text:
No-growth zealot James Kunstler tours the Church Street Marketplace in Burlington on Wednesday March 14, 2012. / GLENN RUSSELL, Free Press
No-growth zealot James Kunstler (left) tours parts of Burlington with Richard Watts of the University of Vermont's Transportation Research Center on Wednesday March 14, 2012. / GLENN RUSSELL, Free Press
On a walk through Burlington with author and environmental commentator James Howard Kunstler, theres a lot to learn. Observe: We suffer as a society from living in places that are not worth caring about. So how do we start to care? Kunstler has some ideas and he promises change is coming, like it or not.
Q: How to avoid a formulaic interview with a man whose gripe against suburbia is already the stuff of legend?
A: By getting out of the basement of the University of Vermonts Waterman Building. The reasoning: By walking around Burlington, we might avoid cliches; we might stumble upon novelty; we might drift into free-ranging, free associations.
James Howard Kunstler, in town earlier this month for a speech, dressed down and sensibly for the occasion: a worn green jacket, gloves, grubby jeans and a baseball cap. His shoes defined him as an avid pedestrian.
What were we expecting a messiah? An avenging angel?
Kunstler offered a disclaimer: He describes himself as a prose artist.
Im not an urban designer or a credentialed professional, he began. Im just a guy who started out as a journalist and wrote a bunch of books. I have a role to play in my culture. Im sort of a cultural observer.
Kunstler agreed to share his observations with a fellow pedestrian and observer this writer along with Free Press Photographer Glenn Russell and professor Richard Watts, senior research analyst at the Transportation Research Center at the University of Vermont.
To break the ice, I steered the ensemble into a crowded parking lot behind Waterman. Kunstler obliged with a discussion about his abiding pet peeve: the automobile.
We walked in a northwesterly direction, threading our way between parked cars.
Joel Banner Baird: What do you make of all this?
James Howard Kunstler: (gesturing at the expanse of metal and marked asphalt) Well, the first thing to remember is that all this is not a conspiracy. Well sometimes, every now and then its visible in actions like General Motors and Firestone Tires destroying the American trolley system. But generally, what you had was a consensus in America that we were going to do things a certain way. And we did.
So most of these things that we will see represent choices that our culture consciously made. Now, the catch is that sometimes societies make poor choices, and then they have to pay the price of that, and pay the consequences.
For better or worse, thats sort of the situation that we face now: the consequences of whole sets of choices that we made about how we were going to live.
JBB: Sort of like the Romans and Phoenicians who needed a lot of wood, and denuded their hills of trees?
JHK: It seemed like a good idea at the time. A lot of things happen in history because they seem like a good idea at the time. Then you get used to it, and you carry it forward, and there are consequences. And maybe, looking through the rearview mirror, it wasnt such a good idea. But it happened.
This whole dynamic of industrial development and all of its offshoots and accessories: These things happened chronologically very fast, compared to the way things happened and changed in the broader spectrum of human history.
JBB: Like weaponry, maybe? There have been some quantum leaps there.
JHK: Yeah, there have been some leaps. The whole enormous package of growing complexity and interlocked, mutually reinforcing, mutually dependent complex systems. These things arose with staggering speed, and the whole thing has been kind of improvised. So a lot of what you see looks and acts the way it does because weve been making it up as we go along, trying to do the best we could with what we had.
JBB: As always, it seems.
JHK: And it was working. It worked well enough that we had a stable society for the past 75 years say, since the last Great Depression. Even given several wars and international conflict and political uproars of various kinds this has been a fairly stable society. We werent invaded; we werent overrun by other people. We had some economic travails
JBB: So were opportunists?
JHK: My point isnt that were opportunists. Its that this project that we embarked on about four generations ago, living the way we did, has appeared to be successful for a very long time. And its very hard for people to imagine that it might not continue to work OK. And thats one of the things behind our failures to recognize our problems.
JBB: And because its happened very quickly?
JHK: You know, youre in a society that hasnt had enough time to reflect on what it does. It just kind of stumbles from one year, one election cycle, one generation to the next. Trying to keep its stuff going, without a whole lot consciousness about what the destination is.
JBB: Do you think it might be a question of leadership? There used to be elders who said stuff like, If you plow this field too often and seed it with nothing but corn, youre in trouble ... I mean, humanity has tended, over the millennia, to rebound.
(The ramblers stop abruptly along South Williams Street. Remarkably, no cars at least cars in motion are in evidence. Nor are there any other pedestrians in the vicinity. The effect is unsettling.)
JHK: What were looking at is an urban neighborhood of a certain type. Me and my homies, the new urbanists, think in terms of typology and typological sets of things, because its a way of understanding what youre dealing with and how theyre assembled and deployed on the landscape.
JBB: Okay
JHK: What you see here is a fairly typical neighborhood that probably started off as single family homes some of them are duplexes and now have probably evolved into other things. Probably still some single-family homes, some apartments, and probably some semi-kind of student-slummy programming.
But thats programming. Thats not the physical form and one of the things thats an important distinction to make because Americans uniformly are confused about this: Theres a difference between the physical form of something and the programming thats been jammed into it. Because that changes over time.
(A large edifice draws his attention.)
That house was probably the house of a very substantial citizen at one point.
Now it may be the house of an old lady on social security with six college students living in it somewhere. Thats the programming.
JBB: So thats the basis of form-based planning, for the most part?
JHK: No. Programming is not the basis of form-based planning.
JBB: I dont mean programming, but the distinction between form and programming.
JHK: Its not called programming-based.
JBB: Although you consider programming when youre considering forms.
JHK: Yes. Because there are some implicit programming in physical forms. However, its the essence of adaptive re-use in buildings that they can have other programs as these do, as buildings age.
(We pause along Hungerford Terrace.)
One of the obvious things about what were looking at now: I guess you could say households were organized very differently when these buildings were built. They had servants; 10 percent of the working population were servants in 1911. And you had multi-generations living together, a different disposition of work obligations in the household; who did what and who looked after children and how they did it.
Richard Watts: (gesturing at a stretch of Pearl Street) What do you think about these bump-outs?
JHK: Well, we need them because automobiles go too fast. And we drive incessantly. If we didnt do that, we wouldnt need bump-outs.
JBB: To what extent were these buildings built around ample resources like fossil fuel?
JHK: One thing you could say is it they grew up at a time when we were starting to get very, very clever with things like home heating and plumbing. At the turn of the 19th-20th century we were starting to reach some peaks of excellence, where we really did it very well after pretty much not having done it at all. We had an ample coal supply, and you started to get something like modern central heating, with radiators and stuff.
(Here Glenn Russell leaves the group briefly to photograph a bank of natural gas meters. The remaining ramblers watch him, mutely, then re-engage trains of thought.)
The other thing: We mostly built these kinds of houses in wood and theres an aspect of that thats very problematical. One of the characters I studied when I was researching (my book) Geography of Nowhere which was published in 1993 was a character named Andrew Jackson Downing, who was an early figure in American architecture and urban planning and landscape design basically, fields that had hardly emerged and differentiated themselves at that point. And Downing made the observation that wooden architecture in America was tragic.
JBB: Tragic? How?
JHK: Because it required so much maintenance. It fell apart so quickly and so completely without a huge amount of attention. So what youre seeing in a lot of American towns is exactly that tragedy. That were now at a point where some of the great urban neighborhoods with great, old buildings, are un-maintainable. So youre seeing a deterioration of the housing stock.
It was arrested briefly in the 80s into the early 2000s, because there was so much money in the system much of it generated by debt for people to renovate houses. So you have a huge amount of renovation in that period, but thats now coming to an end.
(The group pauses at a row of houses. A man and a woman are applying paint to a porch railing. Their progress is tentative, perhaps due to the intermittent, light rain.)
JHK: What you see now in neighborhoods like this is that a lot of buildings have been through a previous cycle of re-cladding with (poor) materials like asbestos, aluminum, vinyl. It really just covers up the deterioration of the original building which is tragic, too.
JBB: Do you ever daydream about the way things ought to be, or how they could be?
JHK: Sure. And there are examples all over America of places that have been rescued.
JBB: I mean, if you were king here, how would you start?
(The comment prompts Kunstler to halt. We are at the corner of Loomis and North Union streets.)
JHK: Even if youre king you cant necessarily reorganize the whole economy.
JBB: No. But given a street like this, given a block suppose you owned the whole block. What could you do that might actually serve as a model improvement?
JHK: (sighs) God. Well, what we generally do in America is make the cars too comfortable. And in this case, you only have parallel parking on one side of the street. If you had parallel parking on both sides of the street, these cars would have to go a lot slower because theyd have to be a lot more careful.
Glenn Russell: They had parallel parking here on both sides of the street until about 10 years ago.
JHK: Well, that was a bad decision.
JBB: And they put a bike lane in.
JHK: The net effect is that it makes the cars actually go faster. The bike lane probably had the unintended consequence of allowing the cars to go faster. People do not travel in cars at the speed limit, necessarily; they travel at the rate that they feel comfortable moving in.
JBB: So, narrowing the roadway is where youd start.
(Kunstler halts again.)
JHK: I hasten to add that these are all traffic management issues, and they tend to overwhelm the urban design issues, generally. Because the car has overwhelmed the public realm. So any discussion of how were going to improve our towns and improve our streets necessarily ends up going into this cul-de-sac of car management, and we almost never get to the actual issues of urban design some of which involve things like having a higher level of agreement over what materials are okay and what materials are not okay.
JBB: In cars?
JHK: No. In buildings. Things like: Its not okay to put a chain-link fence up in a residential neighborhood. Chain-link fences are for prisons and dog-runs. Theyre not for front yards. Its not okay to put a stockade fence up. When alls said and done, its probably not okay to do a lot of things. It would probably be a good thing if there was just more uniform agreement about excellence. About what is excellent and what is not excellent.
JBB: By appearance?
JHK: By appearance and function.
JBB: You mean more regulation?
JHK: Not regulation.
JBB: Consensus?
JHK: More cultural consensus about what was OK. But working against that is this idea of a very aggressive individualism in America, where you almost have to do everything different just to set yourself apart and say Im special. Im me. Whereas in other cultures, there are higher levels of agreement about standards of excellence. And thats one of the reasons people go to Europe on vacation. Because thats expressed visibly in European towns.
JBB: Have you traveled to Europe?
JHK: Oh yeah.
JBB: Just checking.
Richard Watts: (gesturing at a group of homes on Pearl Street) These houses are less desirable because of being near this major thoroughfare ... when theyre actually of the same quality of those other ones ...
JHK: Heavily used streets will degrade property values. Theres no question about it. But theres also this effect in a college town and this is a programming note you see this in every major state university town: They tend to slumify the adjacent neighborhoods because, slowly but surely, what used to be single-family houses become student apartments, and students beat up the property, and the landlords kind of strip-mine the value out of them. Ive seen this in Columbus (Ohio) and Ann Arbor (Michigan) and Berkeley (California) ) you know, all the major state university towns are like that. (He looks around.) This doesnt look too bad, compared to Columbus, Ohio. This is pretty good.
JBB: Aside from traveling to Europe, how are you going to get Joe Schmoe to vote for narrower streets and fewer cars?
JHK: Youre probably not. We are what we are at this point in history. But one of the most visible dynamics under way now is that youre getting a much more hierarchical society than what we once were. Theres much more differentiation between people who are doing all right and people who are not.
JBB: What do you see as your role? Are you advocating for just a greater awareness of whats gone wrong?
(Traffic noise on Pearl Street briefly makes conversation impossible.)
JHK: I think my basic position is in the many books Ive written about these issues, and in my lectures, my blogs, my magazine articles, all that stuff: My basic position is that we suffer as a society from living in places that are not worth caring about. And we consciously make decisions that make the situation bad. And we could make it better. And we could live in places that were worth caring about but were not doing it. Partly because we dont know how to; partly because weve become accustomed to things the way they are. And partly out of political intransigence.
JBB: I was wondering about the momentum thats keeping us going. Like suburbs. The waste. You see planners gradually trying to control sprawl, because it costs more to run pipes and sewer lines and fire trucks.
JHK: And those are just knuckle-headed econometric arguments, too. Theyre not even quality arguments. Theyre money arguments.
(He pauses to examine a building.)
Some of these houses were magnificent.
JBB: You know, I despair of a suburb ever becoming sustainable and yes, I know that word is way over-used. But when you look at a suburb, I think the only thing thats going to empty it out is when people cant afford to get into town.
JHK: Youre quite right. And the point about the state of suburbia right now, is that the suburbs are truly tragic and hopeless. They have a very, very dim destiny. And most of America is not aware of that. But I think theres a kind of subconscious apprehension that something aint right. And I think its creating a lot of anxiety in our culture. Its one of many elements out there in the collective imagination thats causing a lot of fear and anxiety.
JBB: have you ever lived in a suburb?
JHK: I lived on the north shore of Long Island in some of the first built suburbs in the early 1950s. Then my parents split up, and I moved to Manhattan with my mom. And I grew up in Manhattan. And I went to college in a small town, at one of the SUNY campuses. So Im familiar with various modes of living in America. Ive even lived in a country house now and again. A rural place.
JBB: Where do you live now?
JHK: I live at the edge of a village of about 4,000 people.
JBB: Greenwich, New York, right?
JHK: Although they pronounce it Green Witch, believe it or not. The football teams called the Witches. But I only moved there four months ago. I spent over 30 years living in Saratoga Springs.
(Kunstler pauses. He is thinking, not looking at the buildings or the traffic.)
JHK: Suburbs. Its a terrible dilemma for a society to be in: to have invested so much of its wealth in a living arrangement with no future. Thats the essence of the predicament.
JBB: How do you keep from getting depressed?
JHK: Ill tell you exactly why: First of all, I lead a very happy life. I lead a purposeful life.
JBB: Whats your purpose?
JHK: My purpose is basically to be a prose artist. And I take it seriously, and I apply myself and I produce a lot of stuff. Ive made choices that have worked for me about where I live and how I live. And maybe, by disposition, Im not depressed or depressive. But my antennae are out. I sense things in my culture going on around me not necessarily things that other people dont sense, too. But for 40 years Ive been working at articulating these things, and Ive gotten pretty good at it so thats my job.
JBB: So thats what keeps you going.
JHK: Oh, lots of things keep me going.
JBB: I see in your blog that youre gardening.
JHK: Well its something Im very enthusiastic about, something Im interested in, and I get a lot of reward from it. And besides, its what Voltaire told us to do.
(The group considers a muddy patch of grass.)
JBB: What do you make of all these little lawns? I mean, do you think about the design of these things?
JHK: Again this is a matter of typology. Typologically, you get a certain kind of building in New England towns, and they behave a certain way. In this case, when these houses were built, there was an agreement or consensus that there will be a set-back. And one of the reasons was that it provided a certain amount of decorum for that kind of house. Plus it gives you a little bit of room to behold its magnificence. So there are sort of practical and aesthetic reasons for having established that.
JBB: True enough
JHK: But typologically its expressed in the fact that this is a large wooden building of this particular type, and the build-to line is very similar going up the street. And there wasnt necessarily a law, by the way, or a code at the time. It was a consensus. It was part of the cultural agreement of the time. Which was stronger than our cultural agreements about this.
JBB: So a strong cultural consensus can lead a culture astray, too.
JHK: Or it can be beneficial. You can get a consensus like, We must kill all the Jews. Thats not a very good consensus. But you can also get a consensus like, We must raise the level of excellence in our everyday surroundings. That would help us. We would need far less Prozac than we take now.
JBB: And were taking someones word for it, that the excellence is measurable?
JHK: Well, I think there are ways of establishing valid ideas about excellence without being arbitrary or despotic. There are certain constants, for example, just in sheer human neurology.
(A large truck lumbers by.)
JBB: Like noise?
JHK: Sure. And for example, in just design terms, theres a reason why up until the 20th century, windows in buildings were mainly vertical.
JBB: For the structural integrity?
JHK: Yeah, it had to do with the tectonic requirements of architecture, of holding a building up. But it also produced some very interesting anthropomorphic effects. By that, I mean, they reflect our human-ness. Vertical windows express something about the human figure being upright, within the building.
JBB: Makes sense
JHK: And being upright, for a human being, has more decorum than being horizontal which means youre either asleep, or having sex, or youre dead. Now we have buildings that do not express human decorum. And even though its hard to articulate, I think that people sense the difference, even if they cant really articulate.
(We reach the northern end of Church Street.)
JHK: Like that thing over there.
( Kunstler studies the Federal/Post Office Building at Elmwood Avenue and Pearl Street.)
JHK: You know, I would just bet you $100 that if you interviewed 100 people on the street, about whether that was a handsome building or an ugly building, at least three-quarters of them would say its an ugly building. They might not be able to tell you why. They might say something nebulous like its modernistic. They might not say that those horizontal bands of windows look weird, and it has no ornamentation; it expresses nothing; the heat and air-conditioning utilities are visible on the roof; the roofline expresses nothing. Its a flat roof; it has no aspirations, it has nothing that aspires upward, like that (he points to Unitarian Universalist Church).
So there are all those qualities of buildings that we left behind. And were touching now on something thats a little different, which is the ideology of the 20th century 20th century modernist architecture in particular, which, one way or another, found its way to leaving beauty behind. And people suffer hugely from it. But theyre very strongly conditioned to keep their objections to themselves.
(The party ambles south and enters a trickle of pedestrian traffic that swells to a stream in the distance. Kunstler turns to his entourage.)
JHK: So. Here we are in the Church Street Mall. What do you think about this? What bugs you about it?
Glenn Russell: The ugliest fountain in the history of mankind.
JHK: Is that what that is? Well, what really makes it hideous is that they painted (the covers on the fountain) sky blue. So in the winter it looks especially bad. It has no artistry whatsoever.
JBB: Well, one thing I dont like about this street is that if it were really designed for pedestrians, it would be narrower.
JHK: Well, yes, but, look, this was a normal city street. Its not like you can move the buildings closer together.
JBB: Well, but if I were king, I would move them closer together.
JHK: But that aint gonna happen.
JBB: No.
JHK: And it didnt happen. And it actually isnt that bad without the cars on it. Look there are elements of what youre seeing that can be described as follows: Starting in the 1970s there was a revolt against the tyranny of the automobile in cities. And one of the results of it was the decision in a lot of places to have pedestrian malls. They were almost universally failures. Except for a couple of places.
JBB: Indoor malls?
JHK: No, street malls. You know, car-free street malls. Almost all of them were failures. There are only three of them that I know that succeeded, and they succeeded for demographic reasons: the Pearl Street mall in Boulder (Colorad); the Santa Monica (California) Third Street mall and this. This is the least successful of those three.
The reason the Boulder mall was so successful was that it had an enormous, captive student population of pedestrians that were glad to come down and hang out. You have a captive population of pedestrians here, too, but its not nearly as large. So this has just never been completely successful.
Its always been a little shabby at least in the last 20 years that Ive known it. By the way, is there a natural food store around here?
JBB: We can take a left at the next crosswalk. Its just a block down. (The pace quickens.) So, what do you like about this place aside from no cars?
JHK: Well, yeah, the fact that its car-free is agreeable neurologically. Its nice to get some respite from that despotic condition that were all hostages to, all the time. Its mostly pretty well tenanted. The pavements arent bad. You know, theyre textured, and they have some pleasing geometry. The fact that the shops are at the same grade level as the pavement is a good thing it makes it easy to get in and out of them and to see whats in the windows.
Obviously it has seasonal disadvantages, because this is a part of the world where it gets cold and wet.
The main problem with this is that it just has too much competition from the automobile-dependent commerce outside of town. You know, that has been killing downtowns all over America for the last 50 years. And its still doing it, although its days are numbered, and most Americans dont realize that.
Glenn Russell: How do you address the paradigm: People complain that they dont come down here because they cant find parking?
JHK: The way you address that is by understanding that the happy motoring paradigm that its days are numbered.
JBB: Whats going to happen at the end of the happy motoring era?
JHK: Theres going to be a lot of disappointed people who will not understand why it came to an end. I think theyre going to express themselves politically and probably in ways that have nothing to do with it, but will be very destructive and damaging.
JBB: Like
JHK: You know, theyll elect some maniac who will promise to make things like they were in 2003, and he wont be able to or she wont be able to and then theyll face another level of disappointment. But the nation is so hung up on automobile dependency that if you deprive them of that, theyre going to be in a lot of trouble, just logistically. Its going to be almost impossible to use most of the habitats in America that have been constructed.
JBB: How soon do you see this happening?
JHK: I think were going to be in real trouble within five years.
JBB: Five years!
JHK: Were going to be in trouble. Its not going to be over.
(We ramble into City Market. The group and its focus splinter. Kunstler attends to a minor errand; someone else drifts into the cereal aisle. Five minutes later, the group re-assembles, outside.)
JBB: What are you going to talk about tonight (March 14)?
JHK: About how were not doing the things that really benefit us like walkable communities and reviving the American passenger rail system. Instead, were intoxicated with technological fantasies about continuing to run our society the way were used to running it.
So, it really is about our unwillingness to make the kind of changes that we have to make. We really dont want to change our behavior. We just want to change the fuel thats running it. And even people who ought to know better are engaged in that exercise in futility. So, my campaign for the moment Im campaigning against the campaign to sustain the unsustainable, because thats what Americans engaged in right now. Weve made an unconscious decision to sustain the unsustainable to try to, anyway.
JBB: Well, its the American way.
JHK: And it aint workin out. And it aint gonna work out. There are a lot of other things we can do, but we have to recognize that our behavior really cant continue.
(The safari ends, as previously arranged, at the bustling intersection of Church and Main streets. The conversation veers, naturally enough, to motor vehicles.)
JBB: Well, you know whats weird to me, is the extent to which advertising
JHK: Were committing suicide by advertising ...
JBB: Aside from hearing that a Prius is going to improve your karma you see ads where everyone is just having a ball
JHK: I think car advertising is much stranger than that. We went through a period some years ago where the car ads all took place in these scenes of utter desolation that looked like Martian landscapes. Why anyone would want to drive or be in a place like that is hard to understand.
JBB: Except that you get to drive fast.
JHK: Well, I suppose and maybe the idea is that your impulse is to get out of there as quickly as possible. But why that was presented as an appealing milieu for people is hard to understand. I think what it shows, to some extent, our unconscious sense of the destruction that the car brings, and that car life brings.
JBB: I dont know. I see it more as everyones dream-come-true: to have an open road, and flooring it.
JHK: Oh, theres no question that the dream of the open road is still very potent. And its actually pretty understandable: It must have been wonderful, back in the days when America was not completely cluttered up with cars.
There were open roads that had become pretty good. Because, before about 1915, the roads in America were abysmal. They were very bad roads, especially in places like New England when you had a whole mud season where the roads were virtually impassible. Most people got around by train before then.
Then you get a period after the First World War, where all of the sudden youre getting some pretty good roads around America, and there arent that many cars on them and you get out there on them, and its actually pretty glorious.
But thats not the case now.
(Kunstler hops into a car, out of the rain. He is chauffeured to his hotel room. Three hours later, he stirs up hundreds and hundreds of people who have come to hear him speak at Davis Hall.)


