"Pelée's Blood" (Rhum JM Blanc, Don's Mix #2, homemade grenadine, lime juice, dash absinthe)

“Taut nerves relax; taut muscles relax; tired eyes brighten; tongues loosen; friendships deepen; the whole world becomes a better place in which to live.”–David A. Embury

Death & Co., which recently rejoiced over its extended hours (now open until 2 a.m. on weekends), rolled out a new cocktail and food menu earlier this week, and I had the pleasure of attending last night’s press tasting. The 2 1/2-year-old cocktail den of East 6th Street had a challenging beginning with several legal battles with the SLA/Community Board 3, but this new, inspired menu signals perseverance for the bar and seems to put the past to bed.

Co-owner David Kaplan is especially proud of the new food menu by recently-hired Chef Luis Gonzalez, who trained under renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten at Mercer Kitchen. “For once, I feel like we have a food menu that is on par with the quality of the cocktails,” said Kaplan.

And quality cocktails they are–we started with “Pelée’s Blood” (Rhum JM Blanc, Don’s Mix #2, homemade grenadine, lime juice, dash absinthe), D&C bartender Thomas Waugh’s take on a tiki cocktail. It was a delicious punch-type drink with balanced sweetness, and it made for a refreshing start. The drink was paired with a small plate of tuna tartare with crushed avocado and homemade kettle chips as well as a melt-in-your-mouth pan-seared foie gras with corn pancake and quince puree. Clearly, Gonzalez’s dishes elevate bar snacking  to a whole new level.

Next, I had the “Daisy Buchanan” (Chamomile-infused Old Overholt Rye, Dolin Dry Vermouth, Aperol, and Yellow Chartreuse), created by D&C bartender Joaquin Simo. Solid, strong cocktail, especially if you like a dry finish. This was a perfect palate-cleanser for the pulled-pork slider and mini-scoop of truffle mac ‘n’ cheese, which were both highly-satisfying indulgent treats. Then, onto the “Ingenue” (Pierre Ferrand Ambre Cognac, Dolin Sweet Vermouth, Don’s Spices), one of D&C bartender Brian Miller’s cocktails. The clove-heavy flavors of Don’s Spices (a mix of vanilla syrup and allspice dram), made for a rich, autumnal drink that would be perfect for sipping next to a fireplace.  This was paired with a mushroom tart with walnut and onion pesto and the crispy pork belly, served with sauteed kale, braised cranberry beans, and pomegranate seeds.

Last but not least was D&C bartender Alex Day’s “Little Engine” (Famous Grouse whisky, tawny port, apple butter, lemon juice, maple syrup). Served over a mountain of crushed ice with a fresh apple garnish, this drink for me was the most “adult” apple cocktail I’ve ever tried. The port adds depth to the usual apple pie flavors, and the apple butter infusion coats the tongue without being unctuous. Naturally, this was served with apple cobbler.

Special thanks to David for the invite, and to bartenders Jason Littrell and Brian Miller for being so on-point, given all of those new recipes to keep track of. I can’t wait to return and try more!

• Another great day!
• Had a few minor issues in the set-up time this morning but other than that everything went according to plan.
• We changed up the order today and it was effective…we’ll do more of that in the future.
• Great to add Jenny Shifler to the vocal team…we’ve been on her for awhile to help out and she finally auditioned and made it!
• Speaking of the team, Brian did a great job of leading Uprising by Muse.
• That song is everywhere right now and it fit perfectly with the message.
• We added some additional special lighting effects for the song and it worked awesome.
• To be honest after a really good first Experience or message , I usually have an “oh my we’ve/I’ve got to do it again”.
• Today everything went great at the first but the 2nd was even better…that’s awesome!
• Met a visiting pastor from VA after the 2nd experience.  He actually said, “Wow that was quite an experience that you all create”.
• I love that when someone actually calls it an experience.  That’s what we try to create each week…an experience with God…sometimes we do, sometimes we don’t.  Today though was definitely a great day.
• Tomorrow I’m taking a group to Baltimore for a conference…pray for us as we travel and that everyone will come back energized and ready to kick the devil in the butt.

