text:
Will software giants Microsoft's move to jump into the tablet segment pay off?
In June this year, Microsoft released its tablet computer called 'Surface' that would compete against Apple's iPad and Samsung's Galaxy Tab amongst others. Around the same time, Google announced the launch of Nexus 7, its tablet manufactured by Asus.
Clearly, the Redmond-based software giant is trying hard to stay relevant in the post PC world, especially in India, which has a potential market of more than 1 billion devices. A typical user from this market may have their first computing experience through a non-traditional PC. In trying to grab a slice of this lucrative pie, the company faces a host of challenges as it shifts into tablet territory.
Mixed signals
While technology fans and analysts are getting used to the 'me too' strategy of Microsoft – it usually launches products after other big players already have. However, there's an interesting subtext to the main story. By announcing its own tablet, Microsoft ends up competing against the Original Equipment Makers (OEMs) of these tablets with whom it has been partnering for more than three decades on the Windows platform. Companies like Dell, HP, Acer, Lenovo, Sony and others have been bundling Windows since the time of its inception. In contrast, Google has chosen to partner with vendors like Asus.
For Microsoft, the Windows Division revenue is largely correlated to the PC market worldwide, as approximately 75 per cent of total Windows Division revenue comes from Windows operating system software purchased by OEMs, which they pre-install on the devices they sell. The remaining 25 per cent of Windows Division revenue is generated by commercial and retail sales of Windows and PC hardware products and online advertising from Windows Live.
Industry watchers feel that with Surface the relationship between Microsoft and the OEMs has entered into a territory that might see some conflict. "With Microsoft entering the tablet segment, they are sending across a signal that we are competing against you," said a senior executive from Lenovo who did not wish to be named. Other executives from hardware vendors such as Acer and Dell had similar reservations, citing a lack of clarity from Microsoft. This situation is getting more complex as Microsoft is all set to launch the Windows 8 operating system. For years, PC manufacturers have relied on newer releases of Windows to boost their sales and with features such as touch screen computing to open doors to categories such as tablets. By launching Surface Microsoft is threatening to take away that market from the PC makers. When contacted, Microsoft India officials declined to comment on Surface and Windows 8.
"With features such as a touch-sensitive keyboard cover and kickstand along with the familiarity of Windows, Surface looks promising," says Vishal Tripathi, Principal Analyst with Gartner.
Talking numbers
So why is Microsoft entering this space? After a decade of lost opportunities, Microsoft's CEO, Steve Ballmer is hoping that Surface would do for Microsoft what the iPad did for Apple Inc. Microsoft's lost opportunities has reflected on Wall Street wherein the company's market capitalisation has come down by more than 100 per cent in the period 2000-2011 - from $510 billion to $249 billion. Compare that with Apple. For the same period, Apple's market cap went from $4.8 billion to $541 billion.
In the recently announced quarterly results, Microsoft posted losses for the first time in 26 years, pointing increasingly to the fact that its strategy of sitting back and skimming the cream from the PC business and earning high profits from software would not be the way forward.
In a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing, Microsoft said that it faces "intense competition across all markets", which could lead to lower revenue or pressure on its operating margin. Microsoft officials are aware of these issues and Surface is a step to take matters in their own hands. The new tablet market is simply too important for Microsoft to depend on traditional OEMs to further their interests - of selling more Windows licenses. Apart from Samsung's Tab, no other company is giving the Apple iPad a run for its money. According to Daniel Ashdown, Research Analyst at Juniper Research, "The tablet market needs more differentiation in software. Windows might offer something a bit more different, particularly in terms of productivity, user experience, better quality and price."
According to an Indian tablet vendor, it makes sense for Microsoft to have a better grip on the ecosystem and with Surface it can do so.
India strategy
Microsoft is aware that it has to have a stronger play in India where the market for smartphones and tablets is on the rise. Factor in the demographic dividend in India with the youth constituting 484.86 million of the overall population in 2030 and Microsoft's strategy to grab a big chunk becomes apparent.
The India PC market shipments for January - March 2012 stood at 2.63 million units, representing a sequential gain of 7.7 per cent over the previous quarter, as per IDC. While the PC market is growing, its growth rate is reducing over the last couple of years as smartphones and tablets are increasingly finding favour.
The latest IDC data points out that India smartphone market grew at 42.1 percent year-over-year in second quarter of 2012. Vendors shipped 153.9 million smartphones in the second quarter as compared to 108.3 million units in Q2 of 2011. The tablet shipments in the January-March 2012 touched 3.5 lakh units as compared to the whole of 2011 which saw shipments of 4.75 lakh tablets, according to Cyber Media research.
What these numbers point to is that a billion users in India may be using computing devices like tablets and smartphones for the first time and without a compelling offering, they may ask, "Microsoft, who?". "In India the first computing devices for many people may be a mobile device and many of them have experienced Android, Bada (Samsung's mobile operating system) and Java before they experience Microsoft," says Faisal Kawoosa, Senior Manager, Semiconductor & Electronics Practice, Cyber Media Research.
While the Surface has been launched as a regular tablet, the initial pricing points to an enterprise or high-end market product. "Surface will ensure stiff competition in the enterprise segment," says Abhishek Chauhan, Senior Consultant, ICT Practice, Frost & Sullivan.
According reports, the Surface could be priced in the range of Rs 33,000-44,000 that puts it directly in competition with iPad and Galaxy Tab.
Also, with this pricing, it competes in the ultrabooks segment. "With Surface Microsoft is looking beyond the 'think laptop' feel that most companies talk about with features like detachable keyboard," says Juniper research's Ashdown.
While the features are important, India is a price sensitive market. "Why would somebody go for a product which is yet not proven as compared to iPad or others when the price is almost same," poses a head of Reliance Retail in Mumbai. His logic, seen in the context of a profusion of low cost tablets, makes sense. Ask Datawind, Micromax or HCL Infosystems who have all reduced prices and are retailing low cost tablets in the range of Rs 3,000-15,000.
"Google plans to sell Nexus 7 at around Rs 11,000 in line with Amazon's Kindle and this is a price point that will dominate in the long run ," says Ashdown.
Interestingly, according to reports, Windows 8 and Surface might be launched around the same time (in October 2012). Considering that Microsoft has had a rough ride with Zune being a big flop and mixed success of XBox, users may hope that with Surface they can finally get over the blue screen of death.


text:
Below are the presentations from the 2013 State of the Industry Conference held February 25-27 in Miami, Florida.
Welcoming Remarks
Larry Graham, President, National Confectioners Association
The State of the Confectionery Industry
Todd Hale, Senior Vice President of Consumer and Shopper Insights, Nielsen
Larry Wilson, Vice President of Customers Relations, NCA
Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast
Jeremy Gutsche, Founder and CEO, TrendHunter.com
Tackling the Challenges of the Future Together
Debra A. Sandler, President, Mars Chocolate North America
Revolutionizing the Drugstore Chain
Steve Broughton, Divisional Vice President and General Merchandise Manager of Consumables in Merchandising
Bridging the Gap: Engaging Multiple Generations in Today's Marketplace
Seth Mattison, Change Agent, Bridgeworks LLC
Welcoming Remarks
Larry Graham, President, National Confectioners Association
The Way of Convenience
Peter Tedeschi, President and CEO, Tedeschi Food Shops, Inc., and Vice Chairman, NACS
Creating a More Delicious World in the Future
Bharat Puri, Senior Vice President of Global Chocolate, Mondelēz International, Inc.
The Chocolate Consumer - Opportunities for Growth
John Morris, Chairman of Consumer Markets Sector, KPMG LLP
Customer and Shopper Insights
Lindsay Cowan, Chief Knowledge Officer, Planet Retail
Remember Yesterday. Today.
Print Cates, Vice President of Product Management, J. Sosnick & Son
Digital Retail: Understanding and Embracing the Disruption
Tom Furphy, CEO and Managing Director, Consumer Equity Partners

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Reviewed by 2 customers
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Comments about Congratulations Cookie Assortment:
While the initial reaction was positive - great idea, good thought - nobody liked or ate the cookies. Were just plain not good! ??? So...dis-
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Comments about Congratulations Cookie Assortment:
Although I did not see the product, I sent this to my niece to congratulate her on making it to "State" for a competition. She was very excited upon receiving it and called me as soon as she got it. This is a great gift to send congratulatory sentiments! Thank you WCGB for the many years of service.
Choose the perfect kid gift from our most popular gift baskets.


