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Robert Hoffman, AIA, Named Managing Principal at Oculus Inc.
Oculus Inc., an award-winning, WBE-certified architecture and interior design firm, has hired Robert A. Hoffman, AIA, as the managing principal for the firm's Portland office. In his role, Hoffman will oversee the operations, project development and staffing in Portland, as well as focus on growing the firm's national footprint in the hospitality, multi-family, senior living, retail and commercial office markets.
"What a tremendous advantage to have Robert on board leading and enhancing the capabilities of our talented architects and designers," said Lisa Bell-Reim, Oculus Inc. president. "Very rarely do we have the opportunity to bring on such a highly experienced executive architect and are thrilled for the opportunities that lie ahead."
Oculus Inc. entered the Portland hospitality market in 2017 and has since built its practice there and along the west coast as a full-service architectural and interiors design firm. While Oculus now serves all markets from its Portland office, the firm's West coast presence maintains a heavy concentration in hospitality work. Recently completed projects include the firm's first out of ground hotel located in Seaside, Ore., and the guest room interiors for the Woodlark Hotel in Portland, which was named a finalist for the International Interior Design Association's (IIDA) Interior Design Competition.
"Oculus has a demonstrated strength in delivering high profile, unique hospitality environments, so the opportunity to join the firm was an obvious decision for me," said Hoffman. "I am truly excited to bring our team's energy and abilities to our clients' projects!"
Hoffman brings more than 30 years of architectural practice and professional association leadership including business planning and operations, resource management, market strategies, public outreach, communications, and staff development. Prior to joining Oculus Inc., Hoffman most recently served as managing principal for a Portland-based architecture firm, responsible for overseeing and supporting the design-build delivery of projects in the hospitality, entertainment, and residential market sectors.
Hoffman also served as the executive vice president and CEO of American Institute of Architects' Portland and Oregon Chapters from 2014 to 2019, where he oversaw program development and operations for 1,500 members and industry partners. Hoffman has a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Oregon and received his Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Design from the College of Design at North Carolina State University.
Oculus Inc. delivers comprehensive architecture, interior design, planning and move management services with a driving aesthetic to Connect | Shape | Move people, experiences, sensibilities, and spaces. Oculus creates high-performance design that supports change and promotes value for clients in the commercial, education, government, healthcare, hospitality, retail, restaurant and workplace industries. Oculus has offices in St. Louis, Dallas and Portland, Ore., is WBE-certified and is regularly cited in top industry rankings for architecture and design. Oculusinc.com.
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Tim Marstall Promoted to VP-Engineering at BEX Construction


It is important to understand the proper way to shop for, wear and store fine jewelry, regardless of whether it is a newer piece or a cherished heirloom. This article will teach you how to save money when buying jewelry and care for it effectively.
TIP! Keep your jewelry looking like new by wiping it with a polishing cloth. This is a natural way to shine all of your jewelry without relying on abrasives or other harsh chemicals.
Use a polishing cloth to keep your jewelry clean and free from damage. This helps keep your jewelry shiny without the need for chemical cleansers, which can damage the pieces. All you do is polish it like you would a glass with the two-sided cloth. Use one side for polishing and the other for improving its shine.
TIP! Take care when you are storing your jewelry in the same place. You can protect your jeweled investments with hooks, boxes and holders that keep each piece intact and prevent tangles.
When shopping for sterling silver jewelry, it is a good idea to bring a small magnet along with you. As a precious metal, silver should never be attracted to a magnet. You can generally tell genuine sterling silver by its stamp, which will look something like ".925 ster." Be wary of jewelery without any kind of hallmark, as often it is fake.
You need to know the type of gem that you are purchasing. Gems can be natural, imitation or synthetic. Synthetic and natural are real stones, while the imitation ones are plastic that is colored. Natural gems are those that are actually from the earth, whereas synthetic ones are made in labs.
A good piece of jewelery can last you your whole life. Always purchase pieces from reputable jewelers in order to make sure you are getting quality pieces. If a piece of jewelry is of high quality, it should be made well and exhibit top-flight craftsmanship. The jeweler must be able to provide a history of the piece. This will tell you who made the piece, and where the components came from. This way, you can ensure you are paying a fair price. It is essential to purchase high-quality jewelry if you want it to become a treasured heirloom passed down for generations.
When you are shopping for diamonds, there are ways to compare the stones. Look at the pieces up close before purchasing them, and be sure to compare them to others. There are many ways to make a diamond look better than it really is.
To keep your jewelry looking great, take steps to prevent it from tarnish. If possible, remove your jewelry if you are around water. Metals can become dull, rusty or tarnished if submerged in it. If you want to give your jewelry a measure of protection from this element, coat it thinly with clear nail polish.
There are a lot of different types of stones to think about getting when buying new jewelry. Pick out stones that will reflect your personality and complement your skin tone. Your best bet is to choose a natural color to match any outfit. Buying something that does not work with multiple outfits is pointless.
Special care is required for costume jewelry. Many embellishments on costume jewelry are only secured with glue rather than set into the piece. Keep your costume jewelery away from water or chemicals. Simply wipe it with a damp warm cloth, followed by a soft, dry cloth. This keeps costume jewelry looking its best.
Well-cared-for jewelry is immensely valuable, both in terms of memorable sentiment and real economic worth. Take special care of those valuable pieces of jewelry, and it will pay off in terms of investment and sentimental value. As you learn more about jewelry, you will be able to protect your jewelry even better.


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outlawer.net
How to hijack vehicles in Halo Infinite
Halo Infinite is the next installment of Microsoft's franchise. Here are a few tips for how to hijack vehicles in this upcoming title.
The "halo infinite news" is a game that has been released on November 6th, 2018. It's the 9th installment of the Halo franchise and will be available for Xbox One, Windows 10, and Windows Mixed Reality platforms.
Players have been able to drag opponents out of their cars since Halo 2, and claim the rides for themselves. This is especially true in Halo Infinite, which has a plethora of ground and air vehicles ready to be hijacked. However, if players want to seize a car from someone's hands, they must be aware of a variety of dangers. In Halo Infinite, here's how to take over an opponent's vehicle.
How to Steal Automobiles
Image courtesy of Xbox YouTube
The act of stealing someone's automobile is comparable to breaking into a car, but it's much more dangerous. When you get close enough to an occupied enemy vehicle to press X (on the controller) to enter it, a popup will display asking you to press X to hijack the vehicle. If you accomplished this quickly enough when the car was in range, you'll see an animation where you throw an opposing player out of their seat and take over their place.
You won't quickly toss the adversary out of their vehicle with bigger vehicles like Wraiths and Scorpion Tanks. Instead, you'll get on by clinging to the truck. You may either let go if you don't believe you're in any danger, or you can melee the enemy driver until they die, enabling you to enter the car.
Related: In Halo Infinite, how to EMP and stun vehicles
Threats and Strategies
Though the hijacking procedure seems straightforward, it is not without danger. To gain the upper hand on hostile players, you'll need to employ stealth, protection, and the surroundings. You could also have to utilize your brain to place yourself in a situation where you can take a car without dying. Running directly towards a Warthog, Ghost, Chopper, Wraith, or Scorpion will almost always result in you being destroyed or annihilated. Equipment such as an Overshield for additional health or Active Camo for invisibility may help you improve your chances.
Once you get near enough, you're most likely to get splattered by an enemy's vehicle. This will most likely happen a few times; just try to avoid boosts and leap out of harm's path by timing your opponents' assaults. You could always EMP an enemy vehicle first by shooting it with the Disruptor or Shock Rifle a few times (it will take longer if you use the Disruptor). When the car is surrounded with a blue, lighting-like aura, rapidly kick your opponent out before it wears off. When an EMP occurs, turrets and weapons remain operational.
Taking Control of Aircraft
Photographed by
There are a few options for hijacking an enemy Banshee or Wasp. You may do it the old-fashioned way by waiting until an opponent comes near enough to the ground, or you can EMP the aircraft following the procedures outlined in the preceding section.
If this doesn't work or you want to try something else, Halo Infinite has a useful Grappling Hook that's great for hijacking. You'll still have to wait for an aircraft to approach near enough to fire your Grappling Hook at the cockpit once it's in range. If you're successful, you'll be able to board and hijack the plane by flying up near it. Ground vehicles may be hijacked using the same method, making Halo Infinite one of the simpler Halo games to hijack.
How do you steal a vehicle in Halo Infinite?
A: To steal a vehicle in Halo Infinite, you would have to be within the required range of its scanner and aim it at your wanted target. If this is done successfully, then the driver will see you attempting to take their car and initiate an alarm which grants them enough time for them to defend themselves from whoever is trying to steal their ride.
What vehicles will be in Halo infinite?
A: This is a question I cannot answer.
Will Halo infinite have new vehicles?
A: We do not know as of yet.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Masdar City unveils autonomous vehicle Navya
Masdar City, Abu Dhabi's flagship sustainable urban development, has embarked on the next phase of its sustainable mobility network with the formal unveiling of its first Navya autonomous vehicle. Capable of transporting up
Masdar to test new concepts in autonomous vehicles
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Lead, TNI to build first 'green' homes in Masdar City
Lead Development and Project Management Consultants (Lead) and The National Investor (TNI) will build the first residential community of private 'green' villas and townhouses at Masdar City, Abu Dhabi's flagship sustainable urban d


