A Cushion That Will Go Down in History – Be That Dog!
This is our new Rudolph cushion. Actually it is one of three new Rudolph cushions. Because we do things only in excess around here.
But there is only one Rudolph.
Rudolph is sometimes called Santa's ninth reindeer, or his headlights, because his nose is so bright that it guides Santa's sleigh at night.
I think if my nose were that red and bright, Human would probably take me to see Dr Fabulous. But from what I can tell, Rudolph is about 77 years old. So I guess it is nothing to worry about.
Rudolph also features on a lot of our Christmas jumpers and we even have a costume or two. That little reindeer has become almost as important as Santa Claus.
And you know what? Without Rudolph, Santa wouldn't even get here. So I guess you could say that Santa is just Rudolph's delivery boy, but Rudolph is the driver!
Rudolph and Santa. Just another great example of a wonderful human-animal friendship that makes the world go round.
What's even better than a sweater with a nose?
A cushion with a nose? That's Jeffervescent!


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The Flying Scotsman is coming to Stroud
By Ashley Loveridge
The Flying Scotsman is set to steam through Stroud Pic: Matt Bigwood
Ashley Loveridgehttps://www.stroudtimes.com
Train buffs will have the chance to see the magnificent Flying Scotsman on Saturday, June 12.
Departing London Paddington for Worcester Shrub Hill at around 7.40am, it heads to the Vale of White Horse to Swindon, the Golden Valley line as it heads through Kemble and climbs up to Sapperton Railway Tunnel.
There's also the chance to see the Flying Scotsman on its return journey to London in the late afternoon, climbing steadily through Stroud and Chalford on its ascent through the Golden Valley – once again entering the Sapperton Tunnel at the top of its climb.
The train will then steam through Kemble as it heads onwards to London via Wiltshire.
The Flying Scotsman was dismantled in 1995 before being restored by train enthusiast Dr Tony Marchington the following year at a cost of more than £750,000.
trains GWR
Ebley to Stonehouse – in two minutes
Sandersons Boutique unveils fragrances from the house of Chanel

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Tag Archives: Churches
Nonprofits May Be Able to Go Politically Wild Thanks to House Republicans
New Orleans The "law of unintended consequences" is not one that was passed by the US House of Representatives and its far right, ideological Republican majority, but it is certainly one that they might soon learn at their peril.
One of the many hidden time bombs in their recent tax bill, now heading towards conference with the Senate, was originally a repeal of the Johnson Amendment that prohibits tax-exempt charities from political activity. Initially, their amendment was only a wet kiss to the heavy breathers in their religious base who wanted a special exemption to practice politics from the pulpit. Not to be outdone – the final version of the House bill instead opens a political floodgate for charities to go wild. Their bill says that any tax-exempt charity can boost or bust political candidates if "the preparation and presentation of such content" is "in the ordinary course of the organization's regular and customary activities" and does not result in more than de minimis incremental expenses." (thanks to Ellen P. Aprill a tax law professor at Loyola Law School who read and reported the language!)
So, sure, that would cover preaching, because there's no cost in adding an endorsement into a sermon, but it would also cover a world of other things that fit fully into a nebulous "de minimis" standard like a banner across a website's home page, constant Twitter and Facebook posts, and endless email blasts all of which have virtually no cost. Remember as well that these standards are all set and monitored by the Internal Revenue Service, which to date, since the passage of the Johnson Amendment, has never clarified the existing standard of what might be permissible political activity, leaving the matter to institutional restraint and lawyer empowering, as one outfit after another takes a stab at a number, whether less than 5% or 8% or zero. Remember also that because of that the penalties are also somewhere between nil and a hand slap. President Trump's own foundation was caught in this mess, as you may also remember, when he used the foundation's funds to make several political contributions at the 5-figure levels, all of which he remedied by repaying the foundation. There was never a question about whether he was going to surrender the tax exemption of his foundation and certainly no evidence that the IRS was threatening to take it away. Without the thin shield of the Johnson Amendment, there will be no practical limits to what nonprofits might be able to do.
The Republican House may think more activism from the pulpit makes it all worthwhile, but they aren't the only nonprofits who can jump into the partisan playgrounds. Take nonprofit hospitals for example, which still make up almost 60% of hospitals. A list of the top six systems from Ascension to Kaiser in the Wall Street Journal indicated they were turning over $158.5 billion dollars annually. Hospitals were pretty united in their opposition to the Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and will be even more committed to any cutbacks in Medicaid or Medicare. If "de minimis" was 5%, they could spent almost $8 billion, but even dropping notices in every bill or banners on every sign-up for your medical records online now would certainly get the message out. It would also cost just the same for doctors and nurses to whisper in patients' ears as it cost for the pastor to slip an endorsement in a prayer.
Churches are shrinking while many other parts of the nonprofit sector, like healthcare, are soaring. The Republican House might should get on their knees and offer something up to the Republican Senate to save them from this repeal before the law of unintended consequences makes them give more than they hope to receive.
This entry was posted in DC Politics, National Politics and tagged Churches, irs, nonprofits, politics, tax exempt status on December 11, 2017 by Wade.
Church Exemption: Good for the Goose is Good for the Gander
New Orleans The membership of legacy religious institutions may be falling like a rock, but their privileges are increasing. President Trump last week signed an executive order that sought to do a couple of things for churches. On one hand he wanted to give them some more flexibility in opposing abortion for their workers and institutions, but most of that had already been done by the courts in the Hobby Lobby case. The other penance he offered was protection for political endorsements being made by pastors right from the pulpit, and that's interesting.
The Internal Revenue Service provides a tax exemption under its 501c3 classification for religious institutions and other nonprofits providing charitable, educational, and other benefits. In exchange for such a tax exemption there are some restrictions including the level of profit-making enterprises escaping taxation, unless they are directly related to the mission and purpose of the exempt nonprofit. There is also a ban on political activity and endorsements.
Trump's executive order was a promise to the evangelical and religious community that he would get them around the Johnson Amendment and its restriction on religious endorsements. In some ways this was a bit of a straw man. Priests and pastors have been making political endorsements from the pulpit for years without provoking any investigations from the IRS, so they have been able to do so with impunity. Evangelical preachers have hardly been quaking in their brogans as they have embraced and endorsed conservative politicians from right to far-righter for fear of losing their tax privileges. Archbishops and Cardinals in heavily Catholic cities and states have sometimes jumped into the middle of political campaigns, including threatening excommunication of parishioners for voting for governors, senators, and representatives bold enough to support abortions. Trump's claim was that his order would now protect them and give them license to jump into politics at their will and whim.
Talking to the director and organizer of an environmental group the other day who was debating whether his tax exempt group needed to form an entity that could be more aggressively active in pushing climate change into the political agenda, I had jokingly suggested that since a lot of environmentalists already talked about nature as their church, a simple fix for this problem would be to just say his outfit was now religious, and say whatever they wanted to say. Now in truth Trump's order doesn't mean much. The IRS will likely just ignore it and given the way they've ignored such blatant politics in the pulpit in the past and their depleted ranks in the exemption debate, it doesn't add up to much.
But, what's good for the goose, should be good for the gander. If the IRS lightened up on one group of nonprofits, they would have to lighten up on the whole bunch, equal protection being what it is once the matter finds its way to the courts. Nonprofit staff and leadership wouldn't have to dance around whether they were speaking and acting personally and not as representatives of their organizations as they jumped into politics any more than pastors and priests. The President may not care that if he opens the door for one, everybody can walk in, but if this order has any weight, that's what it should end up meaning. What's good for one is good for all.
This entry was posted in DC Politics, National Politics, Organizing and tagged Churches, irs, Tax Exempt Organizations, Trump Administration on May 6, 2017 by Wade.


Decada is a Cape Cod inspired condo community located within minutes of stores, restaurants, and services in the Portola Springs region of Irvine, California. Built in 2006, Decada is comprised of 92 luxury units with floor plans that feature spacious living areas. Residents are drawn to Decada because of the wonderful amenities, the many hiking/biking trails, and the top-rated public school system. It's also a short distance to freeway access, grocery stores, the Orange County Zoo, the John Wayne Airport, UC Irvine, and Laguna Beach. This community offers attached garage parking, in-home laundry hookups, a swimming pool, spa, playground, tennis court, barbecue, and sport court.
Range $440 - $440 /sq.ft.
Whether you are contemplating purchasing or selling your condo in Decada, it is imperative that you hire the right Irvine Real Estate Expert that can exceed all of your expectations. When you work with The Ryan Case Team, your every need will be met with the greatest attention to detail. We are intimately familiar with Decada, and you will not find a more qualified Irvine Real Estate Agent to help you achieve your goals.
As a seller of a Condo or Townhome in Decada, your unit will be front and center on our top ranked website. This gives you maximum exposure above what a normal Irvine Realtor would provide, as our highly trafficked website will help us to sell your property in less time, at the highest possible net to you! After all, the same way you found us is how your next buyer will!
This 4 bedroom, 3 full baths home, located on Keepsake was recently sold on Monday, March 11th for $848,888.
With 2,095 square feet of total floorspace, this home comes in at $405.20 per square foot. That's 6.11% lower than the neighborhood average. There are also 2.00 garage spaces available for parking.
Originally built in 2010, this home sits on a 4,033 square foot lot.
Listing provided courtesy of Grace Tu at First Team Real Estate.


