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The Dickinson Press
Comey memos offer new details on his interactions with Trump as probe intensified
Trump blasts OPEC, accusing the oil cartel of 'artificially' raising prices
Rollover crash kills ND man in Pembina County
Unexploded WWII bomb forces mass evacuation in Berlin
'I never saw her. I heard the screams': Citation upheld for stroller-pushing woman struck by snowplow
crime and courts
nation and world
Record cold, snowstorms delay SD planting season
Dickinson Herberger's on bankruptcy list of stores set to close
Michelle Rook joins AgweekTV as anchor
Unnamed California investor buying up SD motels
Parent company of Herberger's could be headed for liquidation
place a business brief
Flaring policy changes keep benchmarks but give ND oil industry flexibility
Trump announces support for year-round E15 sales
Trump ethanol moves may be worse for farmers than soy tariff
Oil companies differ on plans to drill near Lake Sakakawea
State makes recommendations on federal carbon regulations
Area pagans, Wiccans explain ancient festivals that mark spring, summer
George W. Bush recalls his mother as strong, lucid and funny as she approached death
She calmly landed the Southwest flight and broke barriers as a fighter pilot
Welcome to Sarah's Culinary Q & A: How to slice an onion without crying
'One last time': Barbara Bush had already faced a death more painful than her own
Blue Hawks looking to bounce back in home opener
Zimmerman qualifies for Class B state meet in four events
Comeback kids: DHS girls tennis rallies to win WDA opener against Bismarck St. Mary’s
Midgets baseball drops season-opening doubleheader to Century
Wolves need 'Buckets' to live up to his nickname
Commentary: The fight over online sales taxes cannot be about fairness
Many people benefit when we strive to become our best
COLUMN: New law doesn't improve hiring process for superintendent
Analysis: Nikki Haley's extraordinary rebuke of the White House
Commentary: Is it time to stop electing sheriffs?
Irene I. Paulson
Rep. Josh Boschee
Louis L. Owen
A century of loving life, loving art: Dillon has plenty of parties planned
New weightlifting studio sees early success
A beautiful backyard
Veterans Pavilion, for those who served
New Methodist church honors past, anticipates future
Dairy farming is not only a job, but a lifestyle
30 Under 30
2018 Best Of The Western Edge Winners
5 places close to home to consider for your spring vacation
March 5, 2014
Sander held on $500K cash bond
A former high school principal sat in a room of alleged felons wearing orange jumpsuits. He was one of them.
March 5, 2014 - 1:30pm
March 4, 2014
Trinity High School principal charged in connection with school fire
Dickinson Trinity High School’s principal was taken into custody Tuesday in connection with a fire that broke out at the school Monday morning,...
March 4, 2014 - 6:32pm
January 14, 2014
2 charged with Valley City church arson
VALLEY CITY, N.D. – Two people previously arrested in connection with a church burglary here in September are now charged with arson in a church fire that caused about $2.5 million in damage. Andrew Michael Miklas, 25, of Valley City, was charged Monday in Barnes County District...
January 14, 2014 - 2:44pm
October 30, 2013
Arrest warrants issued in Valley City church burglary
VALLEY CITY -- Arrest warrants have been issued for two suspects in one of several recent church burglaries in Valley City. Warrants for Andrew M. Miklas, 25, of Valley City, and Nicole Lindermann, 18, of Kathryn, include charges connected with the burglary of Faith Lutheran Church,...
October 30, 2013 - 4:01pm
October 23, 2013
Arson determined as cause of church fire
VALLEY CITY -- Investigators say arson was the cause of a church fire that did more than $1 million in damage Monday morning. Valley City Fire Chief Gary Retterath said today that with the assistance of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and state fire...
October 23, 2013 - 4:27pm
August 3, 2011
Dickinson church arsonist sentenced to 6 years
A judge sentenced a 21-year-old Dickinson man who set fire to a church to six years in prison during a hearing at the Stark County Courthouse...
August 3, 2011 - 12:00am
December 4, 2010
Accused arsonist may be linked to burglary
A Dickinson man accused of committing arson and burglary at the Church of Christ may also be linked to a Thursday residential burglary, according...
December 4, 2010 - 12:00am
December 3, 2010
Church of Christ fire
Members of Dickinson's Church of Christ are brimming with positivity after arson left much of the building's interior in shambles Thursday morning....
December 3, 2010 - 12:00am
June 16, 2010
Ross accepts plea deal
A local business owner charged with arson took a plea agreement during his pretrial conference at the Stark County Courthouse Tuesday afternoon. If Jeremy Ross abides by conditions set by the court, such as five years supervised probation, he will not serve jail time. Ross is accused...
June 16, 2010 - 12:00am
August 13, 2009
Hearing set for man charged with arson
A Southwest District Judge set bond for a Dickinson man accused of arson as personal recognizance during his initial court hearing Wednesday. As long as Jeremy Ross, 26, complies with conditions set by the court, such as appearing at hearings, he will not need to post a cash bond....
August 13, 2009 - 12:00am
July 29, 2009
Dickinson man charged with arson
Jeremy Ross, 26, whose 2007 Cadillac Escalade started on fire Jan. 4, has been charged with arson, according to the Dickinson Police Department. Ross is accused of igniting or maintaining a fire to collect insurance, according to a Stark County criminal complaint. Investigator...
July 29, 2009 - 12:00am
January 14, 2009
Firefighters charged with using arson to get work
PHOENIX (AP) -- Four firefighters have been arrested on suspicion of igniting between 15 and 20 fires in western Arizona so they could get paid for fighting them, officials said Tuesday. Authorities also charged two men suspected of setting fires to get money from the firefighters,...
January 14, 2009 - 12:00am
June 27, 2008
Arson is suspected in Jamestown fire
JAMESTOWN -- Arson is suspected in an apartment fire Thursday morning in Jamestown, according to Detective Scott Edinger of the Jamestown Police Department, because investigators have found no known source for the fire. Capt. Jim Reuther of the Jamestown Fire Department, lead investigator,...
June 27, 2008 - 12:00am


it is essential to calculate the temperature as widely as you possibly can since It is a sign of safety and efficiency in industrial processes. thermowells have been the ideal option in so many cases. They’re metal sheaths which guard the measurement sensor against the task being calculated, and are utilized in temperature measurement programs from beverage and food through to gas and engine oil.
thermowells are generally tricky, despite being the go to option for most process operators. The damage on the sensor may be brought on by the continual contact with process mediums, particularly those going at high speeds and also that contain high levels of coarse particulate matter. In case the failure is recognized, the procedure is going to need being turned off to keep or even replace the unit. The unusual nature of the materials utilized could up the entire purchase price, even when specialized choices can be obtained.
Disruption is a problem when adding a thermowell. The necessity for the thermowell to be in immediate exposure to the task medium takes a hole to be drilled into the pipeline, needing the procedure to be turned off.
Problems are able to come up with regards to fitting & specification, with the incorrect option of insets, incorrect insertion measures, or maybe poor contact each raising the danger of measurement errors. In case a second thermowell isn’t set up on the same location to evaluate as well as validate readings, these mistakes are able to go undetected, possibly leading to consequent damage and issues somewhere else in the process.
To deal with these along with other problems, there continues to be a tightening of standards like ASME PTC 19.3 TW 2016, that govern the balance of thermowells, improving engineering costs and also limiting the use of standard thermowells in certain circumstances.
Head on over to https://famaga.co.uk for more details
You will find non invasive measuring solutions.
There’s an innovative kind of measurement unit which could be utilized in numerous manufacturing measurement applications to minimize the complexity, expense and time of creating new temperature measurement areas. The non invasive temperature solution from ABB removes the demand for a temperature sensor to be introduced right into a pipe, rather utilizing the pipe itself when the temperature sensor to create a precise reading of the task heat.
This may be achieved through 2 steps. Forecasting the temperature difference between the task and the pipe surface area is definitely the initial step. The winter area inside the pipe could be correctly modeled using pipe geometrical and also material parameters accompanied by fluid flow rate, density and viscosity. The designs indicate that there’s a little temperature difference between the bulk heat of the task as well as the skin heat of the metallic pipe. The bulk of process problems in the market are accounted for by this particular situation.
An engineering tool could be utilized to assess the possible suitability of non invasive temperature measurement for temperature apps. Details on the pipeline and flow attributes could be utilized to evaluate the probable overall performance of a non-invasive sensor against a thermowell, allowing engineers to produce an educated choice regarding what technology offers the very best performance for their program.
The device was recently used by a substance producer that needed to guarantee that its activity – which involved a very viscous polymer liquid – didn’t drop below a certain temperature. The organization had encountered issues with thermowells in terminology of damage.
The next action is to obtain an easy, repeatable, and dependable area measurement of the pipe surface heat. Traditional’skin temperature’ receptors, which measure the heat in the pipe wall, are one of the ways of achieving this. Nevertheless, the performance of these units may be hampered by a selection of factors, including possible inaccuracies due to ambient conditions.
The disadvantages are eradicated by making use of a two-fold sensor architecture, in which one sensor is in touch with the surface area of the pipe as well as the other actions the surrounding heat in the immediate vicinity.
The information produced will be worn by a program that compensates for background effects and contact resistances to compute a precise temperature measurement for the task place in real time. By merging information on the background conditions with models which predict the actions of liquid or maybe liquid like mediums moving in turbulent regimes in metallic pipes, the reliability and responsiveness of the counter measurement is enhanced, enabling equivalent overall performance with a regular invasive unit being accomplished.
Cost and time may be preserved.
A vital benefit of this brand new approach to non invasive temperature measurement is its decreased cost, with prospective CAPEX cost savings of up to seventy five % achievable compared to a traditional thermowell fitting.
The easy fit nature of the sensor causes it to be a great choice for savings. The utilization of 2 clamp collars enables the sensors being connected without penetrating the pipeline. The feet of the device has to be covered to enable the quantity of insulation necessary to be reduced. Operators are able to get up and operating in under an hour in case the sensor is installed fast.
Generally there is not much work necessary for the specification. One area which is eliminated will be the importance to handle wake Frequency calculations, that are required for invade installations to evaluate criteria including the material and sensor size of construction which has be used. The entire sale price of thermowells may be improved by 2 to 3 times over their material price by the demand for calculations and connected process adjustments.
With regards to checking thermowell performance and reliability, cost savings may additionally be accomplished. The natural cost and set up advantages of non invasive temperature sensors make them perfect for validating measurements from equally thermowells along with other non invasive sensors. This might indicate an issue that will require study in case the non invasive sensor is delivering considerably diverse readings to the installed products. The sole way to do this was installing additional thermowells, which happen to have many drawbacks.
With all the thought of non invasive climate measurement taking hold, businesses will have the ability to change the manner they measure an expanding variety of flow routines as well as fluids with more complicated heat transfer conduct that have the same levels of accuracy, responsiveness and reliability as thermowells. If you’re considering a thermowell, right now might be the perfect time to switch to non invasive measurement.


