowning in a river? Plague? Mass emigration to avoid famine? Lured away be a pagan sect into the dark forest?
Whatever the origin, at some point, the legend began to be told in the form we receive today- a magical figure on which we can project all sorts of fears- the Pied Piper who leads children on some terrible dance of death. All except one, who lives a life of regret that he could not have disappeared with his friends to the whatever land they travelled to.
Anyway- as I listened to this, it appeared to me to carry a current resonance, and I started to write.
Here is the first part of my re-telling of the legend of the Pied Piper. A bit of fun for the new year…
The was a time when the city prospered.
Ships flooded the dockyards with spice and sandalwood from the far reach of the arm of Empire.
Old men were cushioned by safe investments and young men were well oiled cogs in an industrial machine whose engines never stopped. After lives spent accumulating, some sought to leave a legacy in stone- museums, galleries and monuments to their own magnificence.
And on the fat of it all we feasted. Even as others far away slaved in chains and died young in the service of our comfort.
We had so much that what we had started to mean nothing. We filled our dustbins and our landfill sites with food we could not eat and clothes of last years colour. Meanwhile we wanted more more more. More gadgets. More cars. Bigger houses. Faster food.
Soon not even the rubbish dumps could contain all that we threw away.
Then there came a time when it all started to go wrong.
Everywhere, rats.
They were in the warehouses, in the store rooms and scurrying under the tables of all the restaurants.
They were under the floorboards and in the kitchen cupboards. They stripped bare the sofas then started on the insulated cables.
In the attempt to get rid of all these rats, no effort was spared. Men in clean overalls poisoned, trapped, shot and burned them in their thousands. But it seemed to make no difference- if anything their numbers increased.
In desperation, the mayor of the city offered a prize. "Let it be known across the world" he said "that anyone who can rid us of this vermin that has invaded our city will be handsomely rewarded. They shall receive a prize of £10 million pounds."
So from all over the country they came. Then from all over the world.
Scientists with genetic theories and chemical potions and tiny cameras on the end of flexible rods.
Commercial pest control companies with an army of men and women prepared to go further than ever before- into the slimiest sewer and the darkest cellar. They dug and shot and stabbed and burned in every corner of the city.
Religious nuts who cried to us all to 'Repent' so that God would have mercy on the sinners of the City and take back the plague from the unrighteous. So that he would let his people go.
Mad inventors employed light beams and sound waves and all sorts of machines that whirred and clicked and rattled.
All failed to make any appreciable difference on the number of rats. At night, the noise they made kept us all awake- the scurrying and the scratching. The passage of a million claws in and round and over.
As their numbers grew they were bolder in their hunger. They no longer stayed hidden in the dark places- they were in the corners of rooms, watching, waiting for an opportunity to pounce.
There were stories of faces bitten whist people lay abed, and children running screaming for protection.
Everything was affected- schools closed, hospitals were under siege. Factories were clogged with fur and the flesh of the rats and places of business were eaten full of holes. The dockyard cranes rusted on their rails from under use- no captain wanted to take on this kind of cargo.
The stories spread like wildfire- they were twittered and blogged and gossiped in the bars and pubs. Anger grew- something must be done. The fat cats in the town hall did not have to live like this- they had protection. Rather than spending money on fancy cars and big salaries- they ought to be looking after the citizens.
Some fed these stories into megaphones of their own particular cause and began to stir up violence. Windows in the town hall were smashed and slogans written on walls.
The rioting began.
The response from the authorities was predictable- first police in riot gear, later the army. Finally, when the numbers on the streets seemed almost as numerous as the rats, the tanks were called in to stem this new vermin from smashing and looting and burning.
It was all falling apart.
Eaten from within.
To be continued…


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1 oz 2014 Sic Semper Tyrannis Copper Round
"Sic Semper Tyrannis", one of the most infamous phrases in US history, was shouted by John Wilkes Booth as he assassinated Abraham Lincoln. This phrase (Latin for "thus always to tyrants") encircles the obverse of this round, only this time it celebrates the overthrow of the Debt and Death paradigm. This was the first round in the series to combine the idea of two rounds together. Here, Freedom Girl stands triumphant over Debt and Death. She holds a spear and a buckler shield emblazoned with the trivium, both of which she used to slay Debt and Death with his five arrows from the Rothschild's family crest and the chains he used to enslave mankind. The slain foe lies on a pile of US currency, one of his greatest tools in enslaving humanity.
In multiples of 20 these rounds will be shipped in a tube.
|United States
|Silver Shield
|Brilliant uncirculated
|Freedom Girl with a spear and Trivium buckler standing over a skeletonized bankster, lying on a pile of U.S. dollars which along with the chains in his hand is used to enslave mankind.
|The revised Silver Shield logo with the trivium in the centre encircled by the words "Silver Shield 1 AVDP ounce 2015 .999 Pure Cu" surrounded by 47 bullets


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Remember Grandma & Grandpa with Flowers on National Grandparents Day 9/7/14
Remember Grandma & Grandpa with Flowers on National Grandparents Day 9/7/14
National Grandparents Day will soon be here, brunch times will be booked solid, and kids will be cheering for a chance to spend some quality time with their older relatives. Parents, to help your children show how much they are truly thankful for their grandparents, help them send flowers for the September holiday.
You always want to send your grandparents a gift that is thoughtful or somehow reminds one of the gift giver. Have your children think about what characteristics describe themselves best, such as their favorite color, personality traits or favorite activities. All of these can be found in plants. Each bouquet and plant has different traits that can mirror a personality. So send a bouquet that will remind the grandparents of their grandchildren each time they water it.
Identifying the flower personality
Parents, if your child happens to be bright, cheery and full of beaming happiness, choose a bouquet that incorporates sunflowers. A great option is the Teleflora Grand Sunshine Bouquet. This arrangement is full of color that just calls for attention. This stunning bouquet is sure to make grandparents sit up and think of their affectionate little grandchild.
Shop for a Grandparents Day bouquet!
Teleflora's Grand Sunshine Bouquet $49.95
If your child happens to exude peace, harmony and walks with a graceful flow in each step, consider sending the Teleflora Zen Artistry bouquet. This bouquet is not only relaxing to look at, but it requires little maintenance. This gift should be from a grandchild who wants fully to take their grandparent's happiness into his or her flower choice. Best of all, grandma is sure to adore the beautiful orchids.
For the grandchild who inherited a love of cars and trucks from his classic auto collecting grandfather, send Teleflora's '48 Ford Pickup bouquet. This little blue truck looks a near replica, and it is cool enough to please any grandpa. Not only do the flowers look beautiful in the trunk, but the truck can be reused for a multitude of things after the bouquet has gone.
The little girls who prefer to wear matching outfits of red patent shoes, red jumpers and red bow clips are sure to love the Teleflora Lovely Ladybug bouquet. Your daughter will want to send this bouquet to her grandparent to show how cleverly she coordinated her flowers with the vase. For a personal touch, have your little girl write a small poem about ladybugs to send in the card.
Be sure that all of the children weigh in on what the card has to say. This day is all about the grandkids' love for their grandparents, so let their voices be heard.
This article is brought to you by Michelle Farrell and
published by Teleflora.