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Category Archives: Lent
Ash Wednesday, Lent
Ash Wednesday – quia pulvis es et in pulverem reverteris
February 17, 2021 techdecisions	Leave a comment
"In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return."
"In sudore vultus tui vesceris pane, donec revertaris in terram de qua sumptus es: quia pulvis es et in pulverem reverteris."
-Gen 3:19
'To the woman also God said: I will multiply thy sorrows, and thy conceptions: in sorrow shalt thou bring forth children, and thou shalt be under thy husband's power, and he shall have dominion over thee. And to Adam God said: Because thou hast hearkened to the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat, cursed is the earth in thy work; with labour and toil shalt thou eat thereof all the days of thy life. Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee, and thou shalt eat the herbs of the earth. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return to the earth, out of which thou wast taken: for dust thou art, and into dust thou shalt return.' -Genesis 3:16-19
-sackcloth or gown of repentance, 18th century, formerly used in the parish church of West Calder, Midlothian, Scotland, National Museum of Scotland
What the Heart of the Young Man Said to the Psalmist
-by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, published 1838
Love, blessed Lent,
Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Lent, Liturgy, Passiontide, Tenebrae
http://soul-candy.info/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/17-Tenebrae-Factae-Sunt.m4a
-"Tenebrae Factae Sunt", There was darkness, is the eighth responsorio for Holy Week and the fifth responsorio of Matins for Good Friday.
-from https://www.sistersofcarmel.com/tenebrae.php?mc_cid=3ff5951ea0&mc_eid=c72ad7923a
"All that You have done to us, O Lord, You have done in true judgment, because we have sinned against You, and have not obeyed Your commandments. But give glory to Your name, and deal with us according to the multitude of Your mercy."
– Daniel, 3:31, from the Mass of Thursday in Passion Week
"Tenebrae", means shadows, and is the name given to the service of Matins and Lauds belonging to the last three days of Holy Week. It differs, in many things, from the Office of the rest of the year. All is sad and mournful, as though it were a funeral service; nothing could more emphatically express the grief that now weighs down the heart of our holy Mother the Church. Throughout all the Office of Thursday, Friday and Saturday, she forbids herself the use of those formulas of joy and hope wherewith, on all other days, she begins her praise of God. Nothing is left but what is essential to the form of the Divine Office: psalms, lessons and chants expressive of grief. The tone of the whole Office is most noticeably mournful: the lessons taken from the Lamentations of Jeremias, the omission of the Gloria Patri, of the Te Deum, and of blessings etc., so the darkness of these services seems to have been designedly chosen to mark the Church's desolation. The lessons from Jeremias in the first Nocturn, those from the Commentaries of St. Augustine upon the Psalms in the second, and those from the Epistles of St. Paul in the third remain now as when we first hear of them in the eighth century.
The name "Tenebrae" has been given because this Office is celebrated in the hours of darkness, formerly in the evening or just after midnight, now the early morning hours. There is an impressive ceremony, peculiar to this Office, which tends to perpetuate its name. There is placed in the sanctuary, near the altar, a large triangular candlestick holding fifteen candles. At the end of each psalm or canticle, one of these fifteen candles is extinguished, but the one which is placed at the top of the triangle is left lighted. During the singing of the Benedictus (the Canticle of Zachary at the end of Lauds), six other candles on the altar are also put out. Then the master of ceremonies takes the lighted candle from the triangle and holds it upon the altar while the choir repeats the antiphon after the canticle, after which she hides it behind the altar during the recitation of the Christus antiphon and final prayer. As soon as this prayer is finished, a noise is made with the seats of the stalls in the choir, which continues until the candle is brought from behind the altar, and shows, by its light, that the Office of Tenebrae is over.
Let us now learn the meaning of these ceremonies. The glory of the Son of God was obscured and, so to say, eclipsed, by the ignominies He endured during His Passion. He, the Light of the world, powerful in word and work, Who but a few days ago was proclaimed King by the citizens of Jerusalem, is now robbed of all his honors. He is, says Isaias, the Man of sorrows, a leper (Isaias 53:3,4). He is, says the royal prophet, a worm of the earth, and no man (Psalm 21:7). He is, as He says of himself, an object of shame even to his own disciples, for they are all scandalized in Him (Mark 14:27) and abandon Him; yea, even Peter protests that he never knew Him. This desertion on the part of His apostles and disciples is expressed by the candles being extinguished, one after the other, not only on the triangle, but on the altar itself. But Jesus, our Light, though despised and hidden, is not extinguished. This is signified by the candle which is momentarily placed on the altar; it symbolizes our Redeemer suffering and dying on Calvary. In order to express His burial, the candle is hidden behind the altar; its light disappears. A confused noise is heard in the house of God, where all is now darkness. This noise and gloom express the convulsions of nature when Jesus expired on the cross: the earth shook, the rocks were split, the dead came forth from their tombs. But the candle suddenly reappears; its light is as fair as ever. The noise is hushed, and homage is paid to the Conqueror of death."
– Excerpted from the revered Liturgical Year by Abbot Gueranger, the Catholic Encyclopedia and other sources
Love & Resurrection,
Lent: meatless burgers, avoiding hyper-scrupulosity & loophole-seeking
Miserere mei, Deus: secundum magnam misericordiam tuam.
Et secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum, dele iniquitatem meam.
Amplius lava me ab iniquitate mea: et a peccato meo munda me.
Quoniam iniquitatem meam ego cognosco: et peccatum meum contra me est semper.
Tibi soli peccavi, et malum coram te feci: ut justificeris in sermonibus tuis, et vincas cum judicaris.
Ecce enim in iniquitatibus conceptus sum: et in peccatis concepit me mater mea.
Ecce enim veritatem dilexisti: incerta et occulta sapientiae tuae manifestasti mihi.
Asperges me hyssopo, et mundabor: lavabis me, et super nivem dealbabor.
Auditui meo dabis gaudium et laetitiam: et exsultabunt ossa humiliata.
Averte faciem tuam a peccatis meis: et omnes iniquitates meas dele.
Cor mundum crea in me, Deus: et spiritum rectum innova in visceribus meis.
Ne proiicias me a facie tua: et spiritum sanctum tuum ne auferas a me.
Redde mihi laetitiam salutaris tui: et spiritu principali confirma me.
Docebo iniquos vias tuas: et impii ad te convertentur.
Libera me de sanguinibus, Deus, Deus salutis meae: et exsultabit lingua mea justitiam tuam.
Domine, labia mea aperies: et os meum annuntiabit laudem tuam.
Quoniam si voluisses sacrificium, dedissem utique: holocaustis non delectaberis.
Sacrificium Deo spiritus contribulatus: cor contritum, et humiliatum, Deus, non despicies.
Benigne fac, Domine, in bona voluntate tua Sion: ut aedificentur muri Ierusalem.
Tunc acceptabis sacrificium justitiae, oblationes, et holocausta: tunc imponent super altare tuum vitulos.
Have mercy on me, God, have mercy, in accord with Your merciful love;
in Your abundant compassion blot out my transgressions.
Thoroughly wash away my guilt;
and from my sin cleanse me.
For I know my transgressions;
my sin is always before me.
Against You, You alone have I sinned;
I have done what is evil in Your eyes
So that You are just in Your word,
and without reproach in Your judgment.
Behold, I was born in guilt,
in sin my mother conceived me.
Behold, You desire true sincerity;
and secretly You teach me wisdom.
Cleanse me with hyssop, that I may be pure;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
You will let me hear gladness and joy;
the bones you have crushed will rejoice.
Turn away Your face from my sins;
blot out all my iniquities.
A clean heart create for me, God;
renew within me a steadfast spirit.
Do not drive me from before Your face,
nor take from me Your holy spirit.
Restore to me the gladness of Your salvation;
uphold me with a willing spirit.
I will teach the wicked your ways,
that sinners may return to You.
Rescue me from violent bloodshed, God, my saving God,
and my tongue will sing joyfully of Your justice.
Lord, You will open my lips;
and my mouth will proclaim Your praise.
For You do not desire sacrifice or I would give it;
a burnt offering You would not accept.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a contrite, humbled heart, O God, you will not scorn.
Treat Zion kindly according to Your good will;
build up the walls of Jerusalem.
Then You will desire the sacrifices of the just,
burnt offering and whole offerings;
then they will offer up young bulls on Your altar.
-Ps 51:1-20
-by Michelle Arnold, Catholic Answers
"Lent began this year with a debate. If a fast-food sandwich patty is made with a plant-based product that's indistinguishable from real meat, can Catholics both abstain from meat during Lent and have their "burgers" too? The Washington Post recently featured a debate amongst Catholics on the controversy.
"I will be honest: when someone asked me that, my first thought was, 'Why didn't I think of that?! It's genius!!'" the Rev. Marlon Mendieta, of St. Patrick Catholic Church in Fayetteville, N.C., wrote in an email. "But then my conscience kicked in, and I just felt that I wouldn't be okay with that."
Fr. Mendieta polled his priest friends for their thoughts. One priest just shrugged. "If it's not meat, it's not meat."
Since another priest noted to Fr. Mendieta that it "seems like it goes against the spirit of the penitential season if we just eat things that taste like the stuff we're supposed to be abstaining from," I looked around online for reviews of the Impossible Burger, a popular meatless product made by Impossible Foods.
"The outside of the burger is coated in coconut oil, so it has a crunchy savoury outside like you get on a beef burger when you fry it," a British food critic wrote. "And there it was inside: that pinky soft middle. It was simply delicious. The flavour was really good—the best veggie burger I've ever had. However, I was hoping it would be indistinguishable from a meat burger so I was slightly disappointed that I could still tell the difference."
So, what's a Catholic to do this Lent? Can you licitly satisfy your craving for meat on the days of abstinence with an Impossible Burger? Let's look first at the Church's requirements for abstinence from meat during Lent. The Code of Canon Law states:
Abstinence from meat, or from some other food as determined by the episcopal conference, is to be observed on all Fridays, unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday. … The law of abstinence binds those who have completed their fourteenth year. … The episcopal conference[s] can determine more particular ways in which fasting and abstinence are to be observed (canons 1251–1253).
Since these canons permit national episcopal conferences to adjust the universal disciplines for their countries, the USCCB ruled for Catholics in the United States that Catholics are required to abstain from meat on the Lenten Fridays. On all other Fridays, the US bishops "terminate[d] the traditional law of abstinence binding under pain of sin" and urged Catholics to "ordinarily continue to abstain from meat by free choice."
For Catholics, the purpose of abstinence from meat on these days is to perform penance. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines penance as "a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a conversion to God with all our heart" (1431) and teaches that this interior act of the heart can be outwardly expressed—both individually and in community with fellow Christians—"in many and various ways. Scripture and the Fathers insist above all on three forms, fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, which express conversion in relation to oneself, to God, and to others" (1434).
Penance, then, while it is an interior transformation of the heart, is expressed to the world in acts that demonstrate our commitment to that conversion. Abstinence from meat is a traditional act Catholics perform to express our work toward that "radical reorientation" of our lives that penance entails.
Chowing down on an Impossible Burger on a Lenten Friday meets the letter of the law. As Fr. Mendieta's priest friend said, "If it's not meat, it's not meat." And if you can tell that your Impossible Burger is just a really good vegetarian burger, but not a beef burger, then eating your veggie burger may be a more sacrificial choice for you than an alternative seafood option, such as a lobster roll or crab cakes.
Catholics also need to take care not to become hyper-scrupulous about their food choices on days of penance. A few years ago, I was contacted during Lent by a mother of two teenage boys, both of whom had autism and a sensory processing dysfunction. She was anxious about whether she should give her boys the sweets they customarily ate at mealtimes because they needed the routine and familiar taste as incentives to eat the rest of their meals. I pointed out to this mom that her children had a medical need for sweets in their diet and I urged her not to worry further about fulfilling the Lenten penance requirement.
Nonetheless, Catholics should remember that penance in the Catholic tradition is not merely an individual act but a communal act. The Church assigns specific days of penance, in part, to invite all able-bodied Catholics to act together to reorient ourselves to God as a community. Our individual acts of penance serve as a reminder and encouragement to our fellow Catholics to join us in acting as the mystical body of Christ on earth.
So, what happens when fellow Catholics see you eating your Impossible Burger on a day of penance? If, to all outward appearances, you seem to be eating a "forbidden food" on a Lenten Friday, others may believe that you're flouting the Church's disciplinary laws. If that happens, then your act could become a source of scandal. The Catechism states:
"Scandal is an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil. The person who gives scandal becomes his neighbor's tempter. He damages virtue and integrity; he may even draw his brother into spiritual death. Scandal is a grave offense if by deed or omission another is deliberately led into a grave offense. Scandal takes on a particular gravity by reason of the authority of those who cause it or the weakness of those who are scandalized." (2284–2285).
St. Paul asked Christians not to seek their own good but to seek the good of their neighbor (1 Cor. 10:23–24). If you can easily choose between multiple licit options on days of abstinence, why choose the one option that could cause confusion or distress for your Catholic family and friends? Just because you can licitly eat an Impossible Burger on a Lenten Friday doesn't mean it's a good idea, unless you have some mitigating circumstance to do so (e.g., medical necessity, lack of alternatives).
The Post writer observed that "For as long as religious dietary guidelines have existed, somewhere there has likely been at least one moderately devoted practitioner desperately searching for loopholes." If your intent in eating an Impossible Burger this Lent is a desire to slide through a loophole in the Church's disciplinary rules, you may want to consider whether that's a properly penitential attitude."
Love & have mercy on me God, for I am a sinful man,
Sackcloth & ashes
https://www.gotquestions.org/sackcloth-and-ashes.html
"Sackcloth and ashes were used in Old Testament times as a symbol of debasement, mourning, and/or repentance. Someone wanting to show his repentant heart would often wear sackcloth, sit in ashes, and put ashes on top of his head. Sackcloth was a coarse material usually made of black goat's hair, making it quite uncomfortable to wear. The ashes signified desolation and ruin.
