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POD HD300 represents a giant leap forward for amp modeling. It is the only multi-effect pedal to boast 16 state-of-the-art Line 6 HD amp models, 80+ modern and vintage-styled M-class effects, and a comprehensive digital and analog I/O.
HD amp modeling: sound and feel like never before
HD amp models defy the accepted standard. They feel, behave, and interact with previously unachievable realism.
Creating these new HD amp models was no small feat. Line 6 mixed 15 years of amp modeling experience with 3 years of new research and development to build an entirely new amp modeling technology from the ground up. During that time, they hunted down 16 incredible amplifiers and—with the help of some of LA's top tube amp experts—restored each one back to peak condition. The new modeling technology uses 10 times more amplifier information than before, including single-ended class A tube stages, class AB push/pull interactions, power supply behavior, and more. The result is exceptional warmth, feel, sustain, and articulation for you to fall in love with.
Tube amp fanatics have long enthused that their favorite stacks and combos aren't merely "amps," but instruments themselves, with playability equal to that of the guitar plugged into them. New HD modeling takes the POD HD experience to that same exalted level, capturing the genuine playability that great guitarists demand.
Your amp collection—now in HD!
POD HD300 includes 16 HD amp models based on:
•Fender Twin Reverb
•Hiwatt Custom 100 (DR103)
•Supro S6616
•Gibson EH-185
•Fender Bassman
•Fender Blackface Deluxe Reverb
•Divided by 13 JRT 9/15
•Dr. Z Route 66
•Vox AC-15
•Vox AC-30 (Top Boost)
•Marshall JTM-45 MkII
•Park 75
•Marshall JCM-800 (2204)
•Bogner Uberschall
•Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier
•ENGL Fireball 100
80+ M-class FX
Made famous by Line 6 M13 and M9 Stompbox Modelers, M-class FX are the new stage-standards. POD HD300 features a whopping 80+ M-class effects to craft your sound. With this wide tonal palette to play with, you can sound like anyone under the sun, or no one but you. Use up to 4 FX at once.
•30+ distortions (from classic stompbox distortion to thick metal chunk), EQs (from stomp comps and studio tube compression) and pitch FX
•30+ analog and digital delays (including cool tube and solid state tape echoes), echoes, wahs, and reverbs (from surfy springs, to studio plates, to cutting-edge digital rooms)
•20+ swirly phasers, filters (including several exclusive custom filters) and other mods (including blackface-style opto and brownface bias-modulating tremolos, choruses, and rotary speakers)
In addition to these classic sounds, POD HD300 functions as a fully featured looping, pitch shifting, and harmonizing machine. Ready to start creating? This rig could keep you going for a lifetime.
Unprecedented flexibility—stunning simplicity
Beyond the mere depth of the amp and FX models, POD HD300 offers flexibility to mix and match amps and pedals in multiple pre-set rigs, attainable at the stomp of a switch.
And where other manufacturers seem to require a degree in nuclear physics to access this kind of deep programmability, Line 6 has made it easy. Smart FX make it a snap to quickly dial in your tone, and the free, easy to use editor/librarian software supports your deepest, darkest tonal explorations. POD HD300 was designed by guitarists for guitarists.
Comprehensive connectivity for live and studio use
Put simply, POD HD300 connects to just about anything and everything—analog or digital, balanced or unbalanced, for amplification or recording.
A snapshot of the back panel shows 1/4" and XLR outputs (mono/stereo), USB, MP3/CD input, L6 LINK jack for seamless integration with Line 6 DT50 tube amplifiers, and more.
Built like a tank
POD HD300's cutting-edge technology is kept safe within a "bulletproof" bent sheet metal housing with heavy-duty metal footswitches and expression pedal. No injection-molded plastic boxes here—POD HD300 is ready to lap up years of road and stage abuse and keep you playing.
Version 1.3 Firmware update now available!
Power-boost your POD® HD multi-effect with an additional six HD amp models and five amp parameters – all for free in firmware update v1.3.
To get v1.3 just connect your POD HD via USB to your computer, run Line 6 Monkey™ Intelligent Updater and follow the instructions.
Firmware update v1.3 includes six HD amp models based on* channels from three classic American combos (the "Vibrato" channel of a Fender® Deluxe Reverb®, the "Vibrato" channel of a Fender® Twin Reverb® and the "Bright" channel of a Fender® Bassman®), two British half stacks (the "Normal" channel of a Park 75 and the "Normal" channel of a Marshall® JTM-45 MkII) and a high-gain Line 6 original.
Five additional, fully adjustable amp parameters don each new HD amp model (and will be added to the HD amp models you already have). Further customize essential aspects of tube amp feel and behavior with Sag, Hum, Bias, Bias Excursion and Master Volume.
Meet the new HD amp models:
Blackface 'Lux VIB
The "Vibrato" channel rounds out the HD model based on* the classic combo that's considered by many to be the ultimate studio amp: Fender® Deluxe Reverb®.
Blackface Double VIB
Fender® Twin Reverb® is an all-time classic of biting twang and shimmering clean tones. This model is based on* a Fender® Twin Reverb® "Vibrato" channel, which is a separate preamp circuit with clipping characteristics that are different than the "Normal" channel due to an additional 12AX7 tube stage.
Tweed B-Man BRT
Based on* a Fender® Bassman®, the amp that started it all – instant rock and roll tone. This model is based on the amp's "Bright" channel, which provides a different voicing from the "Normal" channel by utilizing the second half of the first preamp tube. (The "Normal" channel uses the first half only). High frequencies are increased due to the addition of a bright cap across the volume knob.
Brit J-45 NRM
This model is based on* a Marshall® JTM-45 MkII, which marked the beginning of the distinctively bright and crunchy sound that Marshall amps are known for. The "Normal" channel is adept at big, bold clean tones.
Brit P-75 NRM
Based on* the "Normal" channel of a Park 75, a Jim Marshall-designed amp that enjoys cult status for its powerful Plexi-style tones. The "Normal" channel delivers a slightly darker tone than the "Bright" channel, a model of which already appears in POD HD.
Line 6 Elektrik
A face-melting, soul-weeping Line 6 original with high-gain capacity, interactive presence and mid-range controls. Careful, this might hurt a little…
*All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Line 6. These trademarks of other manufacturers are used solely to identify the products of those manufacturers whose tones and sounds were studied during Line 6's sound model development. Fender, Bassman, Deluxe Reverb and Twin Reverb are registered trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. Hiwatt is a registered trademark of Fernandes Company Ltd. Supro is a registered trademark of Zinky Electronics, LLC. Gibson is a registered trademark of Gibson Guitar Corp. Dr. Z is a registered trademark of Dr. Z Amps, Inc. Vox is a registered trademark of Vox R&D Limited. Marshall is a registered trademark of Marshall Amplification Plc. Bogner is a registered trademark of Bogner Amplification. Mesa/Boogie and Rectifier are registered trademarks of Mesa/Boogie Ltd. Engl is a registered trademark of Ausflug, Beate and Engl, Edmund.
HD amp models are the new standard in amp modeling. They feel, behave, and interact with previously unachievable realism for an entirely new playing experience
16 HD amp models based on the most sought-after guitar tones: California cleans, classic crunch, vibey boutique warmth, modern high-gain, and more; 128 user presets; 256 factory presets
80+ effects including delays, modulations, distortions, compressors, EQs, filters, and reverbs; 4 simultaneous FX; Tap tempo
24-second looper with dedicated footswitches for Play Once, Pre/Post, Rec/Overdub, and Play/Stop
Built-in tuner with signal mute
1/4" and XLR outputs (mono/stereo); MIDI via USB; L6 LINK jack for seamless integration with Line 6 DT50 tube amplifiers; MP3/CD input; and more
Free editor/librarian software
Condition | New |


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subset: commoncrawl


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Russia said a convoy of 280 trucks carrying humanitarian aid set off for Ukraine on Tuesday, amid Western warnings against using help as a pretext for an invasion.
With Ukraine reporting Russia has massed 45,000 troops on its border, NATO said there was a "high probability" that Moscow could intervene militarily in the country's east, where Kiev's forces are closing in on pro-Russian separatists.
Western countries believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has whipped up the passions of Russians with a nationalist campaign in state-controlled media since annexing Crimea from Ukraine in March, could now send his forces into the east to head off a rebel defeat.
ITAR-Tass news agency said the convoy had departed from near Moscow, which means it would take it a couple of days to arrive in east Ukraine, about 1,000 kilometers to the southwest.
"It has all been agreed with Ukraine," Business FM radio quoted President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, as saying.
In Kiev, a government source, who did not wish to be named, said there had been no agreement for Russian vehicles to cross into Ukraine. Kiev backs a broad international mission including the U.S. and the European Union alongside Russia, under the aegis of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
"There is no agreement from the Ukrainian side for Russian vehicles to enter Ukrainian territory. The Red Cross is looking for transport companies that will take over the issue of delivering humanitarian cargo to the east also from the U.S. and the EU," the source said.
There had been broad agreement that the Red Cross would take over all organisational and logistical questions for the international mission, a separate statement from the administration of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said.
Thousands of people are believed to be short of water, electricity and medical aid due to the fighting. U.S. President Barack Obama said that any Russian intervention without Kiev's consent would be unacceptable and violate international law.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso also warned Monday "against any unilateral military actions in Ukraine, under any pretext, including humanitarian."
Russian state television Rossiya 24 showed several heavy white trucks departing from the town of Alabino near Moscow.
A Rossiya 24 correspondent at the scene said the convoy should arrive at the Ukrainian border in two to three days where it would meet a representatives of the ICRC.
Russia has said the aid would be delivered together with the ICRC.
The ICRC said Monday that it had submitted a document to Russian and Ukrainian officials. However, the independent agency said it needed agreement from all parties as well as security guarantees to carry out the operation, as it does not use armed escorts.
"The practical details of this operation need to be clarified before this initiative can move forward," said Laurent Corbaz, head of ICRC operations for Europe and Central Asia.
According to UN agencies, more than 1,100 people have been killed including government forces, rebels and civilians in the four months since the separatists seized territory in the east and Kiev launched its crackdown.
See also:
Red Cross Lays Down Guidelines for Russian Aid Mission to Ukraine


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Why have ice cream in a waffle cone when you could have it in a waffle? This is an important question worth pondering. And it fills me with endless joy to think that others before me have devoted themselves to the pursuit of an answer. Like the good people at Flavour Spot.
This is what they've come up with.
Chocolate and vanilla swirl whole milk soft serve ice cream wrapped up in a warm, fluffy, freshly baked waffle, with whipped cream on top. A worthy and decadent solution if ever there was one. A messy one, too.