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Many contractors complain bitterly about their lack of cash
flow. That's no surprise, given that employees, subs, and
vendors all expect to be paid — whether or not the
customer has paid the company.
This problem would not exist if customers paid up front, but
in some states it's illegal to front-load construction
contracts. Even where doing so is allowed, not every customer
will agree to do it. The fact that most construction companies
are underfunded to begin with only makes matters worse. Once
cash-flow problems appear, they tend to multiply and lead to a
vicious cycle.
One contractor client of mine experienced nearly catastrophic
cash-flow problems because a customer who had started out
paying promptly began taking longer and longer to pay each
invoice. When the contractor asked what was going on, the
homeowner told him, "Look, I'm out of cash, but I promise to
pay you as soon as my additional financing comes through. But I
can't get financing until the project is finished, so the
quickest way for you to get paid is to finish the job
The contractor had foolishly allowed himself to get in so deep
on this job that he felt the only way to bail himself out was
to go along with what the customer wanted. But finishing the
job meant covering his payroll and payments to subs and vendors
out of his own cash flow — which turned out to be
In the end, my client managed to keep his company afloat and
to collect partial payment, but he still lost money because he
had to pay significant interest and penalties on his past-due
If only he had taken a few simple steps early on that could
have helped him manage his cash flow, he would have saved
himself a lot of trouble — and money.
It takes a lot of paperwork to run a construction company,
much of it related to ordering and paying for material and
labor. Billing the customer requires substantially less
paperwork — yet many contractors seem to put this task
off. If you are going to succeed in business, you need to put
as much time and effort into asking for money as you do into
paying the bills.
Too many contractors invoice customers once a month, or when
they notice they're short on cash. I tell my clients to get
into the habit of creating invoices weekly. This doesn't mean
that everyone pays once a week — some jobs might be
invoiced every other week. The trick is to stagger the
invoices: Bill half the customers one week and the other half
the next. What's important is that you request cash from at
least one client every week.
The shorter billing cycle not only brings cash in more quickly
— it also functions as an early-warning system. If the
customer can't — or won't — pay, it's better
to find that out when he owes you for only a week or two of
construction than when he owes you for six weeks of work.
It's also more profitable in the long run to invoice
frequently. Why? Because if you collect from clients
frequently, you will be able to take all vendor and supplier
discounts and avoid having to pay penalties for accounts past
Cash flow from progress billings is different from cash flow
from T&M billing or milestone billing. But whatever
method you use, be sure to time your billings to match your
cash requirements.
Start by determining which bills you need to pay when. If you
have more than a few employees, the cash needed to pay them is
probably your first priority. You may want to separate the
invoicing process so that customers pay for labor weekly and
receive invoices for the subs and materials only every other
Milestone billing. The problem with
milestone billing is that it is often structured so that the
contractor gets paid only upon "substantial completion" of a
particular phase of the project. Unfortunately, "substantially
complete" might mean different things to the contractor and to
the client.
For example, if payment is due upon completion of drywall, and
you can't finish one of the ceilings because the recessed light
fixture is on back order, the client may believe he doesn't
have to pay until that ceiling is done. So you'll have to
either wait until the ceiling is complete to get paid, or
convince the client that the drywall is substantially complete
in spite of that one missing ceiling.
To avoid having to haggle about when things are substantially
complete, tie payments to the start rather than the end of a
phase. For example, instead of keying the payment to the
completion of drywall, key it to the beginning of interior
trim. As soon as the doors are delivered and one of them is
installed, no one can reasonably argue that interior trim
hasn't begun.
Progress billing. Progress billing
— also called percentage-of-completion billing and AIA
billing — is preferable to milestone billing because
it more closely ties payments to expenses.
With progress billing, you break the job into smaller phases,
such as demolition, framing, and finishes. When you invoice,
you determine what percentage of each phase has been completed
since the last invoice and bill accordingly. Since phases
overlap, you will likely bill for more than one each
Many small contractors shy away from percentage-completion
billings because they think it's too much work and requires
giving too much pricing information to the client. But progress
billing can significantly improve cash flow and is not that
difficult if you limit yourself to a small number of very
general phases.
Furthermore, with this kind of billing, you can front-load the
prices — that is, take money from phases that occur
late in the job and use it in earlier phases.
With progress billing, it's important to invoice for change
orders as soon as they happen; don't wait until the end of the
job to bill for them.
Use OPM
OPM stands for "other people's money." Many small contractors
end up covering their clients' expenses; then they simply hope
to get paid. This makes it hard to maintain cash flow and puts
the contractor into a position where he's one bad job away from
going out of business.
T&M (or cost-plus) invoices can be timed to your
advantage so that you can use other people's money. First, you
purchase the materials; then you invoice the client; next you
receive the money from the client; and finally you use the
client's money to pay for the job costs. If you time this
sequence right, you will be paid by the client before your
payments to vendors are due (see "Accrual vs. Cash Accounting,"
Business, 10/04).
Credit cards. Sometimes, however,
the timing is too tight or the vendor requires a deposit or
cash up front. In this case, careful use of credit cards can
help, but only if you are sure you will be able to pay the bill
when it's due. The finance charges and late fees from an
overdue credit card payment can be enough to put a struggling
contractor over the edge.
If you do choose to use credit cards, you can control your
billing cycle to improve your cash flow. For example, if your
card's cutoff date is the 20th, make your purchases on the 21st
of the month. That way, you have one month before the bill
arrives, and often two to four more weeks before it's
Many vendors and suppliers offer discounts for early bill
payments. These discounts may seem small, but they can add up
to a significant amount over the course of a year. To improve
your ability to take advantage of such discounts, learn your
vendor billing cycles.
I know contractors who routinely wait until they've received
all the bills for each month before creating invoices for the
client. This means their invoices don't go out until about the
5th of the month — so even if the client pays within a
week, the contractor misses the 10-day window for taking the
vendor discount.
My recommendation? Don't wait for all the bills. Invoice
clients by the 25th of each month. That way, you'll be able to
use the client's money to take advantage of the early-payment
Front-loading a contract or invoicing a client for work that
isn't yet done is called overbilling. This can certainly boost
cash flow — but it may be illegal in some
That said, overbilling is common practice for construction
If you do overbill, it's important to account for it in your
P&L statement. Overbilling can cause you to overstate
your profit, increasing the chance you'll run out of cash
before the end of the job. Contractors who routinely overbill
and do not manage the process often end up using tomorrow's
cash (overbillings) to finish today's jobs.
Underbilling — doing the work without invoicing the
client — is even worse. I was once in a contractor's
office when a client called to complain about the invoice. His
complaint? That an invoice had not been sent!
If you want to maintain good cash flow, you need to avoid
getting behind on your paperwork. That means sending out
invoices as soon as possible.
Leslie Shinerhas worked as a financial and management
consultant for more than 25 years. Her office is in Mill
Valley, Calif.
Consultant for the home improvement industry Dennis Schaefer discusses how builders are...
Cap Rates
Most lumberyards offer a discount for early payment. Don't let that 2% discount go to...
Construction Contracts
Most construction projects have a specific time frame, and if completion is delayed,...
Construction Management
A $1.8 million waterfront house built on the wrong lot must be removed
A thorough, step-by-step analysis that treats the home as an integrated system is the...
Leslie Shiner
How to think like a company; protect yourself from employee theft
Please read our Content Guidelines before posting.
Copyright ©
2014 Hanley Wood Media, Inc. All rights reserved.


text:
Town Square
Bowling Alley and Motel Sold
Original post made by Resident on May 10, 2007
We need more sales tax revenue. A child friendly restaurant could work. A big box store, Kohls, school supply store (Staples), something we really "need" in Palo Alto would be useful. Please Mr. Developer, consider what is best for Palo Alto, not what is best for your ideals, when deciding what to do with your purchase. We would love to have a bowling alley remain, but put the parking at the front not the back!!
on May 10, 2007 at 10:45 am
I read somewhere that site will be the location for a boutique hotel plus some retail.
on May 10, 2007 at 3:40 pm
Hotels and Retail - the solution to all our problems, lots of taxes generated (including a juicy "hotel" tax on out of towners) and no annoying families demanding services and filling schools. Exactly why did the city counsel screw up the chance to have the Hyatt Rickeys become another hotel?
on May 10, 2007 at 9:02 pm
Here's a story about the bowling alley:
Web Link


