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Summer Vacation - Page 2
Cox relishing Death Valley's 120-degree heat. Photo by Rickey Gates.
Simon gave Martin all the information he would need to break Mount Washington's master's record. Martin has the exact splits—when to be where at which mile—written on the back of his hand. For the past two days they've been discussing race strategy over bowls of pasta and pints of beer. Which mile is the longest? Which is the fastest? Simon can't race for the first time since 1981, and he is giving away critical advice on how to take his own record down. "Martin is such an icon in the sport of mountain running," said Simon when I asked why he was helping Martin remove his name from the record book. "It would be an honor to have my record broken by his Royalness." I begin to suspect he'd be helping Martin even if he were racing.
From there to the finish, nothing changed. I never caught Joe, Max never caught me and Martin never appeared. When he finally appeared at the finish, out of the top 10 and several minutes behind Simon's record, I waited for one of the few excuses that have followed his occasional shortcomings over the past two decades—poorly marked course, bad race management, blood dopers or a mysterious injury in his left calf. Regardless of the reason for his failure, you could always count on a drawn-out and colorful recap of the race—the further back he finishes, the brighter the story. Finishing behind the first woman or dropping out completely yielded Nobel prize literature. He rubbed his calf, implying that excuse.
Though noticeably disappointed, Martin took it in stride, as we descended the mountain via the infamous Tuckerman's Ravine.
An early morning flight from Boston got us to Boulder, then we drove to my sister's wedding in Albuquerque, arriving an hour before, "I do."
We drove all the next day to the south rim of the Grand Canyon, me at the wheel and Martin riding shotgun. A sizeable crack across the windshield obscured my line of sight and had me either sitting up extra straight and proper or slouching down low. Martin was in charge of music, as he doesn't know how to drive and is determined not to learn. When I asked why, he responded with what sounded like a statement of fact rather than boasting: "I don't need to drive. I run like the wind." Along the way, Martin made clear his few requests for this road trip.
"I want a trucker's tan."
"You're the navigator. It'll be on your right arm. A true trucker's tan is on your left arm."
"Not in England," he reminded me. "Also, I want to eat at one of those restaurants where you can eat and eat. And a bear."
"You want to eat a bear?"
"No. I'd fancy seeing one, though," he said. "Will there be bears in the Grand Canyon?"
We camped in a parking lot on the south rim and set off the next morning down the Bright Angel Trail to the Colorado River. A few hours and 16 miles later, as the thermometer approached triple digits, we crested the rim of the canyon at the South Kaibab trailhead. Later that day, in need of a few more miles, Martin ran past the miles of traffic build up on the Hoover Dam while I sat behind the wheel. We pulled into a casino on the outskirts of Las Vegas in time to take advantage of an all-you-can-eat buffet.
On our way out, Martin suggested that I update my Facebook profile: mt.wash=>boston=>alb=>gcanyon=>vegas=>dthvalley. He doesn't participate in the Facebook culture joking that it is like "one big cyber heaven where you have 294 friends and they don't mind if you write on their walls."
On the outskirts of Death Valley, we slept in late and lingered over coffee. Just before noon, the thermometer bumped 110 in the shade. Here, in the Badwater Basin at the base of Death Valley, 282 feet below sea level, shade is artificial, found in the outhouse, beneath cars and under shoes. Everything else is cooking in the afternoon 123-degree sun.
From the parking lot on the east side of Death Valley, a run across the Badwater salt flat to the west side of the valley appeared to be a 15-minute jaunt. If we got back here in half an hour, we could refill my two eight-ounce water bottles before shooting across again to get in an hour of running. As we set off, the salt crunched beneath our feet like corn flakes.
Martin enjoys this sort of suffering for the same reason that he loves running—it is simple and pure. While I was trying to think of things other than convection ovens, saunas and engine rooms, Martin playfully mimicked the gait of a fellow fell (British for hills) runner from the UK. I was supposed to guess who he was imitating. "John Fulton," I said. It's always John Fulton. He then slowed to a shuffle and extends his arms out ahead of him like a zombie.
"An ultrarunner," I said.
"Very good," Martin replied.
Outwardly, Martin displays a distaste for ultrarunners, mocking the gear they carry, the pace they run and the food they eat. Inwardly, though, he is as fascinated by the sport as I am. The biggest question of ours being, "Why?" Few mountains in the world require more than a few hours to ascend. So why run for 20, 30, heck, 40! hours at a time? What happened to the classic 90-minute training run? How come these people can't be content with a good ole fashioned race to the top of the mountain? There's beer up there, ya know. And you'll still have the rest of the day! You'll actually be able to run tomorrow!
Back in the UK, Martin had watched a documentary on the Badwater Ultramarathon, then read Christopher McDougall's recent hit, Born to Run. Subsequently, it was his idea to run across the Badwater Basin. Not mine. I began to gather that the Badwater Basin is a Mecca, of sorts, for the seekers of suffering. Because of the heat, altitude gain or sheer distance (135 miles) the race represents the ultimate ultra not only to Martin but many ultrarunners as well.
"That's the point isn't it? To suffer?" he asked. "At a certain point," Martin explained, "running ceases to be about running anymore and becomes, quite simply, a means to an end."
"And what end might that be?" I asked.
"For some, it's endorphins. For others, it's simply the act of going fast. For ultrarunners, I'm convinced, it's suffering. Suffering can teach you more about yourself than a psychiatrist."
We had been crossing the basin at a swift pace for 30 minutes. The surface lost its charm as the salt flakes morphed into serrated plates and I was forced to look down at the blinding whiteness to avoid tripping. I embraced a cloud of dizziness, thinking of how many awful stories must begin with this same cloud of dizziness. I told Martin that I needed to head back.
Martin returned to Orange half an hour behind me. He was noticeably darker in color, drenched in sweat and grinning from ear to ear. He said he got close to the other side but turned back because it could have been another five minutes, or just as easily another 15 minutes—a dangerous difference in this heat.
As we continued north on 395, I peered through the windshield at the road up ahead with Squaw Valley as our destination. In a few days, I would be pacing a young Spaniard, Kilian Jornet, in the Western States 100. My 18-mile section would be from miles 62 to 80, otherwise known as Foresthill to Greengate. Over the past few years, Kilian has run his way to the top of the mountain and ultrarunning circuits throughout the Alps. At the age of 20, he broke the 104-mile-long Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc record by nearly an hour. In the two years since then, he has netted course records for the crossing of Corsica, the Pyrenees and the Tahoe Rim Trail.
In August of 2009 I raced Kilian at the 36th edition of the legendary Sierre-Zinal in Switzerland. In a race that frequently has Olympians and sub-2:12 marathoners toeing the line, I was elated but nervous to be in the lead group. An hour into the race, Kilian turned to me and casually asked about the rest of the course. The calmness with which he spoke made me question if he had run the same 5000 vertical feet that I had just run. I shook my head, which was the last bit of excess energy I could muster to answer him. When our mutual sponsor Salomon asked me to pace Killian for one of the final sections of the Western States 100, I immediately agreed.
As we approached Lake Tahoe we passed a car pulled over by a state patrol. In a practiced John Wayne-English accent Martin said, "Excuse me, sir! Please step out of the car and put your hands on the bonnet." He then added the non-sensical line, "Sir! Get off your horse and drink your milk."
Martin swapped out Vampire Weekend for the Beta Band and turned up the volume. Looking out the window he asked if we could go search for Fredo in Lake Tahoe.


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White Peppermint Snowballs
- 1 package (18-ounce) refrigerated sugar cookie dough, room temperature (recommended: Pillsbury)
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract (recommended: McCormick)
- 1/3 cup crushed peppermint candies, plus more for garnishing
- 1 cup powdered sugar, divided
- 1 package (18-ounce) refrigerated sugar cookie dough, room temperature (recommended: Pillsbury)
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract (recommended: McCormick)
- 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Cut the cookie dough into 8 pieces. In bowl of electric mixer, on medium speed thoroughly combine the dough pieces, peppermint extract, 1/3 cup crushed peppermint candies, and 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar.
Roll the dough into 1-inch diameter balls. Arrange, 2 inches apart, on parchment lined cookie sheets and bake until set, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on cooling racks.
Add 1/2 cup of the remaining powdered sugar to a small bowl. While the cookies are still warm, roll them in the sugar. Sprinkle with crushed peppermint candies and serve.
As the cookies cool, they will flatten slightly.
Variation: Peppermint Candy Cane Twists
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Cut the roll of cookie dough in half. Put the halves in separate large mixing bowls. In 1 bowl, thoroughly mix 1/4 cup of the flour and the peppermint extract into cookie dough. In the second bowl, add the remaining 1/4 cup flour and enough food coloring to make a red dough. Mix well with gloved hands until the color is well blended.
Divide the white and red dough into 24 pieces each, (for a total of 48 pieces). Roll each piece into a rope 8 inches long and about 1/4-inch in diameter.
To shape candy canes, arrange 1 rope of each color side by side on parchment lined cookie sheets. Gently twist together and shape into a candy cane. Repeat with the remaining pieces, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart. Bake until edges are very lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest, about 5 minutes, before transferring the cookies to racks. Gently remove them from the cookie sheets with a long metal spatula and cool on cooling racks.
Recipe courtesy of Sandra Lee
Cooking Tips
More Recipes and Ideas
Snowball Potatoes
Recipe courtesy of Ingrid Hoffmann
Coconut Snowballs
Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchen
Peppermint Mock Misu
Recipe courtesy of Michael Chiarello

subset: commoncrawl


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by Anton Shilov
Steve Jobs, the co-founder and former chief executive officer of Apple, said in an interview with his biographer Walter Isaacson that companies like Microsoft, IBM or HP were becoming "irrelevant" because at some points salespersons took the helm and the quality of products became less important than selling them in mass quantities.
