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In his press conference last Friday, National Rifle Association Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre revealed himself as the face of today's conservative movement. (More)
Last Friday, one week to the day after the horrible mass killing at Sandy Hook elementary school in Connecticut, the National Rifle Association ("NRA") ended its self-imposed media blackout when the organization's Executive Vice President, Wayne LaPierre, held a press conference to discuss the tragedy. Given that the NRA has long been the problem when it comes to the US's gun violence problem, it should come as no surprise that LaPierre specifically refused to support any form of gun safety legislation. Instead, LaPierre blamed the media and gun control advocates for the epidemic of gun violence in our nation, and proposed putting armed guards in every school as the "solution" to this problem.
Many commentators expressed surprise and dismay at the NRA's extreme stand. But they should not have been surprised, as the positions espoused by LaPierre were not only par for the course for the NRA, but also fully consistent with the dangerous black-and-white, Us vs. Them world view that is endemic in much of today's conservative movement. It is a view that ignores gray areas, dismisses potential solutions, and inherently leads to conflict and violence. And it is a view that must be overcome if we are to achieve a more peaceful and stable society and world.
The dystopian view of our society offered by the NRA is well-defined by the following excerpt from LaPierre's press conference:
The truth is that our society is populated by an unknown number of genuine monsters – people so deranged, so evil, so possessed by voices and driven by demons that no sane person can possibly ever comprehend them. They walk among us every day. And does anybody really believe that the next Adam Lanza isn't planning his attack on a school he's already identified at this very moment?
How many more copycats are waiting in the wings for their moment of fame – from a national media machine that rewards them with the wall-to-wall attention and sense of identity that they crave – while provoking others to try to make their mark?
A dozen more killers? A hundred? More? How can we possibly even guess how many, given our nation's refusal to create an active national database of the mentally ill? And the fact is, that wouldn't even begin to address the much larger and more lethal criminal class: Killers, robbers, rapists and drug gang members who have spread like cancer in every community in this country. Meanwhile, federal gun prosecutions have decreased by 40% — to the lowest levels in a decade.
So now, due to a declining willingness to prosecute dangerous criminals, violent crime is increasing again for the first time in 19 years! Add another hurricane, terrorist attack or some other natural or man-made disaster, and you've got a recipe for a national nightmare of violence and victimization.
Or, as LaPierre explained more succinctly on Meet the Press, his views on the issue of gun violence can be summed up by the claim that "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun." If the sentiment behind this statement sounds familiar, it should, as it is the same one that has largely motivated the "war on terror" response to the September 11, 2001 attacks. Soon after those attacks, then President George W. Bush infamously framed the war on terror as "either you are with us or you are with the terrorists." Other Republicans and conservatives have been even more explicit in what was behind the approach to the "war on terror," describing it in terms of a "clash of civilizations." While the contexts are different, the approach taken towards both gun violence and terrorism by the conservative movement is largely the same – the problem is bad violent people and the solution is stopping such people with violence of our own.
Now, there is a kernel of truth in the black-and-white view. It cannot be disputed that there are bad and violent people in the world and that sometimes either police or military force are necessary to prevent such people from causing serious harm. But that view also far too frequently blinds people to the the nuances that characterize many situations and the existence of numerous other potential solutions that can minimize or even entirely avoid violence and bloodshed. In fact, with regards to both gun violence and the"war on terror," experience shows that the black-and-white world view taken by many conservatives has been an utter disaster.
In the realm of foreign policy and national security, this black-and-white world view resulted in an unnecessary war in Iraq, launched on false pretenses, that led to the death of thousands of American soldiers and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, the wasting of nearly $1 trillion, and the frittering away of our international leadership role. And by portraying the world as filled with bad guys who must be stopped at all cost, our society has accepted the dismantling of civil liberties here at home (that, unfortunately, has largely continued under President Obama) under the theory that suspects in a diffuse "war on terror" are not entitled to basic protections of the Bill of Rights.
The black-and-white world view as espoused by LaPierre and the NRA has been similarly disastrous when it comes to the topic of guns, as it has made our nation unable to act in the face of an epidemic of gun violence. Even as guns claim more than 11,000 lives every year and mass killings such as the one at Sandy Hook occur regularly, we have so brought into the false notion of needing guns to be able to protect ourselves from violent perpetrators that we have been unable to take common sense steps such as reinstating the assault weapon ban, fixing the gun checks system, closing the gun show loophole, banning ammunition clips that hold more than 10 rounds, and making it easier for police to trace guns that are used in a crime and to revoke the licenses of corrupt gun dealers.
It is right for LaPierre's belligerent performance at last week's press conference to be pilloried as offensive and out-of-touch. But let's also keep in mind that LaPierre's speech offered a look into the mindset of the wider conservative movement that is trapped in a bubble of black-and-white, us vs. them thinking. Bursting that bubble and bringing a dose of common sense focused on evaluating a full range of causes and solutions to not only gun violence but a wide range of domestic and international issues is critical to ensuring that we do not continue repeating the mistakes of the pass and, instead, move forward toward a less violent society.


