Every week I go to Kroger.com and HEB.com and comparison shop. Might seem trivial, but here's why I like HEB.

1. Website is faster than Kroger
2. Search works correctly. Kroger does this weird grey-out of the screen and takes 2 clicks to click into the search box and then provides suggestions.
3. Sort by price.
4. Prices are always lower.
5. Store Pickup is way better than Kroger (but you could integrate pickup with the mobile app better, rather than relying on text - here Kroger has halfway built it better in their mobile app).
6. The in store experience is great.
7. Great bakery and great take-away items like meals/quick-prep items.
8. Better organic (you've long been known for this).

Cons - you don't carry all the brands. And the in-house brands are gross. And you're biased toward your own brands. Sorry, but most Mi Tienda or HEB branded food is way over salted (the sodium is off the charts) and gross or bland.
So I still have to shop at Kroger for things like Smithfield Ham. But HEB carries the Smithfield Cherrywood Smoked Bacon and Kroger does not. And Kroger sells better nuts for less: e.g., Simple Truth cashews are the bomb. So I still have to double shop. Go figure.

My wife worked at Kroger (Fry's) and quit back in mid February. Short story is we need proof that she no longer works there but she keeps saying they won't provide proof of employment.
Does anybody know how to get that? It's seriously going to leave us homeless and I don't know what to do

Has anyone else tried the new smart carts at Kroger? Honestly pretty nifty for smallemedium grocery trips. Once you get the hang of it, it’s pretty efficient. And they have some sort of spin the wheel promo where you get some $ off if you spend over $35
It did glitch on me once and thought I was stealing some coffee, but overall a good experience. Alcohol purchase was a bit cumbersome as I needed an attendant for that.
The computer it uses seems to process things pretty fast. It is nice to see a running total of what you’ve bought. Oh and also it automatically clipped coupons for me!!
In summary I would use it again for a smaller sized trip with no alcohol! Plus paper bags provided or you can use your reusable bags!
This was at the Mariemont Kroger. The retirement community did seem to despise me for my attempt at trying new technology lolol

My lease start/move-in date was on 04/19. I was told that a washer and dryer would be provided in my unit yet when I went to check there was still no washer and dryer. I have yet to actually move into the apartment because of this and have communicated this to them. It has been almost a month and still no washedryer.
My rent is due on the 1st of the month, however I have not and did not plan to pay until the apartment includes everything that was promised at the beginning of my tenancy. They have now tacked on a $160 lage fee and a $440 legal fee. I have called them numerous times to discuss this and have yet to receive a call back.
I received an email saying if I didn't pay today by 10am that I will be facing eviction, however I was unable to pay through their online payment portal and when I went to a local payment center (Kroger) they needed an account number which has never been provided to me and they don't have my complex or the company who owns the complex in their system. So I have no idea how to even send them the money.
The apartment is an hour away from where I currently live and the only way any communication ever happens is if I drive down there. Do I have any legal grounds here because this is ridiculous.
If I'm completely in the wrong that's okay too but it just feels like every apartment complex I move to never actually cares about their end of the lease and only wants more money.

CREDIT PROFILE
* Current credit cards you are the primary account holder of:
09/21: Discover it student cashback, $6750 CL
06/22: CFU, $3100 CL
09/22: CFF, $5800 CL
10/22: Bilt MC, $2300 CL
11/22: Amex Platinum
02/23: Amex BBP
* FICO Scores with source: 763 EX FICO8, 751 EQ FICO8, 753 TU FICO8
* Oldest credit card account age with you as primary name on the account: 2.5 years
* Number of personal credit cards approved for in the past 6 months: 0
* Number of personal credit cards approved for in the past 12 months: 0
* Number of personal credit cards approved for in the past 24 months: 4
* Annual income $60000 approximately
CATEGORIES
* OK with category-specific cards?: (Answer YES if you're OK using one card for 3% back on groceries and another for 4% on dining) YES
* OK with rotating category cards?: (Answer YES if you're OK using a card that has different bonus categories each quarter, e.g. 5% on gas from Jan - March, then 5% on groceries April - June) YES
* Estimate average monthly spend in the categories below. Only include what you can pay by credit card.
* Dining $300
* Groceries $400 a month at Kroger, for me and roommates, sometimes use Instacart due to IC+ membership provided with mother's CSP, spend about $100 a month at Costco as well
* Gas $120 a month, sometimes at Costco
* Travel $500-600 a month, a lot of it is reimbursed, usually on flights, some months $200-300 on hotels / AIrbnbs
* Do you plan on using this card abroad for a significant length of time (study abroad, digital nomad, expat, extended travel)?: Not really, use my Bilt and Amex for this, plus my CSP AU.
* Any other categories: $25 a month phone bill, $50-60 a month on Amazon
* Any other significant, regular credit card spend you didn't include above?: $
* Can you pay rent by credit card? If yes, list rent amount and if there's a fee for paying by credit card: $511 a month usually, $1800 a month for the summer, usually use Bilt for this, 3% fee with CC.
MEMBERSHIPS & SUBSCRIPTIONS (delete lines that don't apply). Also pay my gas bill via Paypal bill pay ($80/mo appx).
* Current member of Amazon Prime?: Yes
* Current Verizon postpaid customer?: No
* Current member of Costco or Sam's Club?: Costco Executice
* Currently paying $13.99/month or more for Disney Bundle (Disney+ / Hulu / EPSN+) or other Hulu services?: Disney bundle paid on AMEX Plat by streaming credit
* Current member of Chase, US Bank or any other big bank?: Chase checking
* Active US military?: no
* Are you open to Business Cards?: (these are an option if you have any kind of side gig, such as selling on eBay or Etsy): YES. Do DoorDash on the side and freelance web development.
PURPOSE
* What's the purpose of your next card (choose ONE)?: (first credit card, balance transfer, saving money, travel rewards):
Looking for a CC to put some upcoming large purchases on. Planning on buying an Apple MBP for $2000 soon, and will also be paying monthly rental fees on summer furniture ($500 a month), plus moving into a new apartment. Anticipating around $4000-5000 in total spend over the next 3 months that is comped by a company relocation, so would be amazing to get a card and grind out a SUB using this. Looking into business cards, particularly the CIU, and maybe some other cards I've been eyeing like the USBAR (would open a USB checking account before this).

TLDR is at the bottom!
Hi all, and thank you for reading!
So before the pandemic my mom has worked mostly as an administrative assistant/bookkeeper (her highest degree is a high school diploma). Right before the pandemic she lost her job and then stayed on unemployment throughout the pandemic. After the pandemic was over my wife and I asked her if she wanted to provide daycare for our kids while we worked and she accepted.
Well unfortunately a year and a half ago she started having some health concerns. It started with her hand going numb which we eventually found out was due to a blocked artery that was causing her strokes. She had surgery to clear her artery, but then a few weeks later she broke her hip.
We then or course had to find alternative child care, but the good thing is the person we then found takes great care of our kids and they love going there too, especially because they get to play with other kids.
Unfortunately this left my mother without employment. She was able to retire early and get a monthly social security payment, and she is also in SNAP and medicaid. Unfortunately she has no money in savings or any other retirement account, and she still doesn't have enough to pay for all of her living expenses and for the last year I have been paying her rent, mostly by digging myself into credit card debt.
We are at the point where she has to get a part time job. For months she has said she applies to jobs everyday online and tries to drive around to find other opportunities when she can, but there have been no results.
She says no one wants to hire a 65 year old woman with hand and hip issues. When I've asked her about maybe applying for disability or something she says she is too old for that. I did look into supplemental social security, and I plan on starting that process, but as you all know that process will probably take months.
So I am now here asking the Columbus community if they have any ideas. She only needs to make like $1000 more a month to make ends meet.
I have talked to her about doing Uber or doordash but she doesn't want to do that because she says she gets lost easily and getting in and out of her car too much would be bad for her hip.
She has applied to places like Kroger and Walmart hoping to become one of those people pushing the big carts around putting together online pickup orders, so she thinks her body can handle that, but probably not much more.
So I'm really looking for anything. If you have any ideas or leads on a possible job for her, or maybe an organization that specializes in finding seniors part time work, or if you know of any other government programs that can assist her that would be amazing.
Thank you!
TLDR: I'm looking for help finding my 65 year old mother a part time job or another means so she can make another $1000 a month. She broke her hip a year and half ago and has slight hand issues from a previous strokes.

