Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, Ahead of Print. Aim: The aim of this study was to identify and elucidate the differences between highly affiliated and low/non-affiliated participants in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings. Methods: A qualitative study of 24 participants was conducted in Romania between March and June 2021. Data were collected by means of […]

The post Affiliation to the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) community: A qualitative study on differences between highly affiliated and low/non-affiliated individuals was curated by information for practice.

The Palladium
1 Carter Green
Carmel, IN 46032
Sunday, December 15, 2024, 7 – 9pm

Join us in old Vienna as the CSO performs elegant and romantic waltzes with seasonal singalongs with a holiday twist. Come early to enjoy drink specials in the lobby, waltz lessons and Austrian delights. The evening will be led by guest conductor by Vladimir Kulenovic.

Presenter: Carmel Symphony Orchestra
Cost: starting at $79.00
Ticket Web Link: secure.thecenterpresents.org…
Communities: Bedford, Bloomington, Brown County, Columbus, Franklin, French Lick/West Baden, Greencastle, Greene County, Greensburg, Greenwood, Indianapolis, Kokomo, Martinsville, Seymour, Spencer, Statewide, Terre Haute
More info: carmelsymphony.org…

Ted Jone's Playhouse
Thursday, December 12, 2024, 7:30 – 9:30pm

Krista Detor is bringing back her beloved Holiday Show to Constellation Playhouse as a benefit for Artist Residencies at The Hundredth Hill! Special guests include Sam Bartlett, Dena El Saffar, Steve Mascari, Pat Otto, Eric Schedler, and David Weber - PLUS Surprise guests!

The show is a wild romp through the magic, mayhem, and melancholy of the season, and will include an early door time so that attendees can greet old friends, peruse the mini holiday market of local artists, grab a cup of cider, libation or even a festive snack - Just like a holiday at your aunt Norma’s, only without the police showing up!

Will-call will be available for pick up at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater box office until 4pm on the day of the show. After that, will-call will be available for pick up at the venue Constellation Playhouse (107 W. 9th Street, Bloomington, IN 47404 formally BPP Ted Jones Playhouse) when doors open for the event.

If not sold out, tickets will be available for purchase at the door of the venue. Cash and card will be accepted.

Presenter: The Hundredth Hill
Contact: BCT Box Office, boxoffice@buskirkchumley.org
Age Range: Families
Cost: $17 - $27
Ticket Phone: 812-323-3020
Ticket Web Link: buskirkchumley.org…
Communities: Bloomington

Kadampa Meditation Center Bloomington
234 N. Morton St.
Bloomington, IN 47404
Saturday, December 7, 2024, 10am – 1pm

As we enter into the holiday season. Perhaps, we need support to navigate it lightly. Many of our problems during the holidays are about others or feeling our wishes are going unfulfilled. Navigate the holidays with a different approach. Come discover how to gift cherishing love. We know how to love, but we can learn how to love more purely so it’s light and joyful. 
 
In this retreat, we will explore:
> Recognizing what obstructs our love
> How to remove obstructions to our love
> The actual way to love purely and joyfully thought the holidays and beyond
 
The retreat is suitable for all meditation levels, including beginners. It includes guided meditations, short teachings as well as Q&A in the last session. Everyone can benefit from this retreat — you don't have to be Buddhist to participate.

Presenter: Kadampa Meditation Center Bloomington
Contact: Nancy Fox
Age Range: Adults
Cost: $25 adults, $20 students and seniors
Ticket Phone: 812-318-1236
Ticket Web Link: www.meditationinbloomington.org…
Communities: Bedford, Bloomington, Brown County, Columbus, Franklin, French Lick/West Baden, Greencastle, Greene County, Greensburg, Greenwood, Indianapolis, Kokomo, Martinsville, Seymour, Spencer, Statewide, Terre Haute
More info: www.meditationinbloomington.org…

Unitarian Universalist Church
2120 N. Fee Lane
Bloomington, IN
Friday, December 6, 9am – Saturday, December 7, 2024, 3pm

