text:
Jun 16 The Firehouse is On Fire with Growth and Expansion
The Firehouse - Topeka's DIY Workshop
The business clearly offers something that Topeka wants—a DIY experience and a lovely work of art to take home. Owner Angel McGhee says that crafters from novice to advanced can make projects and walk away with a piece of décor to feel proud of. Whether it is something beautiful to warm their own home or a gift for someone special, you can make signs, shelves, photo boards and more. The best part? Crafters get hands-on guidance and materials are provided, making it an easy way to get started. If you're always marking things on Pinterest, but don't seem to get around to gathering the materials and making the project happen, The Firehouse could be just what you need.
Welcome to our Home sign by The Firehouse that received almost 10 million views, 21,000 comments and 76,000 shares on Facebook.
Staff at the Firehouse have been busy serving customers outside of Topeka, too. A promo video for a welcome sign with interchangeable, seasonal pieces went viral, resulting in customers around the globe reaching out to have the product shipped to their homes. The video was a game changer for McGhee's business.
"Posting on social media isn't natural for me, but I've read that you should try to post at least once a day to build interest," McGhee said. "I put together a quick video to show off this fun sign and then posted without thinking too much about it."
By that night, a couple thousand people had watched the video. By the next morning, it had over 10,000 views, and now it's up to almost 10 million total with more than 21,000 comments and 76,000 shares. McGhee realized as she began responding to comments on the video that the people asking for the product were not just from Topeka, but all over the U.S. and as far away as Germany and Japan.
"I got a little overwhelmed," McGhee said, laughing. "I realized that I had to do something to take advantage of the opportunity in front of me, and I didn't want to mess it up."
SEIZING THE OPPORTUNITY
McGhee decided to set up an Etsy shop. She figured out how much it would cost to ship the sign, posted it to the shop page, and began taking orders. The timing was perfect, because The Firehouse had just started work on remodeling their new store space. Selling over 400 signs on Etsy and shipping them out helped to raise a lot of much needed revenue to finance the work.
The video changed the way that McGhee does business. Before the video, The Firehouse page on Facebook had about 3400 page likes—now it has more than 29,000. That means that every time McGhee posts, she's reaching thousands more people, each of whom can reach others in a lucrative ripple effect. When McGhee posts content now, she's still thinking about the local, on-site experience—the opportunity for Topeka area folks to come in and make something with their hands, but she's also thinking of her online customers. McGhee has expanded the offerings in her Etsy shop, and she now posts information on purchase and shipping for those outside the area who want to buy a ready-made craft.
Connecting people through creativity.
CREATING A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE
McGhee says that the mission of her on-site business is to help people get crafty and make something with their own hands—even if they don't think that they are artists—and to bring people together to have enjoy themselves while they create.
"We help each person make something unique by creating or recreating a custom design for them," McGhee said. "It's a way for people to tell their story, because most people have a favorite quote or saying that is meaningful to them. We offer private events for birthday parties, team building, bridal showers, bachelorette parties, girls' nights, etc., or you can come into an open studio with friends or alone and enjoy the company of new friends. I've realized the importance of having a place for women and men to just come in and have fun. Most come in thinking I can't make anything and leave with something they are proud of making."
FINDING THE PASSION
McGhee got into crafts as a teenager, inspired by a crafty grandmother who did crochet, needlepoint, and quilting. For McGhee's grandmother, crafting was a way to stay busy and cope with the loss of both of her adult children. McGhee got hands-on herself after the birth of her daughter, when she wanted to decorate but didn't have a lot of money.
"I would see things at a store and try to figure out a way I could make it for cheaper," McGhee said. "I love to take something someone else is ready to throw away and give it new life. I will try to paint just about anything! I have been repurposing before Pinterest was a thing."
McGhee says that her business began with her own passion for decorating, upcycling, and crafting with friends.
"My friends were coming over and hanging out in the basement and I would help them make a project," she said. "Some of my friends weren't very crafty but when we were done they would be so excited because they made something and they were proud."
TAKING THE CHANCE
It was chance that led to the purchase of The Firehouse's original location, an actual old firehouse. McGhee went to an estate sale, and saw that the building itself was up for grabs. McGhee's husband saw an opportunity to recreate the space as a crafting spot for her and her friends, so they made the leap. After remodeling the space and opening up for business in April of 2018, The Firehouse took off and became a full-time job.
So just how does it work? The Firehouse offers classes, as well as open studio time. For those walking in for an open studio, over 100 ready to make projects are on hand. You can also go outside the templates and bring in something that you'd like to fix up, ask McGhee to help you find a certain piece of furniture to repurpose, or even bring in materials that you'd like to turn into something special. McGhee will help you conceptualize a project and make a plan.
"I've had people bring in wood that was from their Grandparents barn to make a porch sign," McGhee said. "I always love a good challenge!"
McGhee notes that one of the best things about running a DIY workshop is seeing people connect with each other in her space.
"People do come in on their own, and see this as a place to meet other people, companionship while crafting," McGhee said. "I see a lot of young women who feel like they don't fit in with their peers, and their looking for a place to belong. Crafts connect people. There's something about getting your hands busy that makes it easier to talk to others and make that connection."
Check out The Firehouse website to find the class schedule, and to see color photographs of the many crafting opportunities on offer. The new location is at 3030 NW Topeka Blvd, and is open Monday-Friday from 9am-4 pm, Thursday and Friday evenings from 5-8 pm, and Saturday as posted on the calendar.
http://www.thefirehousetopeka.com/class-schedule/
Miranda Ericsson is a librarian, poet, and freelance writer. She's interested in leadership, technology, and the many ways that local businesses enrich our community. Ericsson majored in creative writing at Washburn University in Topeka and earned her Master of Library and Information Science from Emporia State University. Her work has been published in Inscape, Argo, Homewords, XYZ Magazine, and TK Business Magazine.
Jun 16 Ashley Wallace | YWCA Women of Excellence
Jun 13 Who is Watching You?


In this chapter, we learn how to publish our game, push updates, and incorporate social features such as a global leaderboard or an achievements system.
The following .zip download contains the full source code for each programming example provided in this chapter. Note that this includes royalty free music by Matt McFarland. I am including this music file for your convenience. Please see the included license file. Note also that this .zip does NOT include the Google Play Game Services sample. That can be found farther down on this page.
1. EllioAndroid Chapter 10 Checkpoint 1: Changes package name (Note you must provide your own in order to publish. See page 384), adds ability to respond to onPause() and onResume(), and fixes resource leak.
2. EllioAndroid Chapter 10 Checkpoint 2: Adds music to the game, adds pausing to PlayState.
3. EllioAndroid Chapter 10 Challenge (Muting): Solution to the challenge on page 405. Demonstrates how to incorporate a mute/unmute button.
4. EllioAndroid Chapter 10 Demo (In-game Pausing): Demonstrates how to pause the game using a button in the PlayState.
You can download the sample at the following link. Please read the included instructions or it will NOT work.
Click Here to see how to import the above projects into your workspace.
The following .zip download contains all assets used in this chapter. These are used when uploading the game to Google Play.
1. For a list of all known in-text errors, please see the Errata.
This section will be updated as needed. Please post on our forums if you need assistance or explanation on topics covered in this chapter.


If a brand is the immediate image, emotion, or message that people experience when they think of a company or product, then brand owners face the complex challenge of communicating an identity or personality. Marketers seek to constantly build brand equity, the inherent value that positively differentiates it from equivalent alternatives. This award will be made to a business that can demonstrate its success in creating and executing an effective brand strategy, creating clarity around the brand's essence and values, achieving differentiation and trust in the minds of the brand's consumers, and consequently achieving brand growth.