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Mookie's political position seems less "liberal" and more an entirely incorrect understanding of Libertarianism mixed with sheer stupidity.Tiako wrote:I worked through the archives of DD last year, but the strength of the early comics, where he actually made jokes instead of just shouting at the masses from his liberal soap box, blinded me to how much weaker (For me at least) the comics ended up getting. My comic list is doing pretty poorly: OotS hasn't made me really laugh since Shojo threw the dead guy at Roy, I abandoned DD, Bob&George is about to go bye-bye, and Captain SNES has an erratic update schedule, to say the least.
This mean that my only constants are Legendary, 8-bit Theater, and Starslip Crisis. So please, don't go serious on us, ElfLad. That would be such a pity.
On the other hand, I have enjoyed recent episodes of Order of the Stick quite a bit, while finding Bob and George's ending long overdue. I don't know who or what Captain SNES is, and I suspect I don't want to know.
Edit: At the risk of outing my nerdy, math-y self, I must recommend a comic.

subset: commoncrawl


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According to Callimachus, Gavdos was the island of Calypso, the one known from the epic Ogygia. You can actually see on your own the nymph's "palace" near a cave, if you ask it from a local. Of course Gavdos, apart from its mythological glamour was also used as a place of exile "hosting" famous Greek fighters, such as Aris Velouchiotis, Markos Vafiadis, Partsalidis and many others and the houses in which they lived still remain. Other sights of the island are the tombs found in Lavraka Bay, in northwest of Gavdos. These are dated back to the Minoan age, even though edifices of the same period have not been found. In the same location remains of a settlement of the Roman period were discovered and it is considered that it is related with Gortyna of Heraklion. In the area you will see remains of the aqueduct as well as the oven that was used for the exploitation of iron ore. Besides, it is believed that the essential deforestation of Gavdos is dated back to the Roman period, when its trees were used as firewood for the production of iron.
The iron was exported from the Lavraka harbour which today is found three meters under the sea. South-eastern from Lavraka, in the region of Agios-Yiannis there are the ruins of the city from the First Byzantine Period. During this period, the city of Agios-Yiannis had 8,000 residents, whilst the prominence of Gavdos is proved by the fact that it had its own archibishop. In Agios-Yiannis you will also see the famous chapel that was erected from 900 A.D. In the village of Vatsiana you will find a notable Folklore Museum and in the settlement Ampelo you'll have a chance to see the vineyards of Minoa. Also, in Psathi, findings prove the existence of Minoan settlement. Kastri is the island's capital, where you will take beautiful walks in the picturesque alleys with the houses build out of stone and the beautiful gardens. In Gavdos you will find wonderful beaches in Sarakiniko, in Agios-Yiannis, in Pyrgos, in Potamos, and in the pebbly beach of Lavraka, as well as the sandy beach in the cape of Tripiti with the three natural consecutive arches in the rock that is joined with the sea and it is believed that it was in this place that Ulysses was held in captivity by Callypso. In the same cape you will also see an abandoned lighthouse, the second most visible lighthouse in the world after that in the Land of Fire in Argentina.
The tower's height was 14 m., while its focal height was 360 meters. It was built from the French Company of Ottoman lighthouses in 1880 and it was incorporated into the Greek lighthouse network after the Balkan Wars of 1912-13, but it was destroyed by a German bombardment in 1942. It was replaced by the lighthouse that is currently operating today just a little bit more to the south in the same cape. Wherever you prefer to camp, you will find easily a tree – a pine, a cedar, a plane tree - to put up your tent and rest assured that no one will disturb your peacefulness. Also, nothing during your sejour in Calypso's island will remind you in which age you live in.
Visitgreece.gr is the official tourism web site for Greece, run by the Greek National Tourism Organisation, where you'll find information on the main tourist destinations, such as cities, beaches, as well as activities, events and much more!
All content included on this site consists intellectual property of GNTO and you are not allowed to reproduce the whole or part of this work in any way.
For information please contact: firstname.lastname@example.com. All Rights Reserved. GNTO © 2020.


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- 11-02-2011, 04:42 AM #1Member
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Need help with Instrument Class assignment
I know this problem has been posted on the forums before, but the information on that thread wasn't too much help to me. I think my problem is that I overlook the simpler details when writing my code for programs.
I will start by listing the requirements of my program, and then I will go from there.
Requirements (Sorry for the wall of text, just want to be thorough in my explanation so my problem is understood):
Design and implement a stringed musical instrument class using the following guidelines:
a. Data fields for your instrument should include number of strings, an array of string names representing string names (e.g. E,A,D,G), and boolean fields to determine if the instrument is tuned, and if the instrument is currently playing. You are welcome to add additional data fields if you like.
b. A constructor method that set the tuned and currently playing fields to false.
c. Other methods 1) to tune the instrument, 2) to start the instrument playing, and 3) to stop the instrument from playing.
d. Other methods as you see fit (Add at least one unique method).
2. Create a UML class diagram using a diagram tool (e.g. PPT, Visio) of your choice. Prepare the diagrams and place them in a word document along with a brief description of each of your classes.