When someone died, the act of putting on sackcloth showed heartfelt sorrow for the loss of that person. We see an example of this when David mourned the death of Abner, the commander of Saul's army (2 Samuel 3:31). Jacob also demonstrated his grief by wearing sackcloth when he thought his son Joseph had been killed (Genesis 37:34). These instances of mourning for the dead mention sackcloth but not ashes.
Ashes accompanied sackcloth in times of national disaster or repenting from sin. Esther 4:1, for instance, describes Mordecai tearing his clothes, putting on sackcloth and ashes, and walking out into the city "wailing loudly and bitterly." This was Mordecai's reaction to King Xerxes' declaration giving the wicked Haman authority to destroy the Jews (see Esther 3:8–15). Mordecai was not the only one who grieved. "In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes" (Esther 4:3). The Jews responded to the devastating news concerning their race with sackcloth and ashes, showing their intense grief and distress.
Sackcloth and ashes were also used as a public sign of repentance and humility before God. When Jonah declared to the people of Nineveh that God was going to destroy them for their wickedness, everyone from the king on down responded with repentance, fasting, and sackcloth and ashes (Jonah 3:5–7). They even put sackcloth on their animals (verse 8). Their reasoning was, "Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish" (verse 9). This is interesting because the Bible never says that Jonah's message included any mention of God's mercy; but mercy is what they received. It's clear that the Ninevites' donning of sackcloth and ashes was not a meaningless show. God saw genuine change—a humble change of heart represented by the sackcloth and ashes—and it caused Him to "relent" and not bring about His plan to destroy them (Jonah 3:10).
Other people the Bible mentions wearing sackcloth include King Hezekiah (Isaiah 37:1), Eliakim (2 Kings 19:2), King Ahab (1 Kings 21:27), the elders of Jerusalem (Lamentations 2:10), Daniel (Daniel 9:3), and the two witness in Revelation 11:3.
Very simply, sackcloth and ashes were used as an outward sign of one's inward condition. Such a symbol made one's change of heart visible and demonstrated the sincerity of one's grief and/or repentance. It was not the act of putting on sackcloth and ashes itself that moved God to intervene, but the humility that such an action demonstrated (see 1 Samuel 16:7). God's forgiveness in response to genuine repentance is celebrated by David's words: "You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy" (Psalm 30:11)."
Love & His mercy,
Lent: weepers, hearers, kneelers, standers
https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/sackcloth-and-ashes
"To some non-Catholics Christians, the traditional pentitential practices of the Church (especially those of Lent) are unbiblical—traditions of men that are at best unnecessary and at worst seek to replace or add to Christ's sacrifice with human works.
Yet penance has been part of the true religion since before the time of Christ, as shown by the Old Testament's injunctions concerning fasting, wearing sackcloth, and sitting in dust and ashes. And they have been part of the Christian Church since its earliest days.
Penances can be formal or informal, but they amount to the same thing: expressions before God of sorrow over one's sins, which is not only required by God but also by human nature; human beings have an innate need to mourn tragedies, and our sins are tragedies.
In ancient formal penitential discipline, there were four classes of penitents who had committed major sins (e.g., idolatry, murder, abortion, adultery), and they moved through the classes on their way to full reconciliation.
(Ed. there was a wonderful ancient tradition I was made aware of where, during the Easter vigil, the bishop would lead the penitents, thenceforth, banned from full communion due to their sin, being led by the hand by the bishop back into the Church. Lovely.)
Weepers were not allowed in the church but stayed outside and asked those going in to pray for them. Hearers stood inside church doors and heard the liturgy of the word but were dismissed, like the catechumens, before the liturgy of the Eucharist. Kneelers knelt or lay down in church and participated with the Church in specific prayers for them before being blessed by the bishop and dismissed prior to the Eucharist. Standers sat in the congregation and stayed for the liturgy of the Eucharist but did not receive Communion.
As these following selections show, the Church Fathers had a lively understanding of the role of penance in the Christian life (cf. Matt. 6:16-18, Mark 2:18-20, Acts 13:2-3, Jas. 4:8-10), an understanding we would do well to recover as we progress through this Lenten season: weeping for our sins, hearing the voice of God calling us back to communion with Him, kneeling in His presence with true contrition, and standing attentively as we ponder the lessons of His word.
THE DIDACHE
Before the baptism, let the one baptizing and the one to be baptized fast, as also any others who are able. Command the one who is to be baptized to fast beforehand for one or two days…[After becoming a Christian] do not let your fasts be with the hypocrites. They fast on Monday and Thursday, but you shall fast on Wednesday and Friday (Didache 7:1, 8:1 [A.D.70]).
POPE CLEMENT I
You [Corinthians], therefore, who laid the foundation of the rebellion [in your church], submit to the presbyters and be chastened to repentance, bending your knees in a spirit of humility (Letter to the Corinthians 57 [A.D. 80]).
HERMAS
[The old woman told me:] "Every prayer should be accompanied with humility: fast, therefore, and you will obtain from the Lord what you beg." I fasted therefore for one day (The Shepherd 1:3:10 [A.D. 80]).
IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH
For as many as are of God and of Jesus Christ are also with the bishop. And as many as shall, in the exercise of penance, return into the unity of the Church, these, too, shall belong to God, that they may live according to Jesus Christ (Letter to the Philadelphians 3 [A.D. 110]).
Wherefore, forsaking the vanity of many, and their false doctrines, let us return to the word which has been handed down to us from the beginning; staying awake in prayer, and persevering in fasting; beseeching in our supplications the all-seeing God "not to lead us into temptation," as the Lord has said: "The spirit truly is willing, but the flesh is weak" [Matt. 26:41] (Letter to the Philippians 7 [A.D. 135]).
I will also relate the manner in which we dedicated ourselves to God when we had been made new through Christ; lest, if we omit this, we seem to be unfair in the explanation we are making. As many as are persuaded and believe that what we teach and say is true, and undertake to be able to live accordingly, are instructed to pray and to entreat God with fasting, for the remission of their sins that are past, we are praying and fasting with them. Then they are brought by us to where there is water, and are regenerated in the same manner in which we were ourselves regenerated. For, in the name of God, the Father and Lord of the universe, and of our Savior Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, they then receive the washing with water. For Christ also said, "Except ye be born again, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven" (First Apology 61 [A.D. 151]).
IRENAEUS
Some consider themselves bound to fast one day [during Lent], others two days, others still more, while others [do so during] forty; the diurnal and the nocturnal hours they measure out together as their [fasting] day. And this variety among the observers [of the fasts] had not its origin in our time, but long before in that of our predecessors (Letter to Pope Victor [A.D. 190]).
Confession is a discipline for man's prostration and humiliation…It commands one to lie in sackcloth and ashes, to cover the body with mourning, to cast the spirit down in sorrow, to exchange the sins which have been committed for a demeanor of sorrow; to take no food or drink except what is plain, not, of course, for the sake of the stomach, but for the sake of the soul; and most of all, to feed prayers on fasting; to groan, to weep and wail day and night to the Lord your God; to bow before the presbyters, to kneel before God's refuge places [altars], and to beseech all the brethren for the embassy of their own supplication (Repentance 9:3-5 [A.D. 203]).
There is also a seventh, albeit hard and laborious [method of forgiveness] – the remission of sins through penance, when the sinner washes his pillow in tears, when his tears are day and night his nourishment, and when he does not shrink from declaring his sin to a priest of the Lord (Homilies on Leviticus 2:4 [A.D. 248]).
Sinners may do penance for a set time, and according to the rules of discipline come to public confession, and by imposition of the hand of the bishop and clergy receive the right of communion (Letters 9:2).
GREGORY THAUMATURGUS
Weeping is done outside the gate of the oratory, and the sinner standing there ought to implore the faithful, as they enter, to pray for him. Hearing is in the narthex inside the gate, where the sinner ought to stand while the catechumens are there, and afterward he should depart. For let him hear the Scriptures and the teachings…and then be cast out and not be reckoned as worthy of [the penitential] prayer. Submission allows one to stand within the gate of the temple, but he must go out with the catechumens. Assembly allows one to be associated with the faithful, without the necessity of going out with the catechumens. Last of all is participation in the consecrated elements (Canonical Letter, canon 11 [A.D. 256]).
EUSEBIUS OF CAESAREA
[The Emperor Philip,] being a Christian desired, on the day of the last paschal vigil, to share with the multitude in the prayers of the Church, but that he was not permitted to enter, by him who then presided, until he had made confession and had numbered himself among those who were reckoned as transgressors and who occupied the place of penance. For if he had not done this, he would never have been received by him, on account of the many crimes which he had committed. It is said that he obeyed readily, manifesting in his conduct a genuine and pious fear of God (Church History 6:34 [A.D. 312]).
COUNCIL OF NICAEA I
It is decided by the council, even though they [those who apostatized without coercion during the persecution of Licinius] are unworthy of mercy, to treat them, nevertheless, with kindness. Those, then, who are truly repentant shall, as already baptized [people], spend three years among the hearers, and seven years among the kneelers, and for two years they shall participate with the people in prayers, but without taking part in the offering (canon 11 [A.D. 325]).
If the serpent, the devil, bites someone secretly, he infects that person with the venom of sin. And if the one who has been bitten keeps silence and does not do penance, and does not want to confess his wound…then his brother and his master, who have the word [of absolution] that will cure him, cannot very well assist him (Commentary on Ecclesiastes 10:11 [A.D. 388]).
Let him who has [committed incest]…[a]fter coming to an awareness of that dread sin, let him be a weeper for three years, standing at the door of the houses of prayer and begging the people entering there for the purpose of praying to offer in sympathy for him, each one, earnest petitions to the Lord. After this, let him be admitted for another three years among the hearers only; and when he has heard the Scriptures and the teachings, let him be put out and not be deemed worthy of the prayer. Then, if he has sought it with tears and has cast himself down before the Lord with a contrite heart and with great humility, let him be given admission for another three years. And thus, when he has exhibited fruits worthy of repentance, let him be admitted in the tenth year to the prayer of the faithful without communion. And when he has assembled for two years in prayer with the faithful, then let him finally be deemed worthy of the communion of the good (Letters 217:75 [A.D. 367])."
Love, & His mercy,
Lent: "Whoever wishes to come after Me must take up his cross and deny himself." Mt 16:24
-by Fr Carlos Martins, CC, a former atheist, Fr Carlos now currently conducts ministry with sacred relics of the saints, with Treasures of the Church ministry.
"I once gave a talk on Lenten fasting and mortification at a gathering of Catholic professionals. One of the attendees came up to me afterward, slightly annoyed, and said that fasting and mortification were not part of her spirituality. "I can follow Jesus perfectly well without them," she said. "I focus instead on doing good." (Ironically, that day was a Friday during Lent, and she had purchased fancy cupcakes for everyone.)
I responded with a question. "Then what did Jesus mean when he said, 'Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself'?" (Matt. 16:24).
In recent years, many Catholics have taken on Lenten "self-giving" penances rather than engaging in those that are more explicitly acts of self-denial. Thus, rather than give up things such as sweets, coffee, eating animal flesh (even on Fridays), or some other good thing, there is an exhortation to do such things as pray an extra chaplet, visit a shut-in, devote more time to spiritual reading, or some other such activity. Or even to "fast" from vices such as unkindness.
Prayer and works of mercy are both wonderful and necessary Lenten practices. However, if we do not practice self-denial of things that are good, then we miss the point of Lent.
Two principles are relevant here. First, Jesus remains our model and exemplar. You can bet that Our Lord engaged in much prayer and intercession during his forty days in the desert. But he did so while engaging in rigorous and meaningful self-denial. Scripture states that Jesus fasted while in the desert (Luke 4:2). The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us, "By the solemn forty days of Lent the Church unites herself each year to the mystery of Jesus in the desert" (540). The Church has been fasting for 2,000 years. The legitimacy and moral authority of fasting speaks for itself.
Second, in neglecting to fast we could be inadvertently feeding the beast. One of the effects of the fall is an inordinate love of self. We often think too highly of ourselves. We allow our appetites to run amok. One of the purposes of the season of Lent is to attack this inordinate love of self.
Indeed, fantasizing about being more than what they were is how Adam and Eve were tricked by the devil into rejecting God. "'You will not certainly die,' the serpent said to the woman. 'For God knows that when you eat from the tree your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God'" (Gen. 3:4-5). It is worth noting that when the devil plied this temptation, Adam and Eve had not yet fallen. In other words, human nature was still as God had made it: intact and unbroken. It was by luring them to inordinate self-love that the devil got them to fall for his sordid trap. We've been paying the price ever since.
Our brokenness is a force to be reckoned with. It can easily bring us down into all sorts of dysfunction and sin. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul gives a strong exhortation to attack that broken self, what he calls our old self: "You should put away the old self of your former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created in God's way in righteousness and holiness of truth" (Eph. 4:22-24). Paul identifies our old self as the source of our sinfulness, our disordered passions, our refusal to follow the Lord and, ultimately, our unhappiness. To allow it to exist is foolishness. We must declare war on it instead.
We put our old self to death by mortification. Mortification comes from two Latin words, mortem and facere; together they mean "to bring about death." It consists of the practice of measured denial of our lower appetites and desire for sensual pleasure. To mortify ourselves brings liberation. Indeed, the Catechism calls self-denial one of "the preconditions of all true freedom" (2223).