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Q: Fail-safe injector for child modules. Optional bindings in google guice I have a child module called ChildPlugin and I inject classes from main module as follows:
public class ChildPlugin {
    private ExampleClass demo;

    @Inject
    public void setDemo(ExampleClass demo) {
        this.demo = demo;
    }
}

The problem is that I don't know whether the main module binds ExampleClass and if it's not Guice throws an exception when creating the injector. What I want to do is to make Guice pass null or Optional.empty if ExampleClass is not binded.
I do not have access to the main module so I cannot change binder for ExampleClass to OptionalBinder, I tried @Nullable and Optional<ExampleClass> in ChildPlugin.setDemo method but it didn't work.

A: there are 2 ways to do this.
Optional injection
Use the com.google.inject.Inject annotation. This one allows you to specify optional on the annotation. See this example:
public class GuiceInjectOptional extends AbstractModule {

    @Override
    protected void configure() {

        // method 1:
        bind(B.class).in(Singleton.class);

    }

    public static class A {

        private String name;
        // non null constructor so that A can't be instantiated automatically by guice
        public A(String name) {
            this.name = name;
        }

        @Override
        public String toString() {
            return "I am: " + name;
        }
    }

    public static class B {

        @Inject(optional=true)
        A obj;

        void run() {
            System.out.println("Object is: " + obj);
        }
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Injector injector = Guice.createInjector(new GuiceInjectOptional());
        injector.getInstance(B.class).run();;
    }

}

The annotation on class B indicates that A is optional. It does not get injected. Running the snippet prints:
Object is: null

Method 2 (which is the way you'd do it after guice 4+). You can specify optional bindings. These bindings even allow you to define default values if you like. You can then inject an optional value like in this snippet I wrote up:
public class GuiceInjectOptional extends AbstractModule {

    @Override
    protected void configure() {
        // set up optional binding for A.
        OptionalBinder.newOptionalBinder(binder(), A.class);

        bind(B.class).in(Singleton.class);
    }

    public static class A {

        private String name;
        // non null constructor so that A can't be instantiated automatically by guice
        public A(String name) {
            this.name = name;
        }

        @Override
        public String toString() {
            return "I am: " + name;
        }
    }

    public static class B {

        @Inject
        Optional<A> obj;

        void run() {
            System.out.println("Object is present: " + obj.isPresent());
            System.out.println("Object is: " + obj);
        }
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Injector injector = Guice.createInjector(new GuiceInjectOptional());
        injector.getInstance(B.class).run();;
    }

}

The Inject annotation is now non-optional, but guice is aware that class A may or may not have been bound.
Running the snippet will print:
Object is present: false
Object is: Optional.empty

Finally, you can then just bind A normally and guice will inject it:
public class GuiceInjectOptional extends AbstractModule {

    @Override
    protected void configure() {
        // set up optional binding for A.
        OptionalBinder.newOptionalBinder(binder(), A.class);

        bind(A.class).toInstance(new A("Pandaa!"));
        bind(B.class).in(Singleton.class);
    }

    public static class A {

        private String name;
        // non null constructor so that A can't be instantiated automatically by guice
        public A(String name) {
            this.name = name;
        }

        @Override
        public String toString() {
            return "I am: " + name;
        }
    }

    public static class B {

        @Inject
        Optional<A> obj;

        void run() {
            System.out.println("Object is present: " + obj.isPresent());
            System.out.println("Object is: " + obj);
        }
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Injector injector = Guice.createInjector(new GuiceInjectOptional());
        injector.getInstance(B.class).run();;
    }

}

And the above will print:
Object is present: true
Object is: Optional[I am: Pandaa!]

And this is how you have fail safe optional bindings with guice :) I hope this helps.
Edit: I just saw the guice-3 tag, so you'll want to use the optional annotation method rather than the optional binder. With the optional annotation it will stay null instead of being an Optional value.
Artur

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


How do we know the "Becker-Rauff Letter," about the existence and use of gas vans, is authentic?
For example, Ingrid Weckert, a German Holocaust denier, claims that such a detailed letter about the existence and use of the gas vans in the occupied Soviet territories must be a forgery, created by the Allies for the International Military Tribunal for the Trial of Major German War Criminals in 1945/46.
The Becker-Rauff letter is not uncertain, dubious, or forged. The testimonies of the men who wrote the letter, built the vans, and used them to murder victims—August Becker, Walter Rauff, and Otto Ohlendorf—corroborate the letter's authenticity.
The letter is dated May 16, 1942 and is from August Becker, a chemist, to Walter Rauff, the head of the gas vans program in Berlin. Rauff had sent Becker to the East to investigate problems relating to the gas vans and report back. In the letter, Becker refers to "places of execution," "persons to be executed," the need to camouflage the vans [as observers began calling them "death vans"], and how leaks endangered the health of the drivers.
Weckert attempts to discredit the Becker-Rauff letter by citing an affidavit Rauff gave to his American captors in 1945. In this affidavit, Rauff affirmed that he was the head of the department that constructed the gas vans from February 1940 to March 1940 and then again from May 1942 to June 1942. However, Rauff claimed that during the period between March 1940 to May/June 1942 (when the gas vans were built and used), he was assigned to other tasks, so ultimately he had no knowledge about the building or use of gas vans. Based on this affidavit, Weckert claims that Becker's letter is a forgery because Rauff was not then the head of the department that built them.
One must consider the context in which Rauff provided these affidavits. Shortly after the war, the Americans captured Rauff in Italy, but he eventually escaped their custody and fled to Damascus, Syria. From there he moved to Ecuador, finally settling in Chile, where he worked as the manager of a king crab cannery until his death in 1984. Since Chile refused to extradite Rauff, despite pleading from several nations and individuals, he did not fear the possibility of extradition in 1972. At this later date, he felt quite free to tell the truth: he was head of the department responsible for gas van construction.
Based on the later testimony of Rauff, Weckert's criticisms of the Becker-Rauff letter's authenticity are unwarranted.
Otto Ohlendorf, the head of Einsatzgruppe D, also testified at the International Military Tribunal for the Trial of German Major War Criminals (1945/46). In his testimony before the court, Ohlendorf stated that he had received the gas vans in the spring of 1942 for use in the "killing of women and children." He similarly claimed that Becker had visited his unit to supervise the use of the gas vans.
The Becker-Rauff letter is not a forgery or of dubious origin. The testimonies of the men who designed, built, and used the gas vans corroborate its authenticity.
 Ingrid Weckert, "The Gas Vans: A Critical Assessment of the Evidence" ("3.1.4. Summary") and ("3.1.1. Origin of document PS-501") at http://www.vho.org/GB/Books/dth/fndwagon.html.
 Ingrid Weckert, "The Gas Vans: A Critical Assessment of the Evidence" ("3.1.4. Summary") and ("3.1.1. Origin of document PS-501").
 You may read the entire text of the Becker/Rauff letter at http://holocaustresearchproject.org/einsatz/rauff.html.
 Ingrid Weckert, "The Gas Vans: A Critical Assessment of the Evidence" ("3.2 Affidavits"). And, Santiago Alvarez and Pierre Marais, The Gas Vans: A Critical Investigation (Barnes Review, 2011), p. 288.
 You can read the entire text of Rauff's 1972 deposition (p. 12) at http://www.nizkor.org/ftp.cgi/people/r/rauff.walter/Rauff-deposition-translation.
 You can read the text of Ohlendorf's testimony about the use of gas vans on the Eastern Front (Part 4 of 15) at http://www.nizkor.org/hweb/imt/tgmwc/tgmwc-03/tgmwc-03-26-04.html.