This is a continuation of a community from sometime back transplanted here on Reddit. This is all about exploring the absurdities of life both and natural and supernatural.
I start with this...Ghosts...I've always leaned toward them not being a reality though I really want them to be. It just makes life more interesting and provides possibly a hint of an afterlife or some morsel of it. Over the past 18 months I've begun catching a glimpse here and there of an older woman in a flower-print dress. I've seen her lurking in the darkness of another room, once leaning down looking at me from a foot away as I woke up from a quick doze, and most recently I saw her for a moment sitting the in front seat of my car as I left Kroger. Its startling but doesn't bring fear.
I'm pretty sure I'm not losing it yet so what is this thing I keep experiencing? I can't recognize her and she seems not to be aggressive so far or malevolent. For so long I've had it in my head that the concept of ghosts or some nature of them is interesting in concept but logically I haven't been able to step over to full belief.
For instance, one item I've had interesting discussions regarding is this one thing that always comes to mind. The woman in the flower print dress...How does the clothing item come with the ghost? One of my daughters talks about how she saw a ghost carrying a lantern. I ask her, how does the physical item come with the ghost. I understand it could be an apparition or projection of some type but its just one thing that sticks in my head.
I want to prove ghosts exist but I need to probably suspend logic to a certain extent. I'm looking for persons to chime in with input on what does or does not convince them there are some form of ghosts out there. Lets solve this!!!
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Company Overview
Innovative Food Holdings, Inc. (IVFH) is a food distribution company that builds itself by selling specialty foods. Such specialty foods include various types of seafood, meats, and cheeses. Innovative Food Holdings Inc. distributes to many establishments, such as restaurants, casinos, and catering companies. Innovative Food Holdings has three central locations in Mountain Top, Pennsylvania, Chicago, Illinois, and Bonita Springs, Florida, with 200K, 28K, and 5K square foot areas, respectively. Innovative Food Holdings also has an e-commerce business that sells food through its website. The two companies work in tandem to produce IVFH revenue. In March 2023, Innovative Food Holdings got a new CEO who has changed up the managers within the company. The company trades at $0.99 and has a market cap of ~50m USD. The company has 127 total employees and earned 20.1 million in revenue over the fourth quarter of 2023.
Market position: IVFH is a specialized segment in the more significant food distribution industry. Sysco (SYY) is the most critical indirect competitor for IVFH, and they have a 56.33% market weight. The following two market leaders are US Food Holding Corp. (USFD), representing 50% of Innovative Food Holdings Revenue, with an 18.11% market weight, and Performance Food Group Corp. (PFGC), a 16.67% market weight.
Shareholders: IVFH has had three major institutional shareholders, totaling about 30% of the shares. JCP Investment Management LLC, Bandera Partners LLC, and Carlson Ridge Capital LLC have held 18.10%, 7.15%, and 4.74%, respectively. 31.16% of the shareholders are comprised of insiders.
Investment Thesis
L&H Capital rates Innovative Food Holdings (IVFH) as a STRONG BUY with a Target Price of $2. The following key points drive our recommendation:
Loading the Revolver – IVFH's new leadership boasts a strong alignment with shareholder value. Their significant stock options are tied to reaching performance targets, directly linking their financial rewards to the company's success. This is further emphasized by their proven track record in relevant industries (e.g., Bill Bennett's e-commerce expertise). The leadership team prioritizes the core, profitable B2B business and implements cost-cutting measures, demonstrating a commitment to maximizing shareholder returns.
Profitable Niche with Untapped Growth Potential – IVFH's core B2B business thrives in a high-margin niche market (specialty food service) compared to broadline distributors. This focus allows them to cater to chefs' needs and avoid price competition. The business operates on a scalable, asset-light model, minimizing investment needs for significant revenue growth. Management acknowledges past neglect of this core business, presenting a substantial opportunity to capture a larger market share through improved sales and marketing efforts. The Chicago branch's organic doubling in size exemplifies this untapped potential.
Streamlined Operations and Improved Financials – By divesting the unprofitable e-commerce business and its real estate, Innovative Food Holdings (IVFH) is streamlining operations, eliminating debt to 0, being net cash, and unlocking significant cash flow. This allows them to focus resources on their core, profitable B2B business (specialty food service) with a clear growth path.
Industry Analysis
Food Distribution Market:
Although the food distribution industry is outside the top 20 sectors, it has risen recently. In 2023, the market size was 382 billion. It is expected to register a CAGR of 3.9%. The steady growth in this industry is beneficial, as the company can snowball. The food distribution market will steadily increase for years. North America is the largest region in the food distribution market, accounting for around 60% of the market in 2023. The largest company in this market from the US is Sysco, which is one of IVFH’s indirect competitors. They have around 56.33% of the market weight.
The reason IVFH is not a direct competitor is its niche. Broadline distributors function as one-stop shops, offering a vast selection of products from national brands to private labels. They excel at catering to high-volume buyers like large chain restaurants and grocery stores by providing competitive prices on shelf-stable goods, canned items, and frozen foods. On the other hand, specialty distributors cater to niche markets with a focused selection. They might specialize in organic, ethnic, or gourmet foods or even specific products like fresh seafood or unique cuts of meat. These distributors are ideal for upscale restaurants or stores prioritizing unique ingredients or a particular cuisine theme. While specialty distributors may have higher prices due to smaller buying volumes and potentially perishable items, they offer the advantage of selection in these categories. If you need a wide variety of everyday items at competitive prices, a broadline distributor is the way to go.
Competitive Positioning
Moat Analysis: Moderate-Moat
Supplier Relationships: IVFH emphasizes building relationships with small producers of specialty foods. They have been cultivating strong relationships with reliable sources for hard-to-find items.
Curated Selection & Expertise: Their focus on quality, uniqueness, and navigating the fragmented specialty food distribution industry paired with food regulations gives them a solid niche for exploit
Distribution Capabilities: The ability to pack, ship, and deliver a unique variety of perishable and nonperishable foods is an advantage if they can handle logistics efficiently
Porter’s Five Forces:
Bargaining Power of Customers—Insignificant (4 out of 5): Innovative Food Holdings sells to multiple types of customers, such as fancy establishments like restaurants and everyday household items like charcuterie boards.
Intensity of Competitive Rivalry—Low (3 out of 5): Innovative Food Holdings sells niche products specific to its company. Other food distribution companies like Sysco sell more broadline food types, while IVFH sells more particular products. This differentiation is crucial as it shows how IVFH is different from others.
Bargaining Power of Suppliers – No (5 out of 5): Many types of food sellers are prevalent in America, so many prices are stable and do not change.
Threat of Substitutes—Medium (3 out of 5): Because specialty food service requires partnerships and connections, companies like US Foods can drop their partnership with IVFH and substitute them for alternatives. However, because creating these partnerships involves a lot of work and trouble, the threat of substitutes is medium.
Threat of New Entrants—Low (3 out of 5): Entering the specialty food distribution industry is highly challenging due to the presence of more prominent brands. Additionally, it is difficult to talk to suppliers and customers first, as contacting restaurants and farms is challenging. Bonds need to be formed first before creating such a company.
Management & Governance
A Fresh Start Under New Leadership – Innovative Food Holdings (IVFH) has been breathing new life under the direction of its recently appointed management team, led by CEO Bill Bennett, since March 2023. With his background in e-commerce from industry giants like Walmart and Kroger, Bennett brings a wealth of experience. Moreover, he and his chosen COO, Brady Smallwood, have incentive-based compensation plans directly tied to the company's stock price. This strong alignment with shareholder interests suggests a leadership team focused on creating value for investors. Let's delve deeper into these incentive plans.
Taking Decisive Action – Addressing past issues and focusing on core strengths, one of the new management's first crucial moves was identifying the e-commerce business as a significant source of losses. In January 2024, they shut down this segment entirely. This eliminated a substantial financial burden and freed up valuable resources that could be directed toward more profitable endeavors. Furthermore, selling real estate associated with the e-commerce business provided a welcome cash flow boost.
The new leadership team has shifted its focus to the core B2B segment (specialty food service for professional chefs), a historically profitable area. Recognizing the customer concentration risk, they've implemented a growth strategy to diversify their client base. This includes securing new contracts with large broadline distributors and airline caterers. These new partnerships reduce dependence on US Foods, a single large customer, and expand IVFH's reach and revenue potential.
Improving Profitability and a Board Aligned with Shareholders - The new management team didn't stop there. Even before shutting down the e-commerce business, they sought to improve its profitability. By raising prices and cutting unnecessary marketing expenses, they demonstrably increased margins within this segment. This commitment to financial health extends across all aspects of the company.
The composition of the Board of Directors also suggests a positive shift. Significant shareholders like Pappas and Jeff Gramm indicate a board with a vested interest in IVFH's success. This alignment leads to decisions prioritizing shareholder value, further propelling the company's growth.
Incentive Plans to Drive Shareholder Value - Bill Bennett's stock option plan clearly shows how management compensation is tied to shareholder value. The plan grants him options to purchase a significant number of shares (around 6% of the company) if the stock price reaches $2.00 per share. This incentivizes Bennett to increase the company's stock price, benefiting shareholders.
Similarly, Brady Smallwood's stock option plan likely has similar features. His options vest based on achieving specific performance targets, possibly related to earnings per share (EPS) growth. This structure aligns his interests with those of shareholders, encouraging him to make decisions that drive profitability and stock price appreciation.
Revenue Drivers
Customer Acquisition and Diversification—The company seeks to reduce its dependence on US Foods by signing new contracts with three large broadline distributors and an airline caterer. “Q1 has already included signing a new contract with an existing large customer, Gate Gourmet, and exciting progress made in relationships with four large new customers. We expect these new relationships to contribute to revenue in the back half of the year.
Growth in Drop-Shipping Model – The drop-shipping segment offers higher margins than the traditional model and presents a unique value proposition in the industry. IVFH plans to focus on expanding this segment due to its high profitability and lack of direct competition.
Financial Analysis
Revenue: The B2B segment will drive revenue, with projections of ~$75 million for the fiscal year 2024. This is based on existing business and new contracts. New customer diversification is expected to contribute significantly.
Profitability: The B2B segment before the acquisition of the “bad” e-commerce business had gross margins of ~30% and operating margins of 10%, indicating that the industry could be lucrative. Improved margins are expected due to cost-cutting measures and focus on the core business.
Cash:
They are selling off the e-commerce business real estate (estimated to generate $8-12 million net cash).
Improved profitability from the B2B segment.
Reduced inventory: The drop-shipping model requires minimal inventory investment, potentially leading to a decrease in this asset category.
Debt:
The company is expected to be debt-free from selling loss-making assets and have a surplus, bringing down EV (enterprise value) to mid-30s —low-40s million.
Valuation
My 2028 target price is $2 per share for Innovative Food Holdings, representing a 101.39% upside from the current share price. I arrive at my target price through the following assumptions:
For my valuation, I only use the B2B Prof. Services because management is winding down on the e-commerce segment and honing in on Prof. Services. Using past commentary for my projections, I arrived at a Revenue CAGR of 15.5%, with gross margins reaching 30%, and operating margins of 8% based on the filings before acquiring the e-commerce business. Also, I determined to use a terminal multiple for EV/EBIT at 10.
Valuation analysis: In 2028, we achieve revenue of $122,309,419.5, COGS of $85,616,594, gross profit of $36,692,826, SG&A of $26,908,072, which is 22% of income, and EBIT of 9,784,754. Using a terminal multiple of 10, we arrive at $1.99, representing a 101.39%% upside in 5 years and giving an IRR of ~20%.
Investment Risks
Inflation: IVFH might have trouble in this area due to recent inflation issues. Raw material costs and consumer spending shoot up, an issue for any part of the food industry.
Limited Customer Type: IVFH has limited customer types because it only sells to two major groups: restaurants and homespun parties. Revenue can only come in from one source, a significant issue for any company trying to grow. The small consumer base is risky because all companies compete for the same buyers. IVFH’s customers are also specific to their products, which is an issue because it means they can have trouble branching out.
Conclusion
IVFH presents a compelling investment opportunity underpinning its strategic focus on core B2B specialty food service operations. With an IRR of ~20%, IVFH's valuation analysis underscores its promising growth trajectory and robust returns for investors. The company's proactive measures, streamlined operations, and emphasis on profitability position it favorably for long-term success. As IVFH navigates the evolving landscape of the food distribution industry, its commitment to driving shareholder value and capitalizing on untapped growth potential makes it a classic turnaround play that could one day be more.
PS: This was for the YIS stock pitch competition and doesn’t reflect what future work will entail. Also, I believe the valuation process underrepresents what I think the company could be worth. I worked with a partner, Keith Leung(keithleung36@gmail.com), which also doesn’t reflect his future work. We were set to a specific guideline that restricted what we hoped to explore more, but this will be the final form for this IVFH pitch as we are at the bottom of the 9th of high school. As for me, I hope to write more during the summer and will release a portfolio overview, which I’m very excited to do once I complete my final exams in late June. Thank you for reading & I would enjoy any feedback possible.

1. If we are in a store, looking at and/or comparing products we are buying 2. Picking out a videogame 3. Looking at books in a bookstore 4. In a line at a festival 5. Sitting on a bench at a festival, snacking or reading or on our phone (be subtle if we are on the phone, be polite, not loud) 6. Entering an event, standing in line. 7. Walking around in an event 8. At an event kiosk or concession stand 9. Leaving work 10. Leaving a store we just did an errand at. Sometimes it could be as simple as one of us walking out of a restaurant or food shop with a milkshake or something. 11. Events related to our interests 12. Another one is right after we get a haircut somewhere. Thats another opportunity. You could then approach us and ask “Excuse me sir”(then fill in what words you are going to use to convince/seduce us to date you and give you our number) Swap phone numbers as quickly as possible and express and spark that interest. Get us to text you, add you to contacts, text us, add us to contacts. Make plans for another date immediately. (You probably were already planning one) Make haste, Life is short, so enjoy it and take care of yourselves. 13. Walking into a store 14. Walking out of a store 15. Browsing products in an aisle 16. Looking at books in a bookstore 17. There are multiple opportunities to approach us, I just hope this all gave you a better idea. 

Good morning. US stock futures moved higher in Tuesday morning trading as investors continue to monitor big tech corporate earnings.
S&P 500 +0.36% Dow +0.25% Nasdaq +0.43%
🛍️ Mega fashion acquisition blocked by FTC
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📝 Our report: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is crashing Tapestry, Inc.'s $8.5 billion party, worried that snatching up Capri Holdings Ltd. would stifle the friendly rivalry between brands like Coach and Michael Kors in the "affordable luxury handbag arena." The agency also said that the deal, announced in August 2023, threatens to eliminate the incentive for the two companies to vie for employees and could depress employees’ wages and workplace benefits.
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🔑 Key points:

• The move is the latest by the FTC to take a more aggressive position on antitrust issues.
• In February, the FTC sued to block the $24.6 billion merger between grocery giants Kroger and Albertson's, saying the lack of competition would lead to higher grocery prices and lower wages for workers.
• Tapestry's and Capri's portfolio of brands cover a wide array of items from clothing to eyewear to shoes. Tapestry has been on an acquisition binge for the past several years, and already owns Kate Spade New York, Stuart Weitzman and Coach. Capri owns the Versace, Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo brands.

💡 So what: The FTC’s move to blocks Tapestry's acquisition of Capri Holdings could have significant implications for the fashion industry. Firstly, it would maintain competition in the "affordable luxury handbag arena," potentially benefiting consumers with a wider range of choices and competitive pricing. However, it might also disrupt Tapestry's strategic plans and growth projections, forcing the company to reassess its expansion strategies. Additionally, it could influence future merger and acquisition activities in the fashion sector, prompting companies to tread carefully to avoid antitrust scrutiny.
🛍️ Mall retailer files for bankruptcy
WHAT: Express, the popular mall retailer, just pulled a dramatic move and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In a news release, Express said it filed for bankruptcy to “facilitate” a sale process of most of its retail stores and operations to the investor group, which includes WHP, Simon Property Group and Brookfield Properties.
WHY: The business casual apparel brand, founded in 1980 by Les Wexner’s Limited Brands, has seen sales plummet over the last few years as debt and costly mall leases dragged down its business.
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🥽 Meta opens up Quest to third parties
WHAT: Meta Platforms is sharing the secret sauce behind its Quest headsets with other device makers, aiming to be the cool kid leading the charge in virtual and mixed reality. Meta Horizon OS is a re-branded operating system that will bring off-the-shelf capabilities like gesture recognition, passthrough, scene understanding and spatial anchors to the devices that run on it.
WHY: The move underscores Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's ambition to own the computational platform that powers virtual and mixed-reality (VR & MR) devices, similar to the way Google became a key player in the smartphone market by making its mobile OS Android open source.
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📺 Apple, FIFA link up on TV rights
WHAT: Soccer’s international governing body FIFA is gearing up to ink a deal with Apple, handing over global TV rights for a new, month-long club tournament. The deal with Apple could be announced as soon as this month and valued at around $1 billion, according to reports from the New York Times.
WHY: The potential agreement would give the company's streaming business an edge amid competition among streaming services providers to lap up rights for widely watched sporting events in a bid to add subscribers.