"It's easy to throw stones at Microsoft. They have clearly fallen from their dominance. They've become mostly irrelevant. And yet, I appreciate what they did and how hard it was. They were very good at the business side of things. They were never as ambitious product-wise as they should have been. Bill likes to portray himself as a man of the product, but he's really not. Winning business was more important than making great products. […] I admire him for the company he built – it is impressive – and I enjoyed working with him," said Steve Jobs in an interview for his biography (Amazon, B&N, iBooks).
According to the co-founder of Apple, big companies lose relevancy when they essentially become monopolies and salespeople start to lead them. The companies then change their focus from creating great products to earning maximum amount of money, which essentially locks the innovation.
"I have my own theory about why decline happens at companies like IBM or Microsoft. The company does a great job, innovates and becomes a monopoly or close to it in some field, and then the quality of the product becomes less important. The company starts valuing the great salesmen, because they're the ones who can move the needle on revenues, not the product engineers and designers. So, the salespeople end up running the company," said Mr. Jobs.
There are a number of examples, including Apple itself under John Sculley, IBM, Xerox and Microsoft, the company that Mr. Jobs considered one of the main rivals.
"John Akers at IBM was a smart, eloquent, fantastic salesperson, but he didn't know anything about product. The same thing happened to Xerox. […] It happened to Apple when Sculley came in, which was my fault, and it happened when Ballmer took over at Microsoft. Apple was lucky and it rebounded, but I don't think anything will change at Microsoft as long as Ballmer is running it," said Steve Jobs.
The legendary co-founder of the most valuable tech company in the world also condemned startup creators usually called "entrepreneurs" and accused them of unwillingness to work and build something truly valuable.
"I hate it when people call themselves 'entrepreneurs' when what they are really trying to do is launch a startup and then sell or go public, so they can cash in and move on. They are unwilling to do the work it takes to build a real company, which is the hardest work in business. That's how you really make a contribution and add the legacy of those who went before. You build a company that will still stand for something a generation of two from now. That's what Walt Disney did, and Hewlett and Packard, and the people who built Intel. That's what I want Apple to be," explained Steve Jobs.
The co-founder of Apple passed away on the 5th of October, 2011.


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Rated 5 out of 5 by Giggi Great product! Worth every penny! I bought these for my husband and my four sons. They begged me for more so I'm placing my second order! My husband travels often, one son is a barber, one is a dentist, one is a bartender, and one works as a ticket agent (standing all day.) These socks are very soft, fashionable and comfortable. My husband finds that his legs do not swell during flights when he wears these socks. They call them energizer socks in my house. They all love to wear them all the time- during work and leisure. We heard that the gradual compression was great for men standing or sitting for long periods of time, but my men feel that these socks give them a spring in their step and make their legs feel energized. They are worth every penny! May 28, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by AndrewT92 Great item! Thanks! I love these socks! I'm on my feet all day and my feet do not swell or feel tired when I wear these socks. My feet used to swell when I flew on an airplane, but not anymore with these compression socks! I wear them under my suits and they look like a sharp dress sock. I plan to buy more. Thanks for carrying this product! August 20, 2014
Rated 5 out of 5 by Winterparkprof Avoiding deep-vein thrombosis Those of us who are of a certain age should take steps to avoid deep-vein thrombosis. Travel Smith has a nice selection so I bought a pair for my wife and a pair for me for our last trip to Europe. We travel again in April and May so I will be wearing my socks on both trips. The model I bought stayed up on my skinny legs for the whole trip. 77-year-old male. January 27, 2016
Rated 5 out of 5 by Sandycrab Lookin' Good So far. So good. These and a pair in another color were gifts for my husband whose ankles tend to swell as the day goes on. They look good and fit well so that's half the battle in getting him to wear them (you know, they might help???). He says they help him feel lighter. February 16, 2016
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This article is the third installment of our detailed coverage of modern 17" LCD monitors. The testing methodology hasn't changed since the second part, so feel free to check out this article for more details.
I wish we had equipment to measure the viewing angles of the monitors as this is the only serious parameter that's "out of my sight" now. The problem is it's not enough to measure the angles as the manufacturers do. According to current standards, the viewing angles are measured when the contrast ratio goes down to 10:1. Such measurements are relatively easy to perform, as you only need a photodiode with an objective lens. You set it at different degrees to the screen and measure the ratio of levels of white and black, i.e. the contrast ratio. That is exactly the way the manufacturers specify something like 160° for TN+Film matrixes, while you see it in practice that the white color becomes yellowish when you deflect by 45° from the center of the screen to a side, or the top of the screen becomes much darker than the bottom when you view it from below at an angle of 30°. This is the outcome of the standard method measuring just the contrast ratio, rather than the color precision. Moreover, the measurements are performed on the center of the screen only.
So, there is the following piece of advice for those who are looking for a monitor: don't trust the specifications too much, as the approaches to creating those specifications do not necessarily correspond to what your eyes actually see.
After this short interlude, let's pass over to our testing participants.
Acer AL1713
The monitor of a modest exterior (plain white color and silver rounded buttons) has a compact case, which is hardly typical of inexpensive models. The functionality is minimal: the base allows only changing the tilt of the screen, and there is only one (analog) input.
The settings menu is easy to navigate, but it is very slow. You press a button to enter some submenu, and it takes about a second for this submenu to appear. There is the bare minimum of image-related options: brightness, contrast, phase control, image position adjustment, and three variants of color temperature. One quick button provides access to the auto-adjustment feature, while the arrow buttons (">" and "<") do not work outside the menu.
The horizontal viewing angles are good, although the image starts getting yellow when you deflect from the center too much. It's all as usual with the vertical angle: the image becomes lighter when viewed from above and darker when viewed from below.
The auto-adjustment feature works all right; the color reproduction is good enough, too.
The default color temperature (the "User" mode) corresponded to 5340K for white and 8010K for gray. When I chose the "Cool" option, the white color was 7490K hot, while gray became audaciously bluish, so that our calibrator couldn't measure its temperature (it must have been high above 16,000K). With the "Warm" setting, the calibrator gave out 5460K for white and 7820K for gray.
By default, the monitor's brightness control was set to its maximum, the contrast – to 50%. Regrettably, I couldn't make the screen shine with a luminosity of 100nit (1 nit = 1 candela per square meter), even by dropping both: brightness and contrast controls to zero. If you prefer to work in a dim room, you'd better be aware of this fact. Brightness of the screen is regulated by power modulation of the backlight lamps with a frequency of 200Hz.
The color curves look good enough (by the way, I took the measurements in the "User" mode, rather than "Cool" with its unnatural color temperature). The monitor represents the colors quite accurately, without evident losses in dark as well as in light tones.
The response time turned to be surprisingly high – 10msec higher than the manufacturer claims. Moreover, it grows significantly on black-to-gray transitions to reach 40msec (the pixel rise time is 37msec as shown in the graph).
This monitor is of an average contrast ratio, as it is only higher than 200:1 at the maximum settings. On the other hand, if you reduce the screen brightness below the default, the level of black goes down considerably.
Overall, Acer AL1713 is a typical representative of the middle class. Its functionality is barely sufficient, its response time is high (35-40msec, which makes it a poor choice for playing dynamic games), and its high minimum brightness doesn't allow using it in a dimly lit room. With all its deficiencies, this monitor is all right if you view it as an inexpensive office model.


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Beach Elite Development Team Focuses on 2016
B.J. Hoeptner Evans
Manager, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: (719) 228-6800
E-Mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Feb. 22, 2012) – USA Volleyball's Beach Division has announced the members of its debut elite development team.
The members of the 2012 team will benefit from services offered by USA Volleyball while continuing to train for future international competitions. Members of the team have their sights set on the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
"The players have all been a part of our program in the past," said Brady Compton, USAV technical coordinator for beach national teams. "We also had an application process based on event results in 2010 and 2011. And every single one of the players said the Olympics were one of their goals."
The members of the 2012 USAV Beach women's development team are Morgan Beck (Coto de Caza, Calif.), Emily Day (Torrance, Calif.), Christal Engle (Puyallup, Wash.), Jess Gysin (Los Gatos, Calif.), Heather Hughes (Fallbrook, Calif.), Tealle Hunkus (Girard, Ohio), Michelle Moriarty (Houston, Texas), Kaitlin Sather (Santa Rosa, Calif.), Chelsea Rashoff (Danville, Calif.), Brooke Sweat (Fort Myers, Fla.), and Traci Weamer (Upland, Calif.).
The members of the 2012 USAV Beach men's development team are Ryan Doherty, (Toms River, N.J.), Avery Drost (Santa Monica, Calif.), Joey Dykstra (Hermosa Beach, Calif.), Andrew Fuller (Hermosa Beach, Calif.), Andy McGuire (Manhattan Beach, Calif.), Jesse Rambis, (Manhattan Beach, Calif.), Stafford Slick (Andover, Minn.), Bill Strickland (Malibu, Calif.) and Stevo VanderWerp (Grand Haven, Mich.).
Players on the development team must play in 15 tournaments per year, sign an affirmation of intent to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games and participate in USA Volleyball beach development initiatives such as camps, clinics and structured workouts and practices.
Jeremy "Troll" Subin and The Yard are helping USAV Beach design athlete programming that integrates strength and conditioning, nutrition and performance education.


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About the Author: Alberto Rodriguez serves as Spokesperson at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan.
At a ceremony today, January 12, 2011, in Peshawar, officials from the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPk) and the United States took part in the symbolic ground-breaking for the reconstruction of 25 kilometers of the Peshawar Southern By-Pass (Ring Road). The U.S.-financed project will provide $25 million in upgrades to this important provincial thoroughfare, improve security, and increase economic development in KPk.
