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How St. Barbara was the original "Rapunzel"
The story of this fair maiden who was locked away in a tower has been refashioned many times over.
The story of Rapunzel, a popular fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm, has captivated the imagination of children for centuries and has most recently been brought to life by Disney through the movie Tangled.
Interestingly enough, the tragic story of a beautiful princess locked away in a tall tower is based on the story of St. Barbara, a holy virgin who lived in the 3rd century. Her life is narrated in the medieval book The Golden Legend and has many similarities to the popular adaptations.
There was a rich man [whose name was] Dioscorus. This Dioscorus had a young daughter which was named Barbara, for whom he [made] a high and strong tower in which he [kept] Barbara, to the end that no man should see her because of her great beauty.
Nevertheless, many princes came to call upon Barbara and desired her hand in marriage. Barbara refused to be married and dedicated herself to God.
When her father was off on business Barbara installed a third window in her tower in honor of the Blessed Trinity. When her father returned, she showed to him the new window and professed to him her Christian faith.
This greatly angered her pagan father, who immediately drew his sword to kill his own daughter. Barbara swiftly prayed to God, who answered her prayer and miraculously opened a hole in the tower for her to escape.
She was eventually discovered and suffered cruel treatment for her Christianity. Barbara died a martyr's death, beheaded by her father. It is said that shortly after Barbara's death, her father was killed by a bolt of lightning.
On account of this story, Barbara became a patron saint to be invoked against lightning and explosives, and by extension she became the patron saint of artillerymen and miners (because of their use of explosives in digging). Many of the 33 Chilean miners who were trapped for two months underground in 2010 gave thanks for their rescue to the intercession of St. Barbara.
Were the Disney princesses' dresses inspired by the Virgin Mary?
With the awe of a girl in Disney World: Let us take delight in our real Queen
CultureSaints


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By Bill Brioux November 6, 2020
Two things: after Trump's sore loser rant Thursday at suppertime in the White House briefing room, CNN's Anderson Cooper compared the president of the United States to "an obese turtle on his back flailing in the hot sun."
We watched it live and will always remember where we were when he said it.
The second thing is Stephen Colbert's reaction to Trump pulling down his briefs in the briefing room. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert host taped his monologue right after Trump's, and had to stand he was so gutted emotionally. It's all in the above video clip, which is the entire opening segment of last night's Late Show.
All the late night talk show hosts have been trying to do comedy in the face of tragedy the past few days. Cooper has probably struggled to surpress it. It's hard to do theatre of the absurd in such an absurd time.
"The bigly question now," asked Jimmy Kimmel Thursday night, is "will Donald Trump concede? You'd think he would concede. He's the most conceded President we've ever had."
Tonight, Bill Maher will give it a shot on HBO. On the weekend, guest host Dave Chappelle's monologue will be must see on Saturday Night Live. (Musical guests: Foo Fighters.) John Oliver will finish things off on Sunday. If comedy is tragedy plus time, all of this will seem much funnier in a week to 10 days.
CBSDonald TrumpStephen ColbertThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Murder is an evil act which must be condemned and dealt with in a proper way to diminish future murders and create a culture of life. Murder has existed since the fall of mankind, and has waxed and waned in various societies based upon their faith and worldview.
Our public schools have taught for generations that man is an accident of nature, and that he is an amoral being with no more value than animals. We should, therefore, not be surprised when men act like animals and treat others with little regard. We have kicked God and His moral standards out of our schools, and then we bemoan the consequences of people acting upon the relativistic ideology engrained in them. We violate God's laws of justice and reject His criminal penalties and wonder why we have a growing culture of crime.
The fall of man brought about corruption in the heart of man, which manifested itself externally with violence and murder. God established civil government in the earth as the means of restraining evil doers and protecting law-abiding citizens (Gen. 9:6; Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Pet. 2:13-14). It was given the use of the sword to enforce its authority to protect the life, liberty, and property of the people.
What can individuals and governments do to combat crime? Understanding that sin and evil in men's heart is the cause of crime reveals that preaching the Gospel and seeing individuals converted to Christ is the only way to ultimately reduce crime in a nation. Only God through the atoning work of Christ can change man's heart and give him a new nature, one that seeks to obey God and live in conformity to His law. God not only gives man a new heart, but He empowers him with His Holy Spirit to enable him to follow His blueprint for all of life. This is why crime diminishes when Christianity comes to a community. Where Christian revivals have occurred in history, courts and jails have become empty and police officers have had little to do.
Since men are fallen and sinful, crime will never be completed eliminated from this world, therefore, civil government has a vital role in bringing tranquility and quietness to this life (1 Tim. 2:2). The Bible says, "When a ruler executes judgment, he scatters away all evil" (Prov. 20:8) and "The king gives stability to the land by justice" (Prov. 29:4). Thus, civil leaders should administer God's justice in a timely fashion (while taking into account the provisions to protect people from false charges), protect law-abiding citizens, and punish criminals in accordance with Biblical guidelines.
Civil governments throughout history have declared many actions to be criminal that according to God are not criminal at all, including reading the Bible and worshiping God according to the dictates of one's own conscience. Where laws exist that are contrary to God's higher law, it is the duty of Christians to seek to change these. Sometimes men have criminalized bad behavior, with the goal of limiting behavior that was not criminal according to God, but rather was sinful, or potentially sinful. The Eighteen Amendment to the United States Constitution is one such example. This well-intended but ill-conceived prohibition amendment, adopted in 1919, caused more problems than it attempted to solve and was eventually repealed in 1933.
Since crime is a result of evil in the heart of man, transformation of the heart is the ultimate preventative measure, and since only God can change a heart, preaching the Gospel is the best thing we can do to lower crime. Since only the true and living God – the God of the Bible – can change a heart, nations where Christianity has the greatest influence have the greatest weapon to reduce crime.
The ultimate goal of God's penalties for crime is the establishment of His Kingdom (His righteousness, peace, and joy) in the earth. God's means of dealing with criminals brings restitution to the victim and restoration of Godly order. When a thief has to make restitution, he is growing in the character and self-government necessary for citizens to possess for a free and just society. Removing evil men through capital punishment brings more peace and order to a nation. The biblical goal in dealing with criminals is to extend God's Kingdom in the earth, personally and in society at large.
Swift execution of justice, restitution, penalties commensurate with the crime, and capital punishment will bring Godly order. God's Kingdom should be our mind at all phases. Even if capital punishment applies in a sentence of a criminal, judges should be looking to establish His Kingdom. Jesus can forgive the sins of criminals and they can be born into His Kingdom, but they still must pay for their civil crimes. Good judges are those who execute God's laws justly and swiftly, always having God's Kingdom in mind. Such was Thomas McKean.
Murder will never end until the return of Christ and the end of this age. But we can diminish it and other criminal activity by implementing God's preventative and corrective measures for dealing with crime. In so doing we will be helping to restore earth to God's original order where life is highly honored and secure.
The Providence Foundation published the original of this article in the November 2018 Providential Perspective e-newsletter.
Stephen McDowell is co-founder and President of the Providence Foundation, a nonprofit Christian educational organization which mission seeks to spread liberty, justice, and prosperity among the nations by educating individuals in a Biblical worldview.


