29 responses Add your response
How big is your room? What types of music do you listen to? Are you going to use these for home theater too? Are you going to use a subwoofer?
Are you located in a major city where you can listen to some speakers?
I own the Vapor Breeze speakers which can be had for $1300 plus shipping . It is an amazing speaker!!!,which is a fantastic value, and can compete with speakers costing way more. Check out Vapor Audio site for more info. I run my speakers with a 75 watt Onkyo 9555a.
Tekton speakers also have some fantastic reviews . The Micro Ones are supposed to be fantastic as well, but cost $1200 more than the Breeze.
I'm going to have to say the Tekton Design Lore-S for $1399/pr would be my first choice. They also make the standard Lore for a larger room at around $1000/pr that has a 10-inch main driver as opposed to the 8-inch high-quality Seas driver in the Lore-S.
Either speaker sounds really good driven by a 30 to 50 watt/channel tube amp. If you're in a small to medium room an EL-34 based amp like a Jolida, Primaluna, or Rogue Audio may work. I'm using a QuickSilver GLA amp with excellent results and there are many more of these types of tube amps to choose from. You may even find a nice little integrated tube model in your budget. Anyway, that's what I'd get.
If you like the sound of planer speakers but don't want to deal with any of negatives that come along with them, like me, you can't go wrong with a pair of Vandersteen's. For $2000 you can get a pair of Model 2's. The big advantage is that you get the whole frequency range. You don't have to settle for mediocre bass and highs to get a great midrange. No planar speaker that I've ever heard can do what the Vandersteen's do.
You shouldn't take my word for it, though. Your really need to hear them (or any other speakers that you are considering) for your self.
wow thanks guy for the swift replies... i'm gonna check all of those..
I'm not interested in big bass extension but the best sound from 50hz to 30hz hehehe :)
low to midbass + midrange resolution are what is the more important for me.. while highfreq is also important..
of course 3d imaging, good soundstage, transparent, good crossover parts, etc...
I was also interested in the king sound princess II (electrostatic tweet)
I was interested in the gallo classico too seem nice..
I'll look into the Fritz,tekton,vapor audio, Vandersteen model 2
anybody compared any model in those listing in this post or some better for the same price?
The problem i see with most speakers is the crossover in the midrange... don't you feel this way too???
Anybody know a good speakers that is time and phase aligned??? I guess KEF LS50 would be one
at least, i think that with crossover points at 250hz and 7.5hz, phase and time alignement will be less important...
i guess the 250hz is still important tho.. if it's not time aligned and phase coherant (the lft-16a phase accuracy spec is
+-20 degree btw 100Hz-31kHz
those speakers will be use mostly for nearfield.. my room will be well padded and its something like 5meters by 10meters but i don't mind if it doesn't fill the room... line source would be better anyway if i wanted to fill the room.. (something like mmmicroone with MTM would be awesome too)
anybody have heard about the musical paradise dacs and amps??? the 500 with KT120 seems to be the bomb.. most amp with kt120 are sold for a lot more $$ ..
With the caveat that people in threads like this will tend, naturally, to recommend what they own or have owned, if you're interested in the coherence of time/phase aligned speakers, look into either the Reference 3A Dulcet or De Capo. Used, either one should fit into your price range. New, you could swing the Dulcet. I've owned both and they are very sweet. Both are essentially "crossoverless" designs, with only a capacitor to protect the tweeter, and both have mirror imaged pairs and slanted front baffles to aid in time coherence. Worth a listen. There's also the Green Mountain Audio Rio II.
sorry, I have not listened to some of the speakers listed here & some I have... ( don't want to start a fire ) but i have to put a plug here for the evolution micro ones. dollar for dollar & then some, you owe it to yourself to audition these. please reads the reviews, their praises are not to be ignored.
Phase aligned can mean many things. Linkwitz Riley 2nd and 4th order two ways are phase aligned in the crossover region by definition, even if the baffle is not time aligned. But LR2 system response requires the tweeter to be wired out of phase with the woofer in order to produce proper summation in the crossover region. Many folks prefer 2nd order systems for their more gradual overlap which can allow the drivers to be harder to identify as the music gets handed off from woofer to tweeter; a better blending of the sound.
Minimum phase system response is another matter altogether, and very difficult to achieve over the entire audible range with multi-way systems. A true first order crossover, one with 6dB/octave acoustic slopes over a couple octaves around the crossover can produce a minimum phase system response. But getting quality drivers with smooth response in the overlap region is a tall order.
If you look at the Reference 3A site, the line is described as "phase coherent," and the baffles are raked (and the tweeters offset) to allow for time alignment of the drivers. Whether the Reference 3A line is more phase and time coherent than other speakers I cannot say as I'm not a physics whiz and don't understand all the theory. Hope that helps a little.
Luvstolisten makes a point that I've heard elsewhere, that is, that 1st order crossovers require drivers that can cover a wide frequency range because the handoff "slope" between the drivers is not as gradual as higher-order designs. This is one reason that Ref 3A builds their own mid-bass drivers in house. In theory, they are able to work mechanical kinks out of the driver design through all kinds of mechanical tweaks, rather than having to compensate for driver misbehavior with crossover complexity. Hence also, a mid-bass driver directly coupled to the amplifier, and only a single capacitor to protect the tweeter.
"Minimum phase system response is another matter altogether, and very difficult to achieve over the entire audible range with multi-way systems. A true first order crossover, one with 6dB/octave acoustic slopes over a couple octaves around the crossover can produce a minimum phase system response. But getting quality drivers with smooth response in the overlap region is a tall order."
Very good description. Those type of speakers are extremely difficult to design. That's why I recommended Vandersteen in my first post. No one does it better. When I say that, though, I'm not implying that one has to like them. I'm just saying that they are the best at getting phase and time correct speakers right. Everyone has different tastes.
There are big tradeoffs going for the transient perfect designs. The biggest, in my opinion, is the rather poor power response that can result. Move off the design axis, and the transient perfect character disappears due to changing the distance to the acoustic centers of each driver. It's much easier to maintain a smooth off axis response using higher order filters.
Going beyond 4th order acoustic doesn't seem necessary unless pushing drivers close to their limits of usability (metal cones near their breakup modes for example.) My personal favorites are 2nd order 3-ways. They tend to offer seamless transition from driver to driver and allow reasonable control of out of band energy, allowing each driver to perform cleanly and without strain.
This might be a little off topic but for some reason I am having difficulty submitting a new thread.
Check out a no compromise digitally activated bookshelf for a silly price ($2,500) deputed at this years CES 2013. It really is a leave no stones left unturned approach to a desktop loudspeaker. The constrained layer damping and the drive units themselves already more than justify the price and its seems like the DSP, wireless connectivity, fully balanaced DAC topology with switchable filters and latest nCore inspired Hypex modules are thrown in for free. I really hope there are more details about the speakers such as the dimensions, digital connectivity on the website (www.moosaudio.com) though.
I wouldn't mind if they release a flagship version of it in the future with bigger drivers and nCore amplification along with better styled cabinet.
Meridian better watch out! This speaker offers way better connectivity, DSP, drivers, dacs and similar cabinets at 1/3 of the price of your bookshelf offering!
I hope one day Magico will offer the option of wireless integrated no compromise speakers such as these. I have really taken a liking to Magico's all aluminum cabinets and cutting edge drive units but you can easily swap the expensive crossovers for a way superior DSP active implementation. I bet the amplification, DSP, DACs and wireless connectivity cost just as much if not lesser than the overbuilt crossovers in Magico loudspeakers. I find passive crossovers such a waste of resources! Good ones are so expensive and also so difficult to do right, and that is not to mention the electrical losses here.
What are your views on this? I am simply astounded at what is offered here. I have actually not seen anything like this and especially at this price!
"What are your views on this? I am simply astounded at what is offered here. I have actually not seen anything like this and especially at this price!"
I have not heard the Moos, but these look similar in concept and design (dsp, active, individual amps for each woofer and tweeter downstream of the dsp (direct connected to drivers)).
in the 2500$ range, i would personaly go for the evolution mmmicroone since it's a very narrow MTM design with 2 small woofer + AMT + time and phase coherant + nice design and box + mostly perfect sound proved on the web by so many reviewers.. the moo seem nice tho with scanspeak drivers... but i'm really leaning towards the ER audio 250hz to 20khz electrostatics minipanel + small line array of 2-3 small woofer acting as sub, if i can find the best woofers for the price that would match electrostatics..
Other option would be replacing my scanspeak 12mu on my diy 3way with B&G neo10, small accuton 2", ATC dome, dynaudio esotar 430 midrange.
The LFT 16a with planar mid at 1000$ similar to neo10 is clearly an interesting choice at the price but i wonder about performance compared to er-audio panel and b&g Neo10...
the AVI seem interesting but i saw soso review also on those even if most are very good..
I am the proud owner (two weeks) of the EA MMMicroOnes. I must say that these are clearly the best speakers I have ever owned/listened to. I have been to audio shows and demos for many many brands over the past 35 years and have heard about every "great speaker" that has been bantered about on these forums. My personal evolution has included Dynaudio, Vienna Acoustics, Sonus Faber, Focal, Energy, Volent, Pioneer/TAD, Magnepan, & Martin-Logan. Like many of you I tend to shop in the $3-10K range and for amps $2-5K. I have heard speakers and systems up to $300K. so I know what is achievable in the market place.
I am using Jeff Rowland Model 112 Gorgeous!(150/8 and 285/4ohm). The synergy between these two is fantastic. I am hearing and experiencing the goose bumps like never before and the speakers are still breaking in! They are the best $12K monitor available for two grand! Air, speed transparency, depth, width, starling presence, and that undefinable quality that lets you "KNOW" your not just listening to just any speaker. It is hard to quantify,..... but you know it when you come across equipment that has it.
I also considered the Gamut Audio D200i, Modwright KWA 150SE or 200, and Pass Labs XA-150. I would not use less than 100 high current watts with these if you favor dynamics, air and transparency.
My opinion: ~ Not for Metal, Rap, Acid or Hard Rock either.
Highly recommended! If you get the opportunity to own or listen you should try to.
What kind of sound are you looking for, what kind of music do you listen to, how big is the room, and how loud do you expect things to go?
Hard to recommend anything without this info. Everything sounds different. If you've provided this info prior just reference the post date and I'll find it.
I attended the 2012 Newport Beach Audio Show and heard so many hifi-ish speakers there that I was actually relieved to get out of there. That being said, two very inexpensive and impressive small two-ways there were the Evolution Acoustics MMMicroOnes and Fritzspeakers. I ended up buying a pair of the EA speakers, and in my small room, they are the best I have heard, including some designs up to $40K. I highly recommend these two companies if you are looking for sonics that sound like real music being played and not some hifi-ish, fatiguing, punch-and-sizzle designs.