The Ring Road upgrade is part of the broad U.S. partnership with the Pakistani people and government to assist Pakistan's economic, social, and democratic progress. Construction has already started on the project, which will improve and widen the Ring Road from two lanes to three lanes. The initiative also includes construction of service roads, green belts, center medians, and drainage on both sides.
Speaking at the event, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Brian Nichols said that the completed Ring Road will "reduce traffic congestion, increase trade and commercial opportunities, and improve access for law enforcement and emergency services to communities in this area."
In addition to Nichols, KPk Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti, KPk Senior Minister Bashir Ahmad Bilour, and U.S. Coordinator for Assistance and Development Ambassador Robin Raphel attended the ceremony.
Over the past twenty years, the United States has partnered with Pakistan to construct over 900 kilometers of road in KPk and the FATA.
Ali P. in Pakistan writes:
It is remarkable that the US puts in finance and effort to promote democracy in Pakistan but is oblivious of the tyranny in Palistine.
Garold B. in New York writes:
Well, actually, roads are really important for general development of some particular locations, like Peshawar, for intense, therefore, it's a good deal that US financed this project and helped people of Peshawar improve their living conditions. Though, the US government shouldn't forget about US citizens who also experience rather difficult financial times and need the support of the authorities. They have to apply for additional funds from lenders to make ends meet.


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Vibraphonist Walt Dickerson 4/16/28-5/15/08
May 18, 2008. Posted by Joshua Jackson.Add new comment | Filed under: amazing records, andrew cyrille, andrew hill, bassist, cardiac arrest, george tucker, grove pennsylvania, intriguing records, jazz fan, jerry goldsmith, Notes, pianist, relativity, sad news, sense of direction, shelley winters, sidney poitier, sun ra, vibraphonist, walt dickerson, willow grove
Sad news to report. On May 15th, vibraphonist Walt Dickerson died of cardiac arrest at his home in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. He was 80. Walt made a string of amazing records in the 1960s for Prestige that rarely receive much notice beyond the realm of the hardcore jazz fan. I highly recommend them - This is Walt Dickerson, A Sense of Direction, Relativity, and my favorite, To My Queen - a quartet date with bassist George Tucker, drummer Andrew Cyrille and pianist Andrew Hill. Walt also cut some stuff for SteepleChase Records, and he collaborated with Sun Ra. They made a few intriguing records together, including Impressions of a Patch of Blue, based on Jerry Goldsmith's music for the Academy Award winning film starring Sidney Poitier and Shelley Winters (you MUST watch this movie). Walt's music is not so easy to find, but very much worth the effort. He will be missed.


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The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Public Affairs and the United Nations Foundation will be hosting a panel discussion entitled "The Next Level of Diplomacy: Youth and Global Engagement." The event will feature Farah Pandith, Special Representative to Muslim Communities, U.S. Department of State; Kathy Calvin, President and CEO, UN Foundation; and Zeenat Rahman, Special Adviser for Global Youth Issues, U.S. Department of State. The panelists will discuss the importance of engaging youth in global affairs to promote peace, social justice, and democracy.
You are invited to participate by submitting questions, some of which will be selected for response during the taping. Submit your questions below on DipNote, the Department of State's official blog, and join the ongoing discussion via Twitter using the hashtag #EngageYouth. Please submit questions via DipNote, Facebook, or Twitter as soon as possible for consideration.
The discussion will be available for on-demand viewing soon on YouTube and www.state.gov.
Related Content: Special Adviser Zeenat Rahman holds a Google+ Hangout with youth entrepreneurs in Egypt, Ghana, and the United States.
George A. in Greece writes:
Honourable ladies, let me to share my thoughts to you as i live in South East Europe that located at the region of Balkans and Mediterranean sea. Personal i want good Israeli-Turkish, Greek-Turkish and Israeli-Greek relationships, guided geopolitical and financial by Germany and USA in order to build a strong alliance against the Iranian nuclear programme as this fundamentalistic state of Ahmadinejan and it's dangerous theocratic leaders threats the regions of Balkans, South Italy, Turkey, Israel and because the Iranian newclear gunshots could reach up there. We have to cancel all projects for the creation of a "great Kurdistan" if builded a financial "central Balkan" and "Medditeranean" uinion as part of a new European Union with capital city Washington (The empire of the Great West).
Hazrat K. in Pakistan writes:
The students from middle class of the remote areas of the country like Balochistan and FATA,how he/she can expect from the US in regard his/her dream for higher education.it is only way to encounter the religious bigotry in the country and to build up positive opinions among people about US.furthermore the single student from entire community can divert the strong negative opinion to soft and positive opinions regarding US.
Alejandro A. in Texas writes:
With the epidemic of our future leaders and the generation that will shape the fabric of society in years to come I fell this is one of our most important issues. Is there some kind of plan to address the occupational orphaned of these times? Parents are forced to work long hours with less pay & our children are left to raise themselves. Developing a distorted view of the world. Then there are those who have been there street life & change there life because they see how delirious life like that is. These ate the people that can really connect with the youth. There are very intellectual youths that have been dealt a bad hand in life & can be pioneers if only they had someone that's been threw what they have to guide them. I know for a fact most in office never had the hardships of our youth today & the economy only perpetuates this cycle. Mabey I'm just a dreamer but I know America needs leaders & today youth & young adults are oblivious of the ways of the world. They know more about sports, cars, Facebook. And have no concept of sequesteration.
Richard B. in Tennessee writes:
I think it's important that we applaud the efforts of individual young people around the globe that have worked hard to make a mark in this discussion as well as to make note of those events and programs that have brought youth into the discussion. However, if we value the collective voice of youth in global diplomacy, what structural changes might we push for in our educational systems to encourage and facilitate the regular and widespread engagement of youth beyond micro-level initiatives?
Sayad K. in Afghanistan writes:
For some people in Afghanistan, Youths are the only hopes for social justice and peace. How to create a paradigm shift for the developing nations to trust in youth's engagement?
Katherine F. in North Carolina writes;
Should citizens be required by law to make certain mandatory donations to Goodwill, shelters, and other local government funded community building organizations every year depending on the tax bracket they belong to? Or be required to volunteer for or be part of community building organizations every year?
Alanna D. in Wisconsin writes:
To whom it may concern: I have heard of the imprisoned preacher in Iran. How they fear not only him but his rightous religion. Perhaps if our nation said to them free him or be over run. Not with guns or tanks but with simple preachers, priests,those whose weapons are the lords words. If we threaten to fill the streets and alley's with the crashendo of the word. Perhaps they would release him. Even if many would die true martyers it would only fuel such a furvor that none could withstand it's power.
Kristyn G. in New York writes:
As per the global media, the most widespread youth involvement in global affairs to promote peace, social justice, and democracy has been achieved through the actions of civil society, i.e. the Arab Spring and austerity protests throughout the Eurozone, in efforts to achieve ideals of social justice, democracy, and peace; what are international governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) currently doing, and how can they continue to create stronger relationships with civil society organizations in order to facilitate these initiatives for peace and change?
Mohammad writes:
Do you have a basic plan that everyone can have a plan for peace on that basis, have? If yes, do you have plans to expand?
do you have an ability to create a subject that could be usefull for making a real family correlation in world nations and also could give warranty for every one for every groups and for every nations that they would have a private space in world size?
could you Utilize words with changing means for every Specifications mind ?
when you would find a plan for change world space to an environment with more tools and less applications for change and making ready world for peace ?
Riffat C. in Pennsylvania writes:
As we all keep chanting, "Children are our future", the question arises how much do we do for our children and Youth? A simple bill to ban assault weapons to protect our youth and children is taking so much effort and it is still not done!! Why are we cutting our mental health programs?
Ashim C. in India writes:
Is not it true that biggest deterrant to youth participation in promoting peace, social justice and democracy is absence of their own national and international forum where they can articulate their views on issues which belong to domain of elders?
Why can't there be parallel youth bodies to G 8, G 20, EU, OIS, OAS, ASEAN SAARC etc where youths can discuss and propose solution to problems same problems which the orgonisations of elders deal in?
This would add new perspective, show why elders fail and progess so slowly and often don't represent the interest of future. There are experiments going on for youth participation through social media. These seemed so promising but in retrospect it appears they were manipulated, which is why mobilisations through social media have not led to desired objectives. Ms Zeenat Rehman what would be your comment on this situation and what initiative US is taking?
Kathryn M. in the U.S.A. writes:
In academic literature published in books and journals worldwide, youth are commonly seen as "victims" or "perpetrators" of violence (McEvoy-Levy, 2006).
How do the Department of State and UN Foundation support all levels (from governments to community, grassroots institutions) worldwide, in reconceptualizing the role of youth from one with a predominantly negative connotation, to one with a positive connotation, such as youth serving as peacebuilders and active citizens in their multi-spheres? How do the Department of State and UN Foundation support and recognize youth-led initiatives worldwide?
From my experiences working domestically and in both Sub-Saharan Africa and the Pacific Region, as a young woman, myself, I see the possibilities for peace in the world largely surfacing from grassroots, youth movements that garner little attention from local or international media and little to no recognition from local to international government stakeholders; however, youth carry on in their important work, regardless, and continue to reconceptualize their own identities in society.
Olakunle Olamide D. in Nigeria writes:
I think the best method need for the UN and even nations in the international system is that young personnel should be used in their diplomatic practices. It will help a great deal.
Jeff B. in New York writes:
Do you have a basic plan that everyone can have a plan for peace on that basis, have? If yes, do you have plans to expand?
Good question my friend.