text:
I have been reading the SB site for quite a while and have learned a great deal here. I've made some recent postings so I thought I would introduce myself. I am much more knowledgeable of Single Malt Scotch Whisky (SMSW) than the American Whiskeys (AWs), having experienced SMSW for a few years now, but really discovering the AWs for about 8 months now. I have scoured a large number of liquor shops in Houston, San Antonio, and Austin, initially for SMSW but now the AWs also, looking for good and unique buys. I enjoy 10 Downing Street Pub in Houston and usually visit there at least once every few weeks. I enjoy the wheat-based bourbons but tend to enjoy the rye-based ones better, at least for now. Currently I really like the Wild Turkey's but the BTAC's are also great (of course, I haven't tried too many AWs that I didn't like, just some better than others). Below is a list of the AWs I've acquired so far. Most of these purchases have been based on information I've gained here (I also occasionally read BourbonEnthusiast). You guys are so knowledgeable here and provide such great insight and comments. I look forward to continuing to grow my knowledge-base here on SB!
Regards -- Bob
* = opened
Blanton's Single Barrel (dumped 10-12-95, 93 Proof)
Booker's (124 Proof & 126 Proof)
Buffalo Trace
Eagle Rare 10 yo Single Barrel
Eagle Rare 17 yo (bottled Fall 2005)
Elijah Craig 12 yo*
Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel
Evan Williams Single Barrel 1995 & 1996*
Ezra B. 12 yo Single Barrel (bottled 9-03)
George T. Stagg (140.6 Proof)
Henry McKenna Single Barrel 10 yo
Jack Daniel's 1954 Gold Medal
Knob Creek 9 yo*
Makers Mark*
Old Fitzgerald BIB
Old Forester 100 Proof
Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2002
Old Forester Birthday Bourbon Spring 2003
Old Grand-Dad 114 Proof
Old Grand-Dad Bonded (orange label)
Old Grand-Dad Bonded (white label)
Old Rip Van Winkle 10 yo 107 Proof*
Pappy Van Winkle 15 yo
Pappy Van Winkle 20 yo
Sazerac 18 yo (bottled Fall 2006)*
Sazerac 18 yo (bottled Summer 2000)
Sazerac 6 yo*
Thomas H. Handy (132.7 Proof)
Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13 yo
Van Winkle Special Reserve Lot B 12 yo
Very Special Old Fitzgerald 12 yo
Virginia Gentleman "The Fox"
W. L. Weller 12 yo*
Wathen's Single Barrel (bottled 4-7-98)
Wild Turkey 101 Proof*
Wild Turkey 12 yo (Split Label)
Wild Turkey 12 yo* (Gold Label)
Wild Turkey Rare Breed* (108.2 Proof)
Wild Turkey Russel's Reserve 10 yo 101 Proof*
Wild Turkey Tribute 15 yo
Woodford Reserve