text: Whether Kant’s late legal theory and his theory of race are contradictory in their account of colonialism has been a much-debated question that is also of highest importance for the evaluation of the Enlightenment’s contribution to Europe’s colonial expansion and the dispossession and enslavement of native and black peoples. This article discusses the problem by introducing the discourse on barbarism. This neglected discourse is the original and traditional European colonial vocabulary and served the justification of colonialism from ancient Greece throughout the Renaissance to the eighteenth century. Kant’s explicit rejection of this discourse and its prejudices reveals his early critical stance toward colonial judgements of native peoples even before he developed his legal theory. This development of his critical position can be traced in his writings on race: although he makes racist statements in these texts, his theory of race is not meant to ground moral judgements on ‘races’ or a racial hierarchy but to defend the unity of mankind under the given empirical reality of colonial hierarchies.

domain: library


text:
I know that I began this blog as just a tech blog and promised regular posts but it's nearing finals and I got caught up with homework and revising my resume. I've gotten behind and for that I'm sorry. However, I'm not sorry to be writing two movie reviews instead of a tech article because they are truly great movies.
I recently saw Coraline and if your not familiar with the story it's about a young girl named Coraline who moves to a new apartment with her distracted workaholic parents. Bored and feeling neglected Coraline discovers a hidden door in a wall that leads to a creepy yet seductive alternate life complete with other parents who dote on her.
The entire film was produced using stop motion animation and was created in my home state of Oregon utilizing about 400 people some of which created the 3000 odd popcorn cherry blossoms used on the set. It took roughly 300 people a week to create just one minute of the film!
The film was amazing. It was creepy and fascinating and so far has been the only movie that I've ever seen that hasn't had one of those slow spots where your just waiting for the action to pick back up. I was completely immersed and absolutely riveted by the film from start to finish, it was that good. The 3D was great and definitely enhanced the experience.
Overall I say see it in the theater and then buy it because you will want to watch it again and no its not just for kids, any adult would love this movie.

domain: entertainment


text:
• First 100 orders receive a "Trick-or-Treat" Bag
• 180 Gram Vinyl
• Bat Pattern Disco Sleeve w/ Matte UV
• Heavy Duty Jacket w/ Matte UV
• Crystal Clear Resealable Poly Sleeve
• Ships w/ Free Stickers + Buttons & Other Goodies.
• Digital Download Included
• Multiple Color Variants Available -- Collect Them All!
C O L O R S
• "CANDY CORN SPLATTER" (Strange Daisy Exclusive)
Clear w/ Orange, Yellow & White Splatter
Available here and at strangedaisy.com
Qty | 50
• "HAUNTED HOUSE SWIRL" (Haunted House Party Exclusive)
Orange & Black Marble
Qty | 50
• "GRAVEYARD GOURD"
Qty | 150
* Pictures shown are mock ups. Exact colors and effects may differ.
** Snap, crackles and pops in audio are intentional. All sales are final. It's dusty beats!
Includes unlimited streaming of haunted house party
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
Ltd. Edition Orange Cassette
Cassette + Digital Album
Fluorescent Orange Cassette w/ Orange Shell & Bat Pattern OBI Strip.
+ Digital Download
supported by 18 fans who also own “haunted house party”
Top-notch production and the inclusion of saxophones add so much to this wonderfully spacey record, with some resemblance to Joshua Tree-era U2, but much more shoegazey. You can also hear some beautiful male/female harmonic vocals interspersed throughout,m. Hard to pick just one favorite song, especially when everything flows together so well! Also, the instrumental tracks (Herons, Ducks) are particularly evocative. Overall an incredibly enjoyable listen on frequent rotation. Steven Freebairn
supported by 17 fans who also own “haunted house party”
The brightest of all I’ve heard from MSFS’s catalogue. It’s lilting and wavy in its ambience, a soft sort of cloudy affair that strays from the glitching, vaguely amnesiac chiptune sounds of the works in the Nautilus series or the mellow, moody, existential questioning of his Evangelion themed works. No, this seems frantic, hectic and fun, like a fast-paced journey through exotic lands alongside a close friend. Easy to listen to, thoughtful, and as high quality as ever. 10/10!
ORDER VINYL -seifer-


text:
Essex County Council has welcomed plans to transfer more contact tracing to local teams.
NHS Test and Trace will provide local authorities with a dedicated team of contact tracers for local areas.
As a result the national service will move from 18,000 to 12,000 contact tracers on 24 August, with remaining teams to be deployed as part of dedicated local Test and Trace teams.
At the end of May, the Department of Health and Social Care (DoHSC) launched the national NHS Test & Trace system, as part of this it was announced that local contact systems would be set up by local authorities.
For a system being jointly run by Essex County Council (ECC) and Southend, ECC received £5.78million, while Southend Borough Council (SBC) received £887,000 of grant funding from the DoHSC, to deliver the local contact tracing service.
The local contact service will be responsible for identifying, containing and reducing the spread of Covid-19 at a local level. Local contact services will be responsible for “complex cases”. So the Essex and Southend service will support contact tracing for schools, care homes, workplaces and vulnerable groups.
The local service will use testing data from Public Health England (PHE) to track and trace known connections of positive cases, and provide them with advice and guidance. All individuals who have been in close contact with a known positive case will be asked to isolate at home for a period of 14 days. This generally means that if people have maintained the ideal two meters distance they will not need to self-isolate. However for those that have been within one to two meters of a positive case, self-isolation may be required.
ECC and SBC have commissioned Provide CIC to deliver the contact tracing service, which will work alongside specialist public health staff in both organisations, as well as environmental health officers in city and district councils.
A spokesperson for ECC said: “We are aware of the Government’s plan to transfer more of the contact tracing to local public health teams. This is welcome news for Essex and Southend where, thanks to collaboration between Public Health England, NHS providers and local authorities (both lower and upper tiers), we already have an established contact tracing service that is working effectively.”
The local teams are expected to be critical in the handling of a second wave of infections that is expected in the winter.

domain: news


text:
Director Lisaboa Houbrechts creates musical theatre about the childhood of several generations, using Bach's St John Passion as a guideline.
Vake Poes; of hoe God verdween is the first part of a fictional family epic that spans three generations. Written and staged by Lisaboa Houbrechts. She investigates how the small and the big, the intimate and the political and the present and the past are intertwined. The central character is a twelve-year-old girl, the Kleindochter Aller Kleindochters (Granddaughter of all Granddaughters), who stands at the end of history and delves into the hidden traumas of the past. In Vake Poes; of hoe God verdween, text and music are intensely interwoven with each other. We get to know Granddaughter's paternal grandfather. We relive his traumatic childhood and the loss of his faith, in a performance in which players, singers and musicians of all ages come together and in which fragments from J.S. Bach's St. John Passion play a dramatically surprising role.
Text, directing and voice
Johann Sebastian Bach
Musical direction and arrangements
Bert & Stijn Cools
Scenography and puppets


Cases of syphilis are exploding across Melbourne’s outer suburbs with health officials worried a 220 per cent spike in infections of the sexually transmitted infection among women means an “epidemic is in place”.
New data compiled by the Department of Health showed the city’s outer western and southeastern suburbs were the worst hit with rising infections across Brimbank, Melton and Casey.
Epidemiologist associate professor Eric Chow said there had been a 45 per cent increase in notified syphilis cases.
They had increased from 950 cases in 2015 to 1375 cases in 2018, he said.
“The epidemic, which was once focused on gay men in inner Melbourne, has now become much more generalised and has spread to the outer suburbs,” he said.
While the number of syphilis infections among men in same-sex relationships continued to rise – a 21 per cent increase – cases among women spiked by 220 per cent and 129 per cent in heterosexual men.
Dr Chow said the increase in cases among heterosexual men and women was largely among people residing in outer Melbourne suburbs, areas that are considered to be socio-economically disadvantaged.
This previously wasn’t the case.
While most infections were recorded in the northwest and southeast, the largest number of cases in women was reported in Port Phillip.
“The major concern with the rise in syphilis among women of reproductive age is infection during pregnancy and congenital syphilis,” he said.
“We know syphilis can cause major complications during pregnancy and even result in the death of the child so we’re urging all women at high risk to get screened during their third trimester in addition to the universal screening during the first.”
Dr Chow said the re-emergence of syphilis among heterosexuals in Victoria meant prevention messaging should be targeted towards them, particularly those residing in the outer suburbs.
It comes after Alfred Health in January launched the Victorian Sexual Health Network – a network of bulk-billed GP sexual health clinics aimed at improving access to screening for people in the outer areas of Melbourne.
Syphilis starts with an appearance of sores or ulcers, before developing into a rash.
If untreated, it could eventually cause a brain infection, dementia and blindness.
It can be cured with penicillin, but people may not seek treatment because they do not realise they have been infected, as syphilis is often asymptomatic following signs of the initial infection.