3. Create Java classes for your instruments. Be sure that your code matches your design specifications and some minimal functionality is included. For example, if you called the violin.play() method, you should at least print that the violin is playing. Similar functionality should be supplied when you stop playing, tune or call any of your methods. For example:
public void playviolin() {
System.out.println("The violin is now playing.");
4. Write the output from your Instrument class methods to a text file that a user entered from the command line arguments (e.g. java Mynamep3tst myfilename.txt). This allows your program to accept filenames from the user via a command line argument.
5. Finally, create a Java test class that simulates using your instrument class. In your test class be you should at a minimum: a) Construct 10 instances of your instrument, b) tune your instruments, c) Start playing your instrument, d) Call your unique method, and e) Stop playing your instruments. (Hint: Arrays and Loops will make your job easier and result in more efficient code!)
6. Your programs should compile and run without errors.
7. Be sure to test your program carefully. Provide a list of comprehensive test cases used to validate your application and include these test cases in your word document containing your UML diagrams and descriptions. Similar to Project 1, your test data can be shown in a table that includes input data, expected output, actual output and pass/fail results from the test.
The error I receive is in the statementJava Code:
Violin violin1 = new Violin();
The error I receive is: No enclosing instance of type JamesKinneyp3 is accessible. Must qualify the allocation with an enclosing instance of type JamesKinneyp3 (e.g. x.new A() where x is an instance of JamesKinneyp3).
I know something needs to go in the parenthesis in Violin(); However, I am not sure what.
Here is the code I have thus far:
Java Code:
public class JamesKinneyp3 { public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception { java.io.File file = new java.io.File("JamesKinneyp3tst.txt"); //check to see if file already exists if (file.exists()) { System.out.println("File already exists"); System.exit(0); } //create a file java.io.PrintWriter output = new java.io.PrintWriter(file); //declare violin object Violin violin1 = new Violin(); //write test results to file output.println(violin1.playViolin()); output.println(violin1.stopPlaying()); output.println(violin1.tuneViolin()); } class Violin { boolean isTuned; //Violin starts off not tuned boolean isPlaying; //Violin is not playing at start //array for Violin strings char [] violinStrings = {'E','A','D','G'}; //default Violin object public Violin() { isTuned = false; isPlaying = false; System.out.println("The violin is not playing, and it is not tuned."); } public Violin(boolean T, boolean P) { isTuned = T; isPlaying = P; } public boolean playViolin() { System.out.println("The violin is playing!"); return isPlaying = true; } public boolean stopPlaying() { System.out.println("The violin has stopped playing."); return isPlaying = false; } public boolean tuneViolin() { System.out.println("The violin is being tuned!"); return isTuned = true; } } }
I apologize for all of the text.
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Weekly Columns
Weekly Column by Sen. Lamar Alexander: The Marketplace Fairness Act: A Matter of States' Rights
Posted on April 29, 2013
On April 25, the U.S. Senate cast an important vote for states' rights. The Senate's vote to end debate on the legislation affirmed the idea that it is the prerogative of states to set their own tax policies – and to stop picking winners and losers in the marketplace, if they so choose.
That is what I argued in the U.S. Senate: That the states have the right to make these decisions under the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Many senators agreed, with 75 of them, a majority of each party, supporting a Senate amendment endorsing this idea several weeks ago, and 74 voting on April 22 to begin debating the bill.
The Marketplace Fairness Act would allow governors and state legislatures around the country to decide whether they want to collect sales and use taxes that are already owed on remote purchases, such as those made online or through a catalog. It would allow them to treat all businesses the same, requiring out-of-state sellers in Tennessee to do the same thing we require of in-state sellers, the brick-and-mortar businesses that currently face a price disadvantage in the marketplace.
Right now, for example, if you go in to the Nashville Boot Co. and try on a pair of boots and buy them, the store has to collect a sales tax and remit that to the state. But if you go into the store, select your boots and buy them online from an out-of-state business, that seller does not.
Our solution, the Marketplace Fairness Act, is an 11-page bill – a rarity in Washington. It doesn't make any decisions for the states; it just says states can decide for themselves to collect from out-of-state sellers.
I trust Governor Bill Haslam and other conservative leaders of our state to make these decisions, and they shouldn't have to play "Mother, may I?" with the federal government to do so. Among the other conservative leaders who support this are Art Laffer, President Reagan's favorite economist; Al Cardenas, head of the American Conservative Union; the late William F. Buckley, Jr.; and a long list of current and former Republican governors.
Some people have said this is a new tax, or a tax on the Internet, but I've said they must not have read the bill carefully. There is a moratorium on taxing the Internet, and this bill does not change that. This legislation is about allowing states to collect state taxes that are already owed.
In Tennessee, state leaders like Governor Haslam want to avoid a state income tax, and lower taxes when they can. They'd also like to stop treating some businesses and taxpayers one way, and other businesses and taxpayers another.
My hope is that Congress continues to honor the Tenth Amendment, and the right of states to make these decisions, by passing the Marketplace Fairness Act.