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Get Rihanna's Look
On her breakup with Chris Brown: "It gave me guns. I was like, well, fuck. They know more about me than I want them to know. It's embarrassing. But that was my opening. That was my liberation, my moment of bring it. [...] Now you know that, so you can say what you want about it. I don't have anything to hide."
Jersey dress, Emporio Armani, $775, at Emporio Armani boutiques nationwide.
On the backlash over their reconciliation:
"The bottom line is that everyone thinks differently. It's very hard for me to accept, but I get it. People end up wasting their time on the blogs or whatever, ranting away, and that's all right. Because tomorrow I'm still going to be the same person. I'm still going to do what I want to do."
Wool and silk skirt, Dior, $1,350, at Dior boutiques nationwide. Suede and python sandals, Gucci, $1,350. Bra, Jean Paul Gaultier.
Trust Us: April's Movies and Books


text:
Skip to Content | Skip to Navigation
Go to Geocaching.com
Eric Schudiske on August 19, 2010, 10:02 am
0 Comments | Permalink
Groundspeak's Weekly Newsletter | Milestones
We want to see how many geocachers can go geocaching on a single day! We've chosen 10-10-10, since the date represents 10 years of geocaching and 10 years of Groundspeak in 2010. Bring your friends, bring your family, bring your worst enemy (if that's what it takes) and let's see if we can beat the previous record of 56,654 accounts logging on April 18, 2010. Even one log counts since we are counting how many accounts log a cache rather than the number of caches logged.
« "GR34 – Pointe de la Vicomté" GC1Q0VM GEOCACHE OF THE WEEK – 8/23/2010
Geocaching Caption Contest 11 – Win a Barely Coveted Prize »
Which geocaching terrain level do you enjoy the most?
View Results
Hiding Your First Geocache
Posts Comments
Follow Geocaching
Copyright © 2000-2010 Groundspeak, Inc. All Rights Reserved.Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners.
Return to Top of Page


text:
Meet Our Alumni
Study political science courses distributed across the areas of American politics, political theory, comparative politics, international relations and public administration and policy.Undergraduate Read More
Graduate – M.A.
Students in the Master of Arts Degree Program may choose to work in the traditional political science subfields as well as Environmental Politics and Policy.Graduate M.A. Read More
Graduate – Ph.D.
The Doctor of Philosophy Degree Program offers a unique combination of faculty expertise and specialized course work in Environmental Politics and Policy.Graduate Ph.D. Read More


text:
inspiral is a visionary concept
Bringing together organic raw vegan health products, an optimum nutrition vegan café (running on green energy) and an uplifting music / art / events venue with organic bar…
inSpiral Blogs, News & Views
Love your Life . Eat for Vitality . Follow your Bliss
The inSpiral Lounge is a multi award-winning vegan eco-café, organic bar and events venue, complete with an online shop and healthy food manufacturing sister company, inSpiral Visionary products – most well-known for their incredibly popular Kale Chips!
Overlooking the famous Camden Lock waterside in London, the inSpiral Lounge café has won the accolade of 'vegan restaurant of the year'. Cutting edge optimum nutrition products with both cooked and raw daily specials, a huge variety of raw ice creams and cakes, plus eclectic music events and nutrition talks makes our space a real hub for the 'aware' people around town! As you would by now probably expect, it's all powered by green electricity too – that's also true for our Visionary Products office HQ and food production warehouse!
In a nutshell, inSpiral's focus is on wholesome and compassionate, plant-based nutrition that tastes amazing. We love this world and its inhabitants and our food choices reflect this. Everything we produce comes with the intent to nourish you deeply and sustainably, whilst giving you a taste of just how good life can be. . . We believe food is much more than just fuel; it forms the very basis of a complete conscious lifestyle choice in order to abundantly feed the body, mind and spirit.
Our immediate vision is to make inSpiral Visionary Products available to people throughout this land and beyond through our online shop and outlets across the globe. We aim to develop cool new foods, work with producers at source and create a business chain that benefits all who are concerned.
We are passionate about creating a powerful brand that does not compromise for profit and can stand tall next to other big players in this increasingly commodified food market. We believe passionately that a wholefood plant-based diet is the solution to many of our serious global problems such as human disease, animal suffering and the environment.


text:
- Filed Under
I am ashamed to be an American today.
Ashamed that we have such an amateur for president.
This man is truly a disgrace to the ideals that this nation was founded upon.
He drew a red line. Talked tough.
Thought that because he is the great Obama, that that would be enough to discourage the use of chemical weapons.
Now what?
He found himself alone in the world spotlight and could not stand the heat.
Although he says that he does not need congressional approval, he seeks it.
For America's sake or for his own legacy?
He backed himself into a corner with his amateur behavior, and now wants to be bailed out.
I say NO! I ask Congress to let him suffer the humiliation of his buffoonery.
Obama is by far the biggest mistake this country ever made. I pray for America.
And I pray for a real leader who will restore America once again to her God-given destiny.
Kevin Quillen
Yeargan Road


