Tech News

SOYLENT GREEN

ArsTechnia: Soylent is here.
- - -
Computer World: How many patches did MS issue in August?  Take a guess.
- - -
This is why you delete SPAM without ever opening it. Security Week:

A Paris-based malware researcher known as Benkow has discovered more than 700 million records used by the Onliner spambot on a misconfigured server. The records comprise a large number of email addresses, passwords and SMTP configurations.
[.]
The email target lists used for malware campaigns are not random, but methodically built. The spammer uses the spambot to send out apparently harmless emails. Benkow gives this example:

"Hello, Champ {friend|champion\enthusiast}! How {are you|is your day}?

{My name is|I'm} Natalia. Do you believe in {fate|destiny}?

Love is inseparable fellow of hope. {Sorry for|Pardon} my English, but I hope you'll {understand|get} that..."

However, the email contains a single pixel, invisible gif used to fingerprint the recipient device.

You're not going to find fate, destiny, love, romance, a fling or bad Engel-eesh in your SPAM. Well, maybe the bad Engel-eesh.
- - -
Technocracy on-board about Google censorship.
- - -
ZD Net: What to expect from this fall's Windows 10 update. Umm - lemme guess; more patches?
- - -
Technocracy: Machines should never be granted "Rights". Right?

But no machine will ever ”think like a human.” Our thought processes are not solely computations. They involve the unquantifiable aspects of being alive[.]

- - -
Some of teh funny-Give it Love: Technically correct incorrect answers.

- - -

Venture  Beat:  Pay for things... With your mouth.  (No...noooo...get your mind outta the gutter😎).
- - -
BGR: For $25, this device claims to double your online speed.
- - -
UberGizmo: You no longer have to teach your dog to fetch a can of beer for you because...this refrigerator will bring it to you. And it's voice activated.
- - -
Extreme Tech: Sharp's new, 70-inch television. Available 2018.
- - -
And there was much rejoicing! For the Linux crowd; Beta News: Manjaro Gellivara distro now available...final 32-bit release.

- - -
C|Net: How wireless networks held-up during Hurricane Harvey. Surprisingly solid, though more needs to be done. Great article.
- - -
Geek: FRB. Fast Radio Bursts. 

Breakthrough Listen, a project that scans the skies for possible signs of extraterrestrial intelligence, observed 15 FRBs in a repeating pulse just Monday.
[.]
What makes them odd is that they repeat, but without any recognizable pattern[.]

- - -
No poison darts needed. This would make for a great high-tech, James Bond, assassination plot. Hacking Goldfinger's pacemaker? Security Week: 465,000 St. Jude Pacemakers recalled. Vulnerable to being hacked.

...the pacemaker’s authentication algorithm, [can] be compromised or bypassed to allow a nearby attacker to issue unauthorized commands to the pacemaker.

- - -
ZD Net: Bitcoin ATMS. 
- - -
TechCrunch: Heir Cook supports "Dreamers".

- - -
Wired: The secrets of FEMA. (Good stuff, no conspiracy theories.)

The cornerstone of FEMA’s secret world is a bunker in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains that has served as the civilian government’s primary emergency hideaway since the 1950s.

- - -
Fixed link to C\Net story. 8/5/2017

World News Links - September 4, 2017

The Telegraph: How other countries reported on Kimmy's nuclear missile test.

- - -

Live Mint: China to Trump: "Stop threatening North Korea on trade."

- - -

The Guardian: Annihilation of North Korea brings more problems than it solves.

- - -

Bloomberg: North Korea's oil lifeline in the bulls-eye for destruction. 

- - -

The Outline: Blame Imperialist America and Trump...for Everything.

- - -

Raw Story: 'Morning Joe' - Supporters of Trump fed up with his antics.

- - -

The Guardian: Another stabbing in London.

- - -

YLE: Human chain prevents deportation of Afghan family.

- - -

Times of Israel: French consulate receives envelope with mystery substance.