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CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resusitation) is covered in depth as heart attack continues to remain one of the UK's bigger killers. We also include the use of an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) and explain in a practical way how, when to use an AED and the difference a AED can make.
We discuss in a practical way the hazards associated with choking and how quickly what at first might appear to be such an innocuous event can quickly turn into a life-threatening situation.
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Good Morning,
Robert McNamara is gone, finally bringing peace to thousands of Vietnam Veterans… may there never be another one like him! He was nothing but a central banker/ military industrial complex shill responsible for the death of thousands of Americans. He will not be missed by me.
Equity futures are down pretty sharply this morning with the dollar up, bonds up, and commodities down. This is a more normal trade from my perspective as the world realizes that prospects for growth are not there – we are experiencing parabolic collapse of prior out-of-control growth instead:
Of course the Bankruptcy judge in GM's case is going to approve their plan to create a new company, axe the debt in exchange for stock, screw the workers wages and benefits down, ignore the money laundering that took place passing billions of taxpayer money through to the banks, and make the taxpayers (you and me comrade) 60% bag holders in a company that doesn't stand a chance – still.
And what's going on with program trading and Goldman over at the NYSE? Strange things going on there, Zerohedge is covering that one well and it should be interesting to watch. I'll cover it more as we learn a little more.
The economic calendar is fairly light this week, we have non-manufacturing ISM coming out at 10 Eastern this morning, but the data is fairly light the rest of the week, International Trade and Consumer Sentiment on Friday.
The technical landscape is beginning to look pretty bearish. The key level to watch right now is 880. Should that level break, the obvious head & shoulder's pattern on the 60 minute chart will be confirmed. Should that happen, the downside target would be about 810ish which would be a 50% retrace of the "green shoots" rally. Here's the 60 minute SPX, you can see that pattern clearly – there may be a sloped neckline which may be in the Sethonian 888 region:
Of course the 30 and 60 minute stochastics are oversold and we could very well experience a bounce off the neckline area. If the H&S is in play, I would expect it to break, come back up to retest and then fail.
On the daily you can see the colossal damage that was done last Thursday. Note that the 200dma is also in the 888 region and that will lend support at the neckline. The daily stochs are coming down out of overbought towards oversold:
Expect some monkey business in this area, it's an important one. The consensus for the Service ISM is 46.7… that may be a little high, we'll see, it should be interesting. Heck, I say just surrender now and get it over with already!
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Serious Beer: Winter Warmers and Christmas Beers
Seeking out the best in malty, hoppy refreshment.
'Tis the season for warming beers—for velvety barrel-aged stouts and serious brews from Belgium. Over the last few weeks, we've also been sampling winter warmers and other winter seasonals: beers released specifically for Christmas and for sipping over the cold months ahead.
A few of these beers might satisfy your Christmas cookie cravings: They have hints of oatmeal and nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger. Others are toasty and dark with a bit of smokiness. Most, though, are simply well-made ales with rich malty flavors and enough alcohol to warm you up. There are quite a few winners here; you may want to stock up before the stores run out. I hate to remind you (and myself), but winter is just beginning, and a few of these might help you make it through.
I've said it before, but it bears repeating here that these beers should not be served ice cold. If your first sip is a little bitter, let these beers warm up a minute or two before you cast judgment.
Do you have a favorite winter seasonal beer? Did we miss the best Christmas Ale of all? Let us know in the comments!
Serious Beer Ratings
***** Our new favorite **** Awesome, worth remembering *** We'd consider buying this again ** There are probably better options * No, thanks, I'll have water.
Ratings are subject to personal taste.