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Comic-Con 2013: 'The Avengers 2′ is Officially Titled 'The Avengers: Age of Ultron'
Every year Marvel likes to do something big at Comic-Con to get audiences excited for what's coming next. Though we won't see the film until 2015, Marvel brought out Joss Whedon to announce the title of 'The Avengers 2.' It's 'The Avengers: Age of Ultron.'
What this means is that the story is likely to follow that recently published comic book series. The story begins with New York in ruins because of Ultron, and that's a surprise because you would suspect they'd use Thanos (Thanos is likely involved in some way or another, but we're just going by a title). According to Wikipedia, Marvel comic book editor Tom Breevort saw this as a possibility, as he had said earlier:
My guess is, probably sooner or later if they do enough Avengers films, they'll get to Ultron ... We didn't do Age of Ultron specifically for that. However, since we're so integrated at Marvel, I wouldn't be surprised if they got to that point at some point, to see some elements that may have happened during Age of Ultron or any of the previous Ultron stories, make it into a film. But that's just conjecture on my part.
This is the first of many details to emerge from this project, but there's no denying it's exciting. 'The Avengers: Age of Ultron' will hit theaters May 1, 2015.


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Lyster, William, of North Walsham, Norfolk
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Typescript index: NCC admons 1371-1502.
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This article is more than 1 year old
Brits terrified of online fraud, but want magic cars, says BT
UK a nation of web worrywarts
Britons' fear of online crime has rocketed in the last ten years, according to BT.
The UK telco makes the claim in its new "21st Century Life Index", a pile of research examining how consumer attitudes to technology have changed since the heady days of 1998 and the information superhighway.
Back then only 3 per cent said that if they could improve the internet in one way it would be to make it safer from scammers and other reprobates. Today the proportion wishing for a less dangerous online life is 28 per cent. Yet just 2 per cent of non-internet users cite fraud as the reason they stay offline.
Less dodginess is now the second most popular request for improving the net* after faster speeds, which also held the top spot 10 years ago. There's bad news for BT's plans to justify billions of pounds in fast fibre investment by carrying high definition TV - only 13 per cent said they would be interested.
Happily for the net's libertarian progenitors, the increased fear of nasties hasn't prompted an accompanying clamour for authorities to get more involved. The proportion of the public that wants more regulation has risen only slightly from 4 per cent in 1998 to 6 per cent today.
Elsewhere in the report there are unsurprising stats showing that we're all spending longer online, visiting more websites, and spending more cash online. However, the rise of the internet seems to have left many craving more direct contact. Face-to-face communication remains our favourite, and has increased its dominance as the preferred medium for 51 per cent of the population in 1998 to 68 per cent today.
In a section that follows in BT's proud tradition of pointless futurology, it reports that by 2012, 28 per cent of Britons want a water-powered vehicle, 18 per cent a powered exoskeleton and 17 per cent a robotic housekeeper. In similar spirit we'd like to register our demands for the moon on a stick, the reanimation of Rod Hull, and a flying car made of gold. ®
* Regular readers might note that BT and Phorm have recently been touting another piece of research (which we're not allowed to see for ourselves) that they say shows that what actually annoys people most about the internet is "irrelevant advertising". Strangely, more effective marketing doesn't appear in the 21st Century Life Index's list of how people would improve the internet...


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A couple new horror-themed shows heading our way, one via NBC and the other for all of us who stream Netflix.
What they both have in common tonight is the fact that some teaser art got released for both and it is certainly worth a look.
First up, coming from NBC is HANNIBAL. Yeah, that HANNIBAL seems someone thinks we all need a little cannibal every week!
HANNIBAL will focus on the relationship between Dr. Lector and Will Graham before all the madness from the films. It's coming to us from Bryan Fuller and David Slade, who directed 30 Days of Night is helming the premiere episode, worth giving it a look for that reason alone.
HEMLOCK GROVE is coming at us via Eli Roth and will be a NETLIX exclusive series and is based on the popular novel by Brian McGreevy.
No firm air dates on either of these projects yet but keep tuned and as soon as I know, you'll know.


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By Ron Todt and Jay Reeves
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Starbucks sells itself as a community gathering spot as much as a coffeehouse, a welcoming place with comfortable chairs for lingering, trendy music and Wi-Fi. That's one reason the arrest of two black men who were sitting in a Starbucks struck a nerve for so many: They were doing exactly what people do at most any of the chain's 28,000 stores worldwide.
The CEO of Starbucks Co., Kevin Johnson, called the arrests a "reprehensible outcome" and said he wants to personally apologize to the men, saying the company "stands firmly against discrimination or racial profiling." But that didn't stop protesters from gathering Sunday outside the store in downtown Philadelphia where the arrests occurred.
As people ordered coffee inside, the Rev. Jeffrey Jordan led a crowd of a couple dozen in chants of "I am somebody, and I demand equality now."
"It is a shame that (in) the year 2018 we're still putting up with this mess," said Jordan. "This country was built on the backs of black and brown people and now Starbucks is going to treat us like we're second-class."
In Washington, D.C., Gregory Wilkins usually visits one of three neighborhood Starbucks for about 45 minutes before work to read the paper with his coffee or smoke a cigarette at the outside tables. Wilkins, who is black, said he'd consider going elsewhere if something like the incident in Philadelphia occurred again.
"If nothing is done about what happened, then yeah," Wilkins, 56, said as he went into a Starbucks.
The arrests, which occurred Thursday, were captured on video that quickly gained traction on social media.
Video shows several police talking quietly with two black men seated at a table. After a few minutes, officers handcuff the men and lead them outside as other customers say they weren't doing anything wrong; Philadelphia-area media reported the two had been waiting for a friend.
Officers went to the store after Starbucks employees called 911 to report the men were trespassing, said Police Commissioner Richard Ross. He said officers were told the men had come in and asked to use the restroom but were denied because they hadn't bought anything. He said they then refused to leave.
Johnson's statement didn't address exactly what led to the police call, but a Starbucks spokeswoman said the store where the arrests occurred has a policy that restrooms are for paying customers only. In the video, no Starbucks items are visible in front of either of the men.
Robert Passikoff, the president of a New York-based consulting firm that researches brand loyalty, said companies like Starbucks are in a tough spot as they attempt to operate both as both community centers and places where people are expected to make a purchase.
"Companies have gone out of their way to establish the kind of emotional bonds and product delivery that they think is going to build engagement and loyalty and, ultimately, profits," said Passikoff, of Brand Keys Inc. "But today the consumer decides what is right. They have become magnets for social experiences, in the broad sense of 'social,' but not in the sense that 'Oh, I need to buy something.'"
Johnson said the company's practices and training led to a "bad outcome," and the reason for the call that brought police into the shop was incorrect.
"Our store manager never intended for these men to be arrested and this should never have escalated as it did," said his statement. Johnson said videos of the arrest were "very hard to watch," and the company was investigating.
Johnson said the company would further train workers on when to call police and host a company-wide meeting to "underscore our long-standing commitment to treating one another with respect and dignity."
Police haven't released the names of the men who were arrested. A spokesman for the district attorney's office said the two were released "because of lack of evidence" that a crime had been committed, but declined further comment, citing a police investigation.
At the protest, Wendy Mial vowed to never enter another Starbucks. Mial, 53, said she was "devastated" by the arrests and urged the small crowd not to the "choose the wrong enemy."
"The enemy, in some ways, is ourselves," she said. "Look how few people are here today. Who's not outraged about this?"