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Neverly Brothers takes audience on history of '50s, '60s music
By Sheryl DeVore
Lake County News-Sun |
The Neverly Brothers will perform music from the 1950s and 1960s on Jan. 22 at the James Lumber Center in Grayslake. (James Lumber Center)
Musician Kevin Giragosian grew up in Palos Park loving the Beatles. He had heard "Wake Up Little Susie," by the Everly Brothers, but wasn't inspired much by '50s music, he said.
When a friend suggested he listen to more music from that era, a light went on in his historical and musical mind.
"The Everly Brothers inspired the Beatles," he said. "They had two lead vocalist singing harmony, equally strong, equally loud and mixed together. That's what the Beatles did when they first started."
Giragosian and his three-piece national touring band, the Neverly Brothers will perform Jan. 22 at the James Lumber Center in Grayslake.
Their show, called "A Rock 'n' Roll Tribute from Elvis to the Beatles," takes the audience on a tour of 1950s and 1960s rock music.
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Giragosian sings and plays guitar and harmonica. His brother, Kegham Giragosian sings and plays drums. Their bassist, Mike Bradburn, adds background vocals. Kevin Giragosian also tells stories of the history of the music they are playing; for example, who did it first, who made it famous and how it was received by audiences at the time of release.
"We're not just a band playing music from two different eras. It's a whole show with narration. I'm the official tour guide on this virtual tour bus," Giragosian said.
They perform with what might seem meager instrumentation.
"My brother plays a two-piece drum kit," Giragosian said. "He stands up when he plays. He uses brushes, not sticks. We're all shoulder to shoulder. We're all three side by side and our bass player plays the big upright bass fiddle. He never converted to the electric bass.
"It works," Giragosian said. "We have the essence of the song and we deliver with energy and authenticity."
Giragosian said the journey to performing the historical rock tour came when a friend suggested he listen to more 1950s music. That's when he really started to admire the Everly Brothers, he said. "They're in sync. They sing so well together. Every syllable and every word and nuance is together. They would sing notes that were close together and then one would sing a higher note. The Beatles picked up on that."
The Neverly Brothers began performing Everly Brothers and Beatles music, but over time, Giragosian created a show that audiences particularly liked, he said. The last time they were at the James Lumber Center in 2019, they performed to a sold-out crowd of 600.
The show is done in two parts. The first set features 1950s pioneers of rock 'n' roll like Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry and the Neverly Brothers. The second set features the British Invasion, the Beatles, Herman's Hermits, the Animals, Rolling Stones and Dave Clark Five.
The first set, they wear matching suits, what Giragosian calls "slick, sharkskin gray suits that look like western suits with string ties." The second set, they wear suits that look like the Beatles did on the "Ed Sullivan Show." "We purchased reproduction of vintage Beatles boots to wear," he said.
They sing with vintage-looking microphones to a backdrop of an onstage screen with images that correspond with what they're singing. "The audience gets to see the artists behind us on big screens. They're totally immersed in this experience," he said.
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The songs they choose help propel the stories of rock's history. For example, the Beatles are known for their hit, "'Twist and Shout," but it was recorded in 1962 by the Isley Brothers, he said. "The Isley Brothers had horns, it was more reggae sounding," he said.
"For the Beatles, it was about the drum beat. It was guitar-driven and beat-driven. That's what many of the British bands did." And that's why it was called beat music.
One of his favorite stories to tell while performing involves the Everly Brothers when they released their first single, "Wake Up Little Susie."
It was banned from being played on the radio in Boston.
"The song was a little racy," he said. It's about a couple who fall asleep at the movies. "It seemed taboo at the time," he said.
"I play the song and tell everybody, 'if you're offended, raise your hand.' Nobody does and we finish the song and people are chuckling. That's one of my favorites that I tell. It always gets a reaction."
Giragosian ran a record store and performed in a cover band before his venture into the Neverly Brothers in 2003. He said he had enough money to do what he wanted artistically, and enough time to focus on it after the record store closed.
"We were getting booked a lot of places. It's a niche nobody else was doing. I realized within the first year, we've got something here," he said.
The band does its own management, promotion, marketing and booking.
The Neverly Brothers appeals to an older audience, with about 70% being baby boomers ages 55 and older
"We're playing to the music of their youth," Giragosian said. "Some may get up and dance a little bit, but most of them listen. They want to hear the show. After the song is over, they erupt with applause and hoots and hollers. After we finish the show, almost invariably we'll walk offstage and they'll cheer us on back for an encore."
As the baby boomers get older, the Neverly Brothers may or may not continue. "Some people suggest we move into the 1970s and that's a possibility," Giragosian said.
But their 50 to 60 performances in the summer in Illinois in the Midwest attract a wider age group, and they may begin performing at schools as part of an education into the history of music, he said.
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News updates from Lake County delivered every Monday and Wednesday
A Rock 'n Roll Tribute from Elvis to the Beatles! Featuring The Neverly Brothers
When: 8 p.m. Jan. 22
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Where: James Lumber Center, 19351 Washington St., Grayslake
Tickets: $12-$35, plus $2 facility fee
Information: 847-543-2300; jlcenter.clcillinois.edu
Sheryl DeVore is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
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Idlib, town, northwestern Syria. It is situated in a fertile basin midway between Aleppo and Latakia and is an important textile centre and a market for one of Syria's better agricultural districts. Major crops include cotton, cereals, olives, figs, grapes, tomatoes, sesame, and almonds. Local industries include spinning and olive-oil pressing. Pop. (2003 est.) 116,080.


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Q: Excel - reference another worksheet by a string in a random cell, and reference a value in its given row I'm trying to reference a string in another worksheet in a random cell, and reference a value in its given row.
The reason is that I'm working with 30+ documents, and the given string (and the value that I need next to it) Appears at different positions in each document.
I need to collect these values from each document, and combine it into one.
Thanks!

A: Say on Sheet6 there is some cell that contains the phrase:
happiness is

and we want to retrieve the contents of the cell just to the right of it:

First enter the following UDF in a standard module:
Public Function Find_Range(Find_Item As Variant, _
    Search_Range As Range, _
    Optional LookIn As Variant, _
    Optional LookAt As Variant, _
    Optional MatchCase As Boolean) As String

    Dim c As Range
    If IsMissing(LookIn) Then LookIn = xlValues 'xlFormulas
    If IsMissing(LookAt) Then LookAt = xlPart 'xlWhole
    If IsMissing(MatchCase) Then MatchCase = False
    With Search_Range
        Set c = .Find( _
        What:=Find_Item, _
        LookIn:=LookIn, _
        LookAt:=LookAt, _
        SearchOrder:=xlByRows, _
        SearchDirection:=xlNext, _
        MatchCase:=MatchCase, _
        SearchFormat:=False)
        If Not c Is Nothing Then
             Find_Range = Search_Range.Parent.Name & "!" & c.Address
        End If
    End With
End Function

The UDF will search for Find_Item and return the address as a string.  So:
=find_range("happiness is",Sheet6!1:1048576)

will return:
Sheet6!$E$13

Note that the search range is the entire Sheet6.  But we want an OFFSET(), so pick some cell in Sheet5 and enter:
=OFFSET(INDIRECT(find_range("happiness is",Sheet6!1:1048576)),0,1)

User Defined Functions (UDFs) are very easy to install and use:

*

*ALT-F11  brings up the VBE window

*ALT-I
ALT-M opens a fresh module

*paste the stuff in and close the VBE window

If you save the workbook, the UDF will be saved with it.
If you are using a version of Excel later then 2003, you must save
the file as .xlsm rather than .xlsx
To remove the UDF:

*

*bring up the VBE window as above

*clear the code out

*close the VBE window

To use the UDF from Excel:
=Find_Range(A1,C1:X100)
To learn more about macros in general, see:
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/getstarted.htm
and
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee814735(v=office.14).aspx
and for specifics on UDFs, see:
http://www.cpearson.com/excel/WritingFunctionsInVBA.aspx
Macros must be enabled for this to work!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Perfect day with Lou
October 29, 2013 / George Zarkadakis	/ Leave a comment
It was spring of 1981. I was in love with a blond girl from the all-girls school that was several blocks away from our own, all-boys school, in central Athens. For both of us this was our last year at school. Like our schoolmates we were working hard for the national university examinations. We lived like automata: waking up early, going to school till midday, back home for a quick-lunch, then rushing to the tutoring classes that prepared us for the exams. We would finish tutoring classes around ten, sometimes later; we would wade back home to chew our dinner and sink to a sleep soaked in trigonometry.
We had exchanged only a few words till then, a quick hello, glances, as she walked in front of our schoolyard with her friends, on her way home. Girls finished half hour earlier than us boys so they would be safe from our adolescent urges; at least that was the idea. Although whoever cooked up that scheme failed to factor in the invincibility of love. Eros thou art unbeatable in battle, says Euripides in Medea. Our teachers ought to have known better.
Feigning sudden illness I was excused from classroom one hour earlier and went to hide behind some bushes in the little park in front of our school. I waited for her till I saw her coming. She was not really surprised to see me jumping out of the bush and saying hi like a dam ass. Her friends laughed. As if they expected this to happen they shrugged and giggled and left her alone with me. We looked at each other like two ants communicating with telepathy. We had to vanish as quickly as possible from there, prying eyes from the school windows squinted, trying to make up who we were. She told me that her parents were away for the day, that she did not have to go back home so soon. We turned a corner and walked together to another park further away, where we could have some privacy. It was a warm and sunny day, with a cool refreshing breeze ruffling the leaves of the trees. We sat on the grass, and I smelled the sweetness of her sweat, and we kissed. We forgot our automatic lives.
Evening found us still at the park, not having exchanged much talk, just exploring each other's bodies to the extent that this was possible given the public nature of the place and that we had to keep our clothes on. But even if we had taken them off I would not know what more to do. Women were still terra incognita, unexplored continents where every atom of my body urged me to explore and, hopefully, invade; but without a map how much invasion could I possibly do?
Since that day we saw each other more often, we stole time between tutoring classes to the detriment of our exam results, we became a couple of sorts. After school was out and the exams were over we each followed our parents to the different places for our summer holidays. Our separation was foretold. Nevertheless, she remained imprinted in my mind like a huge poster, an icon of expanding proportions occupying every space of thought available. That summer was destined to taste of nothing but nostalgia. I constantly sulked as I carried my heavy body around our beach house. My parents thought I was depressed because of too much study. I would swim in the morning and come back to spend the rest of the day indoors listening to my records, and writing letters to her. I would write one letter to her every day, put it in a shoe box, hide it under my bed and wait for September, to return to Athens and send the whole lot to her home address. I listened to "Perfect Day" by Lou Reed over and over, to relive that first date with her at the park.
The Venusian
July 20, 2013 / George Zarkadakis	/ 1 Comment
In the neighbourhood where I grew up there lived an old man we used to make fun of. His name was Vangelis. Barba-Vangelis[1] was the kind, tender type of fellow who did not mind very much when a ball came crashing through his window or when a can of red paint fell "accidentally" on his head as he walked by. He was always very patient with us little devils and occasionally, despite our mischievous schemes against his physical and mental hygiene, he would come out of his humble single-storey house to hand us sweets and candy bars. To no avail. For no act of reconciliation could ever pacify us. Barba-Vangelis was too nice for us, too patient, too kind, too inhuman. Nature had programmed us to exterminate him.
At times, our parents would talk about him on the dinner table; whenever all other subjects, politics and such, run out of their temporary interest.
"What sort of new invention has he thought up now?" my father would ask, a question enough to spark a burst of laughter in all of us.
"I wonder if he is still busy at that 'Psionic' helmet of his", my mother would then add giggling. "He's been awfully quiet late!"
One reason why this extraordinary fellow was causing so much of a humorous stir in us was that he came from another planet. Planet Venus to be precise. But that was not all. For you see, not only was he an interplanetary explorer but an inventor as well, who tirelessly laboured in his scientific laboratory for "the good of mankind and the Galaxy", to quote his own words. And it wasn't so much his alien planetary background that caused us to consider him an oddball, as were his many crazy inventions which never ceased to amaze or amuse us. Take, for example, that "Psionic helmet" thing. No-one knew what use one could make of it. Barba-Vangelis was developing it for years. One day he asked everyone to gather round and witness the first real life demonstration of its use. That was before my family and I moved in the area. But our neighbours were still talking of that day when Barba-Vangelis, wearing the Psionic helmet, stood in front of them, switched it on and started reciting the rhapsodies of Homer's Iliad, totally by heart, in the original text. The Psionic helmet was meant to tune one's brain to poetry. By wearing it one became a poet too. What a disappointment!
The list of his practically useless inventions was almost limitless. To mention but a few, there was the anti-nuclear umbrella which protected one from nuclear fallout, a system that secured safe transgression of railway cross-roads, an electronic device that prevented female switchboard operators from fainting on the job, a detoxicator of Cuban cigars and a supersonic drilling machine for underwater mining. But his most famous intellectual achievement – one that made national news in fact – was his decoding of Aristotle's "Physics".
Using the sacred knowledge of his home planet he managed to uncover the true meaning of Aristotle's works (please note that he was another extraterrestrial too; Barba-Vangelis, however, never revealed to us from which planet exactly). In fact, he showed that Aristotle had been cryptically describing in his books the design of a sub-nuclear propulsion system for intergalactic travel. Barba-Vangelis came out with all the equations and there was a big corporation down in Athens who were interested and quickly bought up all the rights, patents and such. Nothing was ever heard of his discovery since. People said that Barba-Vangelis took a large sum of money to shut himself up about such things and that the revolutionary propulsion system found its way to the United States where the scientists are still trying to make sense of it.
His only real friend was Mr Peter Paschalides, the father of my good friend and partner-in-crime Dimitri. Mr Paschalides worked at the local branch of the National Bank and was a very educated person (compared to the abounding ignorance of our little society). Some people, including my parents, would accuse him – secretly of course – of being a freemason, a horrid thin to be accused really. Well, Mr Paschalides would frequently visit Barba-Vangelis' scientific laboratory and spend hours in there with him, talking about all kinds of subjects and comparing, no doubt, our two different worlds.
This way, and I mean through the good services of my friend Dimitri, I got to learn some of Barba-Vangelis' private secrets. That he came to our planet with his friends, many-many years ago, in order to collect samples of our ground for scientific experiments. That Barba-Vangelis, a young officer in the Venusian starfleet at that time, being of the amorous type, pursued a beautiful young girl and so he cut himself off from the landing party. Three days of intense lovemaking later, his friends had gone and that was how he was left behind. He run and run, as fast as he could, only to see his spacecraft lifting off in a bright flame. His friends had abandoned him on Earth. He never really forgave them for that and still spoke bitterly of their unexplained delay in coming back to fetch him. Many years had gone since then and Barba-Vangelis made the best of his awkward situation. Got a job, bought a house, invented things, never loosing hope that some day his friends from Venus would return.
One cold autumn day I happened to be at my friend's house when his father, Mr Paschalides, came near to us and, with a very serious tone in his voice, warned us never to annoy Barba-Vangelis again. What more, he pleaded with us never to go even near his house. Interpol was after him and we could find ourselves in very deep trouble. As you understand, nothing could excite our childish imagination more than that. After that day we would make sure that at least one of us kept tabs outside Barba-Vangelis' house, in case Interpol showed up to arrest him. Our secret detective mission was thrilling us to bits and we took it in turns. We even kept a log book of his moves which we regularly reviewed in search of meaningful behavioural patterns. But all this was nothing compared to what really happened a while later.
It was Sunday afternoon and we were back home from Mass, with our families, ready to sit down for a handsome Sunday meal, when the whole of our little neighbourhood was shuddered by a terrible noise. We all thought it was an earthquake. Our house shook like a leaf in the wind and my older sister, who was at the time coming up the stairs with a pot full of hot chicken soup, fell, breaking the pot, a leg, and suffering a slight burn on her left thigh. Then, after the noise and the tremor had subsided, the whole neighbourhood filled with a purple-orange colour, as if a radiant cloud had sat on top of us. People went to their windows to witness the strange phenomenon. And there it was! Right above our heads! A huge flying object that sparkled in bright colours. It stood there hovering, virtually noiseless, lest a soft hissing sound that appeared to be caused by its luminous rays hitting the air.
"It is Barba-Vangelis' spaceship!" cried my older sister, with tears of pain in her eyes.
"My God!" whispered my mother and crossed herself three times.
"It came to take him away", said father gaping.
I cannot remember how long that strange thing stood there. Not long enough, anyway. For some reason Barba-Vangelis did not come out of his house to board and his impatient friends seemed to fear Interpol's appearance too. For after a while they let go of waiting and vanished as spectacularly as they had appeared; with a noise and a shudder as great as the first one. Nothing was left of the bright flying object. Not a smell, not a sound, not a trace. As if it had never really appeared. So we all decided never to talk about this to anyone. Few weeks later, when the sighting of the Venusian spacecraft was more or less forgotten, Dimitri and I were returning from school when we saw Barba-Vangelis coming out of his house with a big suitcase.
"He's leaving" cried Dimitri.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"He's going to Venus, stupid, can't you see his suitcase?" came the answer.
We hid into the little park, inside the bushes and let Barba-Vangelis walk in front of us without noticing our presence.
"Let's follow him!" Dimitri whispered in my ear.
"What, you think he's going to his spaceship?" I asked him in a similarly conspiratory whisper.
"Of course he is. Let's follow him and see what he does!"
And so we did. Like a pair of true professionals Interpol would have been proud to employ in her ranks. Barba-Vangelis paced his way across the main square, climbed up the stairs to the old school and followed the little narrow path that led away from our neighbourhood and into the nearby woods. Dimitri and I looked at each other. The woods were a place totally out of bounds for all us children. Many years ago in those woods many strange killings had taken place. The victims were all young women found brutally abused and murdered. Someone was arrested in the end, a young electrician who pleaded innocent but was nevertheless sentenced to life, to be later killed by the inmates of his prison during a riot. Strange thing was that, after his killing, there were a couple of new cases of murdered young women in the woods. So, naturally, everyone turned to the supernatural. Perhaps the young electrician was truly innocent and he had now returned as a ghost to take revenge on our little neighbourhood that accused him of a crime he never done. Anyway, whatever the real reason for these strange coincidences was, it was we, the children, who paid the price of adult superstition. The woods were out of bounds, final. But on that day, temptation and the single-minded quest for the truth led Dimitri and me to break the taboo and defiantly enter the forbidden grounds in hot pursuit of Barba-Vangelis.
We followed him closely as he walked deep into the heart of the woods. After a while, finding himself a small opening in the trees, he stopped and put down the suitcase. Dimitri and I hurried under a bush and took cover. That must be the meeting point with Mother-Spaceship we thought. All we had to do now was wait until it showed up. Barba-Vangelis had not noticed us till then. Taking his time, he opened the suitcase and took out his Psionic helmet. After making a few adjustments to a variety of knobs and buttons that clung on to it, he wore it on his head. He then reached again into the suitcase and took out a long metal rod that looked like a spear. I felt Dimitri's heartbeat pounding into my ear.
"You know what?" he whispered in a trembling voice.
"I just had a thought…"
"Well, you know all those killings in the woods… maybe it is Barba-Vangelis who did them all."
"Do not be a fool", I said. "Barba-Vangelis is a sheep."
"He is a maniac I am telling you, just look at him!"
"Shut up Dimitri! We're going to frighten him and he may cancel the spaceship's landing!"
"What's that spear he's holding then?"
"It's not a spear, simpleton, it's an antenna. He's signalling Venus! Shut up!"
But my friend would not have any of it. Whatever went through his mind at that fateful moment, had caused him a bad seizure of panic.
"Let's go!" he said. "We got to go!"
And with those words he leapt out of the bush like a frightened rabbit. The flutter of the leaves made Barba-Vangelis turn around and take notice of our presence. But Dimitri had already taken flight. I was left behind in the bush alone, my eyes crossing Barba-Vangelis' eyes in a moment of terrible silence. I can't remember exactly what happened then. But in an instant that seemed miraculous Barba-Vangelis was leaning over me as I stood inside my little bushy hide, frightened to tears.
"Are you frightened?" he asked in a soft, tender voice.
"No, not really..", I lied.
"Where did your friend go?"
"He run away, I guess."
Barba-Vangelis shook his head. He remembered his friends who had run away too, so many years ago.
"Was he scared?"
"He thought you were the killer of the woods."
Barba-Vangelis took off his Psionic helmet and sat on the grass next to me. His face was sad and his shoulders hung numbly at his sides, like the shoulders of a marionette.
"In my planet", he said, wiping a tear from his eye, "in the endless valleys of Venus, when two persons want to become friends they sit next to each other – like we are now – and dream of the colour blue. In my planet the colour blue is very different from Earth's. It has a different hue. It's difficult to imagine it if you have not seen it… Then, they blow into each other's face and their breath seals their friendship for ever. And friendship, for those blessed with it, is the strongest bonding force in the Universe…"