Review: Celine Medium Cabas Phantom Tote in taupe from Heidi
Author Expertise: as I’ve declared previously this week, it is minimal. I now have an extensive collection of FOUR reps, that’s right FOUR!!, so I’m basically an expert, right? No, you say? Okay, whatever, let’s agree to disagree.
Disclosure: Heidi is not aware that I’m writing this review, nor has she asked me to write one. I have not requested, nor been offered, any incentive for this review. Having said that, her new website does advertise a VIP status earned by providing proof of an item review. I’ve not opted to pursue this, as I feel like my $$ is flying out the door fast enough, without “exclusive factory offers and perks each month”.
Seller contact: +44 7355 778792 via WhatsApp; https://www.helmi-shop.cn/vip
Timeline: 2/14 contacted Heidi about another bag (Gucci vagina pineapple tote GUCCI GG Supreme Monogram Kids Pineapple Tote 494790 FASHIONPHILE ) Did y’all know this is a kids bag?! What world do we live in that there is a $600-$1000 (used) swinger’s vagina tote for kids? I digress. 2/15 Heidi recommended factory and provided cost 2/17 I paid for this masterpiece 2/27 Sadly informed there would not be a pineapple tote in my future (out of stock), so I chose a more modest replacement 2/28 Got price for Celine tote 3/1 I paid the difference 4/9 Received long awaited PSPs 4/12 Heidi requested I pay extra shipping, or omit brand packaging due to concern of package size; I chose to reduce packaging (Saving the earth, one slightly smaller expedited international shipment at a time.) 4/15 I received tracking number 4/17 She arrived!!
Photos here: https://imgur.com/a/XD7Euqj
Price Paid: * 2207 CNY = $305 USD for bag * 434 CNY = $60 USD for shipping * Received 13% discount for Wise payment, and added 10% for shipping insurance, so total was $317 USD * I ended up paying $334 total, I think I added extra for transaction fees?
Factory: Black frame
Rep Quality: This is a gorgeous bag, and I’d easily pay $300 for this leather tote. I am a self proclaimed tote whore, so that should be factored in, of course. Seriously, the leather is beautiful, supple while also firm enough to stay upright, but not stiff. The suede interior is soft and plush. The stitching is neat and even, as are the seams. There is one errant thread on the interior, but it looks like it just missed trimming when finished, there are no loose stitches. The imprinted logo is small, yet (mostly) well defined and easy to read.
Accuracy: * Rep to factory: I can only find one difference between the bag I received and the bag in the factory photos (side panel width, see below). The color is like a chameleon, and appears more grayish, or more taupe, depending on the light. Regardless, the bag pictured and my bag would not be mistaken as being different colors. * Rep to auth: I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Celine bag in the wild, or if I did, I was too green to recognize it. Comparing to online pics of “auth” bags (only on resale sites, as this bag is no longer available on Celine.com), again, my rep appears spot on. Leather: As mentioned above, the leather is supple, yet firm enough to hold its shape. She stands proudly, unassisted. The color is true taupe, though does appear more gray in certain lighting. The grained leather is consistent in texture and color throughout the bag, it is also congruent with online photos of the authentic bag. Interior: The suede interior is soft to the touch, the color is consistent throughout. It does have a greenish hue, but this is consistent with factory and auth photos. The envelope folded bottom seams are clean and smooth. The interior pockets are flat and neat in appearance. There is one inner zipper with a leather pull; the zipper does its job, zipping and unzipping, smoothly. Straps:* Right now, they are a bit stubborn, and don’t want to limber up just yet. The belt straps fall nicely, but take a bit of a tug to cinch. I think this will always be the case, as they fit the slots pretty snuggly. They can be tied easily, and stay put once your knot of choice is achieved. Stitching: The stitching blends in perfectly with the color of the leather. The stitches are flat and even. As mentioned, there is one errant thread in the interior, I’ve decided it just didn’t get trimmed. Measurements: Per Fashionphile (CELINE Soft Grained Calfskin Medium Belt Cabas Phantom Taupe 1393585 FASHIONPHILE), 10.5inLx7Winx11.5inH; rep: 10.4Lx6.75Wx11.75H; drop is 8.75 vs my 8.25 (I will add that the straps wanted to hold their shape from packing, and I expect them to relax and drop to lengthen with use.) The drop doesn’t seem very long, but I can slip my arm right in, and it feels comfy. The bag opening is tucked right under your pit, which is bad for the bag, but good for the safety of its contents. I have noticed that the bag appears to by the same width at bottom and top, when looking at the side view. Mine obviously widens at the top. I can’t find a pic of just the side panel on any of the resale sites to compare this to. Imprinting: As mentioned, the imprinting is small, but clear and easy to read (even for my old a$$ eyes). In my online research of authentic Cabas totes, I’ve found some variations in the imprinting. Some show Celine Paris, then Made in Italy (for example) both on the outside of the bag; the Made in Italy is also imprinted on the inner pocket. Some bags appear to have the gold overlay on the inner stamp as well as on the outside. The stamping on both this inside and outside of my bag are consistent with examples that I’ve found online. While we’re nitpicking, the font is mostly correct, but N on the auth appears a tad wider; also the C on mine is a bit less “clean” in appearance. Also, I’ve noticed that some bags have CÉLINE, whereas mine lacks the accent.
Rep Satisfaction: I am thrilled with this bag! Again, I am a sucker for a tote, and would sell a kidney, or a child, or a child’s kidney for a great tote bag, so I might be a tad biased. This beauty came exactly as I expected, no surprises, no weird smell; nothing but a gaping maw ready for me to fill with a day’s worth of detritus. (Side note: not sure how close the dust cover is to the auth, but it by far the nicest I’ve received for any bag, auth’s included.)
Seller Satisfaction: This is my second purchase from Heidi, the first being a CF from 187. Not counting the extra time d/t requesting one bag and then switching gears, the timeline for this one was significantly longer. Perhaps BF is slower? Maybe they’re not cranking out less sought after grey totes as quickly as 187 whips out CFs? Did I get impatient? Yes. Did Heidi stay patient with me? Yes! Communication with Heidi is always friendly and concise. I like being called “dear”, I like the emojis. Somehow it feels humanizing, and for me, creates the sense that there’s an actual relationship, one that’ll I’ll keep coming back for. See, if you’re open to it, bags AND sellers can fill your emotional void! 🥰
WIMB: The list is endless. This baby holds it all. Wallet. Keys. 20 lip balms. Motrin. Tums. Hub’s Rx from Kroger. Receipts. Skinny Pop. Water bottle. Folding shopping tote. (Yes, a tote within a tote. If that’s not magical, I don’t know what is.) I’m pretty sure I could fit a small cooler, in which I could carry my spare kidney, just in case I find another tote to put in my tote.) Getting Stefon vibes, you feeling it too? https://youtu.be/NctoAyRDtzU?si=ZmmgVTylzIV-uhbi
The Wrap Up: I chose this bag primarily because hello? tote bag. Second, because the vagina tote bag was not meant to be mine. Finally, I wanted to purchase one of those IYKYK bags. No screaming logo or pattern, nothing that would draw too much attention “ooh, was that a gift?”, just something that would make me happy because I KNOW. She’s a lovely neutral to boot, and I can see myself carrying her regardless of the season. Anyway, I’m so happy, I snapped quick pics, dumped my other purse into her empty belly, and trotted off to the dreaded carline with a smile.
*edited to remove redundant link

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Me: 2 years low sodium diet, average 1,000mg per day. Mostly vegetarian, a little real cheese periodically, a steak taco or sausage pizza once in a while. I love fish and will never give it up. 5'10", 155 lbs (down from 180). I've enjoyed Beyond products (breakfast sausage, traditional brats. burger patties) immensely for 2+ years and consider them an important part of my food life, although I still see them as treats (maybe once a week for a brat or burger). This article is from a couple months ago. I'm posting this because yesterday I finally found the new burgers at my local Whole Foods. Bought a 4-pack for $10 (great deal compared with last generation burger 2-pack pricing). I've parsed out the paragraphs and added my comments in italics. Interested in other people's experiences. I have yet to try the new burgers, it'll probably be this Saturday on the grill, brioche bun, grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, homemade pickles and pickled fresnos (rare treats).
Beyond Meat revamps plant-based burger to boost weak sales — here’s what’s in it
By Associated Press
Published Feb. 21, 2024
Beyond Meat is revamping its signature plant-based burger, hoping that healthier ingredients will help it boost flagging US sales.
As if product quality and innovation in hopes of more/better sales is novel concept?
The El Segundo, California-based company said Wednesday its new Beyond Burger patties and Beyond Beef grounds cut saturated fat by 60% by switching from canola and coconut oils to avocado oil. The new beef products also have less sodium and more protein.
Sounds good so far.
The new products go on sale in the US this spring.
Beyond Meat has updated its products before; this is the fourth generation of the Beyond Burger. But Beyond Meat Founder and CEO Ethan Brown said this is the biggest leap forward the brand has made since the Beyond Burger went on sale in 2016.
Brown said the company spent years developing the new recipe with input from nutritionists and doctors, trying to provide the benefits of plant-based eating in a burger that mimics the taste and texture of animal meat.
“Health is one of the top drivers to the plant-based meat category, and we feel a deep responsibility to deliver on that expectation for the consumer,” Brown told The Associated Press.
Beyond Meat is also under pressure to reverse declining US sales. In the first nine months of 2023, the company’s US revenue dropped 34% on weak consumer demand. The company said in November it was cutting 19% of its workforce and considering cutting some products, like jerky, and reducing its operations in China.
I don't see this as a product quality problem. Beyond's early success went to its head resulting in stupidly high prices for its products way before high inflation set in. Its prices needed to come down to earth, something the average consumer can afford ($10 for a 4th gen burger 4-pack is a great start). As a young company it needed to find its feet both financially and operationally which is never easy especially in a pioneering niche of the wildly oversaturated and noisy food industry.
Beyond Meat’s sales have been rising in Europe, where it sells burgers and nuggets at McDonald’s. In the first nine months of last year, its international revenue rose 17%. But that hasn’t been enough to offset the US losses. McDonald’s has tested Beyond Meat burgers in the US but hasn’t made them a permanent menu item.
Inflation is one reason US buyers turned to cheaper sources of protein in recent years. But consumers’ doubts about the health of plant-based meat – fed partly by advertising from the meat industry – has also been a consistent problem. The outgoing Beyond Burger contains 25% of the recommended daily intake of saturated fat, for example, and 17% of the recommended intake of sodium.
The meat industry's demonization of plant-based meat (or meat-substitute products... call it whatever you want) is appalling. What's especially comical is the ease with which the meat industry rallies useful idiots to propagate conspiracy theories about how Bill Gates et al are planning to do away with animal meat and force plant-based diets on everyone. That'll be the day. These idiots would surrender their homes, children and possessions like the pathetic little sheep they are but they'd take up arms and fight to the death for their burnt animal carcasses. The meat industry has been murdering customers and the animals that feed them for hundreds of years. Along comes an alternative for consumers which is subject to the same market forces as any other company and must sink or swim through the same 4 Ps (product, price, positioning, promotion) as any other company, and the meat industry throws a well funded, politically connected tantrum about it. Whom should I be more scared of, Beyond Meat with its paltry $300 million in revenue? Or the meat industry with its $1.3 trillion revenue? The fact is I enjoy eating ground beef but it gives me indigestion and acid reflux, and I don't want to have to take antacids or have trouble sleeping every time I eat it. I choose what I eat wisely and I choose Beyond burgers because they taste great and don't make me sick. Call me crazy. 🤔
“Health is one of the top drivers to the plant-based meat category, and we feel a deep responsibility to deliver on that expectation for the consumer,” founder and CEO Ethan Brown said.
The new Beyond Burger significantly improves that health profile. It has 2 grams of saturated fat, or 10% of the recommended daily intake, and 14% of the recommended intake of sodium. A single patty has 230 calories, which is the same as the outgoing burger.
For comparison, a Kroger-brand 80/20 beef patty has less sodium but 9 grams of saturated fat — or 45% of the recommended intake — and 290 calories. The new Beyond Burger also has less saturated fat and sodium and than its chief plant-based rival, Impossible Foods’ Impossible Burger.
Always interesting how sodium is more or less glossed over here ^, not addressed quantitatively, as if it's a negligible factor in the whole equation. Sodium is a necessary electrolyte but it was also sent by the Devil to make people sick and miserable. The new (4th generation) burger has 310mg sodium. 3rd generation has 390mg (26% more). This is great news as long as 4th gen tastes as good or better.
https://www.beyondmeat.com/en-US/products/the-beyond-burger?variant=beyond-burger
Consumers’ doubts about the health of plant-based meat – fed partly by advertising from the meat industry – has also been a consistent problem.
Ya think?
Beyond Meat – which has always used pea protein to make its burgers — added lentils, rice and fava beans to the new burger to improve chewiness and boost protein. The burgers now have 21 grams of protein, compared to 19 grams of protein in both the 80/20 beef patty and the Impossible Burger.

Today I went through my emails and a lady named Amanda emailed me about how she sent me a job offer but said that it must have went to my junk folder. Apparently the job offer is to be a feedback agent working from home, no experience needed. It pays up to 450 per assignment and your are allowed to have three a week and is very simple. “You will be conducting your assignments at any of the following stores near you Family Dollar, Target, 7-Eleven, CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens, Dollar General, Circle K, Rite Aid, Walmart, and Kroger to make a simple purchase and provide us with useful feedback during the course of your purchase. The valuable feedbacks you provide are being used by other consumers to make informed purchase decisions.” This was their description of the job and this is from “Steve Bruce” but what was so odd was the fact that it asks for my name age, full address, email, number and the name of my back which was odd. So am i getting scammed?

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What happened last week?
Inflations is getting stickier after it got it easy with goods, the rest of the basket might be a bigger challenge, are we really gonna go from 4 announced cuts to 2 or even 0 in 2024? all over all eventful week with cpi prints, warfare, gold surging, etc.

• Cpi at 0.4% mom (0.3 est.) and 3.5% YOY from 3.2% last month
• Inflations is getting stickier after it got it easy with goods, the rest of the basket will be a challenge
• Gold going tru 2400 then getting a fakeout just a few hours before close, nasty play with what followed during the weekend.
• Iran launched drones and missile in retaliation for the strike on their embassy, very few iranian strikes went through the Israelis defense system (helped by other locals players too apparently)
• is that government really bailing banks by announcing mortgage amortization up to 30 years, canadian real estate love variable rates, and possibly the only way they cheat the MQR at 5.25%?
  
• Bitcoin Halving in a week?
  