Several people near the consulate complained of a burning sensation in their eyes, according to reports.

- - -
Daily Mail: A camera that sees through the body.
- - -
YouGov: Majority of French approve of UK exiting the EU.
- - -
BBC: Car crashes into Long Island laundromat.
- - -
BBC: Do you call a plumber or animal control?  Finding a python...in your toilet.

- - -

The Independent: Italy's cocaine king arrested after 23 years on the lam.

- - - 

The Independent: The predicted path...so far...of Hurricane Irma.

- - -

Business Insider: A sauna made from snow.

- - -

Energy Voice: Exxon Texas refineries restarting.

When do reporters stop reporting and render aid?

Average reading time (excluding links): 3m 30s   

al-Reuters has a story about when does a reporter stop reporting to instead render aid.

Reuters photographer Rick Wilking watched Sterling Broughton, an 82-year-old woman, fall out of a kayak perched on the bow of a crowded rescue boat that had become swamped with water.
[.]
Journalists are trained to keep themselves safe in disaster situations. In dire conditions, like what Wilking saw, they can and do get involved.

Reporters and journalists put themselves in dangerous situations in order to capture the event they are covering and report it to the rest of the world. Many have died, or been killed, in their pursuing the story. Do a search on 'journalist beheaded' .

But when does a reporter stop reporting and instead put their efforts into helping others in a critical situation?

Kayak Lady; August 27, 2017. REUTERS/Rick Wilking

Like any of us, a reporter can put their life in danger in making the decision to stop reporting and offer help.

In deciding to help save someone from drowning, you have to quickly calculate the odds and risks associated if your decision is helping rescue that person or, will you run the chance that they may pull you down in the water with them.

If a fire breaks out in the home of our neighbor, if we decide to try and help anyone trapped inside, what are the risks and odds that we might not exit that burning house?

I don't know the answer. I don't know what I would do. I would think - and hope - if the odds are I can help someone and keep my life, I'd follow through. Do any of us really know until we are faced with making that decision?

One prominent photo and story comes to mind in asking the question; when do reporters stop reporting to instead render help?

'The Vulture and the Little Girl'; photo: South African photojournalist, Kevin Carter.

From Rare Historical Photos.com:

The vulture is waiting for the girl to die and to eat her.
[.]
The parents of the children were busy taking food from the plane, so they had left their children only briefly while they collected the food. This was the situation for the girl in the photo taken by [Kevin] Carter. A vulture landed behind the girl. To get the two in focus, Carter approached the scene very slowly so as not to scare the vulture away and took a photo from approximately 10 meters. He took a few more photos before chasing the bird away.
[.]
 Practically overnight hundreds of people contacted the newspaper to ask whether the child had survived. [The] editor’s note [said] the girl had enough strength to walk away from the vulture, but that her ultimate fate was unknown. Because of this, Carter was bombarded with questions about why he did not help the girl, and only used her to take a photograph.

[The] St. Petersburg Times in Florida wrote: “The man adjusting his lens to take just the right frame of her suffering, might just as well be a predator, another vulture on the scene”. The attitude that public opinion condemned was not only that of taking the picture instead of chasing the vulture immediately away, but also the fact that he did not help the girl afterwards [sic]–as Carter explained later- leaving her in such a weak condition to continue the march by her self towards the feeding center.
[.]
In 1994, Kevin Carter won the Pulitzer prize for the disturbing photograph[.] That same year, Kevin Carter committed suicide.
[.]
[Carter] committed suicide by taping one end of a hose to his pickup truck’s exhaust pipe and running the other end to the driver’s side window. He died of carbon monoxide poisoning at the age of 33.

The photo is heart-wrenching. Did Carter handle the situation properly? Part of me says 'no' yet part of me says 'sort of.'  I don't know. Your view and comments on this would be appreciated.
- - -
Fix broken link to Rare Historical Photos site 9/2/2017 10:51AM

World News Links - September 2, 2017

MSN: (10pm MST) Hurricane Irma gains strength.
- - -
"Those who control AI control the World." Can't you see a Bond villain saying that, rubbing his palms together. In a Snidely Whiplash sort of way? Okay. VOA News: It's Russia. Well, it's always Russia, isn't it?
- - -
World News: Un-diffused WW II Bomb found in Frankfurt.

