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Flagship Home Theater. The very words evoke the highest quality in audio and video reproduction. Anthem, a well-established maker of high end audio products has just released their first display, the THX-certified LTX-500 LCoS Projector. Like their audio gear, Anthem is marketing this unit as a reference quality piece. In their own words, "A full HD 1920×1080 'Reference' point of view… brings the scale and excitement of the Cinema experience home." Have they achieved their goal? Boy did I ever have fun finding out!
For this review, Anthem sent me a package consisting of the LTX-500 projector, Statement D2V Surround Processor, Statement A5 Multi-Channel Amplifier and a Black Diamond II Screen from SI Screens. Because of the tremendous number of features engineered into these components I have divided the article into two parts. Part 1, which you are reading now, will focus on the LTX-500 and Black Diamond II. Part 2 covers the Statement D2V and Statement A5.
Anthem is a company that pretty much needs no introduction. They have manufactured high-end audio components for over ten years. Their multi-channel processors and amplifiers have achieved an almost legendary status. When they announced their first front projector, I took particular notice. New displays from high-end manufacturers are a rarity in this highly competitive market. Anthem knew they'd have to bring something very special to the table. As you'll see when you read on, they most definitely have.
Paired with the LTX-500 for Part 1 of the review, I installed the new Black Diamond II screen from SI Screens. The Black Diamond II has a twofold design goal. Firstly it provides a very high contrast rendition and secondly the image holds up well under ambient light. It does this with a very special screen material that directs more light back to the viewer rather than allowing it to scatter off to the sides. The material is available in two gains, .8 and 1.4. I was fortunate to have both materials on hand to test with the LTX.
Projector Specifications
- Panel type – Three 0.7″ LCoS
- Native Resolution: 1920×1080
- Zoom Ratio: 1.4-2.8
- Light Output: 900 lumens
- Contrast Ratio: 50,000:1
- Screen Size – 60"-200" diagonal
- Throw Range: 6-39 Feet
- Inputs – 2 HDMI, 1 component, 1 S-Video, 1 Composite, 1 PC (D-sub)
- THX certified
- Fan Noise: 19 dB
- Control: RS-232, 12v Trigger
- Lamp Power: 200 Watts
- Dimensions: 6.6″ H x 14.4″ W x 18.9″ D
- Weight: 24.3 Pounds
- Anthem AV
The Projector Design
The LTX-500 is a very compact and efficient design. The overall size and weight is a bit less than other LCoS models. The lens is offset to the left as you look at the front of the projector and is protected by a motorized door. The door opens and closes automatically on power on and power off. The case is finished in a high-gloss black with just a hint of metal flake. Ventilation is handled by a small intake in the front and an exhaust at the side. There is a cleanable and replaceable filter on the left side. The ventilation system has internal baffles which reduce fan noise to a whisper. The LTX is among the quietest projectors I've ever encountered. The red striping on the top and side adds a bit of flair that I found attractive. Overall the design strikes a nice balance between style and function.
The LTX has four independently adjustable feet. This makes it easy to get the geometry just right when shelf mounting as I did. The projector weighs just under 25 pounds so you won't need a particularly beefy ceiling mount if you choose to go that route. There are controls on the top of the unit for Power, Input, Hide (image blanking) and menu navigation. There are also three status lights for power, lamp and system warning. The input jack panel is on the right side at the bottom.
The remote is well-thought out and comfortable to use. I had no problems bouncing IR commands off the screen to control the projector. There is a backlight that can only be turned on with a large button at the bottom. The remote features direct control of picture mode selection, aperture, aspect ratio, gamma, color temperature, color, tint, noise reduction, brightness, contrast and sharpness. There are no discrete buttons for inputs, only a toggle. This is rarely an issue as most users will use a single HDMI input switched by a receiver or other means. In the center of the remote are the menu navigation buttons along with a button that selects a series of built-in test patterns. There are color bars, a grayscale step pattern, steps for red, green and blue and a cross-hatch for setting geometry.
The last button is labeled lens and brings up the fully-motorized lens shift, focus and zoom functions. It is so easy to dial in geometry when everything is motorized. You can use the projectors built in patterns or your own if you wish. It took me all of ten minutes to set the geometry and focus to perfection.
Projector Installation and Setup
Once I had the projector in place it was time to explore the LTX-500's vast menu structure. This display has absolutely everything you could possibly want for a complete calibration. There are full controls for gamma, color management and grayscale. As you'll see later in the bench testing, I was able to achieve nearly perfect results in all areas.
There are five main menus labeled Picture Adjust, Input Signal, Installation, Display Setup, Function and an Information screen.
The Picture Adjust menu includes all the controls necessary to calibrate the projector. There are six preset picture modes (Cinema 1, Cinema 2, Natural, Stage, Dynamic, THX) and three customizable user modes. The THX mode locks out all other calibration settings. I made all of my adjustments in the User 1 mode.
After the traditional picture controls (brightness, contrast, color and tint), there are selectors for color temperature and gamma. The color temperature list has four presets ranging from 5800K to 9300K plus High Bright and three Custom memories. Each memory has a wide adjustment range for both RGB highs and lows. The gamma selector has a similar arrangement with four presets plus three Custom memories. The gamma curve adjustment screen lets you change the overall value (1.8-2.6) and the values for each step in the curve starting at 5%. You can adjust the curves of the individual colors if you wish. Once you save a gamma or color temp memory, it is accessible from any picture mode (except THX) and any input.
In the Advanced sub-menu there are controls for Sharpness, Detail Enhancement, Noise Reduction and Color Transient Improvement (CTI). CTI and Noise Reduction are only adjustable for non-HD signals.
Also contained in the Advanced menu is the Color Management System (CMS). Again there are three memories available to save your settings to. The CMS on the LTX-500 is the best and most complete I've yet encountered, with one caveat. You must update the projector's firmware to version 1.1 to make it fully functional. I'll explain this in more detail in the Bench Testing section.
The CMS allows adjustment of hue, saturation and brightness of each primary and secondary color. This makes it possible to achieve a perfect gamut with perfect luminance. Once I installed the firmware update, I was able to make this projector more accurate than any display I have previously worked with.
Finally, there is a Lens Aperture control with 15 steps and a button to reset all parameters to the factory defaults.
The Input Signal menu lets you set the Input level (Standard, Enhanced or Auto) and Colorspace (RGB, YCbCr 4:4:4, YCbCr 4:2:2 or Auto) for HDMI signals. You can usually leave these set to Auto. In my case Auto Input level worked fine for my Accupel signal generator but I had to select Enhanced with my Panasonic Blu-ray and Denon DVD players to see below-black and above-white information. You can also toggle HDMI control on and off. There are Level and Colorspace options for the component, composite/S-video and PC inputs as well. You can also adjust Picture Position, Aspect Ratio (4:3, 16:9 and Zoom (SD signals only)). There is a V-Stretch mode for use with an anamorphic lens. The Overscan control lets you toggle a 2.5% overscan for SD signals. Mask will hide the outer area of the image and Film Mode will perform inverse-telecine when an interlaced signal is input.
The Installation menu has controls for the lens (shift, focus and zoom) and the geometry patterns. If you want to use a different pattern than the built-in ones, you can turn them off here. The Pixel Adjust is a convergence control that lets you move each color horizontally or vertically one pixel at a time. This is a bit coarse to be practical but the convergence out of the box was excellent so I didn't have to make any adjustment. The Installation Style option lets you flip the image for ceiling or tabletop mounting and front or rear projection. Keystone correction is available in this menu as well though I don't recommend using this at any time as it will degrade the image slightly.
The Display Setup menu has options for controlling the background color, menu position, menu display, line display (input), source display (signal type) and whether or not to show the logo on startup. The menu display option is of particular interest. When set to on, all menus will remain on the screen until you turn them off. This includes individual adjusters displayed at the bottom of the screen. This is one of the coolest features I have seen on any display. It's so nice to be able to take my time with a particular setting without having to worry about the menu timing out. Bravo Anthem!
The Function menu has options for lamp power (normal or high) and the function of the 12v trigger. One neat option here: you can activate the trigger when you select the V-Stretch option. This will work in conjunction with an anamorphic lens mount so the lens will slide into place at the appropriate time. The test pattern selector runs through the six built-in patterns. There are color bars, grayscale steps, steps for red, green and blue and a crosshatch pattern for setting geometry. The Off Timer has options to turn off the power automatically after 1, 2, 3 or 4 hours. The High Altitude Mode increases the fan speed to maintain proper lamp cooling in altitudes above 3000 feet.
The Information Screen shows the current input, signal type, resolution, and frequency for PC signals, the color depth, and lamp hours.
Using the Projector's Menu to Calibrate the Image
Calibration of the LTX-500 covers four major areas: levels, grayscale, gamma, and color management. I did all my measurements and adjustments in one of the three User modes. As with any display calibration, adjustment of grayscale, gamma and color management must be done with instruments to achieve accurate results.
When I initially installed the projector, I was unable to see below-black and above-white information output from my Accupel signal generator unless I turned on the Enhanced setting in the Input Signal menu. After upgrading the firmware, below-black and above white bars were visible in either the Enhanced or Auto modes when I used my Accupel signal generator as the source. When I tried disc-based patterns from my Panasonic and Denon players I had to turn on the Enhanced mode again to see them. After viewing a lot of different patterns I settled on -5 for brightness with the lens aperture at -6 out of 15. Contrast was left at the default.
Grayscale adjustments were up next. I was able to easily achieve flat grayscale tracking with the RGB high and low controls. Gain (high) is adjustable with 256 steps but the scale starts at the maximum value. Therefore you can only reduce colors to make your adjustments. Offsets (low) have 100 steps of adjustment but start in the center of their range. The fine gradations are nice and make precision adjustments a snap.
The gamma curve editor is quite ingenious. You can move the entire curve up and down with the Correction Factor control. You can also copy and paste one of the preset curves to use as a starting point. Then you can tweak the gamma to perfection by adjusting each point starting at 5% up to 90%. If you want to adjust individual points for red, green and blue, that function is available too. When you're done, the LTX-500 prompts you to save the data before exiting the gamma screen.
As I said earlier, the Color Management System (CMS) is the best I've ever used, after the firmware update. When I first calibrated the LTX I could only correct the color luminance. The Hue and Saturation controls did not allow me to bring the color points in to the correct positions on the CIE triangle. Out-of-the-box, the LTX-500's color is oversaturated, especially for red and green. I could not lower the saturation control enough to correct this. Once the update was installed, I found I had greater range in the saturation control and so was able to bring the colors to the correct positions. More on this in the Bench Testing section.
The SI Screens Black Diamond II Projection Screen
The physical design of the Black Diamond is similar to other fixed-frame screens. The main difference is the unique and innovative material used for the projection surface. Although many buyers of this product will have it installed professionally, it well within the realm of the do-it-yourselfer to hang this screen. Clear instructions are provided along with the necessary Allen wrench and even a pair of latex gloves for handling the screen material. No other tools are required.