Unitarian Universalist Church Holiday Bazaar and Art Fair
Friday December 6th 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. (Art Fair starts at 11 a.m.)
Saturday December 7th Bazaar and Art Fair 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Unitarian Universalist Church
2120 N. Fee Lane
Bloomington IN

Bazaar includes
Art Fair: A juried art show featuring professional arts and crafts from local artisans.
Cookie Cruise: Fill your box with your own selection of homemade cookies.
Gourmet Galaxy: Assortment of homemade breads, candies, jellies, pickles and other delicacies.
White Elephants: Used items from the precious to the useful to the intriguing.
Used Book Sale: For your enjoyment.
Uunique Cafe: Homemade soups, and sandwiches and desserts to sustain you as you shop.Fund Raising Booths: Homemade and imported items, proceeds of which support some of our charitable work.
Join us for the holiday spirit and opportunity to find the perfect holiday gift.

Contact: Ruellen Fessenbecker
Age Range: All Ages
Cost: Free
Communities: Bedford, Bloomington, Brown County, Columbus, Franklin, French Lick/West Baden, Greencastle, Greene County, Greensburg, Greenwood, Indianapolis, Kokomo, Martinsville, Seymour, Spencer, Statewide, Terre Haute
More info: www.uubloomington.org

24 N Washington St
Tuesday, December 3, 2024, 7 – 8pm

The Bloomington Symphony Orchestra will be returning to the Historic Tivoli Theatre with their festive holiday program! They’ll be presenting a delightful mix of holiday music from around the world, bringing the holiday spirit to life on the Tivoli stage.

It should be a fantastic event for music lovers and families looking to enjoy the season's festivities in downtown Spencer.

For anyone interested:
*Event Date: Tuesday, Dec 3
*Location: Historic Tivoli Theatre, 24 N Washington St., downtown Spencer, Indiana
*Doors Open: 6:30 pm, Concert: 7:00 pm
*Admission: $15 adults / $5 students (Use promo code GotBeats24 for a $5 discount when buying tickets online at www.spencertivoli.org)

Presenter: Tivoli Theatre
Contact: Andrea White
Cost: $15 adults / $5 students
Ticket Phone: 8127148137
Ticket Web Link: ticketing.useast.veezi.com…
Communities: Bedford, Bloomington, Brown County, Columbus, Spencer, Terre Haute
More info: www.spencertivoli.org

Switchyard Park Pavilion
1601 S Rogers St.
Monday, November 18, 6pm – Wednesday, November 20, 2024, 8pm

New Hope for Families Annual Hope for the Holidays Tree Event and Auction. Open to the public with tree viewing on Monday, November 18 from 6-8pm; Tuesday and Wednesday, November 19 and 20 from 4-8pm. Live Auction at 6pm on Wednesday, November 20th. Over 50 decorated trees donated from community members. Cookies and Hot Chocolate will be served.

Presenter: New Hope for Families
Contact: Betsy Smith
Cost: Free
Communities: Bedford, Bloomington, Brown County, Columbus
More info: www.newhope4families.org

"The Boy & The Octopus" is a touching holiday short about a tiny octopus who latches onto a young beachgoer and refuses to let go.

According to the latest Canalys data, worldwide tablet shipments reached 33 million in Q3 2023, marking a 7% annual decline. But this represents an 8% sequential increase, reflecting a revival of the tablet market ahead of the crucial holiday season and the strong performance of new entrants in the space.

What will my grocery bill be this holiday season?

In Christian tradition, an archangel is among of the most revered and powerful spiritual beings in the celestial hierarchy. Mentioned directly in both the Old and New Testaments, these angels serve as messengers, protectors and agents of God's divine will.

The mol­ecular structure of 2-ferrocenyl-2-[(2-ferrocenylethen­yl)(morpholin-4-yl)meth­yl]-1,3-di­thiol­ane, [Fe2(C5H5)2(C19H21NOS2)] or C29H31Fe2NOS2, has the ferrocenyl fragments in a trans disposition with respect to the vinyl group. One of the methyl­ene groups is disordered over two sites with occupancies of 0.782 (13):0.218 (13). In the crystal, cyclo­penta­dienyl-C—H⋯O(morpholin­yl) inter­actions feature within helical chains parallel to the c-axis direction. The chains are connected by methyl­ene- and cyclo­penta­dienyl-C—H⋯O(cyclo­penta­dien­yl) inter­actions.