We are a tea store from Kunming city, Yunnan province, China, opened in 2010. Chawangshop specializes in selling Chinese tea and related tea-wares, all reasonably price. We live by this goal: To provide high quality teas and the products to serve them. And to create a unique tea experience in each store by encouraging a positive, healthy outlook for all who enter.
Thank you for visit our shop!
Hanshan Teahouse offer free tea art course, taught by the senior tea art specialist and senior tea-taster. According to your requirements, a variety of tea samples are available for tasting. For details, please contact us by email.


Neolithic Shell Midden Sites in Lal-lo and Gattaran Municipalities is part of the Tentative list of Philippines in order to qualify for inclusion in the World Heritage List.
Several shell middens dot the banks of the Cagayan river. Between the two towns, Lal-lo is more interesting as it was the site of one of the four earliest cities in the Philippines, Ciudad de Nueva Segovia; its decline and demise, however, started with the transfer of the Diocese of Nueva Segovia to Vigan, an already WHS. These ancient garbages tell us more than the diet that early inhabitants in this area had. It also illustrates the material culture and lifestyles that they had through bones, beads, shards, among others, found together with the middens. Despite the sites' archaeological importance in the region, they still clearly struggle in being relevant and meaningful to travelers and even to the people living in the areas themselves.


We are a company that combine website design with search engine optimisation, paid search marketing and website statistical analysis. Our aim is to make your website more profitable and one that out performs your competitors.
Wanted man with a Van .
Does anyone know a man or two with a van that wd like the job of taking two beds to redcycling centre?
HELP Man (or two) and van, wanted for furniture removal to recycling centre.
does anyone know of some strong men who have a vehicle than can take a couple of beds to recycling centre? Have asked in obvious places, to no avail, any ideas anyone?
Successful relocation for the local swans, one happy brood.
Good news for our Bridge!
Save the Date! The Duck Race is coming….


uncertainties facing the Canadian economy, particularly U.S.
bank could raise its first-quarter growth forecast.
while it touched its strongest since April 3 at C$1.3311.
potential housing market correction, Moody's said.


Leon C. Ostrowski, Sr., 84, of Mountain Top, passed away, Thursday, March 21, 2019, with loving family by his side, in the Wilkes Barre Veteran Affairs Medical Center.
The son of the late Chester and Teresa Kucharski Ostrowski, Leon was born in Wilkes-Barre on March 27, 1934 and graduated from GAR High School, Class of 1951. He continued his education at Penn State University, where he earned a degree in Engineering; Kings College, where he earned a degree in Information Systems and also attended classes in Management Development at Wittenberg University, Springfield, OH.
He served his country proudly in the Untied States Air Force, during the Korean Conflict and was the recipient of the Good Conduct Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.
Leon was employed at Thiokol Chemical in New Jersey, working with the development of the X-15 rocket engine; RCA semi conductor plant, Mountain Top and Burroghs Computer in Dowingtown, PA. He was plant engineer at Techneglas, Pittston and retired after 28 years at Techneglas. He also worked part time as a Pennsylvania Game Commission Deputy.
He had a private pilots license and enjoyed flying, hunting, fishing and playing golf. Mr. Ostrowski was a member of St Jude's Church, Mountain Top; American Legion, Mountain Top and the American Institute of Plant Engineers.
Leon was preceded, in addition to his parents, by his brother, Raymond and infant brother, Chester.
He is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Dolores Dourand Ostrowski; daughter, Donna Lee (Ostrowski) Draina and her husband, Allen of Hanover Township; son, Leon Ostrowski and his wife, Mary of Media, PA; daughter, Molly (Ostrowski) Buczynski and her husband, Gary of Mountain Top; six grandchildren, Lee, David, Gary, Allison, Alex and Christian, two great grandchildren, Vincent and Tyler; sister, Bonnie Wallace, Wyoming, nieces and nephews.
Funeral service will be held on Monday, March 25, 2019 at 9:15 am from the Lehman Family Funeral Service, Inc. 689 Hazle Ave. Wilkes-Barre, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 am in St. Jude's Church, Mountain Top with Reverend Joseph J. Evanko officiating. Interment will follow in Maple Hill Cemetery, Hanover Twp.
Friends may visit on Sunday, March 24, 2019, from 4 to 7 pm and Monday from 9:00 am until time of service at the funeral home.
Family would like to thank Lori Dotter, Nina Bodnar, Abby Hudock, Brandy DeOcamontes and sister in law, Cathy Ostrowski for the dedicated and compassionate care given to Leon; Dr. Gregory Fino and hospice staff at the Veteran's Administration hospital for their kindness and compassion during our difficult time.