Screen Specifications
- Design: Fixed Frame
- Wall Mountable (brackets included); Can Also be Placed on Stand
- Available Gains: 0.8 and 1.4
- Viewing Angle: 440 to Half Gain
- Aspect Ratios: 4:3, 16:9, 16:10, 2.35:1, 2.40:1 and Custom Sizes
- Maximum Sizes: 2.40:1 – 142" Diagonal; 16:9 – 113" Diagonal; 4:3 – 93" Diagonal
- SI Screens
Most fixed-frame screens have material that snaps to the frame but the Black Diamond works a bit differently. The material is a semi-rigid plastic sheet with holes punched around the edges. It is then held in the frame with heavy-duty rubber bands looped over studs you install before assembly. SI provides a handy tube tool to help you stretch the rubber bands over the studs.
The frame assembles easily (after installation of the studs) with four pieces of angle iron. Simply slide the pieces together and tighten the set screws with the Allen wrench. Then it's only a matter of carefully unrolling the material and attaching it to the studs with the rubber bands. Once the screen is on the wall, you finish by removing the protective plastic layer from the material.
The hanging system is common to fixed-frame products with a tongue-in-groove setup. I was fortunate that my Carada wall bracket fit the groove in the SI frame perfectly. Once I shimmed the bottom of the screen to make it perfectly vertical, I was ready to watch some movies!
The Projector and Screen In Use
In the time I spent evaluating the LTX-500 I watched quite a few movies on both Black Diamond screens and my Carada screen. They pretty much fell into two categories: those with stylized color and those with natural color. Many modern films have an interpreted color palette. Since so much of movie-making is done in the computer realm, the possibilities for color rendition are pretty much endless. Here is a sampling of some of the content I viewed.
The action film Taken uses a fairly natural color palette that has been punched up a bit. The result is a pleasingly high level of saturation without the overblown cartoonish colors of some other films. Flesh tones were rendered pleasingly and it was easy to see the different types of lighting used for the various indoor scenes. Dark material showed superb contrast and shadow detail without a hint of noise or other artifacts.
The Lowry Digital re-masters of the James Bond films are a benchmark for film-to-video transfers. As an ardent 007 fan, I have been quick to add these Blu-rays to my collection when they hit the market. The later films starring Pierce Brosnan have a very natural color palette and The World Is Not Enough is no exception. The LTX-500 faithfully reproduced this. The projector's 96Hz refresh rate made action scenes very smooth without any noticeable judder or motion blur.
Twilight is a shining example of the interpretation of color. If you watch the bonus features, you will be amazed at how some scenes look before the post-production process. Most outdoor scenes have an obvious blue tint making it look overcast and mysterious even in the middle of the day. Many displays exaggerate this stylized color making it fatiguing to watch; not so with the LTX-500. The director's vision came across clearly in all respects. Once again, dark scenes showed a high level of contrast and dimension. The excellent shadow detail helped to retain the depth of the image. Monotonal scenes with colored highlights were also very effective.
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is a tough, tough movie to render well on any display. The color palette is extremely muted. In fact it's almost a mono-chromatic blue throughout. Nearly all scenes are dark with lots of detail. Most displays would have a tough time showing all the low-level detail present in this film. Not so with the LTX-500. Fine textures like stone walls or rooms lit by candlelight were presented beautifully. The dynamic range of this projector was tested to its limit and it passed with flying colors (or color in this case).
The Anthem LTX500 LCoS Projector On the Bench
The LTX-500 is both a simple and an extremely complex display. On one hand, you can engage the THX mode and simply enjoy the projector as-is. As you'll see in the below charts, it's quite accurate. In fact the LTX measured better out-of-the-box than any other display I've measured before.
If you want the ultimate in accuracy however, you must calibrate the projector. Every aspect of display performance can be adjusted. It is extremely rare that any display has as complete a set of controls as the LTX-500. The data I collected shows that a thorough calibration is well worth the effort.
A few weeks into the review I received a firmware update for the LTX-500. This update can be downloaded from Anthem's website and installed via laptop through the projector's USB port. It's a simple process that took all of about ten minutes. The update makes some very positive changes to the color management system. As you will see below, the color measurements before and after the update are quite different.
Equipment used: EyeOne Pro spectrophotometer, CalMAN Professional 3.3 analysis software, Accupel HDG-3000 signal generator, Spears & Munsil Benchmark Blu-ray.
All measurements were taken off the screen (Carada Brilliant White, gain 1.4) from the seating position (10 feet back) with the iris set to -6 out of 15 steps.
Grayscale and Gamma
The THX mode measured very well. Tracking for both gamma and grayscale was well within standards. The average gamma of 2.03 was mainly affected by the higher stimulus points. The gamma at lower levels was closer to 2.2. This means shadow detail was well-rendered. The color error from 20 to 70 percent was below the range of visibility. The slight tendency toward blue was not a problem when viewing content.
After calibration in the User mode, grayscale and gamma tracked to near-perfection. The firmware update did not affect my ability to adjust either parameter. Since the update erased all settings from the previous calibration, I started from scratch
The only minor difference can be seen in the RGB Level Tracking chart. After the update, I was able to get things a bit flatter at 20 percent. We're talking nits here!
Without calibration, the only accurate color mode is THX. The color accuracy is quite good with a near-perfect gamut and decent luminances. The projector is very watchable in this mode and few people would have issues with image quality. In the THX mode all adjustments are locked out for grayscale, gamma and color management. You can change brightness, contrast, color and tint. You can also select the standard, enhanced or auto modes for black level setup and colorspace. (Figure 11)
With firmware 1.0, this was the best color gamut I could achieve in the user mode. I've included the Ideal Secondaries chart to show that despite the inaccurate primaries, the LTX properly calculates the secondaries. The Luminance chart shows what I was able to do with the color management system. This is a very good chart. (Figure 12)
These are the results of the CMS adjustment with firmware 1.1. There was no need to use the Ideal Secondaries chart because as you can see, it is possible to achieve a perfect CIE Gamut. Luminances are superb as well. Only a tiny number of displays, of any type, can achieve this level of accuracy. (Figure 13)
Color accuracy can be a very subjective thing. On one hand, the projector was immensely enjoyable with the oversaturated gamut. I would consider it to be the finest in its class and finer than many projectors costing more without the firmware upgrade. With the ability to achieve perfection though, this display is in a whole different league. As I watched movies with the 1.0 firmware I couldn't help but wonder what the image would look like if the color were perfect. It's a personal thing with me: knowing how a display measures affects my perception. I've measured and calibrated a lot of TVs and projectors and I always prefer accuracy, but that's me. Your mileage may vary.
Contrast Performance
The LTX-500 achieved the highest contrast ratio I have ever measured from a front-projection display. Arriving at these numbers was difficult, mainly due to the limitations of my color meter. The EyeOne Pro has a lower practical limit of .001fL (that's really dark). When I measured a 0 percent pattern I often got no reading whatsoever. I took 20 measurements and got .001fL on 12 of them. Rather than measuring the maximum light output, I set the iris to give me around 12fL at 100 percent stimulus. So in my theater for practical purposes, I achieved a contrast ratio of 12,000 to 1. The projector is obviously capable of greater output as I had set the iris at -6 out of 15 steps. So I might have achieved a higher CR measurement but the image would have been too bright to be watchable. When using the Black Diamond II screen, I was unable to get a single measurement for 0 percent. I adjusted the iris to give me the same 12fL peak. The contrast ratio with the Black Diamond II was therefore higher than 12,000 to 1. To my eye, the Black Diamond II did give the image a little more punch and saturation. I found it very pleasing to watch. In fact it reminded me of a certain plasma TV that will be unavailable soon!
Video Processing
Obviously the best source material for this and any 1080p display is Blu-ray disc. Keeping the content at its native resolution from the beginning to the end of the signal path means there is no processing required. That being said, most of us have large DVD collections and will likely continue to watch SD content for some time to come. For this reason, the LTX-500 uses the Silicon Optix Reon solution. When fed 480i content from my Denon 2930CI DVD player, the LTX did an excellent job with all aspects of scaling, de-interlacing and cadence detection. You could pair this display with a simple flag-reading player and enjoy excellent image quality.
For 24p content from Blu-ray disc, the LTX-500 refreshes at 96Hz. There is no option for frame interpolation. The cadence is simply 4:4. Though some like the smoother motion inherent in frame interpolation, I find it odd-looking and unnatural. I did not miss this feature.
Performance of the Black Diamond II Screen
The Black Diamond II is built for two things: high contrast and ambient light rejection. It performed extremely well in both areas. Contrast (both perceived and measured) was definitely greater than my Carada screen, even at the same gain of 1.4. I noticed a slight color shift towards blue which was verified by measurements. Gamma also required some tweaking. If you use this screen, you should calibrate the projector by measuring off the screen for best results.
When I first set up the 1.4 gain Black Diamond, I noticed a very slight sparkle effect at the center. I could only see it when there was a uniform image like blue sky or a road for instance. In all fairness, my wife could not see it even when I told her what to look for. I did ask SI Screens about this issue and they told me it is known and they are working on it. The .8 gain material did not exhibit this tendency. Overall though, I preferred the extra pop from the 1.4 gain screen. It certainly did not reduce my enjoyment of watching movies!
To test ambient light rejection I used a torche-style lamp which I moved around the room to see its effect on the image. Even with the lamp directly across from the screen at full brightness, I could easily see medium to bright images with almost no reduction in quality. Darker scenes took on a slight color cast from the lamp but detail was still nicely preserved. When I placed the lamp on the sides of the screen, there was almost no effect on the image. If your room has indirect lighting that does not throw light on the screen, you can have an extremely watchable picture without creating black hole conditions. Of course to enjoy the full contrast potential of the Black Diamond II, you'll need to turn off all the lights as I did.
The Anthem LTX-500 is the best projector I have tested to date. If I were to write a marketing tagline for it, it would be, "Simply Accurate Color." So few displays are this accurate and that made it all the more pleasurable to watch. Contrast performance is simply unmatched. The blacks are so dark I had to dim the panel displays of my electronics – and they're off to one side of my theater! You may have concluded by now that I am very particular about image quality and accuracy. The LTX served up such a generous helping of excellence in both areas; I found I could not part with it at the end of the review period.
The Black Diamond II screen was an equally amazing product. To see such good preservation of image quality and contrast with the lights on was a unique experience. To have the added bonus of great contrast performance even with a positive gain screen was icing on the cake.
Paired together, the Anthem LTX-500 and the SI Screens Black Diamond II truly earn the title of Flagship Home Theater. Now I really have no reason to go out to the movies!
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, Anthem sent me a Statement D2V Surround Processor and Statement A5 Amplifier as part of this package. Click here to read Part 2 of the Flagship Home Theater review!