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Louisville Men’s Basketball has had its fair share of legends wear the red and black through the years. Wes Unseld is one of those legends. He didn’t just play for the Cards, though. No. Unseld was a son of our great city itself. Sadly, he passed away today at age 74.
Statement from the family of Wes Unseld.— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) June 2, 2020
Rest easy, Wes ♥ pic.twitter.com/NwEtuofgG9
Born March 14, 1946 in Louisville, Unseld would attend Seneca High School where he won back to back state titles in 1963 and 1964. Out of high school, he was heavily recruited. In fact, Kentucky wanted him to be the first African American to play at the university. However, Unseld chose to play for his hometown Cardinals.
Unseld played 3 years at Louisville. It’s important to note freshmen weren’t allowed to play on varsity teams back then. In his 3 years, he proved to be a dominant force on the court for legendary Louisville Coach Peck Hickman and for Hickman’s replacement when he retired, John Dromo. Unseld averaged 20.6 points and 18.9 rebounds per game in his career. His best season was his senior year under first year coach Dromo. He averaged 23 points and 18.3 rebounds per game. Unseld was a two-time All-American and helped lead Louisville to the postseason in all 3 of his years playing varsity; once to the NIT in his sophomore year and twice to the NCAA Tournament his junior and senior years.
Once his career ended at Louisville, he looked to professional basketball. Back then, there were two leagues, the ABA and the NBA. Unseld was a highly sought after prospect. His production at the college level was unbelievable and so the Baltimore Bullets made him the second overall pick in the 1968 NBA Draft. However, his hometown Kentucky Colonels chose him in the ABA Draft. Unseld chose the Bullets.
His NBA career was as legendary as his college career. Unseld came right into the league and was a dominant force at C for the Bullets. He averaged 13.8 points. 18.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists per game for the Bullets in his rookie season. He became only the second player, and last one, to win the NBA’s Rookie of the Year and MVP awards in the same season. The only other player to do that was Wilt Chamberlain and no one has done it since Unseld.
Unseld played 13 seasons in total before retiring in 1981. In those years, he led the Bullets to 4 NBA Finals and won one ring in 1978. During those finals, Unseld averaged 9 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. This effort led to Unseld being named the Finals MVP. To this day, it remains the only NBA title the franchise has won. His career was cut a little short due to injuries that plagued him. Yet, he retired having averaged a double-double (10.8 points per game, 14 rebounds per game) for his career. He also averaged 3.9 assists per game as a C. After such a stellar career, Unseld was inducted into the Hall of Fame. He was also honored as one of the NBA’s 50 greatest players.
After his playing career came to an end, Unseld stayed with the franchise as an executive and coach. Unseld served as the vice president, head coach, and general manager of the Bullets/Wizards at various times from 1981-2003. It can be argued he was one of the most, if not the most, influential figures in the franchise’s history.
One of his most powerful endeavors, and one he was likely most proud of, was the creation of the Unselds’ School in Baltimore. It’s a private school Unseld started with his earnings from his NBA career in 1979. His beloved wife Connie, a former educator in the Baltimore public school system, was the driving force behind its creation. Children from all walks of life have been educated by the Unseld family; pre-K to 8th grade. It was Connie’s vision and Unseld, the devoted and loving husband, helped to make it a reality.
Unseld was a legend on and off the court. During his career, he stood 6’7 and seemed to be chiseled out of rock; a moving monolith on the court. He was known for his bone jarring picks, his rebounding prowess, his excellent defense, and his epic outlet passes. Off the court, he was a gentile giant. A man who you could tell had a heart of gold and enjoyed making people feel special.
How do I know that last part? It’s because I was blessed enough to have met him one time. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr Unseld about 18 years ago. I was working at the Big&Tall shop. He was in town scouting for the Bullets. As he browsed, he found he needed to ask me some questions about our merchandise. This led to us conversing, but I can’t remember exactly about what. It was at least a 10 minute conversation though. Mr. Unseld did not end up purchasing anything. At the end as he left, however, he shook my hand & said, “thank you young man. God bless you.” I never forgot that. In that one interaction, I could see he was a great man. Here was a man who was a HOF b-ball player and a legend. A man who was making a huge difference in the community of Baltimore. I was a 19 year old nobody; a college kid making $8 an hour. Yet, he thanked me & shook my hand just for answering a couple of merchandise related questions and talking with him for a few moments. He made it seem as if I had made his day. I don’t know that I actually did, but he made mine. I still tell this story to friends to this day. I can see why he impacted lives greatly outside basketball.
If there is ever a Mount Rushmore carved into some hillside around Louisville for UofL Men’s Basketball, Wes Unseld would undoubtedly be one of the faces to adorn it. Many Louisville fans who never got to see him play heard the stories of his playing days from their parents or grandparents. His number is but one of four retired by UofL. He was a man of character, a man that made a poor college kid working a menial job feel like he was important. He made me feel like I mattered. With his school, he helped hundreds of Baltimore youth feel like they mattered. The world needs more men like Wes Unseld. He will be missed by Louisville, Baltimore, and me.
Here is what UofL Athletics had to say about the Cardinal legend:
PRESS RELEASE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT:
Cardinal Great Wes Unseld Passes Away
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Wes Unseld, a member of the University of Louisville and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, passed away on Tuesday. He was 74.
“Wes is one of my all-time favorite players,” said UofL Vice-President/Director of Athletics Vince Tyra. “Like dad (former UofL All-America Charlie Tyra), he was a local player who had great success at UofL. What’s as impressive was his NBA career as both a player and coach. Wes was a UofL and NBA Hall of Famer that used his platform to create change in education for generations to come. He was truly one of the finest ever to wear a Cardinal uniform. All of us in Card Nation offer our thoughts and prayers with the Unseld family.”
Unseld’s number 31 is one of just four retired numbers in UofL history. In three seasons at UofL (1965-68), he amassed 1,686 points (11that UofL) and 1,551 rebounds (2nd at UofL). A consensus All-American during his junior and senior years, Unseld is one of only five Cardinal players to pull down over 1,000 rebounds in his career.
A native of Louisville who graduated from Seneca High School, he began his senior season with a 45-point effort against Georgetown College, a UofL single-game scoring record that stands today.
Unseld was honored on the All-Missouri Valley Conference team each of his three years at UofL while leading the Cardinals to a combined 60-22 record. As a sophomore, he led the Cardinals to a final No. 2 ranking in both wire service polls while averaging 18.7 points and 19.0 rebounds. In his final season at UofL in 1967-68, he averaged 23.0 points and 18.3 rebounds when the Cardinals posted a 21-7 record and were ninth in the final Associated Press poll. Unseld’s 20.6 career scoring average ranks as the best in Louisville history and his 18.9 career rebounding average is also the highest for a Cardinal.
Following his career at UofL, Unseld was chosen as the second player overall in the 1968 NBA Draft by the Baltimore Bullets. He went on to play 13 years for the Baltimore/Capital/Washington Bullets (1968-81), where he became the second player in NBA history to be chose NBA Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player in the same season. He was a five-time NBA All-Start and was named the Championship Series MVP when he led the Bullets to the 1978 NBA title.
He was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988 and was selected among the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history in 1996 to honor the 50th anniversary of the league. He served as head coach of the Bullets from 1988-94 and worked in the organization’s front office for many years.

domain: sports


text:
quick drawing o.o
Flash Draw Created Jun 05, 2010 640 x 460px Unless noted Copyright 2010 bball4eva999.
We encourage you to submit a comment and let the artist know what you think of this drawing. Please log in or join to post a comment.
It could do without the highlights, but the flower and mouth represent a lot and are very well drawn.
wahhhh how pritty o3o 5h n faved (:
It's seems so easy to you to use java tool ! It's a lovely drawing !
she is so kuute, i luv her hair! C:
do you know how much I love this drawing? :D it's so awesome. the right anatomy, the face is AWESOME, and I love the hair, too. :) I LOVE THIS. 5/5 favs.
This is so pretty! Loving the colors ^^ 5/5 + faves!!
Beautiful hair :O She's so pretty! I like the purple ^ ^ 5h!
quick draw? this is great!
i love this style the shading is also awesome too OoO
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domain: artistic