One of the most basic and traditional forms of observing Lent is fasting: mandatory for all Catholics (except for those exempted by age or illness) on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and encouraged throughout the season. It has the weight not just of ancient Christian practice behind it but that of all major religions. Even the ancient philosophers practiced fasting. Plato, for example, fasted in order to achieve greater physical and mental efficiency.
Some people can fast quite rigorously. Others have more difficulty. For them, some creativity may be necessary.
I had a friend with very low body weight. For him to miss a meal, or not to consume his regular amount of food, meant virtual non-functionality. He couldn't do his job, he couldn't concentrate, he couldn't engage in conversation. This is certainly not what the Church desires when it prescribes fasting. Thus, rather than cutting down on the amount of food he ate (which was already only the amount he needed to function), he deprived himself of the things that made food enjoyable. He refused himself all condiments. Salt, pepper, hot sauce, ketchup, butter, and the like were emptied from his house prior to Lent.
Do you find it burdensome to fast? Try eating your hamburger without ketchup, mustard, cheese, and the other condiments you enjoy putting on it. Do not salt your fries. Do you need a cup of coffee to be alert and to function? Forego the cream and sweetener. In all these practices you'll feel the deprivation, and you will live an authentic Lent. In fact, depriving ourselves of condiments is a great way to fast, since although they add pleasure to our eating experience, they possess virtually no nutritional value. For forty days, why not put them to death?
To be clear, practicing penance is not an end in itself. The Church does not prescribe penance because it is sadistic; it prescribes it for two essential realities it brings about. The first is that it reminds us of our own mortality. The displeasure that comes with fasting makes us feel our lack of self-sufficiency and our dependence on God. It makes our prayer that much more real and genuine because it is prayer made with both the body and the mind. That prayer, in turn, may fuel acts of charity.
The second is that a meaningful, sincere, and authentic Lenten observance makes Easter that much more of a celebration. When Lent is over it is time for glory, and we consume the good things we have gone without. And it is good to do so. They are a reminder of the glory that Christ has purchased for us and that awaits us in the next life.
Indeed, Scripture describes heaven as a banquet (Matt. 22:2), a wedding feast (Matt. 25: 10), a place devoid of hunger (Rev. 7:16). Although it is true that the Church takes seriously the observance of fasting, it is equally true that no one appreciates a feast like the Church. For 2,000 years she has been preparing for one. "Blessed is the one who will dine in the kingdom of God" (Luke 14:15).
May God bless us all in our Lenten observances."
Lent, Theology
Chains that bind
-by Br Luke VanBerkum, OP
"Some chains are taken off and some are put on.
We hear in Scripture, "The Lord listens to the needy and does not spurn his servants in their chains" (Ps 69:33), and again, "He led them forth from darkness and gloom and broke their chains to pieces" (Ps 107:14). The Lord is the breaker of chains!
What, then, do we make of the Gerasene demoniac? The devil had come to possess this man, and his fellow townspeople had tried to bind him in chains in an attempt to control the devil. But, "no one was strong enough to subdue him" (Mk 5:4)—the devil easily made him destroy these bonds.
Does the devil offer the same freedom from bondage as the Lord? Assuredly not: it is a mirage that still leaves him bound. This false freedom is called license, and such a "freedom" only leads to "bruising" (Mk 5:5) of the soul.
Alone we can do nothing to bind the devil and come to true freedom. "No one can enter a strong man's house to plunder his property," Jesus tells us, "unless he first ties up the strong man" (Mk 3:27). The Gerasene demoniac was possessed: he had become the house for the strong man, the devil. He needed someone stronger than the strong man.
'Thus says the Lord: Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken, and the prey of the tyrant be rescued, for I will contend with those who contend with you, and I will save your children.' (Is 49:24-25)
Jesus looked on the possessed man with compassion, and then, as the Lord promised, He entered the strong man's house. With His mighty word, He bound the devil and cast him out into a herd of swine. He then plundered the house—rather, He claimed the man for God and restored him to his right mind and right place at the feet of Jesus (Lk 8:35).
We, too, need Christ to break into our souls when we are bound by sin, when the strong man in his cunning has ensnared us in his chains. We seek in hope those effective words—"I absolve you from your sins"—that bind up the strong man and transform the soul.
Such transformation propels us into the great mystery of love. Those things that the devil attempts to use against us are recast in love for the salvation of our souls. Thus, we have saints who—in the face of the devil—freely choose to wear chains about their bodies. These are not chains of sin. They are "chains of love in which they allow themselves to be entrapped, so that they will love [God]," St. Alphonsus Ligouri writes (Office of Readings, Aug 1).
These chains of love come in various forms. For St. Dominic an actual iron chain adorned his waist as an act of penance. Acts of penance only come from intense love for souls. Desiring the salvation of every soul, like his savior Jesus Christ, St. Dominic lovingly chose to undergo significant pain as an offering for the forgiveness of sins.
You and I will most likely not don chains in such a way, but we can still consider other, lighter, chains of love. This is why we take on penances, or mortifications, during Lent. We love Jesus, and inspired by this love we seek to offer something alongside His offering on the cross for the salvation of our own soul and the souls of all sinners.
The devil uses chains to bind, but Christ breaks them. We use chains to love, and these Christ helps us carry."
Lent, Sin, Theology
Sinning boldly without fear of God
"There is good reason to be astonished that men should sin so boldly in the sight of Heaven and earth and show so little fear of the most high God. Yet it is a much greater cause of astonishment that while we multiply our iniquities beyond the sands of the sea and have so great a need for God to be kind and indulgent, we are nevertheless so demanding ourselves. Such indignity and such injustice! We want God to suffer everything from us, and we are not able to suffer anything from anyone. We exaggerate beyond measure the faults committed against us; worms that we are, we take the slightest pressure exerted on us to be an enormous attack. Meanwhile, we count as nothing what we undertake proudly against the sovereign majesty of God and the rights of his empire! Blind and wretched mortals: will we always be so sensitive and delicate? Will we never open our eyes to the truth? Will we never understand that the one who does injury to us is always much more to be pitied than are we who receive the injury? . . . Since those who do evil to us are unhealthy in mind, why do we embitter them by our cruel vengeance? Why do we not rather seek to bring them back to reason by our patience and mildness? Yet we are far removed from these charitable dispositions. Far from making the effort at self-command that would enable us to endure an injury, we think that we are lowering ourselves if we do not take pride in being delicate in points of honor. We even think well of ourselves for our extreme sensitivity. And we carry our resentment beyond all measure . . . All of this must stop . . . We must take care of what we say and bridle our malicious anger and unruly tongues. For there is a God in Heaven Who has told us that He will demand a reckoning of our 'careless words' (Matt. 12:36): what recompense shall He exact for those which are harmful and malicious? We ought, therefore, to revere His eyes and His presence. Let us ponder the fact that He will judge us as we have judged our neighbor." — Bishop Jacques-Benigne Bossuet, Meditations for Lent, p. 49-51
Love & repentance,
Cross, Lent
-adapted from Br. Luke VanBerkum, OP
"The onslaught of television shows, movies, advertisements, and pop culture can skew the perception of a normal human life. We unconsciously form an idea of what there is to expect in life: peak physical fitness and attractiveness, perfect love, and material happiness. Young people especially can become enamored with this picture, making it the standard of a fulfilling life. But this ignores a very real aspect of our existence: suffering…
By Jesus, we are transformed from dying on the cross. As St. Peter says, "He Himself bore our sins in His body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed" (1 Pet 2:24). By Christ's death and resurrection, we are freed from original sin, and life with God in heaven is made possible.
While we wait in hope for heavenly glory, we suffer during this life on earth because of the effects of sin. Our suffering, though, is not in vain. It is a participation in Jesus's own suffering: "For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in His footsteps" (1 Pet 2:21). Following in Christ's footsteps by offering up our suffering to God prepares us to continue following in His footsteps unto eternal life. (Ed. Treasury of Merit!!)
Must we suffer with Christ?… Our physical deterioration is inevitable as we age. Wheelchairs and the return of diapers are in our future. Bed baths, walking with a walker, Alzheimer's, and dementia are all real possibilities. The helplessness and reliance on others that mark this later stage of life can be frightening, and so it is easy to ignore it until we are in the clutches of old age. (…whence cometh my help? My help cometh from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. Ps 121:1-2)
How can we prepare spiritually for this bodily suffering? With constant practice over a lifetime, we can form a habit of prayer, an awareness of the presence of God, and firmly rooted virtue. Moreover, the Church has given us this season of Lent to consider suffering, particularly the greatest mystery of suffering: GOD suffering on the cross. Contemplating the cross now…prepares us for when our body becomes our cross. Staying close to Christ and His cross transforms this suffering into an eternal reward. Embracing the cross, we are ready to follow Christ into eternal life, where one day our bodies will be glorified supernaturally as we share in God's life."
Love, joy, hope,
Advent, Lent, Liturgy
Laetare! Gaudete!
http://soul-candy.info/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/11-Laetare-Jerusalem.m4a
Laetáre, Jerúsalem, et conventum fácite, omnes qui dilígitis eam: gaudéte cum laetitia, qui in tristitia fuistis, ut exsultétis, et satiémini ab ubéribus consolatiónis vestrae. – Is 66:10 (Ps. 122:1-2) Laetátus sum in his, quae dicta sunt mihi: in domum Dómini íbimus. Gloria Patri. Laetáre… (The Introit of the Fourth Sunday of Lent)
"Rejoice, O Jerusalem, and come together, all you who love her: rejoice with joy, you who have been in sorrow: that you may exult, and be filled from the breasts of your consolation. – Is 66:10
Ps. 122:1-2 "I rejoiced at the things that were said to me, We will go up to the house of the Lord. Glory be… Rejoice, O Jerusalem…"
Gaudete, gaudete, Christus est natus
Ex Maria virgine, gaudete
Tempus adest gratiae, hoc quod optabamus
Carmina laetitiae devote redamus
Deus homo factus est natura mirante
Mundus renovatus est a Christo regnante
Ezechielis porta clausa per transitur
Unde lux est orta salus invenitur
Ergo nostra cantio psallat iam in lustro
Benedicat domino salus regi nostro
Rejoice, rejoice!
Of the Virgin Mary –
Rejoice!
The time of grace has come—
What we have wished for;
Songs of joy
Let us give back faithfully.
God has become man,
With nature marvelling,
The world has been renewed
By the reigning Christ.
The closed gate of Ezekiel
Is passed through,
Whence the light is risen;
Salvation has been found.
Therefore, let our preaching
Now sing in brightness
Let it bless the Lord:
Greeting to our King.
-by Br Elijah Dubek, OP
"An old tradition still permits priests to wear rose-colored (not pink) vestments on two Sundays each year: Gaudete Sunday (Third Sunday of Advent) and Laetare Sunday (yesterday, the Fourth Sunday of Lent). Both are named for the first word of the entrance chant at Mass. Those of you who love your Latin may immediately link the two by their common titles—both are the command "rejoice." The history of how rose-colored vestments arrived on the scene takes much more untangling than noting this similarity in language. This is the very short version:
Part I: Stational Churches
In the early centuries of the Church, a practice developed in Rome wherein the pope (or his legate) would celebrate a solemn Mass in one after another of the four major and the three minor basilicas. More churches were added to this list as the number of liturgical occasions increased, bringing the count of "stations" to over forty. On the day of a station, the faithful of Rome would gather and process to the church where Mass would be celebrated by the pope. In the pre-Vatican II Missal, a station was indicated for each Sunday, major feast days, and every weekday during Lent—a total of 89 stations! There has been a revival of these customs in recent decades, and the Church still attaches indulgences to those who participate in them.
Part II: Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem
The stational church for the Fourth Sunday of Lent is the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem, whose story is fascinating. This church was built by St. Helena (mother of Constantine) after she brought relics of our Lord's Passion and dirt from Golgotha back from her expedition to Jerusalem. The soil was spread over the site and the basilica built on top of it—the "in Jerusalem" of the basilica's name refers to this soil on which it was built, a part of Jerusalem. Because of this soil and the relics inside the basilica, this church became a substitute pilgrimage site when Christians could not travel to the Holy Land itself.
Part III: The Golden Rose
With its own history far too long to adequately examine here, another custom developed in Rome: the papal blessing of the golden rose. Related to a popular festival in which flowers were worn to mark the "victory" of spring over winter, this rose found Christological symbolism: the thorns and the red tint given to the golden petals signified the passion of Christ; the fragrance of the rose symbolized his burial. The pope would bless this sacramental and bestow it on some deserving person or place. Before you think we're off track: this blessing was given on the Fourth Sunday of Lent. Why? As a sacramental related to our Lord's Passion, where better to bless it than where relics of the Passion were kept—and where the Pope celebrated Mass every year on the Fourth Sunday of Lent?
Part IV: Rose Vestments
Italians, especially Roman Italians, loved (and still love) festivals and parades. This celebration of the golden rose with the Fourth Sunday of Lent was extremely popular, so much so, in fact, that they called the day the "Sunday of the Rose." Add the lack of fixed or standardized vestment colors, even for Lent, and the festive Roman mind of the sixteenth century needed little excuse to adopt rose vestments for the Sunday of the Rose. When the Church extended Roman liturgical customs to the whole Latin Church, Catholics everywhere could see these rose vestments two Sundays a year.
While it is fair to say that "rejoicing" is an official meaning of the custom of rose-colored vestments nowadays, the traditional roots of the rose tried to turn our focus more deeply on Jerusalem and Christ's Passion there. Let us not forget to make pilgrimage with Jesus to Jerusalem.
I rejoiced when they said to me,
"Let us go to the house of the Lord."
And now our feet are standing
Within your gates, O Jerusalem. (Ps. 122:1-2)"