text:
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2° Below Winter Ale - New Belgium Brewing
Displayed for educational use only; do not reuse.
Ratings: 1,050 | Reviews: 557 | Display Reviews Only:
Reviews by kindestcut:
North Carolina
4/5 rDev +9.9%
The New Belgium 2° Below Winter Ale pours a pretty bright amber. Holding the glass up to the Christmas tree lights gives the beer a particularly festive look. The head is a frothy white. The aroma offers some hoppiness and a spiciness that you would expect in this beer.
At first taste, the spicy notes really come through. Hops give way to a malty sweetness and a peppery aftertaste. I would think that this beer would go extremely well with a Sunday roast.
This is not a winter warmer. Some may be expecting that but it is in fact a very nice winter ale devoid of many of the spices some might expect...no cloves, no nutmeg, and an ABV south of 7%. This is a very drinkable beer that I will revisit next winter.
12-31-2010 23:49:10 | More by kindestcut
More User Reviews:
North Carolina
3.88/5 rDev +6.6%
Poured a deep rich golden with a touch of amber tint a tight one finger head set atop leaving a broken ring of lace behind as it settled pretty slowly.Like the hop spike in the aroma like grapefruit rind sitting over top a hefty caramelly malt base,the flavors dont quite match the nose but its well balanced between a brown sugar-like biscuity malt base and earthy,citrusy hop just neither really stand out enough on their own.Not a bad cold weather beer nicely balanced and a nice aroma.
12-17-2006 20:20:48 | More by oberon
3/5 rDev -17.6%
01-04-2014 02:38:08 | More by mojohawk21
4.53/5 rDev +24.5%
Appearance - This is a real beauty shop. The head is thick, retentive, and clinging to the inside of the glass. The body is a heavy orange with a nice brownish tinge.
Smell - The malts here are very deep and rich. The yeasty base that underlies all good ESBs borders on perfection. This is more of an English-style nose but much more powerful.
Taste - This has a bit more caramel flavor than I predicted from the nose. It is rich and thick like the malt and yeast. There's little sweetness here, but what there is seems mostly like cane sugar. All of these characteristics work extremely well together in making an awesome flavor profile.
Mouthfeel - This is a big medium-bodied with some good bitterness that doesn't overextend itself. The mild carbonation fits perfectly with the flavors and body and the smooth buttery finish is awesome.
Drinkability - This was like velvet liquid. It was stiff enough to earn the ESB moniker yet easy enough to go down freely. It's probably one of the best-drinking ESBs that I've ever had.
02-22-2008 02:51:00 | More by RoyalT
4.05/5 rDev +11.3%
Beer shows up a beautiful clear copper color with billowy puffed head that is completely gone by the time I'm halfway done. Nose I get big hop aroma here. Definately makes me think of homebrewing, smells just like hop pellets I've used when they come out of the fridge. Its odd that this beer has retained that raw aroma. Guess thats what happens when you dry hop with Liberty. I also get a lucious fruity backend in the aroma, but it isn't typical ale fruit, its more like a peach or apricot (some fruit of "the fuzzy family"). Also has a nice kick of hop spice. Kinda funky but very appetizing.
The taste is a sweet but resinous/ piney kind of base with faint spices, and peach or apricot and maybe pineapple all popping in and out in turns. Great depth of malt flavor with signature New Belgium toasted complexity. Hop spice lingers in aftertaste. As the pint warms and I dink more, I find that dry-hopped Liberty aroma really coming through in the taste. I feel like I'm practically drinking those hop pellets. Its beginning to beat down some of the fruit and while I find this flavor interesting as a brewer, it gets a little pushy for me as a drinker. I feel this would be worthy of the title "Double ESB" since it's flavors are so big and work together on a basis of contrast, rather than the subtle synergies of traditional examples of the style.
Mouthfeel is thick but has some carbonation and is approprite. Very good, very different beer, but I would really struggle to get more than one of these down in a night. Its kind of exhausting. This is a beer I like to revisit year-to-year. It is so unique and it is actually an effective winter brew despite staying just on the light side of the style spectrum.
01-28-2006 05:52:40 | More by JudgeRoughneck
North Carolina
3.88/5 rDev +6.6%
Poured into a pint glass from 12 oz. bottle. Pours clear amber in color with very abundant head of dense white foam. Retains foam well and leaves behind plenty of lacing down the glass. Very attractive looking brew.
Plenty of hops on the nose, a bit of grass with citrus, but not overpowering. There is malt here too, something light to moderate.
First pull has nice weight and comes forth with hops the most noticeable, but necessarily bitter. After just a second on the tongue, the malts come forward and there is a nice balance there. The tastes are a bit dry overall, and there is a quick clean finish with a slight bitter linger. Like many of the New Belgian brews, this seems a bit heavier after a few swigs than first thought.
Very nice brew! If you are fan of hops but don't like to 'chew' them through your beer experience, give this a shot. Very enjoyable and recommended.
12-13-2009 19:50:03 | More by SIRIUS2
3.63/5 rDev -0.3%
Pours into my glass a clear amber with a fizzy half inch of head and great clarity. Aromas of toasted grain malts with some fruity caramel aspects as well. Spicy, somewhat citric hops are well placed.
First sip brings a toasty, bready caramelized malt upfront that's carried by some fruity flavors as well. A spicy, citric hop moves in on the way down with some bitterness coming through.
Mouthfeel is smooth and slightly creamy with a sharp prickly carbonation. Goes down pretty easy. Overall a pretty good brew but it doesn't really end up wowing me.
01-28-2008 00:00:06 | More by orbitalr0x
3.5/5 rDev -3.8%
08-13-2012 18:04:45 | More by danthehopslamman
2.38/5 rDev -34.6%
12 oz bottle, best before 2/9/07. Pours a clear amber with a large fluffy white head that retains well and laces the glass.
The aroma is toasted toffee malts and minty hops.
The flavor is more of the same - toasted toffee followed by a crisp minty hoppiness. I can't describe the aftertaste, there's something subtle that leaves me not wanting more - the more I drink, the less I like it. More bittering hops and less toffee would be a welcome addition. The mouthfeel is medium with sharp carbonation.
Overall, this was OK - not something I would search out. It tasted like a minty Fat Tire.
11-29-2006 05:25:15 | More by Beaver13
3.25/5 rDev -10.7%
10-15-2012 20:47:35 | More by Twifiter
3/5 rDev -17.6%
05-05-2013 10:17:38 | More by Beerswag
New Hampshire
3/5 rDev -17.6%
I'm not a fan of belgium style beers so with some trepidation I purchased this hoping it would be a decent winter type ale.
Nice head and lace on the glass. Medium amber but hazy. Strong hop smell, kind of piney I thought. The flavor seemed a bit strong on the hops and for my taste could have had a more pronounced malt flavour. Lots of carbonation, average body. It was ok but personally I wouldn't buy it again.
I like my winter ales more malty and darker.
01-26-2007 22:59:20 | More by Doppelmax
3.5/5 rDev -3.8%
12 oz bottle pours a clear amber body with a tiny offwhite head that quickly drops into some patchy lacing. Aroma is toasty caramel and earthy hops. Light medium body is well carbonated. Tase has lots of earthy hops bitterness with a toasted caramel malt presence underneath. A hint of pear fails to fully emerge. Nicely drinkable but pedestrian.
01-14-2008 15:29:43 | More by merlin48
4.08/5 rDev +12.1%
I'd read a few reviews of this beer before tasting it and expected to be underwhelmed.
Not at all. This is a really good winter ale. It has a slightly hoppy nose, but does not hit the tongue with hop until late in its sojourn across the palate. It is a very malty, sweetish beer that gets estery as it goes, and then the very subtle hop enters the picture.
The hop doesn't die off, it just sings a harmonic note in the background, an offset to the sweetness. This is very cleverly done.
Someone suggested that this is just a heavier Fat Tire. Not to me. It is its own fine self, and a good warmer to keep around all winter.
11-11-2007 06:26:33 | More by mrquartetman
3.65/5 rDev +0.3%
A huge "thankyou" to jpm30 for this one...
Honey orange in color with a full finger of bright, white head...sticky, web-lacing is created as it disappears.
Nice aroma...spicy hops, sweet caramel malt, and some honey.
Taste is quite unique...heavily malted with a peat flavor. Grapefruit, pine, orange, corriander, and even what tastes like carroway seed.
Although the start hits the pallet sweet, this is one bitter brew and sucks away any moisture your tongue may be holding onto....finishes with no off flavors and quite dry. Alcohol is nowhere to be found in this glass.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied and the carbonation is where I like it to be....not a session beer for me, but a nice offering for the season.
12-13-2006 01:30:59 | More by warriorsoul
4/5 rDev +9.9%
Orange-amber with a white head. The aroma is fairly hoppy. I get some pine and grassy hops as well as some toffee malt. The flavor is much maltier than the aroma. I get a bunch of toffee and some nuttyness, as well as some grassy hops. Very low bitterness. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. A nice, malt Extra Special Bitter that is very easy to drink. Nice to see a winter ale that isn't full of spices.
12-30-2010 23:38:48 | More by Mora2000
3.38/5 rDev -7.1%
Opened 12 oz bottle of 2º Below, poured into Nonic glass.
Pours a light foamy head. The color is a nice clearly translucent dark amber brew,
Smells of malts and very light herbaceous smell. Taste is sweet, but hoppy. Nice smooth finish, but nothing worth waking the kids or calling the neighbors over. Is a very easy drinker. Not a bad brew, but nothing major.
03-19-2008 13:06:22 | More by mattster
3.63/5 rDev -0.3%
Serving glass: Poured from bottle into a tall glass.
Appearance: Clear light copper with a large off-white head and some nice lacing.
Smell: Biscuit, caramel, heather-like herbs, citrus and metal.
Taste: Sweet caramel, biscuit and slight citrus upfront before turning more bitter with a strong herbal and metallic finish, which leaves a slightly unpleasant aftertaste.
Feel: Moderate carbonation, medium body, slightly creamy but a strange finish.
Drinkability: Interesting hybrid type beer. I am going to steal the "German ESB" term from BuckeyeNation (although I like it better than him), as it seems to have Marzen qualities to it. It also really seems as if they add Heather to it. Good, not great, beer overall. If it wasn't for the aftertaste, it would have been better.
01-20-2010 22:52:40 | More by bsp77
3.35/5 rDev -8%
Pours light orange, just as the bottle says. Grass, pepper, and hops in the nose. Smooth flavor, though the flavors seem to compete. Good malt character you expect from an ESB, but a lot of hops that you expect from a west coast IPA. Its like the beer doesn't know what it shoud be. When cool, its a malty IPA. As it warms, the ESB qualities emerge. Doesn't really matter, its still a pretty good beer.
12-10-2008 22:22:02 | More by magictrokini
3/5 rDev -17.6%
01-28-2014 16:07:48 | More by possumteeth
3.5/5 rDev -3.8%
11-15-2011 03:10:02 | More by bpfrush
3.05/5 rDev -16.2%
This beer poured to a transparent tennessee burnt orange with a fuzzy off white head about 2 fingers deep. A very visually pleasing beer with a lasting head that sticks around and pretty bubbles of corbonation that keep on rising. Unfortunately appearance is really this beer's strongest point. nose is plain and uninteresting with some mildly fruity notes. taste is almost exactly like a mack and jacks african amber for those who have tried it. puckers the mouth, a light mouthfeel and inoffensive taste brings up the drinkability score, overall not a beer I would drink again.
11-26-2005 07:41:35 | More by masikon
North Carolina
3/5 rDev -17.6%
01-06-2014 00:02:54 | More by Mantooth
3.5/5 rDev -3.8%
02-17-2013 14:56:55 | More by Dinkel
3/5 rDev -17.6%
A friend brought me some New Belgium Brewery's 2 Below, which was really quite tasty. It was my first beer of the night, and I dug it a lot. Since this is an ESB, I expected it to be a little more aggressive than your average beer in terms of hops and alcohol content, but nothing overpowering. It is really not bitter at all, but balanced between hops and malts. I drank it right out of the bottle, like a classy broad, so I didn't really look at color or head, but it is a basic copper colored ale, and it was quite quite tasty.
10-05-2008 03:17:04 | More by smc143
2° Below Winter Ale from New Belgium Brewing
82 out of 100 based on 1,050 ratings.