Marvin M. in Maryland writes:
Some college friends of mine and I have been working on building a cross-cultural dialogue through sports for American students while they studying abroad called BridgeSport.
As you know,270,000 Americans study abroad every year. More & more of them are going to the BRICS & MENA region- a 6% increase in 2011. As young people with a global focus we see them as assets to our youth global engagement strategy.
What role do you feel this type of sports diplomacy should play in the future of fostering dialogue & building good-will between America and the world?
How can more young people studying abroad work with the State Department to report our global engagement?
PS In 8 months we have reached over 220 young people both American & Rome through Sports. Next semester we will be launching in 5 new cities.
Athieno Lucy M. in Uganda writes:
Where are the youth in diplomacy???
Oduola Oluwaseun J. writes:
The events that happened in Tunisia, Egypt, Lybia, and which is now seen as the Arab Spring would not have occured if not for the roles played by the youths in that region.
The fact is this: that Arab Spring is nothing but the "springing up" of the youths in the Arab world, and there is no doubt that there are a lot of unsatisfied youths in other regions of the world ready to spring up if such an opportunity comes, not to cause chaos but to bring about positive change and development in the international system.
However, the so-called national interests of states tend to focus on the needs of the majority of the people that constitutes the adult population in the society, majorly in the developing world. Therefore, to what extent can youths be given places of authority and diplomatic responsibilities in this age of deocracy and public diplomacy?
Sincerely speaking, contemporary youths are seeing things from a more different and better perspective than the friends of Rehoboam.
Nwagwu Rich C. writes:
This discussion on diplomacy taking new dimension asides the 'formal' actors as ambassadors, foreign ministers, head of governments etc. Engagement of youths in matters relating to nation-states relations seems quite applauding.
The African continent is regarded as less-contributive to global issues on development because of its crawling state towards development which is a phenomenon sweeping throughout world societies especially in civilization. How is this new dimension of diplomacy going to capture the most of the African youths based on the believe system of most Africans that politics is not the concern of the youth and should be left to the political authoirities?
Which categories of youths are aimed to be captured? The African political society constitute averagely low youth; recognizing the level of cognitive and behavioural strength towards issues relating to peace and survival of the system (both locally and internationally.
Youths in this region of the world constitute tools and instruments for social unrest which has an adverse effect on states foreign relations. The Nigreian Boko Haram sect, the Libyan rebels in the Libyan Civil War, the Malian Political Crisis and other ideological fundamentalist groups who have risen arms against the state and threaten peace even on international organization as the bombing of the United Nations Secretariat in Nigeria.
What are the measures and strategies out for utilization to make for an integration of youths against old blocs and ideas that anchor some of their violent actions?
What has triggered the significance of youth in global engagements? What 'new' issues have recognized the importance of youth in foreign relations or engagements?
Betek Chelsea M. in Nigeria writes:
Streaming from the evolution and development of diplomatic institutions and practices, what conceptual and operational framework or platform will take into consideration the integration of the youths and emerging generation of world leaders into a new diplomatic order with respect to the disparity in ideology, belief systems, thought processes, interests, policies... among others. Thanks.
Janssen V. in Brazil writes:
Organizations have increasingly recognized the importance and high value of youth inputs and participation; however, many of them believe their work is too technical and that youth is inexperienced, or they simply do not know what/how to do. How could US Mission address these challenges and what can we as youth agents do to make our voice heard and help? Thank you.
Muhammed K. in Uganda writes:
The voices of young people from slum communities globally are seldom heard in decision making processes and in many arenas of public deliberation like this one. Specifically, there is limited space and opportunities for youth organisations and young people in urban poor settlements to 1. convene within civil society, 2. share practice even across borders, 3. Develop and advocate national policy issues together, 4. Pioneer new research, Improve youth involvement in decision making and public deliberation, 5. Channel new pathways for young leaders to develop skills and experience within CSOs
What can The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Public Affairs and the United Nations Foundation do increase engagement of young people in the slum communities?
Muhammed K. *Slum Ambassador*, Bwaise Slums, Kampala Uganda
Harvey C. in Kentucky writes:
I would like to visit the State Department for about a week to give thoughts and suggestions... You all foot the bill, provide me a place to stay and I will love to visit and share thoughts...
Minhaz A. in Bangladesh writes:
Hello! I am a State Alumnus and very keen to bring the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship to Bangladesh, how can I do that? Best, Minhaz


text:
Executing faithful church ministry boils down to just a few essentials—a high view of God, the absolute authority of Scripture, sound doctrine, personal holiness, and a biblical view of spiritual authority. Those are essentials to any biblical philosophy of ministry.
But the modern love affair with pragmatism leads to compromise on every point. Every. Single. Point.
So, for the next . . . however long it takes . . . we want to turn your attention to a truly Christ-centered, gospel-centered, Word-centered approach to ministry. Here are some of the main points we want to address:
We want to help you avoid ministers and ministries that are more about franchising and brand propagation than they are about biblical fidelity. There's a way that seems right to men—opinions about the church's purpose, biblical preaching, church leadership—and we want to help you avoid the inevitable outcome of that way.
We want to help you identify and embrace faithful ministers and ministries. Take heart, there are many faithful who have not bowed the knee to Baal. They are too humble to promote themselves, and too busy to care. For them, ministry is not about drawing a crowd or building a fan base. Their single-minded aspiration is to live quiet, godly lives of faithful service in loving devotion to Christ, and to teach others to do the same.
We want you to embrace ministers and ministries like that, while shunning the other. We want you to be an encouragement to local church pastors who are qualified, hard-working, and concerned about faithfulness to the written Word of God, the Spirit's book of ministry. We want you to attend, support, and serve in those kinds of churches. As you do, you'll be part of Christ's work to build His church, which is of eternal significance. That's our prayer for you.
Travis AllenDirector of Internet Ministry
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Travis, all of this is in good time. Thank you guys for tackling these for the sake of the gospel. You and J MAC (As we call him in our camp) Rock! ~ Pete Orta
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This is what I have been praying for. Thank you.
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This could not have com at a better time as stated in the previous comment! For me, a clearer distinction around Church Planting is needed. I struggle with this word and when it is used in the reformed churches because when I think of the word Church Planting, I immediately think of Tim Keller and Mark Driscol. I eagerly await more postings about this topic. I know that it is just a word but because it's being used so much, I'm hesitant when I hear a Christ-centered, gospel-centered pastor/minister say that.
Thank you!
much anticipated topic. Do not hesitate but feed us please. God bless and may the words of your mouth and the meditation of your hearts be acceptable unto our God.
With much love, in Christ,
That encourages me.. Thanks, Travis..
Churches that are having a great harvest of souls into the kingdom are following Biblical procedures for Church planting. Preaching clearly the Reformed Doctrines of Grace, the Gospel, God is pleased to draw multitudes in certain areas of our nation today, for which we all should be rejoicing about! When the "true" Gospel is presented, and when the true doctrines of the Reformed faith on issues relating to the Triune God and His attributes are being taught, and along with that, an encouragement that all of the saints should be passionate about "reaching the lost" and then bringing them into the body of Christ to be taught and hear the word should make us all rejoice. But I fear, many seem to be either jealous or just wanting to criticize others who are being blessed and for some reason think something is wrong - when there isn't anything really wrong! I have attended and studied some five large mega-churches which are Reformed and they all have a very high view of God, the scriptures, etc.! They are not perfect, and as they grow, they have to adapt to the growth the best they can until over time the Church can handle such large groups better. They are working on all of that! Before I would engage in heavy criticism of any person or particular group, I would encourage others to "go directly to the Pastor/Elders first and discuss any disagreements you may have. You may be surprised at the answers you would get! The Churches I am referring to are not prosperity types, motivational types, charismatic types at all. They are very Bible based works and they all have their own set of "challenges" just like any other Biblical church has. Let us pray for more awakenings and more Church plants as the Gospel goes forth in great power across America! And pray also the new Saints will be fed properly and developed for the Glory of Christ!
I would so like to see John write a book that addresses by name the many heretics of todays christian television and literature enterprises.
Jesus' first example of public ministry was to cleanse the temple of thieves, and make it known that God's house was to be honored. This is greatly needed today.
The following is a real question and not a sarcastic comment.
Isn't it pragmatic to use blog posts and videos to express a point, convey an idea, a thought or a truth?
How are you defining pragmatic and why do the above methods not count as pragmatic?
Looking for some clarity, thanks.
I am so thankful for Grace To You but I am really struggling with this one.
I just watched a video where Pastor John was excited about 10 million sermon downloads (and I am to) but is it not pragmatic to release the sermon archive online for free?
I get that the idea is to get the truth out but was the method pragmatic?
Am I defining pragmatism the wrongly?
Ryan Day:
That's a totally valid question, and yes, it is pragmatic in the best sense of the word (i.e., practical) to use the Internet as a medium for conveying truth, to open the sermon vault, etc. But in that sense, it's also pragmatic to use your voice to talk.
The kind of "pragmatic" we've been critiquing is pragmatism, a way of thinking that makes practical consequences the ultimate criterion for determining truth and value. Pragmatism is a useful mindset when applied to technology, production, or evaluating workplace efficiency, but it makes for a horrible, destructive approach to ministry (e.g., pastoral, evangelism, church planting, missions).
So, we're not at all opposed to being practical--using technology (obviously), using means, or other practical considerations. We're concerned about an "end-justifies-the-means" mentality that uses numbers/results/stats to baptize a ministry methodology as divinely approved.
The Bible--by precept, principle, and example--is opposed to that way of thinking. God is just as concerned about the means as He is about the end. We're concerned to do God's work in God's way.
Does that help?
Thanks for your good, clarifying questions.