• Really good day!
• Loved being able to just hang out.
• Doug gave a great message for the launch of the Maverick series.
• He had been sick all week long so I was glad he was feeling better.
• So nice having others that can step in and deliver God’s Word in a United like way.
• Although Doug talking about the trampoline and being able to see into the neighbor’s yard was a bit disturbing? 
• Peeping Doug.
• The 9:45 crowd was rowdy today…loved it…great energy!
• Brian and the team did a great job with the new stage design…looked really cool!
• Thanks to Dan Bogle for the loan of the motorcycle and to Dan Fry for playing the Maverick in the bumper video and for revving the bike on stage.
• Dan said when he did it at the first Experience the entire front row jumped.
• It was cool, but the fumes on stage were strong.
• Thanks for Kris and Klayton, two more new techies today!
• The band as always was amazing…I threw them a wrinkle at the end of the first Experience by asking them to start in the middle of the song…no problem, when you’re that good!
• Other than a couple minor things, it was a smooth day and many shared with me how touched they were by Doug’s message..yea Doug, but more importantly yea God!
• Also since I forgot, here’s the link to last week’s Reality Check video.

• Not the best of days but anytime you’ve got people giving their lives to Jesus, there’s not much you can complain about.
• We had a brief power outage this morning during set-up time which delayed things a bit and then we had a cable connector go bad on my mic which meant Andy had to do some early morning solidering work.
• We had two of our teens running projection and lights today and both did a great job.  Well done Ben and Dustin!
• As always the worship team did an excellent job…both crowds seemed to really be into the music today!
• I re-did the message on Monday, which I’m glad I did…still not one of my best but I think the point was clear…don’t be just a consumer, become a contributor.
• I’m glad this series is over…not because I didn’t like it, but because I’m really excited about the Maverick series which starts next week.
• I got to see a little bit of the stage design changeover that the team was doing this afternoon and it’s going to be awesome!
• During the 1st Experience announcement time I kept getting tongue tied.  I couldn’t figure out if I wanted to say, “the dictionary definition” or the “definition in the dictionary says”.  My mind couldn’t figure it out so I kept saying, “the defionary”.
• The more I tried to get it right the harder it got…finally I just gave up.
• I met a great couple after the first Experience, who just moved here from Hawaii,  who get what we’re all about.
• They loved United and realized it’s not about making them happy but reaching out to those who are far from God.
• I attribute this great attitude to their former pastor when they lived in Virginia Beach.
• He’s a friend of mine by the name of Vince Antonucci.  Vince is passionate about reaching out to his community and just took a big step of faith by leaving his church to start a brand new one on the Las Vegas Strip.
• Thanks Vince for such an awesome job of teaching and modeling for people that it’s not about what we want, but it’s all about sharing the good news of Jesus with others.
• Speaking of…make sure you invite lots of people for the new Maverick series…I think people will be surprised by the fresh look at Jesus we’ll be taking.
• Be there…be there early…and don’t forget to sit up front!
• I’ll be posting the final Reality Check video later in the week…great job by Brian and Aaron in making these happen!
• Ok time for a quick nap before heading back over to the church for our annual congregational meeting…come on out to hear the exciting things we have in store for 2010!

ALEX DANIELS ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

WASHINGTON — Nearly nine months into his administration President Barack Obama has yet to nominate any judges for three open positions on the federal bench in Arkansas. “We’re a little bit behind,” said Sen. Mark Pryor. He and the state’s senior senator, Blanche Lincoln, submitted a list of nine candidates for the open spots in March.

At the time, they were harshly criticized by the Arkansas State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the W. Harold Flowers Law Society — formerly the Arkansas Black Lawyers Association — for not including a black candidate.

After one of the candidates, 8th Judicial District Circuit Judge James Hudson, died in May, the senators added Carlton Jones, who is black, to the list of candidates for an open U.S. district judge position in the Western District of Arkansas. Jones is a deputy prosecutor for the 8th Judicial District in Texarkana. Jones was on a list of potential nominees sent by the W. Harold Flowers Law Society to Lincoln and Pryor in March.

Spokesmen for both senators said that race did not play into their decision to put Jones’ name forward. The other candidates for that position are U.S. Magistrate Judge Caroline Craven of Texarkana and Susan Hickey, who is a law clerk for U.S. District Judge Harry Barnes. The position was created when Barnes assumed senior status on the court — effectively retiring from full-time service.

Lincoln, who like Pryor is a Democrat, said the lack of any White House nominations made her “anxious.”
However, she said the Obama administration was “not close to being outrageously slow compared to past administrations. President Obama is pretty much on par,” with previous presidents, she said.

Obama has sent the Senate 22 nominations for the 91 positions currently vacant, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Of those, the Senate has confirmed three judges, including his first pick for the U.S. Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor. Pryor, who cited figures from the Congressional Research Service, said that during the first year of his presidency, Bill Clinton nominated 47 federal judges. George W. Bush nominated 64 judges in 2001, the first year of his presidency.