- The purpose of the Provincial Employment Strategy Committee is to develop and implement educational strategies for training, retraining and re-employment of Employees to meet current and future human resources needs and to provide employment security. The Employer agrees to deduct the Employees’ share of the Employment Insurance rebate and match that deduction and forward to the Employment Strategy Committee those monies on a monthly basis.
- To provide current employees employment security through the mandate of the committee. CUPE employees for the purpose of this committee are employees in Locals 3967, 4777, 4980, 5111 and 5999.
- Establish program direction, action strategies and policies and procedures;
- Review and approve the payment of requests as appropriate;
- Determine signing authorities for financial and operational needs;
- Prepare and publish a monthly financial statement;
- Contract an independent auditor to produce a yearly audited financial statement for the program;
- Develop and maintain an adequate information system to support the committee’s needs;
- Establish an appeals process related to funding requests; and
- Address proactive processes that support a representational workforce which shall include, but not be limited to, identifying employment opportunities, education and training, and preparing workplaces.
The committee shall provide an annual operations report by September 1st of each year, including an annual operations statement, educational expenditures (program specific) and educational strategies implemented to meet current and future human resources needs, etc. to each Employer, each Local of the Union and the CUPE Health Care Council.
- Chairperson - will rotate between Union and Employer Committee members effective January 1st of odd numbered years. The Chairperson’s term shall be for two (2) years.
- Administrative Support – the Provincial Employment Strategy Committee Office Coordinator will provide administrative support.
- Membership – comprised of ten (10) voting members and two (2) non-voting advisors, for a term of at least two (2) years:
- five (5) appointees from the CUPE locals, or named alternates;
- five (5) appointees from the Employer Regional Health Authorities or named alternates;
- one (1) advisor from CUPE or named alternate; and
- one (1) advisor from SAHO or named alternate;
- Quorum – will be at least three (3) CUPE voting members and at least three (3) Employer voting members.
- Decision-making – will be determined by majority of all voting committee members.
- Meetings and/or conference calls shall be held quarterly, or at the call of the chair.
- Minutes shall be distributed to the members of the committee and posted to the SAHO/CUPE website once approved.
- Terms of Reference will be reviewed every two (2) years.


text:
SYDNEY: Gold output in Australia, the world’s second biggest producer, slipped 2% in the first quarter, due in part to mining of lesser grade ores during a period of higher bullion prices, a survey released on Sunday showed.
Australian gold production reached some 71 tonnes in the first quarter, around 1.5 tonnes, or 2% lower, than the previous quarter, according to the survey by sector consultants Surbiton Associates in Melbourne.
“Many operators have the flexibility to trim their grades and still make a reasonable profit,” said Surbiton’s director, Sandra Close.
“If the overall grade is reduced by just a fraction of a gram per tonne, it will reduce the total gold output by several tonnes.”
Close said mining companies had preserved some richer grade ores for leaner times while gold prices firmed in the first quarter, leading to the decline.
That strategy may not play out in the current quarter as gold prices once again contract.
Gold prices have been falling for most of the second quarter, both in US dollar and Australian dollar terms.
Since late April, the Australian dollar has fallen 5.8% against the US dollar, while the US dollar gold price has dropped 6.5%.
“Gold has been on the back foot for a month now,” said Warwick Grigor, a director of fund manager Far East Capital.
“Had it not been for the simultaneous fall in the Australian dollar, the market reaction would have been greater,” Grigor said.
The US gold price last week suffered its biggest fall since early November – its fourth straight weekly decline – amid growing expectations that a US interest rate hike may be on the cards sooner rather than later.
A reversal in economic policy in Australia that led to the country’s first rate hike in a year this month also has kept downward pressure on the Australian dollar, which was helping some producers maintain margins as prices dropped, according to Jake Klein, executive chairman of Evolution Mining, Australia's second biggest gold miner.
“Five years ago, Australia would have been in the highest-cost quartile of gold miners,” Klein said. – Reuters
“Today it is probably the lowest, in absolute terms and also when taking into account the weaker Australian dollar,” Klein said.
“That has been a great help.” Australia’s gold output was 285 tonnes in 2015, a distant second to the roughly 450 tonnes dug out of mines in China last year, according to industry data.
A decade ago, South Africa was the top gold producer followed by the United States, Australia and China. – Reuters