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Transformers: Fall of Cybertron tells the story of the last days of a dying planet. It's the tale of two warring factions reaching out across the cosmos for the sake of survival. To fans of the franchise, this is a historical account of a fixed point in time, the outcome of which is predetermined.
We know the ending of this story — it's been told and re-told countless times over the past three decades. This is the World War II of giant transforming robots. The outcome is not going to change.
High Moon Studios approaches Fall of Cybertron in much the same way a screenwriter or novelist goes about crafting a compelling story set in one of our world's many historically significant conflicts, placing the focus on the individuals caught up in the battle.
This is not a story of war. It is a story of warriors.
Picking up where 2010's War for Cybertron left off, Fall of Cybertron finds the remaining Autobots and Decepticons desperately clambering over each other in an attempt to flee their dying world. For the noble Autobots this is a matter of finding enough life-giving Energon to sustain a journey across the stars. The Decepticons, with resources to spare, spend their time to make sure none of their enemies makes it off the planet alive.
The game opens aboard the Autobot Ark, as the sadly mute Bumblebee (curse you, Hasbro) fends off a Deception boarding party. It's a prelude to the main story that serves as a tutorial, getting players acquainted with the third-person shooter mechanics of the game. It's also as close to the oft-criticised repetitive gameplay of War for Cybertron. As Bee battles his way from one pitched firefight to the next it seems as if the game is going down that same path.
Transformers: Fall of Cybertron
Developer: High Moon Studios
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 (version played)
Released: August 21
Type of game: Third-Person Shooter, Vehicle Combat
What I played: Completed the storyline on normal difficulty over the course of five or six hours. Played several hours of multiplayer, both guided by High Moon Studios folks and on my own. Completed 15 rounds of Escalation Mode. Lit our darkest hour.
Two Things I Loved
- No two characters in story mode played exactly alike, and there are quite a few characters.
- Every pitched battle felt like it had a purpose — I never felt like a fight was there just to add a couple minutes of play time.
Two Things I Hated
- We want our multiplayer vehicle abilities back!
- Multiplayer lobbies are restricted to a single game type.
Made-to-Order Back-of-Box Quotes
- "High Moon Studios might be the biggest concentration of Transformers nerds on the planet" — Mike Fahey, Kotaku
- "Fahey heeds the call of the last Prime." — Mike Fahey, Kotaku
This is fortunately not the case. High Moon Studios has learned from prior mistakes.
Post opening credits the story takes us several cycles prior, following a diverse cast of Autobots and Decepticon characters as they make their way towards that inevitable confrontation. Each new playable robot brings something fresh and new to the battle. Optimus Prime orders orbital bombardments and commands one of the greatest weapons of mass destruction Cybertron has ever seen. Cliffjumper infiltrates Decepticon installations using stealth and subterfuge. Jazz uses his energy tether to traverse delightfully vertical levels. Soundwave ejects the tiny robots that call his body home, commanding them to attack any Autobot foolish enough to cross his path. The massive Grimlock swings his sword to build the rage needed to transform into a rampaging mecha-dinosaur.
Where War for Cybertron's story mode felt like a series of battles tossed in my path in order to lengthen the period between opening and closing credits, I found myself eagerly anticipating each new chapter of Fall of Cybertron. High Moon has managed to marry story pacing and gameplay in such a way that no moment feels wasted. Every bullet fired, switch flipped, and target destroyed is absolutely essential to reaching the grand conclusion.
The game is filled with spectacular moments, many of which we've already seen during its promotional period. The Combaticons combining to form Bruticus. The gargantuan Metroplex heeding the call of the last Prime. And those are just the cinematics. There are playable segments, such as the Decepticon Swindle's efforts to take down a vehicle easily a hundred times larger than himself, where you just have to pause for a moment and take it all in.
As with any war story, however, the finest moments are the more human ones. The Transformers franchise is based on toys that change form, but the real appeal is the very human character these mechanical monsters have been instilled with over the years.
Fall of Cybertron does a fantastic job of portraying the humans hiding inside these more than meets the eyes machines. Optimus Prime is stoic and contemplative, unleashing his true power only when those that look to him as leader are in peril. Jazz and Cliffjumper are comrades in arms, trading barbs that might as well be clanky mechanical hugs. Starscream is a power-hungry backstabber on the brink of madness.
Perhaps Grimlock serves as the best example of humanity in robot form. Twisted and tortured at the hands of a mad scientist, his intelligence sacrificed for strength, his first concern upon breaking free of captivity is the safety of his brothers-in-giant-robot-arms.
The story and spectacle all come together in the game's finale, the most satisfying series of events I've experienced in a Transformers video game.
The unique online multiplayer experience of War for Cybertron returns in Fall of Cybertron, streamlined and refined to the point that fans of the first game might be a little disappointed with some of the major changes. Most notable among these changes is the lack of special abilities in vehicle form, one of the core features that made the original experience so novel and exciting. With special skills limited to robot form and vehicle weapons that don't feel nearly as potent as their hand-mounted counterparts, vehicle forms are useful for travel but not much else.
Once I overcame my initial disappointment, however, I found myself having a great deal of fun charging into battle against human opponents, shouting "Being shot in the face is the right of all sentient beings" as I unloaded by robot shotgun. The competitive game modes shine the spotlight on the fast-paced shooting the single player experience shies away from, with a handful of entertaining game modes to choose from. Unfortunately multiplayer lobbies are dedicated to a single mode each, so if you want the group you are playing with in Team Deathmatch to follow you into a round of Capture the Flag you've got to disband the lobby and send invites to everyone involved.
Also returning from War for Cybertron is Escalation, the four-player cooperative horde mode in which players earn points and then spend them on unlocking new areas and upgrades in an ever-evolving arena. This time around players take on specific roles — healer, ammo supplier, tank — meaning working together is more essential than ever. Making it through all 15 increasingly challenging levels is a true bonding experience.
The pieces of plastic that filled my toy box as a child were more than just toys. Each colourful figure liberated from that battered wooden prison had a story to tell. I gave them dreams. I gave them voices. Though Hasbro laid the groundwork, I gave them personalities as diverse as their functions. There was a war going on, sure, but I was more concerned with the characters than any overarching purpose, even one as grand as survival of the species.
After playing Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, I get the feeling that the High Moon folks feel the same way about their toys.