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I have become completely obsessed with changing out my current products for less toxic ones. If you haven’t heard of, or used the ewg cosmetic database you must!! Basically they give a 1 to 10 rating for all of our cosmetic products determined by their ingredients, 0 being the best and 10 the worst. I was mortified at the scores some of my products got…I’m talking 8 and 9’s!!! I didn’t want to just throw all my products out and buy new, since I don’t really like to throw money in the garbage, instead I decided I would buy new once I ran out of my current.
First up is my face wash. My current Neutrogena face cleanser was rated a 6, so after searching around for a bit to find one with the best score and price I decided on Kiss My Face Potent and Pure Clean For a Day Cleanser, which was rated a 1!! It is organic, free of parabens, and has no artificial fragrances. I searched around to find where I could get the best price and I found the best price at drugstore.com.
So far I really like this face cleanser. It smells delicious!! You know when you use some cleansers they lather up so much your entire face is white, well this cleanser isn’t like that. It’s more clear, but I liked it that way! Once my current moisturizer runs out I will be buying the Kiss My Face Moisturizer.
Stay tuned for more “green” reviews!!!!


These Headlines Say Gold is Building a Base for Something Big
These Headlines Say Gold is Building a Base for Something Big by Jeff Clark – GoldSilver
It may be frustrating to watch the gold price remain dormant as stock markets continue to push higher. But while cryptos and Trump grab a lot of the headlines, you might be surprised to know there are significant forces behind the scenes that signal the gold market is not only strong but suggest something big is coming.
Check out these reports from the last 30 days and see what conclusion you’d draw…
Global Physical Demand
Demand for coins and bars in North America may be low, but that’s not the whole market. Check out what occurred around the world last quarter…
Chinese coin and bar demand hit the second highest volume on record. In the third quarter, demand for physical metal rose an incredible 57% over the same period last year.
Gold bar and coin purchases in Turkey are almost three times higher than last year.
Bar and coin demand in Europe rose 36% vs. 2016. German demand surged 45%.
South Korea demand jumped 42%. It’s admittedly a small market, but this shows once again that investors turn to gold when geopolitical tensions rise.
It’s clear that demand for physical metal is surging in many areas around the globe.
Central Bank Demand
Global central banks added 111 tonnes to their gold reserves last quarter, 25% more than the same period in 2016…
The Central Bank of Russia bought 63 tonnes, pushing their gold reserves to 1,778.9 tonnes. I like this quote from Russian newspaper Kommersant: “If US sanctions are expanded to block Russia’s assets invested in US Treasuries, gold will be a magic wand.” The trend is expected to continue, says Alexander Losev of Sputnik Asset Management: “The regulator will continue to amass gold in its reserves, decreasing the share of US Treasuries.”
The Central Bank of Turkey has gone bonkers for gold, its reserves now more than 50 tonnes higher than April 2016. Here’s what Turkey’s gold imports look like so far, from our friend Nick Laird of goldchartsrus.com:
You can see that a new record will almost certainly be set by the end of the year.
Other central banks increased their gold reserves last quarter, too…
- Kazakhstan purchased 10.3 tonnes last quarter, and has increased its gold reserves every month for the last five years.
- Qatar bought 3.1 tonnes
- Kyrgyz Republic added 1.3 tonnes
- Indonesia bought 1.2 tonnes
- Mongolia added 0.4 tonnes
While these increases are small in the big picture, it demonstrates that central bankers in emerging markets continue to see the need to add gold to their reserves.
Why are so many central bankers buying so much gold? They clearly see the need to denominate their reserves in physical metal.
Technology Demand Grows
Technology demand for gold rose 2% over the same period of 2016, reports the World Gold Council in its Q3 report:
- Gold used in wireless applications grew 8% over last year.
- Demand for 3D sensors, used in facial recognition, were higher than projected.
- Applications in gaming, vehicles, and healthcare are projected to see growing demand.
Government Expansions and Institutional Interest
Kuwait Plans to Build a $112.5 Billion ‘Gold City.’ The Ministry of Commerce and Industry asked Kuwait Municipality to allocate a plot to build a special “gold and jewelry city” over a 100,000 square meter area, which would make it the largest of its kind in the region.
The new “Gold Connect” exchange links the gold markets of Hong Kong and Shenzhen, and on the first day over nine hundred kilos of gold traded, worth 300 billion yuan, or $38.45 billion in US dollars. That’s not exactly chump change.
Hedge funds and money managers cut their long positions the past couple months, but their net positions are still higher than the start of the year.
According to Zero Hedge, Ray Dalio went on a gold buying spree last quarter: he increased his GLD holdings by a whopping 575% and became the 8th largest holder.
New Gold Supply Is About to Start a Long-Term Decline
As we’ve been reporting, new gold supply is destined to decline. Here’s BMO Capital Market’s prediction:
If they’re right, new gold supply will fall by almost one-third by 2025. There’s no way that doesn’t have an enormous impact on the market and prices. Read our original article to see how you could be impacted.
“The low-hanging fruit has likely already been picked” says Frank Holmes of US Global Investors. Explorers have to dig deeper… they have to venture further into more extreme environments to find economically viable deposits… regulations are tougher… production costs are higher… and no new method has been invented to extract gold from hard-to-reach areas.
Pierre Lassonde, chairman of Franco-Nevada, says gold mining production will decline significantly. “If you look back to the 70s, 80s and 90s, in every of those decades the industry found at least one 50+ million ounce gold deposit, at least ten 30+ million ounce deposits and countless 5 to 10 million ounce deposits. But if you look at the last 15 years, we found no 50 million ounce deposit, no 30 million ounce deposit and only very few 15 million ounce deposits. So where are those great big deposits we found in the past? How are they going to be replaced? We don’t know. We do not have those ore bodies in sight.”
Self-driving cars, solar power, and healthcare uses will demand more silver over the coming years, said analysts at the recent Silver Institute conference…
“Silver’s role in the auto industry will continue to grow due to safety upgrades in both human-powered and driverless autos, rear cameras, night vision, rear-object detection, and lane departure,” reports Steve Gehring, VP of safety and connected automation at trade group Global Automakers.
“Silver’s use in solar panels will increase at least through 2020,” says Larry Wang of Heraeus Photovoltaics. This despite panel manufacturers actively working on ways to reduce silver loadings per cell.
Silver paste is used in solar panels, and this chart shows the dramatic increase expected in demand over the next few years.
China has imported significantly more silver the past several months. According to customs authorities, August silver imports soared 68% over last year.
New Silver Supply Is Falling, Too
The Silver Institute’s World Silver Survey 2017 publication reported some sobering developments for future supply of this precious metal…
- Total silver supply fell by 32.6 million ounces in 2016.
- Global silver mine production in 2016 recorded its first decline since 2002.
- Silver supply from scrap is falling and hit its lowest level since 1996.
Gold Says, “The Future is Mine”
Add all this up and it’s hard to ignore that something seems to be gelling in the gold and silver markets. Future headlines will someday soon have a different tone, which will richly reward those who have stayed the course. Don’t be fooled by flat gold and silver prices—many investors around the world continue to add to their holdings, and new supply for both metals is about to start a long-term downtrend
In the meantime, I continue to use the current soft environment to add physical metals to my portfolio. Check out the brand new Canadian Maple Leaf, both gold and silver, what are widely considered to be the most secure sovereign coins in the world.