text:
Lakeland, Fla. -- Folks sometimes wonder if spring training is an excuse for baseball people to skip the snow and head for Florida. And, while the winks are appreciated, spring camp's worth was on display Sunday at the Tigertown complex's four practice fields.
Amid temperatures that had moved blessedly from the morning 40s into the 50s, Tom Brookens worked on one of the diamonds, schooling Tigers veterans and prospects on how to run from third base.
He lectured the troops about secondary leads. He displayed proper timing of steps when running on contact. He showed them how to glide in sidestep fashion during a rundown.
"If you get your back to them," he said of defensive players working their three-man weave during a rundown chase, "you're dead."
Wealth of skills necessary
Brookens' seminar was an extension of a theme manager Jim Leyland has talked about during spring camp's early days. It takes a wealth of skills to win baseball games. And those skills are as essential for bench players as for regulars.
Leyland will decide final roster spots with specific needs in mind. He will want speed, defense, and versatility. And that won't make for easy or enjoyable conversations when he breaks the news to a couple of contenders who won't crack that final 25-man roster.
The Tigers will take 13 position players north. They have spots cleared for 11 players all but certain to make the team: Austin Jackson, Torii Hunter, Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, Victor Martinez, Alex Avila, Jhonny Peralta, Omar Infante, Andy Dirks, Brayan Pena, and probably Ramon Santiago.
Danny Worth could conceivably beat out Santiago. But Santiago is under contract and Worth has a minor league option remaining, which all but confirms the Tigers' plans there. It leaves two more spots to be decided by Brennan Boesch, Quintin Berry, Don Kelly, and Jeff Kobernus, an acquisition with Rule 5 status, who must either make the 25-man roster and remain for all of 2013 or be offered back to the Nationals.
"I know I've got pieces to mix and match," Leyland said last week, explaining how he and his boss, Dave Dombrowski, with input from the Tigers coaches, will choose those final roster spots. "There aren't many perfect players. It doesn't work that way.
"So, you try and figure which guy can help you win a game."
It's a lock the 12th and 13th players will either be outfielders or will have the flexibility to play outfield. That gives Boesch a shot if he has ironed out his swing and resumes some of his old fence-bashing ways.
Berry can play all three outfield positions and last season stole 21 bases. The Tigers take his candidacy seriously after Berry helped save them in 2012 when Dirks missed 10 weeks with a strained Achilles.
Kelly literally can play anywhere. He can run. He's a player Leyland can plug into a game in any situation and trust. Do not dismiss Kelly as the spring-camp auditions play out.
And then there's Kobernus, 24, a second-round pick by the Nationals in 2009 out of Cal-Berkeley.
Reasons to keep Kobernus
The Tigers view Kobernus as a gift not to be wasted. They got him for $50,000 when the Nationals had too little roster room and exposed him in December's Rule 5 sweepstakes, at which point the Red Sox grabbed him as part of a trade that sent Tigers prospect Justin Henry to Boston.
Kobernus is a modest hitter (.279 in four minor league seasons) and speedster who stole a cumulative 95 bases the past two years. He's a second baseman by trade. But the Tigers believe they can give him a crash course in playing the outfield and thereby justify carrying him and his speed if he plays as the Tigers scouts suggest he can.
There's also an ulterior motive at work here.
It has to do with second base and with Omar Infante's expiring contract. The Tigers develop middle infielders at about the same pace Hooters adds health food to its menu. A year from now, should they have said goodbye to Infante, it will be helpful to have a fast, ready-made second baseman in line.
Not sure how you should bet on these matters, but I might lay at least a five-spot on Kobernus becoming one of the winners in next month's roster runoff.


text:
BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//184.108.40.206//NONSGML kigkonsult.se iCalcreator 2.20// CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:OCL X-WR-CALDESC:Orthodox News | Jurisdictional Unity | Transparency X-FROM-URL:http://ocl.org X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/New_York BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York X-LIC-LOCATION:America/New_York BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20151101T020000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20160313T020000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT UID:firstname.lastname@example.com DTSTAMP:20151201T234902Z CATEGORIES;LANGUAGE=en-US:Retreats CONTACT:(509) 263-6441 DESCRIPTION:
A dynamic speaker and story-teller\, Father Paul Jaroslaw\, will speak in a very practical way on how to fulfill Christ's commandm ent for us to bear our cross and follow Him. He will emphasize the teachi ng of Saint Innocent of Alaska\, an amazingly persistent and resourceful C hristian missionary to the Alaskan native tribes in the 19th century. St. Innocent's teaching\, which is consistent with all the Saints of the hist orical Church\, is presented in a most straight-forward and comprehensible way for us today.\n
Retreat Schedule: Saturday\, Jan. 26\n
10:00am: A Personal Story: How I Came to Love the Way of th e Cross\n
11:30am: The Way of the Cross: What are crosses and why do we have to bear them?\n
12:30pm: Lunch (Provided)\n
1:45pm: " The Steps of a Good Man are Ordered by the Lord" (Ps. 37:23): How do we em brace the Cross and Overcome?\n
3:00pm: Great Vespers (evening pray er)\n
For more information: http://www.wenorthodox.com/\n
p> DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20130126T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20130126T210000 LOCATION:Three Hierarchs Orthodox Mission @ 112 North Wenatchee Avenue\, Wenatchee\, WA 98801\, USA SEQUENCE:0 SUMMARY:Annual Parish Feast Day Retreat! Three Heirarchs Orthodox Mission\, WA URL:http://ocl.org/event/annual-parish-feast-day-retreat-three-heirarchs-or thodox-mission-wa/ X-TAGS;LANGUAGE=en-US:Parish Feastday END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR


text:
Performance golf ball fitting focuses on finding the best ball for your game and lowering your score.
Be the first to hear about product introductions, surveys, promotions, and sweepstakes. Through Team Titleist News we will provide exclusive communication not available in any other forum.
Titleist offers the most precise club fitting experience in the game.
The full-set Titleist Golf Club Trial program provides golfers with an easy way to experience Titleist products on either the course or practice tee to help determine the right equipment for their game.
Track your stats. Get video tips. Set goals for your golf game.
Started by :
Eric K
3 years ago
3 years ago
I'm heading out to Scottsdale for a long weekend in March and plan to play Troon North Pinnacle, We-Ko-Pa Cholla and TPC Scottsdale. Any other suggestions or tips from people who have been out there?
Thanks very much,
Headed out to visit family in early March as well and they are putting together my tee times. We Ko Pa is a must play, Troon is good but you are going to pay through the nose. TPC is the one I would switch as my family lat me know it is not all that it is cracked up to be. If it is on your bucket list then do it but I could suggest 2 others they would be Talking Stick which is managed by Troon and Eagle Mountain. Both of these are better value and have more elevated tees and wonderful golf holes.
I personally like The Pointe at Tapatio Cliffs.
Hey eric
I am from Scottsdale and those are some nice courses. They are also the most expensive. Try Grayhawk or the Biltmore resort. They have some good courses. Grayhawk you have to be straight and long but you'll probably see some pros at any course you pick. Have fun
Ryan O
Hey eric
I am from Scottsdale and those are some nice courses. They are also the most expensive. Try Grayhawk or the Biltmore resort. They have some good courses. Grayhawk you have to be straight and long but you'll probably see some pros at any course you pick. Have fun
I second the Biltmore. I played it a few summers ago and it was great! I played the Adobe course, which is the original course. Another course that I recommend is the Phoenician. It was great when they brought the iced towels to me on the back nine.
Hey Eric those are some awesome choices! You HAVE to go play Quintero which is like Troon North on Steroids and Southern Dunes down. Both are about 40min from Scottsdale but are hands down the best two courses in the valley here, well worth the drive if you are renting a car.
I was down in AZ last March, and Troon North was amazing!! I would highly recommend it. TPC Scottsdale was good too. I liked Troon better, but having a caddie and the course to myself on a grey weekday morning was cool. Unfortunately these were the only two I played, but I hope I can get there again one day and play some more.
Enjoy your trip, it's a great place with so much to do!!
I live in Scottsdale and have played many courses in the valley. I play two or three times a week. Grayhawk is a must, you will really enjoy the Raptor course. Troon North is nice as well is The Boulders, all in North Scottsdale. Enjoy your weekend here, it's a great time of year to play.
The Whirlwind Courses in Chandler, AZ (suburb of Phoenix) are nice as well. Also managed by Troon.
Eric K
I'm heading out to Scottsdale for a long weekend in March and plan to play Troon North Pinnacle, We-Ko-Pa Cholla and TPC Scottsdale. Any other suggestions or tips from people who have been out there?
Thanks very much,
It all depends on how much you want to pay. I would suggest ASU Karsten, it's a decent track. I would also suggest the Biltmore courses and Ocotillo Golf resort (I believe this is also a Troon course).
There are so many courses in Arizona, and such a variety to fit all budgets. Also depending on where you are staying and how far you want to drive for these courses.
Have fun,
Head to Gold Canyon and play Dinosaur from the tips (45 minute drive). I think its a better course than either of the Troon courses and doesnt carry the inflated price tag. I played Raptor at Grayhawk last week. The course was in great shape and they have a phenomenal pro shop (dont forget to grab a bowl of corn chowder at Phils Bar after your round). Talon at Grayhawk is nice also but not as good as Raptor. The members course at Boulders I also recommend but can only be played a few days of the week. Quintero and We-Ko-Pa are great tracks also. Legend Trail from the tops can be quite challenging as well. Lots of choices but I would definitely skip both TPC courses and both Talking Sticks courses as well. Just my opinion but I have logged several rounds at each course you speak of. Regardless, at least youll be golfing. Have a great trip!
Spent a week on a golf vacation over this past New Year's. Experienced Troon North and TPC Scottsdale (also Boulders, Eagle Mountain and Greyhawk). TPC Scottsdale is a must-do. Of the courses I experienced you really felt it was special. Make sure your caddy points out the history such as the Tiger Woods rock etc. Troon North has very good facilities and both courses have outstanding pro-shop facilities. Have a great time !
Although a further drive out than Troon North (about 20-25 mins from the Four Seasons and Troon North, Boulders is a very good experience worth trying.
I would second Dinasaur MTN. Just played out there a few weeks ago. Touch, fun, georgeous views. Course is in great shape and their site doesn't do it justice. Worth the drive out.


text:
You've been dreaming of it, begging for it, waiting on pins and needles for such a site to come true. And finally, "She" is almost here! A site just for you — the woman who does it all. Introducing — SheSteals.com coming July 2012!
At SheSteals you'll find everything a woman could want from fashion, beauty and fitness products to housewares, kitchen gadgets and more. While you're busy checking off everything on your to do list, you don't have time to find all the hottest products for yourself and your home. Well look no further because "She" is your personal shopper, looking for the best boutique brands you'll quickly fall in love with. And since they are priced at a steal of up to 80% off, trying something new is as easy as clicking "Steal Me."
With the same stellar customer service and same-day shipping you already find on BabySteals.com, KidSteals.com and ScrapbookSteals.com, this is the latest and greatest addiction you'll be bursting to tell your mom, sister and best friends about. Introduce them all to She, after all this is the place for girlfriends.
The site is launching in July, but head on over to SheSteals.com to check it out, sign up for our email alert, and "like" us on Facebook so you'll be the first in the know.
What do you hope to see on SheSteals?