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I've mentioned that I use alpine almost exclusively as a means of communicating around the world; mutt might be the darling of the Linux geek world, but alpine is what I prefer. It does, on the other hand, have a few annoying aspects.
The biggest one is a little difficult to explain, partly because I'm not sure why it does this. I have three or four e-mail accounts, all with GMail (yes, I know, it's not wise), and I tend to bounce between them, depending on the situation. The "problem" occurs in that (I think) GMail allows a connection to drop when a different account is opened.
That is not a big deal; I expect as much, but alpine seems to be a little unhappy with that. Rather than just allowing an e-mail account to close, alpine gets paranoid and has a minute-long panic attack as it tries to continue to communicate with that particular account.
And so there is a 60-second hang while alpine counts out the seconds allotted to a timeout, then gives me an opportunity to break the connection. If I don't see the offer in the five seconds it appears on the screen, I have to wait another 22 seconds for the next one to appear. And so on, and so on, until the final timeout and alpine just gives up.
None of that would really be a problem, except with three accounts open, you need to triple the amount of time it takes to acknowledge the account is closed, and regain control of alpine. So at the minimum, three minutes, at the maximum … well, however long it takes you to notice the prompt and instruct alpine to close the account.
I was willing to live with this because screen shows a visual prompt when a warning bell sounds in alpine, and if I am alert, I can jump to the other screen and kick alpine, before going back to whatever I was doing.
So, if all that explanation makes sense, the good news is that I found the "hidden" settings that cut that delay down to a matter of seconds, instead of upwards of three minutes. According to this page, setting the TCP Read Warning Timeout and the TCP Query Timeout to their minimum values cuts that lag to a smidgin.
Which I can vouch for. Now, instead of waiting a full minute for a prompt that allows me to regain control of alpine, I only have to wait 5 seconds. If I miss it, there's another one in another 5 seconds. No longer do I have to tap my nails on the tabletop, waiting to continue typing an e-mail.
It's possible that I've only found a workaround, or that there is a better and correct way to solve this problem. As it is though, this turns a rather annoying mode of behavior into a very slim blip on the irritation scale. I'm satisfied with that.


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In the Meta Learning section of The 4-Hour Chef by Tim Ferriss, he shows a graph which he calls the bipolar learning graph. Below is a quick replica of it.
This graph charts out the ups downs of each new thing that someone learns, allowing a person to anticipate how they are going to feel as they learn a new thing. Tim Ferriss uses it in his book to illustrate learning a new language, but the principles can be applied to practically anything.
Whenever someone first begins learning a new subject or skill, there will be a period of accelerated learning that brings a very satisfied feeling of learning in a very short amount of time. This part of the learning is related to the concept discussed in my previous post about the 80/20 rule, in which 80% of the material can be learned in 20% of the time, which explains why so much is learned so quickly in the beginning, making the learner feel very confident.
Shortly after learning the basics of a new language, skill, or subject, comes a point where a person begins to realize how difficult a new skill actually is, and has run out of the "beginner" material that is simple concepts and memorization. Additionally, at this point, the person realizes that they are no longer learning as quickly as they were before, dropping their confidence and morale a little bit. Regarding languages, this is the point where the person begins creating their own sentences and thoughts in the new language instead of using simple canned responses.
At some point later, the person's learning confidence hits rock bottom, and the brain begins neurally adapting whatever it is they are learning, pulling it deeper than simple surface level memorization, working to allow the brain to do less thinking to accomplish the same tasks. It may be muscle memory or habit formation.
The graph then plateaus out to a place where the person is still using effort to learn, but it feels like they are not learning as quickly as they did in the beginning.
Then eventually, the person reaches the inflection point, which is casually referred to as the "click", and the learning becomes easy and accelerates the person to fluency, or proficiency.
Using this bipolar learning graph, it is easy to predict various levels of confidence as a person learns a new subject, making it easier to prepare for what's ahead and not get stuck or give up at a low point.


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Reports suggest the Samsung Galaxy S3 will come sporting a Super AMOLED HD plus display when it finally launches in the second or third quarter of 2012.
Digitimes spoke to sources in Samsung's supply chain, who revealed the Galaxy S3 is likely to ship with a 4.6-inch screen, boasting a pixel density of 319ppi – quality which will rival the retina display on the iPhone 4S.
AMOLED displays provide better power consumption, reaction time, weight and thickness compared to LCD displays, which has lead to predictions that a high number of handsets will use this technology in 2012.
Still no word on a release date
Samsung is the number one producer of AMOLED displays and is looking to introduce into a number of its new models.
The Samsung Galaxy S3 is shaping up to be a stand-out mobile phone, with rumours suggesting it will sport a quad-core processor, large HD screen, 4G, NFC and beefed up camera.
We're yet to hear when the Galaxy S3 will be launched, although Samsung has said it will arrive in the first half of the year.
From Digitimes


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Sheepskin Rug Shorn Taupe
Stunning short (shorn) fleece and a beautiful soft taupe colour.
The soft and fluffy wool of this Sheepskin Rug will instantly transform the space you intend to display it. Soft and sumptuous under foot they make the perfect addition to your bedroom floor. You can also use them as seat covers, on sofas, mattress covers, tent floor lining when camping, the uses are endless.
Wherever you decide to place them in your home or workplace you will be adding style sophistication and individuality, not only that you will add warmth, character and charm that will have your friends and neighbours green with envy.
Ethically sourced and Eco friendly, we believe that you will be hard pressed to find a product that will match the beauty and quality of our Sheepskin Rugs.
NOTE: Our sheepskins are so unique we photograph each one individually. This ensures you receive the exact product you are viewing.
Shipping & Returns Policy
All our products are shipped by a tracked courier service (currently DPD)
The shipping rates are calculated at checkout by shipping destination:
Returns Policy
Under the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000 you have a right to cancel your purchase. However, to exercise this right you must notify us in writing, (email or letter) within 14 working days from the day after you receive your goods. Any coloured Sheepskin Rugs larger than Single are deemed to be Made to Order and excluded from our No Quibble 14 Days Return's Policy unless faulty, this does not effect your statutory rights.
The cost of returning these goods is at your expense and we would always recommend the use of a tracked postage service such as Royal Mail's Signed For service.
No right of cancellation, refund or return exists under the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000 once you have used your product, unless the product is defective and you are returning it for this reason.
Under the Sale of Goods Act 1979, you may be entitled to a refund, replacement, repair and/or compensation where goods are faulty or not as described. If you believe any of these to be the case please email, telephone or write to us as soon as possible.


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"In the end the Party would announce that two and two made five, and you would have to believe it"
"this prospect frightens me more than bombs"- George Orwell essay.
New articles (no "posters" yet):
New analysis shows within 25 years the interest on the debt may be more than revenue. Forecasts are usually too optimistic.
Social Security forecasts are very unrealistic, we don't have good estimates for what it will cost.
Government overestimates future economic growth. US GDP growth is unlikely to be exponential.
Usually the faster government spending grows, the slower the private economy grows (and vice versa)
Federal reports show government hides spending&debt (e.g. $6.5 trillion in pension liabilities not in national debt).
Current Highlights, click the images (sized for Facebook) for articles:
Perhaps you and your friends already understand these topics.. but they *need* to be passed on to reach friends of friends who don't. Information the major media ignores *can only* be spread virally. Politics can't remain a taboo topic if government is ever going to change. Spread the word every way you can and encourage others to share the info: email (still the most viral medium), post an image on Facebook with the article link and your comment, on fan pages, directly on your friend's Facebook pages, tweet, put them in your own albums on picture sharing sites for others to discover, print them out, etc. Use the information to write letters to legislators, newspapers, pass the ideas to columnists, talk radio shows, etc. If you never add your voice to the discussion, you can't complain after the next election. Advertising is repeated partly because people may be too busy to notice it the first time (and facebook no longer even shows you everything your friends post) so repost different posters.
More topics coming soon, e.g. income inequality, taxes, and offshoring. There are many topics the public never understood well enough but needs to learn about even if they aren't current events, e.g. the financial crisis, stimulus, and Citizens United. Please stay tuned for essays on those as well as more current topics, and for word of t-shirts coming soon :-).
Please spread the word about this new site:
Coming Soon:
Alternate posters for those coming soon topics:
Please hold off on passing those around, they may be updated,and its better to focus on articles that have been posted already.


text: Islamorada Restaurants Seafood ShareRedditTweetPin0 SharesVideos Find Islamorada restaurants, bars and dining options here … Article By : Brandy I like food in Florida. I enjoy finding places to eat in South Florida that are inexpensive, interesting, and most of all super tasty! After playing in the sun and the ocean all day there's nothing better than enjoying some of Florida's food. Latin America, Cuba, Southeastern US, Catfish, Fried Chicken and Carribean food are some of my favorites.