text:
Effect of Soil texture on water Storage and Water Movement
Differences in the ability of different soil types to store water do exist. Sandy soils hold about 101.6 mm (4 in) of available water within the depth of root penetration about 1.22 m (48 in), loams and clay loams 152.4 to 177.8 mm (6 to7 in), and clays about 203.2 m (8 in).
Figure 1 Change in infiltration rate with time.
The rates at which water penetrates the soil and moves in it depend mainly on soil texture, and it is called infiltration rate. Figure 1 shows the relationship between soil texture and water infiltration. A sandy soil has large pore spaces through which water will move quickly and easily, clay soils have smaller pore spaces, causing water to move more slowly.
Soil Water Management Strategies
There are two basic sources of moisture for crop use: Growing season precipitation and soil stored moisture (e.g snow) received during the nongrowing season. Any practice that keeps rain/ snow where it falls causes more water to enter the soil. Such practices include the following:
- Conservation of snow.
- Use of crop residues.
- Tillage operations.
Conservation of snow
Research work conducted at Swift Current and elsewhere on the prairies has shown that significant amounts of moisture may be conserved by leaving the stubble standing to trap snow during the winter, than if it was worked down or destroyed by fire. Fall cultivation of stubble resulted in 15 to 20 mm (0.59 to 0.78 in) less soil water recharge than standing stubble which also translated into measurable yield differences of approximately 20 kg/ha/mm (7.6 bu/ac/in). A modification of stubble management has recently shown some promise. At Swift Current, the use of cereal trap strips resulted in the conservation of 13 mm (0.51 in) of extra available soil moisture compared to stubble cut at a uniform standard height. Interestingly, it was noted that significantly higher spring wheat yields were obtained in the stubble trap strip compared to those of short stubble especially in the dry years. When the soil is dry, up to half of the snowfall or 10 - 15 % of annual precipitation, can be stored in the soil provided the snow is held in the field.
Moisture from snow retention can provide the crop a good start in the spring, but it cannot alleviate a drought if rainfall during the growing season is inadequate.
Use of crop residues
Crop residue left on the surface reduces soil erosion. It also helps to conserve water by decreasing evaporation and runoff and by increasing snow retention and water infiltration. The effectiveness of crop residues in conserving water depends on the amount left on the soil surface.
Tillage operations (direction and frequency) can have effect on moisture conservation. Tillage across, rather than up and down, hilly land helps to prevent rapid runoff of water. The number of tillage operations directly determine the amount of crop residue left on the soil surface. In other words, each tillage operation reduces both the amount of residue, and consequently the amount of water conserved.
Zero tillage or direct seeding places the seed directly in the seedbed with no prior tillage. This prevents drying out the seedbed through tillage and ensures a firm, moist seedbed for rapid germination. The soil temperature will, however, be slightly cooler due to a greater reflectance of solar radiation by the crop residue than on a field with less crop residue due to tillage operations.
The practice of summerfallowing requires that the soil possess the capability to capture and store available water during the 21 month period of fallow preceding spring sowing. As mentioned earlier, different soil types possess different water holding capacities. As a result, there have been claims that summerfallowing is inefficient in conserving moisture. Supporters of summerfallowing contend that:
- Higher yields on summerfallow illustrate that moisture is conserved and nitrogen is increased in the soil during the summerfallow period.
- Frequent cultivation reduces weed population and consequently reduces chemical costs.
- Summerfallowing also distributes the workload more evenly throughout the year.
- It stabilizes farm income and reduces or eliminates the problems caused by insufficient quotas.
On the other hand, non-supporters of summerfallow point to its negative aspects, they claim that:
- Wind and water erosion are increased.
- Organic matter in the soil is reduced, this lowers the water holding capacity of the soil and in some cases increases soil salinity, resulting in decreased fertility and consequently reduced yields.
On average summerfallowing is most effective in conserving water in areas with intermediate spring soil water content and on soils with a higher available water holding capacity. Soil water contents at heading were greater under wheat fallow rotation compared to continuous wheat and increased with increased available water holding capacity. Given the conditions that exist in the arid regions of the Brown and Dark Brown soil zones, it would appear that any little amount of moisture conserved through summerfallow in these regions may be quite beneficial at the start of the season.
Plant Available Water
Plants can readily use water held in the soil between field capacity and the permanent wilting point. This is called available water. It is measured in millimetres or in inches of water per unit depth of soil. Medium and heavy textured soils hold much more available water than coarse or sandy soils.
A soil is at field capacity after being thoroughly soaked and allowed to drain freely for a few days. For most soils this is the best moisture condition for plant growth because the soil holds maximum amount of available water to the plant. Field capacity also depends on soil texture in that clay soils hold more water at field capacity than sandysoils.
Permanent Wilting Point
As crops draw water from the soil, it becomes increasingly difficult for them to use the water that is left. If no water is added to the soil, at some point plants will not be able to extract enough moisture to meet their requirements,consequently they begin to wilt. At this point the soil water is referred to as Permanent Wilting Point. That is the point at which soil water is no longer available to plants.
Determination of Soil Moisture
The simplest way to determine soil moisture content is by the "feel" method. By feeling, squeezing and observing a handful of soil, one can determine the soil texture. Based on the soil texture and depth of moist soil one can determine the amount of moisture present in the soil. The only equipment needed is a shovel or auger to obtain samples of the soil from the desired depths. Figure 3 outlines determination of soil texture by the "feel method". The Brown Soil Probe is an effective tool for determining the depth to which the soil is moist.
Effects of Moisture on Plant Growth
Moisture and germination
Moisture availability has been regarded as the major factor determining the onset of germination. Germination is assumed to start if the soil moisture content is higher than 1.2 times Wilting point. As long as this condition is satisfied, germination proceeds unhampered through its various phases, until at the end of seven days germination is assumed to be completed and emergence occurs. If the soil dries out to less than 1.2 times Wilting point within 4 days after the onset of germination, the process is halted and will resume after rewetting from the point where it stopped. If drying out occurs four or more days after the onset of germination, deterioration of the germinating seeds takes place. If the dry conditions persist for more than six days, the seeds are assumed dead and there will be no crop established from that seed.
Functions of water in the plant
Water serves four general conditions in plants: the major constituent of the physiologically active tissue; As a reagent in photosynthetic and hydrolytic processes; As a solvent for salts, sugars and other solutes and water is essential for the maintenance of turgidity necessary for cell enlargement and growth.
The amount of water used by the crop or evapotranspiration at any time depends on the growth stage of the crop, air and soil temperature, wind speed, relative humidity, plant physiology and available soil water. Research in Alberta has indicated that for Hard Red and Soft White Spring Wheats under irrigation, water use ranges from 1.0 to 3.0 mm/ day (0.04 to 0.12 in/day] during the early stages of growth, rising to 7.0 to 7.5 mm/day (0.28 to 0.30 in/day] during the boot to bloom stages. This conforms with the report of Dunlop and Shaykewich (1982) that the rate of water evapotranspiration at the beginning of the season is low, perhaps 30% of potential evapotranspiration but equals potential evapotranspiration as soon as the leaves provide complete ground cover. It remains at this level until the crop begins to mature at which time water use drops off rather rapidly.
Water uptake and extraction patterns are related to root density. In general 50 to 60% of the total water uptake occurs from the first 0.3 m (1ft), 20 to 25% from the second 0.3 m (1ft), 10 to 15% from the third 0.3 m (1ft) and less than 10% from the fourth 0.3 m (1ft) soil depth. Normally 100% of the water uptake occurs over the first 1.0 to 1.5 m (3.3 - 5.0 ft).
Moisture stress at various growth stages and yield
As previously mentioned, the wheat plant requires different amounts of water at different stages of growth. Research has shown that water stress at some of the stages of growth can significantly reduce grain yield.
Campbell (1968) in Saskatchewan using Chinook Wheat cultivar, determined the effect of soil water stress applied at various growth stages. The wheat was grown in clay loam soil in a growth chamber at 80% relative humidity. Different combinations of "dry" and "wet" periods were maintained for comparisons. The dry period involved re-wetting the soil to field capacity (25% by soil weight] after water was depleted to near permanent wilting point (10% by soil weight]. The wet treatment involved re-wetting after soil was depleted to 16% by weight. It was found that the highest yields were obtained when plants were grown under dry conditions to shot blade stage (stage immediately preceding emergence of the head from the sheath] and wet conditions thereafter. This treatment apparently had the highest number of heads per pot, along with good seed set. The lowest yields were obtained when the water conditions were reversed. This treatment had the lowest number of heads even though the seed set was over 60%. Similar findings come from the work of Lehane and Staple (1962) who found that grain yields on loam soils subjected to stress during early stages of growth were more than twice those of late stress. Crops with early stress yielded about two thirds of optimum and those with late stress one third of optimum. The optimum yields were obtained under optimum moisture conditions (i.e soils were brought up to field capacity each time the available moisture was reduced to 75% of its initial value) and optimum yields differed little with soil texture. It was noted that crops with late moisture stress on heavy clay suffered much less resulting in significantly greater yields than those on loams. The greater yields were attributed to reduced growth and transpiration in early stages of the crop so that more moisture was left for heading and filling.
The most critical stages for rainfall is at planting to emergence and at five-leaf stage to early dough for wheat grown on stubble, and at Shot blade to Soft dough for wheat grown on fallow.
Campbell et al., (1988) reported that for both fallow and stubble systems, precipitation received during grain development (five leaf to soft dough) was very important, but for stubble seeded crops on dryland, precipitation at seeding was just as important since it is required for proper plant establishment. It was noted that precipitation at seeding has not been fully emphasized in the past because of the higher stored soil moisture in fallow and that the influence of growing season precipitation on yield only becomes critical after the five leaf stage - when stored water would normally become depleted if early growing precipitation was low.
Table 1. The importance of rainfall by stage of growth for wheat at Swift Current.
|Wheat growth stage||Relative Importance(%)|
|Planting - emergence||29||14|
|Emergence - 3 leaf||8||16|
|3-leaf - 5 leaf||1||10|
|Shot blade - soft dough||16||42|
|Soft dough - harvest||11||3|
Water use efficiencies - general
Water use efficiencies (WUE) have varied depending on the wheat type, soil zone, and type of cropping (fallow vs stubble). For instance, in Manitoba, Rourke (1989) recently reported WUE values of 10.5 and 13.7 kg/ha/mm (4.0 and 5.2bu/ac/in) of water for Hard Red Spring and Canadian Prairie Spring wheats respectively. See Table 2.
Table 2 - The effect of water use on grain yield of wheat.
|Market class||Cultivar||Threshold value**||bu/ac/in*||Years||Location||Source|
|HRS||various||5.4||4.9||1925-52||Swift current,SK||Staple and Lehane, 1954|
|HRS||various||5.9||4.3||1925-52||Swift current,SK||Staple and Lehane, 1954|
|HRS||Sinton||3.5||4.0||1977-79||Outlook,SK||Henry, J.L. unpub. data|
|HRS||Neepawa||1.4||3.5||1981-85||Brooks,AB||McKenzie, R.C. unpub. data|
|SWS||Fielder||4.5||4.1||1977-79||Outlook,SK||Henry, J.L unpub. data|
|SWS||Fielder||2.1||5.4||1981-85||Brooks, AB||McKenzie, R.C. unpub. data|
|Extra Strong||Glenlea||4.4||4.4||1977-79||Outlook, SK||Henry, J.L unpub. data|
|CPS||HY 320||3.2||5.6||1983-85||Brooks, AB||McKenzie, R.C. unpub. data|
± HRS=Hard Red Spring: SWS=Soft White Spring: CPS=Canada Prairie Spring
*Marginal yield increase=Additional bu of grain produced for each inch of moisture above threshold value.
**Threshold value=Minimum amount of available moisture needed to produce a grain crop.
Source, Henry et al., 1986
Soil temperature and germination
Soil temperature affects the germination and growth of cereal crops. Soil temperature varies with time and depth, and is determined by the radiation reaching the soil surface, the quality of the surface thermal conductivity and heat capacity of the soil.
Spring cereals seems to emerge rapidly at soil temperatures ranging from 24 to 28°C. The rate of emergence of spring wheat increased from 6 to 24°C, however, final emergence was not affected. The minimum temperature for germination of cereal crop is 4°C and preferred temperature is 20°C.
Soil temperature and plant growth
Soil temperature affects plant growth indirectly by affecting water and nutrient uptake as well as root growth. At a constant moisture content, a decrease in temperature results in a decrease in water and nutrient uptake. At low temperatures, transport from the root to the shoot and vice versa is reduced.
The optimum temperatures for root growth are probably lower than for shoot growth and can differ with growth stages. The optimum temperature for root growth of spring wheat was found to be 22°C or less.
Temperature and plant growth
Temperature determines the rate of crop development and consequently affects the length of the total growing period of the crop. Growth starts at some minimum temperature (4-5°C). As temperature increases, rate of plant growth increases until an optimum temperature is reached. Mean daily temperature for optimum growth and tillering is between 15 and 20°C. The rate of growth will decline as the temperature rises above this optimum range. At the end growing season, growth will stop when air temperature falls below 5°C.
The interval between floral initiation and anthesis is shorter at high temperature (30°C) than at low temperature (10°C). Increased light intensities resulted in an increased rate of elongation of the developing inflorescence and earlier anthesis (flowering).
Growing Degree Days
Growing degree days (GDD) are calculated as the difference between mean daily temperature, and a (base) threshold temperature taken as 5°C for wheat. In the literature, the base temperature has ranged from 0 to 5.5°C. The growing degree days are calculated for each day of the growing season and summed to give an accumulated degree days for the growing season.
Cumulative growing degree days has been shown to be a reliable estimator of hard red spring wheat pre-anthesis (flowering) development rate and grain dry matter assimilation rate. The utilization of GDD has been used as an estimator of change in spike (head) and grain water concentration, hence the stage of maturity. It was found that GDD accounted for 90% of the variability in spike water. Research is still underway in North America to more fully determine the relationships between GDD and other characteristics associated with growth stages.