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Something different is afoot in the workplace these days, due in no small part to the rise of the Millennials, aka Generation Y—loosely defined as people born between 1980 and 2000. According to a Harris Interactive survey taken in 2012, workers age 25–34 are less likely to communicate face-to-face, preferring text messages and e-mail. They don't see great value in remaining in the same job and are not big believers in punching the clock—they feel that it's more important to get their work done than to arrive in the office at a specific time.
Unsurprisingly, the so-called Net Generation relies heavily on technology and the fluidity that it creates. And, as Joel Stein grudgingly admitted in a Time magazine cover story a few weeks ago (unflatteringly titled "The Me Me Me Generation"), Millennials want to do good work in the world—as soon as they've finished paying off their massive student loans.
As Millennials go, so goes the nation. The U.S. Department of Labor reports that there are now about 80 million of them, meaning they outnumber Baby Boomers by 10 million. According to an August 2012 article in the Week, Millennials will account for 40% of the American workforce by 2020, and employers are starting to adapt to their needs and demands. As a result, Millennials are the audience—and in some cases the subjects—of a new crop of business books, and those books reflect the values and goals of a generation whose members aren't aiming for corner offices. The title of a book from Harper Business, slated for release in July, pithily summarizes the dreams of today's young workers: Do Cool Sh*t: Quit Your Day Job, Start Your Own Business, and Live Happily Ever After. The $24.99 hardcover is by Miki Agrawal (who opened a farm-to-table pizzeria and launched a high-tech underwear company) and features a foreword by Tony Hsieh, the founder of Zappos.
Rick Wolff, publisher and editor-in-chief of Grand Central's Business Plus imprint, says, "Today's newer and younger generation of employees are totally different from the staid and conservative 'slowly climb the corporate ladder' approach. There's a different mindset these days. There's been a sea change, and now the younger generation is saying, 'I'm going to do what I want to do, and if I can find a way to pursue this and pay my bills I don't have to work for a corporation.' "
In October, Business Plus will publish Without Their Permission: How the 21st Century Will Be Made, Not Managed by Alexis Ohanian, the cofounder of Reddit.com, a site where users post content and vote on the content that others have posted. Ohanian started the Web site when he was still an undergraduate. When he was 24, he sold Reddit to Condé Nast for an undisclosed price estimated somewhere between $10 and $20 million. Wolff expects Millennials and others to be eager to read the story of how Ohanian managed to be so successful on his own terms at a young age; the publisher notes that the book is so unusual that it sports a cover with no title on it, just the author's name and three common icons.
Business Plus is also publishing CTRL ALT Delete: Reboot Your Business, Reboot Your Life, Your Future Depends on It by Mitch Joe, due out this month, about the need for businesses to reinvent themselves constantly, a process the author refers to as "squiggle." And Bruce Poon Tip, founder of G Adventures, the world's largest travel-adventure firm, has written Looptail, a Business Plus title coming in September. The book is about using social responsibility for success in business—in line with a 2010 title from the same publisher by Zappos founder Hsieh, Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose, which according to Nielsen BookScan has sold 292,000 copies. "We'll continue to publish traditional business books," Wolff says, "but these three Business Plus titles represent in many ways how traditional business management is evolving, and evolving quickly."
The younger generation is not just an audience for business books; it's a huge market segment for all sorts of products. In July, Amacom will publish Marketing to Millennials: Reach the Largest and Most Influential Generation of Consumers Ever by Jeff Fromm and Christie Garton. And Monster Loyalty: How Lady Gaga Turns Followers into Fanatics by Jackie Huba, which extracts lessons from the musician's use of social media to be applied in a larger business context, enjoyed a 25,000-copy first printing earlier this month from Portfolio.
There are also management titles geared toward Millennial executives. In June, the press will publish Manager 3.0: A Millennial's Guide to Rewriting the Rules of Management by Brad Karsh and Courtney Templin. "Demographics are changing, and the oldest Millennials are now entering management positions. This generation brings a new perspective to the workplace in general, and [it has] a fresh take on what it means to lead and manage," says executive editor Christina Parisi.
And as Millennials take over the workplace, their focus on giving back is moving to the fore. Simon & Schuster has two related titles in the works. In Walk in Their Shoes: Can One Person Change the World?, Jim Ziolkowski (with James Hirsch) discusses his organization buildOn, which trains inner-city youth to be community leaders, and 40 Chances: Finding Hope in a Hungry World by Howard G. Buffett (with his son Howard W. Buffett) looks at investing the author's famous investor father's billions to put a dent in world hunger.
At St. Martin's, associate editor Matt Martztin says, "The slow economic recovery has businesses doing more with less, and this will most likely be the case for some time to come. With the focus on being lean and flat, professionals are finding that every job [like working at] a startup and that their ability to influence employees, colleagues, and clients is essential to building successful careers." In September the publisher will release Dan Schawbel's Promote Yourself—specifically targeted to Gen Y and social media users—to be followed in October by Dana Ardi's The Fall of the Alphas, about the shift to collaborative and more open business styles and the decline of the strong-male-with-the-corner-office model. Editor-in-chief George Witte says, "As the climate for business changes, books about igniting change and innovation, managing diverse and often remote teams, marketing via social media, and re-conceiving your own career are touching nerves."
A More Traditional Bent
The most high-profile entrants in the business category may be books that put a new spin on business relationships, but the old guard is certainly in no danger of disappearing altogether. Ashgate's fall list includes titles such as Delivering High Performance: The Third Generation Organization by Douglas G. Long and Leadership Resilience: Lessons for Leaders from the Policing Frontline, edited by a business school academic and a police officer. Both books are due out in October. In April 2014, Jossey-Bass will publish Smart Leaders Smarter Teams: How You and Your Team Get Unstuck to Get Results by Roger Schwarz. Richard Koch's The 80/20 Manager: The Secret to Working Less and Achieving More (to be released by Little, Brown in October) seems to have potential to appeal to the Millennial mentality, as well as to older readers who recall the author's 1998 Doubleday title, The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Achieving More with Less.
Joel Fotinos, the publisher at Tarcher, a Penguin imprint, reports, "The titles in the business/leadership category that sell the best for Tarcher are those that have the most practical applications. There are a number of books in the market on management theory, leadership theory, or general business theory—and they may all be excellent books—but in our experience the more specific, practical, and down-to-earth the book is, the better chance it has in the marketplace." He points to executive coach David C.M. Carter's Breakthrough: Learn the Secrets of the World's Leading Mentor and Become the Best You Can Be as one such example.
Two political heavyweights are sharing their leadership secrets with executives this fall. HarperCollins this month published Rumsfeld's Rules: Leadership Lessons in Business, Politics, War, and Life by former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. And on the other side of the spectrum, former New Mexico governor and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Bill Richardson offers advice suitable for the boardroom in How to Sweet-Talk a Shark: Strategies and Stories from a Master Negotiator (written with Kevin Bleyer) coming from Rodale in October. Publisher Mary Ann Naples says, "Rodale has long been committed to publishing thought leaders and opinion makers whose work aims to answer important questions and help our readers live better lives. This ethos certainly applies to the kind of business/leadership titles we aim to publish, and we've seen tremendous success with books and authors whose values resonate with our own, such as Howard Schultz's Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life Without Losing Its Soul [2011]. In these uncertain times, readers need to be reassured that dealing with the difficult people in their lives doesn't have to be an insurmountable challenge, especially in the workplace, where so many of us spend the majority of our time."