As little as ten years ago the large majority of the hill towns and villages in rural Nepal were accessible primarily by foot. It would commonly take a day of walking, often more, for the average Nepali living in these areas to reach a motorable road. This was life as usual, however difficult the circumstances.
Recently, however, this has begun to change dramatically.
Baato (working title) is a feature film project that explores the effects of road connectivity in eastern Nepal. As a new highway along the Arun River valley in eastern Nepal nears completion, once remote villages will be connected to the rest of Nepal for the first time, and a new trade route between China and Nepal (through Tibet) is closer to becoming a reality. The film follows the stories of individuals who are witness to the changes that this new road is bringing to the Sankhuwasabha District, a mountainous region in northeastern Nepal.


We understand that your pets are a part of the family. We feel the same way about our own; which is why their well-being is one of our biggest concerns. Moving is often stressful for animals. Because of this, we exhibit high levels of compassion towards your pets by ensuring their comfort and safety at all times.
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text:
Lies our candidates told us
The press will give Gore the serious fact-checker treatment during the debate. But here are three fibs Bush got away with the last time.
Published October 11, 2000 4:46PM (EDT)
Vice President Al Gore is, of course, a long-established embellisher and should be condemned as such. But be very wary of anyone who suggests that both Gore and Bush don't fib.
In the last debate, Gore, of course, bungled facts having to do with whether he had accompanied Federal Emergency Management Agency director James Lee Witt to Texas (he was actually there with Witt's deputy) and completely lied about whether he had ever questioned if Bush is experienced enough to be president. The Bush campaign and others slammed Gore for an anecdote about overcrowding in Sarasota, Fla., schools, but Gore ended up being essentially right on that one, not that you'd know from how the media accepted it as another example of Gore's propensity to embellish.
Meanwhile, during the last debate, arguably the most flamboyant lie was told by Bush, when he claimed that Gore was outspending him, though the truth is that Bush has outspent Gore almost 2-to-1, setting the all-time world record -- more than $100 million -- in his presidential race so far.
Wednesday night, as the world turns its eyes to the second presidential debate in Winston-Salem, N.C., reporters will be armed with research teams that will ensure that every single Gore statement and anecdote passes rigorous New Yorker-style fact-checking standards. As they should.
But let's see if Bush's assertions are also put to the same test. For starters, while Gore was hammered for three alleged big fibs last week, here are three that came from Bush during the same debate, of generally much larger consequence, that have gone largely unnoticed:
1. The Bush tax cut will consume only one-fourth of the projected budget surplus.
Not true. As the New York Times' Paul Krugman has pointed out time and time again -- $1.6 trillion is much closer to a third of the $4.6 trillion surplus than a fourth. (On the stump, Bush goes so far as to illustrate this with four dollar bills.) This is not an inconsequential lie. Bush is deceiving the public about the size of his tax cut, in which the bulk of the money is targeted toward the nation's richest. It is a question of being honest with the American people.
Sen. Everett Dirksen used to say, "A billion here, a billion there. Pretty soon it runs into real money." Same goes, I think, for a trillion.
2. Gore's claim that Bush's tax cut favors the wealthy is "fuzzy math."
It's a cute ploy, but the morning after the debate, questioned by Charlie Gibson on ABC's "Good Morning America," Bush admitted that Gore's claim was correct.
"I want to raise a point that I was puzzled you didn't attack," Gibson said. "Specifically, the vice president said maybe half a dozen times that you would give to the top 1 percent in a tax cut more than you would spend on education, healthcare, prescription drugs and national defense combined. He said it over and over again ... is he incorrect in saying that you would give to the top 1 percent of income earners in this country in tax relief more than you would spend on healthcare, prescription drugs, education and national defense combined?"
"No," Bush said. "I think what people have got to understand is, wealthy people pay a lot of taxes today, and if everybody gets tax relief, wealthy people are going to get tax relief."
We'll see if he's as, um, forthcoming with Jim Lehrer on Wednesday night.
3. Bush's privatization plan for Social Security won't rely on either cutting benefits or major funding.
"There's a third way," Bush said during the debate. "And that is to get a better rate of return on the Social Security monies" through privatization. But as the Wall Street Journal pointed out Tuesday, most experts believe that either a cut in benefits or a multitrillion-dollar infusion -- or a combination of both -- will be necessary to keep the program afloat for such a transition. When pressed by the Journal, Bush's economic advisor, Lawrence Lindsey, said Bush would consider taking out a "bridge loan" worth hundreds of billions of dollars if the market underperforms, so that benefits would not be cut.
Whether Bush falls back on his misleading rhetoric on any of these issues will be one thing. Whether anybody calls him on it will be another.