text:
November 30, 2015
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Delta says its frequent flier program will increasingly favor big spenders over people who simply rack up miles.
Most airlines reward how many miles you fly, not how many dollars you spend. But Delta Air Lines Inc. President Ed Bastian said on Tuesday that future changes would likely favor travelers who spend more. That's Delta's strongest hint yet that it may move the whole frequent flier program further in that direction.
Last week Delta announced that frequent fliers would need to spend a minimum amount of money to earn a higher frequent-flier status. Travelers prize that status because it moves them to the front of airport lines and lets them qualify for upgrades to first class
Two years ago Southwest changed its frequent flier program to reward more-expensive tickets.
Click Here to access the online Public Inspection File
Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Great Northwest Music Tour
Kris Orlowski
- Old St. Francis School - Father Luke's Room |
- Wednesday, September 25, 2013
- 7 p.m. |
- Free |
- All ages welcome
Every month the Great Northwest Music Tour blazes a fresh musical trail, bringing an ever-changing lineup of talent to McMenamins Historic Properties. There is no admission charge to the festivities, and our unique hotels offer food, handcrafted beverages and a cozy place to bed down after the last note is played. Bring your friends and family and jam to a different artist every month.
About Kris Orlowski
Baritone vocalist, new folk songwriter Kris Orlowski writes from a real, unguarded place and that accessibility is tangible on stage and off. Sound on the Sound brands him as "a troubadour by definition, whose full bodied croon develops a charisma all its own." With the significant talents of Mark Isakson on guitar, Torry Anderson on keys, Greg Garcia on drums and Tyler Carroll on bass, the northwest folk pop band is turning heads. Their new five song EP, featuring a 17-piece orchestra, keeps the band evolving in sound with songwriting at the core of their future.Map & Directions


text:
Topic: & Now we got Snakes On A Train!
Yeah so 3 days before Snakes on a Plane hits the big screen we are going to get the starght to DVD ripoff Snakes On A Train ( http://www.horror-movies.ca/horror-movie.php?id=5635 ) I myself can't wait to see how the Samuel L. Jackson flick Snakes on a Plane turns out, But after reading over both story lines as much as i hate to say this, The story line to Snakes On A Train sounds a bit more interesting, (Storyline Snakes on a Plane. an FBI agent is escorting a witness on a flight from Hawaii to Los Angeles when an assassin releases hundreds of deadly snakes on a commercial airplane in order to eliminate the witness. The FBI agent, along with a rookie pilot, frightened crew and passengers must then band together in a desperate attempt to survive) (Storyline Snakes On A Train. Under a powerful Mayan curse, snakes are hatched inside a young woman, slowly devouring her from within. Her only chance for survival is a powerful shaman who lives across the border. With only hours to live, she jumps on a train headed for Los Angeles. Unfortunately for the passengers aboard, they are now trapped, soon to be victims of these flesh-eating vipers) So just by looking over both back to back what one sounds more interesting?, I would say Snakes On A Train but we all know how the cgi can be on thos starght to DVD ripoffs. And 95% of the times they turn out to be shit.
Last edited by Norrock The Zombie Eater (2006-08-06 13:19:26)


text:
.flowers Domain Names
Origin: International
Creation date:2014
Description: .FLOWERS is a generic extension
Whois: https://whois.uniregistry.net/
- Rules
- Dates
- Prices
- News
The latest news of .flowers
From November 10 until December 10, no need to choose between two of the coolest tech toys in TLDs, .io and .tech.
Pre-Black Friday, from November 20 through November 25, .blackfriday domains will be on sale for $30.00 per year.
Greetings, Earthlings. The new .earth TLD is now entering the GoLive phase.
A spectacular conclusion to a great .website promo: seven days at $1.49
We can confirm the rumors: .八卦 (punycode .xn--45q11c) is entering the GoLive phase.
Le .vin est arrivé! (and the .wine), both TLDs are entering the Sunrise November 17, just in time for Beaujolais nouveau
On November 16, .pro domains are free from verification of pro status. So we're putting them on sale for $12.00 per year!
Some Gandi hosting customers will be impacted the November 19th by a reboot of IaaS servers.
Sunshine on a cloudy day: a new gTLD, .cloud, is entering the Sunrise phase.


text:
Siegel's Charles Clark (10) dunks the ball against La Vergne at Siegel Friday night.
- Filed Under
It wasn't the fast start that second-ranked Siegel wanted Friday night.
The finish, though, more than made up for it.
The Stars remained unbeaten, topping La Vergne 79-69 on homecoming. In the process, Siegel (21-0, 8-0 7-AAA) wrapped up a week that included wins over the second- and third-place teams in the district. Siegel defeated ninth-ranked Blackman 72-65 on Tuesday. ...


text:
Green Festival Exhibitors
National Aquarium
The National Aquarium is a nonprofit aquatic education and conservation organization with two locations and one mission: to inspire conservation of the world's aquatic treasures. Transforming experiences reach well beyond the Aquariums' walls. Education teams reach thousands of students each year with activities in schools and in the field; conservation crews and volunteers restore habitats and preserve species around the Chesapeake Bay and around the world; and the National Aquarium venues continue to serve as an economic engine for tourism in the city of Baltimore and as a unique draw in downtown Washington, DC


text:
My apologies for not making an intro thread, but I did make some kind of attempt to introduce myself.
You've never just wanted to know something to satisfy your curiosity?
pass1over I gave you an answer and my information is correct, they are worth what you paid.
We're Bourbon Geeks, it's who we are, it's what we do.
When I first saw the post my troll alert went off, was about to give the same answer but had to leave for awhile. Glad y'all handled it.
What squire said. Something is 'worth' the price that two independent parties agree to.
technically whiskey owned by a private individual is worth nothing as there are few legal ways to dispose of it other than pouring it out or drinking it...
My ask is never rude and I have yet to lose a jackass comment.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals and you know it."
-Agent Kay
You might wanna have your troll sensor checked out tiger. No troll here, just a guy with a question. Yea, they really "handled" it.
Squire, it's actually worth what someone else would pay for it. If I was trying to sell them, which a lot of you keep glossing over that apparently. I am not selling these, neither here or elsewhere. Get over yourselves.
Turtle, you are correct. It is very hard if not illegal to sell spirits without a license. However, no where did I ever say I was selling them. I was just curious if anyone knew what they might be worth now.
Apparently you are unwilling to accept the answer I gave because it's not the one you want. My answer is still correct though, the whisky is worth what you paid.
As for what some theoretical someone might pay that's not what you asked but is apparently the information you seek. Sorry, wrong site, we don't buy, sell, trade, swap or do evaluations here.
We're Bourbon Geeks, it's who we are, it's what we do.


text:
- Filed Under
A Senate committee is again asking the Defense Department to try to rein in or at least better justify excessive costs for flag and general officer quarters.
The 2014 defense budget requests funding for 27 Army general officers quarters, each bearing estimated annual operating and maintenance costs exceeding $100,000, the Senate Appropriations Committee says in a report on the $11 billion military construction budget approved June 20.
The Navy isnt far behind, with 26 quarters for admirals or Marine Corps generals with annual costs exceeding $100,000. The Air Force has just one general officer quarters in that range, according to the report.
The high cost of quarters for military leaders is a longtime concern of lawmakers. Last year, Congress directed the services to review the cost of flag and general officer housing, and to report back with steps that could be taken to reduce costs. To date no service has complied, the appropriations committee report says.
Annual operating costs for a typical military family quarters on base averages less than $20,000. The operating costs are higher for flag general officer quarters because they are larger and often older facilities.
The big cost on maintaining comparatively few units comes at a time when the services are deferring maintenance and repair on facilities because of the across-the-board budget cuts of sequestration and because of overall tighter maintenance budgets.
John Conger, acting deputy undersecretary of defense for installations and environment, told the Senate military construction appropriations subcommittee in early May, We are deferring all but the most critical repairs. We are deferring routine maintenance. We are holding off on major purchases and accepting risk by looking for building equipment to hold out longer.
Routine maintenance and operating costs are not the Senate committees only concern. The Army has seven general officer quarters in need of more than $100,000 in repairs, and the Navy has asked for money for 12 quarters with repair costs more than that amount. The Air Forces most expensive repair bill for general officer housing is $97,000.
The committee has tried to work with the services on evaluating alternatives for maintaining these large and aging facilities but has been stymied by an apparent unwillingness on the part of the services to seek less expensive alternatives, the committee report says.
Congress has required detailed budget justification for the operation and repair of flag and general officer quarters since 1984, when questions arose about expensive renovations that appear to occur each time new occupants move in.
The House version of the construction funding bill makes no specific mention of the upkeep and repair costs for flag and general officers quarters but includes a requirement for the services to detail any repair expense of more than $35,000 for any single set of quarters.
There is some small indication that the services may be catching onto lawmakers displeasure in this area. In 2013, the Navy asked for $433,500 to pay operating and repair costs for an 11,000-square-foot flag officer home in Naples that is owned by the Italian government. The 2014 budget asked for $216,000 to maintain the housing, but the committee was notified in April that the Navy is moving out because the structure, built in 1949, is in a deteriorated condition and is no longer suitable.
While questioning the high costs, the committee did not reduce the service budgets for maintenance and repair of senior officer housing.
Answers by RallyPointSEE MORE ANSWERS
Join trending discussions in the military's #1 professional community. See what members like yourself have to say from across the DoD.


text:
With all the upcoming 3D printers everywhere in the world we decided to join the "3D printer world".
Fish_ started following RD's friend Zarya on his 3D printer adventures.
After some chats and Zarya's new project, to build a Mendel90, he though it would be a smart idea to follow.
The 3D printer will give Randomdata the possibility to print parts, create cases for Raspberry PI's, etc etc.
The printer will be available for public use at Randomdata, a calculation model will be created to pay the plastics and usage of the printer. (price per meter plastic/gram etc)
For now a rough plan has been created and we started to gather/print/create/lasercut/etc parts. In the next few weeks we will build it step by step, test it, calibrate it, etc etc.
If you want to follow the 3D printing adventures you can check out our Mendel90 wiki page