Lamar Carnes:
I'm not sure who you are targeting with your exhortation, but as far as it goes, we agree with you. No church is perfect--John MacArthur is very humble about the imperfections of the church he pastors (I'm a member of it, so you know it's got flaws!).
But that's not what we're talking about in these posts (i.e., imperfect churches, warts and all, but on the right trajectory). We're talking about churches and ministries, pastors and leaders, who employ strategies from the church-growth playbook. In varying degrees, they are diminishing their fidelity to the Scripture.
We want to get a clear word from God's revealed Word to learn His view of ministry methodology. Who wouldn't rejoice in pursuing greater faithfulness to Christ and His will for His church?
Thanks for your comments.
#7 Lamar Carnes " I have attended and studied some five large mega-churches which are Reformed and they all have a very high view of God, the scriptures, etc.!"
Lamar, I'm confused. Are these churches using "whatever it takes" to get people in or what? Or... are you supporting Travis' points? Where do you stand? I think I know but not sure enough. I'd rather not assume.
Also, since your comment about those churches is positive, would you mind naming them? I don't think they'd mind. In fact, I'm sure they'd appreciate the recognition.
Also you said," But I fear, many seem to be either jealous or just wanting to criticize others who are being blessed and for some reason think something is wrong - when there isn't anything really wrong!" Do you think if someone speaks out, speaks up, takes an opposite view, it always means they are jealous? And could you, would you be specific about who you think is doing that? Who do you think might be jealous?
Because you spoke in generalities, I'm a little lost.
Great post! This is so true. I just left a church unhealthy church and God led us to a faithful one. And the Pastor has his masters from The Master's Seminary!
Thank you again for standing for the truth when others don't, especially after viewing that 'Elephant Room' nonsense. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
As for the "elephant room" mess, David Platt it only served to show me that David Platt is the REAL DEAL.
So humble. I mean, Christ-like humbleness.
I was skeptical that he attended, but he was a light in the midst of darkness.
If I could make a request...
It might be beneficial to dedicate at least one article to positive pragmatism.
Pragmatism= "what works" over "what you believe to be true"
This had DESTROYED the church in America.
Pragmatism is considered the one true "American" philosophy. You can thank folks like Oliver W. Holmes and William James for this heresy.
I'm not an idealist, but a Christian, he didnt compromise for me...why should I compromise for others.
Pragmatism, per Merriam Webster is a practical approach to problems and affairs.
For instance, pragmatism dictates we translate the Bible into English rather than insisting all believers learn Greek and Hebrew. Pragmatism is the reason you are reading this article on the internet rather than via a letter circulated among the churches.
The reason I think an article on appropriate pragmatism would be good is because we as Americans have the unfortunate tendency to assume that a neutral philosophy is good or evil based on the way it is used or abused. In dealing with error, it's helpful to understand ways in which we are susceptible, and ways in which others have slipped into error.
Thank you for your willingness to handle diffucult topics such as church ministry and your thoughtful manner of doing so.
Living in a sparsely populated area with conservative values is both a blessing and a blight. While the liberal anti-biblical views that some ministries struggle with are less obvious here, it is often the case that churches here try to emulate the "megachurch" growth model in practice and procedure.
It is my desire with God's grace and goodness to be both reverant and kind to those seeking more, or what seems as more, from church ministry and rigorously honest at the same time. Approaching the issue in a systematic, biblically practical manner is so helpful. It obviates confusion and focuses attention... thank you.
In His Name,
Ben McMillan
#20 Taylor Lett - Taylor, is using the word pragmatism in this series discussion stumbling you? If the errors of these churches were exposed without using the word pragmatic or pragmatism, would you be OK with that?
Also, do you think comparing the translation of the Bible into English with the newer version of evangelizing the lost or doing church to be fair? In other words, do you think that Jesus idea of what the church should be is no longer practical and that changing His way is no different than translating the Bible from Hebrew/Greek into other languages? You see no difference?
#20 Taylor
From Sanford,
Please do not let you "human reasoning" be a stumbling block. Human reasoning is fallen, corrupt and polluted. Biblical discernment must be used, the Scriptures our guide.
Compare your reasoning on the philosophy of Pragmatism with the practical teaching in the Bible. We need discernment.
We also need to listen to wise council when we get, as we do from people like Travis and Rebecca.
Taylor, a study on the Apostle Paul helped me a great deal. Very beneficial.
I find people's comments and rebuttals interesting, as they are similar to what I hear among friends, family and strangers.
Travis, I appreciate your commitment to spreading the light of the knowledge of the Gospel to sinners like me.
Thank you,
AMEN Mr. Allen.
Yes, no church is perfect and I am grateful to GTY for shedding more light on this topic because I believe many Christians or Christ Followers forget that it is God who saves and not man. We are simply instructed to give out the word, the "Gospel Message of Jesus Christ" and leave everything else to God and the Holy Spirit to do the rest. After all, isn't it God who draws and the Holy Spirit who convicts when an unbeliever hears the word (Gospel Message of Jesus Christ)? No amount of method, size of the congregation, approach, and or programs in the church saves or sways the unbeliever that God has called or predestined. It is the WORD that convicts, and it is the WORD that has supernatural powers to change the heart and mind of a sinner and not man.
This is why true qualified leadership according to the scripture is very important today.
Maybe I can shed some light on what "pragmatism" within the church is and how wrong it is from personal experience.
Someone above mentioned the need for discernment and they are bang on. I belong to a geopraphical area in Canada known as the "Bible belt" but you cannot find a true church here that is following the truths being taught in this blog about how to grow the church God's way. At first glance they appear to be and insist they are following these principles (taught here) but if you dig a little deeper there are many signs that suggest otherwise.
Topical preaching is one. This way they teach only the parts of the bible people want to hear - the good stuff - to get them in.
Sin is rarely mentioned and instead self-esteem is the goal. They take their que from the worlds view of what makes man happy and impose it on the church.
Emotionally driven "worship" both in music with sappy repetitive lyrics" and other forms like video's that appeal to good times together rather than the Truth that sometimes causes Godly discomfort is another way.
I could go on. The point is really that these churches use the same biblical language as true ones and appear on the surface to be the same. Problem is they leave you famished.
I went through this for years until I heard Jmac's cd package on discernment. I suggest you get it and listen. It will by the grace of God open your eyes up to the false kinds of pragmatism that have subtley invaded the Church like a trojan horse.
Highly recommend some of JMac's books also like "Ashamed of the Gospel".
I now belong to a truly bible believing Church that is not perfect but at least I now "go home full" being fed spiritually. It is small and growing but is focused on the truth and not the numbers.
Hope this helps,
Thank you for your reply and clarifying your thoughts. I am a little concerned that you may be being a little short sighted. Not short sighted as it relates to the dangers of pragmatism in the Church, to that I agree with you and think you are right on. However it does look to me (from an outside perspective) that Grace To You and Grace Community Church are pragmatic with some of there methods. My Concern is that it seems that you don't seem to see it or recognize it and as a result accuse others who are using the same methods you guys do?
Now I understand that there are those that have bought into the philosophy of "pragmatism" (as you put it) and I do not think you guys have done that but I do think that you have insinuated that other prominent ministries have when in reality they are using methods to get the truth out that are very similar to yours.
It would be helpful to know who you have observed as pragmatic and who you have observed as have bought into "pragmatism." Could you give some examples and differentiate between the two?
Just so you know where I am coming from, I am a Pastor and often struggle with what we are talking about. I want to "do" ministry the way Scripture lays out and so I appreciate your posts. However it seems like you may be picking specks (in some cases) with a log in your eye. From my perspective I see you guys doing ministry in ways that the Bible has not specifically laid out and you justify its success bases on the measurable results (i.e. Pastor John's video on 10 million downloads).
Thanks for conversing with me....trying to work through this one.
#25 Brad, yes, that puts it all into perspective. You certainly were diligent in your quest and I appreciate that very much. And the subtleties you mentioned really take a discerning eye to notice them. Otherwise they are easily missed, aren't they?
I am helping a new believer and sent them John's message on discernment. It might be part of your package you mentioned? Excellent teaching. The article, for any interested, is called
"Discernment: Spiritual Survival for a Church in Crisis" which I think will be a good companion to what Travis will be teaching us here. It's kind of way to help us know how to stay out of trouble when it comes to picking a sound church.
Yes Rebecca - the article you quoted in #27 is the one I found so informative and enlightening.
If anyone is at all confused about this matter, get this resource and keep searching and praying for truth. You may be in a pragmatic church and not even know it!
Ryan Day # 26
Thanks for your question, Ryan. We're always grateful and excited to hear from pastors laboring in the Lord's vineyard.
I'd like to address your concern(s) if I may.
You asked about pragmatism, what constitutes pragmatism, and which churches/pastors we believe represent a pragmatic approach to ministry.
As insightful as those questions are, to be honest my first response was "Did this guy just today begin following our series?"
Here's why I ask.
A few months ago, we pulled together a long series of posts on contextualization from John MacArthur's material on First Corinthians 9. Throughout that series—and the articles that followed—we defined pragmatism & contextualization, explained biblical and unbiblical ways to understand them, and then addressed how churches and pastors abuse those principles. Finally, we discussed the proper way to "be all things to all men." That series spanned the entire month of September and Travis wrote a few thoughtful follow-up articles in hopes of answering questions like yours.
So before we discuss your questions and concerns, please take a long look at the series we featured on Contextualization, carefully read through Travis' follow-up article, and then if you still have those nagging concerns, please bring some "concrete" examples of what you're getting at back to the comment thread. Fair enough?
Thanks, Ryan.
Thank You Rebecca and Brad, very helpful!
"Pragmatists say that we should leave our deeper worldviews behind and find consensus about "what works" - but our view of what works is determined by what we think people are for. Any picture of happy human life that "works" is necessarily informed by deep-seated beliefs about the purpose of human life. Even the most secular pragmatists come to the table with deep commitments and narrative accounts of what it means to be human."