We have a BADI BBP_CTR_BE_CREATE wherein we have defined the coditions mapping in R3.
Thanks for the reply. All settings seem to be fine.
1. The standard section which contains the authorization for only the condition type 01CT.
2. A changed section which contains the authorization for all condition types.
I want to know that does the Standard section overwrite the changed section and hence does not allow the user to select the Condition Type?
Note 889751 - EBP_GET_BACKEND_PRICES - improve the "unlock management"


When the holidays come around, there's nothing more essential than a great playlist. During any number of the parties, dinners, and awkward get-togethers, music can both break the ice and create an unexpected conversation. Of course, you can spend hours crafting the perfect playlist out of a mix of classics and personal favorites, or you can take a tip directly from some of the coolest DJs around and put their signature songs—with a holiday twist—on loop. Here, five DJs share their top tunes.
Chanel West Coast Chanel West Coast is a performer, actor, singer, rapper, and model who also deejays. "I definitely have a classic holiday music style. I love the original versions of any Christmas song over the more modern covers, however, I do love a few new original Christmas songs that show you a fun, modern twist on holiday music," she says. "One time during Christmas break, I went to visit my dad in New York and it snowed so hard the streets were literally shut down. I had never been to New York and seen it so quiet in the streets and covered in snow like that and to me, it was beautiful. My dad and I had a snowball fight and even saved a snowball in his freezer that lasted all the way until I came to visit him in the spring." With a following of more than 2.8 million on Instagram, it's clear she knows what the people want when it comes to music.


Ora-Plus is a unique suspending vehicle used to simplify the process involved in the extemporaneous compounding of oral suspensions. Medicated powder can be incorporated into Ora-Plus to form elegant, uniform and physically stable suspensions.
Ora-Plus can be used in combination with any flavoring syrup, but it is specially formulated to complement Paddock's Ora- Sweet®. Ora-Plus and Ora-Sweet can be combined in a 50/50 ratio to produce a pleasant tasting elegant suspension.
Ora-Plus is an aqueous-based vehicle consisting of a synergistic blend of suspending agents that have a high degree of colloidal activity. The suspending agents form a structured, gel-like matrix which suspend particles and allow for little settling. Ora-Plus is buffered to a slightly acidic pH to help reduce degradation of medicinal agents through oxidation. An anti-foam agent is incorporated into Ora-Plus to allow for vigorous shaking with minimal foam.
Purified water, microcrystalline cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose sodium, xanthan gum, carrageenan, calcium sulfate, trisodium phosphate, citric acid and sodium phosphate as buffers, dimethicone antifoam emulsion. Preserved with methylparaben and potassium sorbate.


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Israeli Killed in Mali Hotel Bloodbath
Forward StaffNovember 21, 2015
An Israeli was reportedly among the 19 people killed when Islamic terrorists stormed a luxury hotel in the West African nation of Mali.
Secret Israeli Report Sees Rift With Europe Growing
J.J. GoldbergJanuary 13, 2015
A secret Israeli report predicts a growing rift between Europe and Israel. J.J. Goldberg explains why Benjamin Netanyahu's stance after the Paris terror attacks may make things worse.
Confusion Reigns as U.S. Tries To Grasp New Qaeda
J.J. GoldbergAugust 11, 2013
A week after the dramatic terror alert that shut down 19 U.S. embassies, experts are starting to weigh in on what it means, and specifically what it tells us about the state of Al Qaeda. If I can sum up the answer in two words, it would be: not much.
The Deadly Identity Crisis Along Islam's Borders
J.J. GoldbergApril 19, 2013
The Boston bombings might force us to reconsider what we think we know about jihad terrorism and the larger questions of radical 'Islamism,' writes J.J. Goldberg.
After Islamist Threat Repelled, Spotlight Hits 'Jews' of Fabled Timbuktu
Nathan GuttmanFebruary 22, 2013
Timbuktu, the scene of recent fighting, is not often thought of as an outpost of Jewish life. But 1,000 descendants of Jews who converted to Islam live near the Sahara Desert city.
Mali Islamists Torch 20,000 Timbuktu Books
ReutersJanuary 28, 2013
Islamist fighters fleeing Mali's ancient Saharan city of Timbuktu as French and Malian troops closed in set fire to a South African-funded library there containing thousands of priceless manuscripts, the city's mayor said on Monday.
Mali Incursion Raises Risk to French Jews
JTAJanuary 18, 2013
France's military involvement in Mali "significantly increases" the threat facing French Jews, according to the security service of the country's Jewish communities.
Mali Volunteer Militia Trains to Fight Islamist Rebel Group Ansar Dine, Al-Qaeda in W. Africa
SteveJuly 24, 2012
With most of the north of the West Africa state of Mali now in the hands of an Islamist rebel group linked to al-Qaeda, a group of civilians in the country's capital Bamako say they are in training to take it back. They are part of a three hundred strong volunteer militia group who want to do what the government army seems unable to. Head of BBH volunteer brigade Mamadou Douawa: "We were all shocked and blindsided that our army failed in 72 hours and abandoned two thirds of the nation's territory. We consider that it's a problem of manpower so the youth have to come fill this gap in the army so that we can fight. But the volunteer groups appear to be no match for the Islamist militants who have taken control of most of the north and imposed Sharia law. Music has been banned, women risk being beaten if they are uncovered and people are being whipped in public for various misdemeanours. Timbuktu which was a centre of Islamic learning from the 13th to the 17th centuries has been overrun by Islamist militants Ansar Dine and al-Qaeda affiliated Islamic Maghreb, which have also destroyed half of the World Heritage tombs and mausoleums in the name of Islam. The loss of these shrines has sparked worldwide outrage but it has also caused great sadness and disapproval among Malians who have traditionally practiced a tolerant form of Islam; often described as an open and intellectual interpretation of the religion. Analysts believe it is not only Mali's unique culture, including its …
Coming to Africa
Alexander GelfandMay 10, 2012
Playing together, Israeli Idan Raichel and Mali's Vieux Farka Toure show how harmoniously Jewish and Islamic culture can meld when given the chance.
Newsy Now: March 22 (1315 GMT)
AnonymousMarch 23, 2012
Toulouse gunman dead; group of Mali soldiers claim to have ousted president; Portuguese workers on strike; vote of no confidence in Sanford PD chief.