Erika Heilman, cofounder and publisher of Bibliomotion, says, "We continue to find that business books that serve an immediate need—whether for growth, innovation, or straight management issues—do well." The house's Ego vs. EQ: How Top Leaders Beat 8 Ego Traps with Emotional Intelligence by Jen Shirkani identifies pitfalls that executives and others should avoid, and Conversational Intelligence: How Great Leaders Build Trust and Get Extraordinary Results by Judith E. Glaser examines the science and structure of communication. Both books are due out in October.
John Duff, publisher of Perigee Books/Prentice Hall Press, says, "In this category in general I look for books that offer practical solutions to problems that organizations and the people in them face. I hope that the books in my list will appeal to a wide range of readers, no matter whether they are on the assembly line or in the corner office. The titles should empower people at every level to help effect change within their organizations—[from the] bottom up or top down. I leave the big-issue books and management theory to others." Duff notes that August will see the release of a revised and updated version of Rules & Tools for Leaders by Perry M. Smith and Jeffrey W. Foley in trade paperback.
In short, these days, workers of all ages and at all stages of their careers need to think outside the box, but that very phrase may be headed to obsolescence. Inside the Box: A Proven System of Creativity for Breakthrough Results by Drew Boyd and Jacob Goldenberg (coming in June from S&S) encourages readers to rely on the familiar to land new solutions, and in Thinking in New Boxes: A New Paradigm for Business Creativity (slated for September from Random House), Luc de Brabandere and Alan Iny argue that we cannot help using mental models to organize our thinking; they are hardwired into the human brain, making instructions to "think outside the box" ineffective.
Biography of a Corporation
Business leaders such as Lee Iacocca (whose Iacocca: An Autobiography, which he authored with William Novak, was a bestseller in the 1980s) have been frequent subjects of biographies and autobiographies, but these days biographies of companies rather than individuals are aspiring to inspire. One example of such a transition: Walter Isaacson's Steve Jobs, from Simon & Schuster, sold 379,000 copies in its first week on sale, back in October 2011. This month, Trafalgar Square changes the viewpoint by distributing The Apple Revolution: Steve Jobs, the Counter Culture and How the Crazy Ones Took Over the World by Luke Dormehl (published by Virgin Books, an imprint of Random House U.K.), which focuses more on the company than the man behind it.
And that's not the only close look at the life of a business. In September, Simon & Schuster will publish The Firm: The Story of McKinsey and Its Secret Influence on American Business by Duff McDonald. Executive editor Priscilla Painton says, "McKinsey is not just the most famous consulting firm in the world—it invented consulting. Because of that, it has played a role in almost every stage in American business, which is is why this book is also a terrific history of American business. This is also the only time a journalist has cracked this very private firm. The audience is anyone interested in 20th-century American business, but also anyone who has ever had a consultant knock on his or her door."
In June, Crown Business is publishing the history of an iconic toy company: Brick by Brick: How Lego Rewrote the Rules of Innovation and Conquered the Global Toy Industry by David C. Robertson with Bill Breen. Mary Choteborsky, publishing manager and editor of Crown Business, says, "Everyone has a memory of a Lego—from the excitement of opening a new set to losing a brick under the couch for a decade—but not everyone knows of the near-fatal collapse this legendary company experienced with the onslaught of the digital age. How they transformed themselves by learning to innovate 'within the brick' is a story with lessons for Lego enthusiasts and business readers alike." Also publishing in June is A Curious Discovery (HarperBusiness) by John Hendricks , who founded the Discovery Channel in 1985.
McGraw-Hill Professional associate publisher of business Mary Glenn says, "In the fall, we'll be releasing books about strategies and tactics of iconic companies: Leadership the Starbucks Way by Joseph Michelli; Repeating the Remarkable, about IBM by insider Perry Holley; The Caterpillar Way: Lessons in Leadership, Growth, and Shareholder Value by Craig Bouchard and James Koch; and The Cleveland Clinic Way by Cleveland Clinic president and CEO Toby Cosgrove. We've seen companies cut back on formal training programs, so individuals are taking it upon themselves to take charge of their own professional development, seeking out insights in business books. Also, we seem to be seeing a growing market of business owners opening up small businesses or consulting services. Many are in leadership roles for the first time so they are looking for management and leadership guidance."
And Portfolio is publishing a book that examines not just one successful company but 394 of them: Michael Raynor and Mumtaz Ahmed's The Three Rules: How Exceptional Companies Think. The authors selected the companies from a larger group of 25,000 that were studied over a 45-year time span. Rules will be published later this month with a 30,000-copy printing.
We're Leaning In—Now What?
Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead has made waves in the business management category since its publication by Knopf in March. With some 286,000 copies sold according to Nielsen BookScan, the title has had considerable cultural impact, too, renewing discussions of women's particular challenges in navigating the workplace. Several publishers have similar (or contrasting) titles scheduled for the coming months.
At Amacom, publicity director Irene Majuk says, "Sandberg's book has been generating a lot of buzz and controversy. In Stiletto Network : Inside the Women's Power Circles That Are Changing the Face of Business, author Pamela Ryckman offers her own unique view of how women's power circles are changing the face of business, and I think the book will appeal to a much broader audience because it addresses the needs of the average working woman and working mom." PW's starred review of Stiletto Network called Ryckman's book "essential reading for any woman who wishes to further her career while remaining true to herself" (Mar. 4).
Amacom executive editor Ellen Kadin says, "Stiletto Network was born at a women's conference in California, where each female executive the author met introduced her to another, and another. The author heard them recounting hilarious stories that would often begin with 'In my dinner group...' She followed a hunch and found that there were dinner groups, salons, and networking circles across the U.S.—gatherings of successful women eating, drinking (a lot), gossiping, and actively helping each other."
In November, Bibliomotion will publish Liz O'Donnell's Mogul, Mom and Maid: The Balancing Art of the Modern Woman. Bibliomotion cofounder and publisher Erika Heilman says the book "will add to the dialogue generated by Lean In" by giving voice to "dozens of women from the trenches who can speak to the continuing choices, opportunities, and challenges faced by women in the workplace."
In October, Penguin's Portfolio imprint will publish the memoir In My Shoes by Tamara Mellon, with William Patrick. Mellon is the founder, former CEO, and later the chief creative officer of Jimmy Choo; she led the fashion house for 15 years and helped build it into a billion-dollar brand. She has since sold her stake and plans to launch a new lifestyle brand this fall. In Berrett-Koehler's The Empress Has No Clothes: Conquering Self-Doubt to Embrace Success (due in June), author Joyce Roché reveals that she suffered from "impostor syndrome," even as she was serving as CEO of Girls Inc. and COO and president of Carson Products Co. (now part of L'Oreal).
In the April Da Capo title Working with Bitches: Identify the 8 Types of Office Mean Girls and Rise Above Workplace Nastiness, psychologist Meredith Fuller offers women solutions to office unpleasantness. "Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In explores why women are having trouble attaining leadership roles in the workplace. Fuller's title suggests that it may be because they're holding each other back—via dismissive, rude, or even nasty behavior," reports John Radziewicz, publisher of Da Capo. The book has received coverage in the Wall Street Journal and on NPR's Marketplace.
Judy Wicks, founder of Philadelphia's famed White Dog Cafe—a groundbreaker in the local and sustainable food movement established in 1983— and author of Good Morning, Beautiful Business (published by Chelsea Green in March), may just be the anti–Sheryl Sandberg. Chelsea Green senior editor Joni Praded says, "Judy's story illustrates a completely different road map to success—one that creates community wealth instead of concentrated wealth, that values relationships with customers and suppliers far more than the potential profits that could come from taking advantage of them, and that gives more than it takes from people and the planet. Judy talks a great deal about needing more women-run companies, and [argues] for women to not adapt to the male approach to running a business—so cooperation over competition, which is, in a sense, the opposite of Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In message."