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An ivory frieze from a piece of furniture or throne with Romans and warriors, 2nd century AD. I took very many pictures because I love this kind of work.Total length of the frieze: 120 cm. Height: 15-20 cm. Dated: 98-117 A.D.The three larger panels depict the Roman emperor Trajan, preparing for a campaign.He is surrounded bij legionnaires and 'Asian' auxiliary troops (= from Thrace or Asia Minor).Correspondent: J.M.Criel, Antwerpen.Source: 'Catalogue du Musée d'Ephèse' 1989.
For any use: see my Profile. NOTE: Many of my pictures are in sub-galleries (some within another, their name is in bold print)!

subset: commoncrawl


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REAL Ghost proof
Great video. Hope everyone enjoys this one....
That is freaky, Paranormal activity III.
Third encounter
I just tinkled...
Now, I'm not a supernatural type of guy. I don't believe in bigfoot, the Lochness Monster, and any of that stuff. I do believe the body has a spirit, but I'm not sure if I believe in "chain rattling", boo type "ghosts."
Now that said, I work in a building that was built back in the 1860s. I was working late one night, and I was the only one in the building. Everyone else was long gone. About 9:00 that night I heard someone walking down the hall. I leaned out of my office to see who it was. No one was there. I thought that maybe whoever it was walked downstairs. But the stairs are right by my office and I would have heard them if they had gone down stairs. I got up to see who it was. There was NOBODY in the building. I looked everywhere in the building. There was nobody there. I kind of blew it off and got back to work. It did bother me a little bit though. I went home and told my wife about it.
The next day at work, I mentioned that I heard footsteps in the building last night, and one of the guys who had worked there for many more years than I had said "Oh, you heard our ghost, huh?" I said "what?" They said "yeah, didn't anybody tell you? This building has a ghost." Well, I didn't agree with him, but I didn't say BS either.
Now, several years later, we had some carpenters doing some remodeling in our building. They would come in and work in the evening, so that they wouldn't disrupt our business. I came in one morning and it looked like the carpenters had done nothing that night. I asked my boss why they didn't work last night. He told me that they did come in to work, but they heard someone walking through the building. The carpenters couldn't find anyone in the building and called 911. The police came and also found nobody. Well, they refused to work the rest of the night.
Both of those, true stories.
I'm not saying that I believe in ghosts, but I can't say that I don't.
I believe. I've done some work with ghost hunters.
Here is my ghost story.
I used to work in an National Guard Armory that was built in the 60's. The guy who first worked there was a guy named Frank. He worked there (hell, from the stories I have been told. He pretty much lived there.) for over 20 years until he died there in the early to mid 80's. Only 4 people had worked in that Armory before me. Three of the guys are friends of mine.
Well, the day I get moved there, my buddies are telling me stories about weird stuff that goes on there. Lights flickering, doors open and close on there own, stuff being knocked over and even items disapearing. ( I'm getting goose bumps just remembering this crap.)
Well, I just brushed it off and figured they were just screwing with me. Now I worked in this Armory by myself for close to 4 years. So keep that in mind.
My first 6 months there went quiet. So I forgot about all the stuff my buddies told me. Well, one day I am sitting at my desk and notice something pass by my outside window. Like a shadow. Well back then 9/11 had happened and we had to keep all doors locked. So I got up to go let whoever in. I opened the door and no one is there. I figure it must have been a bird flying by the window. No big deal, sit down and go back to work.
A few more months pass and the same shadow keeps going past my window. Everytime I open the door.... nothing. The shadow progresses into the building itself. I see shadows moving around corners. I call my buddies about it and they say, "That's Frank; screwing with you. You haven't seen anything yet." I haven't seen anything yet?!?!?! What the hell is gonna happen?
Well, as fore told. Things get worst.
Let me give you a little insight into this Armory. The building was old and not well insulated. There was one heater and one A/C in the building and both were in my office. So to help conserve heat and air, I kept all the doors closed. So keep all this in mind as I continue the story.
After talking with my buddies, a few days later....
I am sitting in my office and I here all hell breaking loose in the supply room that is on the other side of my office. At this point I jump up, grab my pistol and call the local PD. After all, there was over 50 weapons in the vault. Cops get there; I UNLOCK and open the door to the supply room. (4)10ft tall shelves, loaded with different Army supplies have been knocked over. Paperwork is strown all over the room. The vault is locked; so just to make sure everything is good, I open it. (1) weapons rack is on the ground. Nobody, anywhere to be found. The cops do a complete search and see no signs of forced entry anywhere.
A couple of weeks passes and I am back in my office and I go to get something from the back. When I open my door, every door in open. (remember what I said about conserving energy?) I close them and say "FRANK! CUT IT OUT!". I go to the back and when I walk back into the hallway; all of the doors are opened again. I close them again and go into my office. Well, about 30 mins before it's time to go home. I am finishing up some stuff and all of a sudden I hear a loud knock at the front door. I go to open it and nothing. I feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up and I hear one of the doors in the back SLAM! I get my pistol and go to the back. I start to hear the doors in the hallway SLAM. I leave without turning anything off.
At this point in time I have been working there about a year and a half.
I called one of the older guys that worked there and really talked to him about what the hell was going on. At this point I am freaked out so much that I don't want to tell other people what is going on. I didn't think anyone would believe me. Well, my friend tells me he experienced all of that but nothing too unbearable.
Well, another year passes, with all of the door openings and slammings, my car keys would disappear every now and then, shadows moving hear and there. It was something I just kinda got used too. I did my thing and Frank would do his.
In my final year there. It started getting bad. Doors would slam over and over. The shadows were no longer gone in a whisp. I was seeing full figures, now. Supply room was getting trashed on a regular basis. One door was slammed so hard is cracked the glass window in it. Things start to get knocked off my desk and in my office.
Durning this time; I am out in the main drill hall (Where we have our formations. It is an open area about 75ft by 100ft). I am updating one out of "information" boards and I hear my name called. I turn around and nothing. I say "Hello?" and I feel a hand grab the back of my neck.
I left that building and only returned with my buddies who had worked there in the past. I gathered my things, and we took all of the sensitive items out of the armory and I never returned. One year later the armory was closed and turned over to the city.
This is real. This happened to me. Yes, I believe in ghost!
Proof 3 is even better, LOL.
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This topic contains 183 replies, has 1 voice, and was last updated by BigJohn 7 years, 4 months ago.
Come this Saturday, 9 PSTI'll give you one guess where I'll be.My hands will be steady,Credit card at the ready,For a low number on the MVP!
What?! I'm not on top anymore.
Not gonna lie, I'm a little sore.
Been mounted, not once but twice.
And I assure you, it wasn't nice.
I will have my spot back once more!
There was a QB called Don PineWho gambled all of the timeThese gambling debtsfrom these poorly judged betsLeft him committing the worst footballing crime
Yay! Rohi's back! Hopefully to stay this time. 🙂
I'm back with a vengeance and rhymingSo you admire my impeccable timingWith a cameo from QuentinI'm really just ventingTo again get this forum page climbing
I'm only yanking his chain! 🙂
[flickr-photo:id=5353037802,size=m] & Proud member of the Gutter Sistren
BigJohn posted that in May of last year… I'm not sure you were even a Junkie then. You're one of us now and there's no greater honor than that!
* * Head Biker Babe & [flickr-photo:id=4891502501], Dead Sexy Dealer, The Juicer, Co-Founder of the Gutter Sistren & Proud Member of GirlCo. * *
that's what happens when you go a way for a week
out of sight, out of rhyme.
[flickr-photo:id=5353037802,size=m] & Proud member of the Gutter Sistren
[flickr-photo:id=5353037802,size=m] & Proud member of the Gutter Sistren
your right
Very funny, Scotty. Now beam down my clothes
Combat Cook
king, decree and Macbeth don't rhyme…
I'm just sayin'…
* * Head Biker Babe & [flickr-photo:id=4891502501], Dead Sexy Dealer, The Juicer, Co-Founder of the Gutter Sistren & Proud Member of GirlCo. * *
You think of yourself as the king,
but I am here to challenge that decree,
For like macbeth I shall kill,
for the kings title of rhyming skill
but not end up beheaded like the flawed macbeth
Combat Cook
[flickr-photo:id=5069365035, size=m] [flickr-photo:id=4347154616] Pusher and member of the Gutter Sistren
There once was a man called Randy Wright,
Who in the end didn't put up much of a fight,
For the silver bugs did heave,
And Randys hands off they did cleave,
While his friend Angus did nothing but watch
Though I'd hate to sound like a martyr
I struggled to pay for The Starter
and now for The All Pro
I'll probably go
and my ass for some cash I will barter
Pusher, Poet and Pet Protector
When it comes down to lyrics; I own
tho I know that some will make you groan
now the time's come at last
I've returned from the past
to reclaim my lyrical throne
Pusher, Poet and Pet Protector
WTF has happened to this thread
You would think that poetry was dead
Surely something is wrong
I've not been gone that long
now the lyricbeast needs to be fed
Pusher, Poet and Pet Protector
Said the Pookster when his telephone rang, "Dang!"
"A hot she-wolf with dripping red fangs sang?
Get Bri-Bri in the loop, group,
I've got my hula hoop, whoop!
With my barstool I'll bust out the Chang Bang!"
Gutter Sistren whipping boy, innoventor of words, Life Coach to the Damned.
I say I'm the king of this forum,
Elected by me as a quorum.
Though I'm not a first-timer,
I chose a bad rhymer,
And I'm stuck using "dwarf pittosporum"
Gutter Sistren whipping boy, innoventor of words, Life Coach to the Damned.
Oh, Siglimericks, how I've missed your sweet rhyme
I'm so sad that I haven't had time
To keep up my mad pace
In the crack whoring race
I guess I'm too far past my prime
Gutter Sistren whipping boy, innoventor of words, Life Coach to the Damned.
Just saying…
Captain of the Touchback, Pusher and Proud member of the Gutter Sistren
"But I'm always dreaming. Even when I'm awake."
**head explodes**
the trick to staying sane is to just out-crazy the world
Sigler's books smack me with a ka-pow
I must wipe fearful sweat from my brow.
Come June Twenty-two,
An Old Evil's Coming for you.
What it is sure as fuck ain't no cow!
Gutter Sistren whipping boy, innoventor of words, Life Coach to the Damned.
Limericks, yes I've written a few
Here's a silly one that I wrote for you
With a seven-five-seven
This poetry's heaven
Ha! A limerick about a haiku!
Gutter Sistren whipping boy, innoventor of words, Life Coach to the Damned.
it's been a long time since I posted
Of Siglimmericks I once always boasted
that i was a master
a lyrical caster
But I'm afraid too long I have coasted
But that laziness, it ends here and now
I must step it up and this I vow
this now is a start
bad habbits I part
I shall work hard and reclaim my crown
But I still thought it was a good one:
A tutor who taught on the flute,
Tried to teach two tooters to toot.
Said the two to the tutor,
"Is it harder to toot, or
To tutor two tooters to toot?"
Gutter Sistren whipping boy, innoventor of words, Life Coach to the Damned.
Sad but oh so much fun
Take no prisoners. Take no …. fart jokes because poop jokes are much funnier!
poopericks rock!
Take no prisoners. Take no …. empty rolls!
Hadn't seen this one before so i thunked I would give it a go
Take no prisoners. Take no …. needles and pins!
*The Juicer*, Head Biker Babe, Pusher, Co-Founder of the Gutter Sistren & [flickr-photo:id=3938763689,size=m]
*The Juicer*, Head Biker Babe, Pusher, Co-Founder of the Gutter Sistren & [flickr-photo:id=3938763689,size=m]