What to watch for next week?
Big week coming for US banks as we start earnings season. Watch out for TSMC and ASML announcement that could move the market, DEFN volatility will probably be wild too lol. HALVING ALMOST ANYTIME NOW

• Monday: Retail sales
• Tuesday:
• Wednesday: ASML
• Thursday: NFLX and TSMC
• Friday:

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Monday:

Intermap Drives Infrastructure Advancements in Greece and Malawi - IMP.to

Intermap has received a contract award alongside its partner, ALVO, to provide 3D precision elevation data to the Hellenic Republic Ministry of Rural Development and Food in Greece (“Greek Ministry of Agriculture”). Intermap’s high-resolution NEXTMap® 3D digital surface models (DSMs) and geospatial services are integrated with ALVO’s innovative products to provide the government with high-quality data and tools to address its agriculture needs.
In Africa, Intermap won a contract to supply its latest 3D digital terrain models (DTMs) to the government of Malawi for Watershed Services Improvement and Disaster Management Projects. The Company is supplying DTM data for the entire Shire River Basin, a critical area in Malawi for hydropower, agriculture, fisheries, transport, tourism and urban and rural water supplies.

MDA SPACE DEFINES THE NEXT GENERATION OF ROBOTICS WITH NEW MDA SKYMAKER™ PRODUCT LINE - MDA.to

announced MDA SKYMAKER, a new suite of space robotics purpose-built to meet the diverse needs of our customers' most ambitious missions. Unveiled at the Space Symposium conference in Colorado Springs, MDA SKYMAKER, the world's leading space robotics technology and services, is now available for all missions and applications.
Key customer benefits of the MDA SKYMAKERTM robotics suite include:
Greater efficiency and robotics flexibility: Customers can now select from a range of high-performance high-reliability robotics products and services for a tailored solution.
Significantly improved mission economics: Customers, regardless of size or application, can now benefit from economy of scale pricing associated with one-to-many commercial products and services.
Faster time to market: Modular solutions, long-term product roadmaps and state-of-the-art manufacturing and production capacity minimize time to deployment for customers with aggressive commercial mission schedules.
Full-service mission operations: Customers can reduce operational costs by having MDA Space perform mission operations from our new state-of-the-art commercial mission control centre, leveraging decades of robotics space mission design and mission operations support.

BOARDWALKTECH SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES LIMITED - BWLK.v

has signed an agreement with Tata Consultancy Services ("TCS") the largest IT services and consulting company in India with operations in 46 countries and over 615,000 employees. TCS will be teaming with Boardwalktech to deliver consulting and professional services in the financial services market for the Boardwalk Velocity product.
The Velocity product provides a platform for financial institutions of all sizes to rapidly remediate and transform their Excel and Access based End User Computing ("EUC") environments into a compliant, auditable, and scalable solution.

CSR5 GLOBAL and Quantum eMotion Corp. Announce Groundbreaking Partnership to Revolutionize Cybersecurity - QNC.v

announce a landmark partnership aimed at redefining the landscape of cybersecurity. This strategic alliance positions QeM as the exclusive provider of cutting-edge, post-quantum cryptography and cloud-based security solutions to CSR5, marking a significant leap forward in our shared commitment to reducing risk through enhanced response, resilience, and recovery capabilities.

Bolivar Energy Authority Selects Tantalus Grid Modernization Platform(TM) and TRUSense Gateway(TM) Solution - GRID.to

Announced that after a competitive evaluation process, Bolivar Energy Authority (BEA) selected the Tantalus Grid Modernization Platform (TGMP™) to modernize their distribution grid. Leveraging the TRUSense Fiber Gateway to harness the full capabilities of BEA's advanced fiber network deployed in partnership with Irby Utilities, TGMP will replace an existing AMI solution in support of BEA's grid modernization initiatives. The TRUSense Gateway is available for multiple communications networks, including fiber, ethernet and cellular. As an integral part of the TGMP, the TRUSense Gateway will enable BEA to uniquely leverage their community's investment in an advanced fiber deployment to improve operations of the distribution grid through the delivery of interoperable, grid-edge data.

Savaria Announces the Acquisition of the Dumbwaiter and Material Lift Assets of D.A. Matot, Inc. - SIS.to

Founded in 1888, Matot has functioned as a family-owned business over the past 130 years, becoming a leading North American supplier of lifts used for the movement of goods in commercial and industrial applications. Dumbwaiters and material lifts are used in a wide range of activities, including within hospital and healthcare facilities, the hospitality sector, and a variety of retail and industrial settings. Matot’s customer base includes current Savaria dealers as well as large passenger elevator companies. In 2023, Matot’s dumbwaiter and material lift business generated US $6.3 million (C $8.6 million) in revenue with US $1.1 million (C $1.5 million) in EBITDA.

Largest Grocery Chain in U.S. Adds Yerbaé Across the Country - YERB-U.v

Anounced its further expansion into the grocery channel with Kroger, the largest U.S. grocery store chain. Yerbae's products will now be available in over 1,000 Kroger locations across the country, solidifying its presence in the retail market. As part of this expansion, all participating Kroger locations will stock Yerbaé's recently announced 12 oz energy line. This transition from 16 oz cans to 12 oz cans aligns with the company's commitment to recognizing the evolving preferences of consumers and underscores Yerbaé's dedication to meeting evolving market demands.

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Tuesday:

Gatekeeper Announces SEPTA Contract for Locomotive Image and Audio Recording Devices - GSI.v

announces that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Gatekeeper Systems USA Inc. located in Bristol, PA, has received a purchase contract from the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) to equip five transit locomotives with image and audio recording devices, including Crash Hardened Memory Modules (CHMMs).

Talon Metals Corporate Update: Advancing a Secure Domestic Nickel Supply to Meet U.S. Government Requirements - TLO.to

is progressing activities in North Dakota to establish the BMPF, of which US$114.8 million is funded by a grant from the US Department of Energy ("DOE Funding") on a cost-share basis. Talon is currently drawing on the DOE Funding in line with its agreement with the Department of Energy. To date, Talon has applied for US$453,000 in reimbursable funds from the Department of Energy. Talon is in the final stages of securing an industrial site in Mercer County, North Dakota where the BMPF will be located. The site is a former industrial site with rail infrastructure suitable for Talon's use and located in an Energy Community census track as per the DOE Energy Communities map tool IRA Energy Community Tax Credit Bonus.

Equinox Gold Commences Processing Ore at Greenstone Project: First Gold Pour on Track for Q2 2024- EQX.to

pleased to provide an update on commissioning progress at its Greenstone Project in Ontario, Canada. The Greenstone Project is being developed as a 60/40 partnership, respectively, by Equinox Gold and Orion Mine Finance Group and will be one of the largest gold mines in Canada, producing approximately 400,000 ounces of gold annually for the first five years and more than five million ounces of gold over its initial 14-year mine life.

WSP to Acquire 1A Ingenieros, Significantly Growing Its Presence in Spain and in The Power Sector - WSP.to

announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire 1A Ingenieros, S.L. (1A Ingenieros), a 250-employee Spanish consulting firm operating mainly in the Power & Energy sector. The acquisition is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2024. With a combined team of approximately 600 employees, WSP will become one of the leading international engineering firms in the country.

ARway.ai The Spatial Computing Platform Shows 200% Developer Growth, Signs Multiple New Deals for Its Augmented Reality Navigation Platform in Middle East & Spain - ARWY.cse

announce two new SaaS developer deals with leading companies in the Saudi Arabia and Spain. These partnerships underscore ARway.ai's commitment to enhancing spatial computing across various sectors and use cases, reaffirming its position as a leader in AR technology integration.
ARway.ai has 3700+ subscribers
58 Developers with a 200% QoQ growth,
7 partners, a 100% QoQ growth.
In total, ARway.ai has 4400 active accounts and 4970 maps created on the platform.

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Wednesday:

GreenPower Plans To Deliver 88 All-Electric School Buses in West Virginia in Fiscal Year 2025 - GPV.v

announced that it plans to deliver an additional 88 all-electric Type D BEAST and Type A Nano BEAST school buses to school districts in West Virginia in GreenPower's fiscal year 2025 which began April 1, 2024. In January 2024, the EPA announced an $18,565,000 grant awarded to GreenPower of WV for the deployment of GreenPower's all-electric, purpose-built, zero-emission school buses in seven West Virginia counties. The grant includes funding for the charging infrastructure to ensure a proper charging strategy for the deployment. During fiscal year 2024, GreenPower delivered 29 Type D BEAST and 12 Type A Nano BEAST school buses across the country, for a total of 41 deliveries, an increase of 356% from the previous fiscal year.

Xtract One Technologies Partners with Oak View Group to Secure Co-op Live, Manchester’s New 23,500 Capacity Arena - XTRA.cn

nnounced that it is partnering with Oak View Group (“OVG”), the global venue development, advisory, and investment company for the sports and live entertainment industry, to bring its fan screening solution to secure all entrances of Co-op Live in Manchester, England opening on April 23, 2024.
The next generation, 23,500 capacity venue is the largest arena in the UK and is Xtract One’s first OVG customer partnership in Europe. In this three-year contract, Xtract One’s SmartGateways will provide this new venue with fast and frictionless fan screening that optimizes their experience without compromising security, with an AI-powered, multi-layered security solution that secures all patrons.

NextSource Materials Provides Development Update on Battery Anode Facility in Mauritius Freeport Zone - NEXT.to

Following a comprehensive site selection process, the Company has signed a long-term lease agreement for a site in the Freeport Zone of Port-Louis for the location of its first BAF plant. The Company has integrated engineering improvements into the plant design and initiated the environmental permitting (EIA) process.The Company has pre-ordered process equipment with a production capacity of 3,600 tonnes per annum of SPG (spheronized and purified graphite) and CSPG (coated SPG). The process equipment is currently being fabricated and assembled offshore and will be shipped to Mauritius once the EIA process is completed. Meanwhile, SuperFlake® graphite concentrate from the Molo Mine and equipment for the operation of a small-scale pilot line has already arrived at the site in order to prepare for production of samples for key OEM customers.

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Thursday:

SolarBank Completes Mechanical Construction of 21MW Honeywell Community Solar Sites - SUNN.to

has completed mechanical construction on the 21 MW DC ground-mount solar power projects that are under development in upstate New York (the "Projects") for Honeywell International in a US$41 million transaction. The Projects are known as SB 13-1, SB 13-2 and SB-14. The next step is completion of final electrical work and acceptance testing.

Canada Nickel Commences Front End Engineering Design at Crawford Nickel Sulphide Project - CNC.v

has commenced Front End Engineering Design at the Company's Crawford Nickel Sulphide project led by its long-term engineering partner Ausenco Engineering Canada ULC ("Ausenco") and supported by a number of engineering firms from the project's feasibility study. The Front End Engineering Design ("FEED") step in this next phase of project development is expected to be completed by August 2024.

Intermap Growing Insurance Business in Eastern Europe- IMP.to

announced KBC Slovakia and UNIQA Slovakia have signed multiyear subscriptions to its Aquarius RMA software and the latest generation of flood risk solutions for Slovakia.
KBC Slovakia is a major insurer in the Slovakia insurance and financial markets. It has two subsidiaries, ČSOB Poisťovňa and ČSOB Banka, which have implemented Intermap’s newest flood risk solution for all of Slovakia.

HPQ Fumed Silica Reactor Pilot Plant Design Reworked to Fast Track and De-Risk Commercial Plant Scale-Up - HPQ.v

is pleased to share that its technology provider and equipment supplier, PyroGenesis Canada Inc. responsible for the Fumed Silica project, has reworked and simplified the overall design of the 50 tonnes per year (TPY) pilot plant system. This rework is set to accelerate the process to commercial scalability, effectively minimizing the risks associated with scaling up. Furthermore, it streamlines the process of constructing HPQ Polvere's inaugural 1,000 TPY commercial-scale plant, ensuring a smoother path to production.
Importantly, this rework will not impact the scheduled commissioning of the pilot plant in Q2 2024.