Starting the day with a bang, the Illinois Supreme Court released their ruling on two Chicago pension reformation plans, finding them unconstitutional, saddling the city with increased pension payments and making another set of municipal tax increases a near certainty.
“Though disappointing, this ruling does not change my commitment to ensuring employees and retirees have a secure retirement without placing the full burden on Chicago taxpayers,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement.
While the decision was a unanimous 5-0 ruling, Justices Charles Freeman and Anne Burke did not participate in the decision. Their districts both entirely lie within the City of Chicago. Justice Burke is also married to City Council Finance Committee Chairman, Ald. Ed Burke (14). Ald. Burke did not respond to Aldertrack’s request for comment on the pension ruling.
The Mayor’s pension plan was to reduce annuity benefits for public employees, then ramp up pension payments and put both funds on a path toward financial stability.
But there was no guarantee state courts would find it constitutional, so the Mayor and City Council took a series of risky bets last October when they approved the FY2016 budget, and with it a record $543 million property tax increase.
The first risk was when the Mayor’s Office based projected Municipal Employees (MEABF) and Laborers (LABF) pension payments on the law being upheld. Second, Mayoral staff based projected Police and Fire pension payments on the bet that state government would enact a bill to amend that payment schedule. That hoped-for bill, SB777, has passed the legislature, but has languished in legislative purgatory for over a year, passed by the Assembly, but unsigned by Gov. Bruce Rauner.
Amanda Kass, of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, called it a “fundamental misstep” and said that both laws were “very much up in the air” when the budget passed last October. “The city was hedging its bets on long shots,” she told Aldertrack yesterday, and that the record property tax increase was nowhere near what city pension funds needed.
During October’s budget process, several aldermen asked for worst case scenario plans, and suggested a bigger property tax hike might have been better. But the Mayor’s financial team, led by Budget Director Alex Holt and Chief Finance Officer Carole Brown, urged that their budgeted pension payments were safe bets for the time being.
At the time, the City Council’s newly formed Office of Financial Analysis, led by Ben Winick, agreed, concluding that the Mayor had little time to assess other options. “A number of other alternatives have been suggested [like a financial transactions tax, service tax, or commuter tax], and many of them warrant further discussion. But given the timing of when these liabilities are coming due, and the legal impediments to enacting them, the feasibility of assuming those changes to make the legally required pension contributions for 2015 and 2016 would not be a responsible course of action for the City to take.”
In the short-term, the city will actually need to make smaller pension payments, putting roughly $100 million less than originally planned for the FY 2015 payment into the Municipal Employee and Laborer Funds. Yesterday’s ruling means the city has to only make its statutorily required payment, based on a fixed multiplier, not the ramped up funding plan it pushed for in the law just struck down.
So what happens to the extra cash?
“The increased funding is set aside, and the City will make a final decision on how to utilize the additional funds once we’ve determined the next steps for the municipal and laborers pension funds,” Molly Poppe, a spokesperson for the city’s Budget Office told Aldertrack.
Explanation of Supreme Court Case & Ruling
The law the state’s highest court struck down, P.A. 98-641, would have increased city funding and employee contribution rates, while reducing annual increases for current and future retirees for the MEABF and LABF. The attorneys representing the city’s pension funds had argued the changes provided a “net benefit” to the beneficiaries by preventing the two funds from going insolvent in the next decade, and that in the long run, beneficiaries would benefit from a healthier and more stable pension fund.
Members of the two funds, which represent 79,000 city employees and non-teacher employees of CPS, argued the cuts infringed on their right to receive a pension, because under the Illinois constitution, public pension benefits cannot be “diminished or impaired.”
In their decision, the state’s highest court ruled that the city’s “net benefit” argument started from a “flawed premise,” because benefits are already protected under the state’s constitution. “The fact that some of its provisions are directed at improved funding cannot overcome the fact that constitutional rights of employees and retirees would be violated.”
The court also agreed with a lower court ruling that said the city’s argument didn’t hold up, because it had been warned, for years, that the current formula it uses to calculate its contributions was not sufficient to cover benefits, yet “the method of funding remained static.”
For example, in 2014, the city made a $180 million payment to the MEABF, which was based on that fixed multiplier of 1 or 1.25 times the total annual employee contributions. The “actuarially required” amount determined by the pension fund–the amount it needed to pay out owed benefits–was $839 million, a $659 million gap.
“The pension protection clause does not guarantee any particular method of funding, but, rather, guarantees the right to be paid,” the court opinion explained. The drafters’ original intent was to protect benefits, while giving the General Assembly the authority to take the necessary steps to fund the pension obligation.
Ruling May Hurt City Bond Ratings
The Civic Federation said the decision wasn’t a victory for anyone, because it doesn’t address the funds’ projected insolvency and “adds additional financial pressures to an already distressed City government.”
“The ruling also limits the options available to financially strained local governments throughout the State,” the Civic Federation said in an emailed statement, “and points to the need for a constitutional amendment to clarify the State’s pension protection clause. This should be yet another wakeup call to every member of the Illinois General Assembly and the Governor.”
There will likely be an immediate impact on the city’s credit rating. Credit agencies Moody’s and Fitch warned last spring that if the law was struck down, the city’s credit rating could take another hit. In a statement released Thursday morning, Moody’s said it “will continue assessing Chicago’s actions to address unfunded pension liabilities, including any initiatives specifically aimed at the plans affected by today’s court decision.”
Cook County Government Took Action To Avoid Pension Problems
In the 2016 budget, Cook County opted to contribute more to its employee pension fund (County Officers’ and Employees’ Annuity and Benefit Fund of Cook County) than what’s required by law. Commissioners approved a 1% sales tax hike in the summer of 2015. In addition to the $195 million pension payment required by law, the county will put an extra $270.5 million in revenue from that sales tax hike toward pensions to hit actuarially required targets.
The county pension fund is currently 57.5% funded, with a $6.5 billion unfunded liability.
There is a one year intergovernmental agreement with the County’s Pension Fund that allows those extra payments starting in April, but ratings agency Fitch said the move leaves “the county vulnerable to potential litigation from taxpayers challenging the increased payments.”
The first increased payment will be made April 29. As to whether the additional pension payments might open the county up to a lawsuit, Frank Shuftan, Communications Director for Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said, “it is speculative and responding at present would be equally speculative.”
“Our finance staff is reviewing today’s Supreme Court decision to determine how it impacts efforts to ensure long-term fiscal viability for the Pension Fund that serves County employees and retirees,” Shuftan said. “The Court’s decision appears to settle some elements of the law while leaving others open. We will continue our collaboration with all stakeholders to identify appropriate, constitutionally sound measures to restore and preserve the Fund’s long-term solvency.”


my dad would have turned 62 this past week.
how was it that it has been over 5 years since i heard his laugh...felt his touch?
it doesn't go away.
you don't stop missing, loving...picking up the phone to call...
not even after 5 years.
right after my dad was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma ; brain cancer, i took this picture.
(image scanned from a film shot 2004)
little did we know at the time, that all of his 5 kids would come to treasure this photo forever.
this is dad as we knew him...remember him...
his condition changed quickly...
not a day goes by that i don't miss him...think of him, love him.
he was a testimony to me.
in honor of my daddy, cliff muirhead, charlie and i have founded "project cliff."
if you have a minute or two, please read on...
and please keep us in mind as others come face to face with life threatening conditions.


A robot's reproduction is a very interesting but rather laborious process. You have to wrestle the problem of creation of a new cybernetic organism; it takes longer than the human average of two minutes! So our good friends Robo and Eny have decided to make a baby. Unfortunately they haven't the suitable components handy: microchips cost a lot in shops and modern processors are lacking even on the black market. But Robo would do anything for a happy future for his cyber-child. That's why he has to penetrate a frozen military laboratory. It is not easy to get there because its factories are located on a gigantic proving ground. This vast territory is full of abandoned machinery, deadly lasers and reflectors and dotted with portals and tunnels. There are few brave ones who'd dare even enter this zone, let alone pass through it from to the end.