I agree that while having a poo
I enjoy the odd podcast or two
I know that it's wrong
when I sit there too long
and find I too can't get off the loo
Pusher, Poet and Pet Protector
That made me laugh out loud. That's fucking awesome. I'm giving you 100 CH for that bit of awesome!
Gutter Sistren whipping boy, innoventor of words, Life Coach to the Damned.
I find podcasted stories so neat
while you poop it can be such a treat
I'm a king on his throne
legs are starting to moan
Holy crap I am stuck to the seat
Take no prisoners. Take no …. yeah. about that!
I'm absent for a couple of weeks
what happened siglimerick geeks?
with an absence so short
I wouldn't have thought
That the poem production's so bleak
Pusher, Poet and Pet Protector
It worked! Woo hoo! (I'm on board though with the coffee… off I go)
Junkies are the very best,
Junkies just like Kevinesque,
It's hard to list them all
The short ones and the tall
But none of them can qualify as less!
(I know, not a great rhyming pattern but the right sentiment! I'll think of a better one after I've had more coffee!)
Captain of the Touchback and Proud member of the Gutter Sistren
hmm…cant put my finger on it. In the mean time I'm going to go cry in the corner.
Captain of the Touchback and Proud member of the Gutter Sistren
Look at that! I'm the glue that holds the limerick together? Awesome!
Gmork – Wiki Czar and Thwackacutioner
Nice work!
Captain of the Touchback and Proud member of the Gutter Sistren
What happened! Of course you were in there! In fact, you were on two lines – i must have removed you from both! Oh no…I'm so sorry!
You were supposed to be after Rohi:Finaldrive, ScottEPond, Beth, I AM–Rohipnol, Gmork and Synaptic Jammuchado, slackerqueenpossumcowboy, UVCurzon79 and phantom!now it fits in the 9-9-6-6-9 pattern that was supposed to be there!I told you it was hard. 🙁
Gutter Sistren whipping boy, innoventor of words, Life Coach to the Damned.
No room for Gmork?
Gmork – Wiki Czar and Thwackacutioner
Pusher, Co-Founder of the Gutter Sistren & [flickr-photo:id=3938763689,size=m]ARealGirl, sadock, Wolf and JPathanas, exotiKali,BigJohn, belladonna,shadygirl and jayguanamycroft, twowire and PD4DFinaldrive, ScottEPond, Beth, I AM–Rohipnol and Synaptic Jammuchado, slackerqueenpossumcowboy, UVCurzon79 and phantom!
(It's not perfect, but it was pretty hard!)
Gutter Sistren whipping boy, innoventor of words, Life Coach to the Damned.
I'm proud to say I am a Junkie
Somewhat crude, and a little bit spunky
I sure love to hang
With my new Junkie gang
This place rawks! (Though it smells a bit funky…)
Gutter Sistren whipping boy, innoventor of words, Life Coach to the Damned.
these limericks are outstanding!
Gmork – Wiki Czar and Thwackacutioner
I think you need a time out mister!!
Pusher, Co-Founder of the Gutter Sistren & [flickr-photo:id=3938763689,size=m]
Gutter Sistren whipping boy, innoventor of words
I agree with your sentiment
that there's no place that I'd rather vent
psychotic intentions
and things that aren't mentioned
at work and in daily events
I never thought that so much pleasure
could be had from poetry in this measure
but with our junkie pack
there's no better craic
in these forums perused at your leisure
Pusher, Poet and Pet Protector
I find that I must second phan rev's emotion
and take time to express my great devotion
you are my online family
honor none can compare to be
Joined here past any country, border, or ocean.
If you're looking for a place on the net
For the best place to come and to get
Good friends and Great stories
An escape from your worries
At scottsigler.com you're all set!
Proud member of the Gutter Sistren
My second run through for Infected
had some nuances that weren't first detected
While equally gory
Perry's back story
was more tragic than I had expected
Pusher, Poet and Pet Protector
One must fear the Passenger Virus
its enough to make a jaded man pious
It will Repair
cuts, shots, and tears,
but the cost, too much for any, no bias!
There once was an agent named Dew
who didn't know quite what to do
His job was insane
when he tried to restrain
the success of those triangles blue
Pusher, Poet and Pet Protector
On slightly more sensible note
I think it's about time I wrote
some lyrics related
to the podcasts I've rated
and some great books I'd like to promote
Pusher, Poet and Pet Protector
Apathy sure is a curse
I could feel your pain, even in verse
For me, too, it seems
That the fault's in my genes
But Scott's podcasts are making it worse.
Than would be a silly fight
bringing a knife to a gun fight
I'm like Quick Draw McGraw
You'll have huge hole in you maw
Then to boot hill you'll go
Alas, UnknowVariable was to slow
Si Vis Pocum, Para Bellum
You keep on going
But my brain is a slowin'
This is more then normal use
I think a blew a fuse!
Si Vis Pocum, Para Bellum
Perhaps fencing is your arena?
Even there I think I'd cream ya
Riposte, en guard
Slash, you're scarred,
Done before you can flee-a
I don't think my head should worry,
Because Gramps I'm not in a hurry,
you barely keep pace
best should save face
In light of my power and fury
To the poet I concede
Spell check I do need
But a wordsmith Im not
you silly little snot!
Si Vis Pocum, Para Bellum
On a pike or a poll
your head on it will go
your body left broken and bleeding
"Oh my poor boy" your mother I hear pleading
Si Vis Pocum, Para Bellum
I think the word you need is "Were"
"Where" just is not quite right for
the question is
in the racing biz,
should bad vocab count for more (CH's) ?
Ugly and Crass cries the dear Lass
Hey Rocky watch me pull a variable out of my ass
Si Vis Pocum, Para Bellum
When the plaid tanks roll on through,
Hope, left standing, I will be one of few.
But I'm afraid Jay,
nothing left to say,
squished between treads shall be you.
Warned where you not
My rhymes are not hot
But the crack keeps coming
My brain is now humming
Theres sparks and Smoke
This is no joke!
Si Vis Pocum, Para Bellum
Proud member of the Gutter Sistren
But you see Quality is also quite needed,
Speed, important though, can be conceeded.
For you see victory,
comes from quality
before true greatness can truly be greeted.
Love thy self!
And No one else
Cause when the tanks roll
You will bow low
And beg of me
Ill not hear you plea
I will kill all with Glee
Si Vis Pocum, Para Bellum
Now I'm not saying my every rhyme is gold
but yours would be best left to mold
so very basic
make me quite sick
even reading them now, it's getting old.
Like Big john and Athanas,
We go down the path before us,
A fight to the end
sorry to offend,
but this might get ugly and crass.
The trick is to be quick
With word and Wit
A Variable I will change
I see you now, Is that mange??
Si Vis Pocum, Para Bellum
Hickery Dickery Dock
This poet has picked his lock
As this all comes out
From a crack pile I will shout
For a Pusher I am
For Sigler the man!
Si Vis Pocum, Para Bellum
Know why they call me the Variable?
Is it because I am forever untouchable?
That I'll never be known?
be it and "X" "Y" "T" or "O"
To stop me, well that's just impossible.
Ive never been a poet
And Im willing to show it
Its a to be a pusher I desire
I will drive my count higher
And UnkownVariable will go into the fire!
Si Vis Pocum, Para Bellum
Oh sir I'm afraid youre mistaken
Behind me I see you are quakin,
you made your mistake
in Taking my bait
In sigli'ricks History I'm makin
I see my challenge has been met
you haven't seen anything yet
If this is to be a race
youll have to pick up you pace
Other wise its my ass in you face
Si Vis Pocum, Para Bellum
A sprint, a Marathon, don't matter,
At racing I deserve all the flatter,
the line I shal cross
Without any such loss
This run is over no need for patter.
Pusher is a status of honor
A state most can't even ponder!
Soon will be mine
in almost no time
Of nothing can I recall being fonder.
You know you've made a place,
When you're challenged to a race!
So come with me
And you will see
If Jayguana Can even keep pace!
Junkie ball is a of talent and skill
like volleyball it is with the need to kill!
Full Contact is common,
hard hits to the abdom-en,
to spike, a spiked ball is a thrill!
Four stops in the SF Bay Area
The pubs had better bewarea
San Francisco, it's true
And Mountain View too
Followed by San Mateo and Corte Maderea
Gutter Sistren whipping boy
I too am somewhat apathetic
except when being poetic
and I know that it's bad
but I blame my dad
I'm sure it's his fault and genetic
Pusher, Poet and Pet Protector
My workload is totally crazy
I type 'til my eyesight grows hazy
So I dodge work a lot
And I know I blamed Scott
But the truth is, I'm just really lazy.
Boston, NYC, I just don't know
where should I meet the FDO?
Both about same
distance to tame
A Junkie's loyalty I intend to show.
I think that sums it up for most of us here
Pusher, Poet and Pet Protector
When I met Scott Sigler at Swancon
He told me his podcasts were great fun
So I signed up online
Found his stories sublime
And now I get no f*cking work done.Call them boobies or tatas or titsFun bags, knockers, breasts, mammaries, nips,There's no need to attackWe're admiring your rackCan you blame us for licking our lips?
Gutter Sistren whipping boy
Lately this duty I'm shirking
Content to just hang around lurking
These fine lyrical bits
Are like poetic tits
I should fondle instead of working
BigJohn: Badass enough to get the drop on Kissyman
(nice limerick! I also just wrote a limerick for my friend's birthday card!)
In the soon-to-come future we'll visit
With an odd hungry critter – the grzzzzt
He'll do all of your chores
For a beer or two more
It's the League of Planet's roomba, or is it?
Gutter Sistren whipping boy
If you don't know much about saviour
don't worry we already forgave ya
he'll stay up all night
to give monsters a fright
That explains this old man's strange behaviour
Everyone's favorite pooch Emma
plucks our heartstrings and sets them a tremor
now Robin is missed
This pointer is pissed
and nocturnals are her new anathema
In order to get to 3 k
there can surely be no other way
than with lyrical style
for a poetryphile
to upgrade to a "Pusher" today!
I'm sorry, but I must confess
Explain this obsession with breasts
How can men rule the world
If all that's unfurled
in their minds are women undressed
Proud member of the Gutter Sistren
If there's one thing that you and I've learned,
It's how poets like us have discerned
That the topic at hand
Is both wondrous and grand:
Them boobies are what we've all yearned.
BigJohn: Badass enough to get the drop on Kissyman
I know I should find it embarrassin'
but I like your lyrical/mammary comparison
now I've fucked myself
as there lacks a wealth
of rhymes except Harrison or Saracen
I noticed the thread for Haiku
has just had a posting or two
So I thought before bed
that it ought to be said
That siglimericks need boosting too!
(I know that rhyming two with too is lame….. but if you don't like the rhyme, then replace with the line "I couldn't care less so fuck you!")
With the FDO of in Australia
There was worry of a book launch's failure
but don't show your concern
or you might just learn
Without faith the Dark Lord will impale ya
Last night with my computer back
I think that I OD'd on crack
With rhyming super powers
sleepless 24 hours
My "pusher" campaign's back on track!
Pusher, Co-Founder of the Gutter Sistren & [flickr-photo:id=3938763689,size=m]
If you're interesed in the birth of the kid gloves, it goes back to Crack Hits, way back in the archives:
http://www.scottsigler.com/node/1110?page=26 (look for the "+goddammit" comment, and it spills onto page 27.
Of course, that's the busiest thread, so if you look for it and don't find it on those pages, check a page or so later. The date of the first post is Feb. 16th
Hmm…maybe this should all be consolidated into one place. It really was quite comprehensive.
BigJohn: Badass enough to get the drop on Kissyman
When a value was placed on The Starter
Scott forgot to say he'd accept barter
So if it will suffice
I'll offer self sacrifice
For the cause I'd be willingly martyred
Muchous respect for keeping the poetry alive. It seemed though that the sparring partners put aside their quarrel and found a common cause in spanking the sistren
16 hundred GMT came and passed
and the sigler dot com server crashed
but with much persevering
the junkies were cheering
When they ordered The Starter at last!
The Tier One Season is here
Let's all give a big cheer
I ordered my book
And can't wait to take a look
As the other teams all runs in fear
Proud member of the Gutter Sistren
Success! you know it is sweet,
So Great I'll facebook and tweet,
Preordered the Starter
from my paypal cart..er
now I feel great, I feel 1337.
There was a lot of Siglimericking and Haiku-ing going on there for awhile! BigJohn and Athanas started a separate thread because they were overpowering the original thread with their personal flame war… it's quite entertaining really!!
Pusher, Co-Founder of the Gutter Sistren & [flickr-photo:id=3938763689,size=m]