The compounds bis­(morpholine-κN)gold(I) chloride, [Au(C4H9NO)2]Cl, 1, and bis­(morpholine-κN)gold(I) bromide, [Au(C4H9NO)2]Br, 2, crystallize isotypically in space group C2/c with Z = 4. The gold atoms, which are axially positioned at the morpholine rings, lie on inversion centres (so that the N—Au—N coordination is exactly linear) and the halide anions on twofold axes. The residues are connected by a classical hydrogen bond N—H⋯halide and by a short gold⋯halide contact to form a layer structure parallel to the bc plane. The morpholine oxygen atom is not involved in classical hydrogen bonding.

The title compound, [CdBr2(C6H14N2O)], was synthesized upon complexation of 4-(2-aminoethyl)morpholine and cadmium(II) bromide tetra­hydrate at 303 K. It crystallizes as a centrosymmetric dimer, with one cadmium atom, two bromine atoms and one N,N'-bidentate 4-(2-aminoethyl)morpholine ligand in the asymmetric unit. The metal atom is six-coordinated and has a distorted octa­hedral geometry. In the crystal, O⋯Cd inter­actions link the dimers into a polymeric double chain and inter­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds form R22(6) ring motifs. Further C—H⋯Br and N—H⋯Br hydrogen bonds link the components into a three-dimensional network. As the N—H⋯Br hydrogen bonds are shorter than the C—H⋯Br inter­actions, they have a larger effect on the packing. A Hirshfeld surface analysis reveals that the largest contributions to the packing are from H⋯H (46.1%) and Br⋯H/H⋯Br (38.9%) inter­actions with smaller contributions from the O⋯H/H⋯O (4.7%), Br⋯Cd/Cd⋯Br (4.4%), O⋯Cd/Cd⋯O (3.5%), Br⋯Br (1.1%), Cd⋯H/H⋯Cd (0.9%), Br⋯O/O⋯Br (0.3%) and O⋯N/N⋯O (0.1%) contacts.

In the title mol­ecule, C21H23N3O3, the imidazolidine ring slightly deviates from planarity and the morpholine ring exhibits the chair conformation. In the crystal, N—H⋯O and C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds form helical chains of mol­ecules extending parallel to the c axis that are connected by C—H⋯π(ring) inter­actions. A Hirshfeld surface analysis reveals that the most important contributions for the crystal packing are from H⋯H (55.2%), H⋯C/C⋯H (22.6%) and H⋯O/O⋯H (20.5%) inter­actions. The volume of the crystal voids and the percentage of free space were calculated to be 236.78 Å3 and 12.71%, respectively. Evaluation of the electrostatic, dispersion and total energy frameworks indicates that the stabilization is dominated by the nearly equal electrostatic and dispersion energy contributions. The DFT-optimized mol­ecular structure at the B3LYP/6-311 G(d,p) level is compared with the experimentally determined mol­ecular structure in the solid state. Moreover, the HOMO–LUMO behaviour was elucidated to determine the energy gap.

Some institutions have scrapped Columbus Day or switched to celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day. One New Jersey school district came up with a new solution: eliminate all holiday names.; Credit: Olesya Semenov/EyeEm via Getty Images

Memorial Day. Thanksgiving. Labor Day.

You may be used to seeing your calendar punctuated by the various holidays that occur throughout the year.

But on one New Jersey school district's calendar, each one of these days will be listed, simply, as "day off."

It all started when the school board in Randolph Township voted to change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples' Day. Some residents were outraged, so the board said that instead it would wipe holiday names from the school calendar altogether while still observing the days off.

"The overwhelming majority of the township population feels that they've [Randolph Township school board members] grossly overstepped their bounds, that they're completely pushing their own personal, political ideologies," Randolph resident Tom Tatem told Fox News. He started a petition calling on school officials to resign.