-Tim Keller
Is beauty in the eye of the beholder? Is truth relative?
Rebecca #22,
If you'll reread my comments, you will notice (at least I hope I conveyed this) that I made no mention of stumbling or disagreeing with the use of terms. I fully agree that there is a sinful use of pragmatism. My observation was simply that many things are pragmatic, and many of them are within the bounds of the biblical witness.
Augustine touches on this idea when he speaks of eloquence. He points out that eloquence in and of itself is not bad simply because some men use it to adorn false arguments.
In the same way, pragmatism is a tool. The use of that tool is what determines whether an action is honoring to God.
So, to answer your question, I absolutely see differences in the things I mentioned and the things Travis mentioned. That is why I mentioned them. The similarity is that they are all pragmatic, even though they are not all wrong. There are some things which may be less obvious, and they require even more prayer and thought. That's why it is helpful to set a baseline for good pragmatism.
#32 Taylor Lett - OK, Taylor, I read your comment several times before I commented the last time. But I did as you asked. I read it again. And again.
By the way, it did occur to me later that maybe I shouldn't have used the word "stumble" among Christians. I was in a hurry and should have taken the time to find a better word that didn't have such a rub to it. I apologize. I should have asked, if the use of the word pragmatic was what you "took issue with" or if it was the errors exposed?
That said, I thought your comments read as if you were opposed to the use of the word and how Travis applied it. I'm slow like that sometimes. I am just now learning through GTY about churches that are pragmatic in that they will use almost anything to get their attendance up. I mean, I was always aware of some churches that did things that, quite frankly, didn't seem like church. I just thought they were false churches and not playing with a full bible. I didn't know there were so many that claimed to be conservative evangelical churches while justifying being absorbed with entertaining the lost to woo them in.
So if I understand rightly now, you do think it is wrong and agree with gty that these churches should not be using crazy antics (pragmatism) to get the numbers up? You do agree that they should use church for worship and it should be kept holy and acceptable before the Lord? And you do agree that it is possible to know what sort of worship Jesus finds acceptable including music and language? That there is no debate there? Right? You just think these knuckleheads doing all this crazy stuff like playing ac/dc during an Easter worship service are giving pragmatism a bum rap? Do I have it right?
Thank you so much for your ministry. I've been listening to Pastor John MacArthur's preaching and it's so wonderful. It's been a great blessing to me. God bless GTY.
This should be very helpful, Travis. Pragmatism is anti-biblical. The Master has already spoken on how to be saved, sanctified, and proclaim the Gospel (and even the structure of the church).
In all we do we are to glorify God and He doesn't take just anything we slap His name onto (Uzzah and the cart that held the Ark of the Covenant that tipped over is a good example--see 2 Sam. 6:1-8). Pragmatism puts man at the center, Scripture puts Christ at the center. Pragmatism is the ends-justifies-the means mentality; Scripture says the means is just as important and must be ordained as the end--and both are in God's hands and both reveal one's TRUE view of Scripture and God.
Mat 7:21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Mat 7:22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?'
Mat 7:23 And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'
Many people do things in the name of the Master, slapping His name onto their "Christian" work, but its not of Him. It starts with the Lordship of the Lord in salvation and creation.
Pragmatism as used in this article -
Yielding to the authority of practical ways to grow the church instead of the authority of the Scriptures when the two contradict.
It was practical for Saul to create evil alliances. However, it was disobedience to God's commandment.
It was practical for Abraham and Sarah to bring about a son by the use of her maid, but that was not God's way.
It was practical for Uzzah to stop the Ark from tipping over by catching it with his hand...but that was disobedience and it resulted in death.
Physicians are good, but because Asa trusted them with his health instead of the Lord, he died.
When practical means becomes the authority instead of the Scriptures, it is idolatry.
Recalling how Jesus wanted to prepare Peter to lead the apostles, to lead the church & what he told him to do.
Reading from JM's sermon Characteristics of a Committed Christian, John says,".....disciples tried to do it on their own & they met with failure & they lost the intimacy of Jesus' fellowship." They lost what? The intimacy. They lost the intimacy of Jesus' fellowship. What could possibly be better than intimacy with Jesus?
We live in a world of thrill seekers. People want the adrenalin rush. People choose to have near death experiences all the time now & they consider it a sport. I heard a man, a doctor speak about this years ago, how kids now are addicted to the adrenalin rush and don't know how to sit calmly or quietly. He explained they now had to do risky things in order to feel alive. Wish I could recall his name. It was a really interesting study & made sense to me.
So first we gave this noisy, adrenalin rush environment to the youth groups.....so they would come....and stay....& come again. Thought we had to give them something off the wall. They thought so too.
Then.... that generation grew up & the adult worship "providers", who are likely products of that generation too, think they have to give the adults an adrenaline rush worship service. For me, it's like having your home remodeled & while the noise is deafening, you try to visit & have a meaningful conversation with your beloved. It just kills the moment.
Back to Peter. John's sermon spoke of the evidence or lack of evidence of love & commitment we have toward Christ. Peter was a perfect example. But what I pulled out of that for the sake of this article by Travis, is what Jesus told Peter to do so as to prove his love, his commitment.Jesus never mentioned numbers. He never said,"OK, Peter, I charge you with this. When I come back, I better see the church quadrupled in size."
Two times He asked Peter if he loved him, third time He asked if he liked him? Each time Peter answered yes, Jesus responded firstly, "Feed My lambs"(His babies), secondly "Tend (shepherd, guide)My sheep", and thirdly,"FEED (give proper nourishment to mature believer) My sheep".
Who are Jesus' lambs? Who are his sheep? Guests? The lost? No, they are the "believers". And the pastors are called to tend to them at every stage of development. To nurture, to teach, to correct, to equip, to love.
Lastly. Know what happens to infants in orphanages in countries where there isn't enough help to hold them, rock them, where they have little or no physical touch? They are diagnosed with "failure to thrive" syndrome. They don't develop normally. You could put DVD players over their little beds & play cartoons all day long. But if they have no intimacy with another human, they fail to thrive. Some, in fact, die. That is us too. If we choose entertaining, shock jock pastors, we risk an intimacy with Christ & we fail to thrive. We have a spiritual death. Sad.
".......Feed My sheep". John 21:17
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Beside the rotation, the only real battles this ST are for those bench spots. And there is the idea they may go with a 13 man staff so the competition gets tougher.
But we can certainly say the following:
1. Marson or Gomes. Marson gets the nod and they send Gomes to C-Bus to catch Bauer with the hope that they can become a battery.
2. Aviles. It's a lock with every position but CF and C under his belt. Diaz will get looks here and may steal that 5th slot if available. But he has options and he's most likely going south.
3. Giambi is in. Book it. They want him as player/bench coach. Placing his locker between Kip and Chiz is brilliant. Even if he hits .200 his value will be great.
So that leaves us with Rayburn, who can play everywhere but C and SS...or Phelps.
And I personally think they are gonna have to keep this kid from Texas, McGuinness - he's only 23 and might be a real steal. Though they may have to finagle a trade to keep him. Phelps?
Edit: I wonder if the slot money they can't spend because they signed Swisher and Bourn (the lost picks in the 2nd and sup 2nd round) can't be spent on McGinn? Claiming Rule 5 guys and buying them from rich teams could be a great way of getting seasoned talent while playing the rules to your favor (assuming you have a top 10 protected pick). It'd be a brilliant way to circumnavigate these draconian draft slot rules.


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Debates of March 14th, 2008
House of Commons Hansard #67 of the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was equality.
- Question Period
- Judges Act
- Points of Order
- Unborn Victims of Crime
- Chantale Guay
- Fire Departments
- Arctic Winter Games
- Christian Population in Iraq
- International Day of La Francophonie
- Zimbabwe
- St. Patrick's Day
- Government Policies
- André Manseau
- Tackling Violent Crime Act
- Queen Street Community in Toronto
- National Francophonie Week
- Ottawa Film Festival
- Ethics
- Government of Ontario
- Ethics
- Access to Information Act
- Lobbyists
- Foreign Affairs
- Canada-U.S. Relations
- Omar Khadr
- Manufacturing and Forestry Industries
- Citizenship and Immigration
- Afghanistan
- Government Accountability
- Afghanistan
- Government Policies
- Ontario Economy
- Aerospace Industry
- Regional Economic Development
- The Environment
- Citizenship and Immigration
- Agriculture
- Government Appointments
- Foreign Affairs
- Privilege
- Points of Order
- Business of the House
- Government Response to Petitions
- Budget Implementation Act, 2008
- Committees of the House
- Questions on the Order Paper
- Committees of the House
- Status of Women
Statements by Members
11:10 a.m.
Deepak Obhrai Calgary East, AB
Mr. Speaker, Canada is concerned that conditions on the ground in Zimbabwe will not allow for free and fair elections that respect fundamental human rights at the upcoming national election on March 29.
We note the lack of a free media, state imposed restrictions on the freedom of speech, assembly and association, and the use of force by the police against the political opposition.
At the last minute Zimbabwe invited some countries and international organizations to observe and monitor the elections, but only those that were expected to provide a positive assessment. Canada was not invited, nor was any international organization of which Canada is a member.
Canada is concerned about the prospect for violence in Zimbabwe during the period surrounding the election. Canada calls on the government of Zimbabwe to ensure that all human rights are respected.
St. Patrick's Day
Statements by Members
11:10 a.m.