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Home2015April15
Review – Vietnam War USMC M40 (Reproduction)
April 15, 2015 April 15, 2015 Bob
Sometimes the merest mention of the name or the designation of a certain firearm will ignite a keen interest and debate amongst gun owners. For some 'students of the gun' it will be one of the timeless creations of John Moses Browning or the eponymous brainchild of Canadian Jean Cantius Garand that stirs the blood. Amongst aficionados of the bolt gun the incomparable K98 or, that victor of two world wars, the SMLE usually comes to mind but in my opinion there are few post WWII bolt guns that carry the same cachet as the one attributed to the rifle first used in Vietnam by the United States Marine Corps Scout Snipers – the USMC M40.
While the twin mercies of demographics and geography combined to ensure that my experience of what historians call the "Ten Thousand Day War" was limited to watching it unfold on the BBC evening news, I – like many of my generation – developed a fascination with that conflict and being a gun nut my interest naturally extended to the weapons used by the legendary snipers of that war – US Marines Hathcock, Mawhinney and England as well as the Army's Adelbert Waldron who was, until surpassed by Chris Kyle, the US military's record holder with 109 kills.
At commencement of hostilities the USMC outfitted marksmen with a number of different weapons and in those early days the Winchester Model 70 was the un-official USMC sniper rifle. The first rifles sent to Asia to be used as sniper weapons were actually from the third marine division rifle team that had been rebuilt for use for highpower competition at Camp Perry. (Hathcock, for example, used a Winchester Mod 70 in 30-06 during his first tour).
In 1964 Winchester made a fateful decision. In what was almost a case of corporate suicide, the arms maker changed the rifle to make it cheaper, easier and faster to produce. The changes Winchester made were enough to damage the company's reputation for many years and was something some people never forgave. It also ended any chance the M70 had of becoming sniper standard in the years to come.
Winchester's loss was Remington's gain and in 1966 following upon the recommendations of a report prepared by the USMC MTU, Remington presented to the USMC a rifle – chambered in .308 – which was built in their custom shop on the Model 40XB target rifle action. Outfitted with a bull barrel and fitted into a walnut oil-finished stock, the final order was for 995 rifles each of which were designated the M40.
Warping of the stocks and fogging of the primitive Redfield scopes they carried bedevilled these rifles but in the hands of trained snipers they nevertheless proved accurate enough to allow for confirmed kills out past 800 yards and (with lots of upgrades through M40A1 A3 and A5 versions) similar rifles remain in service to this day.
Regrettably, the time is long gone for there to be any hope of someone like me being able to acquire a real 1960's M40 (one went through a US auction last month for US$26,000 and change!) and while there are a number of excellent custom shops in the US that will make one a very fine M40A1, what excited me most was the project undertaken a few years back by Remington, Iron Brigade Armory and the USMC Scout Sniper Association to make a reasonably-priced replica (as opposed to mere 'commemorative' ) version of the original wood-stocked rifle that started it all. It is one of these Remington retro M40's that has recently come into my hands and of which I am writing about here.
There will always be some who say that purchasing anything other than an original is a waste of money but, were that the case few of us would own a M14-type rifle a semi-auto M4 or any other firearm that wasn't, strictly speaking, an as-issued piece. My repro M40 was made by the same company (Remington) that made the original M40 and it is endorsed by Iron Brigade Armory and, more importantly to me, the United States Marine Corps Scout Sniper Association – if they say my rifle meets their standards of authenticity then that's more than good enough for me.
Weighing 7 1/2 pounds my M40 specs include a 1:12 ROT M40 pattern 24″ medium weight barrel with a flat crown, a "U.S." roll marked and "clip-slotted" M40 pattern 40x receiver which is drilled and tapped for rear peep sights. The stock is a M40 pattern walnut stock without checkering which has 1 1/2 inch wide sling swivels designed for military style slings and it has the correct style heavy chequered aluminum buttplate.
Interested readers may wonder why this rifle has a "clip slotted" receiver which can't even be used with a scoped rifle. The answer to that question is simple – the 1960's 40x action came with a receiver slot for the stripper clips which were used to reload the magazine when the rifle was used with target iron sights in high-power rifle matches such as those held at Camp Perry.
This particular rifle is complete with a authentic copy of a Vietnam-era one-piece scope mount and rings set. These modern mounts were manufactured by Badger Ordnance to be a faithful reproduction of the 1960's Redfield Junior rings and base that the original M40 would have worn.
Obviously there will be differences between an original made in the 1960's and a reproduction made some forty years later. Some differences that I've noted between the replica and the original appears to be in the parkerized finish, the safety looks to be the modern style and the trigger is the older Remington but not, I think, the one from the 1960's. These differences ( and maybe others ) are OK with me since I know it is a modern reproduction that I bought and not an original. A neat touch with these replicas is the addition of a special SSA prefix to the serial number in honour of the USMC Scout Sniper Association and its' members.
While this rifle was used when I bought it, the condition was 'near to new' and I am very pleased with the fit, finish and function all of which compares most favourably to regular factory offerings.
To complete the 'near to the 1960's' look I topped the rifle with a 1970's Redfield 'Royal' which looks similar to the Redfield Accumark these rifles would have worn when fielded. Because my eyes need all the help they can get these days I swapped out the old Redfield for a new (now discontinued) 1″ diameter Bushnell Elite 4200 6-24×40 for the actual shooting part of this article. I've always liked the old 4200 series scopes, they have really very good glass and have excellent light transmission so when I saw this one advertised on Amazon for a good price I figured it would sort of look the part and work well. Finally before heading out to do some shooting I swapped out the US cloth sling for a quality 1907-pattern sling which, with the exception of modern tactical slings, remains the best sling there is for positional shooting.
Pictured with an all matching 1903 Springfield and a modern M14
While the original rifle would have used the US M118 load that was topped with a 173g pill I made up some loads using readily on hand components and so I used 168g Hornaday Match over 43.5g of Varget and headed off to see how she performed.
For comparison purposes I took with me two other modern .308's – one was a custom M40A1 clone built by Alberta Tactical Rifle Supply that sports a Rock Creek M40 profile barrel and which sits in a McMillian M40A1 HTG stock and the other was my PGW Coyote which, incidentally, sees service in some parts of the world as a modern SWS.
What did I think ? Read on…
Comfort and Ergonomics
I'll confess to having been spoiled a bit because most of my rifles sport either high quality stocks or chassis systems that are fully customizable for the end user so this old school stock wasn't quite as comfortable as I'm used to. Having said that, it is clearly a quality stock and the M40 style with raised comb feels just natural – at least to my body proportions. The palm swell was fine but the wrist is a little narrow for me – small points that don't really affect shooting. The rifle balanced well and recoil was fine though I did notice it whereas with the heavier, modern, rifles it is really tamed.
Action and Trigger
A smooth action with a nice tight lock up and a pretty good trigger – certainly better that the hateful XMP but not the best-tuned Remington trigger I've used. A good comparison wold be to a 700P – nice enough but not a stand-out.
On a windy day the rifle was still capable of some sub minute accuracy. This was pretty much as expected and I suspect that playing around with some handloads will turn this rifle into a 3/4 or so minute rifle.
Well, there is no doubt that if one wants a heavy barreled accurate Remington rifle there are cheaper and better options than this one – any 700P or R5 is likely to be as accurate and will certainly come with a better stock and at a much cheaper price. If, however, like me you want a rifle that is as near as you can reasonably expect to a 1960's M40 then this may well be for you. I'm very happy with this rifle and even though it is a modern replica I shall treasure it as though it is an original.


Founded by Californian climber and surfer, Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia is an outdoor and equipment com..
Alevì Milano's Izabel ankle booties are crafted of black plush velvet and clear PVC. This elegant pointed-toe design is finished with a leg-lengthening stiletto heel and the Milanese label's signature inset.
3.25"/85mm shaft, 12.25"/31cm circumference (approximately).