Nine pacific, Noon eastern is the time
We're all jonesin' here, waiting in line
To buy Sigler's next book
We can't wait to take a look
I hope your numbers not lower than mine!
Proud member of the Gutter Sistren
On this Sigler ascension day
The faithful can kneel down and pray
That the Dark Overlord
and devout junkie horde
Will have world domination by May
A month's absence has left me amazed
that your efforts whilst worthy of praise
have been seriously lacking
it appears you've been slacking
with no posts for 4 weeks and 4 days
When will I have my Sigler Death?
my name to die at his behest?
A gruesome way to go,
Is all I ask FDO!
Perhaps a bullet or knife in the chest?
Kissyman has a sidekick named lefty
who with his muscles make him quite hefty,
what may cause an alarm
is his lack of a right arm.
to attack Kissy makes him quite testy.
It is an excellent rhyme!
"Urban legends go well with parmesan and horror. In fact their name is conveniently one and the same: Stevie." {UNdead GirlCo Knight for Sigler}
I don't really dislike figure skating… I just couldn't resist using 'toepick' and 'entropic' though.. 🙂
When I see the men spin on their toepick
The channel I want to turn so quick
To wittness this sport
I'd rather resort
To a shot from a rifle entropic
Little Chelsea knows she deserves your respect,
But Perry found this to be incorrect.
Fear was her tool,
She wasn't a fool,
Still Perry was able to dissect.
"Urban legends go well with parmesan and horror. In fact their name is conveniently one and the same: Stevie." {UNdead GirlCo Knight for Sigler}
I thought our previous output prolific
And though some were quite truly horrific,
There's a handful that were
Quite remarkably pure
And I thought they turned out terrific!
Sorry Rohi, Athanas, and John its true
in siglimericks against me take a cue.
Take some advice,
don't roll the dice,
you guys should best stick with haiku!
It seems that without my attention
This thread's seen new poets' ascension
Though my computer's not fixed
I still need some crack hits
So I'll add to this poetic tension
If this fight's more than Athanas and Big john
Then for me to miss out would be wrong
If you guys let me play
There's just one thing to say
"Comeon pussies! LET'S GET IT ON!"
I saw this fight and I chuckled,
Like two dachsunds you battle and knuckle.
Your rhymes though good,
Won't stand in this hood
in Siglimmericks against me you will buckle.
you see,
On one thing you guys are not a countin,
Is that the Variable is strong like a mountain.
Goin down you both are,
'Cause neither on par,
With these linguistic skill I'm a toutin.
This is not a fight but a war
One you will wish for no more
Battered and bruised
For you will soon lose
And be left unconscious on the floor
the trick to staying sane is to just out-crazy the world
This can't really be called a good fight,
As you fall, overwhelmed by my might.
Your effort's in vain
Get ready for pain
Lights out, athanas – say good night.
The time is prime for a fightin'
With those who are so easily frightened
A noob turns a trick,
But can't take a lick,
When bested by Athanas' writin'.
the trick to staying sane is to just out-crazy the world
The recent new Junkie, BigJohn
While getting his crack craving on
Ran afoul of athanas
Who scoffed at his progress
But still feels the pressure is on.
Kissyman is quite a strange assassin
when he kills you'll see him laughin'
at the end of his hits
he kisses their lips
whether he shoots'em or stabs them.
Looking through my copy of The Rookie,
The attention to detail's quite spooky.
Now the next thing to crave
About which I will rave:
A pictorial rendering of Pookie.
Welcome to the P.U.V. Keeling
whose exterior is really quite chilling,
20 percent no more
that you'll live through your tour
to be a crewman is not the best feeling.
Welcome to the P.U.V. Keeling
whose exterior is really quite chilling,
Known as the crypt,
you will die on this ship
to be a crewman is not the best feeling.
You see the thing about Yasoud,
which some people might find quite crude,
Is that he bet on games,
of GFL fame
other than that he's quite cool.
I like it. 🙂
"Urban legends go well with parmesan and horror. In fact their name is conveniently one and the same: Stevie." {UNdead GirlCo Knight for Sigler}
Perry's best buddy Bill Miller
plays an unpleasant role in this thriller
No bout a doubt it
he lands in deep shit
when his friend in the end is a killer
ISB or Insignificant Blood Splatter
enjoyed all the lyrical patter
The web page was primed
for the junkies that rhymed
and thought that this forum thread mattered
So I think that I've made it quite clear
that I may have had just too much beer
But there's no mistaking
the point that I'm making
Is that all monsters should be revered!
Now I'm thinking the Quyth
take the title "best race" forthwith
carapace of chitin
and mandibles for bitin'
Their ferocity's more than just myth
I changed my mind I love the sklorno
The reason why I'm sure you'll all know
With my dirty mind
there's no better rhyme
than a word that compliments porno!
The race we all love's the hurrah
though they are a little bizarre
They make great physicians
for sporting positions
They're the galaxy's medical star!
The best alien race is the Ki
with their vision three sixty degrees
Their unique design
makes a great defensive line
I'm sure that you will all agree
Are da bomb! Keep 'em up, junkies.
"Urban legends go well with parmesan and horror. In fact their name is conveniently one and the same: Stevie." {UNdead GirlCo Knight for Sigler}
There's nobody messes with Brian
when he gets pissed off badguys start dyin'
His psychotic behaviour
is ideal for the Saviour
There's no shame in the pain he's supplyin'
The copper they called Wie Chi Yen
had the attitude of most small men
But he came to support
when BMB made the report
to aid the illegal raid of his friend
The infamous mob boss Frank Lanza
was hard to fit into a 5 line stanza
His gang war with Dmitri
was settled out at sea
when it ended in a gunfire bonanza
The inventor they called Angus Kool
invented Earthcore's mining tools.
With his gizmos and gadgets
he was in for some bad shit
by exploring the caves like a fool
When you enter and exit punch space
your guts are a bit out of place
To avoid getting sick
get some beer down you quick
It ain't so bad when you're out of your face!
Krakens Linebacker John Tweedy
had a childhood that left him quite needy.
Family dysfunction
left him no compunction
to stop his bro being so speedy!
There once was a girl named Chelsea
Who had a friend name Chauncy,
she gave people kisses
then made them her bitches,
then she was blown up by a nuke-y.
The savior is a hero to be sure
against marie's children he wars
with arrow and bow
the beasts he laid low,
to them he is the devil of lore.
There once was a girl named Robin
The Ninja and she had a problem
She stayed home one day
Rex showed up to play
No more Robin-Bo-Bobbin
Transfered Michiganderthere once was a man named perrysome people thought him quite scaryhe then met fatty pattyand the triangles made her go splattythe situation got quite hairy
Molly McButter was a cow
though even steak she is not now
to shreds she was cut
from her head to her gut
and on her flesh mcbutter Jr. did chow.
cheeky I know but I will get some more Siglyrics on the Siglimerics board tomorrow when I get in from work and get absolutely twatted cos I got a 3 day weekend due me!
As long as your first is not your last … I need help keeping the thread alive
I wish I could write limericks like John, Rohi or UV.
Lyrical geniuses that make it look so easy.
With no talent at all,
I'm dropping the ball.
And I call myself a Siglimerick junkie?
Pusher & [flickr-photo:id=3938763689,size=m]
keep up the drunken poetry guys (and gals).
an A for effort!!
Pusher & [flickr-photo:id=3938763689,size=m]
In Honor of receiving my copy of the Rookie in the mail today; a very bad limerick…
I just got My volume of "the Rookie"
2085 was the number of my copy,
I am so excited
and simply delighted
Go Krakens! FDO you rock…y
With a name like mopook thesneaky
This Quyth is a little bit cheeky
By blackmailing Pine
this game fixing crime
resulted in the kraken's losing streaky
That Magnus was a real tough guy
who would stick something sharp in his thigh
The answers he needed
always came when he bleeded
But fighting McButter he'd die!
The author that we know as Scott
writes books that we like quite a lot.
Events unexpected
our attention's directed
to the knife that he twists in the plot
should really be on this thread… I hope that some of the topics below haven't ruined any plot surprises for anyone… if they have I'm sorry
To work for the company Earthcore
you must be a corporate whore
But the company's demands
to dig up the lands
will surprise your demise with much gore!
The fraudulent Psychic Biznas
Thought the ninja was a bit of an ass
With his vocoder voice
his vocabulary choice
could only be described as quite crass
fuckity fuckity shit dicker pricker (cos no Biznass comment can go without it)
My favorite Dude is called Pookie
And some think he's a little bit spooky
He has mastered a technique
That would drive Kinsey to drink
I love it when he gets Hula Hoopy!
*I am the Rear Admiral but Sigler gives the Orders*
There once was a nocturnal named Tard,
who found simply speaking quite hard,
yet he cut couples' hands,
looped them on a band,
but now he is stuffed in the yard.
Earthcore is a Corporation
who went to mine platinum formations.
Instead creatures they found,
and miners were downed,
by sharp Rocktopian creations
There was a mean quyth named Virak
Whose position played was a lineback
His lateral motion
Would cause a commotion
For the quarterback that he would sack!
I love it!!!! Thanks!!!
Pusher & [flickr-photo:id=3938763689,size=m]
There once was a mountain of platinum,
EarthCore used high-tech tools (yeah, they'd patent them)
Connell Kirkland was wary
Of rocktopi scary
Rather than let loose the monsters, he'd flatten 'em.
Siglimerick poet RohiPnol
Makes crafting Siglimericks look simple.
With a flash of his fingers
While his drunk ass buzz lingers
He makes Sigler-y rhymes that will grip y'all.
There was an agent named Dew,
With whom one did not screw.
in the leg he shot Perry,
and he would have killed Chelsea,
If they hadn't blown him up with a nuke.
sorry drunken poetry evenings could become habit forming and seriously effect your ability to get up in the morning
There once was a junkie named Dave
who knew just not how to behave
His poems got sicker
and his postings much quicker
you could only conclude he's depraved
A fat fucking slob named Marie
Had a habit you would not want to see
If you were the right gender
She'd fluff up your member
Then drain you and eat your brains for tea
The running back Mitchell Fayed
Took a hit that twisted his head
with the force of a truck
He was totally fucked
and was wheeled of the field quite dead
the mobster named greedok the splithead
If he ordered it then you would be dead
One night on MCoVee
While watching tier 3
signed Quentin for 10million creds
"The ninja" they called Brian Clauser
Cos he wore a black shirt and black trousers
He could kill you too easy
Cos his genes were an X Zee
He wiped out pests like chemical delouser
These rhymes are much harder than the haikus
to figure out just which words I should use
I wish I'd considered
My vocabulary's biggered
When I hadn't drunk quite so much strong booze
If your love truncheon grows blue triangles
And its tentacles get too entangled
take your kitchen shears
don't give in to your fears
and cut right off anything that dangles
With a Quarterback like Donald Pine
The Krakens should win games just fine
with his shit eating grins
and 2 GFL wins
They should be in Tier 1 all the time
The junkie they called Belladonna
posted whenever she'd wanna
But we knew with our leader
She would end as a bleeder
and most definitely would be a gonner!
than the Haiku's!!!!
Keep 'em coming!
Pusher & [flickr-photo:id=3938763689,size=m]
At the suggestion of other junkies, a new thread for sigler-based limericks or Siglimericks.
These are carry-over from the Sigler Haiku thread:
There once was an author named Sigler,
whose stories were too good to figure.
his podcasts are a trip,
from Ancestor to Crypt,
Like crack his stories deliver.
There was a QB named Barnes,
who caused other teams alarm.
In tier two ball,
he gave it his all,
now in tier 1 the Krakens will charm.
There once was a man named Perry,
who ev'ryone found most scary.
he was infected,
His body he dissected.
Of chick'n scissors we are now quite weary.
There is a detective named Pookie,
Who was cheerful like a monster named cookie.
With a last name like Chang,
and his prevelance to bang,
he uses a hoolahoop to get his nookie.
The Ancestor is a great Monster,
To whom the bravest of men would faulter.
With black and white hide,
and claws sharp as knives,
It's more than a beast: it's a mauler.
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.