text:
fb2k's compensation for decoder delay is inconsistent, 529 samples sometimes go missing. Bug or feature?
Please read foobar2000 Tech Support Forum Rules before posting and comply with all the points.
Failure to provide all the information pointed out in the above document in your post is considered wasting other people's time and in extreme cases will lead to your topic getting locked without a reply.
See also: Hydrogenaudio Terms of Service.
fb2k's compensation for decoder delay is inconsistent, 529 samples sometimes go missing. Bug or feature?
Nov 2 2010, 09:49
Post #1
Group: Members
Posts: 1037
Joined: 12-May 06
From: Colorado, USA
Member No.: 30694
As I understand it, the first non-VBR-header frame of an MP3 file should decode to 529 (the usual decoder delay) + 1152 samples, and every frame thereafter should decode to exactly 1152 samples. The player should discard those first 529, and then it should discard however many samples the VBR header said was the encoder delay. When the last frames are reached, the player should discard however many samples the VBR header said was padding. It should be as simple as that, right?
foobar2000 1.1 seems to behave inconsistently in this regard. timcupery apparently noticed the problem in 0.9 a while back but didn't get any responses, perhaps because he asked about several things at the same time.
Here's a quick test to demonstrate.
flac.exe -c -d -s Boing_Boom_Tschak.flac | lame.exe -V0 -Boing_Boom_Tschak.mp3
The resulting MP3 has 1155 frames + the VBR header frame w/LAME tag. The LAME tag specifies encoder delay 576 and padding 991. This checks out fine: 1155 frames × 1152 samples/frame = 1330560 samples. 1330560 - 576 - 991 = 1328993, same as the original FLAC.
Now load up the MP3 in foobar2000 1.1 and convert it to WAV. Output should be 1328993 samples and should align with the FLAC in a wave editor. No problem so far.
Now in foobar2000, edit the MP3's gapless playback information. Change encoder delay to 0 and length-of-track to 1330560. The playlist item's properties window should now show delay & padding of 0. Convert to WAV again. We would expect the output to be 1330560 samples. However, it's now 1330031. In a wave editor, it's apparent that fb2k removed 529 samples from the beginning, apparently overcompensating for decoder delay by a factor of 2!
It's not just happening in conversion, but in ordinary playback as well. Any MP3 having a delay and padding both set to 0 loses its first 529 samples. Because of this, seams are audible in what should be a gapless series of MP3s created by mp3DirectCut after splitting a CBR, no-bit-reservoir MP3 on frame boundaries.
Back to the Kraftwerk sample—some experimentation shows that after using fb2k to edit the gapless playback information, leaving the encoder delay at 0 and setting the padding to any value between 0 and 529 (length-of-track 1330560 to 1330031), results in the same 1330031-sample output. But setting the padding to 530 (length-of-track 1330030) results in the requested 1330030 samples. In a wave editor, one can observe 576 samples of encoder delay, followed by 1328993 samples of audio, followed by not 530 but 461 samples of padding, as that's what's required to reach 1330030. I notice 1330030 is 530 shy of a frame boundary, probably not a coincidence.
I haven't even experimented with encoder delay values yet, and I'm finding it rather painful to wrap my head around this behavior. I don't understand why decoder delay even enters into the equation. I should be able to set encoder delay & padding to whatever I want and get those samples trimmed from the beginning and end, respectively, and never be exposed to decoder delay. What's going on here? Bug? Feature?
This post has been edited by mjb2006: Nov 2 2010, 09:50
Nov 2 2010, 19:08
Post #2
Group: Admin
Posts: 4833
Joined: 15-December 02
Member No.: 4082
Where do you arrive at the conclusion that 529 is "overcompensating for decoder delay by a factor of 2?" 529 is not an even number. It is exactly the decoder delay for layer 3 files, in this case.
|Lo-Fi Version
|Time is now: 2nd December 2015 - 05:04


text:
|Friday, 18 January 2008
Son of Stitch 'n Bitch is the latest book in the SNB series, featuring 45 projects to knit & crochet for men. Whether you're knitting for a boyfriend or husband, or, if you're a male knitter yourself, Son of Stitch 'n Bitch has the boy-tested, boy-approved projects you've been looking for, plus plenty of tips to help you avoid the "curse of the boyfriend sweater."
View the Projects:
|Last Updated ( Saturday, 06 November 2010 )


text:
Horror Movies Forum » Horror TV Shows » SciFi Channel-!3 Days of Halloween.
Pages 1
You must login or register to post a reply
RSS topic feed
Starting Oct.19th thru Oct.31st Starting at 8:00 am with 18 episode marathon of Tales From The Darkside.It is quite an impressive line up.Y'all need to check it it out.
Thanks for the heads up mother. Another great marathon heading our way for Halloween.
yippee yippee yippee!!! I LOVE october!!!!!!!
Yeah, I usually list what horror films come on the sci-fi channel on here but teh past few weeks I got lazy lol.
Yeah, I will watch the 13 days of Halloween.
RIP's Website
nice, thanks for the heads up. i'll be watching this
here is the schedule
The really gory movies will most likely be cut out but I might tune it to watch Dagon.
And here is HM top 10 movies to see on Halloween last year.http://horrormovies.ca/horror_6809.html
Last edited by goldenwarrior (2007-09-20 13:41:02)
goldenwarrior's Website
Great I'm looking forward to it !
I love October and I love Halloween. Bring on the Horror!
thanks for the heads up...lov'n it!!!
thedeadshallrule's Website


text:
Art Index Retrospective allows you to search more than 55 years of art journalism from more than 600 publications. Feature articles, interviews, film reviews, book reviews, bibliographies, exhibition listings, conference reports, anthologies, editorials, reproduction of works of art, notices of competitions and awards and letters to the editor are indexed. Subjects covered include advertising art, antiques, archaeology, architecture and architectural history, art history, crafts, and much more.
An artist's book is a work of art that takes the form of a book. But what does that mean? And what counts as a book, anyway? Is it a bunch of pages that have been bound together, or is there more to it than that?
These are the kinds of questions that artists' books try to answer. They play with both the form and the function of books as objects, encouraging onlookers to question traditional conceptualizations of "books." They are usually handmade, often unique, and all different from one another. Because most artist's books are hand-made and only crafted in small, limited runs, they offer artists a special opportunity to create books that are intensely personal.
All of the books featured in this exhibit are part of Miami University's Walter Havighurst Special Collections. The materials on display reflect a concentrated effort to build a diverse, provocative collection that will challenge students to reconsider their notion of "books" while also paying tribute to the creativity and innovation of book artists across the globe.
Classic Catalog | OhioLINK | Lane Public | WorldCat |
More Options:
Research by Subject |
Databases A-Z
More Options:
OhioLINK Home |
OhioLINK Catalog |
Research by Subject |
Databases A-Z
More Options:
Miami University Search |
Miami University Directory
Best New Music of 2015, Part 2: Esoteric
Best New Music of 2015, Part 1: A Spotify playlist
Notary Services in the Library
This week's Spotify playlist: A guide to Sufjan Stevens


text:
- Introduction
- COMSOL Multiphysics
- AC/DC Module
- Acoustics Module
- Batteries and Fuel Cells Module
- CAD Import Module and LiveLink™ Products
- CFD Module
- Chemical Reaction Engineering Module
- Earth Science Module
- Heat Transfer Module
- MEMS Module
- Plasma Module
- RF Module
- Structural Mechanics Module
- LiveLink™ for MATLAB®
- The COMSOL API
New Functionality in Version 4.1
- Automatic generation of coordinate systems for 2D and 2D-axisymmetric Piezoelectric Devices interface. This simplifies the orientation of anisotropic piezoelectric material properties.
- The variables defined by the Reaction Engineering interface do no longer require scopes. This makes it easier for the user to interpret and edit automatically generated expressions, for instance, describing reaction kinetics.
Backward Compatibility vs. Version 3.5a
Piezoelectric Devices interface
The following 3.5a functionality is not available in version 4.1:
- Electrical formulations
Film Damping
- The solid predefined coupling is missing but can be performed manually
- Perforated plates are not yet available. These have to be modeled in version 4.1 using the full geometric description or using equation view.


text:
On October 1st, 2014, we published revised versions of our Terms and Conditions. Your continued use of GrabOne means you agree to this revised document, so please take a few minutes to read and understand it. Ok, got it
Food & Wine Magazine Christmas Show
€10 for 1 Ticket or €19 for 2 Tickets to Food & Wine Magazine Christmas Show at the RDS Main Hall, Dublin Nov. 30 - Dec. 2 2012
1 of your friends
already grabbed this deal:
Discuss this DealStart the discussion
- Celebrate the best in festive fare at the FOOD & WINE Christmas show.
- Grab one ticket for just €10 or €19 for two tickets at the RDS Main Hall.
- See demonstrations from top chefs, Derry Clarke, Kevin Dundon and more.
- Children under 12 go free.
The FOOD & WINE Christmas Show returns to the RDS from Friday November 30 - Sunday December 2 and will see Ireland's top chefs demonstrating their skills and sharing top tips on the Chef's Stage. Household names and heavyweights at this year's show include Donal Skehan, Catherine Fulvio and more. The guest of honor for the whole weekend is the man in red himself, Santa Claus, who kids can visit for free.
- Grab a ticket to The FOOD & WINE Christmas Show at the RDS Main Hall, Dublin for just €10 (usually €22.50).
- Or bring a friend and grab two tickets for just €19 (usually €45).
Tickets can be bought for any one of the following days:
- Friday November 30, 4-8pm.
- Saturday December 1, 10am-7pm.
- Or Sunday, December 2, 10am-6pm.
The FOOD&WINE Christmas Show is paradise for foodies and families alike with each day packed full of shows, masterclasses, demos, tastings and special show bargains designed to help visitors stage their own festive gathering, big or small. Check out www.foodandwineshow.ie for more information.
- Pick up some tips at the chef's stage where household names such as Kevin Dundon and Ross Lewis will be demonstrating their skills.
- Editor of FOOD & WINE Raymond Blake will talk the audience through wine and food pairings.
- Visit the Artisan Village and sample tasty treats such as Keoghs crisps or Cooleeney Farm Cheese.
- The Kithchen Zone will have everything needed by everyday cooks; pick up some kitchen essentials and quirky gadgets.
- Take a breather in the Lounge where you can enjoy a restive beverage or bite to eat.
Food & Wine Magazine Christmas Show
Limit: 10 for you and 10 as gifts
RDS Main Hall
Dublin 4
Opening Hours
Friday November 30th: 4pm - 9pm
Saturday December 1st: 10am - 7pm
Sunday December 2nd: 10am - 6pm
ConditionsValid from Nov 30, 2012
Expires Dec 2, 2012
Valid for 1 day only. No refunds or extensions. Show coupon for entry to event.
See the rules that apply to all deals


text:
Valentino Rossi is not the only MotoGP rider venturing into team management for 2014. Whereas the former World Champion will back a squad in Moto3, Aleix Espargaro will be helping to boost the careers of up and coming talents in Spain's CEV Repsol series.Aleix Espargaro, Honda CEV Repsol, Moto3, MotoGP
SX: Kurt Caselli – American Desert Racing Champ To Be Remembered
Posted by Media Release at 10:43 am
American desert racing champion and budding international rally racing star Kurt Caselli will be remembered during Tuesday's SCORE Dirt LiveHD internet show airing at 7 p.m. (PT). Watch Here.
Caselli died last Friday as the result of a tragic racing accident at the SCORE Baja 1000 in Mexico.Baja 1000, Kurt Caselli, Supercross
F1: 2013 USGP In-Depth Analysis And Recap
Posted by Formula1blog.com at 9:44 am
Sebastian Vettel won the 2013 United States Grand Prix, with Romain Grosjean taking second from Mark Webber on the start. They remained in that order to the end, despite Webber's late charge on Grosjean, though further down the order the scrapping was often briefly intense among many drivers.Analysis, COTA, Fernando Alonso, Formula 1, Lewis Hamilton, Mark Webber, Romain Grosjean, Sebastian Vettel, USGP
F1: Lotus Is Still Waiting For Quantum To Provide Funding
Posted by Adam Cooper at 4:45 pm
Lotus team principal Eric Boullier says that Quantum has promised to deliver its eagerly awaited funding in the next week.
Many paddock observers remain skeptical about the prospects of the deal finally coming together.Eric Boullier, Formula 1, Lotus, Nico Hulkenberg, Romain Grosjean
SX: Miss Supercross Dianna Dahlgren — SX Ed Preview Video
Posted by Media Release at 3:30 pm
Click the video below to view the second episode of SX Ed with Miss Supercross.
The SX Ed series features 4 episodes of Miss Supercross, Dianna Dahlgren.
For the first-time ever, the entire Monster Energy Supercross season will air live on FOX Sports. FOX Sports 1 will air 13 races live and Fox Sports 2 will air four races live, in addition to every race re-airing on FOX Sports 2. The live Monster Energy Supercross programming on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2 also includes live coverage on the authenticated FOX Sports Go app.Dianna Dahlgren, Supercross, Video


