Holiday Celebrations and Services

December 17 Space Kamp 7th Annual Holidaze Toy Drive
Space Kamp 7th Annual Holidaze Toy Drive @ Emmaus Theatre with special guests: Rootsetters, Eric RxSe, Dj Dread Head
$10 Donation Proceeds go to Toys for Lehigh Valley Children’s Hospital
Kids under 12 are Free
(Additional Unopened Toys are accepted and appreciated !)
Kids Photos with Nugz Bunny FREE 7:30-8:30

December 17 Deck The Barn Rockin' Christmas with Kinda Sorta Maybe
The ULTIMATE Christmas Eve Eve party is at The Barn with KSM on Saturday Night, DEC 23 at 7pm!
Shopping will be done, cookies will be made, friends and family will be near, and KSM will bring one more sing and dance party before St Nick hauls his jolly butt down the chimney!
Rock with us in the band room, party in the upper loft, or hang in the bar area or from the rafters, but make sure you get to The Barn for this rockin' Christmas Party! 2 quick hours to rev you up for the holiday - new tunes too! MAKE YOUR PLANS NOW!

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service: St. Margaret's Candlelight Worship Service

Celebrate a magical Christmas Eve celebration at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church Sunday, December 24th 5:00 PM
“Come together with family and friends for a heartwarming evening of worship, joy, and community. Let the glow of candlelight and the sounds of Christmas music create a memorable atmosphere as we celebrate the true meaning of Christmas. “
Location: St. Margaret's Church 150 Elm Street Emmaus, PA 18049

Blue Christmas Service Emmaus Moravian Church
Sun Dec 17 2023 at 02:00 pm 146 Main St, Emmaus, PA,
“This service is for anyone who is in need of healing this Christmas season. It is a service of reflection and love.”
Website Link: http://emmausmoravian.org

Christmas Day Service St. - Margaret's Episcopal Church

"On this blessed Christmas Day, join us as we come together to celebrate the birth of our Lord almighty, Jesus Christ!"
"Let the spirit of Christmas fill your hearts with love, peace, and gratitude as we reflect on the divine gift of Jesus. Bring your family and friends to share in the joy of this special day."
St. Margaret's Episcopal Church, 150 Elm Street, Emmaus, PA

Pennsylvania Likely to Provide Schools with Leeway Regarding Minimum Requirements

A bill allowing Pennsylvania school districts greater flexibility regarding school schedules has passed both legislative chambers and is now awaiting the governor's approval. The legislation aims to amend current Pennsylvania law, enabling schools to fulfill the academic year requirement with a minimum of either 180 days or 900 hours for elementary levels and 990 hours for secondary levels, as opposed to the current mandate of meeting both criteria.

According to a spokesperson, Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro intends to sign the bill into law. Supporters believe the bill will empower schools to adapt schedules for weather-related issues, professional development, and community events, and accommodate student programs like internships, apprenticeships, and technical education.

Additionally, the legislation will allow schools to measure remote learning hours as instructional time, offering an alternative to tracking days for students engaged in virtual education.

Tesla Recalls Millions of Vehicles Amid Probe

Tesla has initiated a recall affecting over 2 million vehicles across its model range to address a flawed system designed to ensure driver attentiveness when utilizing Autopilot. Documents released by U.S. safety regulators on Wednesday outline that the update will heighten warnings and alerts for drivers and even restrict the areas where basic versions of Autopilot can function.

According to the agency, their investigation revealed shortcomings in Autopilot's method of verifying driver attention, potentially leading to "foreseeable misuse of the system." However, safety experts, while acknowledging the recall as a positive step, critique that it still places responsibility on the driver and fails to resolve the underlying issue of Tesla's automated systems struggling to detect and halt for obstacles in their path. The recall spans models Y, S, 3, and X manufactured between Oct. 5, 2012, and Dec. 7 of the current year.

Autopilot comprises functions such as Autosteer and Traffic Aware Cruise Control, with Autosteer intended for usage on specific limited-access freeways. The forthcoming software update will restrict where Autosteer can be employed. "If attempts are made to engage Autosteer in unsuitable conditions, the feature will notify the driver of its unavailability through visual and audible alerts, preventing Autosteer activation," as stated in the recall documentation.

Advocates for automotive safety have long advocated for stricter regulations concerning the driver monitoring system, advocating for the incorporation of cameras to ensure driver attentiveness, a feature employed by other automakers with similar systems.