Baby Nursery ~ Ideas For Baby Nursery Furniture Wooden Rustic Excellent Intended ideas for baby nursery. Unique Ideas For Baby Boy Nursery. Decor For Baby Girl Nursery. Ideas For Baby Nursery In 1 Bedroom Apt.


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In Business: "LaunchPad" Helping Start-Up Companies Succeed
Malaak Khattab — Nov. 4 2019
LaunchPad offers startup companies, entrepreneurs, and freelancers a professional work environment with a number of opportunities to be successful. It's located in the Mayflower Building in downtown Bemidji.
"The whole Launchpad program really came about when we, Greater Bemidji, purchased this building and renovated it to be the hub for economic development for the region. And looking around the space we realized there was some space that was not going to be fully utilized, and this opportunity to try a co-working space and adding some of those support features for entrepreneurs really made a lot of sense," said Tiffany Fettig, Launchpad Director of Business Development.
The co-working space opened its doors a couple of years ago to support entrepreneurs in the Bemidji region and to create a strong start-up culture.
"What the LaunchPad really is, is a one-stop shop for people that are looking to get into business or are in business looking for resources. We have a variety of different resources on-site and have connections within the community to get them the assistance they need to make their business successful," Fettig said.
Some of the resources offered at LaunchPad include mentors to help and give guidance throughout the business start-up process, business consultants, financial sources, and networking opportunities. Fettig says networking is one of the most important things for someone getting into business.
"Networking with others and understanding the challenges around being an entrepreneur. And so we have opportunities every week that encourages people to network with each other and peer-mentoring as well as mentoring with experts in the fields," Fettig said.
LaunchPad has numerous works and meeting space areas. There are flexible work spaces that people can come in and get their work done and leave. Others are permanent dedicated work spaces called campsites where people can customize their work space by bringing in their own material and furniture. There is a total of nine campsites available at launchpad.
"It gives you access to space at a much-reduced rate then if you had to go get the overhead of lease space and downtown or build your own building. Usually in those early stages of business, that becomes real difficult and can sometimes be what causes a business to fail, just too much overhead; here's an opportunity to reduce that up front and get yourself established before you go out on your own," Fettig said.
LaunchPad offers entrepreneurial meetups every Wednesday morning for people to network and learn from one another.
By — Malaak Khattab


MEMOFIN - Rapport annuel 2014 de l'ESMA - L'information financière que vous ne trouvez nulle part ailleurs !
This year's annual report reflects not only the diversity and volume of activities the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has participated in over 2014, but also that ESMA is maturing as an organisation. ESMA has achieved a lot in its first four years. It has a broad role with the objectives to protect investors and ensure orderly and stable financial markets. These are challenging objectives, resulting in a diversity and volume of activity that touches on nearly every area of EU securities markets.
And we have met those challenges with success and this has been confirmed by positive external evaluations. In particular, the Commission's review of the European System of Financial Supervision (ESFS) noted that ESMA had performed well, delivering against its mandates, building up the organisation needed to carry out its duties, and developing its public profile. It added that these achievements had also contributed to restoring confidence in, and to, the EU's financial sector.


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Cult Activity in the '90s
The Waco Incident, Japan's Aum Shinrikyo, and Heaven's Gate
by Elissa Haney
Heaven's Gate leader Marshall Applewhite
Cult Conflict
Jonestown: Ministry of Terror
Alternative Considerations of Jonestown & the People's Temple
The Branch Davidian Sect
Spring 1993: A seven-week standoff against U.S. government officials brought national attention to the Branch Davidian sect in Waco, Texas. In a failed attempt to raid leader David Koresh's compound on suspicion of illegal firearms possession and child abuse, officials ended up in a showdown that left six Davidians and four Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms agents dead.
Fifty-one days later, on April 19, the F.B.I. ambushed the compound; the resulting fires killed Koresh and about 80 of his followers. New evidence relating to the F.B.I.'s role in starting the deadly blaze led Attorney General Janet Reno to reopen the investigation in August 1999.
Japanese Cult Aum Shinrikyo
March 1995: Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo allegedly used sarin nerve gas on a subway car in Japan, killing 12 people and injuring more than 5,000 others. Leader Shoko Asahara drew on various Asian religions when he established the cult in 1987. Aum Shinrikyo also incorporates political goals, which are the basis for its members' acts of terrorism.
The Heaven's Gate Cult
March 1997: 39 people were found dead at Rancho Santa Fe, California, in a carefully orchestrated group suicide. The Heaven's Gate cult was made up of Web developers who used their site to recruit new members. They believed that the comet Hale-Bopp was being trailed by a spaceship that would transport them to a higher state of existence when they left their earthly bodies. Leader Marshall Applewhite, known as "Do," and his followers swallowed a lethal mixture of vodka and phenobarbital.
.com/spot/jonestown3.html
Cults--Uganda, Jonestown, and Others


***Price does not include freight and dealer prep.
If you've had your finger to pulse of motorcycling, you might have noticed that lower displacement machines have been on the rise, but even more popular are the mini-motorcycles.
Kymco, Taiwan's largest scooter manufacturer, is keen on tapping in on that trend with the 2018 Kymco Spade 150. What these smaller machines lack in power, they make up for in the joy that they give virtually any rider who is fortunate to find themselves with a set of keys. Enough on that; let's get to the Fast Facts.
1. The 2018 Kymco Spade 150's motor is pure fun. The air-cooled, SOHC, 4-Valve engine sits at the heart of this scamp-like machine. Peaking at around 12 horses and 8 ft/lbs of torque, the Spade's EFI-fed powerplant pulls all the way through to the rev range. For newer riders, chopping the throttle or whacking it open in a corner probably won't be met with unexpected or surprising results; it's that forgiving. However, experienced riders will leap at the chance to use every bit of performance this little engine has.
2. The Spade 150 has a traditional fully manual five-speed transmission. Geared for the street, the Spade's shifting is on the stiffer side, requiring a purposeful motion when moving through the lever in either direction. It almost encourages a rambunctious approach to riding and with the feather-light clutch pull, I was happy to oblige. Once moving, the transmission takes to clutchless shifting easily, but can get a bit finicky when stopped.
3. Handling is undoubtedly one of the Spade 150's greatest strengths. At a reasonably light 266 pounds, the Spade is remarkably agile and requires little input, thanks in part to the 47-inch inch wheelbase. Weight a peg and the Spade quickly complies with whatever suggestion you've made while also maintaining stability. Even abrupt inputs aren't met with negative repercussions, meaning that novice riders will be able to become acclimated quickly. Whether you're hitting a corner at a truly blazing 40mph or playing a game of "foot down" in a parking lot, the Spade whips into corners with ease.
4. When it comes to suspension, many riders will be content. Though the Spade is softly sprung, the suspension does quite well. Whether it's a pothole, expansion joint or even when romping around in a dirt lot, the damping characteristics do well to settle the Spade 150 quickly. It should be noted that it also makes landings smooth, because when riding the Spade 150, every curb cut becomes an opportunity for low-level flight. Speaking of that, the Spade 150 is marketed in its home market as the A.I.R 150.
5. The Spade 150 might be small, but the riding position isn't cramped. With a seat height of 28.1 inches, my 32-inch inseam allowed me to flat-foot at stops with ease. One concern taller riders often have with mini-motorcycles is comfort, and I didn't experience any painful knee-bend issues. Additionally, the handlebars didn't hit my knees while attempting to make tight turns. Save for the shifter, which forces your foot to be at a steep angle and takes some getting used to, all the controls are easily manipulated.
6. Budget brakes get the job done. Equipped with a single 220mm rotor up front and an accompanying two-piston caliper, along with a 140mm drum brake in the rear, brake feel is adequate. At the front, brake feel is linear, requiring only a single-finger pull in most cases. It requires a fair amount of effort to induce a stoppie or perhaps I'm just not good at them (probably the latter). The rear drum brake has a heavier feel to it, requiring a little more effort than those who are accustomed to disc brakes might expect. However, it can be modulated quite well, and will help you step the rear out while doing hood rat stuff with your friends. When not behaving badly, both brakes adequately slow the bike.
7. Classic styling seems to be the thread the Spade 150 is pulling on. Unlike its direct competitors, the Honda Grom and Kawasaki Z125 Pro, Kymco has opted for a more timeless look when it comes to styling. A vintage-style steel tank comes with a retro badge proudly displaying "Kymco Spade" and "Made in Taiwan". Combine that with a steel side panel and a long, spacious seat—room for two, passenger pegs are standard—and the Spade 150 has a something of a restomod vibe going on.