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As you've come to expect, this is another quick & easy dinner. The scents of the dressing are heavenly and the flavors come together perfectly. There just isn't much more that needs to be said about this gorgeous and delish-dish from Ambitious Kitchen (say that three times fast!) except that it makes a lot (serves the five of us {with seconds} plus a couple small lunches the next day).
- ¾ cup uncooked quinoa
- 2 cups shredded red cabbage
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- ½ red onion, diced
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- ½ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1 cup chickpeas
- ¼ cup green onions, diced
- ½ cup cashew halves or peanuts (honey-roasted is good)
- Fresh lime, for a bit of tang
- ¼ cup all natural peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce, gluten-free if desired
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Water to thin, if necessary
- Rinse quinoa with cold water in mesh strainer. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 ½ cups of water to a boil. Add in quinoa and bring mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes or until quinoa has absorbed all of the water. Remove from heat and fluff quinoa with fork; place in large bowl and set aside to cool for about 10 minutes. You should have a little over 2 cups of quinoa.
- To make dressing: Add peanut butter and honey to a medium microwave safe bowl; heat in microwave for 20 seconds. Add in ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame and olive oil then stir until mixture is smooth and creamy. If you want a thinner dressing, simply stir in a teaspoon or two of water or olive oil.
- Add the dressing to the quinoa.
- Fold in cabbage, red pepper, onion, carrots, cilantro & chickpeas into the quinoa. Garnish with cashews or peanuts & green onions. Serve chilled or at room temperature with lime wedges if desired.


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Freedom of Information request reveals demolition uncertainty in Area C
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (UN OCHA) has discovered through a freedom of information request via the Israeli authorities that more than 11,000 demolition orders are currently "outstanding" in Area C of the Palestinian West Bank.
The orders, including homes, affect an estimated 17,000 Palestinian owned structures in Area C, the 60 percent of the occupied West Bank currently under full Israeli civilian and military control.
UN OCHA obtained the figures from Israeli Civil Administration (COGAT) through an Israeli NGO. The data sets, which include all demolition orders dating from 1988, include both Palestinian owned structures and Israeli owned structures which are part of the Israeli settlement infrastructure deemed in contravention to international law by the international community and the United Nations.
Out of the more than 14,000 demolition orders against Palestinian structures in Area C which came into effect between 1988 and 2014, close to 11,000 remain 'on hold' due to legal issues or having been designated 'in process,' the meaning of which is unclear.
This 'outstanding' status has left thousands of Palestinians unable to predict the future of their homes and villages. Area C is home to approximately 330,000 Israeli settlers and 300,000 Palestinians. The area is under full Israeli civilian and military control, with COGAT holding full regulatory authority over planning, and by extension, demolitions.
COGAT's justification for issuing demolition orders generally relates to the fact that few Palestinian structures are built in Area C with Israeli permission.
Israeli authorities maintain that demolition orders are a "legitimate measure of law enforcement", citing the Jordanian legislation in force in the West Bank and Article 43 of the Hague Convention Respecting the Laws an Customs of War on Land of 1907 which requiring an occupying power to ensure 'public order and safety'
However, according to the UN OCHA report, through a lack of adequate planning and discriminatory allocation of public land, "it is nearly impossible for Palestinians to obtain building permits in most of Area C."
COGAT is also responsible in Area C for the planning of Israeli settlements and thus the demolition of unauthorised settlement constructions.
The UN OCHA report shows a vast imbalance in the rates of both development and demolitions of Israeli and Palestinian constructions. Less than 1% of Area C is planned for Palestinians compared to the 8.5% approved for Israeli settlements.
Considering the size of both populations, UN OCHA notes that within Area C, the planned area per Israeli settler is 13 times the size of that allowed per Palestinian. Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank is considered a major obstacle to reaching a lasting peace agreement between Palestinian and Israeli negotiators.
Comprising 60 percent of the West Bank, Area C contains the vast share of land available for Palestinian development and agriculture. As both the largest and only undivided area of the West Bank, UN OCHA notes that any sizeable constructions such as electricity networks and roads must run through Area C, and thus require a planning permit from the COGAT.
A recent World Bank report has predicted that allowing development in Area C could add up to 35% to Palestinian GDP. For these reasons, the unbalanced and unstable planning situation in Area C has far reaching consequences, beyond the residents of the area itself.
Back to Top


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We'll get to the Rays win in the morning as usual, but this couldn't wait…
Several members of the Tampa Bay Rays wore stirrups today. This is not the first time, as several Rays have worn stirrups with the powder blue alts this season. But today they took it a step further.
Behold perfection, in all its striped glory!
That is Sean Rodriguez. He was just one of at least eight players and coaches that donned the stirrups. And they may have even helped the Rays end their three-game losing streak.
Players wearing stirrups: 9-18 with a home run (and an ejection)
Players wearing pajama pants: 3-16 with 6 strikeouts
To the person that designed these beauties, we raise our glass and toast you this evening. And please, please, please make these part of the regular uniforms.
Below are images of several other Rays that dared to be athletically aesthetic, including BJ Upton, David Price, Kelly Shoppach, Evan Longoria, Dioner Navarro, Ben Zobrist and Joe Maddon. Yes, Joe Maddon.
[nggallery id=1]


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Wishlist for Neveah [CHRISTMAS FOR KIDS]
Neveah, 4, is an outgoing pre-schooler who is all girl! For Christmas this year, Neveah has requested a toy vacuum cleaner and some baby dolls.
Christmastime is supposed to be "the most wonderful time of the year," but for those Buffalo children with no permanent family, there is no Christmas cheer. As part of Christmas For Kids, we're looking for toy donations to go to children at Buffalo Child & Family Services who are in need of foster care and/or adoption.