The White House is making selections from the list provided by Arkansas’ senators, said an administration official who spoke on the condition her name not be used in dealing with a personnel issue. She said there was no timeline for making the nominations.

The only black federal judge in Arkansas is U.S. District Judge Brian Miller, who was appointed by President George W. Bush. His candidacy was pushed by Rep. John Boozman, an Arkansas Republican who had the duty of sending names to the White House when the Republicans held control of the U.S. House. Dale Charles, president of the state NAACP, said, “We still have nothing to show from the two Democratic U.S. senators.”

Though he said he was pleased that Jones’ name had been added to the list for the Western District opening, he said “we’re still very concerned about the lack of African-Americans being submitted. Most traffic, when you’re dealing with civil-rights cases, is in the Eastern District,” he said.

Lincoln said the White House has begun vetting the candidates she and Pryor recommended. Traditionally, the president picks nominees from those recommended by home-state senators. In addition to the federal judge candidates, Lincoln and Pryor submitted six names for two U.S. attorney positions and four names for two open U.S. marshal positions in the state.

Though she and Pryor said they were concerned about Obama’s pace — “justice delayed is justice denied,” Pryor said — they suggested that other priorities, such as health-care legislation, the auto bailout and stimulus package, made the delay reasonable.

• Weird day only having one Experience.
• Weird things happened as well.
• We found a mouse nest in the tech room.
• And we had some lights doing some crazy things during the Experience.
• Hope the mice aren’t chewing the wires making that happen.
• In any case no one probably knew about the lighting problems because they were actually creating a neat effect.
• It’s hard not to sound biased since Gayle is one of my best friends, but her singing today was awesome.
• Love the new song “Revelation Song” which she led…wow…I couldn’t help but to just fall to my knees backstage and worship!
• As always we had a lot of fun shooting the videos fro this series.
• Brian does an incredible job as Satan and thanks to Scott McCurley for playing the role of Reality.
• To watch me get “Reality Checked”, you can watch the video here.
• Wasn’t really sure I was pleased with today’s message going into it, but I was pleased with what came out.
• Think it gave everyone a lot to think about.
• God is good in that way…in my weakness, He is strong.
• After United, it was a quick turnover to reset the room and get everyone ready for the capital campaign kick-off service in the sanctuary.
• Great job by Juanita Kauffman and her team in organizing everything.
• In my 3 years of being at the church, that’s probably the best combined service we’ve ever had.
• It’s so hard combining so many styles and have everyone be pleased with it, but I think today’s service was very respectful to everyone and was actually quite good.
• I was told my job was to get the crowd fired up…think it worked. 
• The meal with everyone was also really cool…who knew we could put 550+ people in the gym and feed them all.
• Got to meet a lot of people during the meal, including a former classmate of mine.
• That now makes 3 other people from my graduating class that attend United.
• What’s amazing about that is we grew up 45 minutes away.
• All in all, a good day!
• Time for a quick nap then off to friend’s house for dinner.

• Another fun day!
• Any day where people are giving their lives to Christ though is a good day in my book!
• Both crowds today we’re really energetic…especially the 11:15 crowd.
• I loved the band’s version of the song, “Second Chance”.
• We had Andrea hold out the one note twice as long as it is in the original and in both Experiences I got goose bumps…she and they did awesome!
• It’s been great to add some new band members recently…today we added Steve on drums and Andrew on guitar.
• That’s in addition to recent additions of Brett, Dan and Cressa.
• All the new people are doing great and adding nice depth to the team.
• Of course I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Brian, Adam, Andrea, Alex and Gayle for their years of hard work on the team.
• I really enjoyed this series…I always get as much out of them preaching as you probably do listening to them.
• Remember, “The clearer the vision, the fewer the options, the easier the decision”
• Also don’t forget, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down”.
• Next week we’ll only have the 9:45 Experience so make sure you’re there early to get a good seat and don’t forget to invite someone as we launch a new series called “Reality Check”.