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Bond Funeral Home celebrated it's 120th anniversary recently- over a century of service to the Londonderry area. Imagine all that has happened since James Tidrick established our family business in 1898...
Generations of change, advances in science and industry, modern conveniences which make our lives safer and easier. Yes, even our funeral home has made changes to adapt to our community's evolving attitudes towards funeral care: For example, Bond Funeral Home today offers a wide variety of advanced funeral planning options from which to choose.
Funerals are indeed for the living - often the beginning of a difficult healing process. The Bond Funeral Home has become an important fixture in our community; a place where families gather to remember and pay tribute to someone who has touched the lives of so many. We take special pride in the fact that ours is a place where people find solace and can say a final farewell.
In the 120 years we have served three generations our family have continusly headed our funeral home. Marguerite Bond with her husband Scott ran the business between the '30s and late '70s. I have been at the helm since 1978, continuing the tradition of "Our Family Serving Your Family."
Marlene Bond
Funeral Director


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Until recently biographers of Abraham Lincoln have known surprisingly little about the details of his law practice. Even the most basic information has been lacking, such as how many cases he had, what proportion was devoted to criminal cases, what to debt collection, or how often he represented railroads and other corporate interests. In the absence of hard and comprehensive evidence, scholars of Lincoln's law practice have, for the most part, only been able to present it anecdotally. In these circumstances, the general impression of Lincoln the lawyer has formed around random recollections of some of his more colorful and dramatic cases.
A good example is an anecdote presented by Lincoln's law partner, William H. Herndon, which concerns Lincoln's spirited defense of a poor, Revolutionary War widow who had been cheated out of $200—half her meager pension—by a grasping and unscrupulous pension agent. What Herndon and others remembered most distinctly about this case was the "skinning" Lincoln gave the defendant, Erastus Wright.
The speech was memorable as an example of how Lincoln could be, as Judge David Davis recalled, "terrific in denunciation" and "merciless in castigation." According to Herndon's biography, "Lincoln recounted the causes leading to the outbreak of the Revolutionary struggle, and then drew a vivid picture of the hardships of Valley Forge, describing with minuteness the men, barefooted and with bleeding feet, creeping over the ice. As he reached that point in his speech wherein he narrated the hardened action of the defendant in fleecing the old woman of her pension his eyes flashed, and throwing aside his handkerchief, which he held in his right hand, he fairly launched into him."
The case was notable also for the surviving outline Lincoln made of his closing speech, which also appeared in Herndon's biography: "No contract. – Not professional services. – Unreasonable charge. – Money retained by Def't not given by Pl'ff. – Revolutionary War. – Describe Valley Forge privations. – Ice – Soldier's bleeding feet. – Pl'ff's husband. – Soldier leaving home for army. – Skin Def't. – Close." When Lincoln finished, the jury, half of which was in tears, lost little time in returning a verdict for the widow.
Herndon is an honest and well-informed witness, but how would this case appear if we knew more about it? Who, after all, was this Revolutionary widow? Who was Erastus Wright, and how did he come between the widow and her pension? Beginning in the 1980s, the Lincoln Legal Papers project (also known as the "Lincoln Legals") was launched to document every aspect of Lincoln's law practice. By examining every piece of paper from the Lincoln era in eighty-eight Illinois courthouses, a massive database of some ninety-six thousand document images was assembled. To these were added nontechnical descriptions of each individual case, as well as requisite information on the courts, the lawyers, the judges, and the legal procedures governing the practice of law in antebellum Illinois.
Drawing on this database even before it was completed, Lincoln scholar Paul Verduin was able to determine that only two women ever retained Lincoln and Herndon for a suit against Erastus Wright, only one of whom was a Revolutionary War widow, Rebecca Thomas. She happened to be an old acquaintance of Lincoln's from his New Salem days, but her name had heretofore been lost. With this information, Verduin found Thomas's husband's pension file in the National Archives, along with the files of many other persons assisted by pension agent Wright.
Historical documents have a way of never telling us exactly what we expect to learn. In this case, the files seem to indicate that Wright took the pension claims of many Illinois veterans to Washington and saw them through the exacting government procedures that, by rule, could only be performed in the nation's capital. In so doing, Wright performed a valuable service for his clients, securing them pensions they would otherwise have never received. The files further suggest that Rebecca Thomas, who was seventy-five years old and illiterate, had great difficulty understanding the pension laws and what she was and was not entitled to, and that her confusion extended to what Wright was entitled to as his commission. Court files located by the Lincoln Legals show that Lincoln and Herndon first sued Wright before a justice of the peace and lost. But then, on November 16, 1846, they succeeded in getting their case before a jury in the circuit court, and the jury awarded Rebecca Thomas $35 and costs, not $200.
All of this puts the Thomas case in a different light. It raises the possibility that the supposedly wronged widow may simply have been ignorant of or unwilling to accept what she and the pension agent were each entitled to. Herndon's recollection of Lincoln's performance, confirmed by David Davis, is still valuable, but the documentary evidence serves to correct its details and put it in context, giving rise to the suggestion that Abraham Lincoln may have resorted to the bloody footsteps at Valley Forge and the merciless "skinning" of Erastus Wright because he had a weak case.
This new information about Rebecca Thomas is typical of what can be revealed with the assistance of the database compiled by the Lincoln Legals, assiduously assembled over a period of fifteen years. Now comes the long-anticipated capstone of the project, a four-volume compilation of selected law cases, which will be the initial offering in a new multimedia edition to be known as The Papers of Abraham Lincoln. For this work, Legal Documents and Cases, the editors have selected about fifty of what they describe as Lincoln's "most interesting, important, and representative cases," providing transcriptions of pertinent documents, a nontechnical narrative explaining each stage of the case, and useful commentary along the way on legal issues and on the law as practiced in Lincoln's day.
In exploring the texture of Lincoln's law practice, the editors have employed a variety of sources, including newspaper accounts, reminiscence, and judges' trial notes. The court documents are the most authentic and in some ways the most important, but because of their notoriously formulaic character, they tend to be the most leaden and least revealing. Nonetheless, there are exceptions. Even a formal indictment, such as that in the well-known case in which Lincoln undermined the testimony of a witness by referring to an almanac, can be the source of surprising revelations.
The Grand Jurors chosen selected and sworn in and for the County of Mason aforesaid in the name and by the authority of the People of the State of Illinois upon their oaths present that James H Norris and William Armstrong late of the County of Mason and the State of Illinois not having the fear of God before their eyes, but being moved and seduced by the instigations of the Devil on the twenty ninth day of August in the Year . . .
The references to "the fear of God" and "being moved and seduced by the instigations of the Devil" bring the modern reader up sharply and serve as vivid reminders that the separation of church and state meant something different in Lincoln's time from what it means today.
If this mode of rendering Lincoln's law cases is rarely scintillating, it is mainly because of the subject matter. We all know that court trials can be electrifying, but the vast majority are found at the other end of the dramatic spectrum. Even a murder trial, where the contingencies of life and death are thrown into high relief, can be tedious reading, as evidenced by the transcript of the trial of Peachy Quinn Harrison, whom Lincoln successfully defended in 1859. As becomes clear in a rare trial transcript, one of only three known, a preponderance of the questioning by the attorneys on both sides of this case had to do with the kind of grip one combatant had on the other, with great attention to the positioning of their respective hands, arms, and bodies in the course of their struggle. Because so much was seen to turn on who did what to whom and at what point, the interrogation returns with numbing regularity to the same questions with witness after witness. By contrast, what was arguably the trial's turning point—Lincoln's persuading the judge to reverse his own ruling and admit testimony about threats made by the victim that were essential to Lincoln's defense—is barely referred to, the reporter apparently not thinking a record of such an argument was necessary.
While high drama is not what one should expect even in these carefully selected cases, something close to it is occasionally present, and in unexpected places. Seen for its cast of characters and its many reverses, Case No. 38 reads like a picaresque novel. It all began with the will of a well–to–do farmer named William McDaniel, who fell ill in 1853 and dictated his will to his attending physician, who knew nothing about wills and doubted that his patient was up to the task, but who finally, at the urging of family members, consented, only to find he had to ply his patient with wine to keep him sufficiently stimulated to dictate. McDaniel dies several days later and all seem satisfied until the wife decides to refuse the conditions of the will and ask for dower, or one-third of the estate for her own use, which causes McDaniel's three daughters to rethink their share of the estate (no real estate but a portion of the personal property). But they can't sue because they are married, so their husbands join the suit and help their wives argue that the old man would not have disposed of his property so unequally if he had not been dosed with wine. At this point all the neighbors are brought forward to tell in colorful detail what they remembered McDaniel saying about who in his large family was going to get what. Is this comedy or tragedy?
Lincoln is employed to defend the will and the trial ends in a hung jury. But in the second trial the physician who had composed the will, and given the impression in the first trial that he thought his patient competent, testifies, to Lincoln's surprise and horror, that he did not believe this to be true, which is enough for the jury, who promptly find the will invalid. Now Lincoln has to round up jurors from the first trial who remembered things as he did and take affidavits for his appeal, but the other side also finds jurors from that trial who remember it the other way around.
Other setbacks plague Lincoln's appeal and the case is continued from term to term, while parties to the suit, such as McDaniel's wife, continue to complicate matters by dying off. In 1858, the case is remanded back to the circuit court for a third trial on a technicality about notification, which is where it still stands two years later when Lincoln exchanges the wars of the courtroom for the real thing. Closure finally comes when Herndon writes him in Washington in 1863 to say that their firm had finally prevailed in the "great McDaniel case," after a full ten years.
Another case that Lincoln was working on when he was elected president lasted even longer. This was one of Chicago's notable "sand bar" cases, which involved tenacious legal grappling over shore land that accrued along the coast of Lake Michigan, creating de novo what would be immensely valuable real estate. "Sand bars," mocked a Chicago newspaper, "whatever they may be deemed by mariners, deserve to be embalmed in the deepest and tenderest regard of Chicago lawyers. . . . Those reaches of barren sand have been a rich El Dorado to the lawyers, Pike's Peak and California at their very feet1v This case, which was tried three times in federal circuit court and went to the U.S. Supreme Court not once, but twice, finally ended after twelve years of litigation in 1862.
While prolonged and lucrative for lawyers, such disputes had little consequence for society at large. But another titanic legal struggle at about the same time, the Rock Island bridge case, was a different matter, with Lincoln in the very thick of this case as well. At issue was whether the first railroad bridge across the Mississippi River was a hazardous obstruction to river navigation. At the local level, it involved the question of whether St. Louis, the river city, or Chicago, the railroad capital, was to be the predominant center of commerce in the heart of the country. But at the national level, which Lincoln clearly had his eye on, it was about facilitating the inevitable flow of western settlement. In fighting the river interests to a draw in the form of a hung jury, Lincoln's team was ensuring that the right to cross a river by rail was at least as important as the right to navigate it by boat.
In spite of the fact that Abraham Lincoln had only a few months of schooling and studied law entirely on his own, he was admitted to the bar in 1836 at the age of twenty-seven and practiced law successfully until he was elected president in 1860. His legal career was not only his vocation and source of financial support but, in regularly taking him to other localities around the state and giving him an opportunity to develop as a speaker, it supported his lifelong involvement in politics as well.
Some cases are particularly revealing of social conditions of the era. One such was a case of slander brought by the son of a Portuguese immigrant, who, as the result of an obscure quarrel, had been publicly branded by his brother-in-law as a "Negro." In antebellum Illinois, this was slanderous on its face, for it was illegal for a man of African descent to be married, as Lincoln's client was, to a white woman, the sister of his accuser. Dungey v. Spencer has the added virtue of exhibiting several clearly discernible layers of Lincoln's engagement with his case. There is, first of all, the ordinary obligation of lawyer to client, and there is also Lincoln's genuine concern for the injustice inherent in racial prejudice and stigma. But as one of the opposing lawyers recalled years later, Lincoln's professional pride was aroused in this case by the fact that the judge had ruled that his initial pleadings were deficient.
"Gentlemen of the Jury," Lincoln is reported to have said, "my client is not a Negro, tho it is no crime to be a Negro, no crime to be born with a black skin." The opposing lawyer thought Lincoln had galvanized the attention of the jury by the use of a single arresting word: "If the malice of the defendant had rested satisfied with speaking the words once or twice, or even thrice, my client would have bourne it in silence. But when he went from house to house, gabbling, yes, gabbling about it, then it was that my client determined to bring his suit."
Persuasion by the arresting use of words would prove a hallmark of Lincoln's career not only as a lawyer, but as a politician and, more consequentially, as president. His persuasive skills were constantly being engaged and honed in the course of his law practice, and this alone would be reason for wanting to know more about it. A discerning and persistent reader can learn about the distinctive tone of Lincoln's mind, his characteristic way of thinking and dealing with problems. This is especially true in the few cases where a transcript exists and it is possible to study Lincoln's methods of direct and cross-examination, such as the Rock Island case.
Books on Abraham Lincoln abound. Because he is the most written-about of all Americans, and ranks as one of the most written-about figures in world history, the feeling persists, as one scholar famously put it, that the Lincoln theme has been exhausted. But new information makes for new insights, which makes for fuller and more accurate interpretations. Perhaps the most important thing we learn from this final contribution of the Lincoln Legal Papers project is how fragmentary and incomplete our knowledge of Lincoln's law practice has actually been and how much is yet to be learned.