“This bomb has more than 1.4-tons of explosives,” Frankfurt Fire Chief Reinhard Ries told reporters. “It’s not just fragments that are the problem, but also the pressure that it creates that would dismantle all the buildings in a 100-metre (yard) radius.”

- - -
This is a strange story. The Flathead Beacon:  Woman who faked her kidnapping found dead by gun shot in car trunk. Even in terms of depression and suicide, she would have had to lock herself in the car trunk. Right?
- - -
Security alert at Eiffel Tower. The Daily Mail.
- - -
Business Insider: Ethereum inks deal with Russia.

Russia’s desire to give its state-owned enterprises and governmental bodies access to blockchain experts should come as no surprise. In recent months, the country has displayed a marked interest in the technology, especially in relation to the cryptocurrency market.

- - -
The Scotsman: It's cheaper to park an airplane than your car at this airport.
- - -
Intell Asia: He got greedy. He should have stopped at $2 or $3 Million.
- - -
 OP/Ed; The Orlando Sentinel: "AntiFa at our doorstep."
- - -
Italy News Net: Asteroid Florence didn't hit us, but sooner or later we're bound to get hit.
- - -
Maybe it's a quota thing? Portugal News: Fines for foreign cars quadruple.
- - -
Car Preview...previews The 2018 Ram 1500.

2018 Ram 1500

World News Links - September 1, 2017

Pravada: Americans want Trump to declare Soros a terrorist.

Tass: Russian pol warns designating Soros as terrorist will "shake U.S. foundations": 

"...declaring George Soros a terrorist and seizing all his property and assets would actually mean undermining the foundations of the United States itself," said [First Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Federation Council (upper house) Defense and Security Committee Franz Klintsevich.

- - -
Canadian Free Press: Federal judge tells FBI Hillary Clinton emails must be released. 
- - -
Red Orbit: Study says self-help may be as effective as professional therapy.
- - -
4Chan: Some big event coming in September?
- - -
Zee News: One million displaced by Hurricane Harvey.
- - -
Courthouse News Service: Trump Admin backs down from NY travel ban flights. 
- - -
Al Jazerra: Kenyans hit social media over nullification of Aug. 8 presidential election.
- - -
The Independent: At a Detroit, MI Wal Mart, 4 women fight over last Back-To-School note book...so one woman pulls out a gun.
- - -
Fox News: Putin see 'Large scale conflict," between U.S and North Korea.
- - -
Daily Beast: ISIS Syrian girl doesn't regret torturing women.

“We would imprison women in the cemetery with skeletons in a cage in the middle of the cemetery as a punishment[.] ["When we] we went back to the cage in the morning, the woman was crazy.”
[.]
This echoes reports from former civilian prisoners about the hisbah placing severed heads of family members inside cages with imprisoned women to drive them insane with fear and grief.

- - -
Washington Examiner: "Art of The Deal" ghostwriter Tony Schwartz says Trump will never actually donate the $1 Million pledged to Harvey victims.
- - -
"We can rebuild him. We have the technology." Global News: Actor Richard Anderson, known for his role as Oscar Goldman on "The Six Million Dollar Man", has died at age 91.
- - -
Spelling fix 9/4/2017

World News Links

Neowin: Wikileaks dishes dirt on CIA's Angelfire hacking:

The CIA’s Angelfire user guide which WikiLeaks managed to get its hands on shows that Windows XP and Windows 7 are vulnerable to the exploit toolkit but it’s not clear whether or not Windows 10 users are safe from it.