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Friday:

x

My husband is self employed. Our income varies a lot but we have about $5mil liquid plus assets. He’s been the sole provider our entire relationship. I’ve worked in companies we/he owned but that money didn’t pay bills and we had a similar set up as we do now.
Passive income is our retirement plan. We don’t discuss it regularly but we have. My husband is older than me (15 years) so that’s also the plan if he passes away before I do. He has children from a previous relationship. We have a plan for what will happen if/when he passes to make sure I don’t have to work and am able to maintain as much of my lifestyle as I want while also leaving them an inheritance.
My husband has a very niche job so it’s unlikely he’ll be out of work. If I gave any details about what he does, it would be incredibly easy to find us, so I’m not going to. He’s very financially intelligent and we would be able to maintain our lifestyle if he was out of work or decided to stop working. He went to college but was not meant for the classroom. His career isn’t in a field you can study for anyway. He is inherently business-minded. He would not do well working for someone else. If we separate, we’d have to figure it out. We have a prenup but it’s irrelevant now. Our wealth was built after we married. I would be willing to sign a post-nup and he knows that.
I do have a budget. It’s about $4k a month. (I’m terrified of someone in my real life finding this so I’m intentionally being very vague. Sorry!) I cover groceries/toiletries and spend the rest on what I want. I regularly go over budget and we argue over it. That’s normally because we set the budget together and I’m doing something different. My budget was a decision we made together. There are no ramifications beyond a tense conversation and he always pays my card balance. I definitely see how he would feel disrespected when I do go over budget. He pays for anything when we’re together, all medical and trips. I use a credit card for most of my purchases and it’s paid off at the end of the month. I have a few credit cards but use the one with the best cash back/point system 99% of the time and the other time I use a debit card. I have multiple points of access to money. If I pick up food or get gas, I use a separate card and it doesn’t come out of my budget. If it doesn’t go on the card I use most of the time, it doesn’t get counted towards my budget. I have excellent credit. He put me as an authorized user on a no limit card before I was 25. Independently I have other cards with high limits and don’t carry a balance. I think I have made one payment with interest as an adult and never paid a late fee. I’m incredibly privileged and know that’s unusual.
Monthly expenses I aim for a $200 food budget a week. I try to spend $150 and leave $50 for incidentals. I get a bikini and brow wax once a month and that costs around $100. I get my hair done every 7 weeks and budget $200.
I’m able to be a SAHW because we can afford it and I want to. I do take care of 100% of the housework/meals but he takes care of 100% of the finances. I don’t even know what bills get paid, when or how much they are. Any money I could make wouldn’t make a difference to our household but my efforts in the home would be missed. I’m capable of and have jumped in when he’s needed extra support. It used to be more common but as his business has grown, so has staff. I’m currently easing my way into a few admin positions. We lost our pet a few weeks ago and it has been very hard on me. He was very medically complex and I devoted a lot of my time to him. This work is more to give me something to do than it is to ease some of my husband’s burden. It is important to know, at the height of the pandemic I ran a fast casual restaurant we owned. I never worked a shift before I stepped in as operator. I was determined to earn the respect of the employees and did every job in the store and was present for every shift. My mental health took a huge dive. I was struggling with some health issues at the time, was working more than I ever had and for the first time, wasn’t working along side my husband. I was threatened, had an employee that turned into a stalker and just the general difficulties that come along with food and customer service. A lot of people would have handled it a lot better than I did.
My work history- I worked a few minimum wage jobs before meeting my husband and after I’ve worked exclusively for him. We got together when I was 22.
We live in a suburb where there are multiple millionaires and most people are upper middle class. We live in a neighborhood where everyone lives comparable lifestyles. I grew up below the poverty line in a very rural area. Food stamps were the only way we ate and was how my mom treated us. We could get any snack on grocery day. Walmart was considered too expensive for clothes. I definitely feel the difference in how I grew up vs how I live now. I can’t imagine the stress my mom felt raising two kids alone, with a very limited education and job opportunities. There was never enough of anything. We knew we didn’t have as much as people on tv or in movies but a lot of people grew up the same way so it didn’t feel so bad. I think I also knew that she was doing her best, which was a lot better than most people could’ve done in the same situation. I knew I could want more things but it wasn’t going to change anything. We’d just all feel bad about it. We did always have a place to live, clothes to wear, and our needs were met. She’s financially doing a lot better now and tries to spoil me. My husband grew up solid middle class in a suburb. We cover a few bills for a few of my family members and regularly take them on trips and cover the cost of everything when we are with them. I don’t think I’ll ever not feel survivors guilt from being financially more well off, even though they’re all fine now.
Common questions I get- Don’t you want to work for fulfillment? No. I’ve never been career driven or had any idea what I’d like to do.
Does your husband control the money? Beyond my budget, yes. He doesn’t say anything about what I spend my budget on. He might say he wouldn’t buy something or share an opinion but never stops me from buying something.
Why aren’t you more involved in your finances? Because I’m bad with money. I am going to spend every available cent.
Why don’t you have a house keeper? Not sure why I get this so often but I do. I guess because we can afford one. I enjoy cleaning and it’s a hobby for me. That’s probably unusual but it is.
does your husband cook or clean? No. He’s capable but doesn’t. I have plenty of time in my day, he doesn’t. I’m not going to ask him to do 50% of domestic work if he’s also doing 100% of the financial work.
What would happen if you had to get a job? My husband would have to cook and clean. We would reevaluate the division of tasks in our home. 100% of things have to get done. If my 50% is a mix, so will his.
Am I a Tradwife? No. We have traditional roles but I am not a tradwife. I’m not subservient.
Are you religious? Not particularly. I identify as Christian but not a particular sect. I don’t attend church but do bible study on my own and try to be Christlike. That didn’t influence our decision.
What hobbies do you have/why don’t you have hobbies? For the first 9 years of our relationship, I worked outside of the home. Some of it was in a business and some of it was tagging along. I didn’t have as much time as I do now so I just never developed any. I do read a lot and usually leave my house everyday for a few hours. I’ll think of things I want to do/make then think they’re silly, or wonder what I’ll do with the product of the hobby when I’ve completed it and talk myself out of it.

Day 1

10:30 am- I wake up and text my mom happy birthday. I hosted a small get together for her yesterday but still want her to know I care.
11:30- I call her once I make a cup of coffee and while chatting, get a test message confirming a meeting I forgot about. This is my first meeting in about 3 years. I forgot all about it so push it back by about 30 minutes. I get off the phone, rush some makeup and throw on an outfit. Luckily, I like the first thing I put on.
12:30- get to the restaurant and I beat her. Cool. I get a table but it’s very small and I worry I’m being a Karen but ask to move. Have our meeting and put lunch on my debit card. I think this was around $55 but it doesn’t come out of my budget.
2 pm- head to Walgreens. I want a powder I heard about, need deodorant and my eyebrow pencil is done. ($54.50) after that I head to a grocery store to get some fruit, yogurt and ground beef. We’re leaving for a business trip in a few days but we need to exist until then. ($68.07)
4 pm- get home and tidy up a bit. It isn’t bad since we had the get together yesterday and my cousin stayed and helped clean after. I call my mom to tell her to go outside. My sister and I sent her flowers and they were just delivered. These were previously paid for.
5:30- start a dinner of pork chops, rice and tomatoes with black eyed peas. Trouble shoot a friendship issue a friend is having.
6 pm- sit down to dinner and an employee calls my husband and kind of interrupts but whatever.
7 pm- husband leaves for a business thing, that gets interrupted by a service call. My grandmother asks if I can book her and my aunt a hotel near the airport so I do that. It goes on a card I have of hers, for things like this. I have some snacks. I schedule a few phone interviews for the following day
9 pm- he’s back. We share a mandarin and decompress. Total- $122.57

Day 2-

10 am- wake up and immediately worry I overslept. My first interview isn’t until 12 so I’m fine. Scroll and just relax in bed until
11 am- I’m up and have a coffee. Organize some staff supplies, bag and label them to send with my husband when he leaves. Listen to Strange and Unexplained with Daisy Egan.
12- have my interview. I immediately like her. She says all the right things, which is an important skill for the position I’m interviewing her for. Make a lunch of soup and crackers and fill my husband in on some gossip I got from the interview. (I make fast friends and rarely meet a stranger. I was a bartender for a few years and people tend to open up to me.) order my best friend flowers for her birthday. I have to be sneaky to figure out her work schedule and work address but I really want them delivered to her job. ($65 with delivery and tip) Make my husband a cup of coffee since he’s running to make his first meeting out of the house today. Load the supplies into the car so they aren’t forgotten. I have 15 minutes left until my next interview and try to eat.
1 pm- interview is fine. Nothing spectacular. I make my bed at some point today and sit down to do my makeup in between personal calls. (Husband, cousin, grandmother, husband). Do my skin care and apply sunscreen to sink in while I’m on my next interview call. It took me 3 tries to do my eye makeup. I used the wrong liner, then was distracted by a conversation with my husband about real estate development and how we want to proceed. Dawdle around the house for awhile.
1:30- next interview. This one went REALLY well. I tell her to let me know when she’s available for a second, in person interview next week. Text the first applicant to move our 2nd round interview to next week. Get a text alert about my scheduled wax. Whoops. Move it to when we will be back from a trip we leave for tomorrow.
4 pm- decide to leave early for dinner. Husband and I are meeting my grandmother and an aunt for dinner and I need to make a return. Hit pretty gnarly traffic and get into a pretty bad argument with my husband. He drops me off at the mall and parks so we can each have some space. I do my return, go into 2 stores and track my grandmother. We drive to the restaurant and have a nice dinner.
7 pm- on the way home we get a phone call about an employee situation. It turns out to not be as big of a deal as we thought. I text a few friends along with a younger woman I kind of mentor. I met her when I managed a restaurant a few years back. I was her first boss and we bonded. I met her when she was a freshmen in high school and she’s a sophomore in college now. I think for her, I’m a trusted adult that isn’t a parent. I’m glad I can be that for her, as I wish I had had that as a young woman. I pack while texting and watch a few YouTube videos.
10:45 pm- I’d like to self tan tonight. That means I need to shower and shave but I remember I need to make a training video for an employee. She is the lead on a project but isn’t doing great. I have a lot of experience where she has next to zero so I’m kind of acting as a liaison to help communicate between her and my husband. I can usually answer questions quicker than he can and also have a different set of skills than he does. We’ve also found that some people feel more comfortable having a close working relationship with another woman vs a man who is almost twice their age.
11:15- showered, shaved and tanned. I actually self tanned a few nights ago but it’ll be wearing off while I’m gone and don’t want to be patchy. I catch my husband between calls to ask if I can share the training video or if he wants to approve it. He does so I tell him it’s loaded and to let me know what revisions to make. I feel like my husband and I are coming off only business. Today, we kind of are. He checks it out, okay’s it and I send it out. I finish my skincare of eye makeup remover to make sure I got it all off, micellar water in case oil cleansing and regular cleanser left any residue, tretinoin every other night, moisturize and aquaphor around my eyes. We eventually settle into bed and go to sleep around 1 Daily total- $65

Day 3

8:30- snooze
9:30- awake and scroll for 15 minutes. Make a cup of coffee, shower and wash my hair. Do my skincare and makeup. My morning skincare is micellar water to refresh, vitamin C, moisturizer and sunscreen. I don’t normally but I do a full face today. Throw on leggings, an oversized shirt and tennis shoes for traveling.
11:30- my husband loaded our bags and I set the dishwasher to start while we’re gone. We head out but have to stop by one of our businesses and a local government building to drop off a check.
3:30- we stop halfway between savannah and Atlanta to charge the car. We order coffee and walk to get it. ($25 to reload my Starbucks account) Mine isn’t ready but my husbands is cold. I offer to share. I book our hotel room once we get back in the car.
5:30- we hit traffic and had to stop 6(!) times for various things. We meet my husbands best friend for dinner before heading to our hotel. Once there we all get in our car to go get snacks. Hubbys friend pays. I ask if we can find a drugstore so i can get a nail file. I also get a blush ($19.05)
11:30- in bed after a shower and skincare. I end up ordering some supplies for my nails. ($38.02) Daily total $77.07

Day 4

9:30- awake to go to a baseball game. My makeup looked so good yesterday so I do it today too. Put on jeans, a tank top, hoodie and tennis shoes. Try to buy a coffee in the hotel but they have no milk/creamer. The coffee itself doesn’t taste very good either.
11- meet my husbands best friend and his wife to ride into the stadium.
12:20- get to the stadium and it starts raining. It isn’t too bad but I buy a hat so I can cover the frizz. ($33.92) We get a hot dog, fries, coke and water then find our seats. Of course someone is in our seats but they realize what’s going on and move without being rude.
3:30- this game is not going well for us. I had an appointment at a boutique but reschedule it for the morning. The other woman with us and I go to the bathroom and to get some water, she gets some ice cream. ($18.05) when we’re getting back into our seats, I apologize to a guy for making him get up and tell him it’ll be the last time. He says he doesn’t believe me. Jerk.
4:45- this game is done even if it isn’t over. We walk back to the car and get in traffic. The other couple won’t shut up for my husband to get directions. (The guy is supposed to be mapping and just doesn’t.) my husband gets off on the wrong exit but it doesn’t add any time.
6- we get back to our hotel and tell them bye. We pretty immediately go get some pizza and decompress and go over what happened today. The other couple are a lot and have a lot of drama.
9 pm- we go out for snacks and come back and relax until we fall asleep. Total- $51.97

Day 5

9:30 am- we wake up and can’t decide if we’re coming home today or not but know we’re leaving the hotel. I dress in a cute outfit and do my hair and makeup since I have my boutique appointment. There’s still no coffee add ins so we plan to stop by the first coffee shop we see.
11:30- we drive into the city and somehow don’t pass a single coffee shop. The boutique is in a very busy area and the entrance looks a little sketchy. My husband sits in the car waiting for me and makes some calls. I get inside and feel comfortable so text him to let him know I’m okay. Spend the next hour going over what I want.
12:30- my appointment didn’t have an end time but I wrap up. ($504.36) we’re hungry but can’t decide what to eat so we go to a mall. I get subpar Chipotle ($12.85).
2 pm- we head to the Carter center & presidential library. ($24 admission) then ($32 at the gift shop)
3 pm- we decide to go home today.
5:30- stop halfway for some water ($3.93)
6:30- stop for dinner at Wendy’s ($26.41) and to get more water and a road trip snack ($10.26)
8:30- HOME! I buy a bra and some toner off Amazon ($192.41)
9- husband goes out for pizza. My mom calls me to discuss the HPV vaccine (???) and my grandmother calls and gets me off the phone to her.
10- we settle in to watch TV and eat some pizza. My insides hurt from the junk food today.
a note, a lot of things are going on my card that normally wouldn’t. A few times I had my card when my husband didn’t or Apple Pay didn’t work. If I go over my budget, I’ll bring it up. Otherwise I wont
1 am- fall asleep
Daily total- $806.20