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Kunsthaus Zurich Restores Antoine Bourdelle Sappho
Since 1957 the Kunsthaus Zurich has been in possession of a cast of the large-scale bronze sculpture 'Sappho' (1887/1925), a major work by the French sculptor Antoine Bourdelle (1861-1929). The work is in urgent need of restoration. The artist and the work are described below, followed by a detailed description of the sculpture's current condition.
Alongside Auguste Rodin and Aristide Maillol, Antoine Bourdelle (1861–1929), originally from the southwest of France, formed the triumvirate of early modern French sculptors. Bourdelle was one of Rodin's assistants and greatly influenced by him. Rodin once said about him: 'How enchanting it is when I have the opportunity to visit his atelier … After the Greeks it is he who brings us the final nuances of beauty'.
Bourdelle found worldwide recognition in his lifetime. His output ranged from intimate, small-scale works to large public commissions in a variety of formats. His main focus was on depicting the animated and powerful human figure down to the smallest details. His works were often devoted to the mythological and the 'artistic', in a narrower sense. The latter applies to the three important bronzes in the Kunsthaus Zurich, which complement each other thematically: 'Apollon (Masque)', from 1900, a representation of the face of Apollo, the Greek god of music and poetry; 'Beethoven', from 1902, a bust of the famous composer; and 'Sappho' from 1887/1925.
This latter work is a monumental representation of the greatest female poet of antiquity, Sappho (late 7th to early 6th century BC). She is shown with a large lyre, crouching on a small rocky elevation. The whole figure is filled with tension; from the raised big toe of the right foot, to the right hand, which is held aloft. Even the folds of her dress seem to exemplify tension. Sappho has her head bowed. Her right hand, raised above her head, mirrors the form of the musical instrument. Perhaps the poet is deep in thought, counting the metre of a poem. Sappho's main subject is love – and her admiration for the goddess of love Aphrodite who brings that love into people's lives: 'Shimmering-throned immortal Aphrodite', she writes, 'Daughter of Zeus, Enchantress / I implore thee / Spare me, O queen, this agony and anguish, Crush not my spirit / Whenever before thou hast hearkened to me …'
Bourdelle worked on his Sappho composition several times. He completed his first version, which was just 28 cm in height, in 1887. In 1924 he finished a 70-cm bronze sculpture, followed by the seven castings of the monumental bronze work that we are presenting here. The cast that belongs to the Kunsthaus was exhibited outdoors for several decades. As a result, its patina has suffered badly and the work is in urgent need of restoration. This has been scheduled for the second half of 2013. After the restoration work and the application of a suitable protective coating, the work could initially be put on display once again within the existing precincts of the Kunsthaus.
The Kunsthaus extension will eventually provide a prominent location for the sculpture in the 'Art Garden', which is a major feature of the project as designed by David Chipperfield Architects. It is hoped that the work will resume its place as a significant example of French sculpture (or sculpture created in France) between 1887 and 1966, for which the Kunsthaus is rightly famous. Alongside Bourdelle, the museum's collection includes major works by Rodin, Maillol, Matisse, Brancusi and Alberto Giacometti. Matisse and Alberto Giacometti were students of Bourdelle at the Académie de la Grande-Chaumière where they studied from 1922 to 1927.
Philippe Büttner, Collections Conservator. www.kunsthaus.ch


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Video: Blake Griffin's massive facial on Ersan Ilyasova
HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Just another day in the office for Blake Griffin, the highlight producing power forward for the Los Angeles Clippers.
Last night Griffin dunked with ferocity on Ersan Ilyasova, and his Clippers cruised to victory over the beaten up Milwaukee Bucks. Watch the video below and get at us with thoughts in the comment box below.
—Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.


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J.W.'s News Update: Thursday February 9, 2012
Two Texarkana men are running for political office in Southwest Arkansas. Democratic State Senator Steve Harrelson has announced his intention to run for re-election.
Meanwhile John Cowart who is a Texarkana , Arkansas Police officer and a military reservist has thrown his hat into the ring in the 4th District U.S. House Seat that is being vacated by Democrat Mike Ross's retirement. Cowart will run in a crowded Republican field in the May Primary in Arkansas.
The Texas Department of Transportation continues to survey the damage to two overpass bridges over Interstate 30 near New Boston in Bowie County. The bridges were damaged by an oversized loaded 18 wheeler on Tuesday Night. The FM 992 bridge may be partially re-opened soon but the one at County Road 2003 sustained heavy damage and is closed indefinitely until repairs can be made.
The Oaklawn Horse RacIing Park in Hot Springs Arkansas is increasing its purse this year thanks to warmer weather that has drawn more people to visit the track and place bets. The racetrack says purses will go up $5,000 per day beginning today. Oaklawn says it will increase purses by $200 dollars for claiming races, $1,000 for maiden special weight and starter allowance races and $1,500 to all allowance races. The racetrack has seen a 42% increase in attendance compared with a year ago and well as a 40% increase in on-track wages. The nice weather has allowed Oaklawn to race 16 days so far this season compared to only 10 days at the same time last year. The track is gearing up for the $250,000 Southwest Stakes on February 20th.


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Is there a way to limit the size (dimensions) of the image a user can upload to their profile? It looks like Wordpress does do some kind of limiting as uploading a 1024x768 image the result gets scaled down to 360x270, but where is that configured, either in the UI (which I haven't found) or through code?
This is the section of the user profile I'm referring to:


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553 members17 Likes
Benjamin Schmitt has not received any gifts yet
Hey Ben,
We are looking for a solid guy player to join our mixed 8.0 dobules team.... would love to hit with you.... can bring you into central park in kirkland as a guest, or whatever works... let me know if you are interested please! thanks, chertl
What can you do here? At Tennisopolis, you can:
- network with your tennis friends. Invite your tennis friends and build your network now.
- meet new players. Here's a primer on how to find partners.
- join a Group. Members have started over 400 Local Groups (and other types of Groups too.) Search for one in your area, or start your own.
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- improve your game. Get tips in the Forum and check out video lessons.
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Thanks to everyone inviting their friends, we now have over 24,000 member. Invite yours too!
If you need any help, let me know.
Friend me!
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When Michael Douglas as Gordon Gecko in the 1980s film, Wall Street, said, "Greed is good" it seemed a rather shocking statement.
Whether we like it or not, greed is probably what makes the world go round, and it has done ever since time began. The first cavemen undoubtedly traded basic goods with each other to survive, and the canniest cavemen probably realised pretty quickly that the more goods they could trade, the more comfortable existence they would then be able to enjoy. That basic blueprint has applied ever since.
Greed – or to put it more gently, ambition – certainly makes the property market go round. It is people's ambition, however humble or grand, that makes them seek new homes for themselves, their families, their jobs, their asset bases, their pets, their toys, their lifestyles or their statuses. It was always this way.
But ambition also controls markets. The ambition of a purchaser, to buy a property or commodity for as little as possible, keeps in check the ambition of the seller to achieve as much money as possible. In this respect ambition controls the situation because it forces realism into the market and provides a platform for deals that are acceptable to all sides - albeit sometimes grudgingly. In a way the friction of conflicting ambitions provides the heat that ultimately forges market value.
The trouble comes when one side is more ambitious than the other – or a little too greedy than is good. Greed tempered by reason is one thing. Blind greed is quite another. An unrealistic offer is as useless as an exorbitant asking price. Both will achieve nothing.
This is a time of greatly conflicting property market reports. Some commentators say that prices are still going down – great for buyers - while some say prices are creeping up – great for sellers. All, somehow, blame the current economic conditions. But they miss the real point.
Despite the Greek, Spanish and Italian financial woes; the Eurozone conjecture, the lack of discernible growth in the UK, the fixing of the Libor rate, the hosepipe ban, the miserable wet summer, the Olympics or the Duchess of Cambridge's wellies: regardless of any of these sideshow issues, the fact remains that if a purchaser makes a reasonable offer, and a reasonable seller accepts it, both will achieve their ambitions and a deal will be done– even in this market and despite what else is going on in the world. That is the point.
On the face of it an estate agent's job is to sell property. In reality it is to manage the expectations and ambitions of buyers and sellers - reasonable or sometimes otherwise - to achieve agreeable results for both sides. After all without mutual agreement no one is going anywhere - however ambitious he or she might be!