- - -
The Register: China's hyperloop train.   (I wonder if it will make the "choo-choo" sound?)
- - -
BGR: Living on Mars? Feh! New Real Estate coming soon on TRAPPIST-1.
- - -
Middle East Monitor: Frances' Macron doesn't want to pick sides; Saudi Arabia or Iran?
- - -
Daily Mail: Tyler Perry give $ 1Mill to Harvey relief, $500K to Joel Osteen.
- - -
St. Paul, MN: Officer apologizes for wild rant and outburst. ... More, at KSTP. 
- - -
SMH: Almost 350 people get "gastro-bug".
- - -
Sky News: No "decisive progress on Brexit?"
- - -
BBC: Captured on video- Melbourne man arrested for vicious killing of kangaroo.
- - -
Spiegel Online: Germany toughens rules on refugees.
- - -
NY Daily News: Woman hit by tree branch claims permanent injuries.
- - -
SF Gate: Oregon appeals court upholds ruling; barking dog's vocal cords must be cut.

Hurricane Coverage Continues; Live rescue in progress...

Live rescue in progress... 8:59 MST:

There was a man holding onto a sign...

Center Point workers attempted to reach him...

...And moments later he swam away, to the left, away from camera view in pic #1.  Another man was in the water trying to swim towards the upturned semi-truck, on the left side of pic # 2. Action News is reporting others in the water. This is all that is known as of publishing time 9:04pm MST.
- - -

38 lives lost to date.

Harvey moves towards Louisiana

NASA: Live satellite feed

Louisiana Dept. of Transportation (heavy traffic, slow loading)

Louisiana Road Conditions 

Reuters: Real-time updates

Gasoline prices up 

Check Gas prices in your area 

KTBS - Harvey; the aftermath 

Houston Traffic Conditions 

Houston Real-time traffic cams 

KHOU News 11 live feed 

Livestream News 

CBSN Live feed 

ABC Action News live feed 

FOX 10 Phoenix live feed

New Orleans: Live cams

Airplane Hell: Ottawa Runway Delays

Image: blogs.pjstar.com

From The BBC:

The Canadian Transportation Agency is holding an inquiry into two Air Transat flights held on the tarmac at Ottawa for hours in conditions passengers called "deplorable".
[.]
The flights were stranded for between five and six hours without adequate air conditioning, food or water.

Passengers on one flight eventually rang emergency services.

    * Delayed air passengers call 911
    * Air Canada collision avoided 'by 30m'
[.]
More than one passenger testified during the public hearings that they felt they were seen simply as "luggage".
[.]
The bathroom had run out of toilet paper. One young boy [vomited in the aisle and all over several passengers, [.]  [T]he stench was unbearable."
[.]
At one point passengers chanted "open the door, open the door" to cabin crew. The cabin temperature reached upwards of 31C.

And, from the same story above:

Flight staff said food and water were running low but that refreshments were available and temperatures seemed acceptable.

Uh...No...almost 88F degrees in a cigar tube/sardine can is not an acceptable temperature. Of course the staff is going to say the temp seemed acceptable.

Yeesh...how do airlines get away with this behavior?

Okay - here is how you get off the plane if it's stuck on the tarmac and appears you will be there for a long, long time.

What you do is you wait patiently for two hours. After that, you ask a flight attendant how much longer it will be. If they reply they don't know, and that they don't know when they'll know, you tell the attendant - very politely and courteously - that in 30 minutes, the seat in which you are sitting becomes the smoking section.

You will likely be warned that smoking is not allowed. And you nicely explain to the attendant that that warning will expire, in your seat and the area around you, in 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes passes, and you're still on the tarmac, you fire up that cigarette. I guarantee it will get you off the plane. Maybe somewhat forcibly...and you will most likely be fined. But at least your not sitting on the tarmac any longer.

Bernie Sanders 2020

Yeah...he'll be only 78 years old.

I remember...I'm pretty sure...that a bunch of people said that at age 72, John McCain was too old to be president. Gosh...who said that??? Oh, yeah; Democrats.

From The Independent:

Bernie Sanders' upcoming scheduled events - including appearances in New Hampshire - have prompted rumours [sic] of a 2020 presidential bid.