Day 6

11:30- I finally (!!!) get out of bed. Unload the car and do my skincare, makeup and put on shorts, a tshirt and baseball hat to go grocery shopping. Surprisingly, my list isn’t that long. I make a second cup of coffee and somehow spill most of it on my counter.
2 pm- Head to Publix where I get pork chops, ground sirloin, mandarins, bananas, popcorn, some canned goods and powdered greens. ($159.59)
3 pm- back home. Text with an employee about the project she isn’t doing great on. She mentioned to my husband her cousin applied. I make a mental note to set up an interview. Go on a walk with my husband.
6:30- I made pork chops for dinner again. It isn’t all I cook but it’s in the rotation and what my husband picked. Tidy up and decompress a bit. Not sure what from since I haven’t done much today. I digress.
8 pm- go on another walk. We’re gone for about 45 minutes and I have 3 mandarins when we return
9 pm- am influenced to buy headbands that mimic sunglasses holding your hair back. ($15.98)
2 am- fall asleep
Daily Total- $175.57

Day 7

12 pm- oh my goodness. I finally wake up. Make an egg and grits with coffee, orange juice and powdered greens. I hate it but have been slacking on eating vegetables so this is my penance.
1 pm- tidy up my house. Unload and load the dishwasher, wash the pan I made my egg in, vacuum a little and make my bed. Order a dress for a summer wedding ($29.16) it’s garden party attire but I’m not sure the current definition of garden party is what my definition is. Settle in to watch an episode of Mad Men.
2 pm- talk on the phone to my grandmother until my husband interrupts to tell me about a swarm of bees at our back door. We decide to get ready and head to the gym
3 pm- get to the gym expecting to be intimidated. I’m not, as there are not a ton of people here but there are plenty of people my age and older and the same level of fitness as I am. (I was one of those people that looked like I worked out all through my 20s and existed on Coke and Doritos. I gained 30 lbs over the pandemic and am very self conscious.) I was going to do the 12-30-3 but realized that was too ambitious for day one.
5 pm- head to longhorns for an early dinner. Have terrible service but the food is okay. Chicken tenders and potato soup make most things acceptable.
7 pm- come home and do my nails with gel x supplies that came while we were gone. I have zero luck with these things usually but they came out really well! Will definitely continue to do this. Text a friend and tell her to come over so i can do hers.
8 pm- go to Kroger for smoothie stuff. I hate smoothies but my husband likes them and I could use more opportunities to have something healthy. ($38.19) I talked to my mom on the way there.
9:30 pm- start a load of laundry and decide to go for a walk. We discuss some work things and some personal things. He reassures me that I do not have to do the work I’m doing but if I decide to, that he would like a 6 month commitment.
10 pm- come home and wash my hair, put the laundry in the dryer, do a little prep for my interviews, watch more Mad Men and blow dry my hair. Order eye makeup remover, glycolic acid and nail clippers ($35.50)
2 am- fall asleep
Daily total- $102.85

Weekly Total- 1401.25

My reflection-
This is a pretty typical week spending wise, travel included. I wish I didn’t buy so much from Amazon but I live 20 minutes from the nearest grocery store, 30 minutes from a Walmart and 45 minutes from target. I did do the most work I’ve done in 3 years during this week. I decided to give my husband the 6 month work commitment. I think it’s good for me, I can do it from my house and it provides a distract from the loss of my pet. I’m sure I will be ripped in the comments for buying so much from Amazon, eating out so frequently and my relationship but I feel pretty good about my life.
I want to add- I didn’t break up my husbands previous marriage. They were divorced for more than 10 years when we met.
Maybe this would have been better categorized as a spending diary vs a money diary

Today I hit a breaking point. I work in a small cafe, it was just me and my coworker this morning. A woman comes in and tells me she has a post wedding party coming in soon, about 30 people, and that she messaged our job on instagram asking if we could host them (I later find out she asked a couple of weeks ago, so not forever ago but also not too recently). I tell her I wasn’t informed about it but went along with it anyways because I’m basically the person in charge when the manager isn’t there, and also because she showed me the response from our Instagram page that said that was possible and that we’d be extra staffed to accommodate her so I couldn’t turn her away.
I message the owner asking about this, I get no response. Dozens of people walk in. Well over 30 people. Plus our normal rush of customers. There must’ve been 50+ people in line within 15 minutes. This isn’t normal for us, we don’t have the capability to handle that crowd.
They’re all ordering food and drinks, it’s just me up front handling the mess and drinks and my relatively new coworker who hasn’t been trained too extensively in the kitchen. I call for backup, the owner finally gets back to me and sends in 2 people. The owner is telling me she had no idea, she wasn’t made aware, that the lady didn’t respond to their message after they sent their message back to her assuring her that we could host them so she didn’t think they’d come in, etc. I didn’t look too closely at the lady’s phone when she showed me our message, so I can’t confirm anything like that. I just saw that we responded. We finally get everyone taken care of and the team does great, i let them go home because it’s their day off and they’re not happy about being called into work to take care of this group either, and I want them to take care of themselves after this multiple hours long shitshow.
The owner sends an apology text to me and my original coworker, but I really can’t bring myself to be okay with it. I’m not okay because there was so much more I wanted to address with them this morning before this event happened. Every day I walk into a disgusting sticky understocked mess. I have to finish the closers job more often than not. I started taking documentation of everything that was left undone and dirty so that I could send a message to the owner and manager to discuss the subpar quality of the closing shifts. Im upset about the closes because the morning shift gets 2 people to handle that shift, the closers get at least 4-5. I ensure that the morning shift leaves the cafe in good condition for the closers, that everything is clean and stocked. We don’t set them up for failure. The morning shift gets 30 minutes to prepare for the day, but that time is cut into by having to clean up the mess the closers made.
This isn’t even touching on the abhorrent miscommunication epidemic we have here. The kitchen manager will change the menu or ingredients on an item on a whim, not informing anyone or changing our physical menus. They’re big changes too, not unnoticeable ones. I’ve asked him to communicate to us multiple times, he never changes. I’m left looking stupid and having to do damage control because of his actions and the expectations of customers. It gets tiring.
I’m tired of babysitting our management. Our manager is consistently late, doesn’t confront problems when they should be confronted, and doesn’t set any standards. He’s there for the closes. My female coworkers tell me that him and the other male coworkers stand around and converse and drink while the rest of the team is busting their ass to get out on time. I only see what happens in the day shift, and the only things that go wrong during the day shifts are to the fault of what the closers leave us with, along with miscommunication from management.
Me and my coworkers are tired of the shit we have to put up with. I bring up the issues of what I’ve found wrong to the manager just for awareness, but it feels like talking to a brick wall. I want to tell the owners and manager how me and my coworkers are feeling, because they look up to me even though I’m not a manager and I care about them and setting them up for success. My coworkers are scheduled for clopens, doubles, split shifts (where they open, leave early, then come back to close), etc. multiple times a week, they’re tired and burnt out and feel like they can’t say no because we’re understaffed. We don’t get our schedules until literally last minute. Our inventory management is nonexistent. We sell pastries from fucking kroger instead of a local bakery like they say they do. This feels like a sinking ship. I want everyone to do their job easily and with confidence without the million roadblocks they face every day. We all feel failed, especially after today.
I don’t want to burn bridges, I just want there to be change. They know that I’m leaving this job next month due to a move I’m making relatively soon, but after today I have no respect for our leadership anymore. I want to give my two weeks instead of leaving in a month like I planned. I know they rely on me heavily but I can’t do this anymore. I’ve been taken advantage of, provided services that were promised to be paid but were not paid for months, and I’ve had to teach myself every aspect of this job because there’s no training standards. I’m so stressed and feel sick when I come into work. The newer coworkers are experiencing this too and they’ve already gotten a bad taste in their mouth about this place. We are all unhappy here. We want to care but we can’t, the manager doesn’t take us seriously and the owners are too lighthearted about the mistakes they make. How do I tell our leadership that they’re driving us all away by their lack of initiative and their seemingly inability to care and burning us out? I feel like they deserve to know, because shit is about to hit the fan here and as much as I don’t respect them as business owners, I know them personally from before getting hired and know they aren’t evil.

Hey there, im a person who’s bad at confrontation but also sick of being fucked over by my job.
Today hit a breaking point for me. We work in a small cafe, it was just me and my coworker this morning. A woman comes in and tells me she has a post wedding party coming in soon, about 30 people, and that she messaged our job on instagram asking if we could host them (I later find out she asked a couple of weeks ago, so not forever ago but also not too recently). I tell her I wasn’t informed about it but went along with it anyways because I’m basically the person in charge when the manager isn’t there, and also because she showed me the response from our Instagram page that said that was possible and that we’d be extra staffed to accommodate her so I couldn’t turn her away.
I message the owner asking about this, I get no response. Dozens of people walk in. Well over 30 people. Plus our normal rush of customers. There must’ve been 50+ people in line within 15 minutes. This isn’t normal for us, we don’t have the capability to handle that crowd.
They’re all ordering food and drinks, it’s just me up front handling the mess and drinks and my relatively new coworker who hasn’t been trained too extensively in the kitchen. I call for backup, the owner finally gets back to me and sends in 2 people. The owner is telling me she had no idea, she wasn’t made aware, that the lady didn’t respond to their message after they sent their message back to her assuring her that we could host them so she didn’t think they’d come in, etc. I didn’t look too closely at the lady’s phone when she showed me our message, so I can’t confirm anything like that. I just saw that we responded. We finally get everyone taken care of and the team does great, i let them go home because it’s their day off and they’re not happy about being called into work to take care of this group either, and I want them to take care of themselves after this multiple hours long shitshow.
The owner sends an apology text to me and my original coworker, but I really can’t bring myself to be okay with it. I’m not okay because there was so much more I wanted to address with them this morning before this event happened. Every day I walk into a disgusting sticky understocked mess. I have to finish the closers job more often than not. I started taking documentation of everything that was left undone and dirty so that I could send a message to the owner and manager to discuss the subpar quality of the closing shifts. Im upset about the closes because the morning shift gets 2 people to handle that shift, the closers get at least 4-5. I ensure that the morning shift leaves the cafe in good condition for the closers, that everything is clean and stocked. We don’t set them up for failure. The morning shift gets 30 minutes to prepare for the day, but that time is cut into by having to clean up the mess the closers made.
This isn’t even touching on the abhorrent miscommunication epidemic we have here. The kitchen manager will change the menu or ingredients on an item on a whim, not informing anyone or changing our physical menus. They’re big changes too, not unnoticeable ones. I’ve asked him to communicate to us multiple times, he never changes. I’m left looking stupid and having to do damage control because of his actions and the expectations of customers. It gets tiring.
I’m tired of babysitting our management. Our manager is consistently late, doesn’t confront problems when they should be confronted, and doesn’t set any standards. He’s there for the closes. My female coworkers tell me that him and the other male coworkers stand around and converse and drink while the rest of the team is busting their ass to get out on time. I only see what happens in the day shift, and the only things that go wrong during the day shifts are to the fault of what the closers leave us with, along with miscommunication from management.
Me and my coworkers are tired of the shit we have to put up with. I bring up the issues of what I’ve found wrong to the manager just for awareness, but it feels like talking to a brick wall. I want to tell the owners and manager how me and my coworkers are feeling, because they look up to me even though I’m not a manager and I care about them and setting them up for success. My coworkers are scheduled for clopens, doubles, split shifts (where they open, leave early, then come back to close), etc. multiple times a week, they’re tired and burnt out and feel like they can’t say no because we’re understaffed. We don’t get our schedules until literally last minute. Our inventory management is nonexistent. We sell pastries from fucking kroger instead of a local bakery like they say they do. This feels like a sinking ship. I want everyone to do their job easily and with confidence without the million roadblocks they face every day. We all feel failed, especially after today.
I don’t want to burn bridges, I just want there to be change. They know that I’m leaving this job eventually due to a move I’m making relatively soon, but after today I have no respect for our leadership anymore. I want to give my two weeks instead of leaving in a month like I planned. I know they rely on me heavily but I can’t do this anymore. I’ve been taken advantage of, provided services that were promised to be paid but were not paid for months, and I’ve had to teach myself every aspect of this job because there’s no training standards. The newer coworkers are experiencing this too and they’ve already gotten a bad taste in their mouth about this place. We are all unhappy here for a good reason, the manager doesn’t take us seriously and the owners are too lighthearted about the mistakes they make. How do i tell our leadership that they’re driving us away by their lack of initiative and their seemingly inability to care and burning us out? I feel like they deserve to know, because shit is about to hit the fan here and as much as I don’t respect them as business owners, I know them personally from before getting hired and know they aren’t evil.