Winter Winners
Odell Brewing Isolation Ale Colorado, 6.1% ABV We were knocked out by this one. Malty and full-flavored, it's rich and caramelly but with a sturdy hoppiness. The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy. There are hints of lemon and cloves, hard water, and whole wheat toast. This is a perfect cold-weather beer. *****
Clipper City Heavy Seas Winter Storm Maryland, 7.5% ABV This seasonally available ESB delighted the hop-heads among us. Very rich caramel malt is offset by a punch of orange-marmalade flavor—this beer reminded us a bit of Campari. We also detected a hint of bay leaf and chamomile. While it didn't strike us as particularly Christmasy, we could drink this throughout the fall and into early spring. We loved the bitter brightness of this warming beer. *****
Great Divide Hibernation Ale Colorado, 8.7% ABV This robust Old Ale tastes like toasted hazelnuts and coffee with cream. It's a little oaky and has hints of maple syrup and tobacco—it would be good with a cigar, if you're into that, and it tastes great with spicy slices of salami. ****1/2
Anchor Brewing Our Special Ale California, 5.5% ABV Each year Anchor brews a different version of this beer, and the 2009 version is quite tasty. It's dry with a sturdy hop backbone—we tasted a bit of juniper and a hint of fennel along with flavors that reminded us of gingerbread lattés and cinnamon rolls. The finish is clean and it's quite drinkable—a sixpack would be a nice contribution to a holiday party. ****1/2
Breckenridge Christmas Ale Colorado, 7.4% ABV This dark brown warmer would be perfect to sip by the fire in a ski lodge. Crisp, piney hops compliment the toasty malt-ball flavor. We tasted sourdough bread and a hint of fennel seed, firewood, and red pepper flakes. We'd love to try this with roast chicken or ham. ****
Smuttynose Winter Ale New Hampshire, 4.8% ABV This deep brown ale tastes of burn caramel and dark toffee with a hint of prunes and yeasty flavor. There's very little bitterness, and a decent complexity with a hint of sassafras and clove. ****
Full Sail Wassail Oregon, 7% ABV A hint of rosemary bitterness balances the warm malty flavors in this rich brown beer. We tasted unsweetened cocoa, caramel popcorn, freshly baked sourdough bread, and steel-cut oatmeal with brown sugar. This beer is very savory—there's a woodsy flavor to it—one taster said it reminded him of wild mushrooms. The finish is dry with a slight coffee aftertaste. ****
Put a Few of These Under the Tree
Delirium Noel Belgium, 10% ABV This rich and thick Belgian Strong Dark Ale tastes like apricots soaked in dark rum. There's very little bitterness, though it does have a hint of delicate rosemary flavor. As we sipped this, we were reminded of black cherry pie and banana, along with toffee, dates, and brown sugar. This isn't our favorite beer of this style—we'd rather have a Rochefort 8—but it did remind us how fitting a Belgian dark ale is for the season, whether or not it comes in Christmas packaging. ***1/2
Brooklyn Winter Ale New York, 6.1% ABV This reddish copper beer was pleasantly rich, malty, and smooth. We tasted apple cider and apricot jam, graham cracker and orange zest. It's quite drinkable: full flavored but not heavy. ***1/2
Full Sail Wreck the Halls Oregon, 6.5% ABV This IPA has a fresh citrus scent and slightly floral flavor. Creamy, warm malt is balanced by resiny hops. Maple and brown sugar flavors duke it out with the hoppy bite—some tasters found the flavor a little too bitter. ***1/2
Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale California, 6.8% ABV This rich, malty beer has a big helping of Sierra Nevada's trademark hoppy bitterness. The bright lemon flavors are nearly balanced with malty butterscotch notes. Be sure not to serve this too cold, or all you'll get is grapefruit and pine. ***1/2
Samuel Adams Winter Lager Massachusetts, 5.8% ABV This ruby-colored beer surprised some of us; we loved its rich toffee flavor, hints of oatmeal, velvety poached pears, and nutmeg. While it's nothing earth-shattering, this tasty beer is quite drinkable, with very little hoppy bitterness—it's likely to appeal to whomever you have over during the holidays. Serve with with mild creamy cheese. ***1/2
Samuel Adams Holiday Porter Massachusetts, 5.8% ABV This creamy beer pours a dark brown and has a full bready flavor. We tasted dark-roasted sesame seeds and a hint of honey, unsweetened cocoa powder and just a pinch of nutmeg. This beer is quite filling—we're happy to sip it, but wouldn't bring it to a party. ***1/2
Deschutes Jubelale Oregon, 6.7% ABV This dark copper-colored ale is a hoppy winter warmer, with floral notes and hints of cloves, along with the occasional lemon zing. It's quite dry and earthy, but not heavy. As it warms, this beer tastes like buttery caramel and roasted nuts. This is not our favorite beer from Deschutes, but that says more about the high quality of the brewery's other offerings than it says about this beer. ***
Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome Ale Tadcaster, UK, 6% ABV This winter warmer is a bit crisper and brighter than many of the others, and some found it a little weak. Hoppy lemon tea flavors mingle with golden toffee notes to make a restrained, but quite drinkable beer. ***
Bridgeport Ebenezer Ale Oregon, 6.4% ABV This dark coppery ale smells a bit like peach jolly ranchers, but the taste is malty and dry. Some tasters noticed a hint of banana and toffee. There's a bit of toasty warmth and a slight sour bitterness, but not a ton of resiny hop flavors. ***
St. Arnold Christmas Ale Texas, 7% ABV This Christmas ale pours a golden red, and has a touch of toffee flavor. It tastes yeasty and has a slightly bitter finish, with a sweet, malty center that reminded one taster of cornbread. This beer isn't quite as rich and full bodied as some of the others. ***
Pyramid Snow Cap Washington, 7% ABV This mahogany colored beer is dry with a bit of a bitter edge. The flavors reminded us of unsweetened chocolate, toasted almonds, and blackberry jam. ***
Spiced Beers for Santa