We sat there like that, silently under the trees. I was not frightened anymore. I was trying hard to imagine the colour blue. But all I could think of was blank. White blank.
"Will your friends come again to fetch you?" I finally asked.
Barba-Vangelis smiled wryly.
"What do you think?" he asked.
"I think they will", I said.
His face opened up in a wide smile.
"Yes, they will…" he said. "They will!"
That was my first and last encounter with Barba-Vangelis. Next month my father, being an army officer, was moved to another post and we all had to follow him like the nomads we were. Our life took another turn. Many years later, when I was at University, I received a letter from my old friend Dimitri. He was working know as a clerk at the branch of the National Bank in our old neighbourhood. His father, Mr Paschalides, had retired after suffering multiple brain strokes. It was then when I learned that Barba-Vangelis had passed away. Being a lonely fellow, with neither relatives nor friends on our planet, the neighbourhood, together with the Church, put some money together and gave him a descent funeral. His grave still exists today in a small graveyard outside Thessaloniki. It consists of a small tomb and a stone under a cypress tree. It is a very simple monument. Only his name is written on it and his nationality. "Vangelis Hadjidimitriou – Venusian".
[1]Barba: Uncle (a common familiarising term used in modern Greek for senior citizens)
Cloudbuster
This is the story of a television star. We shall call him, for convenience, Eliah. To start, we must make clear that he never had big ambitions in life. In fact, his mother remembers him as a very timid child whom scarcely made any friends and tended to spend most of his time indoors, in front of the television. She and her husband worried a lot about their child then. They feared that too much television was going to make him stupid. Little did they know that Eliah would one day enter the tube to become a television creature himself.
It all begun quite accidentally really, as all true stories do. Eliah was in his late twenties, having lived a rather secluded and irksome life until then. After college he landed a very ordinary job pushing paper forms in the endless labyrinth of a multinational corporation. Life had seemingly taken a predictable course, worthy of Eliah's apathetic character and nothing seemed capable of ever changing that. However, due to the intricate and mysterious web of natural phenomena in our Universe, a number of apparently unrelated events conspired to hurl Eliah away from the ordinary and into the unknown. The chain of events was put together long before he was even born, several thousand miles away, on a different continent altogether, in a desert.
It was during a night while everything was silent in the boundless desert plain, when a fireball came crashing down from the sky. An enormous meteor hit the ground with a terrible thunder and the whole desert shook like it was the dawn of time. A huge cloud of dust rose from the huge crater caused by the crash. The wind blew the cloud hundreds of miles away, over a city, during a thunderstorm. The rain poured down onto the streets carrying with it the extraterrestrial dust from the fallen meteorite. One of those drops hit the lip of a woman as she was crossing the street. She licked her lip, swallowed the dust and thus became immediately infected by an alien virus. She went home in a daze and started writing letters, long letters to people she never knew, picking their names from a telephone directory at random. Whatever the virus had done to her brain- before finally killing her in the two months that followed – the woman managed to write thousands of letters to all kinds of people. She would write and write, ceaselessly, day and night. In her letters she would reveal the secrets of the Universe; only it was very hard for the common person to comprehend her messages. She wrote in convoluted verses and used riddles, proverbs and quotes from philosophers and poets no-one had ever heard about. The vast majority of her recipients threw the letters away without ever bothering to read on after the first two lines. The rest returned her letters unopened to the Post Office where, without a known sender, they were stocked away for several years.
One day, the Post Office decided to make room for a new computer so they cleared their warehouse of old and unwanted items, including the letters of that virus-infected woman. As they cleared the room to send the letters to the incinerator, one of them fell and landed on the floor. It was found by a young employee whose interest in old stamps made him pick it up and keep it. When he went back to his house he opened it and started reading it. He was the only person who ever took to reading the letter seriously. He followed the advice written on it and became a millionaire by inventing a number of very useful household appliances. His company grew so big that it soon became a multinational. And thus it reached the country where Eliah lived.
The man's company was filming a new commercial at the Shopping Mall, next to Eliah's office. On that day Eliah happened to be in the area where the camera crew was shooting, taking a stroll after his lunch-break. The commercial's idea was to ask ordinary people to use the product and then exclaim their amazement at its extraordinary effectiveness, in the most natural way possible. Eliah though it would be a fun thing to do, so he let them film him too. It was easy for Eliah. Having spent so much time in front of the television, words came naturally to him. Soon enough he was on national television for the first time. The product – a vegetable peeler – sold like crazy. The advertising company sought Eliah and signed him up for a number of follow-up commercials. He had a natural gift. He could sell anything over the TV. That was the beginning of Eliah's career. Not long after that, Eliah became a host in one of the most successful reality shows in the history of television. Eliah became a star, a household name, everybody's fella.
Famous or not, however, Eliah did not become a happier man. He remained a loner, a secluded child as ever, that spent his life now not only on one but also on both sides of the television. As his wealth and fame increased so did his loneliness. At the peak of his career, with several shows running at the same time on satellite and cable, with interviews with Larry King, TIME and Newsweek, Eliah projected a radiant, extrovert, snappy image that had absolutely nothing to do with the inner workings of his soul and the vast ponderings of his mind. No one ever perceived the enormous gap between the real Eliah and his fake television image. No one except "the Khan".
The Khan was an unknown then. He was the child of a poor office clerk in equatorial Africa, one of six children. He grew up in hardship and when his father died, his family came to the brink of starvation. The Khan, being the eldest son, took to supporting himself as well as the rest of his family from a very tender age, doing all kinds of petty jobs, selling fruit on the streets, working at the canning factories of the white folks, anything to make a buck. And so with time he became a very willful person. He felt that life owed him much more that it had given him and so he set off to achieve the highest goals. He realised that, in order to achieve his ambitions, he ought to acquire an intimate understanding of the world and its peoples. So he joined a pen pal club that the United Nations had set up for poor children like himself. Soon the Khan had organised a vast network of friends in all the continents of the world. He wrote to all of them asking about their lives, their countries, their hopes, their fears. With time he grew wiser and wiser.
One day, he received a letter from one of his pen friends. Enclosed in that letter there was another letter which his pen friend had received from an unknown sender. Although he understood very little of it, he had thought it funny so he was sending it to the Khan, to entertain him too. The Khan read the strange enclosed letter with great interest. Between the riddles and the abstract verses he read the mysteries of the Cosmos unfolding before his eyes. His life was changed forevermore. He understood everything at once. He became a cult leader.
By the time Eliah had grown into a worldwide TV star, the Khan had managed to organise his first cult centre. There he grouped his followers, mostly old pen pals, and talked to them about the glory and the infinite power of the Cosmic Mind. In his spare time, when his students were busy meditating according to his instructions, the Khan watched satellite television. Faithful to his foremost maxim, the deep comprehension of the world and its peoples was the key to true power. Satellite TV was a window to the world, an eye in the mighty sky watching over the globe, the Khan's eye. Thus he came to encounter Eliah. Through the eye in the sky. The Khan saw through Eliah's loneliness when everyone else simply enjoyed his shows. He send his faithful to meet him and present him with the cult's doctrines. And then he went to meet him in person.
No-one knows what the two men said to each other during the long hours that they spend together. One may speculate, by benefit of hindsight, that Khan presented Eliah with the inner teachings of his cult. He must have told him about the great invention that could change the fate of the World and the enormous power that it could unleash. The energy problem could have been solved forever. So could starvation, the greenhouse effect, the ozone hole, viral diseases, idiocy and all the rest of the terrible ailments that tormented mankind and our poor planet for millennia. The invention, a "gift of the Cosmic Mind" – as the Khan described his enlightenment experience he had with the strange letter that changed his life – could affect the climate on a global scale. It could re-program the earth's biosphere at will, control the environment, the harvests, the migration of birds and whales, in fact it could control the whole of our planet's Life. The Khan named his invention the "Cloudbuster". He must have then told Eliah of the complexity and cost of his invention and how he could use his help. When their discussion was over, Eliah was a changed person. For the first time in his life he understood what he was missing until then: a purpose. But now had one he: to help the Khan built the "Cloudbuster" and save the World. Eliah became a cult member, the most prominent and loyal one of all. The Khan's fortune, quite predictably, also changed for the better.
Eliah trusted all his possessions to the Khan in order to begin the construction of the Cloudbuster. But Eliah's money was not enough. More, very much more, was needed to pay for the scientists, the engineers, the labs, the raw materials and the rest of the infrastructure that could realise the invention. So Eliah used his power over the television networks to come up with the resources. He made the Khan's cult known to millions around the world who came and paid their fees for the Teacher's teachings. Throughout that period, the "Cloudbuster" project was kept secret. But the Khan did not need to reveal it to everyone in order to obtain followers. His promise of telepathic powers, and happiness for ever after were enough to do the trick. Money poured in from every corner of the globe. Soon enough a prototype Cloudbuster was put together and was ready for the test.
During that time, a deadly little war was taking place on a rocky peninsula, somewhere in the Northern Hemisphere. People of the same blood, torn apart by religious differences, had made it their purpose to exterminate each other. So they took up arms and the fratricide was on. Television had a ball. Every night, all across the world there would be vivid pictures of original mayhem, of mutilated bodies, of burned cities, of maimed children. Dinner tables in every household were showered daily with scenes of horror. Until many "powerful nations" decided that that little but deadly war had started to really disturb their peoples' digestion. So they came together and resolved to put an end to it. They went and tried, in vain, to reason with the opponents who, unfortunately had already too much blood in their hands to end the slaughter. So the "powerful nations" decided to bomb them all and thus put an end to that hideous television show of a war.
Eliah was one of the TV personalities that covered most of the happenings in that war. This was not by chance but under direct orders from the Khan. The war offered a first class opportunity for the testing of the prototype Cloudbuster. Cult faithful, disguised as camera crews, managed to infiltrate the teams of international journalists, sneaking along the prototype Cloudbuster, right to the warzone. As the allied airforce was warming its jet engines to begin the bombing, Eliah turned on the Cloudbuster. The results were stunning. The weather changed rapidly. Thick clouds appeared from nowhere and amassed themselves over the warzone. The sun disappeared and so did the bombing targets. The thick clouds stayed over the war-torn peninsula for days, preventing the allied airforce from executing their air raids. The weather satellites of the world had gone crazy, and so did all the weather-forecast people. No-one was able to explain that phenomenon. No-one except Eliah and the Khan who saw their vision taking shape.
Several years passed since then. Eliah became more and more involved in the Khan's cult. Until the inevitable end beckoned. This happened when, several members of the cult were arrested by the police for trying to put a bomb in one of the major world banking organisations. It was all part of the Khan's master plan. The established financial system of exploitation had to be destroyed so that a new order of things under the protection of the Cloudbuster could take form. The police did not agree with the plan. Neither did the Courts. The Khan's cult was outlawed and government investigators from around the world begun hunting down its members. The Khan was arrested and imprisoned and so did most of the principal cult members. Eliah's stardom came to an abrupt end. His shows were canceled. But this was something that Eliah had been preparing for. As soon as the bomb case became known he packed his bags and quickly disappeared to the secret base of the cult, somewhere deep in the Australian desert. There, the Khan and his followers were keeping the full version of the Cloudbuster, ready for Doomsday.
Eliah arrived at the base too late to save the day. The Police were already there, waiting for him. The Army had sealed the area and experts for various secret agencies were gathering around the sect's base to study the mysterious device. Several days after his arrest, Eliah was being driven by a police van to the Court Prison. It was late in the evening. The court case was nearing its end. There was little hope for Eliah. The jury had more or less decided the case. Witnesses were describing the terrible methods by which the Khan indoctrinated his followers and controlled their private lives. It was only a matter of hours before they would send Eliah to jail for the rest of his life.
Meanwhile, at the desert outpost, scientists had started taking the Cloudbuster apart eager to reveal its secrets, when a fireball came crashing from the sky. All area around the Khan's secret base was hit and set alight. It was like an explosion of a nuclear bomb and the seismic waves were felt as far as Perth, Sydney and Melbourne. The cult's base was completely destroyed and everybody who was there at the time perished. A crater was left gaping at the very place where the Khan had installed his mighty invention. A huge cloud of dust rose from the crater of the crash. The wind blew the cloud hundreds of miles away, over a city during a thunderstorm, the same city where the police van was now carrying Eliah to the Court Prison. The rain poured down onto the streets carrying with it the extraterrestrial dust from the fallen meteorite. The streets became slippery. A passing car driver, losing control, fell onto the van. Eliah died in the crash. A woman who happened to walk by saw what happened and went into a shock. When she recovered a few hours later in the hospital she was feeling a strange impulse to pick up the telephone directory and write letters, thousand of letters to everybody, to people she never knew before, using convoluted verses, riddles, proverbs and quotes from philosophers and poets no-one had ever heard about..