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SurfaceTechnology GERMANY,
21 - 23 Juni 2022
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Welt der Oberfläche
(Main stand)
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text: Search TrafficBack to Community App and Website for Business We love what we are doing. We're more than happy to discuss your visionary requirements for your business and website. See Our Process Coding for Creative Agency We're coders creating top grade websites and applications. Your friendly Magento & WordPress developer in Melbourne. See Our Capabilities


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DENVER — Colorado voters will decide this fall whether to legalize marijuana for recreational use when the state becomes the second in the nation to put such a proposal on ballots this year.
The Secretary of State's Office said Monday that supporters of the legalization initiative collected enough signatures to get their measure before voters, meaning Colorado will join Washington state in putting a recreational pot question on November ballots.
Voters will be asked whether adults older than 21 should be allowed to use marijuana even without a doctor's recommendation. The measure would allow adults to have up to 1 ounce of marijuana or six marijuana plants. The proposal also allows for commercial pot sales, though cities and counties would have permission to ban marijuana sales if they choose.
The plan would also direct state lawmakers to put an undetermined excise tax on pot, with the proceeds going to education.
Colorado considered and rejected recreational pot legislation in 2006. And, more recently, California voters turned back a similar plan in 2010.
But activists say that Colorado residents have since become accustomed to medical marijuana and are more willing to consider full legalization.
"The people of Colorado are ready to end marijuana prohibition and begin taxing it and regulating it like alcohol," said Mason Tvert, head of Colorado's Campaign To Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol.
The campaign needed two tries to make the ballot.
Last month the initiative backers fell just short of the required 86,000 signatures when tens of thousands were deemed invalid. But officials said a second attempt allowed under Colorado law left the campaign with more than 90,000 valid signatures.
Compared to Washington state, Colorado officeholders have been slow to embrace recreational legalization.
Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn has backed recreational legalization in Washington state. But no current Colorado elected official was scheduled to join legalization activists at a news conference today.
"I don't know whether I'll support it yet," said Republican Sen. Tim Neville. "I'm not a huge fan of the results of our war on drugs, how it's going currently, but the devil is always in the details. I'll need to look at it."
The Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police was less circumspect.
"We haven't come out with a formal position yet, but you can guess where we'll come down," said John Jackson, Greenwood Village police chief who runs the legislative committee for the state police chiefs association. The chiefs opposed the 2006 measure.
Despite the chilly reception from public officials, marijuana activists say the time is right for legalization.
The measure would set up a direct federal showdown over drug laws, but Colorado and 16 other state already buck the federal government by allowing marijuana for medical use.
"This could be a watershed year in the decades-long struggle to end marijuana prohibition in this country," Art Way, Colorado manager of the Drug Policy Alliance, said in a statement.


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The Odd Couple
That Sweet Enemy: The French and the British from the Sun King to the Present
In January, a government document was discovered in the British national archives which, according to the Guardian newspaper, "shocked historians." This was the note, dated September 28, 1956, of a meeting in London between the British prime minister, the conservative and Francophile Anthony Eden, and his French equivalent, the socialist and Anglophile Guy Mollet—one of those rare encounters when two premiers spoke each other's language both fluently and willingly. Their more important business was to excite one another's imperial fantasies and prepare the correct duplicities to justify the Anglo-French invasion of Suez. However, at this rare moment of concord, Mollet suggested that the two countries unite; or, if not that, then at least France join the Commonwealth. The British note shows that Eden recommended "immediate consideration" of the latter idea; also that Mollet "had not thought there need be difficulty over France accepting the headship of Her Majesty; [and] that the French would welcome a common citizenship arrangement on an Irish basis."
The British newspapers, in their excitement, forgot that they had already published the story (if without the documentary backup) twenty years ago; the historians who were "shocked" were merely ignorant of what other historians already knew. Robert and Isabelle Tombs, in their grand and luminously detailed study of Franco-British relations from 1688 until the present day, duly register the approach and explain its background. (He is an English-born reader in French history at Cambridge University, she a French-born teacher of French at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London.) There had been a previous proposal of union in June 1940—scornfully dismissed by Pétain as like being "wedded to a corpse"; while in the early 1950s the Belgian politician Paul-Henri Spaak—later judged "the father of Europe"—had floated the idea that Belgium and Holland might join the Commonwealth. The Tombses comment that "few remember this [Mollet's] approach, which at best is regarded as simply bizarre."
The reaction on both sides of the Channel to this rediscovered story is more interesting than the story itself. The British treated it as a jokey what-if, speculating on amalgamated soccer teams and the possibly improved quality of croissants in British shops. The French reacted with a sober down-playing: indeed, Mollet's proposal seems to have been made on the spur of the moment, was not discussed with aides, and is not corroborated by any known French government archive. But there is political capital to be made from most stories. So Gilles Savary, the EU adviser to Ségolène Royal, the Socialist Party presidential candidate, commented that today "the merger… would be politically and diplomatically out of the question." In other words, the new left is not the left of the Fifties, and can be as nationalist as the next party. Some were more outraged. "If this had been suggested more recently," said a Sorbonne professor of contemporary history, "Mollet might have found himself in court."
If the French were more sensitive, it was not just because Mollet had been the supplicant, but because his approach tapped…
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Multiply your savings! Take advantage of Énergir's grants for natural gas boilers – the most effective hot-water heating solution. With its precision, reliability, speed and energy performance, the natural gas hot water boiler helps you improve your building's performance while reducing your energy bill.
Ideal for LEED projects, condensing boilers reuse part of the available latent heat energy, which makes them highly energy efficient. As part of its Energy Efficiency Program, Énergir offers a grant ranging from $900 to $25,000 to encourage its customers to be more energy wise. The total value of the grant is based on the selected unit's capacity and is subject to certain conditions.*
Eligible equipment list (with a capacity of less than 300,000 Btu/hr) (PDF)
Eligible equipment list (with a capacity greater than 300,000 Btu/hr) (PDF)
Mid-efficiency boilers are designed to allow for optimal heat exchange between combustion gases and the water or steam to be heated. Choose this unit and take advantage of a Énergir grant ranging from $750 to $10,000 offered as part of its Energy Efficiency Program. The total value of the grant is based on the selected unit's capacity and is subject to certain conditions.*
Each year, some 900 businesses take advantage of Énergir's purchase and installation rebate, which can account for up to 30% of your costs. This rebate is based on expected usage and the type of unit installed and may be combined with other grants. Contact us to see whether you qualify and, if so, to calculate your total grant.**
An Énergir expert will guide you through the simple process and help find the grants for which you are eligible.
* IMPORTANT In order to qualify for this grant, you must contractually commit with Énergir or a Énergir Authorized Partner prior to your appliances' installation. The total grant amount must not exceed admissible amounts. Some restrictions apply. Some restrictions apply. The conditions of the program and the amount of the grants are subject to change without notice.
** Offer subject to change without prior notice. Certain conditions apply. The amount of financial incentive is determined according to the expected consumption of natural gas, the type of equipment to be installed and the total investment. Signing of a 5 year natural gas contract is required. Eligibility criteria are foreseen in the texts of the Rebate Consumption Program approved by the Régie de l'énergie and a copy can be transmitted on request. Some restrictions apply. The conditions of the program and the amount of the grants are subject to change without notice.
Need more information?
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By phone at 1 800 361-4568 or by email.


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A collection of scholarly works about individual liberty and free markets. A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.
During the French Revolution a number of men and women began to argue in favor of granting women full civic and legal rights. In France this was taken up by Condorcet and Olympes de Gouge; in Britain by Mary Wollstonecraft. During the nineteenth century, whilst a Member of Parliament, John Stuart Mill, argued for the same thing.