Great Lakes Christmas Ale Ohio, 7.5% ABV Almost like a mulled beer, this spicy brew has nutty walnut flavors, hints of cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and a bit of molasses. We tasted a little black pepper, ginger, and citrus zest, and enjoyed it with a slice of dry aged cheese. This beer might work in a beer float with a little vanilla ice cream, if Santa has time to sit down for dessert. This beer was the favorite of a few tasters who were really looking for something festive. ***1/2
Sebago Slick Nick Winter Ale Maine, 6.2% ABV This winter ale has caramel notes and a whiff of maple syrup—the taste reminded us a little of Eggo waffles. A hint of nutmeg and walnut are balanced by a hoppy, citrusy edge, as if they'd brewed with with whole clementines (including the pith.) ***
Bison Gingerbread Ale California, 6% ABV This organic beer smells more sweet and spicy than it tastes; it's actually quite dry. We tasted oatmeal cookies and chicory, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and walnuts, but wished it were a little more full-bodied. ***
Dark and Smoky
Magic Hat Howl Vermont, 4.6% ABV This black lager is crisp and dry, with hints of anise, cloves, and toasted chilies, but it's a little too smoky to drink unaccompanied. One taster described it as "ashy," while another found it reminded her of grilled cheese with crispy bacon on dark toast. ***
Sweetwater Festive Ale Georgia, 8.6% ABV This dark brown beer tastes of dates and bacony smoke, with dark roasted coffee flavors and even a hint of teriyaki. It would probably go nicely with roasted meat and creamy cheese, but it's not the kind of thing we'd sip on its own. **1/2
Pike Auld Acquaintance Hoppy Holiday Ale Washington, 5% ABV This beer tastes like it has the whole fruitcake in it: cinnamon and candied cherries (as well as those mysterious candied green fruits,) a hint of watermelon, orange peel, and nutmeg. The hops are pungent and bright, and you can taste the coriander that was in the brewing vessel. The spices—and a bit of green pepper flavor—were a little heavy for some of our tasters, who felt that this beer was just a bit off balance. **1/2
Saranac Maple Porter New York, 5.3% ABV The first taste of this is dry and coffee-like, but it opens up into a big maple candy flavor. The tasted reminded us of Vanilla Coke and Bailey's Irish Cream, and some were disturbed by the synthetic-seeming maple scent. It might be good with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. **
We'd Rather Get a Lump of Coal
Full Moon Winter Ale Colorado, 5.6% ABV Coors (who makes Blue Moon) should be ashamed of itself for calling this winter seasonal an abbey ale; this sweet and watery brew is a bit like beer-flavored soda. The flavors get a little muddy and metallic at the end, with none of the richness of a true Belgian dubbel. *
Disclosure: All beers except the Clipper City, Smuttynose, Delirium, Brooklyn, Sierra Nevada, Samuel Smith, Magic Hat, and Full Moon were review samples.
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Remember my post entitled : "Hula Hoop Handbags at Chanel"...? Whaddaya mean No!
Well here is the link as a refresher:
I thought that would be the end of that...we had a laugh,we pointed fingers and we laid it to rest. After all we are talking about an actual hula hoop with a classic 2.55 Chanel bag stitched across the bottom and priced at £1,500 for a 24cm across version...Yes!! There is a price tag involved in this travesty!!
Designers often create "pieces" that are meant for the catwalk show only...call them "statement pieces" that do just that and then are never produced for retail.
The Chanel Hula Hoop wagonwheel started showing up on certain "fashionistas/bloggers"during Fashion week....Yes it takes all kinds and freaks do frequent Fashion week to get papped,smooched and applauded for their cunning and daring.
But something unheard of happened,this farcical,cumbersome "bag" turned up at the Chanel Corner in Selfridges, modelled by the One and Only Queen of Senseless Sensationalism : Kris Jenner .
Need I fill in the gaps?


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Edward N. Gross
We know that people were created primarily to exalt or glorify God the Creator. With the entrance of sin into this world, through the fall of Adam, our ability and desire solely to magnify God has ended. In order to regain that ability and to correct the awful course of sin in the soul and creation, God purposed a plan of salvation through his Son, Jesus Christ.
Through the course of redeeming us, God has exalted his love (grace), power, and justice to new heights of beauty. Regeneration is the work of God's Holy Spirit in the soul of humans, enabling us to see our sinfulness and peril, and to behold the beauty of the Savior so that we can truly praise and worship him again.
The work of regeneration is described differently in the Scriptures. The Old Testament speaks of it as circumcising and softening otherwise unholy and hardened hearts (Deut. 30:6; Ezek. 36:26). It is portrayed as the act of God's writing his law on the human heart (Jer. 31:33). In the New Testament, it is represented as becoming a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17), being brought from death to life (Rom. 6:13), being called out of darkness into God's wonderful light (1 Pet. 2:9), or being born again (John 3:3). In the act of regeneration, God changes the nature of the person regenerated. The same soul exists, but differently. The same will is there, but with a new, spiritual component. It is an altogether new taste for the loveliness of spiritual things, especially as they are taught in God's Word and personified by God's Son.
When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, Lazarus was passive, not active, in the process. He was simply an object that God the Son worked on and through by his almighty power. Similarly, when God regenerates the human soul, we are passive. He does the work in us and for us, as we, being spiritually dead, are brought back to life. The Westminster standards refer to regeneration as the work of God's Spirit through which he takes away our heart of stone and renews our will by his almighty power.