text:
Rafael (Rafa) Ferrer Noel - Co-Founder/Artistic & Musical Director/Instructor
Born in Cuba on the eve of Carnival, Rafael has dancing in his blood. From winning "best male performer" at his first international dance festival aged only 10, he went on to compete and perform in many festivals, including the renowned Festival de Caribe in Santiago de Cuba. Specialising in Afro-Cuban and Afro-Haitian dance, he worked as a professional dancer and choreographer in Havana and performed all over Cuba, including at the Teatro Nacional de Habana, and on Cuban and Spanish television, before emigrating to New Zealand and founding CUBAN☆FUSION with his to-be-wife Rosina in 2005. With his big smile and huge talent Rafael has been a regular and popular feature at iconic Australasian events such as Jambalaya, the NZ Salsa Congress, the Aotearoa Cuban Festival, the Byron Bay Latin Festival, the Sydney Cuban Salsa Congress and Australian Rueda Festival since then and was a regular on TVNZ's Good Morning Show for many years. Rafael also sings and plays percussion in a number of Wellington-based bands, including his very own Afro-Cuban eight and five piece jazz bands MafereFUN Yemayá and AfroKan, as well the Cuban Duo Madera Fina and the Son de Cuba Quartet. See link for full bio.
Rosina van der Aa - Co-Founder/Managing Director/Instructor
CUBAN☆FUSION is a family affair. Rosina met Rafael in the main square in Havana where she was enjoying the cool breeze and live music from a nearby bar while recovering from her train trip back from Santiago de Cuba, where she'd gone to study and dance Son in it's home-town with the Maestro.. way back in 2004. Her passion for Cuban dance and music however pre-dates that trip (and Rafael) some 8 years having lived and worked (and danced as many nights/early mornings a week as could) in Chile and Mexico for Fonterra since 1997. Rosina stepped back from teaching (and dancing) in 2007 after their birth of their son, instead dedicating herself to managing and promoting the business, its bands and dance troupes in addition to other voluntary work like project managing LatinBeat's entries in the Cuba Street Carnival and Santa Parades. You will however see her occasionally out and about hosting their very popular community events, like their Sunday Sessions @ The Cross, Cuba Street Salsa Parties and Salsa @ Sunset down on the waterfront during the summer months.. and very very occasionally DJing at their events if Rafael, aka Mr Musica or DJ Timba Cubana, away. #DJPeligROSA. See link for full bio.
Rogelio (Roy) Carles Rosas - Senior Instructor
After taking a little break, due to a move up the coast in xxx, we are very pleased to welcome Rogelio back to CUBAN☆FUSION in 2021. Originally from Panama, with Cuban heritage, Rogelio was the founding father of Salsa in Wellington and has been associated with CUBAN☆FUSION since the beginning, including our collaborations under the LatinBeat banner with the Cuba Street Carnival and Santa Parades, which he was the creative force behind. Rogelio is now teaching on Tuesdays and Thursdays on The Kapiti Coast. Hit the link to register now. See link for full bio.
Nina Baranenko - Teaching Assistant
Nina, who is originally from Russia lived in Sweden for many years before emigrating to New Zealand in 2000. Nina has a jazz dance background, but fell in love with Salsa when she was introduced to it by her Cuban brother-in-law, a Salsa instructor in Stockholm at the time. Nina was delighted to discover that Salsa dancing was also popular in New Zealand. She enjoys the very friendly and happy atmosphere and incredible people from various backgrounds, who share the same interest in dancing as she does. Nina started out as a member of CUBAN☆FUSION's performance team cazino.com back in 2006 and has been a part of CUBAN☆FUSION's teaching team ever since.
Niki Boolieris - Teaching Assistant
Joining CUBAN☆FUSION in 2018, Niki has been dancing since she was a little girl, everything from ballet to traditional Greek dance, but fell in love with Salsa after hearing the music for the first time back in. And she's been dancing it ever since It has even taken her to the World Salsa Championships in Orlando Florida with Kiwi Salsa, the first time New Zealand had an entry in 2005. Niki together with CUBAN☆FUSION was involved in LatinBeat's award winning entries in the Cuba Street Carnival back in 2007 and 2009 designing, making wearing costumes in the parades and has been lucky enough to have been to Cuba several times to immerse herself in the culture, music and beauty of this dance! Niki has a passion for Cuban Salsa and loves to see others being able to enjoy, learn and grow into their own dance style. Niki know has has her own Ladies' Styling class. Hit the link to register now.
Greydis Montero Lianza - Associate - Special Projects
Originating from Havana, Greydis is the only professional Cuban female dancer in New Zealand and only one of two in Australasia. She is also the Artistic Director and driving force behind the Aotearoa Cuban Festival. She is an award winning and highly accredited dancer with over 20 years of experience. Hit link to see a recent Neighbourhood Episode featuring Greydis (go to min 16.5) and see link for full bio.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Baroness unveil new "Chlorine & Wine" video, announce tour dates
On December 18, Baroness will release their fourth album, Purple, via their newly launched Abraxan Hymns label. Today, they've just unveiled the first video from the album, for first single "Chlorine & Wine." The new album is expected to be more of a concise, hard-rocking set of songs than its predecessor, though this track has more of a classic rock feel about it. It's cool though, and the new clip features some studio footage of the band recording. The band has also announced some East Coast tour dates in support of the album, which you can check out below.
Purple follows 2013's Yellow and Green.
Baroness tour dates:
11/27 Columbus, OH – Ace of Cups
11/28 Chicago, IL – Beat Kitchen
11/29 Madison, WI – Frequency
12/1 St. Louis, MO – The Demo
12/2 Lawrence, KS – Jackpot Music Hall
12/4 Oklahoma City, OK – 89th Street Collective
12/5 Dallas, TX – Double Wide
12/6 Austin, TX – Mohawk
12/8 Houston, TX – Rudyard's
12/9 New Orleans, LA – Gasa Gasa
12/11 Gainesville, FL – 8-BIT Bar
12/12 Savannah, GA – The Jinx
12/13 Atlanta, GA – The Earl
12/15 Chapel Hill, NC – Local 506
12/16 Richmond, VA – Strange Matter
12/18 Baltimore, MD – Metro Gallery
12/19 Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda's
12/20 Brooklyn, NY – Saint Vitus Bar
Jeff Terich September 24, 2015
Baroness announce 2022 U.S. tour dates
Baroness, High on Fire, Monster Magnet to play Desertfest NYC
Baroness announce fall North American tour dates
Baroness announce European tour dates with Mastodon
The 150 Best Songs of the 2000s
Nine Inch Nails, Deftones, Converge to play Hellfest 2022


text:
You'll have plenty of opportunities to make your mark in the world during 2020, as the planetary energy spotlights your career and work life. You'll also discover new facets of yourself along with an increasing desire for knowledge. Much of this will develop the last six months of the year so you'll want to take advantage of the relatively easygoing winter and spring seasons to enjoy the status quo. Change will be the norm as summer becomes fall and the next year is on the horizon.
Jupiter will shine brightly from Aquarius, your career sector, the sign it enters January 5. You'll reap the benefits of this expansive planet, which can trigger lucky breaks and have you among the favored few. Although it might be tempting to sit back and enjoy this bountiful career ride, Jupiter's other face will soon begin to nudge you to do more. The future beckons. Jupiter is your portal. Make the most of it; twelve years will pass before Jupiter again visits this sign.
As the year unfolds and Jupiter draws closer to Neptune, which entered Aquarius in 1995, you'll begin to see many possibilities. In fact, the first subtle hints of what your future could hold will occur in February. Take note of your career experiences that month and, more importantly, your idle thoughts and dreams: You'll find hints in what drifts through your mind as the stage is set for what's to come later in the year.
Neptune's influence is complex, more subtle and difficult to define than Jupiter. Both are planets of hope, faith, and spirituality—concepts somewhat foreign to your down'to-earth sign. Take a risk this year and tune in to their message. Both planets will encourage you to look beyond what is to what might be and to believe in yourself and the many possibilities open to you in the universe.
Jupiter promises a lot; it often delivers, but sometimes it doesn't. Neptune masks reality with illusion. But it also inspires. Getting only the best of this duo can thus be a challenge. That's okay. You have a decided advantage: your innate practicality. Rely on it to balance and weigh the realities of your career prospects against your hopes and wishes for more.
Saturn will enter Libra, your solar sixth house of daily work, October 29. Saturn in this life sector indicates two-and-a-half years of hard work with, unfortunately, scant recognition. Although Jupiter will to some extent offset this influence this year, its influence will begin to wane as Saturn's increases.
Enter Pluto, planet of transformation—also defined as major change. This tiny planet does everything on a grand scale, but its roots run deep and its influence is slow and steady, eroding the past to make way for the future. That's familiar energy to you, and with Pluto in Capricorn, a fellow earth sign and your solar ninth house of knowledge, you can more easily handle the changes in your world even if you can't control them to the extent you wish.
Saturn in Libra will square off with Pluto during the final two months of the year to push you to step outside your current life and take action. But this duo also indicates frustration in moving forward. You'll get farther and faster if you allow events to unfold at their own pace and accept that much of it will be out of your control.
The bottom line? The planetary scenario may develop like this as 2020 progresses: Your ambition will come alive, prompting you to aim for bigger and better as Jupiter and Neptune work their magic. And you may have some initial success and even earn a promotion, but the wind will shift later in the year. Then you could be disappointed to discover that education or training separate you from your goal. You might also become disillusioned with your current career path and decide to return to school to pursue your new dream. Even if your career life is on an even keel, you should consider broadening your knowledge, whether you gain practical skills, pursue a degree, or explore yourself—your motivations, desires, and reason for being—and resolve any issues that hold you back.
Saturn in Virgo (through October 28) and Uranus in Pisces, your solar fifth/eleventh house axis, will continue to influence your social life and your love life, a trend that began in late October of the last year.
If you're involved in a major group activity such as a club or organization, or even a team project at work, you can expect last year's events to reach a turning point in February and to conclude in September, the months when this planetary alignment will be at its peak. Be prepared, however, for the unexpected and for carefully laid plans to suddenly switch direction in February. If this is career-related, it could trigger initial thoughts about moving on that come full circle this fall.
Saturn may have restricted your love life and your social life since it entered Virgo two years ago. But it's equally possible that the emphasis has been on quality rather than quantity. You can expect the pattern to be much the same through the end of October when Saturn enters Libra. If you're in a serious dating relationship, or enter one, it might not have the pizzazz of previous liaisons, but it will feel stable and solid, bringing you much pleasure and a feeling of security. If, however, things aren't working out as you hoped they would, September's Saturn/Uranus alignment could prompt you to cut ties, possibly because you see someone more'exciting on the horizon. Love-at-first-sight with a soul mate is not out of the question.
You'll want to be especially cautious about investments and putting funds at risk. Maintain your conservative financial attitude and don't let the lure of high profits tempt you. Chances are, you'll end up wiser but poorer.
If you're a parent, especially of teens, be aware of what your children are doing, get involved in their activities, and get to know their friends even if your kids think you're meddling. Whatever age your children are, they'll benefit from your wisdom, guidance, care, and concern.