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readers, it is going to be a big one!
Brownstoner wrote: It looks like the Crown Heights development boom is finally making it south of Eastern Parkway with a planned five-story residential building at 267 Rogers Avenue between Carroll and Crown streets. New building applications filed last month show a 112,256-square-foot building with 165 apartments. The architects are Think Architecture and Design PLLC.
The property is part of the St. Ignatius Catholic Church complex next to Medgar Evers College, and demolition applications have already been filed to knock down the church's community hall (pictured). As far as we can tell, the actual church building will remain. Public records indicate the church still owns the land, but the site may have changed hands recently since the building permits list an LLC as the owners.
No privately owned green space seems safe.
Curbed's picked it up too:
And unlike Brownstoner, it's saying the church itself will be demolished as well. Kind of a sad fate, but I hadn't realized it'd been boarded up and that three years ago its parish was merged with St. Francis of Assisi. The grounds used to be rather beautiful.
Catholic parishes are having a hard time keeping members.
I imagine it is very tempting for the diocese leadership to look for buyers of some of these properties, without ever giving the remaining members a voice.
In some parallel universe in my mind, all the storefront churches on Rogers unite their congregations, join with St. Francis to renovate the church, raise the roof, and move in. The storefronts no longer needed for churches become shops and restaurants.
I know reality works differently, but man, that would be nice.
It's also that the neighborhood is made up of different religions, not as many Roman Catholics. Lots of Baptists and Pentecostals and lots of Haitian houses of God in the area. So, like many of the synagogues in the area, the building outlasted the congregation.
Yes, but I too like GRWD's world.
If I am correct about his/her world, the building and the property would belong to those who wish to worship god, in whatever way their faith prescribes.
In GWRD's world, the grounds would resemble the chapels that served the various military bases I grew up on as a child: Whenever a different faith needed to use it, they adapted it as needed:
-In most cases, religious leaders from the surrounding areas held the services. In some cases, the same military chaplin adapted his speech and attire to match those of his audience's expectations.
-I was about 10 when I learned that the Jews would throw a sheet over the crucified Jesus, because -one day- they forgot to remove it before the Catholics were to hold Saturday evening mass.
-I assume in GRWD's world, his association of worshippers would not need to outbid private developers.
Yes, the world at Rogers and Carol is far different.
whynot, You're 80-90% right.
There's still capitalism in my mind's parallel universe - it's a parallel universe, not a total fantasy.
Ideally, St. Francis would've just sold the air rights, and the "Worshippers Association, LLC" would've put up a 10-20 story tower somewhere nearby (similar to what St. Philip's did on the corner of Throop and Lafayette). They'd get rid of the fence and let the spacious grounds become a privately owned public plaza, getting them an FAR bonus. And the storefront churches (who would've bought the buildings back in the day for pennies on the dollar, obviously) would hire a savvy real estate attorney that lets them make the most of their tax-exempt status, so that the whole thing actually makes some sense.
But I digress.
I love portable air rights!
Attn Aspiring Bar Owners:
In addition to having a future base of comparitively wealthy customers, this area may now be completely devoid of houses of worship, allowing you to open bars in locations within 200 ft.
Attn Opportunist Storefront Churches-
You could rent a nearby storefront, to position yourself for a large donation from an aspiring bar owner, so you will move.
With skill, you could do this without having any actual worshipers! Repeat as necessary to earn a good living!
Readers, this development is one of the Big Developments happening in western Crown Heights in 2014 that we will watching closely. To learn about the others, see this thread:
So something that was once visual pleasing will become another crapitecture eyesoreI'm a fan of historic architecture but I've always thought that this building and lawn take away from the neighborhood. The architect hired on this new building employs some very innovative designs. They are night and day compared with the architect hired to design the building replacing the Savoy Theater on Beford and Lincoln Place. I'm looking forward to seeing this one sprout!
#11 of 26And THIS is why new church plants are renting space in NYC public schools.
The prison ledger presents no record of the convicts' race, only their names and towns of residence (nearly all of them were from Brooklyn). What is known is that at the time, Crown Heights was called Crow Hill, a name some sources attribute to the birds that settled on the hill, but the derivation of which likely lies in the neighborhood's robust black population at the time ( crow was a slur for black people that originated in the early 1800s—hence "Jim Crow"). An 1873 Brooklyn Daily Eagle unearthed by the Brooklyn Public Library quotes a white policeman responding to the question, "How did their settlement get to be named Crow Hill?" by saying, "Well, they had to live away from the white people, and they got up there in these woods. The woods were at the time full of crows, and it was called Crow Hill, partly because there were a great many crows there and partly on account of the people nicknaming the darkies 'crows,' too."
This was a black community as far back as Reconstruction. Crow Hill, Weeksville and other smaller settlements were all thriving communities with some settlements in the area dated back to the Revolutionary War.
Shot taken today indicates much of building is now enclosed.
The building is now fully enclosed, and developers are often able to get buildings ready for occupancy with in 6 months after that milestone.
So, this building is likely to lease in the late Fall 2016.