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Marcus Weller, founder of Skully Helmets. / Martin E. Klimek, USA TODAY
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - The man in the black motorcycle jacket has a very Silicon Valley story. In that he's not from Silicon Valley, never really thought he'd be in Silicon Valley and now can't imagine being anyplace else other than Silicon Valley.
"This place is a playground for ideas," says Marcus Weller, 28, whose venture shares cavernous office space with dozens of other start-ups at the Mid-Point Technology Park just off Highway 101. "I'm amazed how fast things can arc here, if you have the right idea at the right time."
Weller hopes he's packing that magic combo, despite seeming, at first glance, an unlikely candidate for tech-gadget success.
The Minnesota native with a Ph.D. in industrial psychology recently spent three years sharing his insights on how leadership styles affect innovation with the highest echelons of the German government. At one juncture, he thought he might join the U.S. State Department. At another, he considered consulting.
Instead, thanks to an unfortunate motorcycle accident on the streets of Barcelona, Weller is now the man behind Skully Helmets, which boast a heads-up display that, well beyond providing turn-by-turn directions and other Web-based info, can broadcast an image of what is behind the rider thanks to a rear-facing camera.
For motorcyclists, the view backward is a potential death-trap filled with blind spots - due to side-view mirrors that often are small and shaky - mitigated only by turning one's head, which momentarily takes your focus off the road.
Skully's mission is to keep a rider's eyes always looking forward, with relevant data projected in the bottom right corner of the helmet through a small prism reminiscent of the transparent square found on Google Glass.
"Lots of development has been made over the years on the foam and plastic shell that's supposed to save you if you fall, but with Skully, here's a helmet that can actually help prevent the accident in the first place," says a resolute Weller.
The Skully Helmet, currently in working prototype form, should hit the market this spring. Weller hopes to get a number of test helmets onto the heads of select users for feedback soon. "We have 2,500 e-mails from people telling us why they must have this product now, which is encouraging," says Weller, who himself rides a silver Ducati Monster. "I'd like to think we can make a positive impact on the world."
Weller says the Skully price point will reflect "a premium product at great value," noting that most top-flight but tech-less helmets cost $300 to $800.
"As I like to say, 'How much is your head worth?'" he adds with a smile.
WELLER 'TENACIOUS' WITH PROBLEMS
Currently, the company's half-dozen employees are in full boot-strap mode, fueled by small investments from a few well-heeled friends.
One believer is Sean White, technologist-in-residence at Greylock Partners, one of the Valley's top venture capital firms. He's lending moral and intellectual support as a member of Skully's advisory board.
"Marcus is incredibly tenacious, if he finds a problem he'll work until it's solved, and I think that's in great part because this (invention) is personally relevant to him," White says. "He also has the advantage of not being attached to a mother ship, a big company with other core concerns. This is his singular focus."
White adds that while wearable computing is a particularly hot buzzword these days, many such products or prototypes are too futuristic to solve current needs.
"There's a lot of tech in the AR (augmented reality) space right now, but the true use cases are few and far between," he says. "(Skully) is almost boring from a technology point of view compared to some products you hear about, but it also is far more meaningful. Seeing 180 degrees behind you could save lives."
While the Motorcycle Safety Foundation doesn't comment on products in development, "we do encourage innovation and options that may be of value to riders and may increase their ability to see other roadway users, although consumers decide the merits" of such products, MSF CEO Tim Buche says.
Skully already sounds like it could be a potential solution to a problem many motorcyclists encounter, says Mark Tuttle, editor of Rider magazine.
"On most bikes, you look at your side view mirrors and you get a great view of your shoulders and elbows," Tuttle says. "This could work really well. My main concerns would be that the heads-up display itself wouldn't pose any issues with blocking vision, and that there's no compromise to the integrity of the helmet."
Weller says the Skully technology will be added to helmets sourced from a top manufacturer whose products meet all federal safety standards.
The prototype on display at the company's open-plan desk space features an elegant, swept-back design due to the tech innards and camera located in a protruding rear casing designed to break off in the event of impact.
CRASH PROMPTED LIFE CHANGE
Weller knows about crashes. In the middle of his job with the German government, he went to Spain for a few months. His daily mode of transport was his motorcycle. One day, while checking a street sign to his right, he didn't notice a woman in a Fiat slamming on her brakes until he was flying into the back of her car.
"My bike was totaled, and suddenly I went from feeling invincible to really bummed out," he says. "My first thought was, am I really making the impact I'm capable of making as a human being. That became a thorn in my side."
In short order, Weller decided to leave Europe and accept a job at a software firm in Silicon Valley, motivated in large part because of weather. "Where I grew up, they only canceled college classes if it was 50 below," he laughs. "I just wanted to be warm."
Then, last spring, he had a dream. He was on a motorcycle, but saw a GPS-based maps system "floating in front of me, which I knew would have saved me from my crash in Barcelona. I woke up, and went online to buy it. Nothing. And I thought, 'This just has to exist.'"
After months of funding himself and cobbling together makeshift helmets "using parts I bought on Amazon," he reached out to a few friends who'd done well in tech and found they were moved by his passion for the project. "They told me, 'We're investing in you, go for it.' So I quit my job."
Since last fall, things have accelerated. Weller has received advice on branding and business from a variety of incubators and mentors, and has taken meetings with executives of top motorcycle manufacturers. While he's buoyed by their interest, right now he has no interest in Skully being subsumed by a larger entity.
"I want to thoroughly disrupt a market," says Weller, spurred on by the audacity of youth and the conviction that he can make a difference. "This isn't just about a smart helmet. It's really about adding a layer of cortex to the brain. It hints at a near future where we can use technology to be more in touch with the world around us."
Indeed. If you're driving around these parts and roll up behind a guy riding a silver Ducati sporting a helmet that says Skully, just wave. He can see you.
USA TODAY's Change Agents series highlights innovators and entrepreneurs looking to change business and culture with their vision. E-mail Marco della Cava email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter:@marcodellacava.
Copyright 2015 USATODAY.com
Read the original story: Change Agents: Rear-facing helmet camera looks ahead


New Information Received From Bowls Canada regarding the 2021 Season.
Hello Bowls BC Board of Management:
Lynn recently attended a Bowls Canada hosted Webinex put on by the Bowls Canada lawyer. It was basically identical to the Webinex that the same lawyer held last year. I reviewed the Webinex the other day. There.Read more


At present, public opinion is still highly divided, but what is interesting is that in mid-December there was a general election in Japan and the DPJ, who had been the ruling party, and who were in favor of eliminating nuclear, were defeated and the LDP came back. They had been saying it was irresponsible for the government to insist we can reduce nuclear power to zero and that Japan needs to take time to consider the best energy mix.
So it is interesting that the public view is divided in this way and the LDP, who noted it is not possible to eliminate nuclear power, won an overwhelming victory. Clearly, the biggest priority in the campaign was not energy -- so it is important not to make too much of this. The main issue was economic revitalization and second, a range of social security issues. Energy was maybe the third most important. However, in any case Japanese opinion is still divided, but somehow most people are starting to consider the ramifications of Japan without nuclear and whether it can survive without it.
My view is that we need to have a balanced approach and not over-rely on nuclear or for that matter any other energy source. We need to consider and utilize it in a balanced way. For example, maybe 20-25% of our electricity should come from nuclear, down from the 30% or so it represented in 2009-2010 before the disaster. That may not sound like a big reduction -- but before the disaster there had been plans to raise nuclear power to 50%, given its positive impact on climate change, as it has zero emissions.
David Fuller's view Given Japan's energy dependence, it is sensible
for Shinzo Abe's government to inspect, modernise and restart many of Japan's
nuclear power stations.
Japan would also like to import shale gas and oil from the USA, as Masakazu Toyoda mentions on page 9. This is certainly understandable given the current cost advantages, which he explains, but I think this would only be token support from the USA. Despite a politically green president, most influential people in the USA will want to preserve their energy advantage, not least while the economy is still soft and the country needs to attract manufacturing industries.
However, Japan could build some political bridges within Asia, not least among the ASEAN countries, and import more oil and natural gas from them. This would probably take time but it surely makes long-term sense and Japan could offer technological assistance.
What does this interview suggest in terms of Japan's economic potential following the political change and new policies?
At the risk of becoming too enthusiastic and getting way ahead of events, I think we could be at the beginning of Japan's third seminal change since the 1960s. Fifty years ago, Japan was just a post-WWII developing economy. However, in the early 1970s, and some veteran subscribers will remember this, we began to see that Japan had extraordinary organisational and manufacturing skills.
Japan's meteoric rise in the 1980s was astonishing but in 1989 the bubble characteristics were obvious, and easily the biggest for a major economy that I have witnessed in stock markets. The subsequent bear market was predictable but also lasted much longer than I ever expected. There were some significant rallies, commencing in 1995, 1998 and particularly 2003, but none were sustained.
I continue to expect another significant rally for Japan (historic, weekly & daily) this year, and it actually commenced in mid-November from a trough in the region of the 2003 low. However, given the policy changes and the new consensus that appears to be developing in Japan, this recovery could be bigger than its post-1989 bubble predecessors. A considerably weaker yen (shown inversely against the USD - historic, weekly & daily) than most people are currently expecting would also be part of the process.
In saying this I have shared my hunch with you, but the reality check that we should all pay attention to will be the price chart action.
Incidentally, f eedback from subscribers who specialise in, or live in Japan, would be appreciated should time and your interest allow.
Lastly, Keith Rabin attached these comments with the link to the interview above:
"Morning - Greetings from Sunny Yangon. Please see article/interview above which you might want to post and will find of interest.
"If you can, please do me big favor :) and complete brief four question survey in link enclosed. It will take minute tops and Japanese favour this - and would like to maintain/expand this program next year."
I have completed the survey and invite subscribers to do so as well, as it only takes a few moments and may ensure further reports of interest.


EA allegedly considering two ways of re-introducing microtransactions into Star Wars Battlefront 2; Details
Nov 17, 2017 | 18 Comments
Prepare for puzzle madness in the addictive third instalment of the Bejeweled series, featuring brand new achievements, settings, and graphics. This is a 60 minute free trial.
Demo: Bejeweled 3


AND SISTER, FROM THE INSTITUTION TO THE MARRIAGE
Two persons, brother and sister, who did not know the
fact that in their veins the same blood flowed, they fall
in love, they got engaged and reached the threshold of
GAVE HIM WHEN HE WAS A BABY TO "ST. STYLIANOS"
Maria Rezian come from the U.S.A and met her son Chr.
Kokari after 48 years. She had given him to "St.
Stilianos" for protection. But when she returned
she was given another baby condemned dying...
RE-FOUND HIS FAMILY AFTER 55 YEARS
"I grew up as an only child…. Suddenly after 55
years I find myself with a family…" said Mr. Panagiotis
Chatzithanasis when he met his sisters, which he had never
known that he had.
At 15th of October 1998 the four brothers and sisters
CAR ACCIDENT BECAME THE REASON TO FIND AGAIN HER FAMILY
In 1998 Vana Patra had a car accident, from which she
survived. That unfortunate moment of her life became the
link, which reunited her with her biological mother and
her 29 years old sister...
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by Sakis Polizos


Roast Chicken, Rotisserie-Style
Here, instead of putting chicken on a turning spit, you rotate the chicken in a roasting pan and it sort of self-bastes.
473 calories per serving
21 g fat (8 g saturated)
0 g carbs
0 g fiber
66 g protein
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
3/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Large pinch coarse sea salt
1 whole roasting chicken (3–4 lb; preferably organic), neck and giblets discarded
Recipe courtesy of My Father's Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family & Togetherness by Gwyneth Paltrow
Heat oven to 400°. Mix butter, garlic salt, paprika, pepper and salt in a bowl. Rinse chicken inside and out; pat dry. Insert fingers between skin and breast to separate the two. Rub seasoned butter over chicken and under skin. Tuck wings underneath bird and tie together with a piece of twine. Tie legs together with another piece of twine. Place chicken on its side in a heavy roasting pan and roast 25 minutes. Turn onto its other side and sprinkle with several tbsp water; roast 25 minutes more. Turn chicken on its back; roast 10 minutes more. Turn on its breast; roast until skin is crispy and chicken is golden brown, 10 minutes more. Remove from pan and let rest, breast side down, 15 minutes, before carving (remove skin).