Ever attended a Pampered Chef party in somebody's home? It's been years since I've been to one, but I still have several of their products. Most are gathering dust, but I couldn't live without this mini-spatula, of all things. Use it all the time.
Anyway, when I read that the company's founder Doris Christopher is reportedly selling her 12,000 square-foot house in Hinsdale, Illinois, I had to take a look!
She bought the house in 2003 for $6.32 million.
Doris reportedly plans to downsize to a smaller place.
The house was built in 1956 but has clearly had a lot of updating done to it over the years.
Of course, the room I was most interested in seeing was her kitchen.
I kind of expected something larger and more extravagant from someone who has made a successful business out of kitchenware, didn't you?
You can cook here, too, if you can come up with $6.5 million.
For more photos and information about the house, check the listing by Daniel DeBoo of Koenig & Strey. Thanks to Mary of The Chair on the Lake for the scoop!
P.S. The pink mansion Mary Kay Ash used to live in went on the market this year, too.
Although lovely, this house does not give me a warm fuzzy feeling.
Eek! It's a bit grandiose for my taste.
That's what I was thinking. Lovely . . . and rather formally sterile. Perhaps it has been cleaned out of all personal belongings and staged for sale. It seems rather hotel-like. And I don't like the massive furniture pieces in the main hallway.
I was one of the first Pampered Chef consultants. In 1984, our company meetings were held in her cozy River Forest home on Thatcher and we "practiced" with the new products in her then very small kitchen. A far cry from this Hinsdale home!
Doris and Jay are lovely people, I wish then continued success wherever they make their nest.
I love the library and do not care for the front hall, staircase should be more front and center I think. I really find the lights over the kitchen island a bit much but other than that love the little kitchen, it seems well planned. Back yard and patio is beautiful as are the bathroom and other rooms.
I love the library and the patio, but I want a cozier home personally. I like the kitchen–I would love to have one like it because it is roomy without being too big (says the woman with not nearly enough cabinet and counter space).
My personal favorite: the Bamboo Tongs–perfect for getting bagels, toast, and english muffins from the toaster.
Another vote for the Bamboo tongs. Such a simple thing but makes it easy to get anything out of the toaster without burnt fingers or kids using fork :(.
I think the house is lovely, in a BIG house way. I thingk once the house reaches that size it is hard to make it bright and cozy.
Quattro!! That is my Dream Library!!
Love the exterior and grounds…it does appear a bit dated though.
I used to work for the corporate offices and I attended an event in the home when it was first purchased. The house looks very much the same as it did when they bought it. All of the renovations were done by the previous owners. The original house is the center of the home. The previous owners bought the two homes on either side, knocked them down, and put on two additions.
It's not particularly cozy, but it is top of the line and absolutely enormous.
For what it's worth, there is more than one kitchen in the home, but the one pictured here is the main one.
Interesting! Thanks for the additional info, Michelle!
I love the outside, but I agree with the others who think the interior is rather sterile. Perhaps even a bit ugly. I think that for $6 million, I could find something that suits me better.
Although lovely…I wouldn't know what to do in a house that large. I would be "lost"! The grounds are beautiful though and I could live with them without any trouble…LOL! Thanks for sharing. PS – We lived in the Chicago area for 26 years but not anywhere near upscale Hindales!!!
Is it a great kitchen, though… no. But size is certainly not it's downfall. Nice, but not a showpiece.
The Foyer is underwhelming… and it could be so much more. The furniture (nice individual pieces) feels as if it was left there because it was a pain to move. Nothing feels "in place." Everything is bare above the pieces, as well. There's a naked feel to that space, which is not an aesthetic goal here.
The Mary Kay house looks like a bargain at half the price of this one. I love cottages not mansions though.
What a fun post. I have a cutting board and that microwave pot to cook veges in . I really use both. I wonder if people are having less parties and that's why she's downsizing. I think it's a lot to ask of people to shell out 30 or 40 bucks for kitchen gadgets in this economy. I hope she saved some $$$ for a rainy day!
I love all my pampered chef stuff: pizza stone, rubber spatula's (they really never do melt or discolor!), little rolling pin, best garlic press ever.
The house seems disjointed somehow. All the white, which I usually love, doesn't pull it together but makes it all seem vacant and undone.
I think I would downsize too if I had a home that large. I love that spatula also!!
All I can think of is what ELSE you could buy for 6 1/2 million – like a fabulous NYC brownstone, or a beautiful country villa in Provence or Tuscany, or a fabulous shingle-style house by the beach in Maine or the Hamptons, or….. This place would probably be near the bottom of that list for me, I have to say.
Have the pizza stone (great) and the hold 'n slice, which is very useful. The house leaves me cold, except for the patio, which is gorgeous!
No real opinion on the house, but the PC mini spatula is pretty much my favorite kitchen tool of all time. I have been through several I use them so much. If they ever quit making them I will be so sad.
Kind of reminds me of Mary Kay's home. Not warm and fuzzy. It 's funny though I've noticed with some of my clients (I do weddings and events) the clients that are billionaires are the clients with the least decorated houses. It's not over the top. But, what they have is high end. I always think they have nothing to prove and just don't care about the fluff. It's pretty interesting. This house reminds me of that approach.
Interesting observation, Nicole. I think you might be onto something!
This is a beautiful home, but I have to agree with Laura, if I had 6 1/2 million dollars to spend on a home, I would buy a nice country home on acres.
This just doesn't do anything for me, except for the library (!) and a agree the entry furnishings just seem plopped there.
Also, I've never understood the "on display" bathtubs and this one is a dozy. It could double as display for one's dearly departed as guests could all file by. Anyone who actually takes baths I can't imagine would like them. I love baths, but just looking at this one give me chills – too breezy vs. warm and steamy.
Beautiful, but the kitchen surprised me as well. Interesting layout. The cook is hidden back in the working part of the kitchen, and three guests can sit out in the other area and look at the cupboards? Really? Not exactly conducive to gathering together, huh? I agree with Kathy. No warm fuzzies here.
This house is like a hotel lobby–no personality. I think it would be tough to make something so huge have personality. I do like some of the architectural details, though.
I love my PC mini spatula, and their vegetable peeler is the best!
I was just about to agree with you that huge houses often feel void of personality… This house is lovely but somehow feels sad. And then I thought about Highclere Castle (aka Downton Abbey), which is enormous and full of personality. So maybe it has to do with the newness of the property– not a home that's been collected over centuries?
I'm with those who think the interior is bland, although not offensive. Just unmemorable and with no apesl. Where's the personality?
But it could be turned into a stunner. Still, much too large and traditional for my taste. Like others, hate the light over te kitchen island.
I agree with just about everyone. It's a bit to extravagant for my tastes. I do love the drawers/bins in the kitchen island though!
I love PC and miss being a consultant. I love that she has a pot rack and the pots look used and yes, very familiar. It's very interesting to see her house when I've gotten to see her office and it's very small and cozy. I even have a picture of me sitting in her chair at her desk.
I like the dining room with the brick fireplace. It is a beautiful home–the architectural details, windows, etc. I'm just more of a cottage and bungalow kind of person.
I guess it's ok…not a 6.5M worth of OK….not to me anyway..I sure could design my home with that moolah!
This so looks like the house from The Secret of My Success, the 1980s movie with Michael J. Fox.