Live Music

• Jerry Mincey and Tony Macalusco St. Johns County Fairgrounds 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
• Cindy Bear and Robert St. Johns County Fairgrounds 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
• Morrow Family Band St. Johns County Fairgrounds 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
• Manchild St. Johns County Fairgrounds 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
• Patchwork St. Johns County Fairgrounds 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
• John Winters Marina Munch 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• Don Cooper St. Johns County Fairgrounds 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
• Yael Dray and ZaZa Flamenca Casa Maya 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
• Joe Downing Mill Top Tavern 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• Kat Archer St. Johns County Fairgrounds 1:00 pm – 1:30 pm
• Jim Carrick St. Johns County Fairgrounds 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
• Charley Simmons St. Johns County Fairgrounds 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
• Ron n Bari St. Johns County Fairgrounds 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
• Lis & Lon Williamson St. Johns County Fairgrounds 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
• Doug Spears St. Johns County Fairgrounds 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
• Lauren Heintz St. Johns County Fairgrounds 1:00 pm – 2:15 pm
• Rob Peck The Cellar Upstairs Wine Bar & Restaurant 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• Joshua "Tennessee" Worthy Backyard Island Cafe at Meehan's 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• Elizabeth Roth Tradewinds Lounge 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm
• Manchild St. Johns County Fairgrounds 2:00 pm – 2:30 pm
• Larry Mangum St. Johns County Fairgrounds 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
• Michael Jordan St. Johns County Fairgrounds 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
• Lonesome Bert's Thick and Thin String Band St. Johns County Fairgrounds 2:15 pm – 3:30 pm
• Davis Cook Casa de Vino 57 2:30 pm – 5:30 pm
• Aslyn Baringer McTaggert St. Johns County Fairgrounds 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• Uncle Mosie St. Johns County Fairgrounds 3:30 pm – 4:45 pm
• Claire Vandiver Crabby's Beachside 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
• Red & Chris Henry & their All Star Band St. Johns County Fairgrounds 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
• Verlon Thompson St. Johns County Fairgrounds 4:45 pm – 6:00 pm
• Mark Hart Tradewinds Lounge 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Dewey Via Backyard Island Cafe at Meehan's 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
• Dunehoppers St. Johns County Fairgrounds 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
• Joshua "Tennessee" Worthy DJ's Clam Shack 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Morrow Family Band The Cellar Upstairs Wine Bar & Restaurant 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Wes Register Mellow Mushroom — St. Johns 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Deron Baker Mellow Mushroom — Murabella 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Denny Blue Guy Harvey Resort 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Fond Kiser Salt Life Food Shack 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Big Pineapple Kingfish Grill 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Brian Rowland Donovan's Irish Pub 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Cumberland Colonial Oak Music Park 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Bret Blackshear Crabby's Beachside 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Yael Dray and ZaZa Flamenca River & Fort 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• John Jorgenson Quintet St. Johns County Fairgrounds 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
• Heather Craig Meehan's Irish Pub & Seafood House 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
• Groove Pipe Band A1A Ale Works 8:00 pm – 12:00 am
• Smokin' Joe Schauer Ann O'Malley's Deli and Pub 8:00 pm – 11:55 pm
• AJ Lee & Blue Summit St. Johns County Fairgrounds 8:30 pm – 10:00 pm
• Live Stream Tradewinds Lounge 9:00 pm – 1:00 am
• Zalongo Sarbez! 9:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Honey Moonshine Mill Top Tavern 9:00 pm – 12:00 pm
• Trae Pierce and the T-Stones Prohibition Kitchen 10:00 pm – 1:00 am

2024 St. Augustine PoetFest

• For the third year in a row, Flagler College, Ancient City Poets, and the St. Johns Cultural Council present a three-day poetry festival to celebrate literary heritage and to connect the creative community.
• St. Augustine PoetFest 2024 takes place throughout the city at various cultural venues and includes events ranging from poetry readings to improv showcases.
• All Poetfest 2024 events are free and open to the public.

Day 3 — Saturday, April 13

Day three will see another day full of diverse and engaging sessions. Starting at 10:00 a.m. and concluding around 7:00 p.m., the final day of the festival will take place in various buildings on the Flagler College campus. The festival will conclude in the evening with an awards ceremony and reception.

Flagler College Campus —

Saturday, April 13 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
PoetFest Alive! Outside of Ringhaver Student CenterPoetFest brochures and schedules available. The St. Johns County Library system's Book Mobile will also be onsite.
Saturday, April 13 11:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Typewriter Poets and Indie Market Pop-Up Back Paver Patio of Ringhaver Student Center Located between Markland Place and the Ringhaver Student Center, this space will host a pop-up market space with local crafts and goods. Poets will also compose improvisational poems on their typewriters.

Ringhaver Student Center — 50 Sevilla Street

Jay's Place — 1st Floor

Saturday, April 13 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Registration, Book Bazaar, & Festival Contact Center Publications, author recordings, and local student literary magazines for sale.

Ringhaver Student Center — 50 Sevilla Street

Gamache-Kroger Theater — 1st Floor

Saturday, April 13 10:00 a.m. - 10:50 a.m.
Student Showcase Presented by Flagler College English Department.
Saturday, April 13 11:00 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.
Faculty Showcase Presented by Flagler College English Department.
Saturday, April 13 12:00 p.m. - 12:50 p.m.
Dramatic Play Reading - "The Poet's Masque" Presented by Amy Goldin and A Classic Theatre.
Saturday, April 13 1:00 p.m. - 1:50 p.m.
Storytelling Showcas ePresented by Margaret Kaler and the Tale Tellers of St. Augustine.

Ringhaver Student Center — 50 Sevilla Street

Virginia Room — 2nd Floor

Saturday, April 13 10:00 a.m. - 10:50 a.m.
"Kerouac's Last Two Years - St. Petersburg, Florida" Larry Jaffe, Poet in Residence at the Jack Kerouac House, disusses and reads the works of the infamous writer, who lived with his wife and sister in St. Petersburg, Florida from 1967 until his death in 1969.
Saturday, April 13 11 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.
**"From Bookstaplers to Substack - Publishing 101"**Dustin Brookshire (Limp Wrist Magazine) and Johnny Masiulewicz (Happy Tapir Press) examine the process of self-publishing.
Saturday, April 13 12:00 p.m. - 12:50 p.m.
**"Music and the Muse"**Featuring poet Claire Conroy (Maine) performing to improvisational music by singer songwriter Taylor Teachout followed by a Q&A discussion on how music can take your poetry to the next level.
Saturday, April 13 1:00 p.m. - 1:50 p.m.
**"Florida is Haunted: Poetic Ghosts in the Sunshine State"**Featuring Ma Bones, Nick Dunkenstein, Keri Foster, Damon Thomas, enjoy an hour of poetry inspired by hauntings and the haunted. As Jacques Derrida said — "It is the question of ghosts."
Saturday, April 13 2:00 p.m. - 2:50 p.m.
**"The Antinomian Outsider aspect of The Beat Generation"**Presented by Outlaw poet Ron Whitehead, who hails from Tennessee.
Saturday, April 13 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.Closing Event

• 3:00 pm Words from Festival Chair Chris Bodor
• 3:05 pm Welcoming Words from City of St. Augustine Vice Mayor Roxanne Horvath
• 3:15 pm to Presentation by City of St. Augustine Poet Laureate Norma Sherry
• 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm Presentation by St. Johns Cultural Council Executive Director, Christina Parrish Stone "Winners of 4th Annual St. Johns County Haiku Contest"

Saturday, April 13 5:00 p.m.
Celebratory ReceptionFinale celebration — poets and guests all invited!
​

Amphitheatre Farmers Market

• The St. Augustine Amphitheatre Farmers Market offers visitors a variety of goods such as local fresh produce, handmade arts and crafts, baked goods, plants directly off the farm, freshly-caught seafood, cheeses, and more. The farmers market makes for a morning of family-friendly fun with live entertainment on select dates.
• In addition to the impressive variety of organic produce offered by local farmers, a number of local artists and craftspeople also display their wares at the market.
• Admission: FREE
• Where: St. Augustine Amphitheatre located at 1340 A1A South St. Augustine, FL 32080.
• When: Every Saturday morning from 8:30 am - 12:30 pm.

Arts & Crafts Festival at the Pier

• The annual Arts and Crafts Festival at the St. Johns County Pier is held on three weekends in the spring of 2024: Saturdays and Sundays, February 17 and 18, March 9 and 10, and April 13 and 14. The hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday.
• The event features handmade arts and crafts by local, regional, and national artists.
• The festival attracts artists and craftspeople from all over the country to showcase their work just steps from the beach. Festival-goers can enjoy browsing everything from handmade jewelry and ceramics to stained glass and fine artwork. The organizers participated in crafts and arts events for more than 20 years and strive to create an event that appeals to shoppers and art enthusiasts and be of value to the artists and craftspersons. Vendors are on site to sell natural plants, herbs, fruits, and veggies, prepared foods, and exhibit local products and services.
• Admission: FREE
• Where: The St. Johns County Pier is at St. Augustine Pier Park at 350 A1A Beach Blvd in St. Augustine Beach.
• When: Saturdays and Sundays, February 17 - 18, March 9 - 10, and April 13 - 14. Saturday hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Sunday hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Earth Adventures at Trailmark

• Trailmark, at 805 Trailmark Drive in St. Augustine, hosts Earth Adventures on Saturday, April 13, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• This free, family-friendly adventure includes guided nature hikes, the chance to drop a fishing line into the water, a petting zoo, and the opportunity to see marine animals, turtles, and birds of prey.
• Home gardeners can talk with a local composting farmer who is an expert in native landscaping. Naturalists and members of environmental organizations will provide information and answer questions about protecting our water, wildlife, and natural environment.
• Vendor booths will present homemade crafts, natural soaps, jams, produce, baked goods, and popcorn, and several food trucks will sell meals, snacks, and beverages.
• Admission: Free
• When: Saturday, April 13, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• Where: 805 Trailmark Drive in St. Augustine. Past World Golf Village, off Pacetti Road.

Festival of Chariots 2024

• The Festival of Chariots, or Rathayatra, celebrates Indian and Hindu culture. The festival will be in St. Augustine on Saturday, April 13, 2024, from noon to 5:00 p.m., with colorful parades, live entertainment, vegetarian food, dancing, art vendors, and more.
• The Rathayatra festival originated in the ancient city of Jagannatha Puri in India to celebrate the Hindu Lord of the Universe.
• Visitors can view the vibrant Festival of Chariots parade in St. Augustine's downtown area along King Street, beginning and ending at the Plaza de la Constitución.
• In addition to the parades and other festivities, the festival features a vegetarian feast highlighting Indian cuisine, music, a dramatic presentation, art vendors, a magic show, face painting, henna tattoos, and much more.
• Visitors can attend this festival to celebrate the many dynamic threads that make up St. Augustine's local culture. This cultural event is fun for the whole family and it is FREE.
• Admission: Free.
• When: Saturday, April 13, 2024, from noon to 5:00 p.m.
• Where: The Festival of the Chariots is along King Street, and the Harinam Procession is on St. George Street. Other festival activities take place on the Plaza de la Constitucion. All is in the historic downtown area.

Historical Timeline Saunter

• The Historic Florida Militia presents a Timeline Saunter on one Saturday afternoon each month through September 2024. The saunters generally occur on the first or second Saturdays, see below for dates.
• During the saunter, those who are interested in history and how the European settlers and conquerors lived in St. Augustine, can watch this knowledgeable and appropriately garbed group as they walk through the historic downtown. The saunter begins at the city gates on St. George Street and runs to the Plaza de la Constitución before heading down Aviles Street, the oldest street in the continental U.S.
• The participants will pose for photos along their route and answer questions about life in 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries St. Augustine.
• The Historic Florida Militia is a 501(c)3 organization composed of the following historic reenactor groups: Men of Menéndez, representing the 16th century Spanish soldados and settlers; Drakes Men, representing the 16th century British privateers; Searle's Buccaneers, representing 17th century British privateers; and the St Augustine Garrison, representing 18th-century Spanish soldados, settlers, and government officials.
• Admission: Free
• When: 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. for one day in most months. See the schedule below.
• Where: The saunter begins at the City Gate on St. George and Orange streets, and continues on St. George Street across the Plaza de la Constitución to Aviles Street.

Saint Augustine Sisterhood: Book Launch

• Celebrate Eleanor Tremayne's book launch of Saint Augustine Sisterhood, presented by SunKen Production LLC and Serendipity Bookstore, at the Waterworks on Saturday, April 13, 2024. This immersive event starts with the chance to meet the award-winning author from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. and live entertainment following after.
• The Gypsy Player Dancers will make an appearance, along with spoken word acts and live performances such as the upcoming musical, The Enchanted Grove.
• Tickets include a signed copy of the book, hors d'oeuvres, cake, a glass of wine, and complimentary bottled water. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the St. Johns Food Pantry.
• Note: Guests who dress like pirates or gypsies will get an extra drink ticket.
• Admission: Entry is $45.00.
• When: The author's meet and greet is from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 13, 2024. Entertainment will then follow until 9:00 p.m.
• Where: The St. Augustine Waterworks is at 184 San Marco Avenue in St. Augustine, Florida 32084.
• Getting There: While the address is 184 San Marco Avenue, the only driveway on San Marco is Exit Only, so it is not available to access the Waterworks. Access to the Waterworks is through the St. Augustine Main Library parking lot, on the opposite side of the complex. (Use 1960 North Ponce de Leon in your GPS.)