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Just in time for the holidays comes the new Off Broadway hit Killer Joe, a production definitely not meant to compete with the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Tracy Lett's ultra-black comedy focuses on the Smith family, trailer dwellers on the outskirts of Dallas. Chris owes money to a drug dealer, so he enlists his father, Ansel, and stepmother, Sharla, in a plot to murder Adele, his mother, for the insurance money. They hire Killer Joe Cooper, a local cop who has a nice sideline in contract murders. Since the Smiths are a little short of cash, Joe takes as his down payment Dottie, Ansel's strange, reclusive daughter. Unfortunately, the family that slays together doesn't necessarily stay together, as the plan unravels, culminating in a brutal fight and a surprise finale.
This sordid plot unfolds on the stunningly real trailer setting--featuring a living room, kitchen, and dining area, designed by George Xenos, who notes that his design "all started backwards. We started with the fight at the end of the play, because everything builds to that moment. For that reason, we built as much of the set as we could as early as we could, so they could rehearse on it. We got the refrigerator and the stove relatively quickly, so we put those in place. We mocked up a fake counter, and put in all the walls and doors. As we got the correct furniture, it came into the process. It was a month-long load-in." It was also a work in progress, as the direction of the play developed. "As we were out shopping for furniture, they were changing the blocking," says Xenos. "As soon as they changed the blocking, whatever couch we had found would be no good. This is the fourth couch."
Xenos says he researched the exteriors of trailers to determine the correct shape and placement of the windows. Interestingly, he didn't use the full stage space at the Off Broadway Soho Playhouse, because, he says, a tense, claustrophobic atmosphere is essential to the play. "When you have five people onstage," he says, "you want to scream, you just want to lift up the ceiling. We certainly had enough room to make it bigger, but we made it as small as it could possibly be to accommodate the play." A low ceiling adds to the boxed-in feeling.
The set's depressing wood paneling came from Home Depot, Xenos says; other furnishings came from hardware stores. "We shopped the whole thing in the area. We found a peach tile for the kitchen, then painted it a canary yellow. It was the only thing with that pattern we could find on short notice. We ordered the cheesiest kitchen cabinets we could find. It was a line that they don't have in the store anymore. We bought white window blinds and painted them a dirty brown." There are also doubles of the furniture pieces, because of the extreme abuse they take during the final fight scene.
Xenos, laughing, describes the project as a never-ending search for the tacky, the depressing, the downmarket. "An assistant would call, saying, 'I've just found this item, what do you think?' So I'd say, 'How awful is it?' He'd say, 'Pretty awful.' I'd say, 'Take a picture.'" The result is a setting that one critic called "a masterpiece of trailer-trash horror."
Xenos opened another play the same week, a project that presented dramatically different challenges. Caryl Churchill's The After-Dinner Joke, presented by the Monster(less) Actors at Off Off Broadway's Currican Theatre, is a scathing satire about Selby, an idealistic young woman who forsakes a business career to work for an institutional charity, only to discover that the business of giving away money is hopelessly tied with politics and capitalism. Killer Joe was a one-set play, with a specific ground plan dictated by the script, which had been done several times before by its director, Wilson Milam, and several cast members. The After-Dinner Joke is a radio play which has never been staged before, a freeform fantasy that features dozens of characters and dozens of locations.
Reflecting Churchill's ideas about the intersection of business and charity, and the bureaucratic nature of most institutions, Xenos created another nightmarishly claustrophobic setting. This time it was an office jammed to the rafters with paperwork, boxes, file cabinets, etc. It looked like the back office of some forgotten Beckett character, a hellish Dickensian view of society strangling on its own red tape. To keep the action moving at a rapid pace, file cabinets swung wide open to disgorge a parade of supporting characters.
Again, the design came out of an unusual process. "I came up with a concept, which was the idea of never-ending paperwork," says Xenos. "An initial idea was that the entire play possibly all happens in Selby's head. When you think of all the information you have stored in your head...I wanted to conceive of the space as cluttered with information, allowing a lot of flexibility about where somebody could pop out. But the actual ground plan, where the doors were, didn't come out until halfway through rehearsal."
This, of course, resulted in a tricky build process. "The hero of this production is Roy Ballard," says Xenos. "He's the technical director at New York Theatre Workshop, where I used to be production manager. He did all the construction and it's an amazing job." In fact, set construction was something of a group effort. "All the boxes look like they're stacked irregularly," says the designer.
Much of the office furniture came from Materials for the Arts, which supplies not-for-profit theatre companies. "A lot of the file storage boxes were purchased--they've all been washed down with buckets of tinted latex, to distress them."
Xenos adds that this happened during a busy time, as he was also working as costume designer for Madison Scare Garden, the annual midtown Halloween horrorfest. A trio of unsavory projects, to be sure, but there was some sweetness and light in his future. His next project was Christmas from the Heart, a musical entertainment starring Kenny Rogers at the Upper West Side's Beacon Theatre--a production which really will, perhaps, compete with the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.
Additional personnel on Killer Joe included lighting designer Greg MacPherson, costume designer Jana Stauffer, sound designer Hired Gun/One Dream, and production propertyperson Maura Jasper. Having received sensational reviews, it continues at the Soho Playhouse. Personnel on The After-Dinner Joke included lighting designer Chris Dallos, costume designer Chris Field, and sound designer Antonio Garfia. Other credits include scenic drafting by Sally Jules, carpentry by Michael Schaumloeffel and Herb Oulette, set dressing by Maura Jasper and Jeremy Hollingsworth, box effect construction by Jeremy Hollingsworth, scenic painting by Katia Santibanez and Minako Iwamura, and art direction by Billy Zimmer. Elizabeth Horsburgh was prop master. The production, directed by Marcus Geduld and Victoria Pero, closed after a limited run.