"I truly appreciate your kind support. We do love Major Gifts Ramp-Up and have found that using the system makes us a better team. Last week a donor told me that he invests in CASTLE because it is the best run organization on the Treasure Coast. That is because we finally know what we are doing thanks to you!"
NDI/DSI events are typically 2-day sessions held around the country to equip nonprofit leaders with the latest in major gift fundraising, organizational development, and board governance. Some sessions have scholarships but all are priced reasonably for any budget. You will learn from some of the best and the brightest in the industry who will offer you personal attention, Q & A time, and follow-up guidance. There is also a conference for nonprofit consultants and a Certified Nonprofit Consultants (CNC) certification available to boost your credibility in the marketplace.
Visit the NDI conferences web site to learn more about upcoming conference events in your area of the country. Plan to attend one soon!
Jim LaRose, founder of NDI, and Debra Berg, founder of NICE meet at an NDI conference focused on helping nonprofits with a proven major gifts fundraising strategy. Conferences like these are held every few months in different states across the country. Learn how you can attend a session for your nonprofit.
Software that levels the playing field for nonprofits in 2012 - Firmware on the Cloud!
the tools they need to develop a strategic fundraising campaign targeted at major gifts. Rather than spending thousands of dollars for consultants, Firmware software offers, even nonprofits in the formulation stages, a unique set of tools based upon decades of fundraising experience. The tools are unique to NDI, are accessible via "the cloud" and comprise a series called Major Gifts Ramp-Up. Learn more about Firmware and MGR. Download a pdf overview or visit http://www.majorgiftsrampup.com/ for pricing and details.
Coming ... the book that will change major gifts fundraising forever!
The book version of Major Gifts Ramp-Up, the highly successful program by Jimmy LaRose is scheduled to be released the January of 2013. Look for it on the MGRU website, www.majorgiftsrampup.com or this website under the Resources section. Debra Berg is the co-author and writer.


What does Acorn mean in dream?
Seeing acorns in dreams, is portent of pleasant things ahead, and much gain is to be expected.
For a woman to eat them, denotes that she will rise from a station of labor to a position of ease and pleasure.
To shake them from the trees, denotes that you will rapidly attain your wishes in business or love.
To see green-growing acorns, or to see them scattered over the ground, affairs will change for the better. Decayed or blasted acorns have import of disappointments and reverses.
Joy, happiness, success. Your will be immensely lucky if you dreamed of anything to do with acorns or the tree which bears them. They predict the successful outcome of any problems you may now have and prosperity and good fortune in all your plans for the future.
1- To dream of acorns indicates that there is a huge growth process beginning to emerge from small beginnings. There is a new potential for strength. Since acorns appear in autumn, there may be the need to harvest or gather up the ideas before they can be stored in order to give them time to work.
2- The germ of an idea is present. There is also a need for patience in dealings either with ourselves or others.
The acorn grows into the mighty oak.
To see acorns in your dream represents intensity and endurance. It suggests the possibility of a relatively trivial ambition developing into something of more significance.
To dream that you are picking acorns from the ground indicates that your efforts will earn you the desired reward.
To dream that you are eating an acorn implies that these efforts will be rewarded somewhere down the road, and your life will seem much more enjoyable and much less complicated.
As a rule, any indication of Nature's goodwill is a tavourable sign. See also such omens as CORNFIELD, FLOWERS, HARVEST, HEDGES, TREES.
To the lover, it is a sign of future happiness; to those in difficulties, a proof of speedy relief.
Life, fertility and immortality are symbolized by the acorn, as is the androgynous. In the seed cup is the feminine and in the nut the potential for all life.
A good dream according to Artemidorus, auguring health, wealth and happiness.
Lucky is he or she who dreams of acorns, either on the tree or on the ground They are a portent of success in an undertaking that is dose to your heart.


Took this shot out in Santa Monica beach off of the pier. California is an exciting state with so much to offer. I have been through pretty much the entire state north, south, east and west and it is so diverse. I cannot wait to get back and keep exploring and find more cool spots.


Have presonus discontinued the CS18 and the RM32 ...?
Egen will there be a firmware Update for CS15 and RM32 ?
These devices are not discontinued as far as I know. You can always check via the discontinued products list on the preSonus website.
It is suspicious - while they are not on the discontinued product list, and the website still features them with no mention of end of life - the price drop to $999 everywhere and now Sweetwater listing it (at the same price) as a "Closeout" sale sure seems to say that the channel will be drained of stock soon.
They are not discontinued and are still supported.
You can take part in the new Beta firmware for the mixers if you wish.
"We ask that all questions and bug reports for public beta issues be directed to the public beta forum, and not via technical support tickets or calls. Tech Support will not be able to assist with beta software and firmware. You should direct all questions, concerns, and bug reports to this forum in the appropriate section."
I'm surprised there is no official response for this. It appears that all of the major retailers have posted on their RM webpages that the related products are discontinued or no longer available.
The product cycle is definitely at an end. The RM mixers and subsequent CS18ai was set to be one of the most brilliant live mixing systems ever. It seems like when they hit this road block (https://forums.presonus.com/viewtopic.php?f=222&t=23012) on the AVB side of things, they just ceased development on all things RM/CS18 and concentrated on the Series III. Which is extremely frustrating for all of us who invested in the RM system. I thought the LEAST they could do would be to continue to develop the CS18 as it still has great potential. But it seems to be for not. The real "least they can do" is literally nothing, and ostracize faithful users who have supported their products for years.
Have the ADL600 and ADL700 been discontinued?
How do I use the SMAART room analysis with an RTA mic on a CS18 & RML32AI?


Taped on April 13, 2016 just moments before the Cauliflower Alley Banquet in Las Vegas, Bill Apter brings the Apter Chat to Pat Patterson. It starts with a chat– and ends with a song… Read more.
Neville said: "Pat wasn't scheduled to come out at all, he happened to be backstage… Read more.