Pierre Paquette Joliette, QC
Mr. Speaker, traditionally March 17 is St. Patrick's Day, a day to recognize the contribution of the Irish community to Quebec's development, among other things. The traditional St. Patrick's Day parade through the streets of Montreal will be held on the eve of St. Patrick's Day, on March 16. The parade will go on rain or shine or whatever mother nature brings. Year after year, this parade all in the colour of Ireland, green, draws large crowds. The second largest parade in Quebec will be held in Rawdon, in my riding, which is home to a large Irish community.
As we know, during the 19th century, the Irish massively fled Ireland, which was devastated by famine and disease, to start their lives over. Many of them settled in Montreal. They have greatly contributed to the development of that city with their vitality, courage, joie de vivre and traditions.
This is why I encourage everyone to come out and take part in any of the various activities scheduled across Quebec to mark St. Patrick's Day.
Government Policies
Statements by Members
11:10 a.m.
Dean Allison Niagara West—Glanbrook, ON
Mr. Speaker, as we rise today, after a productive winter session, it is worth recapping the many accomplishments of this government under the strong leadership of our Prime Minister.
Canadian families are safer today, thanks to the Tackling Violent Crime Act, an act that imposes mandatory minimum sentences on gun criminals, will keep repeat violent and sexual offenders behind bars and protect children by raising the age of sexual consent from 14 to 16 years of age. This passed with the help of the Leader of the Opposition and the Liberals.
The Canadian economy is now on a responsible and prudent course, as budget 2008 has passed and we have a balanced budget that pays down more than $10 billion of debt and which provides Canadians with a powerful new way to save through tax-free savings accounts. This budget passed, thanks to the help of the Leader of the Opposition and the Liberals.
The Canadian Forces serving in Afghanistan now have the clear support of Parliament. A consensus motion extending the military mission in Afghanistan to 2011 was passed last night, thanks to the help of the Leader of the Opposition and the Liberals.
The Conservative government announced a real greenhouse gas reduction plan, the first to ever include mandatory emission reduction targets, and an NDP environmental motion declaring non-confidence in the Conservative government was defeated with the help--
Government Policies
Statements by Members
11:15 a.m.
The Speaker Peter Milliken
The hon. member for Hull--Aylmer.
André Manseau
Statements by Members
11:15 a.m.
Marcel Proulx Hull—Aylmer, QC
Mr. Speaker, I rise today with sadness to mark the tragic death of André Manseau, a young volunteer firefighter in Val-des-Monts.
André Manseau had dreamed since childhood of becoming a firefighter. He had been with the municipal fire department for barely six months. Although he was just 18 years old, André Manseau was very mature for his age. He died tragically, doing what he had always wanted to do, which was help others.
The people of the Outaouais are in mourning. We have lost a member of our rescue team, the people we count on and place our greatest trust in. We respect and admire these people for their courage and determination.
I invite all my colleagues to join me in extending our heartfelt sympathies to the family, colleagues and friends of young firefighter André Manseau, who died in the line of duty. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.
Queen Street Community in Toronto
Statements by Members
11:15 a.m.
Olivia Chow Trinity—Spadina, ON
Mr. Speaker, this month alone, the Conservative government has taken the wrong direction on climate change, extended the war in Afghanistan and offered no solution for the doctor shortage or help for our cities to prosper.
However, despite the depressing scene on Parliament Hill, Torontonians are working together and taking action. On February 20, a massive six-alarm blaze destroyed 14 addresses in a historic part of Queen Street West in downtown Toronto. Some 20 families were made homeless, dozens made unemployed and shops, some in business since 1914, were destroyed.
However, Toronto's spirit of generosity and our engaged community came together to raise money, put on benefits, donate clothing and furniture, and help the people affected by this devastating fire.
The Queen Street community's unique spirit, dynamic activism, diversity and talent is what makes it so special. I want to take this opportunity to thank all the volunteers and the local councillors in making the rebuilding of people's lives and these historic buildings possible.
I want to urge all members to help out and--
Queen Street Community in Toronto
Statements by Members
11:15 a.m.
The Speaker Peter Milliken
The hon. member for Beauséjour.
National Francophonie Week
Statements by Members
11:15 a.m.
Dominic LeBlanc Beauséjour, NB
Mr. Speaker, I invite all my colleagues to join me in celebrating national francophonie week.
Our country was founded on two great international languages and French is in the spotlight this week.
The French language is more than just a tool of daily communication for us; it is our link to millions of francophones throughout the world. Our ideals of peace, justice and prosperity are strengthened by our membership in this great global francophone family.
Across the country, particularly in Acadia, a region I proudly represent in this House, francophones are inviting their fellow citizens to celebrate the French language with them. This is especially true in schools, where the Association canadienne d'éducation de langue française has developed a variety of activities for teachers to present to their students.
I want to wish everyone a wonderful national francophonie week.
Ottawa Film Festival
Statements by Members
March 14th, 2008 / 11:20 a.m.
Richard Nadeau Gatineau, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Ottawa film festival will be held from March 14 to 21, 2008, chaired by Lucie Laurier. Some 50 films from 17 countries will be showcased during the festival.
Things will kick off with a screening of Caramel, a dramatic comedy by Nadine Labaki. The festival's founder, Didier Farré, has selected Florent Emilio Siri's drama, L'ennemi intime/Intimate Enemies, to close the festival.
A gala celebrating the festival's 10th anniversary will begin with a screening of The Counterfeiters, which won the Oscar for best foreign film. The Quebec film industry will be in the spotlight with Continental, a film without guns , Tout est parfait/Everything is Fine, Les 3 p'tits cochons and many other films.
My Bloc Québécois colleagues and I congratulate the organizers and volunteers, and we invite everyone to come out and participate.
Long live the Ottawa film festival!
Statements by Members
11:20 a.m.
Robert Thibault West Nova, NS
Mr. Speaker, in just two years, the Conservative Party has gone from rhetoric and bluster about accountability to stories of shadowy Conservative operatives working on behalf of the Prime Minister, offering financial inducements to a man suffering from terminal cancer so that he would overturn a democratically elected government.
I cannot help but look across the aisle at my colleagues from the Conservative Party and wonder where it all went wrong. It must be disheartening to those sitting on the government benches.
So much for ideals and so much for promises they made to their constituents. Instead, they watch and listen every day to the changing story of the Prime Minister, the same Prime Minister whose voice was recorded, the same Prime Minister who said that financial considerations were on the table.
Mulroney had Fred, the Prime Minister has Flanagan and Finley, all F's, not very good grades, not good at all.
Government of Ontario
Statements by Members
11:20 a.m.
Pierre Poilievre Nepean—Carleton, ON
Mr. Speaker, Dalton McGuinty did two things upon taking office. First, he hammered the middle class with the biggest tax increase in Ontario history, the McGuinty health tax. Second, he raised taxes on Ontario businesses, targeting them and making them less competitive.
Because of McGuinty's regime in this province, Ontario has the highest tax on new business investment anywhere in the developed world.
Dalton McGuinty never met a tax he did not hike and, make no mistake, these high taxes kill Ontario jobs.
However, it is never too late to do the right thing. Mr. McGuinty has a budget coming up this month and we would encourage him to do what we have done at the federal level, which is cut taxes for investors, entrepreneurs and their workers. I ask him to liberate our economy, let the eagle out of the bird cage and let us build our economy on low tax and high competitiveness.
Oral Questions
11:20 a.m.
Ralph Goodale Wascana, SK
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Prime Minister again tried to dodge that damaging tape that caught him talking knowledgeably about an offer to Chuck Cadman. He has admitted in the House that it was indeed his voice mentioning the offer to Chuck to replace financial considerations by people legitimately representing the party.
However, yesterday, for the first time, the Prime Minister claimed that the tape had been tampered with. If that is true, why did it take over two weeks to say so, and will he table the complete unedited tape in the House right now?
Oral Questions
11:20 a.m.
Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam
James Moore Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals keep changing their story but the facts remain the same.
First, the Liberals said that there was a meeting on May 17, 2005. They were wrong. The Liberals said that we offered Chuck Cadman a $1 million life insurance policy and that was false. The Liberals said that Chuck Cadman was not going to run again and that was false. The Liberals asserted that I was somehow involved in organizing a meeting and that was, of course, false.
The Liberals claim outrage but they have had this story for well over a year and yet they continue to ask questions. If they were really sincere about their outrage, they would have asked these questions long ago.
As the Prime Minister has said, when this issue goes to court all the facts will be on the table and the Liberal Party will be sorry for it.
Oral Questions
11:20 a.m.
Ralph Goodale Wascana, SK
Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary answers everything but the question.
The tape is from author Tom Zytaruk. He made it public. Dona Cadman and her family stand by their statements that Conservatives did make an offer to deal with their financial insecurity. That is consistent with the tape.
If it is all false, why is the Prime Minister not suing the source of the allegations, Mr. Zytaruk and the Cadmans? Is it not true that his political lawsuit against the official opposition and now this tale about a tampered tape are all a desperate dodge to avoid confronting the Prime Minister's very own words?