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Student-At-Law
mgribble@rtfamilylaw.ca
Kasia Kryczmanik
kkryczmanik@rtfamilylaw.ca
Mathew attended law school in Liverpool, England, where he received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Liverpool, in July of 2020. While at law school, Mathew volunteered for Liverpool Community Advice, assisting with client intake and providing free legal advice on a variety of civil matters, such as benefits entitlement, debts and housing.
Mathew has developed a passion for legal research and writing. He hopes to use these skills to help clients gain a better understanding of how the law will resolve their issues, and to provide thorough and well-researched legal advice.
Mathew began working as a student at Richmond Tymchuk Family Law LLP in August of 2021, while completing his Canadian law exams through the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA). After receiving his Certificate of Qualification from the NCA, he started articling at the firm in July of 2022.
Bachelor of Laws, University of Liverpool, July 2020
Certificate of Qualification, National Committee on Accreditation (NCA), 2022


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AndroidTO. Oct. 30, 2014. (Image: Brian De Rivera Simon, for Tarsipix Studios).
In building apps, 'you have to care,' Tumblr developer says
Candice So
@candice_so
Published: October 31st, 2014
For Kevin Grant, app design is a balancing act between following the rules at times – and at others, breaking them in the name of experimentation.
Grant, who works in Tumblr in New York, has been part of the company's five-person Android team since February 2013. And along the way, he's learned a few things about how developers should be designing their apps for their users.
Kevin Grant of Tumblr, speaking at AndroidTO. Oct. 30, 2014. (Image: Brian De Rivera Simon, for Tarsipix Studios).
"If something is valuable to your product, this is to say that whatever you're building – this feature that you're making – does it make sense? Does it fit in with what you're actually supposed to be doing?" said Grant, speaking from AndroidTO, a developers' conference held in Toronto on Thursday.
"We can program all night long, making some stupid feature that I think is really cool … But maybe it's not a great product fit for Tumblr as a whole," he added. "What I'm trying to say here is that design can mean a lot of things."
How a Google X engineer thinks about problem-solving
Developers are known for their ability to solve the problems plaguing their code. But maybe, they should look to solve bigger problems beyond their computer screens, too. At least, that's the philosophy of
Published on: October 30th, 2014 Candice So @candice_so
Why developers may like Android TV more than Google TV
When Google announced Android TV at its I/O conference earlier this summer, Tejas Lagvankar was skeptical. The software engineer, who works at Yahoo! Inc. in San Francisco, has been developing apps for Google
A lot of developers often think design should be relegated to the role of the graphic designer, Grant said. But he added developers don't have to be artists, nor does design have to be strictly limited to graphics, interaction, and so on. After all, developers should ensure users enjoy their apps, and that they get some benefit from them – and that's one key principle of the material design framework.
That framework tells developers what to keep in mind as they develop their apps, with its core tenets chosen to serve end users. For example, one piece of the framework says that developers should build apps that display tangible surfaces within an app – like an app that mimics the look and texture of paper.
Then there's the idea of meaningful motion, which means developers only add app animations where it makes sense. For example, a wiggling arrow should only wiggle to show a user that it can be tapped to kickstart a specific action. And then there is the need to create apps that use bold colours and bold design, for eyecatching, appealing apps that users would enjoy using.
In Grant's eyes, one of the cardinal sins of app design is creating choppy transitions between screens. For an app to veer from one screen to another, with no warning, is jarring and unattractive, he said.
"There's no design police, for better or for worse. So no one is going to make any of these people update their applications," he said in an interview. "To actually provide the motion between screens requires a little extra effort … But the big thing is that no one will make you do it, so you have to care."
Still, that doesn't mean developers should avoid experimenting, in the name of sticking to the material design framework. While the principles of the framework are pretty useful, there's also some need for creativity, Grant said.
How to break into containerized Android apps
Chris John Riley can break into your phone. Well, that's if you are running older versions of Box, LastPass, SpiderOak, Good for Enterprise, on Android. And Riley can do it all within less
Published on: October 23rd, 2014 Candice So @candice_so
Android to hit 1 billion users this year, Gartner report says
2014 will be the year of Android once again, with the mobile OS on track to hit the one-billion user mark across all devices by 2014, according to market research firm Gartner Inc.
Published on: January 7th, 2014 Candice So @candice_so
He pointed to all of the new things developers can do with Android 5.0, or Android Lollipop, Google's latest iteration of its mobile operating system. For example, creating screen transitions is now a lot easier, and it requires fewer lines of code than it did in previous versions of Android.
So now, developers who want to make beautiful apps can definitely do it, through adding small, but noticeable features like transitions, animations, and accents like floating action buttons. Apps like Swarm by Foursquare, as well as Pocketcast, are doing a great job of this, Grant said.
"Material design is not the design of your application. It's the design base. It's where everything gets started, and where ideas can grow from," he said. "So you shouldn't strive to have the best material-looking application. You should strive to have the most unique application that's using material design as the base, so that all of the boring stuff … like those transitions, you get those for free. So now the bar is raised."
Grant concedes that ensuring apps are the best they can be will definitely take time. At Tumblr, he and his team spent a lot of time ensuring videos would autoplay as users scrolled down their dashboards. And one of his coworkers spent about a month working on the animation that comes with composing new posts for the platform.
But putting in the extra effort is worth it, he said.
"There are probably a zillion apps in the Play Store, and every single one is designed slightly differently … It's your responsibility as developers of your applications to use as many of these apps as possible," he said, adding his SD card is maxed out with app downloads.
"This is where all great design starts, by looking at what everybody else is doing and seeing what you like. Because design is all around, does it look good, does it feel good for you … And hopefully it'll make sense for other people."
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android, Android Lollipop, Android mobile OS, AndroidTO, design, developers, graphic design, mobile app developers, mobile apps, mobile devices, Smartphones, tumblr
About Candice So
Candice is a graduate of Carleton University and has worked in several newsrooms as a freelance reporter and intern, including the Edmonton Journal, the Ottawa Citizen, the Globe and Mail, and the Windsor Star. Candice is a dog lover and a coffee drinker.
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Center for Urban Renewal and Education
Curtis T. Hill, Jr. Named CURE Senior Fellow
For immediate release: March 3, 2022
[Washington, D.C.] – Former Indiana AG Curtis T. Hill Aims to Found Charter City as CURE Senior Fellow.
Curtis T. Hill, CURE Senior Fellow and Former Indiana Attorney General
Former Indiana AG Curtis T. Hill, Jr. has a new role in the nation's capital: Senior Fellow at CURE, the Center for Urban Renewal and Education, a think tank addressing poverty and racial inequality through free-market policy solutions. CURE's Fellowship Program is an opportunity for innovative thinkers and doers to add their talent and experience to CURE's promotion of constitutional and free-market ideas that can drive real change in our distressed communities.
Mr. Hill is a graduate of both the Indiana University School of Business and the Indiana University School of Law. A lawyer and the first African American to serve as Attorney General of Indiana (2017-2021). He is a notable conservative voice and commentator on criminal justice, race, education, COVID restrictions, and personal liberties. "As one of the nation's leading black voices, Curtis Hill is an exciting addition to our team. As an attorney general, he saw firsthand the damage that government dependence causes to black communities," says Star Parker, Founder and President of CURE.
The partnership between Hill and CURE will yield research and the potential establishment of a charter city, or a similarly named independent political unit, aimed at better serving its citizens via a foundational document. Mr. Hill, a proponent of charter cities, is optimistic as to their potential impact, "Through this exciting collaboration, we will explore innovative municipal governance models that encourage private investment in our urban centers. We aim to identify strategies for restoring economic vitality to distressed communities that have suffered through extended failed policies and bureaucratic inaction." Other proponents say charter cities can better steer their local politics without state or federal intervention. Policymakers will use this model to help build freedom and opportunity free from federal government dependence in our nation's most distressed communities.
Mr. Hill is a welcome addition to CURE's team, which serves distressed communities with free-market solutions to poverty. Among CURE's other mission-critical projects are its clergy outreach programs, its weekly television show, CURE America with Star Parker, and its policy center geared toward federal lawmakers.
For more information, please go to CUREpolicy.org or contact [email protected].