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Sea lamprey numbers declining in Lakes Michigan, Ontario, report shows
By Jack Nissen
FOX 2 Detroit
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - A new report on an invasive species of the Great Lakes reveals mainly good news in the fight to wrest control over the waterways from the sea lamprey.
Populations of the eel-like organism remain at near-historic lows for most of the Great Lakes, with the exceptions of some areas.
"Keeping sea lamprey populations in check is absolutely critical if we want a fishery in the Great Lakes," said Jim McKane, chair of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission in the report. "Each year, we must wage the battle anew. We cannot rest on our laurels or rely on our past success. Sea lampreys are here to stay. Fortunately, we can control their populations such that the damage they inflict on the fishery is a fraction of what it once was."
Lamprey aren't the prettiest species that reside in the Great Lakes - in fact, they take on the appearance and behavior similar to that of a vampire. Acquiring their food by latching onto other fish, they remain there for 12 to 18 months. Since wiggling their way to the Great Lakes Basin via manmade shipping canals and lacking any predator, they have wreaked havoc on the region's fisheries.
Since funding and resources were diverted toward reducing their impact however, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission has achieved monumental success. Before control efforts were put in place, sea lamprey killed an estimated 103 million pounds of fish every year. That number has been reduced to less than 10 million pounds of fish per year.
On Tuesday, the commission reported that Lakes Ontario and Michigan saw lamprey numbers below the target number, Lake Huron was at or just above the target, and Lakes Superior and Erie came in above target but numbers were "holding steady." Communications Director Marc Gaden said the signs were "very encouraging."
"(For) Superior, the lamprey are above target, but its trending downwards and the fishery has done intensive treatment this year," he said.
For reducing lamprey numbers, researchers are often firing at a moving target. A lampricide, which is applied to the lamprey larvae at locations where the species likes to spawn, was placed at areas in Lake Superior in 2016. For reasons that aren't entirely understood, treatment results were mixed. One of the reasons numbers could be higher than their target mark is because lamprey populations can benefit from improved conditions among other fish populations. More food means a better chance of succeeding. Which is why researchers went through another lampricide spraying in 2019.
A curious find embedded in the report shows that despite increased numbers of sea lamprey, the number of wound rates on fish where the invasive species attach themselves is showing signs of declining. Researchers aren't sure why.
And then there's Lake Erie, arguably one of the most productive lakes in the world still dealing with a major sea lamprey infestation.
"Lake Erie has been above target since the mid-2000s. When I say above target, it was way above target," Gaden said. "The problem is, they are coming from outside Lake Erie."
Lake Erie doesn't have many hospitable places for lamprey to survive and thrive - which is why scientists were confused to see their numbers rise in the mid-2000s. After intensive treatments didn't work, Gaden said researchers began to suspect Lake St. Clair may be the offender, offering enough habitat for the lamprey to breed, as well as the conduit to a major source of food.
However, just like with Lake Superior improvements to habitat, major restoration efforts in Lake Erie and tributaries that lead into the water body have promoted the growth of several fish species. But that also means the lamprey have enough food to sustain themselves.
Jack Nissen is a reporter with Fox 2 Detroit. You can reach him at (248) 552-5269 or at Jack.Nissen@foxtv.com
Detroit police searching for suspects who stole car with a baby still inside
Detroit police seek 2 suspects involved in an armed carjacking on the city's northwest side