• Mixed emotions about today.
• It was a fun and impactful weekend, but with the holiday, attendance was way down.
• Pretty hard to get pumped up, especially during the second Experience.
• However, still got to keep the perspective of even on our “off” weeks, God is still doing something amazing amongst us so we an never take that for granted.
• After being away last week, it was nice to be back preaching again.
• I’m so excited about what God is going to do in people’s lives…can’t wait for next week!
• Love the stage set Brian designed for the series…very clever!
• I just realized that for the first time in weeks, I didn’t have to wear a costume to church!
• While REWIND was fun, glad to be back to “normal”.
• Although I have been having some difficulty with my mic (thanks Brian and Andy between Experiences decided to tape it to my head…I’m sure pictures of that will show up eventually online.
• I bit the inside of my lip pretty hard between Experiences as well…ouch that hurt.
• I liked the new song the team introduced today…and the way they introduced it, with Brian teaching you guys what to do.
• We came up with the idea this morning during warm-ups.  Wish you could have seen that.  Brian and Gayle were like Abbott and Costello doing “Who’s on First”…hilarious.
• The special music song “Unveil” was weird…at the end of it at the first Experience the crowd roared…at the second they sat there in complete silence.
• In any case, it’s a great theme song for the series and we’ll give you chances to sing along in future weeks.
• I felt good about the message…think if we’ll all apply the tips I’ll be sharing, we’ll all hear clearly from God about what His will for our lives is.
• Can you tell I’m writing this after a long nap…I’m all over the place.
• Time to go…dinner with friends!

Art Team Assemble!

“Flash Facts”
Author: Geoff Johns
Artist: Ethan Van Sciver
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Colorist: Brian Miller (Hi-Fi)
Cover Artists: Ethan Van Sciver and Brian Miller
Associate Editor: Chris Conroy
Editor: Joey Cavalieri

Flash: Rebirth #4 is an all-encompassing, high-stakes drama, filled with big revelations, but be forewarned: it’ll do yer head in.  Geoff Johns, DC continuity surgeon, takes his scalpel to the entire Flash mythos, and while I can’t say the operation went altogether smoothly, the end result is more than satisfactory.  Indeed, some of the revelations went right over my head, even with the help of Max Mercury’s pseudo-science, and some dense exposition from series villain, Professor Eobard Thawne (a.k.a. the Reverse-Flash).  Johns’ retcons and repairs are a little more obvious than what we’ve come to expect  from him in recent times, recalling his earlier, clumsier [but still enjoyable] works.  Perhaps a better analogy, then, would be that of the band-aid.  “This will only hurt a little bit”, Johns assures as he quickly rips it off.  There’s an implicit trust between Geoff Johns and his readership – that everything will come good in the end – and considering the health of the Green Lantern property, I think it’s entirely justified.

Thankfully, the aforementioned revelations are imparted during an action-packed battle between Barry Allen and the Reverse-Flash.  I have to hand it to the creative team here, Reverse-Flash is absolutely menacing.  Ethan Van Sciver draws him like a hate-filled god, colorist Brian Miller makes his eyes burn like cigarettes, and Rob Leigh makes his speech bubbles crackle with static electricity.  This lends a weight and an urgency to the epic story, and one gets the feeling that the Speed Force will never be the same again.  Van Sciver’s pencils are once again beautifully detailed, while Miller’s bold reds and yellows are absolutely breathtaking.  In fact, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that this is the best looking book I’ve read this week.

Johns’ characterisations are spot-on.  He deftly juggles the entire Flash family and an ensemble cast of super-speedsters, giving each of them a unique voice.  I knew next to nothing about Max Mercury prior to reading this issue, but I came away with an appreciation of who he is and where he fits in the DC pantheon.  It’s also good to see Bart Allen get his wit back – he seemed to have lost it after his own rebirth – and embrace his original role as Kid Flash.  Ethan Van Sciver also did an excellent job of differentiating Wally West from Barry Allen – their identical Flash costumes had posed a problem until now – through a clever story device.

Rebirth #4 may have stumbled off the starting block, but it certainly came through with the goods.