text:
Talent GP
14 June, 2018 by Grupo GP
FIFA chose Mexico, the United States and Canada as the venue for the 2026 World Cup, in the stadiums where important matches are played, at the BBVA Bancomer Stadium in Monterrey city.
GP Construcción contributed to the construction of such an important project; had the responsibility of carrying out the civil work and masonry, an avant-garde construction, where the mayor replied constructively that there was the realization of the 70 tripods of elliptical and siamese shape at their base, and trunk-conical at their height, made of apparent concrete on site, which required about 2,000 castings; and where the accuracy was very accurate to receive the steel structure that covers the enclosure.
This has not been possible without the team that coordinated and enthusiastically supported the construction of this project.
The BBVA Bancomer Stadium was made with sustainable construction parameters and LEED Silver certification.
At GP Construcción we are passionate about building projects that leave a mark. Learn more at http://bit.ly/2l65la1
Categories Sin categoríaTags FIFA 2026, LEED Building, Stadium in Mexico	Post navigation


Mercedes has unwrapped a new version of its 5.1-metre long GL-Class SUV here at the 2012 New York International Auto Show. It brings a host of new electronic assistance systems and the inevitable round of increased efficiency claims — helped by a 100kg reduction in weight.
Mercedes has unwrapped a new version of its 5.1-metre long GL-Class SUV here at the 2012 New York International Auto Show.
It brings a host of new electronic assistance systems and the inevitable round of increased efficiency claims — helped by a 100kg reduction in weight.
Mercedes describes the new GL as a 'new interpretation of the first generation', which gives you a clue. In fact, as far as we can tell the visual changes are limited to new lights — with the usual LED updates - and some extra chrome for the under-body protection.
There's a choice of two engines — a 190kW 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel badged GL350 BlueTec, and a 300kW 4.7-litre V8 badged GL500 BlueEfficiency. The diesel is not only massively more powerful than the 155kW model it replaces, but also up to 20 per cent more efficient, too.
The GL350 completes 0-100km/h in 7.9 seconds — impressive for an SUV that's 5.1 metres long, 2.1 metres wide and 1.85 metres tall. Especially when it also claims 6.2L/100km and CO2 emissions as low as 192g/km.
However, the GL500 is two seconds faster from 0-100km/h, making the sprint in 5.9. Top speed is 220km/h for the diesel, and an electronically limited 250km/h for the petrol.