In the beginning of the 1900's, besides the narrow-gauge railway in the Stann Creek District the only other reliable means of transportation in Belize was still the rivers. Locally built steam paddle wheelers ran regularly between Belize City and the north. Most outlying areas still had virtually no contact with Belize City and went without the basic services available in town including medical, educational and social ones. No roads existed joining the city with any of these areas and no money was budgeted for building them.
In 1898, Mr. Monohan opened up a survey trail from Stann Creek to the Cayo District. Sir John Alder Burdon was Governor of Belize from 1925 – 1932, during his administration much was accomplished in the way of benefits to the country. The Burdon Canal was built, he commissioned a written record of Belize to be compiled, on his request Charles Lindberg flew the first airplane to visit Belize in 1927. In 1928 he approved a survey recommended by his Chief Information Officer Captain Monrad Siegfried Metzgen (by bicycle which became the famous Cross Country Race) from Belize City to the Cayo District after which a new 90-mile road was built during the 1940's with the help of British funds.
The inaugural Cross Country Race was held in 1928 and the men traveled throughout the city and then hit the western road (or "trail" as some have called it) headed for Orange Walk, which was at that time the quickest connection to Cayo. This destination was 55 miles from Belize City and the cyclists expected to cover 90 miles one way on their trek. The trail traveled along the New River Lagoon, through what was Holotonich (near Hill Bank) and on to the Yalbac settlement. Following this expedition 50 miles of dry weather road was completed toward Cayo. Part of the cost of the improvement was met by a Colonial Development and Fund Grant.
Due to repair projects initiated on the Western Highway by Governor Alan Burns, some races were held on the Northern Highway (1935-1939, 1942 and 1947). In 1938, TACA Airlines began a schedule daily flight from Belize City to San Ignacio landing at the Savannah. This was discontinued when the road to Belize City was opened in 1947.
There were no roads connecting the Capital with the southern part of the colony at that time, only trails. People and cargo were ferried by boats from Belize City to Stann Creek Town and Punta Gorda. To get to the Valley, one had to travel by boat from Belize City to Stann Creek Town and then up the Stann Creek Valley Road. The British Colonial Airways started operations in 1952 and operated 3-seater aircrafts. They offered daily scheduled flights to all district capitals. The regular air fare from Belize to Stann Creek was B.H. $11.
The Hawkesworth Bridge was opened on Saturday 20th August, 1949, the year that Governor Garvey had devalued the British Honduras dollar. The opening of the ceremony was done by Alexander Hamilton (A.H.) Anderson and in his speech mentions, "perhaps as far back as eight years ago (1942), trucks began making very slow and very rough passages to and from the end of the slowly advancing Cayo Road during the dry season." He then invited the Governor Ronald Herbert Garvey to speak. In his speech, Governor Garvey mentioned that the Hawkesworth Bridge was only the first link and that they had plans to make a road from Roaring Creek to Middlesex and from Middlesex to the wharf in Stann Creek (Dangriga), and that at that time, it was already being surveyed.
With the surveyors leading, construction of roads and bridges for the 32 ½ miles from Roaring Creek to Middlesex continued in the early 1950's. Construction was done by the Public Works Department and this was the most spectacular project of that time. The terrain was very difficult and presented many engineering challenges. It had previously only been penetrated only by the timber-getters.
The Hummingbird Highway was officially opened on 3rd April 1954 by his excellency the governor Sir Patrick Muir Renison. The scenic road traversed extremely hilly, rugged country and finally connected the highly developed North Stann Creek Valley with the North and West of the Colony. The road was built with the aid of grants from the Colonial Development and Welfare Fund (England) and cost B.H. $2,083,537.
The Stann Creek Valley Road had been constructed more than a decade earlier from 1938-1940 to replace the Stann Creek Railway. It ran from Middlesex to Stann Creek Town. In March 1961, the Southern Highway or Toledo Road as it was called was opened. These three roads were a part of the British colonial government national road building program of that era.
In the mid 1980's, there were improvements to many of the roads of southern Belize and paving of the Hummingbird Highway was commenced. In the mid 1990's the road was repaved and realigned to where it is today. The pavement of where the Hummingbird Highway once ran can be found in the jungles along the highway. Since the highway was completed in the 1950's it has never failed to amaze travelers with its vast green mountains often cladded in clouds.
There are 23 listed airports in Belize. Some of these airports are actually no more than an air field with a landing strip. The Melinda Airport (IATA: MDB) is located in Hope Creek Village on its junction with the Coastal Highway. This was the first airstrip to be built in the Stann Creek District. Before the construction of the Hummingbird Highway, the British Colonial Airways offered flights to Stann Creek in the early 1950's for B.H. $11. These single engine aero planes were designed to land and take off from small airfields such as the Melinda Airstrip. The planes had a cruising speed of 133 mph and a maximum speed of 179 mph. These were 3-seater planes but were often fitted with a bench type seat for additional passengers.
In 1956 British Colonial Airlines was renamed to British Honduras Airways and by 1961 they had wrapped up operations. In 1962 Maya Airways was founded and included Melinda as a stop along its flight path to deliver passengers and goods.
The Melinda Airstrip was the only landing field in the Stann Creek District until the 1970's when Pelican Beach built a private airstrip next to the resort. This airstrip was called the Pelican Airstrip and visitors were flown in from Belize City in four-seater Cessna 182 plane. The airstrip was later donated to the town by Pelican Beach Resort and is now the Dangriga Municipal Airstrip.
Today the Melinda Airstrip serves as an alternate and emergency landing strip. It was used in January 2007 during the resurfacing of the Dangriga Municipal Airstrip. In the first half of 2009 the Dangriga airstrip had to be refurbished again and once more the Melinda Airstrip became operational. The orange aviation windsock could be seen flying in the wind at this airstrip up until the 1990's. It is now a popular exercise spot for locals as there are no traffic along its tarmac.
Did you know? In the old days to get from Belize City to Cayo one had to go through Orange Walk.
Did you know? TACA operated between Belize City and San Ignacio from 1938-1947.
After the end of WWII, Britain was experiencing severe economic challenges and devalued the British Honduras dollar on 31 December 1949.
On October 1, 1961 British Honduras changed over from Left to Right Hand Drive.
Before the realignment of the Hummingbird Highway in the 1990's the road was very crudely built. A small hill that was not graded down properly was called the "Whoo-a-yay!" and created the weightless sensation of falling or a Ferris wheel.
Sir Robert Harvey Garvey was Governor of British Honduras at the time the dollar was devalued.
The sudden changes in altitude when travelling along the Hummingbird Highway often caused an ear-popping phenomenon.


LOVE CONQUERS ALL (AUS) (Bay 2006-Stud 2012). 8 wins from 1100m to 1400m, ATC Shorts H., Gr.2. Half-brother to SW She's Meaner. Sire of 33 rnrs, 14 wnrs, inc. SP Par Oneri and of Boom Shucka, I'm a Rippa, Love Spy, Savanna Amour, Downloading, Social Conquest, The Ambassadore, Fortensky, Kubis, We Just Love It, Aquajewel, Benevolent Lad, How Big's the Hole, Winning Kiss and of the placegetters Cornforth, Emoclew, Escapado, Kirin's Lad, etc. His oldest progeny are 3YOs.
Taystar (g. by Galileo). 7 wins from 1400m to 1800m in Aust.
Muscat (f. by Tale of the Cat). Winner at 1200m in Aust.
Star of Seville (g. by Lope de Vega). Placed to 2016-17 in Aust.
Kiloton (Spinning World). 5 wins to 1400m, NZ$57,500, A$191,925, STC Marshalls Motors H., Nivea Visage P., Cadbury Schweppes H., JW Mailing Services H., Nivea Visage H., 3d AJC Bill Ritchie H., Gr.3, ARC Darley P., Gr.3, MRC Moonga S., Gr.3, STC Star Kingdom S., Gr.3, 4th ARC Railway H., Gr.1, WRC Telegraph H., Gr.1.
Awe and Wonder. 9 wins from 1100m to 1750m, A$209,114, SAJC Capital Transport H., Alice Springs TC Pioneer Sprint H.-twice, 2d SAJC Capital Transport H., Optus H., STC Wolf Blass 2YO H., 3d SAJC Marsh H.
Haradify. 4 wins from 1300m to 1700m to 2016-17, Ipswich TC Schweppes H., 2d BRC Sponsor a Race H., Ipswich TC Ray White H., 3d BRC Ubet BTC Cup Day H., Direct Insurance Brokers H.
Jordan. 4 wins from 1550m to 1900m, A$102,475, to 2015-16, ATC Australian Turf Club H., 2d ATC Australian Turf Club H., Wyong H., 3d ATC Hyland Race Colours H., Australian Turf Club H.
Super Casa - Casa Junior (H.K.). 3 wins at 1400m, 1650m in Aust. and HK, HKJC Stanley H., Harbour View H., 2d HKJC Tai O H., Jianguomen H., Lyrebird H., Yuk Sau H., Dim Sum H., 3d HKJC Ap Lei Chau H., Black's Link H., To Fung Shan H.
Pringle. 4 wins from 1400m to 2000m, A$103,170, STC Compaq Computer Welter H., AJC Birrong Bowling Club H., Schweppes H., Super Impose H.
CUMBRIA (Lake Coniston). 6 wins to 1450m, A$142,880, SAJC Christmas H., Gr.3, QTC Beau Zephyr H., Whetu H., SAJC Urgent Request H., 2d Balaklava Cup, L, BTC Glenlogan Park 2YO S., QTC Veil Kingdom H.
Veewap (Lonhro). 9 wins-1 at 2-from 1000m to 1600m, A$417,513, MRC Jimjoca P., Dream Thoroughbreds P., 3d MRC TS Carlyon Cup, Gr.3, Weekend Hussler S., L.
THE JUSTICE LEAGUE (I Am Invincible). 4 wins-1 at 2-at 1200m, 1400m, NZ$152,675, to 2016-17, Wellington Guineas, Gr.2, Whangarei RC Northland Breeders's S., L, ARC New Zealand Herald H., 2d Matamata RC Rich Hill Stud H., 3d Rotorua RC Mills Reef Winery & Restaurant H.


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Q: how to get grouped query data from the resultset? I want to get grouped data from a table in sqlite. For example, the table is like below:
Name  Group  Price
a     1      10
b     1      9
c     1      10
d     2      11
e     2      10
f     3      12
g     3      10
h     1      11

Now I want get all data grouped by the Group column, each group in one array, namely
array1 = {{a,1,10},{b,1,9},{c,1,10},{h,1,11}};
array2 = {{d,2,11},{e,2,10}};
array3 = {{f,3,12},{g,3,10}}.

Because i need these 2 dimension arrays to populate the grouped table view. the sql statement maybe NSString *sql = @"SELECT * FROM table GROUP BY Group";  But I wonder how to get the data from the resultset.  I am using the FMDB.
Any help is appreciated.