The wonderful works of faith and sanctification naturally follow regeneration, but are separate from it. When Christ healed a blind person, he would open his eyes to a thousand new sights that dazzled his being. Similarly, the soul regenerated by the Spirit sees himself and God's creation in a totally new way. The process of seeing is subsequent to being enabled to see.
Conversion follows regeneration and is different from it in the following ways: "Regeneration is God's act; conversion is ours. Regeneration is the implantation of a gracious principle; conversion is the exercise of that principle. Regeneration is never consciously known by us; conversion is thoroughly a process involving our consciousness. Regeneration is a single act, complete in itself and never repeated; conversion, as the beginning of holy living, is the commencement of a series, constant, endless and progressive (A. A. Hodge, Outlines of Theology, p. 460).
Regeneration is the birth by which the new creation of God is begun in the soul. It is the first personal act of rescue wrought by God in us to fulfill his plan of salvation effected by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Without regeneration, we would forever remain spiritually blind and dead.
This second in a series of articles on basic Christian doctrines was written by Dr. Edward N. Gross, pastor of Gwynedd Valley OPC in Gwynedd, Pennsylvania. Reprinted from New Horizons, February 2000.
|© 2020 The Orthodox Presbyterian Church
Chaplains and Military Personnel


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Professional Community for Car Dealers, Marketing, Advertising and Sales Leaders
Is Anyone Surprised that Suzuki has Given Up on Selling Cars in America?
American Suzuki Motor Corp., the car company that displaced Isuzu as living proof that not all Japanese car companies do well selling cars in America, has steadily seen both its dealer network and sales erode over the past several years. American Suzuki's Southern California based management team has long appeared to be asleep at the wheel (and in meetings), and tragically incapable of competing effectively. Ask any Suzuki dealer and you will learn that in many cases Suzuki seemed to become a dealer's worst nightmare for a car company franchise.
Like all Japanese manufacturers shipping product to the USA, Suzuki has been getting hammered by unfavorable shifts in Yen to Dollar exchange rates. The financial impact was cited as one of several factors prompting the highly unusual action for a Japanese manufacturer of announcing it will file Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Suzuki will cease shipping cars to its franchised U.S. dealers. Leaving 246 franchised auto dealers without a product to sell. So, for those unfortunate enough to believe Suzuki management team's promises of increased sales, new models and Tier 1 marketing support, investing in Suzuki branded and styled dealership facilities, parts inventories, special tools and OEM systems, you just got the same type of raw deal that franchised dealers of Oldsmobile, Plymouth, Hummer, Pontiac, Saturn, Mercury, Peugeot, Daewoo, Alfa Romeo, Fiat (last time) Sterling, Isuzu, Triumph, Renault and others have experienced!
American Suzuki Motor Corporation (ASMC) Automotive Operations has its U.S. headquarters in Brea, California...
I know it well, having spent far too many hours there with Alan McConnell and other SME's trying to convince Suzuki marketing and management to improve their business systems. I remember watching Suzuki senior executives nod off, falling asleep as our team presented information showing that Americans had shifted their buying habits to shopping for cars on the Internet. Presenting Suzuki management with digitally powered wonders of modern management, such as lead management for car dealers, was like showing your new iPad to the family dog... Cute, but clueless, except for a small handful of car people that Suzuki had hired. My dealings with Suzuki were while I worked for Reynolds and Reynolds between 2000 and 2005.
For me, the best outcome of dealing with America's most intractable OEM management team was meeting a car guy by the name of David Harris who stood out from the rest of the Suzuki management team .
I learned that David was a sharp and effective automotive professional with a deep understanding of what it takes to get consumers into dealer showrooms and service drives. Mr. Harris Left Suzuki a few years ago for a marketing role at Mazda North American Operations. I distinctly remember thinking that Suzuki was going to struggle after David's departure. Right, wrong or otherwise, he always seemed like one of the few executives at Suzuki who executed the tasks required to keep the company moving. Suzuki lasted 4 years after David's departure... He has since moved into a marketing role at the Fisker Car Company, manufacturer of high performance luxury cars powered by electric motors.
I wish the best of luck to any Suzuki employees who may lose their jobs as a result of this business failure.
American Suzuki issued a statement that it will continue its motorcycle and marine engine business units and will continue to honor customer warranties. Their Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing was made in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California in Santa Ana. Japanese parent company Suzuki Motor Corp. is not filing for bankruptcy, the company said.
If I were a franchised Suzuki dealer, my first course of action would be to meet with appropriate legal resources and find 2 other dealers to join in a Chapter 11 Debtor action seeking an injunction to prevent any American Suzuki assets from being moved to Suzuki Motor Corp. control. Suzuki dealers will in many cases will be left holding the bag... including obsolete parts, branded facilities, various inventories and contingent liabilities. Suzuki dealers are best advised to seek legal counsel ASAP.
In its statements and bankruptcy filings, American Suzuki cited poor performance as the most incompetent OEM marketer in all of U.S. auto sales, high costs due to strikingly inefficient U.S. operations, threw in a couple of jabs at American regulatory requirements (as if Japan is easy!) and cited an unfavorable foreign exchange rate as factors that contributed to the Bankruptcy decision. Left unstated by Suzuki is the fact that they watched GM and Chrysler stiff hundreds of car dealers on franchise commitments, so filing bankruptcy must look like one sure way to deal with car dealers who have invested millions in facilities and operations to represent the Suzuki brand and product.