text:
Business Administration
Business administration is a broad field of study and contains many possible majors. Courses offered include those required by senior
colleges at the freshman and sophomore levels to obtain the degree of bachelor of science in business administration or a bachelor of business administration (B.B.A.) in a specific undergraduate study, such as accounting.
A business major should be aware of the opportunities, requirements and obligations in various majors of specialization so that a proper choice for study can be made. Students should reserve the decision of choosing an area of emphasis depending on their own abilities and interests.
Suggested fields of study include accounting, advertising, banking, finance, business, teaching, various phases of management, insurance, retailing, marketing and statistical analysis.


text:
Sony DT 35mm F1.8 SAM
Further readings for the Sony DT 35mm F1.8 SAM
To provide photographers with a broader perspective about mobiles, lenses and cameras, here are links to articles, reviews, and analyses of photographic equipment produced by DxOMark, renown websites, magazines or blogs.
Following our recommendations for the flagship Sony SLT-A99, we've had the opportunity to assess the firm's semi-professional 24-Mpix DT (APS-C) format model - the SLT-A77 - with a sizeable collection of Sony and third-party prime and zoom models to assess image quality. Read onto find out which of these models perform best when paired with the camera.
A battle rages in the hybrid camera sector between the Sony NEX Range with their APS-C sensors and the Micro Four-Thirds cameras. With interchangeable lenses for each the quality is not necessarily fixed when you buy your camera, you can upgrade the optics. In this first look at Sony E mount lenses, we are looking at their most recent additions, but we will look at others too, let us know which are most important to you.
The Sony DT 35mm F1.8 SAM, a budget-focused prime lens, is only suitable for use on APS-C dSLRs, but it could be a pretty good choice if you own a Sony APS-C body and don't want to spend too much money on a wide-angle prime lens. Let's take a closer look.


text:
Re: Totally random
MoonRavenly miss, that's work you should wreck, not your nails.
Tripod, we don't have them here sadly so ChainSaW80's idea would work.
Yeah ChainSaW AND BATMAN: ARKHAM IS INSANELY COOL!!!
And for 10$ it's a very cool bargain.
Played on XBox 360, was a freaking blast. Visuals are amazing and game play very fun. Enjoy it. And play for me, I don't have a console, was at my friend's.
Someday... :sigh:
Last edited by kXnPunk (2013-02-04 00:05:38)


text:
Topic: POLL: Deadliest Horror Movie Warrior 4th MONTH EXHIBITION MATCH
Welcome to the Deadliest Horror Movie Warrior's 4th Monthly Exhibition Match. All Exhibition Matches will feature two opposing teams consisting of an equal number of members, typically ranging from 1-4 each.***
This month's is a play on the ol' Werewolf vs Vampire idea, as we see...
Also, be sure to vote in the 4th Month's Final Match.
***Standard voting rules apply. Exhibition Match results will not affect either the weekly or monthly final match results. They're just for fun, so make sure you have exactly that while racking your brain to pick a winner.