Institutions across the country are wrestling with the question of what to do with Columbus Day.

Critics have derided the idea of celebrating the Italian explorer, who perpetrated violence on Native Americans when he arrived in the United States. Boosters say it is critical to recognize the contributions of Christopher Columbus, and that Italian-Americans have historically faced discrimination.

Some places have switched to marking Indigenous Peoples' Day in recognition of the Native Americans who occupied the United States long before European explorers like Columbus arrived.

Randolph Township arrived at a novel solution to this problem: eliminate every holiday name to avoid taking a side.

The goal appears to have been to sidestep the debate over Columbus Day, but the Randolph Township school system instead found itself squarely in it, and opponents of the move have called on school officials to resign.

The Randolph Board of Education is now scheduled to convene Monday for a special meeting to reconsider its plan to remove holiday names from the school calendar.

What's happening in New Jersey

In May, the Randolph school board voted unanimously to replace Christopher Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' Day.

Some parents grew angry with the decision, but instead of reverting back to the old calendar, the board moved in early June to scrap all holiday names from the school calendar, not giving preference to either one of the October celebrations.

"If we don't have anything on this calendar, then we don't have to have anyone [with] hurt feelings," Randolph school board member Dorene Roche said during a June 10 public meeting, according to NJ.com.

The backlash has only grown.

A petition calling on Randolph Township Schools superintendent Jennifer Fano and members of the board of education to resign has topped 4,000 signatures. "They represent everything that is wrong in education today and are completely incompetent in every aspect of their role," the petition says.

For its part, the school board acknowledged the public outcry but said its decision was misconstrued by some people.

A press release issued by the Randolph board of education on Sunday clarified that the holidays will still be observed as days off and that their decision was not meant to dishonor "the great veterans and the heroes" after which several of those holidays are named.

"These State, Federal and other holidays have not been cancelled or taken away by this Board of Education as some are falsely claiming," the board said. "Everyone is still encouraged to celebrate them in whatever way they deem appropriate."

Matthew Pfouts, director of communications and digital media for the Randolph Township Schools, told NPR the board has no further comment.

Changing views on holidays

On the national level, Columbus Day remains a federal holiday.

But a number of states, including Alaska and Virginia, as well as some cities either observe Indigenous Peoples' Day as a holiday or celebrate it in some way.

The movement away from Columbus Day has not come without controversy.

The New York City Department of Education tried to rename Columbus Day over objections and eventually settled on marking a holiday called "Italian Heritage Day/Indigenous People's Day," which drew its own set of critiques. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said it was wrong to make the two groups share one holiday.

There are also other efforts to recognize the role people of color played in American history.

This week, the Senate unanimously passed a bill to make Juneteenth — the day marking the end of slavery in the U.S. — a public holiday.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Last week, millions of Americans made a trip to the grocery store to buy a fuller cart than their usual weekly shopping. Thanksgiving is the beginning of the holiday season, centered on cooking, abundance, and plenty, even as celebration get-togethers are scaled back because of the pandemic.

Join us for this fun Garden tradition! We’ll craft nature-filled globes, mini wreaths, botanical cards, and more. Garden Admission, refreshments and all materials included. Children must be accompanied by a registered adult. Drop-in any time during 2-hour program window.

Join us for this fun Garden tradition! We’ll craft nature-filled globes, mini wreaths, botanical cards, and more. Garden Admission, refreshments and all materials included. Children must be accompanied by a registered adult. Drop-in any time during 2-hour program window.

Come have a fabulous time enjoying light refreshments and finding beautiful and unusual gifts for the holidays at our special holiday shopping party in the Garden’s Julia Morgan Hall. Choose from a unique selection of gifts from local vendors as well as unique hand-crafted gifts from the Garden. We currently have 2 arrival time windows to choose from: 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm and 5:30 pm - 7:00pm. Please enter the number of people in your group for selected entry time and plan on arriving during that timeframe. Each member is allowed two additional non-member.Special Event Give-Away!If you register and attend, you will be entered into our $50 Garden Shop gift certificate give-away!Learn more and register here

As a cardiologist, I am continuously telling my patients about the importance of heart health. While many people wait until the new year to focus on their health, the holiday season provides the perfect time for them to make a conscious effort to eat items that are heart healthy.