Regarding the decision to stop selling cars in the U.S. market, Suzuki stated:
"While the decision to discontinue new automobile sales in the U.S. was difficult to make, today's actions were inevitable under these circumstances..."
In an effort to sound somewhat upbeat, Suzuki went on to say:
"The realignment is intended to better position ASMC for long-term success and is a return to the company's roots in the U.S. market, which began with motorcycles,"
Suzuki Started 2012 with 246 Franchised U.S. Dealers
26 Suzuki dealers have surrendered their franchises or been terminated since January 2012, leaving the current franchise count at 220. In regards to Suzuki's franchised dealer network, the company issued the following statement:
"(Suzuki) intends to work within its current U.S. automotive dealer network to help structure a smooth transition from new automobile sales to exclusively parts and service operations, or, in some instances, an orderly wind-down of dealership operations,"
Suzuki's U.S. sales through October totaled 21,188 vehicles, down 5 percent for the same period last year.
The entire U.S. market has risen 14 percent through October.
Dealer Reaction to Losing Their Franchise
In its bankruptcy filing, Suzuki listed assets of $100 million to $500 million and liabilities in the same range. However, I am struck by the oddly excessive range that the company has listed for its assets... A $400 million range would appear to leave a lot of room for manipulative transfers of assets from the U.S. based company to the Japanese parent to avoid creditor seizures, including car dealers. Through the court appointed Bankruptcy trustee, Suzuki's creditors and dealers should have access to all assets for disposition or liquidation, using the proceeds to settle debts from legal remedies sought by dealers and other creditors. To file for Bankruptcy and state a total asset value of "Somewhere between $100 and $500 million" as the balance sheet total for all cash and assets is such an excessive variance that it should be a red flag for Suzuki's creditors and dealers.
Suzuki says it plans to sell its remaining inventory through its dealers.
Scott Pitman, whose Suzuki of Wichita (Kan.) store is Suzuki's largest U.S. dealership, said he was "in a state of shock" after learning this evening that the brand planned to exit the United States.
Mr. Pitman went on to say;
"I don't have my mind around the whole thing. I've only talked to dealers I haven't talked to the executive team yet, so I don't know all the details, We love the brand, and we've been big faithful supporters, and we're sad right now."
Pitman has been a Suzuki dealer since 2007, and reported selling 940 new Suzukis through the end of October, which is already more than his total new vehicle sales for all of 2011.
In addition to myself, many other Auto Industry Analysts and observers will universally point out that the company had trouble competing in the U.S.
Jessica Caldwell, an analyst with auto information company Edmunds.com said about Suzuki's withdrawal from the U.S. auto market and the bankruptcy filing:
"I don't think it's a big surprise given their lackluster sales performance of recent years. They have have low margin, low-priced cars with small volume. That's far from the ideal combination... Over the long term it's hard to sustain a brand on such little volume when you don't have a healthy margin like exotic or specialty brands,"
Suzuki Highs and Lows
Suzuki's U.S. sales topped the 100,000 mark in 2006 and set another record in 2007 before things started to unravel:
Suzuki's U.S. sales plunged to fewer than 24,000 units in 2010 -- a drop of more than three-quarters from the 2007 peak of 101,884 units.
Information Sources include:
Automotive News in an article titled; "American Suzuki to end U.S. auto sales, files Chapter 11 bankruptcy" written by Ryan Beene.
You can reach Ryan Beene at email@example.com. -- Follow Ryan on
Read more: www.autonews.com/article/20121105/RETAIL07/121109921
Los Angeles Times in an article titled; "American Suzuki to file for bankruptcy, end U.S. auto sales" written by Jerry Hirsch.
Follow Jerry Hirsch at firstname.lastname@example.com
Twitter (@LATimesJerry), Facebook and Google+
Read more: www.latimes.com/business/autos/suzuki
Views: 1058
You shouldn't hold your punches, Ralph. Tell them how you really feel about them.
J.D. _ I don't know if you ever dealt with those people in Brea, but it always reminded me of going to the pre-school to pick up your kids after work. Then there was one executive who fell asleep in just about every meeting I ever saw him attend! I am certain that the motorcycle team must have their act together far more than the auto team ever did.
Ha ha!
Scott Pitman and Roger Penske unite to claim "American" Suzuki, bring everything here, use Obama's promise for Sandy devastation of "no red tape," and let these two terrific entrepreneurs make gold from sand.
Wow...this seems unreal.
Automotive franchised dealers taking another hit... Smaller dealerships like those were some of the only shots to get into ownership... Sad for those who laid it on the line for the "American Dream". DTG
Besides a client I have in Texas, I feel really sorry for these folks, some of the most innovative owners over the years http://www.suzukiofwichita.com/.
Not the least bit surprised, their competitors do a better job in many different ways. Stick to motorcyles!
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