domain: geography


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- County Commissioners passed the new rules on Public Comments.
- It didn’t go over well. Lots of arguing.
- The County is probably going to get sued.
Schuylkill County Commissioners passed a set of controversial rules this week that severely limits public participation during public meetings.
The new rules voted into effect on Wednesday require the public to submit any public comments in writing that they want to be read during Commissioners meetings. Rules also ban the public and press from recording meetings without notifying the Commissioners ahead of time.
Mostly, these rules apply to public meetings held via Zoom or any other “virtual” format.
The Commissioners were split on the vote on Wednesday. Majority Commissioners Boots Hetherington and George Halcovage voted in favor of the new rules. Democrat Commissioner Gary Hess opposed it.
These rules were first proposed at a meeting last week but the issue was tabled for further review. However, this week, the rules appeared unchanged on the Commissioners meeting agenda.
Both before and after the rules were passed, a fuming public let the Commissioners know they’re not happy with the end result.
Schuylkill Commissioners Pass Controversial Public Comments Policy
There are numerous new rules implemented with this policy. Here are a few of the highlights:
Two Public Comment Periods
This has been in place since shortly after Hetherington took over for Halcovage as Commissioners Chairman. Halcovage stepped aside as Chair amid an investigation into alleged sexual harassment at the Courthouse.
During the first period, held right after the Pledge of Allegiance to open the meeting, the public may comment on items included in the weekly meeting agenda.
Random comments on non-agenda items will be relegated to a period toward the end of the meeting.
All Comments Submitted in Writing
Any member of the public wishing to have their comments heard must submit them in writing to the Courthouse via email by 3 p.m. the day prior to a public meeting. Commissioners say they’ll have an agenda posted no later than 10 a.m. the day before a meeting. But that gives just 5 hours (in the middle of a workday) to submit comments.
The Commissioners didn’t discuss protocol for accepting or rejecting public comments submitted by writing.
3 Topics, Everyone Knows the Rules
People submitting public comments or those speaking in person at Commissioners meetings may only discss 3 non-agenda topics.
3 Minute Time Limit
Instead of 5 minutes, comments are now limited to just 3 minutes.
Comment by Proxy
If the Commissioners Chairman decides too many people want to make comments on the same topic, they can require that a spokesperson be appointed on behalf of the group.
In a direct attack on the press and public, the Chair requires that anyone wishing to record these public meetings give prior notice that they’re doing so.
These new rules are littered with inconsistencies and obvious unconstitutional mandates. For instance, Pennsylvania law does not require that any consent or notice be given to record public meetings.
And how can a spokesperson be appointed if comments are going to be read by someone from the County physically at the meeting?
It’s at this point we should remind readers that the County waited a full week to pass these rules after balking at them last week. In the meantime, they were once again reviewed by at least one attorney.
(See full new rules below.)
Why were the rules passed?
Hetherington appears to the be one spearheading this push to enact the new rules. He’s becoming increasingly frustrated during his short time as Commissioners chairman with the subject matter of the public comments.
Boots said several times on Wednesday that his new rules were about restoring order and bringing a sense of decorum to the weekly meetings.
Many, since he took over the gavel, have focused on Halcovage and the scandal in which he’s involved currently. Comments made by some have the Commissioner doing this, that, and the other and at this point, are merely accusations.
The Commissioners also felt the heat from the public recently over their bloodthirsty pursuit of the former GIANT grocery store property in Pottsville.
And for the last couple months, the board has been peppered by calls wanting to know when small businesses might benefit from some of the CARES Act funding the County received and continues to spend.
Prior to these new rules passing, Hetherington has tinkered with and shown increased frustration with the comments period.
Accusations used to flow freely right at the top of the meeting. Then, Boots split the public comments periods between agenda and non-agenda items.
In the last month or so, Boots has fired back at callers when he feels they’ve gotten out of line. That really came to a head on Wednesday, especially after the bullish Commissioners adopted the new rules, surely knowing they’d be challenged in court.
On Wednesday, he said that these rules weren’t written to stifle public comment, rather establish some order to the meetings.
“Anyone who knows me personally knows I listen,” Hetherington said. “Calls have gotten out of control.”
Hetherington also said Wednesday that he believes the 3 people who comment regularly “monopolize” the entire public comment period.
“How is that free speech?” he wondered.
Boots said, last week 32 people were on the Zoom line but only 3 spoke. However, at no time were the public comments periods closed from further discussion, so anyone else listening to the call on Zoom could have easily spoken up and said they’d like to comment. Nothing stopped them.
Hetherington really didn’t seem to like how the prolonged comment sessions extended the time of the meetings longer than he’d like.
“It’s taking a lot of our time. It’s the same comments over and over again,” he said.
Backlash to New Schuylkill County Commissioners Public Comment Rules
The backlash to the Commissioners insistence on pushing for these new rules was swift and furious.
At the end of Wednesday’s meeting, Hetherington was clearly beside himself. You could hear someone in the Commissioners board room tell him to “take your time” after a few seconds of radio silence. Hetherington seemed to mute one speaker, former Mount Carbon Mayor Jeff Dunkel, during the second public comment session Wednesday. The commissioner had ruled the speaker out of order and the two battled each other for air time until the audio went silent.
But prior to that episode, several members of the public and the lone dissenting Commissioner, Hess, expressed their displeasure with Wednesday’s vote.
“We work for the people. We serve at the will of the people,” Hess said just before the vote was taken. “My point is, you listen to them. Proper decorum is needed. This is a professional setting. To call names is not good.”
Hess also believes there shouldn’t be separate rules for people who attend meetings in person versus virtually through the County’s Zoom line.
He also said he wants to be able to see what comments are submitted.
“I want to read them in their entirety to make sure nothing gets tossed away,” he added. “Public servant is supposed to listen. You’ve got to take, sometimes, the criticism and ridicule. Sometimes, it’s hard,” Hess said. “You take the advice and go correct it. It’s the only way you can make a good, sound vote.
“With the way this is written, deep in my heart, I can not approve this,” Hess said. “We need the people to speak, to hear them.”
Halcovage, who voted in favor of the rules, cited “Robert’s Rules of Order” in saying it’s up to the Commissioners Chairman to decide how meetings function.
He defended Hetherington by saying that Boots apparently contacted other counties to see what their rules were on public comments. Based on the conversation in the board room on Wednesday, it sounds like Berks County was contacted.
“Follow the law”
Clerk of Courts Maria Casey said, despite what Boots said about the First Amendment, that what the Commissioners were doing was illegal.
“You can not abridge peoples’ First Amendment rights,” she said.
Casey believes these rules are moving forward in an effort to protect Halcovage from more accusations.
“This is all designed to protect him and the underlying litigation where 4 women have currently charged him with sexual harassment and that is what this is designed to do,” she said. “To keep …”
At that point, Hetherington interrupted Casey and said, “This is a personnel matter. You probably shouldn’t be discussing that in the board room.”
Casey did not appreciate being cut off and then lectured Hetherington on her interpretation of the law.
“Follow the law on free speech,” she told Boots.
“Don’t cut me off!”
Ringtown resident Doug Litwhiler apparently crossed Boots’ line on order during his second comment period of the day. He was discussing matters involving Halcovage and got the hook from Hetherington.
But that didn’t go over well with the caller.
“Listen. Don’t cut me off. I’m tired of you cutting people off,” he said. “You say slander. The only thing we talk is the truth. You know why there’s 40 people on the call? People in the courthouse send us messages. This stuff comes from the people who you’re supposed to be in charge of. We don’t make it up.”
Savas Logothetides, the head of Pottsville Area Development Corp. (among other roles), has commented once in a while about the status of the CARES Act money and the county’s pursuit of the former GIANT property. He says the Commissioners only have themselves to blame for the comments getting out of control.
“I’ve conducted myself with respect and dignity throughout this comment period and I find it very offensive the enacting of this policy,” he said. “What has perpetuated these comments is your own lack of transparency.”
Logothetides also questioned the limited time window in which the public can submit comments in writing going forward.
“It’s not sensible,” he said. “It’s not logical and it’s not right. Just because Berks County has set a precedent does not mean that it’s right.”
“Public feedback comes with the job.”
Commenting prior to the vote on Wednesday, Lisa Von Ahn, co-chair of Schuylkill Indivisible, said, “I’m appalled at this public comment policy. Public feedback comes with the job, which I believe also comes with a taxpayer-funded salary. I’m concerned this is a license to censor and vet valid comments about the way the county’s being run. There is no reason why anyone should ask permission to record it.”
You can read the full text of the new rules below:
10-21-20 Motion Public Comments BOC Mtgs (1)