Having amassed over 5 million streams for both the title track and the follow up single, SINK IN, CHARLIE CUNNINGHAM has announced his second album, PERMANENT WAY, will be released via Infectious / BMG on 7 June 2019. Charlie marks the album news by unveiling his latest track, DON’T GO FAR.
DON’T GO FAR is signature Cunningham; swooping and diving to capture the deftest melody and the deepest emotion. The unique combination of agile guitar – the result of a two-year sojourn in Seville – and distinctive, spectral melodies has, via three EPs and a debut album [LINES, released to widespread acclaim in 2017] seen Cunningham amass over 170 million Spotify hits to date.
On PERMANENT WAY, Cunningham laughs in the face of the ‘difficult second album’ syndrome and ‘acoustic-singer-songwriter’ imagery with boosted dynamics, while retaining the essence of the man’s achingly personable appeal. The album documents life’s uncertainties; the need for intimacy and love but also space and independence.
Duncan Tootill returns to co-produce the album in part, but it was predominantly put together alongside producer and engineer Sam Scott. A trip to LA with producer Rodiadh McDonald [The XX and King Krule] added DON’T GO FAR and two further songs to the record. Pre-order PERMANENT WAY here: https://cc.lnk.to/PermanentWayEM
Charlie Cunningham recently completed an extensive tour of the USA ahead of a one-off headline show at London Queen Elizabeth Hall on Wednesday 12 June, EU festival dates throughout the summer, an EU tour in August, a further 13-date USA tour in September and a full 16-date EU tour in October. He then returns to the UK and Ireland for the following dates:
Sat 02 BRISTOL Redgrave Theatre
Sun 03 LEEDS City Varieties Music Hall
Mon 04 GATESHEAD Sage 2
Wed 06 MANCHESTER RNCM Concert Hall 2
Thu 07 OXFORD Holywell Music Room
Fri 08 BRIGHTON Old Market
Sun 10 LIVERPOOL Philharmonic Hall 2
Mon 11 GLASGOW Oran Mor
Tue 12 DUBLIN Button Factory
Tickets available from: https://www.charliecunningham.com/


The onsite car park is for ladies only please (see pink area on map below). Additional parking has been arranged by Tracie opposite the venue in Kwik Fit and Simply Bathrooms, plus next door’s forecourt at Indigo. We are only allowed to park round the corner in Indigo Print car park in Cambridge Road on Friday or Saturday nights when they do not have a night shift working at their printing factory.
Please note that the stone wall in the Kwik Fit car park, beside the pavement, is reserved for Carpet Factory and we cannot use this area.
Parking on the roads is only for 2 hours at any time.
With very little parking available, please park next to each other in line and sensibly so that we can all maximise the space.
The TLC Studio has a wonderful dance floor with great lighting and sound systems. The large main hall also has a stage with polished wooden floor, which can be used as a teaching area, and the more intimate back hall has the same flooring as the main hall. These different areas allow for multiple classes to run concurrently, including different music and dance styles (e.g. salsa & kizomba).


What Passengers Need to Know About the Dangers of Side-Impact Collisions
Side-impact, T-bone, or broadside—whatever you call it, a collision where one car slams into the side of another can be devastating. Depending on which side of the car is hit, this type of crash can seriously endanger the driver and passengers.
Many of these crashes occur in busy intersections when drivers fail to stop at traffic lights or stop signs. When a driver blows through a stop sign or red light, everyone in the intersection is put at great risk for a side-impact collision.
The Seriousness of a Side-Impact Collision
Some of the injuries that occur in broadside collisions include neck and back injuries, herniated discs, nerve injuries, internal organ injuries, head injury, traumatic brain injuries, and paralysis. The type of injury can be worse, of course, depending on the speed of the crash and the type of vehicles involved. For example, if a large truck or Sport Utility Vehicle smashes into the side of a small passenger car while traveling at a high speed, the results can be deadly.
Although side airbags and seat belts can help save lives and reduce the risk for injury in a T-bone crash, they don’t prevent all injuries from occurring. This is because the side of a car doesn’t absorb as much energy from a crash as the front of the vehicle does. The truth of the matter is that there is just more protection on the front and rear than on the side of cars.
Because there is a small amount of space between the side of the car and occupants, side-impact collisions continue to be looked at by engineers for a way to improve vehicle occupant safety. However, everyone in the auto industry knows that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) only tests the driver side for crashworthiness ratings. As a result, it appears that some automakers have tried to get away with only improving side crashworthiness by adding structural reinforcements on the driver side but not the passenger side. Now IIHS will begin randomly testing the crashworthiness on the passenger side to help keep occupants as safe as possible and keep automakers honest.
If you have been harmed in a side-impact crash due to someone else’s carelessness, you should speak with an accident attorney about your potential personal injury claim. You may have a claim against another driver or the automaker. To find out about your legal rights, call us at (301) 942-9118 for a free consultation.
Post a comment
Post a Comment to "Side Impact Collisions Put Drivers and Passengers in Danger"To reply to this message, enter your reply in the box labeled "Message", hit "Post Message."


Odiham Hardware Store is precisely what Odiham High-Street needs.
The perfect convenience for local homeowners and DIY lovers.
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“I would teach children music, physics, and philosophy; but most importantly music, for the patterns in music and all the arts are the keys to learning.” – Plato’s Republic
email contact at: firstname.lastname@example.org
While students at John C. Myers aren’t very likely to have a class in physics or philosophy, we do have music class once each week for 45 minutes. All instruction incorporates singing, playing classroom percussion and Orff instruments, movement, music theory, and music history.
Above all, it is my hope that students come to believe that they can be music makers and understand the music they hear around them.


In anticipation of the announcement of the results, we look back at how the competition has progressed.
The competition was held in two stages over the course of eight months. The Client that organised and commissioned the competition was Rublyovo-Arkhangelskoye CJSC. The project consultant was Strelka Institute of Media, Architecture and Design, whose experts developed the competition procedure; the compatition rules and regulations; and the competition brief; as well as analysed the applications and submissions. The first stage (2 September – 6 November) was a preliminary qualification and the Jury had to consider 83 applications from 22 countries in order to select 8 teams to participate in the second stage:
1. TPO RESERVE - MAXWAN
3. KCAP ARCHITECTS&PLANNERS, DE ARCHITECTEN CIE., BURO HAPPOLD, KARRES EN BRANDS LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS, MLAB, FAKTON AND PROSPERTITY PROJECT MANAGEMENT
4. SKIDMORE, OWINGS & MERRILL LLP AND ANDREY CHERNIKHOV ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN STUDIO LTD
5. GENSLER & ASSOCIATES INTERNATIONAL LTD
7. TEAM MOSCOW - ASTOC / HPP
8. PANERAI&ASSOCIES + MECANOO + HENRICH-ARTIGUES-BENNASAR + JAUZAPROJECT + BURO HAPPOLD + SPECTRUM
The second phase (7 November – 8 April) draws to a close with the announcement of three finalists. Upon the conclusion of the competition, the Client will undertake commercial negotiations with the finalists in order to determine which company will be engaged in the development of the project.


Before we let all 32 Days of Halloween slip away from us (and yes, sadly, another October will be behind us soon…alas!), there’s a couple of people I want to make an appearance. And yes, we’ve got a lot of Price, Cushing, Lugosi and Karloff…but during the years they were active it was hard to throw a stone into the genre and not smack one if not two of them in the head. So. Just a couple of folks here before we let the time get away with us.
First up, Ray Milland. The Uninvited, The Premature Burial, and of course, X, The Man With X-Ray Eyes from 1963. At first, he just sees through clothes, then through skin, then through reality itself. I just wish the alternate ending footage would mysteriously rematerialize. Oh well. Here’s the trailer for this gem:
And we would be remiss to not include Peter Lorre. M (but not with M-Ray Eyes), Mummy’s Curse, Poe adaptations and Mad Love, which I picked specifically because I just love the trailer. Lorre playing himself talking about the movie. Nice. The thing about Lorre is you knew him even before you knew him. At some point when you’re young, you’ll see a character or actor do an impersonation of Lorre (I’m thinking specifically of a Bugs Bunny cartoon) and then when you’re slightly older you actually see the man himself and realize that he’s the guy you’ve seen so many times before. Classic.


Amazing opportunity for a private retreat or build to suit acreage just off of 35. 880 Feet of Frontage on Old Hwy 81. Property is directly between Temple and Waco! Property has stunning oak trees, approx 14 acre pond, and the highest point in Bell County! Truly an amazing opportunity to create the retreat of your dreams or establish a community in an ever-growing part of Texas! Easy access to I-35, Temple, Belton, and Baylor Scott and White. Land being sold is total 105+- acres, Sales price will be determined with final survey. See Private Remarks for all Property IDS
Associate Ebby Halliday, Realtors
Preston Center Office
*Note: All room dimensions, including square footage data, are approximate and must be verified by the buyer.
The information contained herein is furnished by the owner to the best of his/her knowledge, but is subject to verification by the purchaser, and agent assumes no responsibility for the correctness thereof. The sale offering is made subject to errors, omissions, change of price, prior sale, or withdrawal without notice. In accordance with the Law, this property is offered without respect to race, color, creed, national origin, sex, familial status or disability. This is not intended to solicit property currently listed.
**Assumes 4.25% APR, 20% down payment, and conventional 30-year fixed rate first mortgage. Rates cited are for instructional purposes only; current rates are subject to change at any time without notice. You should not make any decisions based simply on the information provided. Additional required amounts such as taxes, insurance, home owner association dues, assessments, mortgage insurance premiums, flood insurance or other such required payments should also be considered. Contact your mortgage company for current rates and additional information.
Listing Agent:Paulette Greene
Broker:Ebby Halliday, REALTORS-Frisco


Well met on Audiko.net! Use an opportunity to download a free Morandi ringtones for your iPhone or mobile. Choose your favorite moment from your favorite piece of music - Afrika, Love Me, Serenada (Radio Edit), or any other track. Then download the prepared Morandi ringtones to your mobile, and enjoy Dance music by Morandi every time your phone rings. If you are going ape with Dance or maybe Pop and Morandi music, then you will probably like Lexter, Danzel, or Spit as well. For all who want a free Morandi ringtone, we also recommend listening to Electronic, Disco, and romanian. Depending on a phone model, you can obtain your tone both in the MP3 and m4a formats, compatible with both mobile phones and iPhones. Just select a track, and choose free Morandi ringtones download option.