​

Bad Dog Mama Playing at Saint Augustine Race Week

8:00 pm - 10:00 pm @ Municipal Marina 111 Avenida Menendez Saint Augustine, FL 32084
​
For future events please visit the Discord.
https://discord.gg/KmuAxxrM
​

Live Music

• Jerry Mincey and Tony Macalusco St. Johns County Fairgrounds 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
• Cindy Bear and Robert St. Johns County Fairgrounds 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
• Morrow Family Band St. Johns County Fairgrounds 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
• Manchild St. Johns County Fairgrounds 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
• Patchwork St. Johns County Fairgrounds 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
• John Winters Marina Munch 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• Don Cooper St. Johns County Fairgrounds 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
• Yael Dray and ZaZa Flamenca Casa Maya 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
• Joe Downing Mill Top Tavern 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• Kat Archer St. Johns County Fairgrounds 1:00 pm – 1:30 pm
• Jim Carrick St. Johns County Fairgrounds 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
• Charley Simmons St. Johns County Fairgrounds 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
• Ron n Bari St. Johns County Fairgrounds 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
• Lis & Lon Williamson St. Johns County Fairgrounds 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
• Doug Spears St. Johns County Fairgrounds 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
• Lauren Heintz St. Johns County Fairgrounds 1:00 pm – 2:15 pm
• Rob Peck The Cellar Upstairs Wine Bar & Restaurant 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• Joshua "Tennessee" Worthy Backyard Island Cafe at Meehan's 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• Elizabeth Roth Tradewinds Lounge 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm
• Manchild St. Johns County Fairgrounds 2:00 pm – 2:30 pm
• Larry Mangum St. Johns County Fairgrounds 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
• Michael Jordan St. Johns County Fairgrounds 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
• Lonesome Bert's Thick and Thin String Band St. Johns County Fairgrounds 2:15 pm – 3:30 pm
• Davis Cook Casa de Vino 57 2:30 pm – 5:30 pm
• Aslyn Baringer McTaggert St. Johns County Fairgrounds 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• Uncle Mosie St. Johns County Fairgrounds 3:30 pm – 4:45 pm
• Claire Vandiver Crabby's Beachside 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
• Red & Chris Henry & their All Star Band St. Johns County Fairgrounds 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
• Verlon Thompson St. Johns County Fairgrounds 4:45 pm – 6:00 pm
• Mark Hart Tradewinds Lounge 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Dewey Via Backyard Island Cafe at Meehan's 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
• Dunehoppers St. Johns County Fairgrounds 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
• Joshua "Tennessee" Worthy DJ's Clam Shack 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Morrow Family Band The Cellar Upstairs Wine Bar & Restaurant 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Wes Register Mellow Mushroom — St. Johns 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Deron Baker Mellow Mushroom — Murabella 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Denny Blue Guy Harvey Resort 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Fond Kiser Salt Life Food Shack 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Big Pineapple Kingfish Grill 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Brian Rowland Donovan's Irish Pub 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Cumberland Colonial Oak Music Park 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Bret Blackshear Crabby's Beachside 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Yael Dray and ZaZa Flamenca River & Fort 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• John Jorgenson Quintet St. Johns County Fairgrounds 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
• Heather Craig Meehan's Irish Pub & Seafood House 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
• Groove Pipe Band A1A Ale Works 8:00 pm – 12:00 am
• Smokin' Joe Schauer Ann O'Malley's Deli and Pub 8:00 pm – 11:55 pm
• AJ Lee & Blue Summit St. Johns County Fairgrounds 8:30 pm – 10:00 pm
• Live Stream Tradewinds Lounge 9:00 pm – 1:00 am
• Zalongo Sarbez! 9:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Honey Moonshine Mill Top Tavern 9:00 pm – 12:00 pm
• Trae Pierce and the T-Stones Prohibition Kitchen 10:00 pm – 1:00 am

2024 St. Augustine PoetFest

• For the third year in a row, Flagler College, Ancient City Poets, and the St. Johns Cultural Council present a three-day poetry festival to celebrate literary heritage and to connect the creative community.
• St. Augustine PoetFest 2024 takes place throughout the city at various cultural venues and includes events ranging from poetry readings to improv showcases.
• All Poetfest 2024 events are free and open to the public.

Day 3 — Saturday, April 13

Day three will see another day full of diverse and engaging sessions. Starting at 10:00 a.m. and concluding around 7:00 p.m., the final day of the festival will take place in various buildings on the Flagler College campus. The festival will conclude in the evening with an awards ceremony and reception.

Flagler College Campus —

Saturday, April 13 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.PoetFest Alive! Outside of Ringhaver Student CenterPoetFest brochures and schedules available. The St. Johns County Library system's Book Mobile will also be onsite.
Saturday, April 13 11:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.Typewriter Poets and Indie Market Pop-Up Back Paver Patio of Ringhaver Student Center Located between Markland Place and the Ringhaver Student Center, this space will host a pop-up market space with local crafts and goods. Poets will also compose improvisational poems on their typewriters.

Ringhaver Student Center — 50 Sevilla Street

Jay's Place — 1st Floor

Saturday, April 13 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.Registration, Book Bazaar, & Festival Contact Center Publications, author recordings, and local student literary magazines for sale.

Ringhaver Student Center — 50 Sevilla Street

Gamache-Kroger Theater — 1st Floor

Saturday, April 13 10:00 a.m. - 10:50 a.m.Student Showcase Presented by Flagler College English Department.
Saturday, April 13 11:00 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.Faculty Showcase Presented by Flagler College English Department.
Saturday, April 13 12:00 p.m. - 12:50 p.m.Dramatic Play Reading - "The Poet's Masque" Presented by Amy Goldin and A Classic Theatre.
Saturday, April 13 1:00 p.m. - 1:50 p.m.Storytelling Showcas ePresented by Margaret Kaler and the Tale Tellers of St. Augustine.

Ringhaver Student Center — 50 Sevilla Street

Virginia Room — 2nd Floor

Saturday, April 13 10:00 a.m. - 10:50 a.m."Kerouac's Last Two Years - St. Petersburg, Florida" Larry Jaffe, Poet in Residence at the Jack Kerouac House, disusses and reads the works of the infamous writer, who lived with his wife and sister in St. Petersburg, Florida from 1967 until his death in 1969.
Saturday, April 13 11 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.**"From Bookstaplers to Substack - Publishing 101"**Dustin Brookshire (Limp Wrist Magazine) and Johnny Masiulewicz (Happy Tapir Press) examine the process of self-publishing.
Saturday, April 13 12:00 p.m. - 12:50 p.m.**"Music and the Muse"**Featuring poet Claire Conroy (Maine) performing to improvisational music by singer songwriter Taylor Teachout followed by a Q&A discussion on how music can take your poetry to the next level.
Saturday, April 13 1:00 p.m. - 1:50 p.m.**"Florida is Haunted: Poetic Ghosts in the Sunshine State"**Featuring Ma Bones, Nick Dunkenstein, Keri Foster, Damon Thomas, enjoy an hour of poetry inspired by hauntings and the haunted. As Jacques Derrida said — "It is the question of ghosts."
Saturday, April 13 2:00 p.m. - 2:50 p.m.**"The Antinomian Outsider aspect of The Beat Generation"**Presented by Outlaw poet Ron Whitehead, who hails from Tennessee.
Saturday, April 13 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.Closing Event

• 3:00 pm Words from Festival Chair Chris Bodor
• 3:05 pm Welcoming Words from City of St. Augustine Vice Mayor Roxanne Horvath
• 3:15 pm to Presentation by City of St. Augustine Poet Laureate Norma Sherry
• 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm Presentation by St. Johns Cultural Council Executive Director, Christina Parrish Stone "Winners of 4th Annual St. Johns County Haiku Contest"

Saturday, April 13 5:00 p.m.Celebratory ReceptionFinale celebration — poets and guests all invited!

Amphitheatre Farmers Market

• The St. Augustine Amphitheatre Farmers Market offers visitors a variety of goods such as local fresh produce, handmade arts and crafts, baked goods, plants directly off the farm, freshly-caught seafood, cheeses, and more. The farmers market makes for a morning of family-friendly fun with live entertainment on select dates.
• In addition to the impressive variety of organic produce offered by local farmers, a number of local artists and craftspeople also display their wares at the market.
• Admission: FREE
• Where: St. Augustine Amphitheatre located at 1340 A1A South St. Augustine, FL 32080.
• When: Every Saturday morning from 8:30 am - 12:30 pm.

Arts & Crafts Festival at the Pier

• The annual Arts and Crafts Festival at the St. Johns County Pier is held on three weekends in the spring of 2024: Saturdays and Sundays, February 17 and 18, March 9 and 10, and April 13 and 14. The hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday.
• The event features handmade arts and crafts by local, regional, and national artists.
• The festival attracts artists and craftspeople from all over the country to showcase their work just steps from the beach. Festival-goers can enjoy browsing everything from handmade jewelry and ceramics to stained glass and fine artwork. The organizers participated in crafts and arts events for more than 20 years and strive to create an event that appeals to shoppers and art enthusiasts and be of value to the artists and craftspersons. Vendors are on site to sell natural plants, herbs, fruits, and veggies, prepared foods, and exhibit local products and services.
• Admission: FREE
• Where: The St. Johns County Pier is at St. Augustine Pier Park at 350 A1A Beach Blvd in St. Augustine Beach.
• When: Saturdays and Sundays, February 17 - 18, March 9 - 10, and April 13 - 14. Saturday hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Sunday hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Earth Adventures at Trailmark

• Trailmark, at 805 Trailmark Drive in St. Augustine, hosts Earth Adventures on Saturday, April 13, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• This free, family-friendly adventure includes guided nature hikes, the chance to drop a fishing line into the water, a petting zoo, and the opportunity to see marine animals, turtles, and birds of prey.
• Home gardeners can talk with a local composting farmer who is an expert in native landscaping. Naturalists and members of environmental organizations will provide information and answer questions about protecting our water, wildlife, and natural environment.
• Vendor booths will present homemade crafts, natural soaps, jams, produce, baked goods, and popcorn, and several food trucks will sell meals, snacks, and beverages.
• Admission: Free
• When: Saturday, April 13, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• Where: 805 Trailmark Drive in St. Augustine. Past World Golf Village, off Pacetti Road.

Festival of Chariots 2024

• The Festival of Chariots, or Rathayatra, celebrates Indian and Hindu culture. The festival will be in St. Augustine on Saturday, April 13, 2024, from noon to 5:00 p.m., with colorful parades, live entertainment, vegetarian food, dancing, art vendors, and more.
• The Rathayatra festival originated in the ancient city of Jagannatha Puri in India to celebrate the Hindu Lord of the Universe.
• Visitors can view the vibrant Festival of Chariots parade in St. Augustine's downtown area along King Street, beginning and ending at the Plaza de la Constitución.
• In addition to the parades and other festivities, the festival features a vegetarian feast highlighting Indian cuisine, music, a dramatic presentation, art vendors, a magic show, face painting, henna tattoos, and much more.
• Visitors can attend this festival to celebrate the many dynamic threads that make up St. Augustine's local culture. This cultural event is fun for the whole family and it is FREE.
• Admission: Free.
• When: Saturday, April 13, 2024, from noon to 5:00 p.m.
• Where: The Festival of the Chariots is along King Street, and the Harinam Procession is on St. George Street. Other festival activities take place on the Plaza de la Constitucion. All is in the historic downtown area.

Historical Timeline Saunter

• The Historic Florida Militia presents a Timeline Saunter on one Saturday afternoon each month through September 2024. The saunters generally occur on the first or second Saturdays, see below for dates.
• During the saunter, those who are interested in history and how the European settlers and conquerors lived in St. Augustine, can watch this knowledgeable and appropriately garbed group as they walk through the historic downtown. The saunter begins at the city gates on St. George Street and runs to the Plaza de la Constitución before heading down Aviles Street, the oldest street in the continental U.S.
• The participants will pose for photos along their route and answer questions about life in 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries St. Augustine.
• The Historic Florida Militia is a 501(c)3 organization composed of the following historic reenactor groups: Men of Menéndez, representing the 16th century Spanish soldados and settlers; Drakes Men, representing the 16th century British privateers; Searle's Buccaneers, representing 17th century British privateers; and the St Augustine Garrison, representing 18th-century Spanish soldados, settlers, and government officials.
• Admission: Free
• When: 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. for one day in most months. See the schedule below.
• Where: The saunter begins at the City Gate on St. George and Orange streets, and continues on St. George Street across the Plaza de la Constitución to Aviles Street.

Saint Augustine Sisterhood: Book Launch

• Celebrate Eleanor Tremayne's book launch of Saint Augustine Sisterhood, presented by SunKen Production LLC and Serendipity Bookstore, at the Waterworks on Saturday, April 13, 2024. This immersive event starts with the chance to meet the award-winning author from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. and live entertainment following after.
• The Gypsy Player Dancers will make an appearance, along with spoken word acts and live performances such as the upcoming musical, The Enchanted Grove.
• Tickets include a signed copy of the book, hors d'oeuvres, cake, a glass of wine, and complimentary bottled water. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the St. Johns Food Pantry.
• Note: Guests who dress like pirates or gypsies will get an extra drink ticket.
• Admission: Entry is $45.00.
• When: The author's meet and greet is from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 13, 2024. Entertainment will then follow until 9:00 p.m.
• Where: The St. Augustine Waterworks is at 184 San Marco Avenue in St. Augustine, Florida 32084.
• Getting There: While the address is 184 San Marco Avenue, the only driveway on San Marco is Exit Only, so it is not available to access the Waterworks. Access to the Waterworks is through the St. Augustine Main Library parking lot, on the opposite side of the complex. (Use 1960 North Ponce de Leon in your GPS.)

Bad Dog Mama Playing at Saint Augustine Race Week

8:00 pm - 10:00 pm @ Municipal Marina 111 Avenida Menendez Saint Augustine, FL 32084
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For future events please visit the Discord.https://discord.gg/KmuAxxrM