• From the outside looking in, today looked pretty good, but behind the scenes, it was a rough day.
• Pretty fitting though considering that I was preaching about how to go through tough times and grow from it. 
• Despite a lot of technical difficulties, it was still a fun day.
• I’m sort of sad that we’re done with the medley’s…they were all a lot of fun!
• Don’t know how many people picked up on the Milli Vanilli lip synching gag…oh well at least we amused ourselves.
• Brian and Adam’s dancing was about as good as mine….haha!
• I thought then that the whole team really pulled it together for Loser.
• Brian did a great job of remembering an incredibly confusing song, Adam played the slide on the guitar to perfection and Andy gave Brian some neat effects for the rapping portions.
• At the 9:45 I was really flustered by everything that had happened in the morning and then my mic was causing some weird feedback which never happens.
• I was disappointed, but I’ve had quite a few people tell me that the message really spoke to them.
• At 11:15 then I was able to bring it with a bit more passion.
• I was sharing with a few people that if we ever do a series like this again, I’m scheduling it for the winter…
• All these wigs and costumes I’ve been wearing are very hot…nothing like wearing flannel today when it’s hot and humid out.
• Had some guests tell me that a greeter at the door asked them if they wanted the “smokey and wild” service or the normal one.
• Interestingly enough with a description like that, they still chose to come to United.
• I forgot to mention at the 11:15 that if you’re interested in helping with set-up or tear-down, we could really use your help.  Either put it on a Connection Card or e-mail Tony at  thediehls@comcast.net
• I’m excited about this up-coming week for two reasons…
  • First, Lisa and I will be on vacation in Florida!
  • Second, Josh Schlotterbeck is going to finish out the Rewind series by looking at the song Criminal.
• Josh is an awesome young man of God and I promise you’ll not want to miss out on what God wants to speak to you through him.
• This is going to be big-time salvation message, so if you have friends, neighbors, co-workers or relatives that don’t yet have a relationship with Christ, do whatever it takes to make sure they show up next week.
• The following week then I’ll be back with the start to a new series called, Unveil:  Revealing God’s Will For My Life.
• That’s a question everyone wants to know so I’m excited to share with you how to discover God’s will.
• Again there are plenty of invite cards in the back, so invite, invite, invite!
• Since I’ll be on vacation, I probably won’t post much, but check back periodically for vacation up-dates.

According to the latest report from the Santa Cruz Sentinel, Psycho Donuts, no longer has a padded cell where you can put on a straitjacket. Instead the cell has been changed into a music booth, complete with a guitar that customers can play. This is on top of renaming the three most offensive donuts the shop originally offered.

Both Oscar Wright, who debated former owner Kipp Berdiansky, and Brian Miller of NAMI, have praised Zwiegoron for the changes he has made. Briam Miller is looking for ways to work together with the new Psycho Donuts.

• Another great day!
• What a lot of fun this series has been and today was no exception.
• From a behind the scenes perspective, we couldn’t have asked for a smoother day.
• I really love the new song the team did today called, “Arms Open Wide”…a good mix of slow worshipful reflection and driving rock.
• Brian is doing an awesome job with the stage sets and this particular one has made his lighting go to another level.
• So cool to have Dustin Swartz as our guest guitarist for “Don’t Stop Believing”…only 14 years old…wow!
• For those that missed the story, he played it as his audition song for Aaron just a matter of minutes after the creative team meeting in which we decided to use it as a part of this series.
• There’s coincidence and then there is God…we definitely thought this was a God thing and so we used him.
• Awesome job Dustin…keep using your gift to glorify God!
• Even after the wild outfits the last few weeks, today’s made me feel incredibly self conscious.
• Maybe because some people still dress like that today and I was embarrassed to be seen like that.
• I had a lot of fun with today’s message…talking about video games and the Gospel…does it get any better?
• Had 8 more first time professions of faith…that will never get old!
• Can’t wait for the Next Steps ministry to start in September.
• Speaking of new ministries…in case you missed it, last week we started the “You Matter” ministry and the first task was to provide a week’s worth of food for the Boys and Girls Club of Chambersburg.
• Not only did we do that, but we far exceeded it.  We gave…
  • Enough drinks to last them through November…
  • Enough food to last through the winter…
  • Enough cash and gift cards to get them to next summer!
• This week’s task is to fill backpacks for needy kids and already about a dozen have been filled and turned in…wow!  Keep it up.
• I met some great new people today and all of them just couldn’t get over how different United was than what they expected from a church.
• If I haven’t mentioned it for awhile, let me remind you that I love getting to be your pastor.  You guys rock!
• I’m really excited about next week…not only will there be a 1990’s medley but I’ll be preaching based on the Beck’s song, Loser.
• I’m really, really looking forward to this message…make sure you invite a lot of people.