text:
---- — Celebration sponsors
TO THE EDITOR: Rouses Point Montgomery Hose, Hook and Ladder Co. 1 would like to thank everyone who sponsored our very successful 2013 Fourth of July Celebration.
Please support local businesses; without them our celebration wouldn't be possible. They are very important to all of us.
Event sponsors: Village of Rouses Point, Pfizer, Price Chopper, American Legion Montgomery Post 912, Chazy Hardware, North Country Golf Club, Barcomb's Marina, Mott Marine, Casella Waste Services, Bechard's Farm Equipment, Richard L. Foreman, DMD, Sons of the American Legion Post 912, LaBarge Agency, R. Deso and Son, Riley Ford, USA Bound, Trahan Construction, Grace Realty, Melissa McManus, Sandy's Deli, James C. Smith and Son, CDC Real Estate, Gerri Trombley Construction, John & Mary Zurlo, Maskell's Hair Hut, Border Press, West's Liquors & Wine, Lakeside Coffee, Rouses Point-Champlain Historical Society, Rouses Point Knights of Columbus, American Legion Auxiliary 912, Graymount Materials, Giroux's Poultry, Gottogo Electric, William Steinfeld DMD, EJ Prescott, Utility Software Acquisitions, Burnham Financial, 3-J Fuels, Zebra-Tech, T & R Electric, Ufirst Credit, Champlain Telephone, Champlain Truck Center, Primelink, Michael J. Phillips, Parkers Chevorlet, Community Wealth Management, MAR Development, Rouses Point Fireman's Auxilary
Kids Day sponsors: Stewart's, Trophies & Awards, Wal-mart, Target, Sam's Club, Wild Center, Ausable Chasm, Echo, Lake Champlain Shoreline Cruises, Granby Zoo, Santa's Workshop.
Car, Truck & Motorcycle Show sponsors: Angelo's Restaurant, Best Friends, Borderview Subway, Dr. Joe Clauss, Duck's Auto Parts, Friendly's, Gino's, Guma's, Jreck Subs Champlain, Mike Phillips, Nephew's Discount Wine and Liquor, Riley Ford, Sandy's Deli, West Liquor & Wine.
5K Summer Sizzle sponsors: Cornerstone Drug & Gift, The Squirrel's Nest, Pepsi Bottling Co., Pfizer.
We are also looking for a new Fourth of July Committee chairperson and volunteers; contact Carol at 297-5502.
BECKY REID And Fourth of July Committee members
Rouses Point


text:
The Summit Social Connection team is hosting tweetup tomorrow, and the fabulous folks at Skullcandy are giving away a pair of Skullcandy Aviator Headphones to one lucky Adobe Summit go-er.
Want them? (Who doesn't?) Follow these steps to get your hands on a pair:
1. Grab some friends, get creative and take a professional photo with the Adobe Ampersand in the #AdobeSummit Community Pavilion between 7:30am – 9am and 10:30am – 3:00pm on Thursday, 3/22.
Or, if you think you have enough star power, you can take a photo by yourself.
If you've already taken a photo during your time at Summit, that works too!
2. After receiving your photo from the Ampersand photographer, email it to us at email@example.com for it to appear in our Flickr photostream.
3. Then visit our Flickr set, find your photo and share it with your friends! Encourage them to leave a comment on your Flickr photo.
4. The person whose photo gets the most Flickr comments scores those awesome Skullcandy headphones. If you have the most loved image, you have to be at the Adobe Digital Marketing Summit 2012 to claim your headphones. Come to the Social Connection area in the Community Pavilion Thursday at 2pm to see all the different Adobe & You photos, and claim it!
See you there, tweeps!


text:
…while New Delhi is the cheapest
If the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, plans to fly down to Paris to congratulate the French President-elect, Mr Francois Hollande, he had better pack a Club sandwich from home to tackle that empty feeling when in the world's most romantic city.
Paris has turned out to be the world's most expensive city for a Club Sandwich, according to a survey by hotel booking site, Hotels.com. Surprisingly, New Delhi has emerged the cheapest in this survey of major tourist destinations and business capitals.
The site has been tracking the price of this classic chicken, bacon, egg, lettuce and mayo sandwich, as a handy indicator of how expensive or inexpensive a city is for travellers.
The Club Sandwich was picked since it is staple in room service and restaurant menus in hotels the world over and is available everywhere, and the product is highly comparable across different cities.
So the price of an average Club Sandwich is a good indicator of affordability, says Hotels.Com, one of the top online hotel booking sites in the world.
"The Club Sandwich Index (CSI) will give holiday-makers an indication of the costs associated with their holiday destination, using one of the most common items on any hotel menu around the world as a barometer," a company statement said.
The CSI average price has been calculated by taking the real prices paid by guests for a Club Sandwich in 30 hotels in the Capital or major city of each country measured.
In all, the Hotels.com survey took Club Sandwich prices from more than 750 hotels across 26 popular tourist countries, spread across five, four and three star categories.
In the French Capital, the CSI showed prices ranged from an atrocious $54.10 (Rs 2,875) for a 'Club' in a five-star hotel to a relatively cheaper $22.20 (Rs 1,180) in a two-star establishment, with the city-wide cost of a Club averaging $33.10 (Rs 1,759). Travellers with Swiss bank accounts would have found the price of a Club Sandwich in Geneva $32.56 (Rs 1,730) a fleabite. Surprisingly, New York (the Club Sandwich was invented in the US) is fairly steep at $16.93 (Rs 900), while generally expensive London, with an average price of $18.71 (Rs 994), was pretty close to New York, cheaper than other European cities, and Asian metros such as Tokyo and Seoul.
India was the cheapest, with New Delhi averaging a relatively modest $9.57 (Rs 508).
Ms Alison Couper of Hotels.com said, "Many holidaymakers don't always factor the everyday costs of items including food and drink into their decision making process. The Club Sandwich Index is the perfect way for holidaymakers to assess a destination's real cost."


text:
Expired Property Listing
This property is disabled.
Gulf Front Condo in Low-Density Complex w/ Pool and Grill in Orange Beach
- bedrooms 3
- baths 3
- sleeps 8
- pool yes
- hot tub no
- pets allowed no
- type Condo
- community
rates (USD)
/ night
$ 1,050 - $ 2,450 / week
$ 1,750 - $ 1,750 / month
vacation rental description
Marlin Key, a gulf front resort in Orange Beach Alabama, is a low density complex with only 27 units. Marlin Key condos have an outdoor pool, boardwalk and grilling area. This Beach-front condo has 3 bedroom 3 baths with 1800 square feet and sits directly on the beach with beautiful furnishings and decor. The master bedroom has breathtaking views of the beach and includes a large master bath with a soaking tub, separate shower and double vanity area. There is also a wet bar in the dining room area.
The Marlin Key Condo is a corner end unit with east views and shaded afternoon sun. You can't get any better than this on the ocean!
The bedding is K,Q,Q, and Queen Sleeper Sofa
condo rental amenities
Beach front, outdoor pool, grilling area, fully equiped kitchen, laundry room, balcony