Systems Administrator required for my client, a highly successful market leading construction company who are keen to speak with a Strong Systems Administrator who has an in depth knowledge of Financial Systems especially Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 (MAXcel), Financial Systems Administration, Best Practice, AX 365, Syrinx, and Bottomline to provide 1st Line Support across Financial Systems within the organisation.
This is a very exciting position for a Systems Administrator with Financial Systems knowledge to join an award winning and highly successful Construction company. You will be the sole Financial Systems Systems Administrator and as so solely responsible for the above tasks. This is a great opportunity to progress your career as an Administrator within Financial Services / Systems Administrator type positions. Please send your CV as soon as possible to ensure you don't miss out.


Click here to read Fr. Joni's full homily.
Last week, SCJs, novices and candidates in the US and Canada were sent an invitation letter (by email) from Fr. Ed Kilianski, SCJ, to the June 10-14, 2019, Province Assembly.
Fr. Anthony Gittins, CSSp, will be one of the presenters. Author of the book Living Mission Interculturally, he will lead several discussions on intercultural living and ministry. The North American Migration Commission will facilitate a presentation on migration. Several other activities are in the planning process, including a brief visit with the newly named president-rector of Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology, Fr. Raúl Gómez-Ruiz, SDS.
If you missed it, click here to RSVP. There is space on the registration form to indicate if you are unable to attend to help organizers with the planning process.
If you have difficulty registering online, click here or call 414-427-4266.
On March 13, the community at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology celebrated the 50th anniversary of the building that now houses the seminary and Sacred Heart Monastery. Construction of the new building began in 1966; the current structure was dedicated on December 8, 1968. Due to the winter break schedule, celebration of the anniversary was delayed until the week of Founder's Day (March 14). Fr. Ed Kilianski, SCJ, provincial superior, was homilist at the anniversary Mass. After, members of the seminary community joined him in blessing several newly renovated areas of the building.
Click here to read the full homily.
Fr. Jim Schroeder, SCJ, is in Vietnam this month leading retreats based on the "Open Hearts" Dehonian retreats held in Canada and the United States in 2017-2018. He is pictured above, following the district's Founder's Day celebration; Fr. Jim was the main celebrant of the Founder's Day Mass.
The Pope and the Rabbi: A Faithful Friendship – At 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 31, the Lux Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies at SHSST will host Rabbi Abraham Skorka who will speak about his conversations and friendship with Pope Francis. Guided by their own religious convictions, Rabbi Skorka and Pope Francis have spent years talking about their understanding of God and of each other. The two co-authored a book titled On Heaven and Earth. Rabbi Skorka is a biophysicist, rabbi, seminary rector and author. After the lecture, Rabbi Skorka will be available for book signing.
Admission to the lecture is free but you must register. To do so, click here.
The Pope and the Rabbi: Finding God in Relationship – On Monday, April 1, from 12:30 – 2:00 p.m., the Catholic Jewish Conference of Milwaukee, along with the Lux Center, will host a special luncheon and conversation for rabbis, cantors, priests and deacons with Rabbi Skorka. It will take place at Ovation Communities (1414 N. Prospect Ave., Milwaukee, WI). RSVP to the kosher lunch by calling Allison Hayden at 414-390-5781. The RSVP deadline is March 22.
Click here to read her full reflection in Dehonian Spirituality.
The Justice, Peace and Reconciliation Commission notes that the deadline for submitting nominations for the 2019 Johnny Klingler, SCJ Social Action Award is Friday, March 29. Both individuals and groups who have shown leadership ministering to the poor or marginalized are eligible for the award. "The award and accompanying check for $1,000 will recognize efforts that raise awareness and understanding of social problems, inspire compassionate action, and hold up the principles of Dehonianism and Catholic Social Teaching," write members of the commission. Employees of the Priests of the Sacred Heart as well as SCJs themselves are welcome to submit nominations. Click here to do so; include a brief description of the nominee and any supportive information. Questions? Call Mark Peters, JPR director, at 414-427-4273.
Happy St. Pat's and happy birthday!
Yesterday the Sacred Heart Community in Pinellas Park, FL, celebrated St. Patrick's Day and the birthday of their very own "Patrick." Fr. Pat Lloyd, SCJ, turned 77 on his name day. Fr. Pat is pictured below (seated) with members of the community. Our thanks to Fr. Vincent Suparman, SCJ, superior of the community, for the photo.


Hard skills, soft skills - what are they? Be a part of an interactive discussion around this subject and more. We will dive into topics such as your 'Social Self' vs your 'Professional Self', 'Outer Focus' vs 'Inner' Focus, 'How To' vs 'Want To' and why these key distinctions make all the difference between rising to the top or being stuck in professional purgatory.
Many people miss out on living from their inner power. Come discover yours!
Melissa Ford is a Business and Life Coach. Her experience shows us that we can change our passions into thriving careers, allowing us to do what we love and be paid well to do it. Melissa wasn't supposed to become a successful coach. In fact, she hated sales, didn't know anything about business and felt she should stick with her first chosen career. Early in the transition from practicing law to coaching, Melissa struggled with the same fears and self-doubts that keep so many from being successful. She proved herself wrong. Today, she uses her knowledge and experience to powerfully lead others to increase their prosperity whether they are executives, professionals, entrepreneurs, or career changers, and regardless of the obstacles they face. Melissa's legal training and personal experience has made her a rational and analytical coach with a bullseye focus, pinpointing exactly what propels her clients forward. Melissa, a Certified PCI Coach, received her undergraduate degree from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and J.D. from DePaul University College of Law.
Credit card is required to guarantee ALL reservations. Day-of-event registrations accepted on-site only if applicable and space available. Cancellations accepted until 5:00 pm, May 18. If guests fail to cancel before the deadline and/or fail to attend the event they will be charged a $20 fee.


text:
Summer in Gypsum starts with Movies & Music, culminates with Gypsum Daze
Pam Boyd
pboyd@eaglevalleyenterprise.com
Familes gather at the Lundgren Theater in Gypsum to enjoy a live music performance prior to a free movie showing during the Music and Movies series. The event is back for 2016.
Special to the Daily |
To learn more about Gypsum's summer events, visit the town website at http://www.townofgypsum.com.
GYPSUM — Family fun is on tap in Gypsum this summer, and most events are free or low cost.
The offerings will culminate with a Saturday night performance by country superstar Hunter Hayes during the Gypsum Daze event from Wednesday, July 13, through Saturday, July 16. "The Voice" contestant Danielle Bradbury will be the opening act, and tickets are available now on the town's website, http://www.townof gypsum.com.
Presale tickets are $15, and it's $25 the day of the show. There are also a limited number of VIP packages that can be purchased online for $100.
Gypsum's summer begins with the Movies & Music Summer Concert Series every Friday in June at Gypsum's Lungren Theatre. The evenings will start at 7 p.m., with live performances ranging from rock to country to theater. Following each night's live performance will be a feature film.
Here's the schedule for the series:
Friday: Porchlight Players Summer Kids Camp presents "The Little Mermaid," with feature film "Splash."
June 24: Live performance from the Mesmerie Acrobats, with feature film Disney's "Descendants."
The towns of Eagle and Gypsum are combining forces for this year's Fourth of July celebration, which Gypsum is hosting at Town Hall Park.
The celebration will get underway at 7 p.m. with live music from Soul Sacrifice: A Tribute to Santana, along with free hot dogs and ice cream. When the sky gets dark, a fireworks show synchronized to music is planned.