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Our veterinarians' high level of expertise and our practice's fully equipped surgical suite allows us to perform the vast majority of soft tissue surgical procedures that your pet may require. Soft tissue surgery encompasses any surgery that is not related to bones. It includes procedures such as desexing, exploratory laporotomies, caesareans, lump removals, biopsies, wound stitch-ups, removal of intestinal foreign bodies - the list is endless!
A very common soft tissue surgery is the removal of lumps. Some lumps may require a biopsy prior to removal to help understand whether they are cancerous or not. This information assists us in planning the surgery accordingly to give your pet the best possible outcome. Once they have been removed we recommend sending them to our external laboratory for analysis.
Although most lumps are benign (not harmful), a minority are more serious (malignant). In the case of malignant (cancerous) tumours, early removal and an accurate diagnosis is extremely important to maximise the chances of a good outcome.
If you find a lump or bump on your pet please make an appointment to visit one of our veterinarians to discuss any surgery your pet may require.
Please see our section under desexing for more details about this surgery.


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Faith of Our Father
True religion should not originate from what pleases men or the traditions of ancestors, but rather from what pleases God, our Eternal Father.
How blessed we are by the beautiful music of the Tabernacle Choir.
My dear brothers and sisters and friends, I rejoice to stand with you today, to have the great privilege of calling myself a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and to be counted as one among you.
I recall my initial reaction when I received this sacred call from the Lord to serve as the newest member of the First Presidency of this Church—I felt joyfully overwhelmed. Since then I have learned new dimensions of the words humility, gratitude, and faith.
I can assure you that no one was more surprised by my call than my children and grandchildren.
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we do not seek, nor do we decline, callings that come from God through inspired priesthood channels. I pray that God will grant me strength and an understanding heart to magnify this sacred calling according to His will and purpose.
We all miss President Gordon B. Hinckley. His impact on this great work will continue to bless us.
I feel so privileged to work closely with President Monson. I have known him for many years. He is a man of amazing gifts and talents. He is the prophet of God. His faith and loving heart extend to every nation, tongue, and people.
I am grateful to serve with President Eyring, whom I love and respect as a great leader and teacher in the kingdom of God.
When the Quorum of the Twelve met in the upper room of the Salt Lake Temple to sustain President Monson as the 16th President of the Church, I marveled at the extraordinary abilities, wisdom, and spirituality of those who surrounded me. It made me recognize more clearly my own inadequacies. I love these fine men of great faith. I am grateful for the opportunity to raise my hand to sustain and pledge my support to them. I do love and sustain Elder Christofferson, the newest member of the Twelve.
When the Lord called Frederick G. Williams to be a counselor to the Prophet Joseph Smith, He commanded him to "be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees."1 I believe this counsel applies to all who accept callings to serve in the kingdom of God—and certainly to me in this season of my life.
A Prophet of God and Our President
I would like to say a few words about President Thomas S. Monson. Some years ago, President Monson came to a regional conference in Hamburg, Germany, and it was my honor to accompany him. President Monson has a remarkable memory, and we talked about many of the Saints in Germany—I was amazed that he remembered so many so well.
President Monson asked about Brother Michael Panitsch, a former stake president and then a patriarch, who had been one of the stalwart pioneers of the Church in Germany. I told him that Brother Panitsch was seriously ill, that he was bedridden and unable to attend our meetings.
President Monson asked if we could pay him a visit.
I knew that shortly before his trip to Hamburg, President Monson had undergone foot surgery and that he could not walk without pain. I explained that Brother Panitsch lived on the fifth floor of a building with no elevators. We would have to climb the stairs to see him.
But President Monson insisted. And so we went.
I remember how difficult it was for President Monson to climb those stairs. He could take only a few at a time before needing to stop and rest. He never uttered a word of complaint, and he would not turn back. Because the building had high ceilings, the stairs seemed to go on forever, but President Monson cheerfully persevered until we arrived at the apartment of Brother Panitsch on the fifth floor.
Once there, we had a wonderful visit. President Monson thanked him for his life of dedicated service and cheered him with a smile. Before we left, he gave him a wonderful priesthood blessing.
No one but Brother Panitsch, the immediate family, and myself ever saw that act of courage and compassion.
President Monson could have chosen to rest between our long and frequent meetings. He could have asked to see some of the beautiful sights of Hamburg. I have often thought of how remarkable it was that of all the sights in that city, the one he wanted to see more than any other was a feeble and ailing member of the Church who had faithfully and humbly served the Lord.
President Monson came to Hamburg to teach and bless the people of a country, and that is what he did. But at the same time, he focused on the one, name by name. His vision is so broad and far-reaching to grasp the complexities of a worldwide Church, yet he is also so compassionate to focus on the one.
When the Apostle Peter spoke of Jesus, who had been his friend and teacher, he offered this simple description: "[He] went about doing good."2
I feel the same can be said of the man we sustain today as the prophet of God.
The Faith of Our Fathers
I marvel at the different backgrounds of members of the Church. You come from all walks of life—all cultures, languages, political circumstances, and religious traditions.
This multiplicity of life experiences has caused me to reflect on the message of one of our hymns, "Faith of Our Fathers." In the refrain, these words are repeated: "Faith of our fathers, holy faith, we will be true to thee till death!"3
The faith of our fathers—I love that phrase.
For many members of the Church, these words bring to mind valiant pioneers who abandoned the comfort of their homes and traveled by wagon and on foot until they reached the valley of the Great Salt Lake. I love and honor the faith and courage of those early pioneers of the Church. My own ancestors were living an ocean away at the time. None were among those who lived in Nauvoo or Winter Quarters, and none made the journey across the plains. But as a member of the Church, I claim with gratitude and pride this pioneer legacy as my own.
With the same joy, I claim the legacies of today's modern-day Church pioneers who live in every nation and whose own stories of perseverance, faith, and sacrifice add glorious new verses to the great chorus of the latter-day anthem of the kingdom of God.
When my own family contemplates the phrase "faith of our fathers," often it is the Lutheran faith that comes to mind. For generations our ancestors belonged to that denomination. In fact, my son recently discovered that one of our family lines connects back to Martin Luther himself.
We honor and respect sincere souls from all religions, no matter where or when they lived, who have loved God, even without having the fulness of the gospel. We lift our voices in gratitude for their selflessness and courage. We embrace them as brothers and sisters, children of our Heavenly Father.
We believe that it is a fundamental human right to worship "Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may."4
There Are Many Faiths and Traditions of Our Fathers
As the restored Church of Jesus Christ blossoms throughout the globe—now with more than 13 million members—"the faith of our fathers" has an expanded meaning. For some, it could refer to their family's heritage in one of the hundreds of Christian faiths; for others, it could refer to Middle-Eastern, Asian, or African faiths and traditions.
I have spent most of my life in areas of the world where members of our Church are a small minority. During that time I have learned that often when people learn of the restored gospel, they are impressed by it—many even want to join the Church. But they are reluctant to disappoint their ancestors; they feel they should be true to the faith of their fathers.
I remember when I was a young man, one Sunday I noticed a new family in our meetinghouse—a young mother with two daughters. It wasn't long before the three were baptized and became members of the Church.
I know the story of their conversion intimately because the oldest daughter's name was Harriet, and later she would become my wife.
Harriet's mother, Carmen, had recently lost her husband, and during a period of introspection, she became interested in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After studying the doctrines, Carmen and her daughters knew the Church was true and made plans for baptism.
When Carmen told her mother about this decision, however, her mother was devastated. "How can you be so unfaithful to the faith of your fathers?" she asked.
Carmen's mother was not the only one who objected. Carmen's strong-willed sister, Lisa, was every bit as troubled by the news. Perhaps troubled is too soft a word. She was very angry.
Lisa said that she would find those young missionaries and tell them just how wrong they were. She marched to the chapel and found the missionaries, and, you guessed it, Lisa was baptized too.
Many years later, Carmen's mother also received a testimony that the gospel of Jesus Christ had been restored to the earth. One day she said to her daughters and grandchildren, "I want to be in the same heaven as you." While in her mid-70s, she too entered the waters of baptism and became a member of the Church.
The Faith of Our Father
What, then, is the faith of our fathers? Is it the religion of our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents?
But what of the faith of the ancient ones before them? What of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? Are they not our fathers? Are we not of the house of Israel? What of Noah and Enoch and our first parents, Adam and Eve?
What of the Savior and those disciples who followed Him?
The faith of our Father in Heaven has been consistent since the beginning of time, even from before the foundation of this world. John the Revelator described a great war in heaven.5 The issue was moral agency, as it is today. All who have ever lived on this earth were among those who fought against Satan and stood with the Son and the Father. Therefore, do we not owe our allegiance to God, our Heavenly Father?
As members of the Church of Jesus Christ, "we believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost."6 And "we believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel."7 We believe in the great plan of happiness, the plan of redemption, the plan of salvation, whereby God's children may experience mortality and return to the presence of the Father—a merciful plan established from before the foundation of this earth.
This is the plan and the faith of our Father!
I testify that the doctrine of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is the faith of our Heavenly Father. It is His truth, revealed to His servants the prophets from the days of Father Adam until our own time. The Father and the Son appeared to Joseph Smith to restore the faith of our Father on this earth, never to be taken away again. God desires that all of His children receive it, irrespective of their background, culture, or tradition. True religion should not originate from what pleases men or the traditions of ancestors, but rather from what pleases God, our Eternal Father.
Continuing revelation is a fundamental feature of this faith. Joseph Smith's first prayer is a powerful testimony of this. Revelation is a constant compass that keeps us always true to the will and the faith of our Heavenly Father.
Our Heavenly Father loves His children. He hears the prayers of the humble and sincere of every nation, tongue, and people. He grants light to those who seek and honor Him and are willing to obey His commandments. We joyously proclaim that the faith of our Father is on the earth today.
We invite everyone on this beautiful planet to taste of His doctrine and see if it is not sweet and good and precious. We ask those of sincere heart to learn of this doctrine and ask their Father in Heaven if it is not true. And by doing so, all can discover, embrace, and walk in the true faith of their Father, which faith will make them whole.8
That is our message to the world.
I bear solemn witness of the reality of God the Father; His Son, Jesus Christ; the Holy Ghost; and living prophets who hold the keys, which have come in unbroken succession from Joseph Smith to Thomas S. Monson today. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.


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Statistics and Probability


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In the philosophy of science, there are three terms which are used to describe three different related notions. In both Polish (pl) and German (de), these three terms are unique such that there is no risk of equivocation. Briefly:
- metoda (pl); Methode (de)
an ordered sequence of actions chosen to economically and efficiently achieve a desired end - metodyka (pl); Methodik (de)
a set of methods chosen for the purpose of achieving a common end or related ends (e.g. the cluster of methods used in molecular biology) - metodologia (pl); Methodologie (de)
the science whose proper objects of study are the previous two
In English, metoda is method, while both metodyka and metodologia are methodology. In English, we have the word methodic, but this is an adjective, and if I were to invent a word such as methodics or the noun form methodic, it would appear, given the Greek etymology of similar terms (concerning the -ikos ending, e.g. mathematikos, logikos, physikos) and the meanings of words with similar endings in English, that the word would suggest a field of study. Oddly enough, methodology, etymologically speaking, does concern a field of study and is thus the wrong word to describe the second term above.
Is anyone aware of an alternative that would work? If no such alternative exists, any ideas about what new word could be coined to better suit the intended meaning?
EDIT: If anyone is able to read Polish, here is a PDF with definitions supplied by Herbut.