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I join you today a bit of an emotional wreck. It has been pretty eventful here since i last posted. And sadly, not always in a good way.
Positivity first - Still doing my keep fit classes, in fact I have probably stepped it up a notch. I am now a regular at body pump, my new favourite, which is basically lifting weights to music. Sounds dull but its actually really enjoyable. I am skinny enough and so this class is better for me as the other more active classes would probably cause me to lose weight, which is not what i go for.
Still taking Nathan to his little clubs. Mothers and toddlers groups etc. Cant say Ive felt completely comfortable from start to finish when i go. but I have a little inner battle going on and so far Ive been winning.
Also Ive been driving further again, and taking Nathan on more little trips to see friends etc. I feel there is more to tell but maybe it will pop into my head as i write... this post is not only for catching up, but for distraction. Distracting myself from whats just happened.
Ok it might not seem a big deal to most, but my brother has decided to move to Australia. For YEARS my brother Derek has talked about a move overseas. Job opportunities, weather, money all not being fantastic here in Scotland, he was convinced moving away would be the best decision. I think we all thought it would never happen. But a few months ago the ball was rolling when he booked his flight to Perth, Australia.
He has friends over there, he has the chance of a job and he has somewhere to live. It sounds fantastic and hes absolutely right, it WILL be a better life. No doubt about it. And so as the date was approaching i decided we couldn't let him go without a good old knees up. I went about choosing a venue, and through facebook, i contacted his friends and got an impressive guest list together. It was supposed to be a surprise and i felt that if i could pull it off it would be something i would be very very proud of. Who would have thought a few years ago that id be doing this. And so the venue was booked, guests invited all i had to do was arrange food, decor and getting him there!
Last Saturday the party was looming and so i headed off and got decorating. My friend and i filled the bar with banners, Australian flags, bunting and balloons. It looked great and so i headed home to get my party outfit sorted. Sadly about 5 minutes after i left the pub, Derek decided to go for a pint!!! So the secret was out. His friends were supposed to be keeping him away but really he just took it upon himself to pop in and no one was quick enough to stop him. Derek is quite an emotional guy, although he tries to hide it, and he really didn't want a fuss. But he knew we needed him to be there and so the party went ahead.
It was a fantastic night. For me it was the first night out Ive had since Nathan was born. hes 18 months now so that's a LONG time. I was delighted to see the amount of people who showed face. Family, School friends, workmates, Football friends, gym friends, The place was packed. And best of all Derek looked like he genuinely loved every minute of it, although it was hard seeing my big tough brother shed a tear or TEN. I was completely relaxed and really enjoyed the whole night, stumbling home around 1.30, way past my bed time. It was a huge success.
Its weird. Derek is my big brother, and so hes just always been there. I have so many fantastic memories from when we were kids. But as adults we spent less time together, as you do. We never really talked about anything deeply anymore. Just pleasantries. And i guess that's quite sad. But no matter how little we've spoke, i always have huge amounts of love for him. Hes my big bro! Hes been amazing with Nathan, very loving and definitely fulfilled the roll or 'fun uncle' and when times have been tough for me hes also been the 'protector'. But for some bizarre reason i didn't mind the thought of him leaving. I felt nothing. I just thought ' Aw well hes going away and its no big deal, he will be happy, ill get used to him not being around as much'. How stupid i was. Derek has just left and i am devastated. I write this through tears and with my heart pounding, stomach turning. My brother is gone. God forgive me for being over dramatic. I should be grateful hes alive and well having recently attended the funeral of a boy with a younger brother and 3 sisters in mourning. (That was horrendous). But from an agoraphobic perspective this is killing me. I am realistic, and no matter how much driving i do or how many classes i attend, i wont be flying to Australia in the next year. From a totally selfish point of view i don't want him to go. Or i want him to go for a month and then come home. I'm telling myself to look to the positive.. i KNOW its the best move for him. And i KNOW ill be fine in a few hours. But for now i want to feel this sadness. I love him and hes gone. And i don't know when ill see him again. Nathan wont remember him, hes too young. And that makes me sad because Nathan loves him so much. Agoraphobia, sometimes i can bear you, sometimes i can live with you hiding in the shadows, but at times like this is hate you. Because you are not me. You are not who i am. And so I'm not saying goodbye to trips to Australia.. not yet.
The other news is probably more shocking and will be difficult to explain. You've all known about my relationship with Nathans dad and just how turbulent its been. Well the icing was layered onto the cake a few weeks ago. Ill describe this is best i can but for reasons, i will explain, ill keep it brief.
We had been getting on quite well, friends, seen each other all the time, spent lots of time with Nathan etc. There were good points and their were bad points, which are pretty irrelevant now. But he went out drinking one Friday night, with the promise that he would be taking Nathan out the next day, as he always does on a Saturday. Unfortunately he showed up on the Saturday drunk. This hadn't happened before and so although i wasn't too pleased, i told him to go into mine and sleep it off. I took Nathan down to my mums and left him. Soon i went back home to check on him and lay Nathan down for a nap. To tell you how the argument started is actually quite embarrassing, but lets just say it was something and nothing. It was facebook! Good old facebook, i wonder how many fights it has caused. I seen something i didn't like too much and so i woke him and asked him to leave. It was a build up of a few things and feeling i was basically this guys doormat. But i felt calm, i didn't feel surprise, just closure. 'Please leave'.
Well in his drunken state he got up and rambled and shouted, all while making way to leave. He didn't know Nathan was home and so he really wasn't too bothered about his behaviour. I opened the door to let him out and WHAM. My head was smashed off a wall. What followed was something i have never experienced before. I was dragged out of my home, by the hair, into the street where i was repeatedly punched while this monster screamed all sorts of obscenities. I felt no pain, i felt nothing. All i could think about was that Nathan was in his bed and i needed to get back inside. Also playing on loop in my head was 'i cant believe this is happening, i cant believe this is happening'. Nathans dad has put me through the wringer but he has never lifted his hands so i was pretty shocked. I could see people walking past and i just prayed they didn't say anything because he was so completely gone, i didn't know if he would hurt them!
It came to a head when a knife was produced. It sounds crazy but i never thought he would use it. but still you need to be realistic and look at the evidence in front of you! I never thought he would hit me either. He stopped when he finally heard me cry that Nathan was in his bed, and luckily i managed to get away. I ran into my house and locked the doors and called the police. He continued to try to get to me, kicking at the door. I really thought he was going to get through it, but eventually he ran off. I sat there bleeding and pulling out clumps of my hair. 'What the hell just happened'. Thank God, Nathan slept through the whole thing!!
The police came out and interviewed me. I was fine, shocked but once that passed i really was ok. My head had been split open but other than that i had no major marks or bruises hmmm for someone who lost it, he'd shown some amount of control. It was traumatic though, and for me, with a history of panic attacks and anxiety, i wondered how i would cope. I know that no one will show sympathy for what he done, and i don't expect them to. Also i wont make excuses for it, because there is no way to justify it. But i know he just snapped. Lots of other things had been going on in his life, problems at work, family issues, and of course our relationship, and that day it all got too much. Since then hes started counselling, has been put on antidepressants and beta blockers, and has had to take him from work. The incident has knocked him sick as through this crazy behaviour he has lost alot of respect, if not all, as what happened was done very publicly, and news travels! It will go to court in October, where i will need to attend along with another 2 witnesses. But probably the worst for him is that he cannot speak to me, approach me or even enter my street. My house has a special tag on it so that if i need to phone the police i will get a quicker response. Although i stress i do not feel that myself or Nathan are in any danger. Ive had visits from police, social workers coming to check on Nathan, and for that i am absolutely fuming! I understand they are doing their job but he made that happen and my son is happy and well.
So there you have it. An eventful month of highs and lows. My life coach said she thinks its impressive that ive kept on going but it has been quite tough. At a class last week, i really struggled. I wanted to leave quite a few times but i held on telling myself to take it a song at a time. Thankfully i made it through without bolting. So its hard but i know i have strength inside of me and now that Nathans dad hasnt been allowed near, i know i am free. Free to totally push myself and focus solely on myself and my son. Limitless!!! So the practice and determination need to keep on going.


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Salute to Success ~ September 2020
Welcome to the Success area of my site!
Just click through the numbers below and you can meet some of my Cinderellas and Cinderfellas and see their stories!
Read these wonderful success stories......and let them help you be successful on your weight loss journey!!!


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Creighton WBB: St. John's 67, Creighton 48
The Creighton women's basketball team fell to St. John's, 67-48, on Wednesday.
The loss dropped Creighton to 9-7 overall and 3-1 in the BIG EAST Conference. St. John's, meanwhile, moved to 9-5 on the season and 2-1 in conference play.
Turnovers plagued the Bluejays in the opening half as Creighton committed 11 in the opening period, leading to 15 St. John's points. Creighton fell down 9-2 in the opening seven minutes and trailed 35-17 at the intermission.
After shooting 4-of-19 (21%) in the opening frame, the Bluejays got their offense rolling early in the second period. Creighton scored on three of its first four possessions in the second period, cutting the deficit to 13 at 37-24 with 17:52 remaining.
Creighton got as close as 12 at 41-29, but the Bluejay run was short lived as St. John's answered with a 10-0 response to make it 51-29 (11:10). Creighton trailed by as much as 25 (63-38) with 4:37 left, before falling 67-48.
Sophomore Marissa Janning led the way with 16 points, while junior Alexis Akin-Otiko posted 12 points.
Four players finished in double-figures for St. John's led by 16 points from Danaejah Grant. Amber Thompson and Eugeneia McPherson finished with 11, while Jade Walker delivered 10 points.
The Bluejays return to action on Saturday, Jan. 11 as Creighton faces Providence at 1 p.m.


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SANFORD — Carl J. Lamb Elementary School is joining Sanford Junior High School for the Sanford Backpack Project, in which individuals and groups are encouraged to donate food to help feed local students who are hungry at home. The school is hoping to fill and send home backpacks with hungry students every Friday. Peanut butter, jelly, cereal, oatmeal, macaroni and cheese, tuna fish, canned chicken, spaghetti sauce, pasta, chili, soups, beef stew, nonperishable food items and money for bread are examples of donations that the school is seeking. If you have any questions, or would like to donate in any way, please call the school at 324-8481.
SANFORD — Literacy Volunteers of Greater Sanford (LVGS) will hold its 4th Annual Trivia Night at the Sanford Town Club on Friday, Jan. 18. This lively event, which is a fundraiser for LVGS programs, includes teams competing to answer trivia questions and enjoying delicious appetizers. Trivia categories include geography, science, current events, literature, food, and television. Again this year, there will be raffle items and a live auction. Tickets are $20 per person and include appetizers. Teams need four to eight people. If you don't have four people, please call LVGS to be matched with others. The doors will open at 6 p.m. and the trivia game will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Marcel Blouin will emcee, and Above and Beyond will cater. To register, please call the Literacy Volunteers office at 324-2486 or send an email to firstname.lastname@example.com.
SANFORD — Goodall Hospital will host a Winter Luau at the American Legion on Main Street to benefit the adult-day service at The Pavilion on Saturday, Jan. 19, from 7 to 11 p.m. Specifically, proceeds will provide free care services to individuals with dementia. Tickets cost $15 per person or $25 per couple; a payroll deduction is available for Goodall Hospital employees who wish to attend. To purchase tickets, please visit the Pavilion on the Goodall Hospital campus off June Street or contact Christine Bougie at 490-7693 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
SANFORD — A silent and live auction to benefit St. Thomas School will be held at the Sanford Town Club at 4 Washington Street on Saturday, Feb. 2, at 7 p.m. Items up for bid will range from ski lift tickets to weekend getaways to golf packages. Tickets cost $15 if purchased in advance and $20 if bought on the day of the event. There will be live entertainment, hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar. For more information, visit online at www.saintthomassanford.org.
SANFORD — The Sanford Professional Firefighters & Paramedics IAFF Local 1624, with the assistance of East Coast Marketing Group, will host its 5th annual fundraiser for the Imelda Fund, which goes toward those in need of heating assistance within the Town of Sanford. There will again be two PG-17 comedy shows that will be held on Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013, at the Nasson Community Center at 457 Main Street. The first show will start at 7 p.m. and the other at 9 p.m. East Coast Marketing Group, of Westbrook, will be calling local businesses and residences to raise support and enthusiasm on behalf of Local 1624 for this very important cause. Doors will open at 6 p.m. for the first show. For more information, send an email to email@example.com.