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QUESTION OF THE WEEK- Where do you take your garbage?
Billie Dutram: "We live close enough to the Ivy landfill that we just have ours taken there."
Donna Rogers: "We live out in Keswick, and we have ours picked up by Harris Disposal. They're a small, local company and we like to support them."
Troy Roebuck: "I take mine to the Rockfish Community Center in Nelson County."


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By Cat-Dan Lai-Smith
Recently, I saw the latest film adaptation of Les Misérables. Though I know the story well from Victor Hugo's novel and have seen the live musical stage performance, something about this latest version especially moved me to tears.
It started during that pivotal scene when a bishop's simple act of mercy and compassion saves Jean Valjean from prison after guards catch him with the bishop's stolen silver. It wasn't so much when the bishop also gave him the expensive candlesticks, or how he lovingly touched Valjean's head in a fatherly blessing that got to me…
It was the fact that he called him "brother," which Valjean himself marvels over in his subsequent solo, and which transforms his life and actions for the rest of the story. Through that one word, the priest saw through the pain and brokenness this man had endured, and he identified with him as more than a human being or a friend, but as his brother…as family.
Jesus and justice
To me, this was such a vivid expression of what is now termed the "theology of justice" or "biblical justice."
As followers of Christ, our concern and service for the vulnerable and oppressed should be driven by Jesus' example of compelling love and sacrifice for others.
One of the key ways our Savior engaged in restoring justice and redeeming us all was to leave His rightful place of glory and power to become one of us. He didn't just observe safely from a distance or dutifully complete some quick assignment for His Father. He whole-heartedly embraced His mission of love by becoming human — our brother — and joining our family.
Last year, I had the privilege of attending The Justice Conference in Portland, Oregon. I was especially challenged by theologian Walter Brueggemann when he explained that the description of Jesus' "compassion" is akin to the Hebrew word for "womb," describing a mother's intense, self-sacrificing love for her baby.
Again, I was moved by the portrayal of the love of a mother, much like I was by Victor Hugo's description of brotherly love that strikes at the heart of the biblical aspect of justice. (Read my earlier blog post about this.)
To me, the growing numbers of Christians and churches engaging in movements like the Justice Conference demonstrate how thousands are being driven to join the dialogue and do something around justice-related issues such as poverty, disease, and human trafficking.
This love that identifies with the oppressed as our own brothers, sisters, and children is what sets us apart from the rest of the world as seekers of justice.
Like the echoes of one of my favorite songs, "they will know we are Christians by our love."
This blog article was originally published on the World Vision Blog
What you can do:
Pray for the health of babies and safe birthing for their mothers.
Learn more about biblical justice by joining us at this year's Justice Conference in Philadelphia, February 22-24. While you're there, swing by the Justice Film Festival, co-presented by World Vision.
You can take action to advocate for justice right now.
Send a message to your members of Congress [this action has expired]. Tell them why your heart breaks for the poor and oppressed — and ask them to oppose major federal funding cuts to international assistance and work to ensure that these programs are protected. International assistance makes up just 1.4 percent of the overall federal budget, and there are few other places where dollars translate so directly into lives saved.
Photo: © 2013 World Vision/ photo by Pat Rhoads


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Assume you have a simple and infinite graph. Choose $x_{0}$ an arbitrary vertex and consider $$ G_{n}:=\{x\in G:d(x_0,x)\leq n\} $$ with the graph metric (hop metric). Now for each pair of nodes there is a unit flow that travels through the minimum path between nodes (if there is more than one minimum path it splits equally along all such paths). The total flow in $G_{n}$ is equal to $|G_{n}|^2$.
Given a node $v\in G_{n}$ we define $T_{n}(v)$ as the total flow generated in $G_{n}$ passing through $v$. In other words, $T_{n}(v)$ is the sum off all the geodesic paths in $G_{n}$ which are carrying flow and contain the node $v$. Let $M_{n}$ be the maximum flow $$ M_{n}(v):=\max_{v\in G_{n}}{T_{n}(v)}. $$ For any graph $|G_{n}|\leq M_{n}\leq |G_{n}|^2$. It is not very difficult to see that for $G=\mathbb{Z}^2$ $$ M_{n}=O(|G_{n}|^{3/2}). $$
My question is: can we do better than this in a planar graph? In other words, does there exist a infinite planar graph $G$ such that $M_{n}=o(|G_{n}|^{3/2})$? If so, how low we can go.
Note that the same problem could be reformulated by instead of having an infinite graph $G$ having a sequence of graphs $\{G_{n}\}$ such that $|G_n|\to\infty$.