• Had a good day today!
• Ok any day where 6 people come into a relationship with Christ qualifies as not just a good day, but a great day!
• What a fun series as we look back at the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s.
• Again the band did a fantastic job of putting a medley together.
• That I got to help by rapping, Parent’s Just Don’t Understand was not only fun, but nerve-wracking.
• I didn’t have in-ear monitors, so I had to go off the sound from the house,
  but you guys were cheering so loud that I couldn’t hear the beat…got off a
  few times, but all in all it was fun to participate.
• I’m thinking Andrea was born to do covers of other bands…she again
  killed her parts!
• Had two new people on the team today and for the first time out, we
  threw a lot of stuff at them and they came through…thanks Dan and
  Cressa!
• I again think that the medley wound people up and by the worship set
  you guys were raring to go.
• I loved that during the 9:45, there was one point where all our vocalists
  dropped out and for about 1 minute it was nothing but the sound of your
  voices…and LOUD!
• I thought Brian did an awesome job with the song, Everybody Hurts. What a great intro into the message.
• I know today’s message wasn’t all touchy-feely, but it was something we all need to be reminded of from time to time.
• If Jesus brand was “love” and “compassion”, what makes us think ours should be anything different?
• I’m really excited about the new You Matter ministry.
• If you want to practically apply today’s message by getting involved helping the hurting in our community, You Matter is definitely the ministry for you to get involved with.
• Big props to Scott McCurley for dressing in his best 1980’s costume…wow that was impressive.  Don’t forget you can dress the part each week as well.
• Next week we’ll again look at the 80’s, this time with the song, Don’t Stop Believing.
• Almost hard to believe, but today marks the 1-year anniversary since we expanded to 2 Experiences.
• What’s amazing is that one year ago we were blown away by the attendance.  In fact we set a record that day.
• Today even though we had higher attendance than 1 year ago, it felt like a let down because people are still in full vacation mode.
• I’m excited about this series, but can’t wait for the next one when everyone is back and in inviting mode and we see dozens come to Christ each week, not just 1/2 dozen.
• You say. “Gilbert can’t you just be content with what we’ve got”?
• And the answer is a big fat NO.  As long as there are people in our community that don’t yet know Jesus, our mission is not complete.
• Join me in making a difference…you won’t regret it!
  • Invite someone to church with you next week.
  • Help “You Matter” to feed children in the Boys and Girls Club this week.
  • Wear your “You Matter” wristband all week and use it to share the good news with others.
• YOU MATTER and you can make a difference!

• What a great day!
• I promised an unforgettable opener to the Experience and I don’t think the team disappointed.
• The 9:45 crowd was about to explode our of their seats…the energy was incredible.
• If you missed it, you definitely missed something special.
• One of our core values is that…”Excellence honors God and inspires people”.
• Even the midst of the band covering 70’s music, I couldn’t help but get a little choked up as I saw the team giving their all to God in the hopes that something like that would prepare hearts for what was yet to come.
• The band worked incredibly hard and the video plus medley was the perfect start to the series.
• Great job by Brian in  coming up with the arrangement and I thought Andrea knocked her parts out of the park.
• Brian and the stage team did an awesome job creating a new set…definitely one of my favorites.

• I think the new times periods worked out great.
• I felt so goofy in my 70’s garb and wig, but I was pleased that the fu-manchu grew in.
• Gayle as well did a great job in covering “Imagine”…such a beautiful song, too bad as we saw in the message that the lyrics are so unrealistic.
• Thankfully though Jesus has a better way…”Love your enemies and pray for those the persecute you”.
• I’m also still amazed at how seriously Jesus takes the whole forgiveness thing…in essence…if you don’t forgive others, God will not forgive you.
• The energy at 11:15 was completely different…however still a good day!
• Right before the first Experience I was in my office and the phone rang.  I answered and it was a man (not from the church) asking if he could meet with me ASAP.
  • I told him I could meet at 12:30 and he said that was fine.
  • When I met with him you could tell he was broken and struggling.
  • To make a long story short, after a few hours and many tears, he prayed to ask Jesus for His forgiveness and to be the leader of his life.
  • I’m not going to mention the man’s name or his struggles, but if you could generically pray for him and his family this week, God knows who it is you’re praying for.
• I told you this story because again there is nothing else in life like helping people discover Jesus.
• Yes we had 2 great Experiences and yes I got to be up front doing my thing…but sitting with someone in my office and leading them into a relationship with Christ was by far the highlight of my day!
• So who are you inviting next week…again we’ll be doing something special as we look at the 1980’s and I’ll be preaching a message based off the song, “Everybody Hurts”.