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import type { FC } from 'react';
import type { ListItemContentProps } from '../ListItem';
export declare const NavTreeDisclosure: import("styled-components").StyledComponent<FC<ListItemContentProps>, import("styled-components").DefaultTheme, import("packages/design-tokens/src").DensityProp & {
    depth?: number | undefined;
}, never>;

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Gareth Southgate still has plenty of growing left to do - England's late misstep against Poland proves it
The Three Lions were pegged back by a late equaliser in Warsaw on Wednesday night.
By Jason Jones
9th Sep 2021, 12:27pm
The countdown is on, folks.
We are now just a little over 14 months away from the start of the Qatar World Cup – a veritable winter wonderland of questionable morals that will take the unprecedented step of combining mulled wine and snowball fights with endemic human rights violations.
Whatever your thoughts on FIFA's latest unscrupulous venture, however, one thing is all but certain – England will be there.
England manager Gareth Southgate. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Last night's 1-1 draw against Poland was a minor bump in the road, granted, but by no means will it be enough to dissuade the most eager of fans from spending their loved ones' Christmas present budget on flights to the Middle East, or from brainstorming ways of awkwardly shoehorning Gareth Southgate's name into popular seasonal hits.
Four points clear of their qualifying group with an unbeaten record and winnable games against Andorra, Hungary, Albania, and everyone's favourite mountainous microstate enclave, San Marino, still to come, the Three Lions are all but assured of a spot in next year's competition.
But the manner in which they dropped two points in Warsaw on Wednesday has left some questioning the wisdom behind certain aspects of the boss' game management.
Ordinarily, criticism of Southgate tends to run the risk of veering slightly into the realm of blasphemy. After all, not only has he twice taken the country to the brink of much-fabled major tournament glory, but he's also a thoroughly lovely bloke to boot – the kind of guy who takes your recycling bin out for you when you forget, or who pops round to drop off some Miracle Gro for your back garden because it was on two-for-one in Wilko and you might as well get some use out of it too.
Gareth Southgate, Head Coach of England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
The problem is, even though he's just about the most affable man in football, there are times when his use of substitutions – or lack thereof – is a little baffling.
It may seem like a relatively small gripe in the grand scheme of things, but last night was a prime example of just how important the right change at the right time can be when it comes to dragging a team over the finishing line.
Poland's goal came in the 92nd minute after a period of heightened territorial pressure facilitated by an increasingly lacklustre English press. Southgate's men fell deeper and deeper into their defensive third as the game edged closer to its conclusion, and the sequence of events that led to Damian Szymański's headed equaliser had the foreboding inevitability of a car crash in slow motion.
More than once, England failed to clear their lines – Mason Mount swung a boot at a loose ball with all the coordination and conviction of a toddler swinging a sock full of porridge, while Kalvin Phillips and Declan Rice were left looking sluggishly gallant as they blocked shots without ever mustering the energy to nip the looming threat in the bud.
Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford of England wait to be substituted on next to Gareth Southgate, Head Coach of England during the UEFA Euro 2020 Championship Final. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
Counterfactual hypothesising rarely does any good, but it was hard to watch the calamity unfold without wondering whether a fresh pair of legs in the engine room might have helped to make some kind of meaningful difference.
At one point in the match, Southgate had both Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold warming up on the sidelines, and yet by the final whistle, he had failed to make a single substitution.
Perhaps with a little more zing and impetus, England would have been able to deal with that late rally from the Poles. Perhaps they wouldn't have been anywhere near their own box in the dying seconds at all.
Again, this is a result that's significance already looks to be fading, but the finer details do speak to the one notable chink in Southgate's armour.
England's top goalscorers of all-time.
Tactically, the 51-year-old has rarely missed a step since taking on the top job. We all groaned in anguish when he started Kieran Trippier at left-back against Croatia earlier this summer, and then we all donned our bibs and tucked into a hearty portion of humble pie when it paid off.
But in those high pressure moments on which the biggest matches can so often hinge, there's been very little from Southgate to suggest that his instantaneous game management is as strong as his forward planning.
The most glaring example came in the final of Euro 2020, in which he brought on both Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho just moments before it went to penalties. Barely acclimatised to nerve-shattering grandeur of the occasion, physically and mentally, both players would go on to miss their spot kicks.
Just to reiterate, Southgate will lead England into next year's World Cup, and honestly, he is still the best man for the job by a country mile. But if Wednesday's stumbling block against Poland proved anything, it's that he – like his squad of young, vibrant talent – still has plenty of growing left to do.
Gareth SouthgatePolandEnglandKalvin Phillips


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Clearwater Seafoods Revamps Web Site
Industry News April 9, 2010
Clearwater Seafoods Limited Partnership announced today it has launched a more interactive and information-rich Web site.
All restaurant chefs and retail businesses looking for wild, natural, sustainable, reliable, food-safe seafood are encouraged to check out the new Clearwater.ca Web site.
"We think the new site more accurately reflects the exceptional value Clearwater offers to our customers around the world", says Rick Betz, Clearwater's executive vice president of sales and marketing.
" There aren't many companies that are vertically integrated from 'ocean to plate' like Clearwater," Betz says.
"In most of our species we own the quota, own and operate the vessels and plants, manage our customer deliveries, and employ our own global sales force. For our largely B2B, or 'business to business' customer base, this is extremely important as it provides them security and confidence in everything from continuity of supply to traceability. It means one contact, one point of entry. It means accountability. And that's the security customers are looking for - a 'direct source to the resource.'"
The new Web site tells the story of how owners Risley and MacDonald started the company (from the back of a pick up truck) in 1976 and provides information on the companies strong record and position on sustainability and innovation.
"There's a growing need to interact with customers and provide them with information," Betz says. "It isn't enough to sell them a product. For true customer relevance and customer sustainability today, you have to provide 'solutions.' For us, this means providing culinary and promotional support including menu solutions for how to add our products to their restaurants' menu."
In addition to interactive areas like 'Ask the Chef' where Clearwater's culinary consultant, Chef Stefan Czapalay, will respond to individuals posting questions, there is a Vessel Tracking section. This area shows, on a global map and in real time, Clearwater's fleet of 14 vessels along with sailing and landing dates.
Vice president of fleet operations, Mike Pittman, explains the rationale behind the Vessel Tracking tool this way, "We think it provides value in a couple of ways. First, for the families and loved ones of our crew, it provides a sense of connection. Remember some of these vessels are at sea for several weeks at a time.
"Secondly, it is a good reminder to our customers that we are vertically integrated. We own the vessels and we personally fish the product. We know what's available, how it's harvested, and the care and consideration regarding sustainability of the resource and ecosystem because we're doing it all ourselves."
In the past, a lot of buyers have been less aware of who is harvesting the product or how many hands the products they purchase have gone through," Betz says. "Today their diners or shoppers are asking questions. They want to know about the source of their food and the care taken during its harvest."
Web functionality and customers expectations have grown exponentially since Clearwater launched its first site more than 10 years ago.
"Access to information is key," Betz says. "Customers have an increasing appetite and expectation to get information quickly and easily via the internet. We believe they research and select the company they are going to do business with first, before they look for and select the actual product. In short, they are interested in a relationship, not merely a transaction."
Long time Clearwater customer and co-owner of The Palm Restaurants, Wally Ganzi, confirms this, saying, "Clearwater's team approach and professional support has helped us grow our business. (They) are exceptional in helping us provide our customers with a premium seafood product that is of superior quality and taste."


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Overwatch League pre-emptively suspends all players "just in case"
Blizzard Entertainment has taken the extraordinary step of suspending all players from the scandal-plagued Overwatch League until further notice.
The decision follows a string of high-profile suspensions where Overwatch League players have been caught illegally account boosting, making racist or homophobic remarks on stream, or making sexual advances towards underage fans.
An Overwatch League representative says the ban is necessary to protect the Overwatch image, and also to save them the headache of sorting through every player's stream logs to find a racist remark.
"Look, odds are good that there's something in there that breaches the code of conduct," they explain. "You would do the same thing.
"It's upsetting so see so much unacceptable conduct from our players, but we have to ask ourselves – is it fair to take extremely young people who are barely old enough to leave school, separate them from their families and loved ones, and then lock them into a draconian contract which places them in the public spotlight under immense pressure to maintain a perfect image at all times?"
The junket falls into silience.
"Anyway, they're suspended," they add after a short pause. "Next question."
The move has been met with some backlash by Overwatch League players, who say it's not reasonable to target them when they haven't even done anything wrong.
"It's crazy to make a big decision like this without any evidence," confides one player, who wishes to stay anonymous. "It's just like how we all have to take vaccines, even though there's no evidence that they are safe."
Point & Clickbaitis the internet's finest source for extremely true, real, and in no way satirical gaming news. It is also a part of thePC Games Network.
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More News & City Life
'Season of Sharing' Marks More Than $4.4 Million in Donations
It's a historic milestone for the 22nd annual campaign.
By Staff February 15, 2022
The Community Foundation of Sarasota County recently announced that the annual "Season of Sharing" campaign surpassed $4.4 million in donations—the highest annual amount raised since the campaign's establishment in 2000 to provide a safety net for neighbors in crisis. During the last three months, more than 3,600 gifts were given by donors of all means to offer stability for those on the economic edge in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, and DeSoto counties.
Now in its 22nd year, the campaign has provided relief to nearly 50,000 individuals and families from Punta Gorda to Parrish by providing more than $34 million to assist with housing, utilities, child care, and transportation.
This year, The Patterson Foundation continued its support of the campaign through matching opportunities, contributing $100,000 for every $500,000 raised by the community. The campaign sparked seven such contributions, totaling $700,000–a first in The Patterson Foundation's 12 years of support.
In the year to come, the $4.4 million raised will be distributed through a robust network of more than 50 human services agencies, covering expenses that could otherwise leave people without a permanent roof over their heads, such as rental and mortgage assistance, utilities, child care, and transportation.
Community Foundation of Sarasota County
Season of Sharing Kicks Off 23rd Year
Giving Circles Bring Together Like-Minded Philanthropists to Help Those in Need
09/16/2022 By Elizabeth Djinis
Yoleidy Rosario-Hernandez on Warriors of Sarasota and Cultivating 'Spaces of Healing and Dialogue'
11/30/2022 By Sylvia Whitman
Grant Report
Barancik Foundation Provides $644,000 for Immediate Hurricane Ian Relief


SAN BRUNO, Calif. – Gonzaga University sophomore Andrew Sopko was tabbed the inaugural West Coast Conference Rawlings Pitcher of the Week for the 2014 season, announced the league office Monday.
The Missoula, Mont., native picked up his first collegiate victory over the weekend over the University of Nebraska. The right-hander threw seven scoreless innings against the Huskers and scattered just four hits. Sopko struck out four and walked just two batters.
The win was also the first of the year for the Bulldogs. Gonzaga entered the game 0-3 before the sophomore gem. GU took the game 5-3.
Next for the Bulldogs is a trip to San Antonio for the Irish Baseball Classic. Gonzaga takes on University of the Incarnate Word Thursday at 1 p.m.