Thanks to the babbling brook of social media, with enticing interviews and previews posted to Seattle Opera Blog -- to Jonathan Dean and his group -- a slow, soothing, continuous presence on Twitter and Facebook, I didn't. If I had, I would be retroactively kicking myself for years to come.
The production, by the inseparable director/choreographer Renard Doucet and set/costume designer Andre Barbe and their long-time collaborator, lighting designer Guy Simard, is a visual and dramatic knockout in which both elements build and build, using about 100 people, including chorus and supers. Speight Jenkins explained that the orchestra uses 85 players -- the three percussionists were featured in an article in the program -- the same size as the orchestra for "Tristan und Isolde." What made it affordable is that it's a co-production with four other companies, Pittsburgh Opera, where it premiered last March, Minnesota Opera, where it goes next, Utah Opera, and Cincinnati Opera.
From the video linked above and some of the photos you can see the deliberately circular elements in the sets and costumes, representing the circle of life, and secondarily, at least to my eyes, the ways in which people are trapped in repetitive behavior. (As soprano Marcy Stonikas notes, in this staging, Ping, Pang, and Pong yawn before she sings "In questa reggia", because they've heard this dozens of times by now, at least from their incomplete count of fallen princes.) The center of the stage is a circular platform leading to an upstage tunnel, surrounded by a raked, ringed platform with single steps painted to look like blood-stained marble. In Act I, there was a simple, small two-tiered circular "wedding cake" platform in the middle of the platform, used by the dancers to create a number of striking images. Making a three dimensional globe were stage wide circular arches with circular motifs leading to a large circular moon (scrim) and, of course, the circular gong to the side. Reliefs of the heads of some of the unsuccessful suitors were hung in yet another circle. The director and designer took Chinese numerology into consideration, and it can't be a co-incidence that the only square (cubic) element was behind the circular scrim, the throne for the Emperor, since four is the number of death. As designer Barbe said,
"It starts with the moon. There’s this big circle onstage at the beginning of the first act, when they sing about the moon, which is the symbol of Turandot. And inside the moon there’s a box in which she and the Emperor, whom they call figlio del cielo (son of the skies) both appear. He’s literally carrying the sky on his shoulders, and he’s tired of doing this. He wants his daughter to marry and give him a grandson, some future."
With the exception of Calaf (black) and the three ministers (aqua), the sets and costumes were primarily bathed in red, a fortuitous color in China, or were in white, the color of mourning, for Turandot and her ladies. The costumes differentiated not only between the peasants and the court, but among the various factions and hierarchies of the court. The dancers' costumes especially wafted in the air as they moved, and were the most striking: in Act I, they dancers wore conical hats with a big red feather at the top, and armor like grey and silver grading to red, billowy bottoms, sleeves, and capes. In the choreography they stepped on the little wedding cake platform on the center platform facing each other, and joined arms, leaning back and creating a sunburst effect and then tilting forward touching feathers in the center, like a flower. In the second and last acts, the dancers costumes had four poles with billowing fabric and wore big headpieces; they had more challenging choreography, especially given the costumes. The maidens whom Ping, Pang, and Pong summoned to bribe Calaf into leaving avoided stereotypical shimmying, but instead shimmered in their white, silky dresses, like wisps of cloud.
Until the final over-the-top (in context) PDA embrace -- okay, thematically she show she's human and all and there's a new world order, but still -- there were reams of processional, ceremony, and formality, and Doucet's way of moving all of groups onstage with purpose and integrating them all, especially the dancers, and using gesture was spectacular. Speight Jenkins explained that Puccini wrote Ping, Pang, and Pong as Commedia figures, which Doucet ran with, even incorporating British music hall in the mix, giving them choreography and stage business more complex than Mao's women in the Met's "Nixon in China," with the added need for spot-on comic timing, which Patrick Carfizzi (Ping), Julius Ahn (Pang), and Joseph Hu (Pong) showed to perfection. Carfizzi, with his rich baritone, was the alpha of the three, and I curse the fog at SFO that delayed my June flight by five hours and made me miss his Henry Kissinger in "Nixon in China." The usually interminable "I have a dacha, oy, I need to retire, this job is killing me" scene at the beginning of Act II went by in a flash.
One of the most magical scenes was after the death of Liu, the point at which Puccini stopped composing before his death a few months later. The orchestra went silent, and as nearly 100 people slowly followed the funeral procession off into the wings, a single figure sat kneeling, until the stage was otherwise empty. He stood down stage center, and then ran into the tunnel and offstage, as if the soul of Puccini was being whisked away.
The attention to detail was amazing. For example, instead of a boisterous crowd knocking Timur to the ground, a peasant was manhandled downstage center by the royal guards as Timur and Liu made their way through the crowd, and it was he, blindly trying to escape the torture, who knocked down the blind man. I don't know how many of these moments I missed; it was like trying to watch a Ratmansky story ballet.
All of the depths and subtleties of the chorus and supers and their graceful interaction on stage made the four principal characters an issue dramatically. They had to stand out from the crowds, but at least in the Opening Night cast, they tended toward stock opera movement in sharp contrast to rest of the performers. It wasn't quite park-and-bark, but came dangerously close, particularly for Turandot Lori Philips and Calaf Antonello Palombi, who acted with a lot of bluster. I half expected him to pat Turandot on the head in the last act: he was cut out of the same testosterone-fueled, condescending, male-dominance cloth as Cavaradossi. His was the Captain Kirk of Calafs.
Usually it's Turandot who is considered the inhuman character/ice princess until she inexplicably falls for Calaf and does a 180. (Then everyone blames it on Puccini having died before finishing the work.) But Liu means as little to Calaf as she does to Turandot until about the very end, and his blustering outrage about her death is a bit late in the game, if he doesn't have an equal transformation to Turandot's. (Palombi didn't convince me that he suddenly turned into Mr. Sensitive or even Mr. Thoughtful.) In this staging, after Timur explains that Liu saved him and begged alms for him, Calaf went to his bag -- I half expected him to take out a few coins and toss them to her for her trouble -- and handed his father something to drink, ignoring the fact that Liu might be a little thirsty herself, having supported his father physically and emotionally in exile. (I didn't keep watching to see if Timur gave her a sip.) He's a royal, and the peasantry, no matter how close to him, is just not on his radar. In this production, Turandot is self-protective, afraid, and, eventually conflicted. It's not that she isn't moved by Liu, this strange creature who's willing to die for a man she barely knows, but her fear is driving all of her behavior. This is borne out in the libretto, in which, according to Jenkins, Puccini was not only a participant, but with which he wrote that he was satisfied.
Peter Rose, who played Timur in both casts, reminded me of the short story where an actor explains that to appear drunk convincingly, an actor has to try to move as if he were sober. His blind man would have been more effective if he had tried to walk like a sighted person. However, he shined after the death of Liu, his stentorian tones filling the house, and his curse on the kingdom was bone-chilling. Liu doesn't have much acting leeway, always trying to be helpful or recede into the background, and how much she's integrated into the action is largely dependent on chemistry with the other cast members.
In the Opening Night cast, I didn't see a lot of chemistry among the characters. Vocally Lori Phillips has a strong voice, but I found it much like other Turandot's I had heard, including my beloved Birgit Nilsson (on recordings): harsh and strident, although she was very moving in the scene in which after Calaf answers the riddles, she begged her father to let her out of the bargain, showing her fear and vulnerability. Lina Tetriani's Liu was strong, and she could float a nice pianissimo, and while a big, dramatic voice, I found it hard for the character. If Palombi's Calaf was thinking below the waist, his voice made it almost not matter: the sound is gorgeous and resonant, and it's easy to respond viscerally to it, like after swallowing a nice, warm brandy. He was made for Puccini's sweeping, dramatic lines.
In the Q&A after yesterday's matinee, Speight Jenkins said that this is the first production he's seen in which the dramatic parallels between "Turandot" and "Siegfried" were clear. I think this was obvious to anyone who had seen both operas, and the parallels actually extend back to "Die Walkure": a woman bargains with her father to create a heroic test, with failure=death (implied in the Ring), to vet prospective suitors, the father is happy with the hero -- although in "Turandot," he's not trying to match his daughter with his grandson -- and when that suitor passes the test, tries to convince him to leave her in her virginal state, even as her feelings awaken. What's most similar are the conversations and negotiations within the opera, and for that to work requires subtle listening and reacting in the moment.
For me, the second cast was golden. As Liu Grazia Doronzio had sweetness in her tone, and she filled McCaw Hall with a golden, drama-filled soprano with wide ranging dynamics and many colors. Luis Chapa doesn't have as big or naturally beautiful voice as Palombi, but he's an exponentially better actor and stage presence: he has the talent for stillness while commanding attention -- the only other male singer I've ever seen do this was Samuel Ramey as Pope Leo in "Atilla," a much smaller role -- and somehow showing the audience that he is thinking and absorbing what goes on around him. His "Non piangere, Liu" -- maybe my favorite tenor aria -- was not just "Here's a tissue, Liu," but conflicted, having just found his father and being about to risk it all. "Nessun Dorma" emerged out of the fabric of the scene, following Puccini's genius. In both the give-and-take of riddle solving and in the climactic duet towards the end of the opera, his attention to what Turandot was saying was palpable. As Timur contracted in agony as his son once again seemed to drag defeat from the jaws of victory (and with tragic results), instead of demanding his rights to marry her, he gave Turandot an option, not just because he's smug, although his Calaf was not lacking confidence, but because he wanted Turandot to come to him of her own will. It's not often we see a thinking man's Puccini tenor, but what was even more remarkable, was how much chemistry he had with Marcy Stonikas' Turandot. Perhaps the saying that there's nothing sexier than a man who listens bore fruit on that stage.
Stonikas has a big, beautiful, clear dramatic soprano sound, and she sang as if she understood every word, not just the general arc, and not only what she was saying, but what the other characters were, too. She reacted to specifics, and her thinking was clear, too, especially as she started to formulate her plans to learn Calaf's name, moments after he gave her an out. A former member of the Seattle Young Artists' Program, she doesn't have a very long performing bio, but any General Director with half and ear should be ringing her now and trying to book her years in advance. Her voice is epic. (ETA: Seattle Opera just posted a short excerpt to this page.)
It's almost getting to sound like a cliche to talk about the excellence of the Seattle Opera Chorus, but under Beth Kirshhoff's direction, Renaud Doucet's directing, and Asher Fisch's conducting, they sang and moved magnificently, and were the spine of the work. With so many players and so many sounds built in, a not-so-subtle approach can be exciting to hear, but, while it should seem obvious but doesn't always happen, Fisch listened and heard the score particularly its light and shade, and he got the orchestra to play it that way. (A small clip of Palombi at the end of Act II, but listen to what the orchestra is doing, too, especially the second half. It's what makes Fisch such a splendid conductor of Wagner and the orchestra consistently a glory of the Seattle Ring.)
To anyone in Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, and Cincinnati when this production comes along, run to see it.