The "Great Consolidation" of my collection continues. I've brought the "For Sale" page live again, and it has some great vintage stuff, as well as a few modern pens that just haven't been getting enough love. Terms of sale are on the Sale page, but feel free to e-mail me if you have questions or would like to make an offer. Discounts will be seriously considered if you take more than one pen. Thanks again!


text:
Geronimo is a populated place located on Highway 70 between Bylas and Fort Thomas, west of Safford in Graham County, Arizona, United States.  Geronimo lies at an elevation of .

History
Geronimo was named after the famous Apache chief Goyaalé, better known as Geronimo. Camp Thomas, the U. S. Cavalry began its management of the Apache Indian Reservation along the Gila River, was originally located here in 1876.  The camp was later moved east to what is now Fort Thomas.  Geronimo was once a stop on the Arizona Eastern Railway and had an operating US Post Office from April 30, 1896, until May 31, 1956.

References

External links
 Geromino – ghosttowns.com

Ghost towns in Arizona
Former populated places in Graham County, Arizona
History of Graham County, Arizona
Forts in Arizona
1876 establishments in Arizona Territory

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


How Many Cell Towers Are Needed For A Great Signal?
There are few things more frustrating in today's world than a dropped call or being held captive to the never ending spinning circle as your device searches for a cell tower signal.
We've grown accustomed to our ability to access the internet from just about anywhere at any time. Yet, few of us have considered what it takes to get that reception.
How many cell towers are really needed to get a great signal? A whole lot of them would be the short answer. Particularly as we move closer and closer to the implementation of 5G.
While traditional towers might boast a cell service distance of up to 40 miles, most will never reach this kind of distance. That's because too many factors are involved. Multiple sources of interference surround these towers. In nature, the land itself may be problematic; hills and trees getting in the way of a strong, clear signal. In urban areas, buildings, tunnels and walls can disrupt service.
This will become even more of an issue with the new small cells needed to support 5G. The radiofrequency waves of 5G cannot travel through objects and cannot travel as far as the previous iterations of cell service. To address this, telecom companies are installing smaller towers every few hundred yards in communities, cities and rural areas to provide uninterrupted 5G service.
For many cities and municipalities, hundreds of new sites for these small cells are being identified and proposed.
This has lead to meetings and discussions centering around the health and safety risks of additional towers flooding our surroundings. Additionally, some towers are being proposed in areas with strict aesthetic codes and people are opposed to the disruption of visible skylines or landscapes.
As their name suggests, small cells will come in smaller sizes, which will help minimize the potential obstruction of our views of the skyline or backyards. And if we continue to rely on cell service, we will have to compromise in order to have strong signals that support the technology of 5G.
Whether you are a municipality considering a cell lease offer for 250 towers — or you're a property owner considering allowing a tower on your land — be sure to understand the full value of your site before you sign a contract. As telecom companies begin searching for locations for these towers, you need to be aware of how valuable your property is to them.
Don't be fooled by initial offers or high pressure sales tactics – the average cell tower lease is undervalued by nearly $1,000,000 over the life of the lease.
Our clients consistently receive over 300% more rent after working with us. We know the industry. We have worked for the big telecom companies like AT&T, Verizon, & T-Mobile. Now, put our experience to work for you.
Contact us today to learn how we can help you get the results you deserve.


Plant garlic and winterize the garden with us this weekend!
Join us to winterize the garden on Sunday November 12th. We'll clean up and close up the raised vegetable beds and containers to prep the space for winter. We will also be planting garlic to harvest next summer! All pots that remain will be removed as well.


When you bring your clothes to an expert dry cleaner, you can generally anticipate absolutely nothing less than best. Your clothes will more than likely be clean and stain-free, and all the wrinkles pressed out. The entire process is more exact and extensive than the alternative at-home dry cleaning techniques. You get what you pay for. Mentioning that, the cost of professional dry cleaning is a significant disadvantage. It's costly, with prices ranging from nearly four dollars to over twenty dollars, depending upon the size of the garment, the material and the quantity of treatment required.
An unknown truth about the process of professional dry cleaning is that the chemical perchloroethylene presents health dangers to both individuals managing the garments while they are being cleaned, and the consumers who use the clothing afterward.
Home dry-cleaning is a more affordable option. It costs less than fifty cents per garment to dry clean a the house if whatever is done properly. It also freshens and removes wrinkles in one simple process without the usage of hazardous chemicals. The biggest disadvantage is that house dry cleaning sets can not remove stains that are bigger than a dime and often need to be touched-up after the first cycle.
The fact of the matter is that deciding between expert dry cleaning and house dry cleaning is a matter preference, budget plan, and requirement. If you have heavy or big spots, experts can do the very best job, however if you understand that your local dry cleaner uses chemicals that may be damaging to your health then you may wish to prevent utilizing their service. If you have smaller sized stains or merely need to revitalize a piece of clothing, then home dry cleaning is your best choice.


New York, New York: Governor Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Stonewall Democrats, and leaders of the New York LGBT community will come together to stand in solidarity with the survivors and the victims of the senseless attack in Orlando.
The vigil will take place in front of The Stonewall Inn located at 53 Christopher Street, between Waverly Place and 7th Avenue South.
"The LGBT community in America and around the world is often the target of hate, but time and again has proven that love conquers hate. We will not run and hide, we will not cower to violence and we will continue to love and fight for full equality for all Americans," said Mayor de Blasio.
Members members of the LGBT community will call on Congress to stop standing in the way of reasonable gun control laws.