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The next step for four village churches
Posted on 18th Jul 2021 19th Jul 2021 by Village Vicar
A few key principles have guided me in deciding what to do between 19th July and the new school year in September.
One person's Freedom Day is another's Fear Day. 3.8 million people in this country remain clinically extremely vulnerable. As communities of hope, our churches must ensure that our approach is inclusive. The Church of England guidance comments that everyone is known and loved individually by God and as many members within one body we are called to be responsible to and for one another, respecting the more vulnerable whose suffering is our suffering (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). The move to step 4 means that as a nation we are being asked to take even more personal responsibility around coronavirus than when we were compelled to adhere to Government restrictions. However, we need to keep in mind that our calling is not merely as individual Christians. Rather, we are the Body of Christ and need to act as a body, unified in purpose, hearts set on revealing Christ to the world around us through our actions as well as our words. This includes how we meet corporately for worship.
The Summary of the Law taught by Jesus reminds us of a two-fold calling: loving God and neighbour.
Firstly, our calling is to love God wholeheartedly, and we need to keep in mind that, even if the restrictions have curtailed our enjoyment of services, worship is fundamentally all about God, not us. This involves us as the People of God coming together in ways which may diverge from how people in wider society come together in groups. It may make us feel foolish to continue to take precautions when we see markedly different behaviour in other settings, and indeed experience these ourselves, but our faith does compel us to act distinctively in society from time to time. This is such a time.
The second part of the Summary of the Law tells us that Christians should love all our neighbours. Jesus, in his earthly ministry, was especially concerned with those who are marginalised in society. Now more than ever, we should be striving to create places of worship where those who have been made vulnerable to Covid and pushed to the margins of our national discourse are the most honoured guests at God's banquet. Our churches should be prioritising justice, hospitality and inclusion for all, especially when the rest of society is being encouraged to do the opposite.
On a practical level, after 24th July our group of churches go into our usual pattern of August worship where there is a single Benefice service each week. Therefore, I propose very little in the way of change for the time being, with a view to reviewing the situation in late August for any further changes to be implemented in September.
Singing God's praises is an important part of worship and one which has been greatly missed. A lot of research has gone into this, and the RSCM and other bodies have produced information which has informed my approach to whether, and how, this might be safely resumed by congregations. I believe that an informed way has been found to enable hymn singing whilst taking into account the needs of the vulnerable.
The decision regarding what to do rests with the incumbent, but I have consulted churchwardens about this and invited comments from the wider worshipping community via the Newsletter in recent weeks. I thank those of you who have helped form these decisions, especially the churchwardens of all four churches.
The following will apply from Monday 19th July onwards in all churches of the Bramham Benefice.
What will stay the same:
We shall keep the Serco Track and Trace poster in place for those who use the app.
We shall keep hand sanitizer available at entrances to churches and encourage people to use it on entry to church.
We shall continue to share communion in one kind only (i.e. the bread). To receive in one kind is to receive the whole Sacrament, in any case. We shall continue the current pattern of distributing these one at a time rather than gathered at a communion rail. Clergy will maintain their current practices regarding safe preparation of the bread and wine.
The words of distribution (i.e. The body of Christ / blood of Christ keep you in eternal life) will continue to be said communally rather than individually.
The peace will be shared contactless (eye contact, nods and gestures as it is at present).
We shall ask people to wear face coverings as they enter, exit, and move around the church building. Masks are to be worn by everyone as they come up to receive communion as is currently the case. Clergy will also continue to wear a mask during the distribution.
We will still only use alternate pews for the time being. This will mitigate the changes below. In the case of the Benefice service in Walton where this may not be possible, a separate risk assessment will take place to allow for a slightly larger congregation than usual.
Services will continue to be shorter than usual (up to 45 minutes) since time elapsed in the same building is an important factor in the build up of this airborne virus.
An online service will be offered every Sunday. Over much of August, this may not be one from our own Benefice due to practical considerations, but our Facebook page will always have a link to an Anglican act of worship. From September, we will resume livestreaming services (usually from St Mary's at 10am).
Refreshments after services will not resume until September.
What will change:
The full choir at St Mary's will return. They will sit in a socially distanced way and will continue to be more than 8 metres away from the congregation.
Once seated, members of the congregation will be permitted to remove their masks for most of the service. The singing of hymns by congregations will be permitted throughout the benefice, but behind masks for the time being (not including the choir of St Mary's who will remove theirs to sing).
Shortish hymns will be chosen (or verses cut). Congregations will not sing the Mass Setting (i.e. Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus and Benedictus, Agnus Dei) and some cuts to the liturgy will be continued in order to keep service length short.
Those who are less comfortable about the resumption of singing will be invited to seat themselves towards the rear of the church so that people are not singing directly behind them.
The same protocols as currently apply to orders of service will apply to hymn books.
Tapes which currently seal off alternate pews may be removed to make the church look more welcoming. However, if this is done, we will still encourage social distancing when seated: alternate pews will have the cushions returned to them to indicate where we intend people to sit. This should be explained to the congregation by the churchwarden / sides people as they arrive (e.g. "please sit in one of the pews with cushions / a carpet runner on it"). This is one way to make the church visually more "normal" whilst still keeping the degree of distancing to which we have become accustomed. This will also allow a more flexible approach to seating at weddings and funerals. Churchwardens can make the decision as to whether this is suitable in their individual church in consultation with me.
Some simple instructions will need to be given to people as they arrive and at the start of each service for clarity's sake. A script will be developed for consistency and this will be read before every service.
Further reading to explain what has informed these decisions may be found below:
Church of England guidance.
Statement on the Church of England's Covid guidance to churches (July 2021)
July 17, 2021 by Naomi Lawson Jacobs, Emma Major and Katie Tupling
RSCM updated advice
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Costa Rica's money troubles: Letting the future decide
Tomás Quesada-Alpízar March 7, 2016 March 8, 2016
Costa Rica's Comptroller General has shared key insights into the country's economic woes. Is President Solís listening? (Lindsay Fendt/The Tico Times)
La Nación's recent interview with the Comptroller General, Marta Acosta, is worth a listen. Citizens, academics and, above all, politicians, should pay close attention to her accurate analysis of Costa Rica's current administrative and economic situation.
Acosta clearly summarizes why it is so difficult to begin and complete infrastructure projects; why the problem of the fiscal deficit cannot be solved without simultaneously addressing the issue of public employment; and why, if drastic measures are not taken soon to tackle the mounting fiscal deficit, the future will decide for us. That decision, according to her, would be much harder than any measure that our current political authorities could implement now.
In summary: better we take measures within our control today, than have to address those same issues within a context of greater economic strain and political unrest. In the current situation of political deadlock, her words, although just common sense, are a big relief.
Many historical decisions differentiate Costa Rica from other countries in the region, including the proscription of the army. But some of them, like the creation of independent and highly technical law enforcement and oversight institutions such as our Judiciary and the Office of the Comptroller General, have without doubt made a difference in the way our political conflicts are channelled and resolved.
I am not making a clear-cut division between the "technical" and the "political." As explained in my first column, the heads of those institutions are elected by the political branches, and have both a technical and a political mission to accomplish: enforcing the rule of law, fighting corruption, overseeing the appropriate use of public funds, and ensuring the provision of quality public services to citizens. However, their institutional mission, design, and technical capacity allow them to tell citizens not what they want to hear, but what they have to hear. In our case, that the State is in a very difficult economic situation that will have an impact on our pensions, businesses, jobs, exports, and social welfare services.
It would be naïve to believe that our political authorities don't realize how serious the situation is – even if that sometimes seems to be the case. Some statements by President Luis Guillermo Solís are worrisome: when asked about recent reform proposals from the Costa Rican Union of Private Business Chambers and Associations (UCCAEP), he declared that a "big reform of the State is essential," but that he is not going to pursue it, since he already "picked the fight to ask for more taxes" ("se compró el pleito de los impuestos"). He said he would focus on that, which, by the way, is the most unpopular issue around.
True, maybe other changes UCCAEP requested – the reform of the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court (Sala Cuarta) or the amendment of the Internal Regulations of the Legislative Assembly – are not as urgent as the deficit. However, what is worrisome is that the President seems to believe that the current financial difficulties can be solved simply by raising taxes; that the fiscal reform comes first, and "we can think of the reform of the State later."
That is the problem. Our current economic troubles are inextricably linked to the long-delayed reform of the State. They cannot be resolved otherwise. Decisions have to be made on many fronts, or we are just going to waste the new taxes with the same old practices.
That is clear in the interview with Ms. Acosta. New taxes will "oxygenate" public finances, but they will not fix our problems unless we first fix our pension systems, our scheme of public employment, unions' collective bargaining agreements, and monetary incentives, and if we do not stop financing inefficient institutions. According to Ms. Acosta, for each colón paid in ordinary salaries, ₡1.11 are paid in incentives.
Ms. Acosta's explanation of how institutions like the National Production Council (CNP) and the National Institute of Housing and Urban Development (INVU) receive money to keep them alive, money they are certain not to use, and that, once transferred, the central government cannot recover instantly. Meanwhile, instead of using that money to pay debt, the State gets more indebted. These are problems linked to the reform of the State. In addition, there are the thousands of public contracts that the Office of the Comptroller General ratifies every year, overwhelming its capacities and resources.
Addressing these issues, and implementing other measures designed to reduce unnecessary spending of public money, have been a precondition that political parties of the opposition have demanded in order to launch a debate on taxes.
Unfortunately, the President's statements do not to address these issues. I understand that a President has to pick his fights. But whatever that battle is, he has to lead it. So far, it seems that the President thinks that by sending bills to Congress for more taxes, and telling the people why those taxes are needed, he has done the job. The situation is even worse, given that his Minister of National Planning and Minister of Labor and Social Security, in charge of the analysis of the situation on public employment in the country, have warned that their studies and proposed measures are "just a beginning," almost two years into the current administration.
It is true that the President has been outspoken about the abuses in some collective bargaining agreements, and has even refused to renegotiate some. But these efforts have been isolated and seem detached from a more comprehensive agenda. The opposition knows this, and they have taken advantage by protecting their interests until it is clear what the government will do.
The tasks ahead are not the sole obligation of the government. Other political parties, with the exception of the Libertarian movement, have shown some willingness to compromise on bills in Congress. UCCAEP recently expressed it would be willing to discuss the value-added tax, even in the absence of a big commitment from the government to cut expenditure. Unfortunately, the President's statements are discouraging.
I do not intend to underestimate the complexities of the Presidential Office. Taking measures is, of course, not a simple task. But he was not elected to advance a tax reform, as he claimed. He was elected to lead a country, and this is what the current situation demands. Meanwhile, we have to be grateful for top public officials as Marta Acosta. Her analysis, proposed measures, and warnings deserve urgent attention. We have done well in creating the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic. We have done well in electing her as our current Comptroller General. Let us hear, for once, what she has said.
Read more Politic(o)s columns here.
Tomás Quesada-Alpízar is pursuing his doctoral degree in politics at the University of Oxford. In the column "Politic(o)s," he explores current events and political issues in Costa Rica and around the world. He welcomes reader questions and comments at politicostt@gmail.com.
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Q: Create Custom Tags for TinyMce or Filter Input? I don't have a specific technical question, but was hoping to get some thoughts on two different approaches that I am considering. I am trying to build custom shorthand tags for the TinyMCE editor, and most of the tutorials online go the route of creating a custom plugin for the TinyMCE editor, such as this.
When I originally thought about this problem, I didn't think it would be necessary to do this, but rather create a JS script that filtered through the users input and more-or-less did a 'find and replace' - looking for tags and replacing them with whatever.
I think the second approach would be easier and less complicated, but I was just hoping to get some thoughts before I started working on this tomorrow.


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Kelsey Hallahan was a Joseph S. Nye, Jr. Research Intern for the Energy, Economics, and Security Program. Her research interests include economic statecraft, crude oil and natural gas geopolitics, and the post-JCPOA reintegration of Iran into the global economy.
Before joining CNAS, Ms. Hallahan interned with the Foreign Policy Program at the Brookings Institution, where she worked on the Energy Security Initiative team. She previously interned at the U.S. Department of Defense as a Persian Language Analyst.
Ms. Hallahan received her B.A. from the University of Washington, double-majoring in Near Eastern Languages and History. Ms. Hallahan was selected as a 2014 U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Finalist in Baku, Azerbaijan, a 2011-2012 U.S. Department of Education FLAS Fellow for Persian-Farsi, and as a 2010 U.S. Department of State National Security Languages Initiative (NSLI-Y) Scholar in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. She is currently pursuing her master's degree in International Energy at the Paris School of International Affairs at Sciences Po.
Ms. Hallahan speaks Persian-Farsi, and has studied Azerbaijani, Tajiki, Spanish, and French.