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HANK3, the biggest hellbilly rock n' roll outlaw of all time, recently closed the first leg of his hugely successful North American tour in support of his upcoming triple-threat of new releases (double disc Brothers of the 4×4 and single disc A Fiendish Threat), hitting stores October 1, 2013 via Hank3 Records. Now, HANK3 can announce the second leg of this tour, hitting major south western cities in late-September through mid-October. See below for all currently confirmed tour dates.
9/28 – Little Rock, AR @ The Revolution Music Room
9/30 – Houston, TX @ Scout Bar
10/1 – San Antonio, TX @ Backstage Live
10/3 – Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey Bar and Grill
10/4 – Lubbock, TX @ Jake's Sports Cafe
10/6 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
10/8 – Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
10/9 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory
10/10 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory (Day 2)
10/15 – Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst
As mentioned above, HANK3 will release a brand new DOUBLE country album, entitled Brothers of the 4×4, and a single punk album, entitled A Fiendish Threat, with his new project "3". Both albums will be released in a double LP edition. With these dual releases, Brothers Of The 4×4 and A Fiendish Threat added to his already huge and varied arsenal of music, HANK3 will be raising all sorts of hell on stage while the fans raise their glasses in the audience once again, and you can bet your last dollar a damn good time will be had by all. Fans will get to taste the hardcore punk horror rock of A Fiendish Threat, a rippingly fast blast of sounds reminiscent of The Misfits, Minor Threat, 7 Seconds, The Ramones and other punk rock greats that are as much a part of HANK3's musical identity as his country roots. Fans will also get to hear HANK3's country record, Brothers of the 4×4, which is just that- country, and the realness of it shines throughout the record like moonlight hitting a mason jar of corn liquor- it ain't always the smoothest, and it doesn't come wrapped in a fancy package, but it's 100% pure whoop-ass in a bottle that gets the job done quicker and better and reminds you of where you originally came from once you figure out what just hit you.
When HANK3 hits the road, he hits it much harder than most. HANK3 shows are legendary for their length and intensity, averaging three hours a night, starting with a country set and ending with whatever his latest musical experiment happens to be. The man goes full throttle all the time, every time, as anyone who has ever been to one of his innumerable shows will attest.
In reference to the new records themselves, besides living the songs' subject matter first, HANK3 sang and played both guitar and drums on both. As if pulling triple duty wasn't enough, he engineered, produced, mixed and mastered all the tunes as well. Recording in his own home and releasing music on his own label, the Megaforce distributed HANK3 Records, allowed Williams complete creative control during the four month period it took to make both records.
For more information on HANK3, please visit www.Hank3.com


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Corned Beef BrineFor Corned Beef or TongueMakes 1 Gallon
1 gallon water1 cup Kosher salt1/2 cup sugar1 teaspoon InstaCure #1, aka "pink salt" (this is optional, but using it will keep the meat an attractive pink color. Without it, the tongues will turn grey during the curing process.)6 garlic cloves, crushed3 teaspoons whole peppercorns1 teaspoon whole allspice berries1 teaspoon juniper berries1 tablespoon dried thyme6 bay leaves2 teaspoons whole mustard seed
Bring the water to a boil and stir in the remaining ingredients. Simmer the brine until the salt and sugar is dissolved, then allow the brine to cool completely before using.
07 October, 2010
A Tale of Two Beef Tongues - Corned, and Smoked
6 comments:
Nicely done. Looks as easy as ribs or a stuffed turkey. I can't wait to try it.
- 07 October, 2010 08:03
- icecycle66 said...
I've peeled back countless squirrel skull caps to get at the little soft nugget of cashew tasting brain, but I can't even bring myself to look at those beef tounges.
I actually have to look away from the squirrel skull until i can feel and smash the tounge. If i see the tounge I'm done for the day. - 07 October, 2010 10:41
That is one thing that is gonna take some time to work up to... yecch!
You guys should get together: http://www.thefoodinmybeard.com/2010/09/tacos-de-lengua-beef-tongue.html - 07 October, 2010 10:59
- Nope. said...
Dave, you've made that look nearly edible. Bravo. I bet the dogs loved that skin, too!
- 07 October, 2010 12:24
I adore corned tongue...never had smoked...when I was younger, my mother used to make pickled lambs tongues...not sure what made them pickled, as I'm sure they weren't the ones I've seen in jars. All I need is some good hearty corn rye bread with seeds, good brown mustard and the tongue and I'm in heaven!!!
- 07 October, 2010 12:37
- Unknown said...
My parents served a lot of organ meats as a kid. It was cheap but surprisingly good if introduced to it young enough. I loved smoked tongue which was locally available at the time. The fresh tongue wasn't as good. My favorite was calf brains which my mother would parboil and serve in scrambled eggs. Very tender with a sweet taste.
- 29 October, 2015 02:33


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Starting the New Year with a Fresh Perspective by Mike Glenn
In the story of the prodigal son, Luke uses a curious phrase when the younger son realizes what he has lost and determines to go home. The King James Version translates the phrase, "He came to himself." That phrase has always fascinated me. How do you come to yourself? Can you set yourself down somewhere and then forget where you left yourself? Actually, it is something like that. We can become so buried under mistakes and failure, stuffed under grief and regret, that we get to the place where we no longer recognize ourselves. But God's "yes" changes all that. When the Spirit changes our true identity in Christ, we leave behind everything that is false and start walking toward the truth of Christ and who he created us to be.
Changing your mind
Walking away from the lies and destruction of sin is very close to the practical meaning of biblical repentance. It goes far beyond feeling bad about your sin—all the way to literally changing the direction of your life. And to change your life, you have to change the way you think. A change in your life's direction means you stop fighting the current of God's grace that flows in your spirit. Now you start flowing with the current of grace. As you reorient your life in the direction of God's leading, you find your efforts are amplified through the Spirit's presence in the same way an ocean current enhances the work of a ship's sails.
When we talk about Christian conversion, we emphasize feelings of conviction and a decision to confess our sins and seek forgiveness. But we don't stress the essential role played by our thinking. The problem that results is we don't change the way we think, so we end up not changing our behavior. For a total transformation of a person's life, the mind as well as the heart must change. We live the way we do because we think the way we do. The mess is in our heads before it is in our lives, but it moves from the mind to daily life.
This changes when we ask Christ to renew our minds, to alter the way we think. We need to allow our minds to be completely transformed. "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship." When your mind is transformed, your life will follow.
I am not naive. I understand the lure of sin and the effectiveness of its deceptions. And I am familiar with the consequences of sin. I have sat with large numbers of people and listened as they recognized and talked through the harmful consequences of their actions. When the cost of their failures sinks in, it is devastating. A man's infidelity cost him his wife and children. For a few minutes of pleasure, he traded away a future with his family. It takes only one incident to disrupt a friendship, a career, a family, a life. Lies are told, discovered, and confessed in tears, but how can a person regain trust? Sin looks good in the moment but only because it's hiding the future consequences.
I'm convinced we don't understand the total impact of salvation. We make it about feelings or a one-time decision to confess our sins and trust in Christ's death and resurrection. But to live a new life, to be completely transformed, our salvation has to be about the total person, including our minds.
Changing your frame of reference
If in obedience to Christ we are going to make different choices, we have to adopt Christ's way of looking at things. God will create a new mind in you and me, but we have to join willingly in the process. And part of thinking differently is letting go of old assumptions and preferences and accepting the preferences of God.
In Acts 10 we read the story of the early church hearing from God a "yes" that led to its dropping of ethnic barriers. A Roman centurion named Cornelius was praying, and in his prayers he was told to find a man named Peter. Peter, in the meantime, also was praying. In his prayers Peter saw a vision of a sheet holding all kinds of animals—and they weren't kosher. Although Peter was told to kill and eat, he refused. Again the vision came, and again Peter refused to eat. Each time, Jesus confronted Peter with the following rebuke: "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean." Only when Cornelius's messengers appeared at his gate did Peter begin to understand the message of the vision. Nothing created by God, people most of all, can ever be called unclean.
God created Gentiles just as he did Jews, and no one—Gentiles included—was inferior to anyone else. God loves those outside the nation of Israel on a par with the descendants of Abraham. Having grown up under the influence of Jewish traditions and biases, Peter must have had difficulty processing this. But to his credit, he was obedient to Christ and changed the way he thought about these matters. And not just the way he thought, but his life and his preaching as well.
Free of condemnation
There are two reasons we should not condemn others or ourselves. First, we all are created in the image of God. And second, Christ died for sinners. This is the price God was willing to pay for our redemption. We are called to live in the glory of knowing what we are worth. And when we don't, we damage ourselves, one another, and the world we live in. Sin devalues us as people and causes us to see others and all creation as lacking worth. Sin negates the good work Christ does in us and in the world. Where Christ speaks "yes," sin says "no."
We have things in our lives that cause shame or grief, and they act as a giant but to the good news of Christ. He promises us new life, which sounds great, but…"my family business went bankrupt after I misspent some accounts. I was going to pay it back, but then everything collapsed." And suddenly we forget the promise of Christ. He promises forgiveness and second chances, but it's hard to believe the second chance could still apply after the things we've done.
Why do we think that we alone committed a sin so horrible it exceeds Jesus's ability to forgive? This kind of thinking is the ultimate heresy. What we are saying is the death of Jesus was payment enough for everyone else's sins, but our sin is so monstrous that his death isn't enough to cover it.
[simpleazon-image align="left" asin="0307730476″ locale="us" height="110″ src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/513lKU-xrbL._SL110_.jpg" width="73″]Let Christ change the way you think so you can let go of that lie. Jesus paid it all. No part of the debt has been left for you or me to pay by working hard to clean up our own lives. On our own we can't get clean enough to impress God. Whatever we might try, we will always be unworthy of his love. The gift of God's "yes" in Christ is unearned, given to us freely. Our relationship with God is not a contract; it is a covenant, a bond of mutual love and commitment. In this covenant the parties are not equal, but the arrangement is mutual. Christ died for us and offers us his salvation, and we accept what he did for us as a free gift—on his terms.
Christ opens the door; we need only to walk through it. We then live our lives in loving response to God's grace expressed in Jesus. This is the mutual love and commitment of the covenant. Yet, for some reason, we have a hard time believing the gift of salvation is free. Who would give away something like that? So we think we have to earn it.
Adapted from The Gospel of Yes by Mike Glenn with permission of WaterBrook Press, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.