text:
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Get 12 issues / year of BeerAdvocate magazine for only $9.99!
Insanely Bad Elf - Ridgeway Brewing
Displayed for educational use only; do not reuse.
Ratings: 257 | Reviews: 167 | Display Reviews Only:
Reviews by DawnL:
New York
2.4/5 rDev -29%
Nice brown color with minimal head that dissipated at first to sticky lace and then nothing. It was a 2007 vintage, so I figured the carbonation would be a little less on top of the high abv.
The aroma was heavily alcohol driven with a sweet backdrop that was hard to discern.
The taste was of caramel or butterscotch mixed with cherry cola. It was very sweet with equally sweet cherry character.
The mouthfeel was pretty average. Not too much carbonation, but definitely not flat.
The drinkability was poor. It was tough getting through the 6oz pour. Good thing I shared the bottle - there was no way I could have finished 12oz.
I would not purchase this beer again.
11-23-2009 23:53:49 | More by DawnL
More User Reviews:
North Carolina
4.03/5 rDev +19.2%
Another in the line of "Elf" brews from Ridgeway.Poured into a snifter a orange infused copper with a well formed one finger head that is gone quickly leaving no lace as it settled quickly,big English malt aromas very cakey with alcohol infused dark fruit,undertones of buttery caramel and a whiff of leafy hop lingers.A great cold evening sipping brew it warms the inside with somewhat sweet malt profile,it starts out with that dark fruit element like raisins and prunes in a holiday cake a hint of vanilla-like rum as well all overtop of a caramel base light bittering keeps it from becoming overly cloying.A great seasonal sipper it will likely help put me to bed pretty early tonight.
11-26-2007 01:00:02 | More by oberon
4.35/5 rDev +28.7%
Appearance - This is a bright but thick orangish-brown in color with a very modest head, not surprisingly.
Smell - The rotten prunes, overripe dates, and mashed raisins are huge at the nose. I can get some light orange and cherry along with a touch of the caramel malt base, but mostly it's those dates, prunes, and maybe figs.
Taste - The dark, fruity flavors explode in the mouth. Just a few drops on the tongue are enough to make you say "wow". This has a very heavy, rotten fruit taste and is totally awesome.
Mouthfeel - This medium-bodied ESA is dead in the mouth but so flavorful that you just can't stop salivating.
Drinkability - This sipping ale is so big and flavorful that it might even be too much for the novice. The biggest ESA I've had to date.
02-26-2008 02:51:26 | More by RoyalT
South Carolina
2.33/5 rDev -31.1%
12 oz bottle 2009 vintage
Label says Imperial Red. Color is a little lighter than I expected. Nice orange color, but no red highlights even.
Smell is boozy. I definitely get the imperial part. Not very interesting or complex in the nose. Really just some malt sweetness and alchohol.
Taste is not good! Insanely bad in fact. Something in the finish is foul: kinda sour or astringent.
I am afraid I am going to have to drain pour this one. At over $4 for a 11.2 oz beer this is a major disappointment.
The elf beers may be fun stocking stuffers or holiday novelties, but if you're buying it for the beer inside, they are a waste.
01-04-2010 19:51:50 | More by Wespatrick
2.05/5 rDev -39.3%
The beer pours a yellow-gold color with a white head. The aroma is full of grain and something that resembles dirty socks. Not a nice combination. The flavor is not any better. There is some grain and malt sweetness, as well as some grass from the hops. Unfortunately, the dirty sock quality is still present. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.
05-13-2012 02:58:13 | More by Mora2000
West Virginia
3.21/5 rDev -5%
Wow 11.2 Insanely Bad Elf, I've had too many variations of Bad Elf. Pours an amber color, crystal clear off white head, dwindles rather quickly understandable with the abv. Aroma has fruits all day, sharp cherry, dark fruits even some pear, alcohol evident but not rocket fuel. Super sweet on the palate, cloying sweetness caramel sugars with dark fruits and a bit of hot alcohol in the backend...it definitely warms the chest with each sip. Sorry folks not my cup of tea you may need to age this for a bit, too hot and unrefined for this 2013 vintage. Syrup texture pretty much kills the drinkability, cloying soft carbonation full bodied bitter earthy finish stays on with an alcohol burn. Overall if your buying this novelty brew, put some age on it before cracking it, I've seen some good reviews on bottles a year and older.
12-10-2013 02:36:20 | More by WVbeergeek
2.48/5 rDev -26.6%
A - Deep amber in color. Crystal clear with ½ inch white head. No lacing
S - Smells citrusy, somewhat floral and a little sour. The smell kind of makes me excited
T - Not much of the nose makes its way into my mouth, which is a shame as I was kind of excited. Taste is very syrupy sweet and the alcohol is extremely present. There is also a slight spiciness in the finish.
M - Syrupy thick.
D - Not terribly fond of this. It is extremely out of balance. Way to sweet, almost no hops, and an alcoholic burning that might have been ok except for my first two complaints.
EDIT: I let my wife have a sip, her reaction was that of a cat that just ate the most terrible thing ever followed by "Who killed a bison an threw it in a beer". Priceless.
01-13-2009 02:10:04 | More by FrognutUnl
3.25/5 rDev -3.8%
12-17-2012 22:04:31 | More by stereosforgeeks
4.1/5 rDev +21.3%
(Served in a snifter)
Vintage 2007
A- This beer has a mahogany red body that is clear but dense. There is a thick light tan head light whipped cream with larger bubbles pushing through. There is a sea of tine bubbles that glide up through the sides of the glass.
S- The soft dark malt aroma has a faint horehound note to it with a soft fusel alcohol hint in the finish.
T- This beer has a rich malt flavor that is mostly dry but as it warms the roasted notes come through. There is a dry toffee malt flavor with a faint sweetness as it finishes. The finish has a soft green note with a cinnamon quality and a softer malt bitterness to it. There softer alcohol fusel note comes through as well.
M- This beer has a medium mouthfeel as long as the head lingers and not much alcohol heat until it warms a bit. Even though it smells and taste a bit fusel it is warming in the mouthfeel.
D- This beer is well blended in flavor and smooth, making it a good sipper with just a right bit of alcohol to take the chill of the winter. I couldn't tell it was 11% until I looked at the bottle. Nothing extreme in this bottle just a tasty solid English Strong ale.
02-23-2009 17:01:45 | More by rhoadsrage
3.5/5 rDev +3.6%
03-11-2013 23:46:52 | More by richkrull
2.23/5 rDev -34%
Insanely bad elf (vintage 2010) pours very clear with a nonexistent head. The beer is apricot in color and has some fizzy bubbles working their way up from the bottom.
The nose is like a cheap white wine. Crisp, fruity with barely a hint of grain or hop. In fact there is nothing here that really inspires me to take a sip. Hopefully the taste will brighten thing up.
Disappointing. The same crisp and fruity flavors in the nose compound themselves in the taste. A mix of apple cider and white grape juice bludgeon any flavor presence from the booze soaked grains. It's overly sweet and has a finish like a dessert wine. Yuck.
The mouthfeel is very slick and doesn't add any plesure to the drinking experience. This beer is a boozy wine flavored mess and the only insane thing about it is someone calling it a good beer. This one is a pass and almost drain pour.
11-26-2010 16:56:45 | More by jbphoto88
3.7/5 rDev +9.5%
Pours a nice golden amber with a half finger of white that melts quickly leaving little to nothing in it's wake.
Aromas are dark candied fruit...plums...prunes....as well as a light alcohol aroma.
Flavor is sugary amber malt with dark fruits as in the aroma, finishing to an alcohol flavor and warmth.
Aftertaste is slightly sweet sugary malts as in the original taste but with nothing else to muddle the flavors.
Nice mouthfeel...this one works as an Imperial Red as advertised....too sweet and sugary to pass as an American Strong Ale....way too much syrup to pass as an English Strong Ale.
12-12-2007 03:57:25 | More by IntriqKen
3.35/5 rDev -0.9%
I guess i have to go insane to enjoy the bad elf series. I beleive this one to be the best by far of the series. Pours ruby red and tranparent with a decent head. The nose does have the ridgeway funk, but its not as prominent. You can actually taste things in this one. It is quite a bit nuttier than the other elves. Strong nut flavors, and i can actually taste some hops on the finish in this one! sugary residue on the lips isnt as rotten as the other elves. A decent brew. worth a try, but i wouldnt keep one in my cellar.
12-20-2007 07:43:05 | More by AKBelgianBeast
Ontario (Canada)
3.75/5 rDev +10.9%
10-21-2013 04:07:24 | More by Sammy
4.38/5 rDev +29.6%
After having had the other bad elf beers, I had to try this one. As it turns out, it's my favorite one; and it's reminded me of how much I enjoy English ales (I've been drinking mainly hoppy American ales lately).
I opened it on a chilly night (20F) after returning home from work. It poured a clear copper body with a reddish cast and orange highlights beneath a short head of creamy white froth. The head retention was good, and it left a thick ring of creamy lace at the outset of the pint.
In the nose it's got a delightful fruitiness that includes juicy red apples and hints of soft berries. There's a rich, lightly caramelish maltiness to it, and a delicate bit of spiciness as well.
In the mouth it's full bodied and creamy smooth with lots of dextrins and just a delicate caress from the very-fine bubbled moderate carbonation.
The flavor is just as the nose suggests, with a sugary fruitiness atop a soft, sweet maltiness. The yeasty fruitiness helps give an edge to the malt, cutting through it in a way, and it's got a tickle of spiciness that helps as well. Behind that there's a flutter of leafy and softly grassy hops, and a moderate bitterness that's not really perceived until the swallow when the huge maltiness has gone. Surprisingly, it never becomes cloying. There's so much malt there, but then it fades and the earthy and leafy hop flavor remains. Of course it is also a sipper, so you're leaving the palate some time to clear before you go back for more. And that leads me to...
Drinkability. I really enjoyed the Insanely Bad Elf, and I'm going to go pick up another few bottles for the holidays (it is kind of pricey). I'm not sure I'd have two in a row, but I might. I certainly enjoyed it enough that I'd consider doing so. That said, for me, the drinkability was high. It's the kind of beer that I love to nip at while reading before bed. Quite enjoyable!
12-09-2008 01:58:51 | More by NeroFiddled
4.25/5 rDev +25.7%
Poured from the 12oz bottle into a Maudite snifter. Body is a reddish orange color topped by a thin ring of off-white head, with light yet persistent carbonation. Aroma of sweet, biscuity malt, fruity hops, and faint notes of tropical fruit and bubble gum. Palate is rich and sweet up front, with notes of fruity hops and bready malt. The fruitiness lingers all the way through the finish, which is also full of nice warming - but not burning - alcohol.
Body is smooth and full, not too dense and not too foamy. This is a complex yet approachable beer, and certainly a pleasure to drink. Possibly my favorite of the holiday "Elf" series.
12-13-2007 07:43:02 | More by ElGordo
2.5/5 rDev -26%
02-16-2012 22:56:18 | More by Atyoungberg
2.75/5 rDev -18.6%
05-07-2013 23:05:18 | More by blknikon
2.75/5 rDev -18.6%
12-07-2013 22:06:15 | More by aztraz
New York
3.48/5 rDev +3%
Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Pours a reddish copper color with very little head- barely any retention and no lacing. That however does not prevent it from having decent carbonation. This brew smells very strongly of light malts; there's something else there that's a little more pungent but it's hard to decipher. The taste and mouthfeel are too intricately related to me to describe separately- the first thing I notice is a wave of carbonation washing over my tongue which then dissolves into a very sweet malty alcohol taste. Certainly not something I would purchase again but it's interesting.
01-06-2012 03:24:51 | More by Hopdaemon39
4.28/5 rDev +26.6%
Pours an effervescent copper with 1 pinky of off-white head. Head vanishes quickly, viscous & just a trace of lacing
S: Some fruitty & bready notes
T: Honey, dryness, oranges & passion fruit up front. A bit of black cherry, plums & a little peach as this warms along with some leafy hops & a whisper of booze. Finishes dry with treacle, pineapple & more honey (orange blossom) & bit of scotch whiskey (peatyness & sweetness)
MF: Syrupy & chewy, reminds me of mead
Drinks pretty easy for the abv. I could see sucking back a few by the fire or with my dessert or cheese course. Solid English strong ale
01-01-2008 04:34:54 | More by russpowell
4/5 rDev +18.3%
Poured a clear ruby red with a thick and creamy off white head, lightly sticky on the glass.
Big sweet candi sugar and dark fruit smell with hints of alcohol and cedar.
Big sweet flavor with hints of molasses, candi sugar, alcohol, and oak. Very much like a super strenght dopelbock.
Mouthfeel is slightly oily and thick with a suprisingly dry finish and some warming.
Very easy to drink for such a big beer. Might have to stash a couple of these in the cellar.
01-11-2008 02:39:36 | More by bashiba
3.85/5 rDev +13.9%
A: poured a copper red into my duvel tulip with a finger of white head. The head doesn't leave a whole lot of head but after it slims down a little it hangs around.
S: a lot of malt sweetness right up front. The alcohol hits hard at the end.
T: once again the sweet malt is there first. There is some hoppy bitterness but its mostly overpowered by the malt and alcohol.
MF: defiantly warm and full bodied.
D: can't wait to have this next year.
02-12-2011 22:15:45 | More by nickthetick
1/5 rDev -70.4%
03-15-2012 05:16:38 | More by DCgolfpro
New York
3.48/5 rDev +3%
This is the last of the naughty elf brews on me list. Pours a clear golden amber color with a smallish tan head that dissipated into a ring around the glass. The smell is very faint, almost non-existant, perhaps a very light caramel malt scent. The taste starts off with a big sweet caramel/honey blast, it is followed by some nutty and wine like flavors. The feel is moderate with light carbonation, finishes slick, almost like a dessert liquor. You can sense the alcohol but the 11.2% doesn't burn the buds. The finish feels like you have just had about 5 lollipops, so needless to say the sweetness can be cloying. An average brew and worth a go to get the bottle into my collection. I must say the Very Bad Elf has been my favorite.
12-14-2007 02:52:45 | More by Gmann
Insanely Bad Elf from Ridgeway Brewing
77 out of 100 based on 257 ratings.