NHTSA confirmed that the investigation remains ongoing "to monitor the effectiveness of Tesla’s solutions and collaborate with the automaker to ensure the utmost safety standards." Although Autopilot can maneuver, accelerate, and brake within its lane automatically, it is a driver-assist system and does not possess autonomous driving capabilities, despite its name. Independent tests have revealed vulnerabilities in the monitoring system, making it susceptible to manipulation.

Another Weekend Storm Headed Our Way

Anticipate another potent storm advancing up the coast, forecasted to bring substantial rainfall and strong winds to the area. This follows a prior coastal system that delivered record-breaking precipitation over the past weekend.

The precise rainfall volume hinges on the storm's trajectory and velocity, with a projected range of 1-2 inches expected to accumulate over already saturated ground. Consequently, there's a potential risk of flooding, particularly if the heavier rainfall concentrates within a shorter timeframe.

Similar to the previous week's weather system, the majority of the rainfall is likely to occur overnight from Sunday into Monday. While uncertainties persist regarding the storm's exact path and intensity, meteorologists have indicated growing confidence in the likelihood of another round of rain, elevated winds, marine hazards, and probable coastal impacts.

High School Varsity Schedules

Emmaus Boys Varsity Basketball Schedule

Emmaus Girls Varsity Basketball Schedule

Emmaus Boys Varsity Wrestling Schedule

Emmaus Girls Varsity Wrestling Schedule

Entertainment at the Emmaus Theater

Soul Sisters’ Studio 
Afternoon with Spirit Medium January 14, 2024, 104 pm
https://www.soulsistersemmaus.com/events/

Really?

People used to say “prunes” when taking pictures.
In the 1840s, it was considered childish to smile for pictures so it became popular for people to say “prunes” instead of “cheese” in order to keep their mouths taut.

Nutmeg is a hallucinogen.
Because it contains myristicin, a natural compound that has mind-altering effects, you can experience hallucinations if you ingest large quantities nutmeg. Yikes!

3 Musketeers candy bars used to come in three flavors.
The original candy from the 1930s had three different kinds of nougat: chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry (hence the name!). Unfortunately, it had to be cut down to one during World War II due to rations being too expensive.

The Spanish national anthem has no words.

Cat urine glows under a black light.
Black lights can be used to detect any body fluids, but cat urine glows particularly bright under ultraviolet light primarily because it contains the element phosphorus.

The Statue of Liberty was once a lighthouse.
About a month after the statue’s 1886 dedication, it became a working lighthouse for 16 years, with its torch visible from 24 miles away.

British military tanks are equipped to make tea.
If the crew needs hot tea or coffee, they can just reach for the boiling vessel inside the tank.

40. M&Ms are named after their creators.
Two businessmen, Forrest Mars and Bruce Murrie, came up with the sweet treats.

Vatican City is the smallest country in the world.
Incredibly, it’s 120 times smaller than Manhattan!

The letter “J” was the last added to the English alphabet.
It dates back to 1524. Shockingly, before it became a letter, the letter “i” was used for both “i” and “j” sounds!

The moon has moonquakes.
They occur due to tidal stresses connected to the distance between the Earth and the moon.

Ketchup used to be sold as medicine.
Back in 1834, people with indigestion were given a prescription for the condiment.

The longest walking distance in the world is 14,000 miles.
You could walk from Magadan in Russia to Cape Town in South Africa without needing a vehicle.

You can't hum while you're pinching your nose.
Go ahead and try!

Humor - Some Good, Some Just Awful

An MIT linguistics professor was lecturing his class the other day. "In English," he said, "a double negative forms a positive. However, in some languages, such as Russian, a double negative remains a negative. But there isn't a single language, not one, in which a double positive can express a negative."
A voice from the back of the room said, "Yeah, right."

A masochist asks a sadist, "Please hurt me."
"No," replies the sadist.

I'll stop at nothing to avoid using negative numbers.

A taxi passenger tapped the driver on the shoulder to ask him a question.
The driver screamed, lost control of the car, nearly hit a bus, went up on the footpath, and stopped inches from a shop window.

For a second, everything was quiet in the cab. Then the driver said, "Look, mate, don't ever do that again. You scared the living daylights out of me!"

The passenger apologized and said, "I didn't realize that a little tap would scare you so much."

The driver replied, "Sorry, it's not really your fault. Today is my first day as a cab driver — I've been driving a funeral van for the last 25 years."

 December 15