domain: politics


text:
War & Peace
Al-Awda NY | September 2007 marks the 25th anniversary of the massacre at Sabra and Shatila, when thousands of Palestinian refugees, Lebanese, Syrians and Egyptians were massacred in the Palestinian refugee camp of Shatila and the neighborhood of Sabra in one of the most horrifying massacres in recent history. The massacres at these refugee camps, carried out by right-wing Phalangist militias in Lebanon at the behest and with the approval of invading Zionist armies, were yet another catastrophe visited upon the Palestinian refugee population by a force determined to crush the Palestinian people, their resistance, and their very existence. more... 0 Comments
WRL | The New York chapter of the War Resisters League kicked off a
Jaap den Haan | Karen Armstrong, the British theologian and author of numerous books on the great religions, has advanced the theory that fundamentalist religion is a response to and product of modern culture. A Catholic nun for seven years, she left her order while studying at Oxford University. She is one of the 18 leading group members of the Alliance of Civilizations, an initiative of the former UN General Secretary Kofi Annan, with the purpose of fighting extremism and furthering dialogue between the Western and Islamic worlds. Andrea Bistrich interviewed her for Share International more... 0 Comments
criticize troops | It is time to criticize our troops for fighting unjust war of aggression and conquest for oil and corporate war profits in Iraq and Afghanistan THEY ARE WAR CRIMINALS FOR DOING THIS. They are all volunteers. They have killed thousands of civilians already in these 2 countries. Like the Vietnam War. Another war based on lies and racist capitalist greed. The military industrial complex. Tell others to criticize the troops. If you support the troops, you support the war. It is like saying you oppose rape and murder but support rapists and murderers. That's why anti-war movement is failing. more... 0 Comments
Hussein Al-Arabi, Iraq Solidarity Campaign | International concern was first raised by Astrid Van Genderen Stort, a UNHCR spokeswoman in Geneva, who stated in 2005, "They (Palestinians) have been victims of night raids, arbitrary arrests and torture carried out by Iraqi security forces."
repost | For those of us who can easily remember 25 years ago, one event that we certainly remember and ask that all learn from is the US/Israel/Fascist massacre of Palestinian women, children and old men at Sabra and Shatila refugee camps, paid for with US tax dollars, aided by the US puppet Israel.
Common Sense | See attached article. more... 3 Comments
BBC | Members of an Australian television comedy show have been arrested and charged after breaching the tightest security the city has ever seen.
Larry Johnson | "Barksdale Air Force Base is being used as a jumping off point for Middle East operations. Gee, why would we want cruise missile nukes at Barksdale Air Force Base. Can't imagine we would need to use them in Iraq. Why would we want to preposition nuclear weapons at a base conducting Middle East operations?" more... 4 Comments
E. SAN JUAN, Jr. | Colluding with U.S. & Filipino reactionaries, Dutch fascist authorities arrested Jose Maria Sison, the world-renowned left activist, and raided the National Democratic Front International Information Office in Holland. This is a clear example of State Terrorism in the service of predatory imperialist capital. Progressives and democrats everywhere should protest this outrage and support the Filipino people's struggle for justice, equality, and true independence. more... 0 Comments
Et tu Brute | If right-wing straw-women like Condoleezza Rice so willingly label Iran’s Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization for the purpose of building a phony case for war against Iran, then it is high-time we Americans examine the little discussed question of just “who” is pulling America’s puppet strings—because such a war is not in our self-interest? more... 0 Comments
memes | False flag operations are covert operations conducted by governments, corporations, or other organizations which are designed to appear as if they are being carried out by other entities. more... 0 Comments
Mahatma | The US government plans to put a radar defence system in the Czech Republic and a missile system in Poland, claiming that it needs to counter a threat from Iran. more... 0 Comments
Paul Craig Roberts | "Bush has declared himself to be the "decider." The "decider" decides whether Americans have any rights under the Constitution and whether Iran has any rights under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. As the "decider" has decided that Iran has no such rights, the "decider" decides whether to attack Iran." more... 0 Comments
carl.co | - Better late then never.
Paul Craig Roberts | The media is silent. Congress is absent. Americans are distracted as George W Bush prepares aggression against Iran. more... 1 Comments
David Dixon | Join Stop War On Iran in Washington DC September 22-29 for the Encampment to Stop the War directly in front of the Capitol and the Sept 29 March on Washington. more... 0 Comments
Michael Collins | Strike activities are growing by the day. Formal events are listed below but there’s more. Every citizen is empowered by this essentially leaderless, egoless movement. This is one case where the people will actually lead if they choose. The impact of major public participation would shock those in power who ignore what they see as a passive public. more... 2 Comments
Felton Davis | 9/11 Documentary to be Shown
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text:
I’ve been reading The 1619 Project. It’s an enlightening book. The author describes plantations as work camps. I’ve never thought of Monticello, Mount Vernon and the like in the same light as Ravensbruck and Birkenau but they were. Enslaved African Americans were forced to work, brutally treated and in many cases killed to keep them towing the line. They were bred like livestock and treated the same or worse.
I learned in school that Lincoln freed the slaves with the Emancipation Proclamation but it took the Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendment to codify that into United States law. A new era emerged after the Civil War until the the end of the Reconstruction era when federal troops were withdrawn from the southern states. Then all hell broke loose as vigilante rule took over and Blacks and other people of color were systematically subjugated. Voter suppression and intimidation was the norm. Four thousand blacks were lynched between 1880 and 1940. Teenage Emmet Till was brutally murdered in 1955 for smiling at a white woman. People of color really weren’t free until the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1965.
Native Americans were forced off their lands and put on reservations. Schools were created to forcibly destroy their culture and they the original owners of the Americas were not granted the right to vote in the United States until 1925. Following World War 2 white American servicemen and women qualified for the GI Bill which helped many including my father to attend college and pursue professional lives. The GI Bill was denied to soldiers of color. There is so much that is not understood by whites about people of color and how our society is not color blind at all. Our lives as white people is skewed to benefit us while disenfranchising our brothers and sisters who are darker.
I don’t like the term racist as there is no such thing as race. It is a social construct that was created to justify the repression of people of color. We are all the same race, the human race. Paradoxically we are all prejudiced. It is normal and natural to feel more at home with those that look like us.
I know I’m prejudiced. I don’t want to be prejudiced but I am. I work to overcome that on a daily basis. What’s most distressing in this country is that we have systemic prejudice that many fail to recognize and accept. Many of our presidents owned slaves. When our founding documents were written in the 18th century Black people were enslaved, Native Americans had their land stolen and were routinely murdered.
We have a lot of work ahead of us to truly become the United States of America.

domain: sociology


text: Happy couple Josh Morris and lovely Morgan Daye from Tennessee first planned their engagement photo-shoot to be in front of Bald River Falls, an absolutely beautiful place but they didn’t exactly plan it this way. As their photographer, Kellie Elmore explains: “Josh and Morgan wanted to shoot in the mountains and around the falls from the beginning. It’s a beautiful area and reflects what brought them together; their interest in the outdoors, nature and hiking.” The couple knew that falls were gorgeous at any time of year, but they pleasantly shocked to see how stunning it was under its winter spell. “We didn’t know when we planned the shoot, but a few days prior we found out through social media that the falls were frozen.” In terms of being a safe place to be, they wanted first to make sure the ice was thick enough, but as they arrived there were already dozens of people on it. |The photo-shoot ended up strikingly magical and unforgettable for everyone involved. “I am overwhelmed and overjoyed. To have something you love so much to do be shared on such huge platforms and large scale, it’s a true blessing.” If you wish to see more check out Kellie Elmore’s Facebook page.


ATLANTA — It’s been exactly two weeks since the Knicks obtained Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups. Last night, they didn’t need either of them. Billups sat out with a bruised thigh, Anthony sat most of the fourth quarter, benched with blurred vision and a migraine after getting poked in the left eye.
Without their two new gems, these unpredictable Knicks didn’t miss a beat.With a terrific defensive effort, a throwback Amar’e Stoudemire fourth quarter and gritty second-half efforts by reserve guards Anthony Carter and Roger Mason Jr., the Knicks moved to 4-3 since the trade with a 92-79 victory over the Hawks before a Philips Arena crowd comprised mostly of joyous Knicks fans.
The place filled with revelry as the road team dominated the fourth quarter with a 19-2 run when Anthony was on the bench. The triumph temporarily erased the stench of Friday’s 119-115 loss to league-worst Cleveland.
Minus Melo, Stoudemire seemed to have more room to operate and scored 10 of his game-high 26 points in the fourth quarter. Stoudemire checked in for Anthony with 10:15 left and the Knicks up just five.
It’s a touchy issue on whether Stoudemire has more freedom to score without Anthony.
“A lot depends on how the game’s being played,” Stoudemire said. “We went and got it going and it becomes a tough decision on Coach [Mike D’Antoni] to make substitutions.”
In the first quarter, Anthony was poked in the eye by Al Horford and he said it caused an “instant migraine,” forcing him to remove his orange headband.
Anthony finished 6 of 18 with 14 points and five turnovers. His best work was moving the ball, notching seven assists before being taken out for the final 10:15 as Stoudemire and Co. took over the game.
“Everybody picked me up tonight,” said Anthony, who picked up three charges. “I got poked in the eye. It messed my vision up. I had a migraine the whole game. Just trying to figure it out and fight through it. I took the headband off. The pressure of the headband was just too tight.”
D’Antoni said he didn’t intend to bench Anthony, but the Knicks put the game away.
“I was going to give him two minutes, maybe three, then we started going and then I decided to keep him out a little longer,” D’Antoni said. Then we were up 15. Considering we have a game [tonight], anytime I can give him and Amar’e some rest, I’ll do that.”
Anthony said he’ll be ready for tonight’s game vs. Utah.
“I couldn’t really see,” Anthony said. “The eye was blurry. I was seeing double almost the whole game. When I was shooting the ball, I was just trying to get it up and get other guys going.”
The Knicks, who remain in the sixth seed by a half-game ahead of Philadelphia, held Atlanta to 37 points in the second half and 40 points less than Cleveland’s output. It was the lowest point total they’ve allowed this season. Jared Jeffries snuffed Horford, the Hawks’ All-Star center who was held to four points on 2-of-8 shooting, and Joe Johnson scored just 14.
“The great thing about it is we’re getting better on the fly,” Stoudemire said. “We can become a great team. It’s about being willing to do it every night consistently. It seems when we play tougher teams, we bring more energy. And on the contrary when we don’t play teams as good, we don’t bring the energy.”
The Knicks (32-29) could still be without Billups, who missed his third straight game with his sore thigh. They also were missing Ronny Turiaf and Billy Walker, both with knee soreness, but their modest bench stepped up big time.
It gave forgotten guard Mason major minutes — a season-high 25 — for the first time since the season’s second week. Mason scored five key points in the fourth quarter — his 3-pointer capping the 19-2 run and putting them up 83-65. Shawne Williams came off the bench to deliver 12 points. Carter, an Atlanta native, was clutch with 10 points in 15 minutes on 4-of-5 shooting.