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Re-LAX: Youth lacrosse gets a boost
For years, youth soccer players looking for tougher competition have had the SOCA organization, and, more recently, Monticello United for a travel team experience. Serious swimmers have had the Gators and baseball players have had the Bears. But those looking to advance their lacrosse game have been limited to school teams or to playing for travel leagues based far away– in Richmond or Northern Virginia. No longer. This spring there's a new travel organization called the Bolts, thanks to the efforts of several parents determined to grow the sport in the Charlottesville area, and interest has been high.
"There's been a pretty good void," says Mike Kelly, one of a small group of parents who worked to get the Bolts off the ground this year and who've secured UVA's support in the form of tournament fields and coaching assistance.
Teams have been formed for youth under 11, under 13, and under 15, and while the U13 team roster is complete, there are still several openings for the younger and older age brackets.
"He was looking for more competition," says parent Gordie Croll, of his 12-year-old, sixth-grade son Connor, who also plays in the Boys Middle School Lacrosse League team for St. Anne's-Belfield. Croll says an additional benefit of the travel-level play is having a dedicated coaching staff and a well-organized parent group. UVA lacrosse players and coaches have also volunteered their time for the new league.
"The boys love that," he says.
While travel teams in any sport can take a toll on families' times and pocketbooks, Kelly says the Bolts do offer scholarships, and for boys hoping for a chance at college-level play, travel team experience, he says, is important.
"If these kids are really serious about lacrosse and want to try to move forward and get looked at, all the high schools are now realizing that recruiters don't look at club teams," Kelly says, "and they don't pay too much attention to high school teams."
The Bolts play year round, including indoor practices in winter, and plan to compete in summer tournaments in Pennsylvania and Maryland. More information is available on the Bolts website at www.cvbolts.org.
Correction: the web address for the bolts was incorrect in the original version of this article. –ed.
7 comments
STAB parent Gordie thinks the local, 300 player league isn't challenging enough for his 12 year old. Shocking.
"If these kids are really serious about lacrosse and want to try to move forward and get looked at, all the high schools are now realizing that recruiters don't look at club teams," Kelly says, "and they don't pay too much attention to high school teams."
Huh? then what do they look at? home movies? club teams are travel teams.
Every high school team tapes its games, uploads to a file sharing site, and shares with college coaches, who love it. If anything, the players' performance in high school games is more important because college coaches know how watered down every $ummer "elite" travel $quad is.
Dont know about LAX but I can tell you that college coaches dont pay attention to High school soccer. Gotta be on a club team going to a tourny to get a look and as often as not, hittting the summer camp at those schools you like.
On a positive note, I have enjoyed my time with the Bolts organization. The Bolts have brought together players from every local school and given youth lacrosse players another opportunity to play lacrosse. At the same time, the players participating on a Bolts team are encouraged to play in the local league for their school teams.
It's middle school lacrosse. The only college coaches at any middle school game are watching their own child play. I'm going to go out on a limb and say I'm pretty certain Mr. Kelly was misquoted. As for select teams being watered down, if college coaches believed that they wouldn't be lined up on the sidelines taking notes at club tournaments. College coaches can rarely get to high school games. They are busy preparing their teams for their next opponent. Players can make highlight videos and send them to college coaches. They may like what they see but 99.9% of the time the response to the video is, "where can I see you play this summer?"
Fact is, club teams are important to lacrosse.
To think of the Bolts organization as a recruiting springboard is wrong. The organization has focused on consistent training provided by coaches and volunteers who want to give back to the game. It is fun to watch the kids test their developing skills against teams from traditional lacrosse hotbeds like Baltimore and Long Island. And again, the kids get to spend time with friends from other schools they may not see otherwise.
Everyone involved seems to be enjoying the experience. If it's not your thing, no big deal.
What happened to CAYLC that had U-9, U-11, U-13, U-15 and U-16 travel teams for many years?
It's about time. Could not believe the hometown of NCAA's National Championship lacrosse team didn't have a Club program like every other lacrosse community throughout the land. Heck, even Texas got on board with this a long time ago people (showing football isn't all they know). The rec league in Cville can't have it both ways, putting beginner and developmental players on teams with athletes ready to compete at the club level. Finally, a place for great players to grow their game by training hard and competing with tougher programs. Keeping it a true non-profit shows a commitment to the kids and families that its about the kids, not $. A lot of clubs out there are a racket. Crabs up in MD does it right. Hope Bolts follows that model. Congrats Cville Bolts! We had to go by way of SOCA for a club experience, although one of ours would have preferred club lacrosse.
Mr. Kelly was misquoted, he indicated that recruiters do not scout most high school games, except in the Baltimore/NJ/Long Island areas, they scout the summer club teams, as the summer teams/tournaments will have a much higher number of college caliber players participating, the tournaments are like ducks on a pond, making recruiting much easier and less costly. The Bolts organization was not formed to replace any of the existing fine programs that are currently offering boys the great experience of playing lacrosse, but rather what the Bolts offer is the opportunity to play at a higher level of play, that will improve their skills by the time they move on to high school and play on the local high school summer club teams. When all is said and done, the opportunity to compete against teams not only from around VA, but also teams from all over the country, they will see what it takes to get to the next level, should that be a goal for they choose for themselves. The tournaments that they will be participating in this summer will have teams from the traditional hot spots such as Baltimore (the best area), Long Island, Texas, IL, etc. Great friendships have already been made and the boys will be exposed to many great life experiences. The Bolts will be traveling to Annapolis, the Philadelphia area, New Jersey (the largest Youth Tournament in the country and conclude the season in Maryland. As another comment said, "if it's not your thing, no big deal."


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When composing their pieces of work, painters, sculptors and of course photographers have placed their trust in the golden ratio for centuries. But what is it exactly?
Modern cameras, even high-end DSLRs, are physically nothing more than an advanced version of the camera obscura. Even the ancient Greeks were familiar with this optical gadget.
Anybody who takes up photography will sooner or later stumble across the following term: depth of field. But what does it actually mean? And just how deep can the depth of field be?
Christoph Oberschneider is constantly on the lookout for new challenges. His latest photographic expedition took the Salzburg based sports photographer to Corsica. He was accompanied by a Tamron SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di USD together with a Tamron SP 70-200mm F/2.8 Di USD – the high speed zoom duo specially designed to meet the needs of professionals.
Tamron Co., Ltd. (President & CEO: Morio Ono; Head office: Saitama-shi), a leading manufacturer of precision optics, announced that it had produced a total of 5 million high-power zoom lenses*1 for interchangeable-lens cameras as of September 30, 2014.


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Two new smiling faces will now greet visitors to the Lancaster County Welcome Center, located inside the restored historic courthouse at 100 N. Main Street.
The center was formerly run by Sylvia Hudson, who retired in mid-June.
"The full-time position was broken into two part-time positions," said Debbie Hardin, clerk to Lancaster County Council and administrative assistant for the county.
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1kg Pink salmon
wheat flour
all purpose flour
oil to fry
salt to tate
red pepper powder
garam masala powder
1tbsp turmeric powder
method: marinate fish in turmieric, salt, red pepper for 2 hours.
after 2 hours. heat oil in work and dip the fish pieces in all purpose and wheat flour and shallow fry in wok.
lid the wok and turn the pieces upside down after they are cooked.
serve with lemon and celery


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Former Ford Motor Co. chief engineer Rob Stevens will be the new VP of strategy at Roush CleanTech LLC.
In this new position, Stevens will be responsible for future product and customer strategy, according to a news release this week.
During his nearly 40-year career at Ford, Stevens directed strategic planning and product development for the company's commercial vehicles and was a leader in developing alternative fuels, including as president and COO of Ford's THINK Mobility LLC, and launching three alternative fuel vehicle product lines.
Stevens earned a Bachelor of Arts in mechanical engineering from Purdue University and an MBA from the University of Detroit Mercy, and was a professional racecar driver for 13 years.
Even after joining Roush, Stevens will continue to serve as a board member for the National Truck Equipment Association's Green Truck Association.
Roush CleanTech, a division of Livonia-based Roush Enterprises, produces alternative fuel vehicle technology and has manufactured propane conversion systems for Ford trucks.


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Just trying to figure out if I'm dumb, because I always thought that the trimmer is there to micro-adjust the kite for the current wind conditions. Or somebody is trying to convince me that i'm a stupid donkey?You should know that the Depower strap is more for depowering the kite and not to trim it back and forth. Our kites come perfectly trim out of the bag so no need to use your Depower Strap. If you use your Depower strap that means 2 things:
1) you are over power and need to land your kite and put a smaller kite
2) your kite is not trimmed well and need to be trimmed by adjusting the knots on the kite or bar.
Personally I use my DEPOWER STRAP only when I launch and when I am over power and need to land the kite. But that is it. I never use it back and fourth.


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MOSCOW/MINSK (Reuters) - Russia demanded on Tuesday the release of the head of Russian company Uralkali, whose arrest in Belarus threatens to turn a business dispute that shook the $20-billion global potash market into a major diplomatic row.
Vladislav Baumgertner, chief executive of the world's largest potash producer, was detained on Monday at the airport of the Belarusian capital Minsk after being invited to secret talks with Prime Minister Mikhail Myasnikovich.
Television footage released by the Belarusian Investigative Committee, the former Soviet republic's top crime-fighting agency, showed Baumgertner being searched, his legs spread and hands against a wall. He was later pictured handcuffed.
President Alexander Lukashenko appears to have taken it as a personal affront when Uralkali quit a cartel last month with a Belarusian state firm producing potash, a fertilizer ingredient.
The main owner of Uralkali, which controls 20 percent of the world market, is Suleiman Kerimov, a billionaire with close ties to President Vladimir Putin's Kremlin administration.
Russia's Foreign Ministry summoned the Belarusian ambassador to issue a rebuke, warning of unspecified consequences for bilateral ties. The two countries allow passport-free travel and are members of a free-trade zone.
"It is impermissible to detain a person on his way home after he came for talks at the invitation of the Belarusian government," Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin told news agency Interfax.
Russia's ambassador to Minsk asked prosecutors on Tuesday afternoon to release Baumgertner. Officials said they would review the case, but stressed they were dealing with a crime that had inflicted severe economic damage on Belarus.
"We hope our partners will consider this question in the spirit of the law, not on the basis of emotions and political connections," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Savinykh.
Lukashenko, in power since 1994, has a history of maneuvering between Russia and Europe to shore up his isolated leadership and Soviet-style economy.
"Lukashenko loves trading hostages; he trades political hostages with the West and economic hostages with Russia," said Dmitry Oreshkin, an independent Russian political analyst.
Baumgertner, who faces up to 10 years in jail on charges of abusing his powers, could in effect be ransomed by Belarus in return for economic concessions by Russia, analysts speculated.
Uralkali Chairman Alexander Voloshin, a former Kremlin chief of staff, said he was outraged by the prosecution of Baumgertner. In a statement he said the charges "simply look clumsy" and that business disputes "must not be resolved in this way".
The market for potash has long been dominated by a handful of players led by the Belarusian Potash Co (BPC), a marketing venture between Uralkali and state-owned Belaruskali.
Together with Canpotex - which groups North American firms Potash Corp, Agrium and Mosaic - BPC controlled 70 percent of sales, keeping prices high for farmers.
Angered by a law passed in Belarus last year allowing Belaruskali to sell product outside the marketing venture, Uralkali quit the cartel on July 30, saying it would seek to maximize its own volumes and warning prices could fall by as much as 25 percent this year.
The recriminations, and a threat by Belarus to hold Baumgertner for at least two months, suggest there is little hope of early reconciliation.
"I doubt that this is possible," said one Russian industry source familiar with the situation, adding the charges against the chief executive were "unjust - complete and utter rubbish".
The dispute could be good news for some, however.
"I don't think Uralkali and Belaruskali can come together again. It is sure that there would be cut-throat competition among suppliers, which is good for buyers," said a senior official at a leading Indian potash importer.
Uralkali's shares steadied after sharp falls on Monday that extended its losses since mid-July to more than a quarter. Among competitors, Germany's K&S; extended gains posted on Monday, when Potash Corp, Atrium and Mosaic also drew buyers.
Although Russia's reprimand amounted to a standard demarche, indicating it may not want the dispute to escalate, relations in the post-Soviet area can quickly hit the buffers.
Russia fought a brief war against Georgia, another former Soviet republic, in 2008, and it has cut off gas supplies to Belarus and Ukraine - key pipeline routes to the Europe market - in arguments before.
Sources said Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who made way for Putin's return to the Kremlin last year, was furious after having been in personal contact with Minsk over Baumgertner's trip.
Playing hardball with Kerimov, whose fortune is estimated by Forbes magazine at $7.1 billion, is a risky proposition given his proven ability to mobilize political backing. It was Kerimov who forced out former Uralkali owner Dmitry Rybolovlev, the emigre owner of French soccer club Monaco, before completing a Kremlin-backed Russian potash merger in 2011.
Lukashenko's tactics amount to an attempt "to force Suleiman Kerimov into dialogue", said Yaroslav Ramanchuk, head of the Mizes think-tank in Minsk, warning that the definitive collapse of the cartel would cost Belarus $1.5 billion.
The state of 10 million people, sandwiched between Russia and Poland, can ill afford such a hit as widening external deficits threaten a repeat of a 2011 balance of payments crisis that forced a 65 percent currency devaluation.
"Belarus needs additional external financing, and the most likely source remains Russia," analysts at Morgan Stanley said in a note.
Under a $3-billion loan facility granted by a Moscow-led bailout fund, Belarus has to privatize $1.2 billion in assets to qualify for the disbursal of a $440 million tranche in November.
(Additional reporting by Polina Devitt, Alessandra Prentice, Natalya Shurmina, Alexei Anishchuk, Clara Ferreira-Marques, Ron Bousso and Rajenda Jadhav; Writing by Douglas Busvine; Editing by Timothy Heritage and Will Waterman)