It's that time of year, the most wonderful time of year. The time for family, friends and, of course, food. Thanksgiving has come and gone, and so have the leftovers. Now we're in the throes of the holiday season with more gatherings every weekend.

This year’s holiday rollout from Nassau Candy’s manufactured brands offers gifting possibilities for every category, including Hanukkah.

Supernatural teamed up with King Arthur Baking Company and Vital Farms to launch ten brand-new kits for baking festive treats like gingerbread houses, Hanukkah sugar cookies, buttermilk doughnuts, themed sprinkle sets, and more.

Frito-Lay brands releasing new holiday snacks include Cheetos, Smartfood, Quaker, Cap'n Crunch, and Rold Gold.

The ad campaign embraces tradition while showcasing the many flavorful ways to use walnuts beyond celebrated recipes.

To celebrate the holiday season, The Cheesecake Factory welcomes back its festive Peppermint Bark Cheesecake. 

New Peppermint Stick Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake debuts just in time for the holidays.

Each tin includes four 3-oz. bags of chocolate-covered grahams, chocolate-covered pretzels, chocolate caramel bites with pretzel crunch, and caramels with sea salt.

Bonnie & Pop has consumers covered for Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa gifting options.

This holiday season, Snack Factory is again rolling out its seasonal Pretzel Crisps flavors, White Crème & Peppermint and Dark Chocolate & Peppermint. 

McDonald's recently released new Holiday Pies, a limited-time seasonal menu item which will be offered regionally.

Holidays have arrived at First Watch, as the breakfast, brunch, and lunch concept has launched its limited-time seasonal menu.

SkinnyDipped is releasing a new flavor lineup for the holidays, including Maple Kiss, Pumpkin Spice, Peppermint, and Mocha Splash.

Cranberry Walnut Loaf and Savory Holiday Rolls hit store shelves nationwide.

The brand is returning two favorites to shelves: its Cranberry Walnut Loaf and Take & Bake Savory Holiday Rolls.

Walker’s Shortbread, the 125-year-old Scottish shortbread brand, is introducing its 2024 holiday lineup, touting its new tartan packaging.

The Double Chocolate Peppermint Footlong Cookie is the sequel to Subway's footlong cookie and is available nationwide on November 1.

The products include a mix of new and returning limited-time offerings.

New products include Holiday HoHos and CupCakes, Mint Chocolate Flavored Twinkies, and Hot Chocolate & Marshmallow Flavored Donettes.

The McKee Foods brand’s 2024 Christmas lineup includes a pair of new items and several returning products.

Dunkin’ debuts three items for the holidays and, by popular demand, brings back its Cranberry Orange Muffin.

Cinnaholic's newest seasonal menu item lineup showcases fall flavors, including crisp apple and pumpkin spice.

Southern Recipe Small Batch is rereleasing its Cranberry Jalapeno and Apple Cinnamon pork rind flavors for the holidays.

Schär’s gluten-free Speculoos cookies and Panettone offer options for gluten-free holiday celebrations.

The limited-time bars incorporate ginger, allspice, and other simple ingredients, with a total of 12 g of protein in each serving.

While regulations exist to minimize dangers of toxic substances in industrial plants, there are additional methods that can be incorporated to effectively reduce air pollution in these facilities.

Businesses can achieve maximum success during the holiday season by utilizing AI and automation in their retail shipping operations. The holiday season is critical for companies, but the increased sales often come with shipping headaches. Luckily, artificial intelligence (AI) and automation provide key solutions for simplifying shipping for businesses and customers.

The research highlights the average number of fatalities that normally occur per month and per day of the month and compares these figures with the average number of fatalities during each national holiday. 

Driving during a national holiday is always a risk. Stay safe out there!