Mike D Antoni resigns as Head coach of the Knicks!
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03-14-2012, 02:18 PM
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Re: Mike D Antoni FIRED!!
Someone PLEASE show me a source! Please, i just googled this and nothing came up! Ah if so this just made my day!
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Ok, ok, I know I've been bagging on them a lot this season, but the fodder keeps coming faster than Rex Ryan on his wife's feet.
At least that's the assumption, as reports of some foot fetish videos posted on YouTube are rumored to be those of Michelle Ryan, Rex Ryan's wife. Deadspin
first uncovered the videos, noting the woman in the videos shares several characteristics with Michelle, goes by “ihaveprettyfeet” on YouTube and has a series of them. As the Huffington Post points out, there are some details that go beyond just the visual evidence.
According to the report, a user with the name of “ihaveprettyfeet”
posted a personal profile on a foot fetish site in which her location
is listed as Ellicott City, Maryland., where the Ryans lived before they
moved to New York. A separate profile at Alt.com
for a user named “Ihaveprettyfeet” lists a couple in Ellicott City,
Maryland looking for “Men, Couples (man and woman) or Groups for erotic
email exchange, Performing only (little or no contact), Watching only
(little or no contact) or active participation.” In the profile, one
user's birthday matches Rex Ryan's exactly (December 13, 1962), as
Deadspin points out.
Of course, the Jets and Ryan have declined to comment, calling it a “personal matter.” Unfortunately for me, I think I've watched a few of these videos already.


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In Galveston, Texas, in 1899, a dying woman demands a promise of her friend and housekeeper, Nan Ogden: to look after Andre, the dying woman’s son. Reluctantly Nan gives the promise, only to find herself caught up in a love triangle when Andre’s father brings home a new wife, a disgraced pianist called Catherine.
In 1900 the small island of Galveston was engulfed in a hurricane. Weisgarber has researched the time period and the storm thoroughly, although the novel wears its research lightly. The author also describes the surroundings and the weather with precision and elegance: “The barn was an island in a sea of water… The rain was a thousand waterfalls”. She has a real talent for focusing sharply on the small, poignant details of everyday life; for example, when near-destitute Catherine realises she should have brought a present when meeting Andre, she opens her purse: “My mirror. My comb. The torn halves of train tickets.” Later, she decides the best present will be “a shiny penny”.
I only have two minor complaints about this book: firstly, the pace sagged slightly in the middle, after Catherine has arrived but before the hurricane hits, as though the author is killing time waiting for the next event to happen. Secondly, the book is titled The Promise, but after Nan has made her promise none of the characters ever seem to reflect on it again, and it does not affect Nan’s decision-making processes at all. The Promise is beautifully written, and its characters are well-drawn, but the promise itself seems an afterthought tagged on as a prologue. Despite this, it is a worthy and enjoyable read from an author previously longlisted for the previously-named Orange Prize for Fiction.


by Alan Yudman
The original BLADE RUNNER was based on the Phillip K. Dick novel, “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep”. If Dick had subtitled BLADE RUNNER 2049 it might have been “Do Androids Dream of Wooden Horses”.
That first movie is considered a ground breaking in the science fiction genre. It was dark and thought provoking. The hero was really an anti-hero. It dealt with themes such as humanity, what it means to be alive and slavery.
So, could Ridley Scott’s 35-year-old vision of the future be updated or expanded upon? Why even try? The answers are absolutely and why not? BLADE RUNNER 2049 is a worthy sequel to the original. It is the rare copy that is better than the original. Kind of like a Tyrell Nexus-8 is a vast improvement over the Nexus-6.
Rather than craft this himself, Scott turned the reigns over to Denis Villeneuve, the director responsible for ARRIVAL, SICARIO and PRISONERS. Sorry, “responsible” has a negative connotation. He is the genius that brought us those wonderful movies. The “franchise” is in good hands.
BLADE RUNNER 2049 shows us a more dystopian future. There has been a war. A new more compliant type of android has been developed by a genius (mad) named Niander Wallace (Jared Leto). The Blade Runners are now hunting down the last of Tyrell Corporation’s Nexus-8 models who are “blessed” with an open ended lifespan. One of Wallace’s improved androids is a Blade Runner. Ryan Gosling’s “K” has found one on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Sapper Morton (Dave Bautista) is farming and living alone. While dispatching Sapper, K finds clues to something else. Something dangerous.
That is where BLADE RUNNER 2049 turns into a kind of noir detective story. K uncovers clues that indicate a Tyrell android gave birth to a child about 30 years ago. A dangerous idea in a society where androids are thought of as less than human. But if they can give birth? The ballgame will change.
Wallace seems to know all this. His androids are wonderful, but cannot parent a child. That makes them less than perfect in his eyes. He wants perfection. So he dispatches his “henchwoman” Luv (Sylvia Hoeks) to shadow K because he knows this will lead him to the child and his/her father. And that will give Wallace the knowledge he needs to make his perfect creation. K has to track down Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) to get answers.
That is the basic plot of BLADE RUNNER 2049. But there is so much more. It delves deeper into what humanity really is. It again addresses, but doesn’t answer the question of slavery. Wallace has a chilling monologue about that. That’s the thing. The movie asks questions, but does not really answer them. That’s ok. It is thought provoking in the best possible way.
Villeneuve’s vision of Los Angeles (and San Diego and Las Vegas) is right in line with the first movie. It is dark, dirty and depressing. Gloomy does not begin to describe the tone. The visuals are breathtaking thanks to Roger Deakins. The score by Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch is perfect.
Gosling is wonderful. How do you bring humanity to something that isn’t human? K has memories, including one about a toy wooden horse that is key to unravelling the mystery. But is that his memory or is it implanted. You can read the confusion and frustration in Gosling’s eyes. He is cold, but not unfeeling (he has a virtual wife). Gosling is subtle in all the right ways. Leto is a great villain. Not mustache twirling at all. But he is menacing.
BLADE RUNNER 2049 is nearly 3 hours long. But even though it is not packed with action, it is packed with tension and great filmmaking. So those hours fly by. We have waited a long time for the next chapter in this story. It was worth it. This is a great movie on every level.


Who is going to be responsible for the new dog?
Decide who will be the primary caregiver for the dog. Someone needs to be in charge to make sure that he is fed and walked, or to notice any changes in his health. As kids grow, their interest in the dog will change.
Who will take care of your new pet?
Since dogs are unable to take care of themselves it is important for pet owners to make sure their pet’s needs are being met, such as exercise, feeding, bathing and vet care. In our busy everyday lives, our dogs can sometimes be forgotten. Walks are skipped, meals missed or illnesses go unnoticed. One person in the house needs to be responsible for the dog or puppy.
Can children be primary dog caregivers?
Children can benefit so much from owning a dog, but they cannot always be responsible for one. Plus, their interests change so quickly! You also have to consider that your child might go to a college or move out into a place that does not allow dogs, sports and extra curricular activities can also eat up a lot of time that is needed to take care of a dog.
Age plays a big factor in how much responsibility a child can have in taking care of a dog. Young children may not be able to exercise their new friend properly, but are able to feed, water and help bathe them. An adult must be ready to be take on the responsibility to make sure the dog or puppy is being properly cared for.