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Lipscomb men's soccer will be providing a blog and short videos throughout fall camp and the upcoming season. Gabe Stewart talks about game day procedure while Zach Tarbox discusses preparing for Louisville.
Saturday, August 18
Today was one of the last practices of preseason and we are finally beginning to click as a team. During training we worked on some of the different ways to move into the final third of the field. At first I found this new style of play to be difficult but now as we keep repeating the process I am beginning to understand it. Generally the team seems excited to be moving out of preseason so we can finally begin to start playing regular season games.
The rest of the day was spent lounging around and resting (as coach said of course) getting ready for training tomorrow and our pre-season game against Louisville Monday night. I think I speak for everyone when I say I'm looking forward to it. It will be a lot of fun to see how we stack up against one of the top programs in the country. I know everyone looks to see all of our hard work will pay off!
Tomorrow the guys still in fat camp will have to run the cooper a final time. Hopefully I can put to rest my fat camp nickname "Chunk Diesel" for good. Just some advice to any future college players out there, definitely make your fitness test the first time. Fat camp was rough but I worked hard through it and I expect to see results tomorrow. Although as fun as fat camp was, I don't plan on participating next season!
To wrap up my day I ate dinner with the team outside of Allen Arena, took a shower then sat back and watched some TV shows on Netflix. Overall college seems to be fun and I'm looking forward to the rest of the year. Go Bisons!
Zach Tarbox
Thursday, August 16
Game Day
The day started out for most people with a nice wakeup breakfast with the team and a morning session after. The session included walkthroughs for our free kicks and corner kicks, making sure we were prepared for our set pieces during the game.
After practice the team got in the cold tub so that our muscles could recover, the cold tub reduces inflammation so that we are light on our feet. Lunch and dinner was next. We had sub sandwiches and it was the perfect pregame snack for us. We got to the field about 5 p.m. for early for warm-ups. We were all pretty surprised by the warm up soundtrack that had been chosen for us, it was all country… but it didn't take away from our concentration on the game.
Early on in the game, Luke Gearin scored a PK. This was no ordinary PK; it was caused by hustle and great individual work from Jeremy Reid. The score was 1-0 for most of the game until the second half rolled on in. Grendel, I mean Tyler Burckhardt had a half volley from about 19 yards out after muscling through UAH's last defender, Tyler's goal put us up 2-0 for the remainder of the game. Our captain, Ethan Summers, was a great help in our midfield and defense. We played well individually and well together, but in the end the score should have been higher but we couldn't finish some good opportunities, but we are working on finishing, shape and movement, and constantly trying to get better while doing so.
After the game we all got pizza and there was enough so that each play got half of a box, it was a nice treat after the win because it was already too late to eat dinner on campus.
- Gabe Stewart


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Warlord of Oz #4
The Labour of Ages
Thora's plan continues to come together as her slaves finally uncover the tomb of the arch witch Zamora. Thorne, Adraste, and the Scarecrow barely survive their encounter with the Warlord. Meanwhile, high in the mountains above the lost city, Dorothy faces a new enemy who may permanently end her second trip to Oz.
Story: Joe Brusha and Jeff Massey
Writer: Jeff Massey
Artwork: Miguel Mendonca
Colors: Grostieta
Letters: Jim Campbell
Editor: Nicole Glade
Cover A : Mike Lilly and David Ocampo
Cover B : Richard Ortiz and Simon Gough
Cover C : Jose Luis and Vinicius Andrade
Godstorm Hercules Payne #5 (Final Issue)
The Watcher
Now armed with the power of the Gods, Andre Payne sets out on a mission of redemption. But will his quest to do good in a city that wants him dead help redeem him, or get him in a deeper mess? Gangsters and Gods collide in this climatic issue of Hercules!
Story: Joe Brusha, Ralph Tedesco, and Pat Shand
Writers: Chuck Brown and Pat Shand
Artwork: AC Osorio
Colors: Omi Remalante Jr.
Letters: Jim Campbell
Editor: Nicole Glade
Cover A : Paolo Pantalena and Ross Campbell
Cover B : Eric J and Alessia Nocera
Cover C : Vincenzo Cucca and Ylenia Di Napoli
Warlord of Oz #4 and Godstorm Hercules Payne #5 go on sale Wednesday (8/27/14) at http://shop.zenescope.com


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"Decriminalization Works, Criminalization Doesn't": Leadership Panel
A panel of leaders came together on 22 July at a special session to discuss the impact of criminalization of HIV transmission and of people most-at-risk of HIV infection.
Moderated by Stephen Lewis, co-founder and director of AIDS-Free World, the panel consisted of H.E. Festus Mogae, former President of the Republic of Botswana, Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS, João Goulão, national drug coordinator and chairperson of Portugal's Institute on Drugs and Drug Addiction, Gill Greer, Director-General, International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), and Tim Barnett, Global Programme Manager of the World AIDS Campaign.
The first panellist to speak, Mr. Sidibé told delegates that the theme of the session was probably one of the most important -- and most urgent to address -- at the XVIII International AIDS Conference. "If we don't address criminalization, how can we deliver on universal access? Universal access is about ensuring the rights of all people," said Mr. Sidibé. "Instead of embracing universal access many countries have put up universal obstacles with bad laws."
Mr. Sidibé gave examples of countries that have moved away from punishment to provide HIV services to drug users, such as China, Indonesia and Malaysia, and stressed the importance of countries to capture data that demonstrate how decriminalization supports -- and not hampers -- the AIDS response.
The head of IPPF, Ms. Greer said criminalization of HIV transmission and behaviours is not the answer. "Rather than receiving support, vulnerable groups are put at fair greater risk, including their families," she said. "Criminalization reaches beyond the individual and reaches out to entire communities. Governments should criminalize hate and violence."
To strengthen the AIDS response, Ms. Greer said people need access to information, knowledge and services. "What is truly criminal is that people are denied this," she added.
H.E. Mr. Mogae, who used several platforms throughout the conference to advocate for the human rights of people living with HIV, summarized criminalization in one word: "Futile". He said the body of evidence on the issue indicates that decriminalization strengthens the response, especially in HIV prevention.
"The key to prevention is knowing one's status. Knowing your status triggers access to treatment and care, and it triggers empowerment to stay HIV-free," said H.E. Mr. Mogae. "If you criminalize HIV transmission, people will not come forward for fear of being further stigmatized and discriminated against. What we want to do is to de-stigmatize so people can come forward."


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Front - 9.4 in. (240 mm) disc with 2-piston caliper
Rear - 9.4 in. (240 mm) disc
Front - CST® 80/100-21
Rear - CST® 110/100-18
Front - 1.85 in. (47 mm) rebound / compression adjustable forks, inverted; 12.4 in. (315 mm) travel
Rear - Spring pre-load and rebound adjustable shock; 10.6 in. (270 mm) travel
Swingarm - Aluminum alloy


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You get the following error code when you try to play Gears of War 4 on a Windows 10 device:
This means that your system is out of memory.
To resolve this issue, make sure that your video card and computer have the minimum required memory. Lowering the resolution or closing other running applications may also help.
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Justin Bieber's full 'Girlfriend' fragrance promo features all the previous clips, such as images of his girlfriend's hands, parts of her body and the exchange of some longing looks from The Biebs, but never her face. Throughout the minute-long clip, he sings a bluesy acoustic version of 'Boyfriend,' which is enough to satiate Beliebers.
The clip is told from the first person perspective of the girlfriend, as they spritz the fragrance on her wrist, throw popcorn at each other, doze off while watching a movie, enjoy a day out in the park while he plays guitar and smooch.


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Given a spectral triple (A,H,D) in the sense of Connes, what would be the right notion of a fiber bundle or a principal fiber bundle on it? An example of this type is the Connes' cosphere algebra S*A, which is the noncommutative analogue of the cosphere bundle of a Riemannian manifold. It is defined as the image in the Calkin algebra Q(H) of the C*-algebra generated by the compact opertators in H and all dialations of A by the continuous 1-parameter family of unitaries generated by the the derivation [|D|,.] on B(H). Connes showed that when the spectral triple is the canonical Dirac triple of a compact spin^c Riemannian manifold, the cosphere algebra is the C*-algebra of continuous functions on the cosphere bundle of the manifold.
The question is: can we put this into a more general framework by finding the right notion of a fiber bundle on a spectral triple?