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Teen Fortress 2
SchizophrenicFrankie 1 story
Felix felt as if Germany was more comforting than the school for the Reliable Excavators and Demolitionsists, but it seems that he might get along. He hasn't even met the BLU team yet...
SchizophrenicFrankie
Reliable Excavators and Demolitionists
He stood there at the gates, suitcase in a hand, looking on at the gigantic red building. Then he heard the sound of a car engine starting. Startled, he flipped around only to see his father driving off, just leaving him there with no guidance. All he could do was stand there and watch the car drive off until there was only a plume of dust left. Tears where brimming in his eyes and his hands started to shake. His heart rate increased and his blood pressure was not far behind.
"Papa…" he breathed out, ducking his head down as he tried to calm himself, placing a hand on his jittery chest in an effort to calm himself down. Everything seemed to be blurring out and he wavered, going off balance a little. He was scared, where was he? Why did his father leave him in front of this building? Why…
"Hey!" a voice shouted of nowhere and the boy felt a metallic object being poked against his chest. Shaking his head to clear himself of dizziness, his eyes focused on another boy that looked about the same age as him. He had short cut brown hair that was covered in a red baseball cap and held in his hand the slightly offending metal object – an aluminium baseball bat.
"Hello? Is there anyone in there?" he said, a slight teasing tone in his voice, waving a bandaged hand in front of the boy's face. The boy nervously patted away the hand of the other boy, who just stared at him, confused as he was.
"Ahh, so there is someone in there after all! I was thinkin' about bashin' ya head in to find out, but you seem alright now!" He said with an arrogant grin. The other, more nervous one only managed a shaky laugh.
"Ya, I'm so glad you didn't." He said shyly, rubbing the back of his head with his free hand. The other boy just grinned widely, swinging the bat so it rested over his right shoulder.
"Anyways, what are ya doin' here? I've never seen you around before. By the way, my name's Ben." He said, sticking his hand out. The other boy almost reluctantly took it, a shy smile forming on his face as he curiously looked at Ben.
"M-my name's Felix," He stuttered, "And… where am I?"
"Ha, ya don't even know where ya are?!" Ben said in disbelief. "My friend, you are in the magnificent school for the Reliable Excavation and Demolition team!"
"The RED's?" Felix asked, solving the acronym.
"Exactly!" Ben said, patting the German boy on the back. "Now, we should get you to the office, then you'll get a proper introduction." He winked before grabbing Felix by the forearm and practically dragged him toward the great metallic doors of the 'school'. By the time they were standing in front of it, Felix was bent over double and panting hard. He glanced from side to side and realized that this wasn't just a building – it was, a fortress, a wall. It seemed to go on for about 1,000 meters before ending, letting the tree line take over. This was a fort that was somehow a school – how strange.
"Oh, yeah, sorry for runnin' so fast," Ben chuckled, "It's kinda my special skill. It's how I got acquired to my class."
Felix just looked at the American boy with confusion as he grabbed the large door handle, pushed and slowly, grinding across the floor, the gigantic red door opened to reveal a dim hallway. It only ran for about 5 meters, then there was another, slightly smaller door, the only thing present on the blank red wall.
"Now," Ben started whilst leading the nervous, shaky Felix toward that single door, the other closing with a loud thunk. The German boy jumped in surprise and instinctively gripped the wrist of Ben, who looked at him with a grin on his face.
"First of all, ya gotta get used to loud noises as they're a regular thing here. Second, the Administrator's office is as the end of the corridor."
"W-wait, are you not going to escort me there?" Felix asked, somewhat scared that he had to part with his first friend.
"Sorry, Felix, but I have to make my way to class. I'm already fifteen minutes late!" He chuckled in amusement.
"Anyways," He said, holding up his hand, "See ya." Felix looked at Ben in bewilderment as the American just held his hand in mid-air.
"Don't leave me hangin', Felix!" Ben said, seeming almost offended.
"Hanging? What?" Felix stared at Ben as if he'd gone insane to which Ben responded by rolling his eyes and taking Felix's hand and placing it on his splayed out one.
"It's a high five, dude, have you ever heard of it before?" He asked.
Felix slowly shook his head with a confused expression on his face.
"No." he said to the point, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand.
"Hey, that's OK, now ya know, right?" Ben grinned, swinging his bat around in the air.
"Anyways, you better be off to the Administrator's office. She's been expecting you and doesn't like latecomers. Her office is the first door to your left when you turn right." The American said before zooming off, leaving Felix standing there.
"See ya later, Felix!" Ben's voice echoed through the left hallway he had run off into. The German boy sighed before dragging his suitcase through the corridor, memory recalling Ben's directions. Soon enough he was stood in front of a purple wooden door, which to Felix made a difference from all the red, with 'Administrator's Office' painted on the blurry glass in neat black writing. Audibly swallowing out of nervousness, he bought a shaky hand to the wood and rapped on the door three times.
"Enter!" A distinctly female voice ordered. Obedience was the one thing that he knew well and he did as he was told, opening the door to reveal a square room. The ceiling and floor seemed to be painted in a different shade of purple whereas the walls where a creamy white colour. On the right wall was a giant bookcase with an array of different titles on it, like 'The Winner's Guide to Winning', 'Cake for All' and the one that particularly caught his eye, 'A Surgeon's Guide to the Battlefield'.
On the left wall there was a single desk with a lamp on it, followed by some sheets of paper, blueprints and a fountain pen. But Felix's eyes were more drawn to the wall in front of him. On either side of the wall was a large window to which a stream of radiant light flowed through. In the middle of these two windows was a large portrait of a woman that looked to be in her 50's, with a large mass of black hair that had a white streak going up from the middle of her forehead. From her shoulders down to the frame of the painting itself she wore a smart purple suit.
A sudden clearing of the throat was heard and Felix jumped, dropping his suitcase which landed with a thump on the ground. His eyes darted around, trying to locate the sound of the noise, until he realized that the source of it came from right in front of him. Sitting with a look of annoyance on her face was the woman from the painting, the Administrator.
"Well don't just stand there gauping, sit down boy." Her voice was both smooth and sharp at the same time, and Felix immediately knew that this was not a woman to be against. Obediently, Felix picked up his suitcase again only to have in dropped on the ground as he sat carefully down in the chair provided at the front of the desk. He put both hands on his legs and sat with his back straight, something his father had forced him to do, if not he would get a – no! he thought, focus on here, not on father!.
"So, your name is Felix Vladimir Klauss, is that correct?" the woman asked, raising an eyebrow, waiting for an answer.
"Y-ya, that is correct, ma'am." The young boy replied, his voice slightly shaky out of nervousness.
"And you are 13, is that correct?" The woman said.
"Ya."
"You are from Stuttgart, Germany?"
"And your father's profession is that of a surgeon?"
The Administrator paused and stroked her chin, her eyes looking up at the ceiling in thought. Felix stared at her, then at his hands which he had started to fiddle with out of a force of habit.
"Tell me, Felix, are you interested in surgery or any medical work at all?"
"Ya, ma'am," the boy nodded his head, "my father told me all about it, he gave me books and let me dissect some small creatures in his surgery. He taught me about medicine and made me read a lot of books explaining medical practices."
"Hmmm," the woman looked at Felix with narrowed eyes. "Yes, it turns out your father won't have to be forced to collect you. You have been accepted to the school for Reliable Excavators and Demolitionists. You will be –" Suddenly she was interrupted when the door burst open to which a brown skinned woman with a black hair put up in a bun entered, dragging by the arm a boy that looked like, and in fact was Ben, who carried an expression of annoyance on his pointed face.
"Sorry to disturb you, Miss, but this student has committed a horrible felony!" the woman with black hair said giving a sharp tug when Ben resisted her grip.
"I was only 15 minutes late, jeez!" Ben shouted angrily.
"He claims that he was showing a new student in, but I believe this to be untrue!" she shouted even louder over the American's whining and slightly offensive language.
"Exactly, you believe it to be untrue; when the fact is that you are incorrect in every way." The Administrator said with a smile that carried more arrogance than Ben's as she pointed to the German boy sitting as calmly as he could in the chair.
"Hey Felix!" Ben waved as the woman who had come in with him merely uttered an 'oh' before saying quickly, "Oh, I'm sorry administrator, you know what this jerk is like, why he'd smear himself in dog crap just to get out of class. Please forgive me."
"That's alright, Josephine, I understand. You're not the only one who's had to put up with this kid's crap." She said understandingly. "You know what, I have an idea of how to straighten this kid's behaviour. Ben, Felix will be sharing a room with you and Ivan and if there is any misbehaviour he is to report them to me, isn't that correct, Felix?" She said sternly, her sharp eyes staring right into Felix's, making him want shiver.
"Y-ya, ma'am. I w-will." He said with a quivering voice, however still maintaining his straight posture in the chair.
"Good, and since it is very nearly the end of the day and we have a newcomer, I will give the whole team the rest of the day off. That is including you Miss Josephine. Now, Ben, would you kindly lead Felix to his new room." She said smoothly, glancing at all three people before her.
Miss Josephine smiled in gratitude before promptly disappearing, leaving only Ben by the door and Felix still in the chair.
"Well, what are you two waiting for, get out of here before I call the BLU's!" She shouted sharply at them both, waving her hand in the air as Ben again dragged Felix out of the office, suitcase firmly gripped in the German boy's hand.
1. Reliable Excavators and Demolitionists
1 Reliable Excavators and Demolitionists
2 Meet the Team
3 A Mistake
4 Good Luck Charm
5 Heavy Breathing, Heavy Silence
6 Shall We?
7 Some Effort Required
8 Target Practice
9 Danke
10 Challenge Accepted
11 Respawn
12 Partner Up
13 Disobeyed Orders
14 Beautifully In Tune
15 Prove It
16 Oh, Merde
17 Ich Sagte Stoppen!
18 Beers, Burgers and Bloody Noses
19 Aftermath
20 Order Through Observation
21 Identical Opposites
22 Du Miststück
23 Twisted Violence
24 Broken Soul, Shattered Glass
25 Potential Improvements
26 The Offer
27 Counter Attack
28 Harmony Through Boundaries
29 Broken Obedience
30 The Healing Revelation
31 Sah aus wie Scheiße
32 Played By The Rules
33 Scalpel
34 Insane in Plain Sight
35 Ignite and Re-Unite
36 Fire and Ashes
37 Makes Friends, Suffers Loss
38 Epilogue
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Dueling Web Sites
Both sides in this struggle have employed sites on the World Wide Web to try to get their points across. Soon after the Save CCU began to promote its Web site against the conversion (www.saveccu.com) Columbia added pages to its own Web site (www.columbiacu.org) promoting the move. "Despite what detractors...
By Staff Writer | January 06, 2004 at 07:00 PM | The original version of this story was published on Credit Union Times Magazine
Both sides in this struggle have employed sites on the World Wide Web to try to get their points across. Soon after the Save CCU began to promote its Web site against the conversion (www.saveccu.com) Columbia added pages to its own Web site (www.columbiacu.org) promoting the move. "Despite what detractors may say, converting to Columbia First Bank is best for our members and our community," wrote David Doss, Columbia's CEO on the credit union's pages. "The mutual bank charter provides funding flexibility and a wider market acceptance to maintain Columbia's ability to compete in the fastest growing county in Washington State.. Converting to Columbia First Bank is a strategic, visionary decision to benefit our members, not a get-rich-quick scheme." But soon after Columbia's pages appeared, Save CCU updated its pages to address some of the credit unions' assertions. "While CCU has 60,000 members throughout Clark County, it only ranks as #240 nationally in number of members," Save CCU wrote. "Locally, both Portland Teachers Credit Union and First Technology Credit Union are substantially larger than CCU and provide their members the superb level of products and services, features and benefits that credit unions are famous for."