• Sitting in my office getting ready for our staff picnic.
• Had a great day!
• Couple of minor glitches in the set-up portion and the keyboard died in the 10:45 (RIP), but other than that we couldn’t have asked for a smoother day.
• First, any day when people come into a relationship with Christ, it’s awesome…4 more today…God is so good!
• I’m really loving the new song “Yours Forever” that the team has done the past few weeks…great stuff!
• I also liked the new song today called “Ready Now”.  It was cool to intro it at the beginning of the Experience and then use it as a response song to the message.
• I love doing vision messages.  Nothing gets me fired up more than reminding people why we’re doing what we’re doing.
• The response so far to the message has been incredible…the real test will be in actually applying it…hope for a lot of new faces next week!
• The bumper video that Aaron put together was awesome.  What’s funny though is it took he, Brian and I almost 2 hours to record the voice overs.  For some reason we couldn’t get the equipment to record it right…so we did it again…and again…and on a different machine…and again…and on a different machine…and…
• It’s a shame some of them didn’t come out…Brian and I were having a lot of fun coming up with different things to say.
• The two videos I used today I thought were powerful as well.  Here are the links.  Pauline Jacobi getting robbed.  Penn Gets a Bible.
• I love that line…”How much do you have to hate someone to believe that there is a heaven and hell yet not tell someone how to escape it”. (paraphrase)
• Again it amazes me that an atheist understands that better than many people in churches.
• So one more time…Do whatever you can to invite people next week as we begin the REWIND series, by looking at the decade of the 70’s and specifically John Lennon’s, “Imagine”.
• Also be sure to check out the new web-site and join the United Worship Experience fan page on facebook.

Slow and steady wins the race.

“Rearview Mirrors”
Author: Geoff Johns
Artist: Ethan Van Sciver
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Colorist: Brian Miller
Assistant Editor: Chris Conroy
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Cover Artist: Ethan Van Sciver & Alex Sinclair
Variant Cover Colorist: Brian Miller

Flash: Rebirth #3 is an odd little duck.  While the cuts are quick and kinetic, the storytelling adopts a slow and steady approach.  It’s been mentioned by others before, but Van Sciver’s vertical panel-slicing does seem to contribute towards this feeling, for good or for ill (I for one would like to see more two-page spreads to open things up a little).  That and there just doesn’t seem to be all that much running.  The cover of this issue teases yet another race between the Flash and Superman, and while this particular race has an urgency the others can only dream of, it’s over so quickly that you wonder what all the fuss was about.  In truth, it was the most interesting plot-point they could reveal on the cover without spoiling a story full of surprises.

It’s really difficult to discuss this issue (or indeed last issue) without robbing it of its impact.  But I’ll put it this way: Barry Allen is back, and that’s not a good thing.  This issue maintains the cinematic feel of its predecessors, peeking around all corners of the speedsters’ lives.  Recent developments cause Barry to question his role as the Flash, and his place in the Speed Force, if he has a place at all.  Let’s just say that the Flash is about to face his Parallax in a race against time.

Comparisons to Green Lantern are apt, considering the reunion of Rebirth’s creative team to bring us this series.  I have every confidence that the Flash’s rebirth will live up to that association.  Despite some assertions to the contrary, Van Sciver is on his A-game for this outing, and Johns is continually improving his craft beyond all expectations (how does you challenge yourself when you’re already the best?).  The Flash books have languished ever since Johns’ departure all those years ago, and yet, these first three issues are far and away superior to his life’s work on the character.  As you’d expect, themes of death and rebirth are explored at length (as they have been in the rest of the DC Universe these past few years), and three issues in, I can’t help but see this is leading into Blackest Night.  Morrison did this with Batman and Final Crisis last year, so it’s not outside the realms of possibility.

A seasoned Flash writer, Johns seems to have stumbled over a Flash formula (3X2(9YZ)4A!) he’s not used before.  Time travel has always been elementary to the Flashes, but Johns’ time-travel-as-flashback or vice versa is quite clever.  It’s also quite confusing, but I have faith that all will make sense in this written-for-the-trade effort.  And while you *could* feasibly wait for this six-part story to be collected in a single volume, that would deny these cliffhangers of their power, not to mention your own anticipation.  You’ve gotta hand it to Johns, he really knows how to end a chapter, and he always leaves me wanting more.  I’ve said this before, but Johns is probably DC’s biggest fan, and the fact that he knows this universe and these characters so much better than all of us puts him one step ahead – in control – at all times.  Lead on, I say!

Shadows of Tomorrow

Writer/Artist: Dan Jurgens
Finished Inks: Norm Rapmund
Colorist: Brian Miller of Hi-Fi
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Assoc. Editor: Chris Conroy
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Cover: Jurgens, Rapmund, and Tom Chu
Publisher: DC Comics

It’s been a long time since I picked up any issues of this series–it’s one that seemed to have a promising concept, but just didn’t strike me as “mattering” all that much, and so I didn’t keep up beyond the first couple issues and a random issue or two I’ve scored from a bargain bin. This issue is one in which the cover was extremely influential–far, far moreso than most comics (since I usually walk into the store already having decided what I’m going to buy).