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Mirage Uni-Theater Speaker System
Here's a tip for home theater newbies: Don't shop for speakers using just your eyes. That advice holds true for any speaker, regardless of size or price; when it comes to what we euphemistically refer to as "lifestyle" speakers, though, please try to listen before you make a purchase, or you'll deserve what you get. Lifestyle-inflicted design compromises too often exact a toll on performance—skinny towers can sound undernourished, wall-mounted speakers can produce pancake-flat imaging, and pint-size satellites can come up short.
I remember one wee satellite speaker that successfully dodged those pitfalls, Mirage's original Omnisat (see the November 2002 review). I must have nailed that one just right, because the Omnisat went on to become Mirage's best-selling speaker of all time. The range now includes the Omnisat's baby brother, the Omnisat Micro, and the Nanosat, Mirage's teensiest model yet. Mirage's design engineer, Andrew Welker, has refined the shape and orientation of the dispersion modules positioned just above the tweeter and midrange drivers. These saucer-shaped discs create the speakers' 360-degree, "omni" radiation pattern. Welker thinks that the newer models deliver a more-neutral midrange and smoother high-frequency response. I get the feeling that he's most proud of the new
Uni-Theater, an integrated left/center/right, all-in-one speaker. It's obviously the most radical Omni yet, and it's his most lifestyle-friendly design. Don't worry, though; it sounds great.
Uni-Theater to the Front and the Rear
The Uni-Theater is an incredibly flexible speaker. It can act as an integrated L/C/R speaker, hugging the wall over or under a flat-screen TV. Most Uni-Theaters are deployed with two or three Nanosats, Omnisat Micros, or Omnisat satellites providing surround support—or not. Some Uni-Theater owners will opt for the simplicity of a second Uni-Theater instead of separate surround satellites—a two-box, six-channel system. For the ultimate in stealth surrounds, wall-mount the rear Uni-Theater upside-down, near the ceiling. Heck, you can do the same for the front Uni as well, and the Mirages' omnidirectional radiation will direct the sound down and out. Then again, if you don't want to run speaker wire to the back end of your room, or you want to save bucks, try the single-speaker, three-channel option: a solo Uni-Theater. Just go into your A/V receiver's set-up menu, turn off the surround channels, and their information will be "folded" into the front Uni-Theater's left and right speakers. No, it won't sound like a 5.1 or 6.1 setup, but once I removed the Uni-Theater's form-fitting grille, the speaker created a mildly enveloping surround effect. All of these
Uni-Theater scenarios require the services of a subwoofer, and I went with Mirage's superb Omni Series S10 sub.
The Uni-Theater features independent left, center, and right speakers housed within a single cabinet. Each "channel" sports an active Omni midrange/tweeter set and two passive drivers. Passive isn't a description of their personality—it's just that passive drivers don't have voice coils or magnets. The active Omni midranges acoustically drive the passive drivers and augment their bass output. The Uni-Theater's extruded aluminum cabinet is a step up from the Micro's ABS plastic body.
If wall-mounting isn't in the cards, do what I did and use the supplied plate-glass-and-metal table stand. It's really gorgeous—the clever design "floats" the Uni-Theater just above the glass base. My one gripe with the speaker's ergonomics is the placement of its connectors. They're so steeply angled that some banana jacks are a tight squeeze, and futzing around with the stripped-bare wire ends and the spring-loaded connectors is an exercise in frustration. Granted, you'll probably only have to do it once, so I don't mean to make a big deal about it, but I'd like to see Mirage come up with a better arrangement.
The Uni-Theater's backside also houses a two-position switch for the boundary-compensation circuit. Select Stand if your Uni-Theater is positioned away from the wall, and the compensation will be out of circuit; the Wall setting provides a gentle bass roll-off to compensate for the bass boost that the speaker's close proximity to the wall produces. The design's tonal balance will therefore remain more consistent, regardless of its position in the room. That said, the Uni-Theater, just like any other speaker, will sound more open and produce a greater sense of image depth when you mount it some distance from the wall. I performed the bulk of my listening tests with the Uni-Theater on a stand positioned 2 feet in front of my TV. When I briefly experimented with placing the stand-mounted Uni-Theater up against the wall, the soundstage was distinctly flatter. That said, the Uni-Theater produced a more-open sound than I've heard from wall-mounted conventional speakers.
I found the speakers to be easy to set up and blissfully unfussy about placement details. I used my Pioneer DV-45A player, Sunfire Theater Grand III pre/pro, and Ayre V-6x power amp for all of my Uni-Theater listening sessions. Omnisat Micros handled the surround duties, and the Omni S10 subwoofer supplied stellar low-end support for the entire ensemble. It's worth noting that you can even mount the Omnisat Micros on your ceiling. Omnidirectional dispersion pays big dividends in this application; even if your couch is right up against the wall, a Uni-Theater or Omnisat Micro mounted directly overhead will produce spacious surround sound effects in a 6.1 system.
Unique Sounds
As I listened to Blue Man Group's The Complex Rock Tour Live DVD-Video, the front-to-back continuousness of the soundstage filling my large home theater was truly remarkable. I could pick out individual audience members' claps and cheers between the front Uni-Theater and the Micros, which were positioned way out to the sides of my home theater. The scale of the experience, the sense of being in a large arena, was surprisingly realistic. It's all the more amazing when you stop and realize that this holographic sound was coming from just three speaker cabinets. Mind you, the Uni-Theater was no slouch on its own; the sense of spatial depth and height created a completely three-dimensional stage for the blue guys' percussion-heavy music. The speaker's imaging stability was exceptional; when I moved side to side, or even in close, the Uni-Theater's sound was consistent.
Reality Check
Critical listeners may be aware that the Mirages' imaging focus isn't as sharply defined as the better direct-radiating box speakers, but I consider the trade-offs worthwhile in light of the gains in spaciousness and overall sound quality. Most poseur systems squash dynamics, but the Mirages didn't seem to mind being cranked-up. They certainly never flinched from their duties during the most treacherous battle scenes populating the Alamo DVD. Visceral impact, which the S10 subwoofer dished out in abundance, was excellent.
CDs weren't as satisfying in stereo—the Uni-Theater's 3-foot-wide image was a little cramped for comfort—so I listened to CDs in Dolby Pro Logic II and never went back. The Mirages can rock-out with gusto; Marvin Gaye's tunes of spiritual elation and sexual healing got my mojo workin'.
I'm happy to report that Mirage has figured out how to let us have it both ways: We can have great-looking, totally lifestyle-friendly speakers that don't sound like lifestyle speakers. Who knows: With any luck, Mirage will have another runaway success on their hands.
• Huge, room-filling sound
• High spouse-acceptance factor
• Seriously potent subwoofer for the price
Learn more about these products here.