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Sngmoo Lee experiences haptic glove technology during the 2018 Sundance Film Festival in Utah, where his VR film was selected to be screened. Courtesy of Sngmoo Lee
Sngmoo Lee, 56, a filmmaker and professor at the Korea National University of Arts in Seoul, is a pioneer in the cinematic potential of virtual reality (VR) technology.
He is the first Korean film director to have a VR film selected for screening at a major international film festival ― his short film "Eyes in the Red Wind" featured in the "New Frontier" category at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival in the United States.
During an interview with The Korea Times on Tuesday, Lee said films based on VR technology are still in the research and development phase and he expects it will take about a few more years for it to develop its own visual grammar.
Sngmoo Lee, filmmaker and professor at the Korea National University of Arts, is one of the most active VR filmmakers in Korea. Courtesy of Sngmoo Lee
"VR technology in general is not yet very commercial as of now," Lee said.
"It is very similar to the beginning period of film. People did not have a clear idea on how to apply the newly invented image technology. As it took some 20 years for film to develop its own image grammar, I think it will also take some time for VR technology to be widely used for films or other content," he added.
"The concept of virtual reality, VR, has been around since the 1950s; it is the ultimate dream of humankind to create a new universe of their own. Yet people generally consider that the year 2016 is the beginning of VR technology, as it was the year when consumers could begin to easily purchase a commercialized virtual reality headset."
Lee stressed that the technology is still in its infancy but had so much potential for various sectors, including the entertainment industry and medicine.
"There are so many terms like XR, VR and AR. Simply put, XR, or extended reality, is a general term encompassing both VR and AR. VR is about a separate world from reality, while AR, or augmented reality, embraces elements of the real world," he said.
"I foresee that a massive new content genre will be created in the next couple of decades, integrating the strengths of game, films and theaters all together. Now it is still in its beginning period."
The official poster image of interactive VR film "Nine VR: Come See Me," jointly produced by a consortium of academics and business entities.The director's representative commercial film is "The Warrior's Way," a 2010 New Zealand-South Korea fantasy action film starring Jang Dong-gun and Kate Bosworth.
"As a film director, I have long been favoring tech-based films," Lee said.
"I regarded it as an extension of filmmakers' expressions. Most of the scenes of the 'Warrior's Way' were shot in front of a blue screen."
"When I first encountered a prototype of VR technology in 2014, I thought it could be the ultimate medium that every storyteller has dreamt of. I was enthralled by the fact that it not only could invite audiences into a created world, but also let them participate in creating the world together."
The latest VR film Lee produced is the 13-minute interactive "Nine VR: Come See Me." The film is being showcased at the Kaohsiung Film Festival in Taiwan until Oct. 27.
The project was a joint effort among the Korea National University of Arts, startup company Maniamind and big conglomerate CJ Entertainment.
Based on the CJ-owned tvN show "Nine: 9 Times Time Travel," this spinoff film project is shown at an arcade space where the audience can experience entering the story themselves.
Lee's 2017 VR film "Eyes in the Red Wind" ― which he directed and wrote ― is a 360-degree sequence-shot film.
Unlike a so-called "active" VR film that requires a separate compartment for each audience member, this "passive" 360-degree three-axis film requires one space with about 20 to 30 swivel chairs for the audience.
Most major international film festivals, including Sundance, Tribeca, Berlin and Cannes, run VR film sections.
Usually about 10-12 arcade spaces, each set up for one person, are prepared for interactive VR films, as well as a bigger space with about 20 swivel chairs for 360-degree VR films.
Lee and students at the Korea National University of Arts work on scenes for Korea's first VR immersive theater show "First Crisis" in January 2019. Courtesy of Sngmoo Lee
"First Crisis" was another of Lee's VR projects ― immersive theater that was Korea's first attempt.
It used VR technology embracing elements of theater, animation, film and performance.
For each audience member to enjoy the show, they entered a space wearing a headset, with about 10 staff members participating in the performance.
"Currently, these innovative attempts constitute an initial phase of learning how VR technology could be used for cinematic and theatrical media," Lee said.
"As I said, in the next 10 or 20 years, I expect a new sort of VR content, unlike any previous genres like film or theater, will face their boom period."
Lee presents his VR film "Eyes in the Red Wind" during the 24th Geneva International Film Festival in Switzerland in November 2018. Courtesy of Sngmoo Lee
However, he also acknowledged that as the traditional film genre has very strong advantages, it will also remain, even after VR technology matures.
In the end, it's all about creativity and makers can choose their own medium to best represent what they wish to say.
"When compared to traditional films and VR content, creators can choose between the two, according to their own subject matter: what directors want to talk about. If directors want to invite audiences to their world, then they would employ VR technology, while when they want to present intricately woven plot stories with far-reaching influence, they can choose a traditional film genre," Lee said.
The film maker and professor also talked about his dream: "Creating an authentic universe would be every filmmaker's dream, including mine. As a VR maker, I hope that I could be one of the first visual storytellers who can create such an authentic world in the virtual space. As a filmmaker, I will continue to work on scenarios and potentially good films, as I always did."
"I'd like to give a piece of advice to the general public to expose themselves to good-quality VR content; then they will realize that this could be the true medium of the future. For those who are studying film or the media industry, they absolutely need to have knowledge of VR technology."


text:
The band that rendered Gothic-lifestyle en vogue returns with an enthralling live recording: with Blutengel’s sold out Berlin-show, an undisputed highlight of this year’s tour accompanying the sensational top 5 charts storming album “Monument.”
Home matches always conjure up the sort of special atmosphere that you cannot recreate anywhere else, the main reasons being that the concert is on home turf and in front of an audience that, in parts, has been following the band’s progress from the very start. When earlier in 2013, Blutengel not only got catapulted to an amazing #4 in the German album charts with their album “Monument”, but also faced a tour that encompassed larger venues than ever before, many of them sold out weeks before, Chris Pohl and his band quickly came to the decision that they wanted to record one of the shows for a live release. It is hardly any wonder that they eventually opted for the concert at Berlin’s traditional music hall “Huxley’s Neue Welt”, which sports an ambiance that seemed to fit hand in glove with the monumental performance of Blutengel. Backed by a selected ensemble comprised of piano, strings and percussion, Chris Pohl, Ulrike Goldmann and stage dancers presented their hit-laden anthems in an opulent cinematic sound to deliver a one-of-a-kind-experience. In the completely sold out concert hall in Berlin, the interplay between band and enthusiastic audience resulted in one of those magical evenings that none of the people that attended will probably ever forget. “Once In A Lifetime” captures this extraordinary concert with a lavish production in pristine quality: the digital download version features all 23 songs performed in Berlin (incl. big hits like “Reich mir die Hand”, “You Walk Away” or “Kinder dieser Stadt”) in a massive sound optimized for stereo setups. From the stage straight to your heart: there is no better way to get a grasp on the Blutengel-phenomenon!


text:
Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Salt and Pepper (07/24/14)
- TITLE: Oh To Be Salt, to be Your preservative,
By Judith Gayle Smith
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The main course – feeding on this wretched tiny woman living in malicious spite with her seemingly forever housemate, her embittered pathetic only son – childish, emotionally charged and at times, dully dispassionate. He was blessed/cursed by an IQ of 183, but did not fulfill, his mother’s expectations.
He lived his life to buck her at every opportunity: left college two weeks before his PHD, stopped being a professor at a nearby college and started carrying mail. The most horrific affront to his possessive, obsessive mother was to marry me while she was out of the country.
Slavering jaws dripped close. Equally cradled, tormented, shrieking, unmercifully trapped by devouring demons, she writhed miserably enslaved in her sheer paranoia, excruciatingly ensnarled in her sweaty, once exquisitely costly, now urine-soaked turquoise satin sheets,
She feverishly crawled her way back to reality, awake and aware, then blissfully drew back to sweet unconsciousness.
“Hey! Pass the salt and pepper PLEASE.”
Guilt engulfed her for destroying her only son, as her son relished the thought of besting her.
Pathetically blind, pleadingly deaf, she was literally drowning snuggled in gorgeous flowered downy pillows designed to soften the hardest head.
Cursed with self-hatred so dark, even light
shied and shivered away from her
threatening torments, She, having, almost a century fomenting hate, became prey for demonic vultures circling her exhaustion.
She cursed God for making her suffer the horrors of living hellishly for so long.
Her desolate son, glumly echoing her pain, her grief, sharing his home with her, was fearfully anticipating a similar future of horror, a dizzying ride straight to Hades.
They call it Alzheimer’s, a manic drive to call memories to die.
I call it sin – I was his wife, horrified,
rejecting their extremely contagious demons.
For them I was pepper, not salt – a helplessly fluttering moth struggling in their darkened beam.
My flight brought awakening happiness, true love, freedom.
Two lives miserably lived fraught with addiction, hallucinogens overpowering while empowering Satan’s grip.
God has caused me to be salt, too late to preserve their souls.
Dear Lord, I failed and fell, undone
by fear. Restored to a kinship with incredible You Most Divine.
Thank you for Jesus, for restoring my soul, and making me Yours, for loving, watching, forgiving me, and gifting me with Your Life to replace my grief.
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domain: literature