A: Get the data from sql with a normal SELECT statement, ordered by group and name:
SELECT * FROM table ORDER BY group, name;

Then in code, build your arrays, switching to fill the next array when the group id changes.

A: Let me clear about GroupBy. You can group data but that time its require group function on other columns.
e.g. Table has list of students in which there are gender group mean Male & Female group so we can group this table by Gender which will return two set . Now we need to perform some operation on result column.
e.g. Maximum marks or Average marks of each group
In your case you want to group but what kind of operation you require on price column ?.
e.g. below query will return group with max price.
SELECT Group,MAX(Price) AS MaxPriceByEachGroup FROM TABLE GROUP BY(group)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
package utilities;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;

public class RestaurantZhangRevolvingStand {
	public List<RestaurantZhangOrder> RestaurantZhangOrderList = new ArrayList<RestaurantZhangOrder>();
	public int count = 0;

	public RestaurantZhangRevolvingStand() { }

	synchronized public void addOrder(RestaurantZhangOrder o) {
		RestaurantZhangOrderList.add(o);
		count++;
	}

	synchronized public RestaurantZhangOrder remove() {
		if(count <= 0) {
			return null;
		}
		count--;
		return RestaurantZhangOrderList.remove(0);
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
1 & 2 Samuel
1 & 2 Kings
1&2 Chron
Obadiah – Jonah
Habakkuk – Zephaniah
1&2 Thessalonians
Titus-Philemon
1&2 Timothy
2 John 3 John Jude
Reading Plans, Charts, & More
1 Chronicles 25-27 Deep Diving Bible Study
Posted by Christy Jordan
GOOD MORNING SIBLINGS!
Today's readings are 1 Chronicles 25-27
Click here to read these passages at BibleGateway
Rabbit Trails
1 Chronicles 25:1 Seems a bit confusing in some translations as it appears to be saying that these men prophesied with their instruments. As in, the Father gives you a message and instead of relaying that with words you go and strum a harp. If we look deeper into other translations we see that they prophesied accompanied by these instruments so the use of "with" means more of "alongside".
Further, the term "prophesying" in this context refers to musicians singing praise songs, hymns, and psalms to the Father, sometimes singing psalms that were written by the prophets and were prophetical in and of themselves.
We see further proof of this just a couple of verses down when they reference the musical director and their skill with singing, etc.
1 Chronicles 25:8 We will see, more than once, the people casting lots to determine their position. When it came to these positions, there was no regard to station, age, etc. Instead, they cast their lots, allowing YHWH to determine who ended up in each position.
No pride or "me-ism". Just a big old dose of "His will be done".
1 Chronicles 26:14 When it came to the gatekeepers, lots were first cast for the East gate. The direction of the East is a huge pattern in the Bible.
Recall that:
• The garden is planted in the east of Eden, Genesis 2:8
•Cherubim are stationed on the east side of the Garden of Eden, Genesis 3:24
•Parts of the burnt offering are to be thrown to the east side of the altar, Lev 1:16
•The tabernacle's entrance faces east, Numbers 3:38
• In Ezekiel's vision God's glory comes from the east and enters the temple from the east. Ezekiel 43:2-4
•The same temple faces east with a river flowing east from it, Ezekiel 47:1, Ezekiel 47:8
•Also, the sun, of course, rises in the East, and as it does so it banishes darkness each day.
In addition to all of this, notice that the east gate had more gatekeepers than any other gate.
The gatekeepers were charged with opening and shutting the gates to the temple, but they were also responsible for making sure only the proper people were allowed to enter and that nothing inside was removed that wasn't supposed to be removed. This wasn't just some honorary position. They were very much security guards.
1 Chronicles 27:1 This was a brilliant model with regards to his military.
The entirety of his forces were divided into twelve divisions of 24,000 each and each division served only one month per year. This kept the burden light on all of them, kept them all trained and experienced, and had a good size army at the ready while still allowing the men to be with home with their families, tending their land most of the year.
I want to challenge you to pray for someone who is different from you in some way. Whether it be a different walk of the faith, a different faith entirely, someone who lives in a different part of the country or world, someone who hasn't been very kind, someone who shares an entirely different view of something important to you, etc.
But take that one step further: Do not pray for them to agree with you. If it is someone of a different viewpoint, do not pray for them to realize they are wrong and you are right. Instead, pray that your heart will be softened all the more towards them, that you will feel genuine and abiding love when you think of them. Pray that the Father will richly bless them as He sees fit. Pray, with sincerity, for your neighbor, knowing that the Father determines who our neighbors are and more often than not, they do not look, think, and speak as we do.
Test everything, hold tight to what is good.~ 1 Thess 5:21
We are saved by Grace alone: Obedience is not the root of our salvation, it is the fruit!
May YHWH bless the reading of His Word!
Christy Jordan
Christy Jordan founded SeekingScripture for the purpose of helping as many people as possible develop a firsthand relationship with the whole word of God. You can find her writings on Seeking Scripture, all podcasting platforms, and in the Seeking Scripture Front Porch Fellowship group on Facebook.
Latest posts by Christy Jordan (see all)
Focus Sheets - January 26, 2023
Sidebar: Why did Joseph Give More Generously to Benjamin? - January 15, 2023
Sidebar: Did Joseph really do divinations in his cup? - January 15, 2023
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text:
thisplacematters
April 3, 2019 Billy Rankin
Brenda Roseman
It's Friday, August 1, 1969. Richard Nixon is President. Neil Armstrong has just become the first human to set foot on the moon. Elvis is performing in Las Vegas. At Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, a young Mercer County High School student arrives for her first day at a new job.
Brenda Roseman, c. 1980s
Having opened to the public the previous year, Shaker Village had many part-time jobs to fill, especially in the busy summer months. Brenda Cocanougher had been hired as a server in the Village's restaurant, the Trustees' Table. Upon arrival, she was issued her costume, which included a dress, scarf and apron (all Village servers dressed as 19th century Shakers at the time.) She then began her training in both restaurant service, and the story of Pleasant Hill. "This," she thought, "will be an interesting job."
Brenda's family had long been connected to the property at Pleasant Hill. After the time of the Shakers, Brenda's relatives had raised tobacco at the site, and her uncle ran a general store and pump station in the 1815 Shaker Carpenter's Shop. Still, Brenda could never have suspected that she had found the place where she would work for the next 50 years!
In 1973, after working part-time in the Trustees' Table throughout college, Brenda was hired by Shaker Village as a secretary. In her new role she would support Shaker Village's President, Public Relations Director, Director of Collections and Accounting Department.
Until 1994 Shaker Village's offices were located in the upstairs of the 1820 Meeting House. Brenda is seen on the right, behind her desk.
Brenda's title has changed on several occasions through the years, with variations including Office Manager, Executive Secretary and Executive Assistant. Her consistency and hard work has benefited every president in the Village's history: James Cogar, Jim Thomas, Madge Adams, and current President/CEO Maynard Crossland. In her time at Shaker Village, Brenda has witnessed, and been an integral part of, the preservation of Kentucky's largest National Historic Landmark.
From left to right: Brenda Roseman, Candy Parker, Jim Thomas, Ed Nickels and Jane Brown
A resident of nearby Burgin, Brenda loves spending time with her husband, Lynn Roseman, and their daughter Merin (who also spent several years working at Shaker Village, and still leads the Village's beekeeping workshops today!)
Brenda is an aficionado of wildflowers, and impresses the staff team each year with her incredible holiday candies and cookies! While she is not certain what the future may hold for her, she is proud to look back on all she has been a part of at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, and excited to still be a part of the Village's team today!
We want to wish Brenda a happy 50th anniversary at the Village this year, and say 'thank you' for all she has contributed to the preservation of this site. We are fortunate to have Brenda as part of our community.
Community	thisplacematters, village@work
Preservation@Work: The Belfry
May 15, 2018 shakerblog
http://blog.shakervillageky.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Belfry-Removal.mp4
As part of our current preservation project on the Centre Family Dwelling, the bell tower has been removed via crane! It was a sight to see for sure.
While the original bell was hung on Centre Family in 1839, it was cracked 10 years later and replaced with a new bell. As you can see from the photo above, the bell tower rests on the north side of the Centre Family Dwelling, sandwiched between two chimneys. Just a quick glance at this massive building and you may even miss it, but the bell could be heard throughout the Village.
According to Shaker journals, the bell served many purposes for the Shakers, usually for communication. Some instances include:
Beginning of Workday (4 a.m. in summer and 5 a.m. in winter)
End of Workday
According to our collections manager, the bell, like all of our 34 historic buildings, is considered a historic resource. During the last decade or so, the bell has been rung during educational workshops, field trips and before iconic daily programs such as music performances. We've also been known to start the (un)Pleasant Hill Trail Runs with the ringing of the bell. However, the bell hasn't been in ringing condition for awhile now.
We're looking forward to having this quirky and unique piece of our collection added back to the Centre Family Dwelling and hearing it ring throughout the Village! Look for Centre Family to re-open this fall. Until then, stop by and see all of the great things that are happening here!
Fun Fact: There is also a bell on the West Lot Dwelling.
Sustainability	belfry, bell, Preservation, preservationmonth, thisplacematters, villageatwork