Driver Problems After Clean Install Of Windows
Justin November 8, 2016 Reply thanks much for the article Antonio Pinheiro November 9, 2016 Reply Thank's!! I always only download the LAN and Wireless drivers because from there windows update or you can do everything else. I have the same problem.But how can you transfer them.. Then I installed the OS again and the same thing happened. navigate here
John January 3, 2017 Reply Thank you, this fixed my problem, tried a few other suggestions on the web without any luck. So I followed your steps and after I got to the end, I ran the updater for five minutes and had 32 updates. Joe Nechanicky December 27, 2016 Reply I just installed W7 pro on a computer; this is second install this week. I keep getting messages that there's updates but it never updates, just keeps searching even after letting it run all night which someone said I should try. This Site
Install Drivers After Clean Install Windows 10
Thank you. Reply to Urumiko trk_26Mar 14, 2016, 6:43 PM Same here. JimJim Beano December 14, 2016 Reply Hi, I find that you have to be completed disconnect from the internet, or else it run the infinite ever looping searching for updates dialog However, generally speaking the key to enter your BIOS is the ‘Delete / Del’ key.
Of course we do not install driver here, we just MAKE USE of the copy/paste feature of the select file/folder of Windows Explorer to copy ours DRIVERS to hard disk. 4. FOR PRESIDENT !!I do upgrades/maintenance/virus-malware removal for 2 small companies here in Charlotte, NC and am always having to reformat and reinstall Windows 7 on either desktop or laptop computers. In this way, you can install the most recent drivers. Way 4: Use Driver Easy to Update Drivers AutomaticallyIf you have problem updating drivers manually or not sure what drivers you should install, you Windows 7 Won't Update After Fresh Install hoennmasterJaden December 20, 2016 Reply My computer won't even download these updates 🙁 sadat December 21, 2016 Reply can you help me ti doesn.t work Andy D.
Before this update, you had to do an in-place upgrade in order to get the free upgrade offer from Microsoft, and then you could do a clean install of Windows 10. Installing Drivers After Clean Install I do want to learn some basics however, since this information may turn out to be very helpful one day. To download appropriate drivers, you need to get the device model name and specific operating system version (Windows 7 32-bit or Windows 7 64-bit). A majority of users who do a clean install of Windows ever encountered this embarrassing situation: no internet connection on the computer.
This time, you’ll want to select the primary output display as PCIE. How To Install Drivers On Windows 7 Manually If you want to install other drivers, you can complete all the jobs with one “Repair” Click.All the functions that Driver Talent have are adapted in Driver Talent for Network Card. After reinstalling Windows, you may be able to download a setup file or a trial of the same version of the software and then activate it using that retrieved product key. Download Network Drivers from One Computer to AnotherIf you have one more computer available, you can use it to help download drivers for your computer which has no Internet access.
Installing Drivers After Clean Install
Reply to DustinB621 MitrovicNov 27, 2016, 5:21 PM PaulR08 said: daddyleon said: house70 said: You already have the answer, download the drivers for that particular laptop on another PC and transfer http://plugable.com/2016/06/08/windows-7-wont-update-what-to-do/ The freezes appear to occur only if your apps and data are stored on a separate hard drive to Windows 10 on an SSD. Install Drivers After Clean Install Windows 10 I don't have a CD/DVD rom in the laptop. How To Install Drivers On Windows 7 Ultimate Is it possible to get it updated again to win10 after restoring the laptop to factory default?
So. check over here Dan December 23, 2016 Reply At step 6 it would not offer to install so I jumped to 10. Yes. The operating system has enough generic drivers to get a basic system up and running for all computers but will lack specialized hardware drivers needed to run newer network cards and Clean Install Windows 7
Alternatively, it may be worth considering updating to Windows 10. How To Install Drivers On Windows 7 Without Internet Does C check if a pointer is out-of-bound without the pointer being dereferenced? If you’re backing up to a secondary internal drive, be sure it’s physically a different drive than your main drive.
As an additional extra you could also disable iGPU Render Standby to fully disable iGPU from being used.
My recommendation: Don't try other approaches; just install the factory image again and follow the sequence of steps PRECISELY. I chose to manually install only the important updates.I might recommend not trying to update right away, and get on with reloading your programs etc. The solution is to fully disable the integrated GPU.There are two solutions depending on how far you’ve progressed with your Windows 10 installation: How to fix black screen boot problems: How Windows 7 Won't Update 2016 After a lot of different approaches I found your solution.
Once I could identified SP1 I unchecked all other update and only check SP1 and chose update. But the "Windows Update Diagnostic" repaired these errors, and thus allowed the updates recommended here to install properly. Kyzrael January 15, 2017 Reply Thank you so much for this article. weblink This worked like a charm!
In my case, the updates in step 12 were NOT optional, and only when the very last one (December) was installed did Windows update function. Then transfer the .exe file onto your computer to install. GC December 16, 2016 Reply You my friend are a "frigg'n" genius and Microsoft should take lessons from you! Given that there won't be patches for Vista in the very near future, I would really recommend upgrading to a newer version of Windows as soon as possible.
Typically, if all else fails, starting over with a new Windows 7 installation and going through these steps will get things back to a good state if other problems are present. Scroll down until you find two tasks that need to be stopped: Problem Reports and Solution Control Panel Support Windows Error Report Service Disable these by unchecking them, then click Apply, Required fields are marked *Comment Name * Email * Search Latest Knowledge Base AMD Radeon HD 6950 Graphics Drivers Update on Windows 10 Right Click Doesn't Work on Touchpad Windows 10 All of a sudden Windows update refused to work.
i can not do a rollback or anything like that Bornyesterday December 7, 2016 Reply This was an incredibly detailed, fantastic fix.


This primary purpose of this update is to resolve any compatibility issues with iOS 7.
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Living in Las Cruces my whole life and moving on up to the bigger city of El Paso I realized just how many restaurants in El Paso there are that should be in Las Cruces. Here are 7 I think should be in Las Cruces.
Valentine's Day is Friday, and that means a lot of us will be going to dinner with our significant other. Dinner sounds lovely doesn't it? Well, when it's Valentine's Day dinner, there's a lot of added pressure being served up alongside the appetizer and entree
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and if you want to let someone else do the heavy lifting and just sit back and enjoy a great meal, there are a few places in town that will be open for you to nom nom nom on Turkey Day, and one that will be having Thanksgiving dinner this weekend
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Located in the North of Portugal, Minho region is delineated by the border with Galicia in Spain and by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of over 1.1 million people, the region is often associated with the greenness of its natural surroundings, where there is plenty of water, a rugged landscape of enormous beauty and biodiversity, a landscape that becomes flatter nearer the valleys of the four rivers that cross the region and in the many beaches of its coastal area. The unique and traditionally man-made landscape is characterised by vineyards and maize fields, villages with granite buildings and manor houses which, along with the hospitality of its people, the rich gastronomy and the vibrant traditions are the other features often associated with the region’s character! The artistic expressions date back to the Romantic, passing through the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Minho is the biggest wine producing region in Portugal. The region’s climate is influenced by the sea breeze that blows from the Atlantic Ocean and this is why the temperatures are mild all year round. The precipitation levels are very high, which results in relatively high humidity levels, thus allowing for light, mildly acidic and delicate sparkling wines to be obtained.
Founded by the Honourable Vasco Faria, the company is a family-run business with a strong connection to the winemaking sector since 1975. Currently run by the founder’s grandson, it has 4 properties: 2 in Guimarães (Quinta de Freixieiro e Quinta de Cutiães) and 2 in Famalicão (Quinta de Pereira e Quinta do Xisto) where the “Encosta do Xisto” vinho verde is produced, using solely and exclusively the finest grapes from our very own vineyards. In the properties located in the Minho region, where there are around 24 hectares of vineyards, you can find the best wine grape varieties around this area. They are used to produce the white wines (Loureiro, Alvarinho, Trajadura e Arinto), the rosés (Espadeiro) and the reds (Vinhão), all highly regarded in this region. The grapes are harvested by hand and keeping the wine grape varieties apart allows the wine to be made separately, and later divided into lots according to the resulting wine characteristics. In our property, Quinta do Xisto, in Requião, Vila Nova de Famalicão, there is a wine cellar where all the sparkling and green winemaking takes place, using the latest traditional winemaking methods.
Quinta de Pereira, located in Esmeriz (Vila Nova de Famalicão), dates back to 1170 when and it was founded by a noble medieval knight, D.Nuno Gonçalves Pereira but was D.Nun'Alvares Pereira who immortalized this property offering as dowry to the marriage of D. Afonso I (King of Portugal) to his daughter. Centuries after, was acquired in 1975 by Vasco Faria that decide to star dedicate the land of the estate to the production of grapes to produce high quality vinho verde under the brand "Encosta do Xisto".
Quinta de Cutiães, located in Guardizela (Guimarães), is the oldest of our estates in Minho region and its history is prior to the founding of Portugal, dating back to the height of the Roman presence in the Iberian Peninsula (first century). In those times it was a fortified village, where lived representatives of Rome empire. Even today anyone can clearly see evidence of this people when visiting this estate, like the stone wall surronding it and several stones houses with typical architectural features from that time. Owned by tha family of Vasco Faria for the last 3 centuries, the first winery was built here and only a few years ago moved to the Quinta do Xisto.
Quinta de Freixieiro, located in Guardizela (Guimarães), dates back to 1720, when we can find the first records of this estate, when was property of the Conevnto de Santa Clara de Amarante (old convent). In the beginning of the twentieth century was part of the Vasco Faria family through an ancestor who inherit this estate and since then the lands where dedicated to the production of vinho verde for over 1 century until today.
Quinta do Xisto, located in Requião (Vila Nova de Famalicão), is where our winery it’s placed and it’s the spot that gives the name to our vinho verde "Encosta do Xisto”. The grapes from another vineyards, that we own in this region, is brought to this estate where we make the vinification to small lots with high quality. So, we can say that our vinho verde born in a hill (Encosta) of the estate Quinta do Xisto, the spot where is located the winery, giving this way the brand name “Encosta do Xisto” to the wine.


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