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Welcome Southern Newspapers!
THANK YOU for taking the time to learn more about Southern Newspapers, Inc. Your interest in our company is very gratifying.
This web site presents a quick look at SNI. It tells a bit about the people who run Southern and something about each of its newspaper properties.
Before you read the details, however, it may be useful to give you an overview of the company's basic approach and philosophy.
Our Mission is to Community Journalism.
Our papers serve small towns and cities in the southeast and southwest. Serving those communities goes beyond just reporting the news. It means becoming a leader in each community, providing a newspaper that becomes an important part of the fabric of life in each. As company founder Carmage Walls said, we believe in putting more back into the communities we serve than the company takes out.
We believe each community is unique, so we give local managers great autonomy in setting their own policies and running their own operations.
For men and women who seek a rewarding career in a company that believes in real community service, Southern is the ideal corporate home.
Our Company Believes in its future.
Sometimes, our newspapers are the only local news medium serving their community. Where that is not true, we strive at least to be the best. In spite of what some feel about newspapers having a limited future, we believe there always will be demand for the information and service we provide -- if we do our jobs well.
For those who remain optimistic about our industry's future, Southern is the ideal corporate home.
Our company believes in its people.
We seek the best people available for every job in our company. We still are small enough and close enough to each operation so that management of the company knows most of the people who work for us personally.
We honor the people who work with us by challenging them, by expecting a great deal of them and by rewarding their efforts well. For those who seek a challenge and who seek rewards equal to the challenge, Southern is the ideal corporate home.
There is more in this web site about the company's history and about the communities it serves. We hope you'll take the time to get to know us better. If you want to know more, we will be glad to talk to you.
Thanks again for your interest in Southern Newspapers, Inc.
Lissa Walls Vahldiek
Chief Operating Officer


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MT. VERNON — Big Lots has signed a lease at the Times Square Mall for 32,022 square foot of space to move its store.
According to information from Times Square Mall owner The Sansone Group and Pine Tree Commercial Realty, LLC., Big Lots is expected to open at the mall during the first quarter of 2014.
The mall is a 269,328 square foot center owned by Pine Tree and Sansone Group in partnership with Wanxiang America Real Estate Group.
"We are excited to continue the leasing momentum at Times Square Mall," said Mike Pettit, executive director of retail services for Sansone Group. "And we expect to continue to announce additional new leases in the coming weeks."
Last month, the mall owners announced a Hobby Lobby store would be leasing a portion of the former Sears location at the mall. Hobby Lobby has also announced its intent to open at the mall in the first quarter of 2014.
The Big Lots store is currently located at 701 Prairie Avenue. Additional information about the move was unavailable from local store officials, and regional officials were unavailable when contacted.


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Call Now! 1-800-498-1750
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By Traci L. Moyer The Herald Bulletin
The Herald Bulletin
---- — ANDERSON — A long line of people lined up outside Ollie's Bargain Outlet in anticipation of its grand opening and the bargains they found quickly filled every available shopping cart in the store.
Robert Hodge, of Anderson, said there was a nice variety of items that were very reasonably priced.
"You could probably go to Wal-Mart and find some of the same stuff there, but you won't pay the same price," he said.
Ollie's specializes in closeout merchandise and features the slogan, "good stuff cheap." The Anderson store is located at 1634 S. Scatterfield Road. The store's grand opening on Wednesday in River Ridge Plaza was the seventh store that Tom Habbyshaw, Ollie's district team leader, has opened this year.
Habbyshaw said Anderson's location has been unique when compared to his other stores because of the excitement people have shown for the store to open.
"We have had people walking up to the doors and wanting in the building before we opened," he said. "Besides Big Lots, there is nothing else like us here."
Sandi Aul, of Muncie, said she was excited to learn an Ollie's was opening. Aul lived in Mansfield, Ohio, and said she was a regular Ollie's customer. She said her annual Christmas shopping spree always includes an Ollie's.
"This is going to give Big Lots a run for the money," she said.
Frank Dailey, of Anderson, stood near a display of discounted power tools and quickly found himself trapped by the large number of shoppers in the store. He said he was not shopping for anything in particular during the grand opening.
"I will buy something if I see something that jumps out at me," he said with a smile.
Habbyshaw said the store's customer service, products and great prices will quickly set it apart from its competitors.
"When we advertise we actually have the product we advertise," Habbyshaw said. "We don't mess around."
Like Traci L. Moyer on Facebook and follow her @moyyer on Twitter, or call 648-4250
More on Ollies The Anderson location is the second Ollie's store to open in Indiana. The first store was opened in Carmel last week and two more locations will be opened by the end of the month â€" Fort Wayne on Oct. 16, and Kokomo on Oct. 30.