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PRESS RELEASE: Stephanie Schmid Decisively Wins Democratic Nomination in New Jersey's Fourth Congressional District
Stephanie Schmid is the decisive winner in New Jersey's Fourth Congressional District Democratic Primary earning overwhelming support from Democratic voters across Monmouth, Ocean, and Mercer Counties.
"It is an honor and privilege to be the Democratic nominee in New Jersey's Fourth Congressional District. I am overwhelmed by the strength of our victory, which is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our hundreds of grassroots volunteers and supporters across this District. Thank you to our voters, my team, and my family and friends. Together we are going to bring much needed change and new leadership to Central Jersey for the first time in forty years," Stephanie said.
"I would also like to thank and congratulate my primary opponents on a hard fought campaign full of new ideas and passionate advocacy on behalf of our democracy. My heart goes out to David Applefield's family, friends, and supporters and they are in my prayers as our community mourns David's tragic passing yesterday. Christine Conforti built a grassroots campaign that excited many members of our community and inspired new voices to engage in our democratic process throughout this primary."
"As we move forward to the general election I hope we can unite in order to elect a new, passionate Congresswoman to represent our District. I will work tirelessly to earn the vote and the support of every voter across this District and every member of our community who believes it is time for change. I will continue to fight every day on behalf of our families, our small businesses, and our frontline workers by advocating for policies that ensure healthcare is a human right, our environment is protected, our tax burden is reduced, our economy is strengthened, and our reproductive rights are guaranteed."
Stephanie's background as a retired U.S. Foreign Service Officer and human rights advocate and attorney has prepared her to serve our community on day one. "I am running for Congress because I feel called to serve our country once again. After 40 years of absentee, out of touch leadership from Rep. Chris Smith, our District is ready for new representation. I hope that when people hear my story of public service and my commitment to fighting for our families, they are inspired to vote for change. Together, we will finally flip this seat. Please join our fight at stephaniefornewjersey.com."


Each year, schools are required to publish the details of their swimming attainment. Of the current Year 6 cohort, 25% of them were able to swim 25 metres at the end of Year 5. This group of children will continue swimming later this year and more of them will achieve this target.