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Editor for this issue: Karolina Owczarzak <karolinalinguistlist.org>
Workshop on Verb Classes and Alternation Location: Stuttgart, Germany Date: 10-JAN-03 - 11-JAN-03 Web Site: http://www.ims.uni-stuttgart.de/~dalessra/workshop.html Contact Person: Roberta D'Alessandro Meeting Email: roberta.dalessandroims.uni-stuttgart.de Linguistic Subfield(s): Morphology, Semantics, Syntax Meeting Description: The Graduiertenkolleg ''Linguistic Representations and Their Interpretation'' of the University of Stuttgart (Departments of Linguistics and IMS) is happy to announce a WORKSHOP ON VERB CLASSES AND ALTERNATIONS, to be held on January 10-11 at the University of Stuttgart. List of speakers: Artemis Alexiadou (Stuttgart) Hagit Borer (USC) Adele Goldberg (UIUC) Hans Kamp (Stuttgart) Beth Levin (Stanford) Alec Marantz (MIT) Gillian Ramchand (Oxford) Irene Rapp & Arnim von Stechow (Tuebingen) Antonella Sorace (Edinburgh) Achim Stein (Stuttgart) The workshop will be preceded by a Morphology class taught by Alec Marantz on January 8. Further information and a tentative program are available on the website: http://www.ims.uni-stuttgart.de/~dalessra/workshop.html. People interested in attending the workshop and the class can contact Roberta D'Alessandro at the following e-mail: roberta.dalessandroims.uni-stuttgart.deMail to author|Respond to list|Read more issues|LINGUIST home page|Top of issue


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I just drafted this team in an eight league team least night. It starts 2 QB, 2 RB, 4 WR, W/R, TE, K, D. Here it is:
QB: Vick, Plummer, Warner, McNair
RB: Alexander, Deuce, Cadillac
W/R: S. Jackson (he's my best bet for this flex spot)
WR: C. Johnson, Walker, Mi. Clayton, Roy Williams, McCareins, Robinson, Parker
TE: Clark, McMichael
K: Nugent
D: Tampa Bay
What do you think?
Toggle shoutbox NYJETSFAN BANTER
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How Did I Do?
Posted 27 August 2005 - 09:16 PM
Posted 27 August 2005 - 09:21 PM
i think u did really well but with only 8 ta\eams they probably all look good. i would drop a QB (vick) and pick up a back-up defense
Posted 28 August 2005 - 08:06 AM
Your really strong in the RB WR area. Vicks pretty good and TB has got a good D. I'd give u a 8/10.
Page 1 of 1


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It's late January and the line outside of 239 West 52nd St. stretches all the way down the block and disappears around the corner, continuing northward up Broadway. It has been steadily growing for close to two hours, filling with everyone from middle-aged, leather-jacket-clad music appreciators to bleach-blonde high schoolers in band tees. The guards at the door under the flickering red-lettered marquee are strict—they don't let anyone through the glass doors until 7 p.m. sharp. When the doors finally open, the small, carpeted entryway is a madhouse, with folks filing through security to make their ways to the two available bars for pre-concert beers or straight to the front for the sold-out show.
The ballroom is composed of a large general admission floor and a VIP balcony that tonight is lined with candles and table lights built from old cassette tapes. The lights go down, and the crowd erupts for the first time in 2014—and for the millionth time in the history of the venue.
The place is Roseland Ballroom, the headlining act is the Black Keys, and the show is one of the last to hit the venue's stage before it closes its doors for good this April after 95 years as a staple of New York's music scene.
The now-landmark Roseland Ballroom was established in 1917 in Philadelphia, Pa., before its creator, Louis Brecker, moved the venue to its first New York City location in 1919. This since-demolished carriage factory at Broadway and 51st Street was home to Roseland Ballroom for 37 years, where it functioned briefly as a segregated "whites only" dance hall that touted its high-society orchestra groups and bore the epithet "the home of refined dancing" before flourishing as an integrated home for jazz musicians and marathon dance events throughout the late 1920s and 1930s.
Roseland's 51st Street stage was host to early-career performances by legends like Louis Armstrong, Glenn Miller, and Ella Fitzgerald, as well as various staged antics organized by Brecker, including at least one public "jazz wedding" that a 1942 profile in the New Yorker theatrically described as having included an ordained minister, "20 pairs of bridesmaids and grooms, shaking their shoulders, ... 20 pirouetting flower girls," and a shimmying cupid.
In 1956, New York's original Roseland Ballroom was demolished and operations moved to the Ballroom's current location on West 52nd Street. Until his death in 1977—at which point ownership of the ballroom was passed to his daughter, Nancy Brecker Leeds—Brecker maintained that the venue was first and foremost a ballroom and dance hall, banning increasingly popular music styles like rock 'n' roll and disco from being featured on the Roseland stage.
In 1981, Brecker Leeds sold Roseland to a third owner, Albert Ginsberg. The venue underwent a notable shift in clientele, opening its doors to nightclub culture and the accompanying scene. This ushered in a decade during which Roseland was widely considered to be more dangerous than desired. In 1984, Staten Island teenager Robert Dudley was shot to death in the middle of Roseland's dance floor. In 1990, Utah tourist Brian Watkins was murdered on the New York City subway. Four of the eight suspects in the case were arrested at Roseland, and according to at least one 1990 report in the New York Times, the murder was the result of a robbery in which the eight men held up the tourist's family for money to use that night at the ballroom. As a result of its increasingly bad reputation, in the early 1990s, Roseland ceased the regularly scheduled clubbing hours and instead turned its sights primarily toward concerts and occasional special events.
The modern era of Roseland as a concert venue for music of all genres has been punctuated by career-making performances by now-famous musicians and colossal sold-out appearances by widely renowned artists. One show in the summer of 1984 featured a relatively unknown underground Los Angeles metal band as an opening act. A record label representative in the audience was impressed enough by these opening musicians, known collectively as Metallica, that the group was asked to sign its first major record label deal the next day.
Since then, just about anyone who is anyone across all genres in the music industry has played a show on Roseland Ballroom's stage, from the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan to Nicki Minaj and Beyoncé, and from Björk to Radiohead. Last spring, Vampire Weekend's Roseland concert was broadcast live on YouTube and directed by Steve Buscemi, and on Halloween 2010, the venue played host to a party DJed by Deadmau5.
These big names have also come with notorious incidents. In 2000, eccentric singer-songwriter Fiona Apple suffered a very public breakdown in the middle of a Roseland Ballroom set. Onlookers said the singer began to cry while staring at the VIP balcony before eventually leaving the stage and bringing a premature end to the show only 40 minutes in. And in 2008, Madonna announced an unticketed concert event at Roseland that ran on a first-come, first-served basis. Fans were waiting faithfully outside of the ballroom for days leading up to the show, which lasted all of 30 minutes.
Given Roseland Ballroom's level of importance in the New York music scene, the announcement that it was slated to close came rather abruptly in October 2013, arriving without explanation or formal statement from the Ginsberg family. Several directors currently working for Roseland Ballroom did not respond to requests for comment. The aura of uncertainty in the air over the future of Roseland brings with it a kind of sadness for those who loved it and perhaps a hint of frustration over what the site may become, in addition to spurring an outpouring of fond Roseland-related memories. "It's a cliché to describe a moment like this as the end of an era, but damn it, it sure feels like one," Simon Vozick-Levinson, senior editor and contributor at Rolling Stone, said in an email.
Vozick-Levinson, a lifelong New Yorker, noted that the impact of Roseland Ballroom's closing can be felt personally as well, as the venue symbolized his youth growing up in New York.
"I've seen more great shows at Roseland than I can count," he said. "Seeing Radiohead play Subterranean Homesick Alien' there in 2011 is one of my all-time favorite live memories."
He also speculated about what the not-yet-officially-addressed plans for the future of 239 West 52nd St. may be. "I hear they're replacing it with some kind of retail complex. Great, just what Midtown needs."
Lisa Pinney-Keusch, who served as Roseland Ballroom's special events director from 1995 to 2004, agreed that the venue's closing would be an unfortunate loss for the city.
"It's going to be a sad day, that's for sure," she said, adding that the venue "is one of the last of a dying breed. It's too bad. It's just an incredible place with so much history."
Pinney-Keusch, who helped plan events at Roseland ranging from a Jennifer Lopez album release party to a Recording Industry Association of America awards ceremony, added that people forget the many purposes the ballroom has served.
"Most people think of music when they think of Roseland but ... we had all kinds of events and premieres and launches and parties," she said. "We did a lot of charity events. So as much as it's a music venue, there were so many other incredible things that happened there."
But it's the concerts—and the variety of acts—that seem to stand out most in the memories of Roseland Ballroom attendees.
"I went to Roseland for the first time when I was about 16 years old," Patrick Raftery, GS '14 and a native New Yorker, said. "It was the Offspring and two other opening bands. There was always at least three bands for about 20 dollars. It was great to be able to go that close to the stage—it was just very intimate."
Raftery, who was primarily a fan of what he calls "crusty punk rock shows," praised the venue for the wide variety of music it accommodated over the years.
"Roseland had perfect breathing room where you could have a huge circle pit in the middle, and you could have people at the front screaming for the sing-alongs, and you could have people in the crowd going nuts," he said. "Everyone had their spot to do what they wanted, and they were happy: People at the back getting loaded at the bar, people at the front getting pushed into the gates but loving every minute of it, and then you had the VIP section where you could reach your hand up and touch Iggy Pop and say hey or climb up and ask for autographs."
In its last months, Roseland Ballroom has been hosting its last lineup of concerts, including acts such as Danzig, the Black Keys, Fitz and the Tantrums, Panic! At The Disco, and Lorde. The final artist to grace the Roseland stage will be a New York City native: pop superstar Lady Gaga, who will perform seven sold-out nights at the venue between March 28 and April 7.
The energy in Roseland Ballroom is palpable when the Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney and guitarist Dan Auerbach power through their distinctly garage-turned-arena-rock hits, and the audience roars with enthusiasm in response. The ballroom floor is packed and hot, and Auerbach wipes sweat from his face with his forearm before walking up to the mic to recall what Roseland Ballroom has meant to the band.
"The last time we were here, we opened for a great band called Sleater-Kinney 11 years ago. Blonde Redhead was also on the bill," he says to the crowd, which hoots and applauds in reply even though it's uncertain how many, with their ringing concert ears, actually understand a word. He looks out over the crowd for a moment before finishing. "This place brings back a lot of memories."
firstname.lastname@example.com | @nrmoore


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