text:
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Clown Led Worship
66 comments:
- Brian Hamrick said...
Regulative principle? What's that?
- 1:19 PM, August 10, 2006
- Joe Specht said...
Worship of what?
- 1:24 PM, August 10, 2006
- Jonathan said...
The Castle Church in Wittenburg experiences small earthquake as Luther rolls over in grave.
- 1:40 PM, August 10, 2006
- Byroniac said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- 2:23 PM, August 10, 2006
- Chris Whisonant said...
Did an old pastor find a new job?
- 2:25 PM, August 10, 2006
- Matt Privett said...
Advent Lutheran Church debuts their new sign since changing their name from The Crystal Cathedral.
- 2:27 PM, August 10, 2006
- GeneMBridges said...
Never fear, the clown is only with, under, and through the makeup.
- 2:46 PM, August 10, 2006
- MarieP said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- 2:55 PM, August 10, 2006
- MarieP said...
Featuring hymns such as:
- Clown Him with Many Clowns
- Oh For a Thousand Clowns to Sing
- Clowning on the Premises
- Be Fun, My Soul
- Clowning, Joy of Man's Desiring
- Jesus, I am Clowning! Clowning!
- 2:59 PM, August 10, 2006
- Joshua Chavers said...
So, if the worship is led by a clown, what does that make the preacher?
- 3:15 PM, August 10, 2006
- slmayes said...
Next Sunday, come hear the mime!
- 3:24 PM, August 10, 2006
- Alan Cross said...
Next Week: "Mime Led Worship."
- 3:27 PM, August 10, 2006
- Alan Cross said...
Sorry slmayes. You got that in before I did! We were posting at the same time and thinking the same thing! Spooky.
- 3:28 PM, August 10, 2006
- Mopheos said...
"See? Being a Christian CAN be fun!"
- 3:36 PM, August 10, 2006
- art rogers said...
I have numerous thoughts, but all too sinful to make public.
I have to go flog myself now.
- 4:00 PM, August 10, 2006
- Micah said...
Charles the Brave is leading worship there?
- 4:30 PM, August 10, 2006
- Chase Abner said...
Perhaps the pastor is out performing for kids' birthday parties.
- 4:37 PM, August 10, 2006
- Sojourner said...
I hope the church doesn't become like a clown car. After the service, you may see more clowns coming out than you thought could fit in there.
- 4:55 PM, August 10, 2006
- The Gaffer said...
Everyone knows that people won't come to see an anonymous clown. Perhaps Advent Lutheran could obtain the services of a celebrity clown. Just imagine the folks would show up to hear Krusty the Clown, Bozo, or Ronald MacDonald!
- 4:57 PM, August 10, 2006
- Andrew Nicewander said...
If they hand out cool little red noses, Im there. ;-)
- 5:10 PM, August 10, 2006
- GOWITHGOSPEL said...
I have lived long enough, traveled far enough, and heard more than enough to testify that:
There are many, many, many CLOWNS leading many, many, many religious groups (commonly called churches)
speaking in their worship (so-called) services.
Of course, this is written in truth and love. (Ephesians 4:15)
- 5:22 PM, August 10, 2006
- irreverend fox said...
"People just arn't into drama like they were in the 90's. This was an idea that basically put a fresh coat of paint on two fledgling ministries in our church. Our music needed some pizazz in order to keep our people happy and our drama team need a shot in the arm and some direction. Besides, no other church around here has tried this approach. We're kinda beating a new path it seems. Our goal has always been to send people home happier about life and about themselves than when they came in. This can do nothing but help us accomplish that goal." Pastor Roger Smith.
- 5:37 PM, August 10, 2006
- Hank said...
"After we celebrate the Lords table of hot dogs and coke, we will open the sign ups to our up coming mission trip to Six Flags! This is the last year as we have now evangelized all the Six Flags in the country! Do I hear an Amen! Next year will start with the State Fairs!
Come all who are in debt and stressed, and we will give you a smile as your the best!
- 6:52 PM, August 10, 2006
- Jeff Wright said...
Here's one:
"Truth in Advertising"
- 8:25 PM, August 10, 2006
- Amicus said...
I just received a thing from "The Pennsylvania Pastor's Network" explaining to me that it is legal for a church as a nonprofit org to have a candidate speak at in worship, as long as you invite other candidates as well (plan so that it's inconvenient for the demoncrats). I was going to throw the piece out (that old regulative principle thing, you know?) But now I'm thinking, Elections are right after Halloween, and what better time for Clown-Led Worship?
- 8:39 PM, August 10, 2006
- David B. Hewitt said...
Dr. Tom:
I see you are a fan of Marc Heinrich as well. :)
- 9:37 PM, August 10, 2006
- B Nettles said...
FAITH is the latest Baptist ripoff of EE. I guess Clown-Led Worship is the Lutheran ripoff of the Vineyard Laughter movement.
BTW...local church bulletin had "Sunday 6 PM,
Casual Worship" Does that make anyone think of Aaron's sons and strange fire? I guess having a fire engine in the church could help you put out strange fire.
- 9:57 PM, August 10, 2006
- Cliff4JC said...
If my very good friend and worship leader actaully read this blog...I'd take a friendly shot at him and say something like: Tom Clay is at your church this week? LOL
But...since he probably doesn't read the blog and won't be able to defend his honor...I'll refrain :)
- 10:21 PM, August 10, 2006
- Peter D. Nelson said...
I could have sworn it said Founders who let Purgatorio in?
- 11:58 PM, August 10, 2006
- Nathan Finn said...
Don't knock it 'till you try it.
- 10:46 AM, August 11, 2006
- Jeffro said...
Mohler and Patterson to Juggle Election this Sunday...
Only kidding, and Tom, if it is over the line don't post it...
- 6:18 PM, August 11, 2006
- Hoyt Sparks said...
Pure blasphemy!!!!!!!
Hoyt Sparks
- 7:40 AM, August 12, 2006
- Hoyt Sparks said...
Total blasphemy!!!!!!!
- 7:42 AM, August 12, 2006
- Bill0615 said...
This reminded me of a Chapel Service at Southwestern Seminary in the mid 70's. Dr. Vance Havner was preaching on John the Baptist and he made the observation that "Our churches are becoming three-ring circuses and the seminaries are providing the monkey acts!" I will never forget the expression on President Naylor's face. Priceless.
- 2:08 PM, August 12, 2006
- volfan007 said...
that quote by havner was priceless and true. he was a great man of God. great preacher too.
you know what's just as bad as clown led worship though? dead, dry, ritualistic worship where people act real sophisticated as they sing the old anthems. and, they think that they are better than those shouters down the road that are worshipping with all thier hearts.
- 2:13 PM, August 12, 2006
- kradzo said...
I think it's insensitive of Advent Lutheran to have clown-led worship; some people are terrified of clowns. Perhaps they could have a talk show format.
- 11:01 PM, August 12, 2006
- G. Burch said...
I guess if you are assuming that shouters worship with their whole heart...whatever happen to just worship in spirit and in truth?
- 6:23 AM, August 13, 2006
- GOWITHGOSPEL said...
My guess is that the house at the Adventist location was FILLED TO CAPACITY with clowns eager to hear the guest clown.
Clowns in various locations and different denominations always attract large crowds.
Amd isn't that the name of the game today?
- 11:21 AM, August 13, 2006
- jbuchanan said...
Man I wish that my deacons would stop putting up these signs!
- 2:45 PM, August 14, 2006
- volfan007 said...
now that' funny! just when i though you five pointers couldnt joke. lol.
- 3:19 PM, August 14, 2006
- volfan007 said...
if you dont know the diff between dead, stale, cold worship and worship that's alive and full of God's Spirit...well, what can i say?
i didnt say that you had to shout, anyway?...did i?
shouting over God's goodness,
- 3:21 PM, August 14, 2006
- flawedcricket said...
"Send in the clowns" was a phrase reputedly used in a circus when an unforeseen disaster had occurred, with the clowns being sent in to distract the audience from the problem.
Wow! Run with that for a while.
- 3:53 PM, August 14, 2006
- pastorleap said...
Just think of the poor preacher who will have to follow this act... He sure will have some BIG SHOES to fill!
Now that's funny.
- 5:49 PM, August 14, 2006
- jbuchanan said...
According to some all five pointers are a joke.
- 2:03 PM, August 15, 2006
- Cliff4JC said...
I for one think it is a joke that I am anything other than condemned by God! It is laughable that I have the hope of escaping eternal punishment for the ways in which I profaned the name of God before He; by is Glorious, matchless grace, redeemed me for His glory! And it honestly boggles my mind and makes me shake my head when I think He actually set me apart for the Gospel ministry to boot. What a wretch I am. Yet, He made Me His own. In a sense, every time I stand before His people; it is Clown Worship; only I am the bozo trying to get out of the Holy Spirit's way!
- 3:06 PM, August 15, 2006
- Truth Seeker said...
The new vacation bible school song could be:
"If you're happy and you know it honk your nose...
If you're happy and you know it honk your nose...
For the Happy Guy in the sky is looking down in fun...
If you're happy and you know it honk your nose."
Might catch on!
- 4:13 PM, August 15, 2006
- Henry (Rick) Frueh said...
"Clown leading worship - followed by the Great White Throne Judgment!"
- 4:43 PM, August 15, 2006
- Etaoin Shrdlu said...
The only thing I can think of to top the clown-led worship would be free beer. They may do that soon.
- 8:03 PM, August 16, 2006
- sbc pastor said...
"Clown led worship" – This sign was how it all began. The church began an amazing time of numerical growth and comical, I mean spiritual, renewal. Advent Lutheran Church soon changed their name to the Ronald McDonald Club at the Park. They then called Bozo the Clown as their first full-time Bozo, I mean pastor. Of course, there were the books that followed: The Clown Led Church, The Clown Led Life, and The Clown Driven Car. :0)
God bless!!!
In Christ,
- 12:51 AM, August 17, 2006
- Byroniac said...
sbc pastor, that is too funny! What about 40 Days of Clowning Around?
- 1:07 AM, August 17, 2006
- sbc pastor said...
That's hilarious! 40 Days of Clowning Around must be the latest book in the series. I didn't even know that it was out yet – oh well, I guess that time flies when you're being fundy, I mean funny :0). God bless!!!
In Christ,
- 1:41 AM, August 17, 2006
- volfan007 said...
maybe some of yall will start having happy hour before the worship service too. then, maybe your people will see "clowns." granpappy said that if you do start this happy hour...pre worship cocktails....just let him know. he has some powerful stuff to sell you. some call it white lightning...some call it moonshine...but yall can call it corn wine.
- 9:28 AM, August 17, 2006
- sbc pastor said...
Vol Fan,
I agree with you - that is certainly another kind of "clowning around." God bless!!!
In Christ,
- 4:42 PM, August 17, 2006
- volfan007 said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- 5:36 PM, August 17, 2006
- Tom said...
You have crossed the line. I put up with your foolishness in the interest of open dialogue. But I won't tolerate your sinful insinuations like that of the post I removed. No amount of "aw shucks" posing can cover your sin. You need to repent.
- 5:47 PM, August 17, 2006
- volfan007 said...
you need to repent. you need to repent of arrogant, self righteous, judgementalism. you need to repent of being off the deep end. you need to repent of trying to convert chrisitians to your tangent.
i am sorry that you dont want to hear the truth. i am sorry that you cant handle the truth. i am sorry that you dont want someone to take your beliefs to thier logical, ridiculous conclusion.
that being said....i did not come in here to fight with anyone. i did come in here to try to get people to realize the ridiculousness of some of thier wild, off the wall beliefs. since coming in here...i have been called everything in the book. i have been accused of all sorts of things. i have been told that i needed to repent due to my not agreeing with the five pointism that yall hold dear. hey, calvin was not God. sproul and nettles are not God either. they can be wrong about things and they are wrong about some things. i know that you probably consider that blasphemous but its not. God is God.
adios amigo, vaya con dios,
ps, i see that you have reverted back to not allowing people to blog unless they get thier approval. well, aint that nice. that way all you five pointers dont have to hear people who might lead yall away from the tangent that you are on. i doubt that what i am writing now will be approved. a lot of cults dont like thier followers to hear the other side either.
- 7:54 AM, August 18, 2006
- Jim from OldTruth.com said...
Pastor Ascol:
In light of the last comment that was posted above, I want to thank you for your ministry. So many of us appreciate everything that you do. Please be encouraged; you are making a difference.
- 12:19 AM, August 19, 2006
- Byroniac said...
Dr. Ascol:
I can truthfully say that I believe the Founder's Ministry is at least one of the best things ever to happen to the SBC. I want you to know I support you fully and deeply appreciate your ministry. You are a man of integrity, character, and honor, and you have refused to compromise on the Scriptures. God Bless you!
- 12:43 PM, August 19, 2006
- Tom said...
Jim and Byroniac:
Thanks, brothers!
- 3:07 PM, August 19, 2006
- kradzo said...
volfan wrote
you need to repent. you need to repent of arrogant, self righteous, judgementalism. you need to repent of being off the deep end. you need to repent of trying to convert chrisitians to your tangent.
volfan, this 1st paragraph of your 7:54 AM, August 18, 2006 post is misdirected. Change the "you" to "I" and "your" to "my" and you'll much more on track.
For the administrator to delete your 5:36 PM, August 17, 2006 post and not others, it must have been over the edge.
Civil debate over a disagreement is encouraged and occasional jesting is okay but your insinuations/character attacks do nothing but alienate people and certainly do not win them to your way of thinking (if that is your motive).
- 7:58 PM, August 19, 2006
- Scott Hill said...
I hate clowns.
- 9:07 PM, August 22, 2006
- Scott Hill said...
My dad always said "if you get saved at a circus you'll be a clown all your life"
I quess some of them got ordained.
- 9:11 PM, August 22, 2006
- GUNNY said...
The AP's jealousy finally reaches an unacceptable level when he takes charge of the marquee.
- 8:30 PM, August 23, 2006
- Aaron said...
I attend this church.
No, seriously. I've attended this service numerous times, and it is without a doubt one of the most spiritual and worshipful experiences I've ever been blessed with. This is not a joke. I understand it's difficult to wrap your mind around(until you experience it), but don't judge. I think is was Jesus who said that, but I could be wrong.
No, wait. I'm not. It was him.
- 10:38 PM, July 30, 2007
- Terri said...
This is MY church. I've attended Advent Lutheran for 6 years, and have attended EVERY clown worship we've had. It is without a doubt one of the most touching services we have all year, and I look forward to every single one of them. If you had ever been to one of them, you wouldn't be saying some of these hurtful things. So wise up, and attend one before you bash it.
You say clown worship is a sin... that it's blashpemy... I say that it's just as moving, just as meaningful, and just as worshipful as any other service. Traditional services sing songs that have been sung for centuries... What's wrong with worshipping in today's language? I certainly don't say "thee" and "thou" on a regular basis... I speak from my heart, and I would give God nothing less than that. Clown-led worship is led from the heart, with a spirit of happiness... If you have a problem with being happy in church, then you don't understand it at all.
- 1:55 AM, August 12, 2007
- Courtney said...
To those who leave a negative comment about clown-led worship I have one question for you. How many of you have actually attended a clown-led worship? If you have then you're entitled to you opinion if not then you have nothing to back up your negative attitudes. it is a moving, uplifting experience that still celebrates God and all his wonder. Just because it says clown-led worship doesn't mean god isn't celebrated.
- 10:49 PM, August 12, 2007


text:
|Confronting the New Anxiety - Page 13
Creating rules to protect the therapeutic frame, establishing rituals to soothe children and open up dialogue, offering passionate advice to encourage reasoning, and asking to be treated with respect may seem, at first glance, unsophisticated, especially compared to the hundreds of clinical approaches now on the therapy marketplace. But at a time when the stable building blocks of family and society are disappearing into the maw of a ravenous mass culture, these old standards of civility and security make a lot of sense, and are good therapy. For all their apparent bravado, kids need the felt presence of adults---the undeniable evidence that we can be emotionally there for them, keeping them safe and providing them with the structure and guidance they crave in a frighteningly chaotic world.
Nothing less seems to hold their anxiety, or capture their digital-speed, supersaturated attention. The other night, I gave a talk for parents and kids in a suburban high school. "How do kids want adults to talk to them?" a parent asked. A sudden jolt of electricity ran through the teens and preteens, "Why don't you just tell us what you really think, for a change" one shouted, with the nodding approval of her buddies. "Only, keep it short, will you?!"
"Rules, Rituals, Reason, Regard--not a bad way to work with kids. Cell phone's ringing. Hmmm, maybe it's a referral. "Refinance, now!" Wait, my continuing-ed application is due tonight--when am I going to get it done? "You've got mail!" I can't believe Sam and Julie are splitting up! They've been married 25 years. "Dear member, your group's medical coverage is being dropped as of . . . ." Tim has cancer, and they don't know whether they caught it in time. "Today's new unemployment figures are out." I'll have to stay late at the office again. But, I promised the kids I'd be home in time to kiss them good night. Oh, no!
Ron Taffel, Ph.D., is founder of family and couples treatment at the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy in New York. He's also the author of the professional guide Getting Through to Difficult Kids and Parents . His latest book on adolescence is The Second Family . Address: 155 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10024. Letters to the Editor about this article may be e-mailed to firstname.lastname@example.com.