text:
Posts Tagged 'Lounge Act In Heaven'
Sugar Mornings
Last week's blog entry recounted the origin of the song "You Are The One" from my new album of songs Lounge Act In Heaven. Readers continue to let me know they're enjoying these song origin stories, so now I'll tell the story of the instrumental 'Sugar Mornings', Track 7 on Lounge Act In Heaven.
When I was in my mid-thirties I made my one and only attempt to write my autobiography. I thought I should first write something about my parents' lives to set the scene for my birth. Then I realized to do my folks justice I should write about their parents, too. But to understand my grandparents, the reader would need to know about their parents, my great grandparents, and how they got to America and California. When I found myself mired in a seventeen page description of life in a Jewish village in Poland in the 1870s, I gave up the autobiography and returned to fiction.
I feel a little bit this way about 'Sugar Mornings' because the life from which the music sprang is most of the story.
My parents were children and teenagers during the Great Depression. Thus though they were fast moving up from barely scraping by to middle class by the time I was born, they continued to live frugally and raised my siblings and me to be frugal, too. When each of us turned twelve, we were expected to earn our own money for things other than food, basic clothing, and the utility bills. My older sisters became zealous babysitters and I pulled weeds for neighbors and babysat, too.
To say that my parents were neurotic about money is a grand understatement. As a teenager, I was well aware that my parents were by then wealthy compared to most Americans, yet they pinched every penny and were painfully ungenerous to their progeny. This had a huge impact on my siblings and me and would shape the courses of our lives.
When I dropped out of college at nineteen, I reckoned the less money I needed in order to survive, the more time I would have to work on my stories and novels and songs. So for the next ten years I lived on next to nothing and could get everything I owned onto a Greyhound bus with me whenever I needed to pick up and move. Save for a couple idyllic years of living in communes in Santa Cruz, I rarely had an easy time making ends meet from week to week.
Then in 1978 Doubleday published my novel Inside Moves. And though the book was nearly remaindered (taken out of print) before publication day, Inside Moves had a big pre-publication paperback sale followed by a movie sale. (You can read the remarkable history of Inside Moves on the Inside Moves page of my web site.)
And so for the first time since dropping out of college I had so much money I didn't have to worry about paying the rent and having enough money for groceries.
In 1979 I rented a little cottage in Santa Cruz and gave myself fulltime to writing and composing. Heaven. What's more I fell in love with a woman who I fervently hoped would return the favor. And though she did not, my infatuation with her inspired several songs including 'Sugar Mornings'.
The title came from a letter I wrote to a friend, the letter lost, the gist remembered. I call these mornings when I wake free of worry, sugar mornings, the sweetest mornings I've ever known.
I wrote lyrics for 'Sugar Mornings' at the time I composed the music, but after all these decades I only remember the first few lines. "Sugar mornings and midnight dreams, lying here by myself it seems, kinda crazy that you are there, faraway and…"
This past summer, the summer of 2019, forty years after composing 'Sugar Mornings', and just a few weeks after I brought out my album Dream of You, I was noodling around on the piano one evening and stumbled on the beginning of 'Sugar Mornings'. I hadn't played the piece in many years and might have let the tune sink back into the depths had not Marcia heard me playing and said, "I hope you're going to put that on your next album."
To which I replied, "I will if you'll play a cello part."
She said she would play a cello part and that inspired me to learn 'Sugar Mornings' again. I do not read music, so everything I compose must be practiced many times to take hold and not be forgotten. After much hunting around and many dozens of run-throughs, I was able to play 'Sugar Mornings' again with confidence and élan.
Peter Temple came to my house to record the piano parts for Lounge Act In Heaven. We then gave those piano parts, including 'Sugar Mornings', to Gwyneth Moreland who came up with delightful accordion parts for all the songs. When her part for 'Sugar Mornings' was recorded and roughly mixed with my piano part, I gave the mix to Marcia and she composed her cello part. After we recorded Marcia's cello part, Peter and I mixed the three parts, played the new mix for Marcia, she made suggestions, we refined the mix again, and so forth. Eventually we came up with the version of 'Sugar Mornings' you can hear on Lounge Act In Heaven, what one friend called "a sweet nostalgic soundtrack for the opening and ending credits of a classic French film yet to be made."
Tags: accordion, autobiography, cello part, classic French film yet to be made, Dream of You CD, frugality, Great Depression, Gwyneth Moreland, infatuation, Inside Moves, Lounge Act In Heaven, Lounge Act In Heaven CD, mornings free of worry, movie, paperback sale, Peter Temple, Santa Cruz, Sugar Mornings, Todd Walton, Under the Table Books, You Are The One
Last week's blog entry recounted the origin of "Light Song" and how I came up with the title for my new album of songs Lounge Act In Heaven. Readers seem to be enjoying these song origin stories and I enjoy remembering how these songs came to be, so I thought I'd tell the story of the song 'You Are The One' which is Track 11 on Lounge Act In Heaven.
By the way, there is a stirring piano/accordion instrumental entitled 'Lounge Act In Heaven' on my CD Lounge Act In Heaven. Track 3.
So… in 1995 I moved from Sacramento to Berkeley and took possession of a large old house on Evelyn Avenue, the diminutive front yard featuring one of the tallest eucalyptus trees in Berkeley. Forty-five and recently divorced, I was excited about starting my life in a new place with clean air and cool summers. I was able to afford the rent on the old house because I signed the rental agreement in 1994, a year or so before rent control ended in Berkeley and rents skyrocketed. This was also at the very beginning of the Dot Com boom that would change Berkeley and the Bay Area forever and force most low-income artists in the Bay Area to move elsewhere. In other words, I snuck in shortly before I couldn't have possibly snuck in.
I loved living in Berkeley for the first few of the eleven years I eventually lived there. There was no need for me to own a car, delicious ethnic cuisine abounded, and my creative juices were flowing again. I had stopped writing songs for my last several years in Sacramento and I surmise the songs had been mounting up all the while in my heart/brain/spirit because upon arriving in Berkeley many songs burst forth.
'You Are the One' was born as a bass line/chord progression played on the guitar. I loved the jazzy feel of the notes and chords, and after a few months of playing the sequence dozens of times every day, I could have lengthy conversations with my friends while playing the progression and never losing the beat. (My friends seemed to enjoy having a guitar soundtrack underpinning our conversations.)
Once the progression was second nature to me, I started singing wordlessly to the music. After some months of singing along using non-word vocal sounds, I had a melody I liked. The first actual words arrived at the end of a verse. "You are the one everybody wants to be with tonight." I wasn't sure what the words were referring to, but I liked how they sounded and I liked how they might mean all sorts of things.
One night in September I was sitting in my living room playing the progression and listening to a strong wind off San Francisco Bay blowing the thousands of leaves of the aforementioned gigantic eucalyptus tree in my front yard and I sang, "Listen to the wind as it blows through the trees, listen to her, listen to me."
Intrigued, I got out pen and paper, wrote the line down—and the rest of the words quickly followed.
A few days later I got a call from an old friend asking me to come to Sacramento to perform in the annual Kerouac reading that would take place in early October. When I lived in Sacramento I participated in this annual homage to Jack Kerouac and his Beat cohorts several times. However, I was no longer interested in those writers, save for Philip Whalen, so I declined the invitation.
The next day that same friend called again and said, "We could really use you on the bill. I've kind of already put your name on the fliers and posters and T-shirts and in the press release and… you don't have to read any Beat stuff if you don't want to. Just do one of your stories and sing a song."
Feeling a little nostalgic for my old stomping grounds, I agreed to perform.
When the gala day arrived, I borrowed a car and drove to Sacramento, arriving in the rain at an old warehouse where a hundred or so poets and artists and musicians were gathered to listen to a handful of latter day Beats read Kerouac and do some of their own stuff, too.
We four headliners drew straws and I was up first. I placed the not yet completely memorized lyrics to 'You Are The One' on a music stand in front of me and said to the wonderfully attentive audience, "This is a brand new song called 'You Are The One,' and for some reason I want to read the lyrics to you before I sing the song."
Why this got a big laugh I don't know, but it did, and then I launched into the progression and sang the song. And one verse in, a very good string bass player waiting in the wings started playing a groovy bass accompaniment and a couple gals in the audience joined in with high harmonies on the recurring line 'You are the one everybody wants to be with tonight,' and we brought the house down.
During the long intermission, I was approached by several people who said they loved the song, which was nice to hear, but even more interesting was that three of those people, two women and a man, each said they felt I was singing the song especially for them, though I didn't know any of them. And because I had no solid notion of what the song was about, I was eager to learn what they felt the song was saying to them.
They all said essentially the same thing, which was that the song is a call to overcome our self-doubts and step into our full power so we may bring our gifts to the greater world.
I have subsequently performed 'You Are The One' for many audiences, and many people have confided that they felt the song was asking them to overcome their fears and doubts so they might bring their concealed talents to a larger audience.
In 2008, Marcia and I made our first CD of songs together When Light Is Your Garden on which we recorded a slow ceremonial version of 'You Are The One'. I love that version, especially Marcia's cello solos, but I have always wanted to record a faster version with a great vocalist singing with me, and that's what we did for the Lounge Act In Heaven version, Gwyneth Moreland singing with me and playing accordion. I also play lead guitar on the Lounge Act version, which was a big deal for me because… well, first I had to overcome my self-doubts and step into my power.
Listen to the wind as it blows through the trees.
Listen to her and listen to me.
Listen to your heart, and listen to your brain.
Listen to the sweet song of the rain.
Oh my darling, I know this is hard for you to hear,
But you are the one everybody wants to be with tonight
We can see what you can't see.
We have felt your healing touch.
We have known your healing power.
And we believe this is your golden hour,
That you are the one everybody wants to be with tonight
Listen to your heart, listen to your brain.
Can you hear what they are saying?
Can you bear the knowledge that you were born
To bear the torch of hope?
Oh I know there's a part of you that would rather live in secrecy,
But you are the one everybody wants to be with tonight.
Listen to the howl of that old night train.
Listen to your feelings.
Listen to this song of our love for you.
You are the one everybody wants to be with tonight.
Oh my darling, do not be afraid,
You are the one everybody wants to be with tonight
Tags: Berkeley, Jack Kerouac, Kerouac reading, Light Song, Lounge Act In Heaven, lyrics, Philip Whalen, Sacramento, song origins, the Beats, Todd Walton, Under the Table Books, You Are The One
honing: necessary delusion
If you ever come to the little town of Carmeline Creek on the far northern coast of California and do more than stop for gas, you will almost surely find your way to Mona's, the only café/bakery in town. And if you happen to spend the night in one of the town's several inns or at the charming Carmeline Creek Hotel, you will undoubtedly hear about honing. And should you be in town on the evening of a honing happening, we urge you to attend. Admission is free and you may leave at any time during the event. No one will mind.
What, you may ask, is honing?
In physical terms, honing is the ground floor of a stately old brick and wood building three doors down from Mona's, most of that ground floor a large high-ceilinged room. Some honing happenings employ stages of various sizes constructed somewhere in the large room, while at other honing events a stage does not figure into the production. Lighting is an event-by-event adventure.
In terms of personnel, honing is a collective of seven principals—four women and three men—and an ever-growing number of associates. The principals are Elisha Montoya, 53, Paul Windsor, 60, Ephraim Spinoza, 73, Tivona Descartes, 69, Terence Duval, 47, Adaugo Duval, 41, and Florence Duval, 75. Paul Windsor is the only American-born member of the collective. Elisha was born in Ireland, Ephraim in Spain, Tivona in Morocco, Adaugo in Nigeria, Terence and Florence in England.
Philosophically speaking, the honing folks are ever reformulating their philosophical guidelines. The one guideline that has not changed since the collective came into being two years ago is: we meet at least once a week for supper with the intention of catching up with each other.
On this warm summer night, honing is packed—fifty-six comfortable folding chairs arrayed in front of a small stage softly lit by three spotlights suspended from the high ceiling—two armchairs arrayed on the stage a few feet apart and facing the audience. Thirty-one locals and twenty-five out-of-town visitors are sitting in the folding chairs, ten locals and eight out-of-towners standing.
At 7:23, Elisha Montoya, a graceful woman with shoulder-length reddish brown hair, steps up onto the stage to polite applause. Wearing a pale blue dress and red sandals, Elisha gazes around at the many people looking at her and says, "Though this may evolve into something reminiscent of a play, we begin with Terence and Ephraim discussing necessary delusions, or as Ephraim prefers to say: the necessity of delusion."