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By Baylee Pulliam
The Herald Bulletin
CHESTERFIELD, Ind. —
In a little church in Tennessee, Herlan Hinds discovered music.
He remembers watching his cousin pick out bluegrass and gospel songs on a guitar that nearly out-sized him. A three-year-old prodigy who learned by watching his daddy, "He had the gift of playing," Hinds said.
Hinds was inspired, and spent the rest of his teens learning, jamming and eating pizza with friends who lived for music.
Fast forward to today. Hinds plays with the house band every Friday in the Main Street Flea Market concert hall, 448 East Main Street in Chesterfield.
He actually owns the hall — and the market on the other side of a dividing wall, for that matter. He opened shop almost a month ago, after losing his job with Muncie's community schools.
"I kind of hope this is God opening a door," he said.
The flea market has 12 vendors now, with room for as many as 30 more at $100 a month. They sell everything from guitars to furniture, kitchen appliances, lighting fixtures, VHS-tape movies and clothes. It's the business side of things, but music is the pleasure.
"Hopefully it pays the bills," he said. "If I can make the mortgage, make the rent payment, we can do what we love."
In the back of the 100-seat concert hall, he flips through stacks of vinyl records: Bill Monroe, Johnny Cash, Ralph Stanley.
All types of music can move you, he said, but there's something special about country, bluegrass and gospel. On Friday nights, when the hall's packed and the band's playing, it's almost spiritual.
"It's kind of an outreach," Hinds said. "We all have hurt in our life, and music is a comfort. It's not a gospel and it's not a church, but it can be a ministry."
The up-to-seven-member band is yet unnamed, although Hinds likes "Bluegrass Shack." It has played to a packed house at each of its free shows — a record Hinds hopes to continue.
"I think it would be smart to market Chesterfield as Friday night entertainment," he said. "People love music. Music is laughter."
The town's been good to him so far, with some people wandering in to check out the market. Others have even hooked him up with professional equipment for the band.
Hinds moved to Indiana from Tennessee when he was only a few months old, and has lived here ever since. He says there are times when he wanted nothing more than to be back in his aunt's tar-paper shack with his 13 cousins. Family is heritage, after all.
But you can take it with you — and Hinds has done just that.
"Music is heritage," he said.
Like Baylee Pulliam on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @BayleeNPulliam, or call 648-4250.


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- Studio: Sony Pictures Classics
- Release Date: Jul 26, 2013
- Starring: Alec Baldwin, Bobby Cannavale, Cate Blanchett, Louis C.K., Michael Stuhlbarg, Peter Sarsgaard, Sally Hawkins
- Summary: After everything in her life falls to pieces, including her marriage to wealthy businessman Hal, elegant New York socialite Jasmine moves into her sister Ginger's modest apartment in San Francisco to try to pull herself back together again. [Sony Pictures Classics]
- Director: Woody Allen
- Genre(s): Drama, Comedy
- More Details and Credits »
Score distribution:
Positive: 42 out of 47
Mixed: 4 out of 47
Negative: 1 out of 47
After all those false dawns, non-comebacks and semi-successful Euro jeux d'esprit, Allen has produced an outstanding movie, immensely satisfying and absorbing, and set squarely on American turf: that is, partly in San Francisco and partly in New York.
Blue Jasmine, which is easily Allen's best and most powerful movie since 2005's "Match Point", is filled with terrific performances, including Hawkins as the sweet-natured Ginger.
The saga unfolds in a fairly charming fashion, and only Allen's abrupt ending breaks the spell. Clearly, the filmmaker has no more ideas than Jasmine about how to resolve her predicament.
Aug 1, 2013Woody Allen's first Stateside production in nearly a decade is a sharply observed, post-economic crash comedy-drama that boasts a formidable performance by Cate Blanchett and addresses such pertinent real-world concerns as class, gender and corporate criminality in urban America.
Blue Jasmine is so relentlessly clueless about the ways real human beings live, and so eager to make the same points about human nature that Allen has made dozens of times before, that it seems like a movie beamed from another planet.
Score distribution:
Positive: 50 out of 70
Mixed: 6 out of 70
Negative: 14 out of 70
Aug 25, 2013Great movie, great acting. Cate Blanchette is Jasmine, a woman who has lost touch with reality because she's lost her identity. Woody Allen's script and overall concept are both human and divine. This movie is so full of humanity, everyone should be able to relate in some odd way and feel both annoyance and empathy for its characters. I love this movie. Allen at his best.… Expand
Mar 7, 2014woody ailen is a creative director this is a guy who knows what he is gonna and he is determined to makes plans and goals for himself and others . i found cate blanch in this is perfect… Expand
Aug 17, 2013refreshing... if you are human you have to like this movie... fun... multiple characters did an excelent job for this movie.. no complaints... non generic… Expand
Jan 17, 2014There's no stopping Woody Allen, At 78 years old he's still making fresh films (on many occasions), that never fail to entertain as well as challenge. His latest picture, 'Blue Jasmine' is just that. Its a striking character study about a wealthy New York socialite named Jasmine, who is forced to move in with her working-class sister, Ginger; when her marriage with a wealthy business man falls apart after he's indicted. Spearheading the delightful cast which includes Sally Hawkins, Louis C.K. and Andrew Dice-Clay; was Cate Blanchett. She gives tour de force performance as the titular character, one of her best! The character's vapid, snobbish behavior, mental fragility and pure malevolence, was excellently conceived by Blanchett; both on a comedic and dramatic level. But as I've said many times, a great performance sometimes isn't possible without a well written screenplay. And gosh, does that apply here; Allen screenplay is a fine piece of work. His back and forth narrative structure which juxtaposes Jasmine's high life in New York with her dissatisfaction in the earthly home of her sister, was a brilliant approach to telling the story. Not only does it allow for neat characterizations; but it was also good way of bleeding the plot, which does take unexpected turns. 'Blue Jasmine' was a splendid study of class and morality, headlined by great performances from the cast.… Expand
Jan 25, 2014Well, the viewer reviews on Metacritic look like Christmas lights down the page. One thing I think most of us can agree on is that Cate Blanchett utterly lifts this role above and beyond. Her believability as a high-heeled, Park Avenue strutter is seamless through each swing and swell of exasperation. Blue Jasmine is quality and reaches it's audience on emotional and humorous levels. Although, like some films of recent note (Inside Llewyn Davis), the characters eventually fold under their own shortcomings and finally no one learns or grows and no redemptions are achieved. And given Blanchett's scintillating performance, I remain wondering what may have happened had the bomb gone off.… Expand
Sep 21, 2013This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Baldwin and Blanchett are wonderful. The rest of the cast is good, too. The problem with this Woody Allen film is the incomplete story. Jasmine's exploration of life at the dentist's office, with the budding politician, her son or even her husband each ends without much discovery of something bigger than the sum of the action. She dumps the dentist, gets dumped by her husband, gets dumped by the politician... and that's kind of it. The politician dumps her simply because he finds out, in one chance bumping into a character that informs him of Jasmine's lies about her former life. That mechanism for moving forward in the story is a bit weak. There's nothing emotional for the audience to grasp onto to buy into it. It's just information. The politician could have acted any number of ways and we are non the wiser as to why his character and relationship with Jasmine isn't developed in that way. Ebert used to complain about this kind of script where characters just announce what they're feeling or going to do, rather than have it unfold as story. There are many other instances of this kind of storytelling. However, the potentials for a great Woody Allen movie are lurking throughout. Baldwin's character seems even to be more dimensional and nuanced than even Blanchett's though both have great characters to portray. I wish Allen would have dispensed with the San Francisco travelogue (yes, he's guilty of characters ending up in iconic places that seem to go against their probably natural geography... ending up in South Park near downtown, wtf) and stayed in New York to develop Baldwin's character and story in all it's complex contradictions. Instead of Blanchett telling about her embarrassment selling shows to her high society friends, it would have been more bittersweet, funny and sad to have actually seen that, rather than her and the dentist.… Expand
Aug 25, 2014I used to love Woody's movies and I even loved the dramas but this movie is terrible. None of the dialogue rings true, even the direction is bad and Woody, you are stealing the basic premise of Streetcar Named Desire and butchering it. Why people are showering praise on this pile of crap is stunning. The actors do a valiant job of trying to bring some truth to this dung heap but nobody could. Louis C.K. can write and direct circles around what Woody is doing now and is totally wasted in this. People walk up to characters in this and spout dialogue that no one would say and no one who has a brain or taste can possible think this is good. The only explanation must be that because of what Woody has done in the past and the controversy surrounding him now, which by the way I do not care about, has made people support his work no matter what but this is possibly his worst movie ever.Stop making movies Woody, enjoy the accolades of the past and let better writers and directors take your place, Louie for one and let us love and remember you at your best, this is movie is far from that.… Expand
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