This one I saw on the shelf, and the combination of the cover image and the characters being put together (Booster Gold & Magog) made for something I was actually interest in checking out. The cover image of a grim Magog–shadowed face, angry-Booster reflected in his armor–reminds me a bit of that classic Wolverine vs. Hulk cover (whether it was intended to or not). I’ve enjoyed the most recent incarnation of the Booster Gold series, and his post-52 status quo has been interesting and really done a lot for the character in my mind–giving him a lot more purpose and credibility. And given the events at the tail end of the Thy Kingdom Come epic in Justice Society, I’m quite interested in seeing how the “new” Magog is handled, as there’s more to this version of the character than what had been running around the DCU for much of the past decade.

This issue opens with Booster and Skeets racing to the time lab in response to alarms, and finding mentor/leader Rip Hunter materializing, apparently in battle with someone. Working the Time Platform, they isolate Rip, bringing him back without his assailant…but with a scrap of a Superman costume from another time/world. When Rip forbids Booster from investigating Magog’s future (the assailant), Booster decides he can at least begin researching Magog in the present. Booster’s investigation leads to an encounter with Magog where the two–with vastly different methods–attend to a hostage situation and terrorists.

On the whole, this issue really felt like an issue of Booster Gold. Jurgens and Rapmund on writing/art are quite familiar to me recently for their work on the Booster Gold title. That said, the art for this issue is quite enjoyable–the visuals by this creative team make for my favorite depiction of Booster & co., and the take on Magog leaves me with no problems, either.

The story, too, felt like (despite being a single-issue/on-off tale) it really belongs in an issue of Booster Gold (and would have been a perfect filler in place of what we got in Booster Gold #20. As the creator of the character, Jurgens knows the character and supporting cast, and seems to have a good grasp of what makes for a good story with them. He also adds some depth to Magog, and sets up what could be an interesting relationship between Booster and Magog, given the nature of the characters and time travel.

This seems a great issue to snag for a single-issue enjoyable read. It doesn’t seem to be directly continued from any prior cliffhanger, and it leaves on a satisfying ending that does not require one to jump right into the next issue for a cliffhanger’s resolution. As a one-shot, regularly-priced ($2.99) comic, this is easily the best comic of the week for me.

Highly recommended for readers of Booster Gold, or fans of either character.

Story: 8.5/10
Art: 8.5/10
Whole: 9/10

MSNBC covers protest at Psycho Donuts in Campbell, California. Both youtube videos below show that the issue goes beyond donuts.

Ben Bunag interviews Brian Miller about the Psycho Donuts protest.

Flor de Caña website image - courtesy Flor de Caña

Flor de Caña, the Slow-Aged Rum from Nicaragua opens a new online website for consumers to enjoy.  This new home sports an immeasurable wealth of information with cocktail library featuring signature cocktails from some of the world’s top bartenders including Brian Miller from Death & Co., NY, and Ryan Lane from Bowery Bar, Australia. 

The website www.flordecana.com takes a significant step in assisting the home bartender by featuring step by step instructions for classic cocktails and new Flor de Caña favorites such as ‘Fat Like Buddha’ and ‘Grand Maple Leaf.’ 

Fat Like Buddha – created by Brian Miller, Death & Co., NY - photo courtesy Flor de Caña

Fat Like Buddha – created by Brian Miller, Death & Co., NY

2 ounces Flor de Cana 7 Year Grand Reserve Rum

3/4 ounce Dubonnet Rouge

1/4 ounce Benedictine

1/4 ounce Cointreau

Instructions:  Stir and strain into an A/P coupe. Garnish with a flamed orange twist.

Consumers also have the chance to explore Flor de Caña’s history from 1890 to present with the traditions that have carried over with unwavering resilience.  The site highlights Flor de Caña’s passion for its craft, legacy and efforts to respect the environment during production.  The brand focuses on the distinctive ‘Slow Aged’ process which encapsulates the Flor de Caña brand quality.  The age on the label guarantees the number of years the liquid has aged in the barrel.

Visit the site, learn about Flor de Caña, pick up hints from the master bartenders and gather some new recipes to try for yourself and sample with your friends.  www.flordecana.com

The Flor de Caña website has been launched in English, but will soon be available in Spanish as well.

Copyright 2009 Cheri Loughlin – The Intoxicologist – All Rights Reserved

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