"Here we are," says Ephraim Spinoza, stepping up onto the stage as Elisha steps down.
An imposing fellow with a mop of curly gray hair, Ephraim ponders the two armchairs for a moment and chooses the slightly larger one stage left.
Terence Duval, tall and broad-shouldered with short black hair, steps up onto the stage, settles into the armchair stage right, looks out at the audience and says, "A few weeks ago we had a spirited discussion about what motivates an artist to continue working on his or her creations when there is little or no support for that work from the greater world."
"Or," says Ephraim, "what empowers the artist to persist in creating a work of art that may take months or years to complete with no promise of any sort of external reward?"
"Paul suggested, and I agreed," says Terence, nodding, "that most artists come to believe that the song or story or painting or play she is creating is important and valuable, not only to the artist, but to those who might hear the song or read the story or see the painting or watch the play. Without this belief, the artist will not continue?"
"I wonder if this belief embodies the difference between an artist and an artisan," says Ephraim, pursing his lips. "Surely the potter doesn't need to believe each bowl she makes is valuable and important. The process is important, surely, but not each individual artifact."
"I think we digress too soon," says Terence, his arching of an eyebrow eliciting laughter from the audience. "Let us finish elucidating our main thesis first."
"Ah yes," says Ephraim, nodding in agreement. "The necessary illusion."
"Delusion," says Terence, laughing.
"What's the difference?" asks Ephraim, shrugging. "Illusion. Delusion. In either case, the artist is depending on an imagined truth to engender hope."
"I don't think so," says Terence, shaking his head. "I think once we have poured hours of intention into a creation, that creation becomes our energetic equal, with a will and intention distinct from our own. And with even more work, the creation becomes our energetic master, which is when we come to fully believe our creation is endowed with special power. This is what I mean by the necessary delusion, a psychic momentum that enables the artist to keep going for however long it takes to finish the work."
"Yet so many creations are never finished," says Ephraim, sighing. "Is this because the delusion collapses?"
Terence gazes solemnly at Ephraim—the lights fading into darkness that reigns for a few minutes before the lights grow strong again.
Ephraim and Terence have been replaced by Tivona and Adaugo—Tivona sitting in the armchair stage left, Adaugo sitting in the armchair stage right. Tivona is wearing a brown suit, white shirt, and purple bowtie, and she has a glossy red rose in her short black hair. Adaugo is wearing a billowy white blouse and a long brown skirt, the many braids of her black hair strung with blue wooden beads.
Adaugo: I disagree with everything Terence and Ephraim said. When I make a song, I don't think the song is more important or more valuable than anything else. A song wants to be born, that's all. So it comes to me and says, "Hey you. Sing me. Sing me over and over again. Find my parts and put them together in different ways until you know how they go together. And then I will be born and I can live in the world." I don't think this is a delusion. I think this is how songs come into being.
Tivona: I agree with you. But I think if we are enmeshed in the egoistic notion that what we do is important to anyone but us, we require a belief system that supports the idea of a hierarchy of value. And it is from the womb of that hierarchic belief system that the idea of necessary delusions is born.
Adaugo: Oh I want everyone to be free from feeling that anyone is more important than anyone else.
Speaking of songs being born, my brand new album of songs Lounge Act In Heaven has just been released into the wild wild world and you can buy copies of the actual CD with neato artwork for just five dollars from my web site. Or you can download and stream the album from iTunes, CD Baby, Amazon, qobuz, YouTube, or any of your favorite music sites.
Tags: Adaugo Duval, art, Carmeline Creek, delusion, Elisha Montoya, Ephraim Spinoza, Florence Duval, hierarchical systems, honing series, honing: necessary delusion, illusion, Lounge Act In Heaven, Mona's, necessity of delusion, Paul Windsor, philosophically speaking, short story, songs, stage, Terence Duval, Tivona Descartes, Todd Walton, Under the Table Books
honing: the fourth
Monday, December 2nd, 2019
On Christmas day in Carmeline Creek, a small town on the far north coast of California, Elisha Montoya, fifty-one, and her husband Paul Windsor, fifty-eight, make their annual walk around the town giving gifts to their friends: sturdy hot pads Elisha crocheted, jars of home-made apple sauce, and copies of Paul's new holiday short story Naughty and Nice.
This year's walk is especially poignant for them because this is the first Christmas since they married seven years ago that Elisha's children Conor and Alexandra are not with them, both living in Ireland now—Conor twenty-two, Alexandra nineteen.
Elisha, who is half-Irish and half-Spanish, misses her children more than she ever imagined she would, and Paul misses them, too, though his missing them is conflated with his concern for how deeply sad Elisha is about her kids living on the other side of the world; and he blames himself a little for their leaving because he knows they were emboldened to go by their mother having a loving husband.
The last stop on their Christmas ramble is the home of Ephraim Spinoza and Tivona Descartes, very recent transplants from Switzerland.
"Come in, come in," says Tivona, greeting Elisha and Paul on the front porch of the stately old brick and wood building she and Ephraim took possession of just three weeks ago. "Get warm by the fire."
Tivona is sixty-seven, Moroccan, raised in France, her black hair cut short, her figure girlish, her eyes brilliantly blue. She leads Elisha and Paul through the empty downstairs space—a single large room with a very high ceiling—and up a long flight of stairs to a two-bedroom apartment where a fire is blazing in the living room hearth and Ephraim is in the kitchen cooking—Bill Evans playing on the stereo.
"Here you are," says Ephraim, seventy-one, Spanish, with an impressive mop of gray curly hair. "I'll open the wine."
"Looks like you've lived here forever," says Paul, gazing around the cheerful room.
"We found everything at the secondhand store," says Tivona, taking their coats. "Now the only question is what to do with the big empty space downstairs."
"Why do anything with it?" asks Elisha, joining Paul by the fire. "It's lovely empty."
"Did Paul tell you about our dream?" asks Tivona, hanging up their coats in the hall closet.
"Your quest for a magnificent seven?" says Elisha, arching an eyebrow. "He did."
"We have not yet appended magnificent to the seven," says Ephraim, laughing. "Or any adjective for that matter."
"I think you are the fourth," says Tivona, gazing at Elisha. "I love the way you think and speak."
"I thought she was the fourth the first time we met her at Mona's," says Ephraim, nodding in agreement. "I was only waiting for you to think so, too."
"Which only leaves three more to find," says Tivona, going to the kitchen to open a bottle of wine.
"I smell garam masala and garlic and tomatos and onions," says Elisha, standing beside Ephraim at the stove.
"A lentil stew," says Ephraim, stirring the mélange in a large iron pot. "Inspired by the stew you served at Mona's a few days ago. Was that your recipe?"
"My mother's," says Elisha, lifting the lid from a pot of jasmine rice. "Forgive me. My café habit. I'm terrible."
"You are a great cook," says Ephraim, speaking Spanish to her. "You may lift our lids whenever you desire."
"Gracias," says Elisha, Ephraim's Spanish bringing tears to her eyes. "I don't often hear Spanish as my mother spoke it."
"The mother tongue," says Ephraim, offering Elisha a taste of the stew. "They say there is nothing more profound to our senses than our mother's voice."
During supper, in answer to Elisha's question about where and when Tivona and Ephraim met, Tivona says, "Paris. I was thirty-seven, so… thirty years ago. I was a lecturer in Archaeology at the Sorbonne, Ephraim was a professor there in Spanish Literature. We met at a party given by a mutual friend. And we fell in love at first sight, only he had a wife and I had a husband, so…"
"So," says Ephraim, taking up the tale, "we were in love but would not pursue each other because neither of us was inclined to adultery. We did occasionally have lunch together in a café near the university, but spoke only of academic things and never revealed our feelings for each other, at least not in words."
"And then seven months after we first met," says Tivona, her eyes sparkling in the candlelight, "I came home one evening and my husband Jerome told me he had fallen in love with someone else and wanted a divorce. I was quite surprised because I had no inkling he was having an affair. Fortunately we had no children and I was ready for a change, so I agreed, and then I asked him who he had fallen in love with and he said Margot Espinosa, Ephraim's wife."
"Yes," says Ephraim, swirling his wine. "Margot was confessing to me at the very moment Jerome was telling Tivona."
"So then how long was it before you got together?" asks Paul, who was married twice before he married Elisha, both marriages ending when he learned his wives were having affairs.
"A year," says Ephraim, gazing fondly at Tivona. "Our lunch dates became more personal and less academic, but we both wanted to be completely free from our previous mates before we embarked on a relationship. We didn't discuss this, but we knew this was what we both wanted."
"Then finally we did get together," says Tivona, her eyes full of tears, "and eleven months later our daughter Simone was born. Our only child. She lives in San Francisco now, which made our decision to move here much easier."
"What does Simone do?" asks Paul, loving the romance of their story.
"She is a film editor," says Ephraim, smiling as he thinks of their daughter.
"And a fine musician," says Tivona, proudly. "She plays the guitar and sings."
"So you are one and two, Paul is three, and I am the fourth of the seven people your dream told you to find," says Elisha, sitting with Paul on a small sofa facing the fire and enjoying after-supper tea. "What happens when you find the seventh?"
"We don't know," says Ephraim, sitting in a grand old armchair. "Maybe the mystery of what to do with the room downstairs will be solved when we find the seventh or the seventh find us, but maybe not. Meanwhile, we are trusting the dream and living the days as they come."
"What if I said I don't want to be one of your seven?" asks Elisha, speaking to Tivona who is sitting on a big pillow near the fire.
"I don't think it matters," says Tivona, shaking her head. "In the dream Ephraim says, 'Our first visitor will be one of the seven,' and I say, 'And you and I are two of the seven.' And he says, 'Leaving four to find.' But nothing is said about any of the seven belonging to us or belonging to a collective or that any of the seven is required to do anything or even acknowledge they are one of the seven. I think it must be more about recognizing them and their recognizing us."
"For that matter, we don't even know if the seven are all people." Ephraim shrugs. "They might be the four of us and a dog and a cat and a beautiful parrot, like the parrot in our dream. So perhaps the purpose of finding the seven is a way to focus our awareness as we settle into our new lives here."
"I feel the seven are people," says Paul, sounding quite certain. "Though I realize the dream is yours and not mine."
"Maybe it is your dream," says Tivona, dancing into the kitchen.
"Maybe you will find the other three," says Ephraim, following Tivona. "And now we are going to have a special sherry we brought all the way from Zurich."
"A Christmas tradition," says Tivona, clapping her hands four times. "A most delicious elixir."
"How will we recognize the fifth, sixth, and seventh?" asks Elisha, lifting Paul's hand to her lips.
"A certain je ne sais quoi," says Paul, shivering as Elisha kisses the back of his hand.
"A delightful aliveness," says Ephraim, pulling the cork from a tall green bottle.
"A pleasing complexity," says Tivona, setting four small crystal goblets on the counter. "An ineffable sparkle."
"I feel those things about so many people," says Elisha, laughing.
"Then it shouldn't take you long to find them," says Ephraim, pouring the dark red sherry.
Breaking News! My brand new album of songs Lounge Act In Heaven has just come out. You can buy copies of the CD with all the marvelous artwork for just five dollars from my web site (think Solstice/Xmas/Hanukkah gifts), or you can download and stream the album from Apple Music, CD Baby, Amazon, qobuz, YouTube, or any of your favorite music sites. I'm very excited to be sharing this collection of twelve new songs. If you give them a listen and like what you hear, please tell your music-loving friends.
Tags: adultery, Carmeline Creek, Christmas Day, delightful aliveness, divorce, dream, Elisha Montoya, Ephraim, honing, ineffable sparkle, Lounge Act In Heaven, magnificent seven, Mona's, Paul Windsor, pleasing complexity, sherry, short story, Spanish, stew, the fourth, Tivona, Todd Walton, Under the Table Books, Zurich
photo Mary On the Piano by Robert Smith
In my dream I am playing a beautiful black grand piano in a large restaurant, all the tables full, many of the diners listening to me. I am playing a piece entitled Love's Body, a passionate fast-moving improvisation from my forthcoming CD lounge act in heaven. I am ecstatic as I play, the experience so moving to me, I weep as I play.
I finish the song with a lovely run of notes from low to high.
A few people applaud politely.
The elegantly dressed young man and young woman at the table nearest to me do not applaud. They seem perplexed and embarrassed by my performance.
Now a man at the back of the room rises from a table he's sharing with three other people. He has long gray hair and a long gray beard and black-framed glasses and a big paunch. He applauds strenuously and shouts, "Bravo, bravo, bravo!"
I bow in his direction, happy to know I connected with someone out there.
Tags: bravo, dream, Gand piano, improvisation, Lounge Act In Heaven, Love's Body, only connect, Todd Walton, Under the Table Books
Light Song
here there are no endings
only tides of change
here the path goes ever wending
through forests born of rain
there's a shadow of a raven
gliding over fields of stone
life and light have found each other
we are none of us alone
come with me and join the dancing
add your voice to evening's song
find a place to watch the turning
of the day to night and dawn
give yourself to silent wonder
shout your feelings to the sky
bless this chance to share the gift of life
never mind the reasons why
Tags: Light Song, Lounge Act In Heaven, song, Todd Walton, Under the Table Books