The Democratic Senator from Vermont is set to appear  at events over the US Labour Day holiday weekend.

Let's Hope They're Wrong About Irma

NOAA home page is Here.

And from the NOAA regarding Hurricane Irma:

...HURRICANE IRMA RAPIDLY INTENSIFYING OVER THE EASTERN ATLANTIC... 

The Jeff Bozos Peoples' Republic (WaPoo):

Hurricane Irma is expected to become a formidable cyclone[.]
[.]
Irma is forecast to intensify significantly[.]

From WMGT 41 - NBC Macon, GA:

“Irma is forecast to become a major hurricane by tonight [Aug 31] and is expected to be an extremely dangerous hurricane for the next several days,” [warned the (National) Hurricane Center].
[.]
“The good news is we have lots of time to watch this develop,” said [Dennis] Feltgen [of the NHC].

NOAA

Despicable Price Gouging in Texas

Average reading time (excluding links): 3m

I understand the economics of when the availability of a commodity decreases, and the demand for that commodity increase - or remains the same - that the price for that commodity will increase.

From The Houston Chronicle:

On Monday afternoon, someone reported a Houston convenience store charged $20 per gallon of gas, according to Kayleigh Lovvorn, a spokeswoman for Attorney General Ken Paxton's office.
[.]
...price gouging can carry civil penalties of up to $20,000 per violation and up to $250,000 per violation for victims over 65 years old.
[.]
Other complaints include a Houston gas station charging $3.50 per gallon of fuel, $8.50 per water bottle and $99 for a case of water.

From The Jeff Bezos Peoples' Republic (WaPoo):

At a Best Western location in Robstown [.] [a] crew from [KXAN station] booked a room and was charged $289.99 a night, according to KXAN. The total, $321.89 including taxes, is nearly three times the normal rate of $119 a night.
[.]
In Corpus Christi, a RaceWay gas station drew ire after a woman said she was charged more than $60 for two cases of beer [.] RaceWay told the station that the overpricing was caused by a clerical error, not price-gouging.

From The Boston Globe:

Best Buy says it is ‘‘deeply sorry’’ following accusations of price gouging after a photo posted online showed cases of water for sale at one of the electronic retailer’s Houston-area stores for more than $42.
[.]
The company explained in a statement that it doesn’t have pricing for cases of water in its system and employees priced the water ‘‘by multiplying the cost of one bottle by the number of bottles in a case.’’

Image: BBC

Maybe - maybe - some of the price increases were made in error, or by an independent franchise with a chain name (although "independent franchise" is such an oxymoron. How can the parent company disassociate itself from its "independent franchise" ?!?), or, as in the case of Best Buy, an employee calculating the cost by the number of bottles in the case.

I wish I could remember who and where, on my blog roll, I read what I read about Tim Worstall, but I've been reading a lot, at many sites, on all things related to Hurricane Harvey. And price gouging is nothing but despicable.

The short story from the L.A. Times:

Conservative economist Tim Worstall posted a very provocative column on Forbes.com Sunday about the dire situation in Houston, arguing in favor of price-gouging.
[.]
It appears that Worstall’s column was too provocative for Forbes, which customarily has been a great advocate for the free market, as is Worstall. Mysteriously, the column disappeared from the Forbes website sometime Monday. It hasn’t been seen since. Anyone clicking on its original Web address gets an error message.

At Tim Worstall.com, on his post titled "There's an awful lot of people who don't get economics you know" [sic] -  (Tim, you may want to familiarize yourself with "The Comma",)  - I found the below reply from Tim to someone else. The full comments and exchanges are at the link, what I blocked out was just something that was out of context and, by itself, didn't make sense:

"I'm entirely fine with public provision of these things...as also the bottled water. I'm arguing though against the making of private provision illegal. Should it be illegal for there to be security guards (private police) or private ambulances?"

Most of us, I think, can analyze that last sentence and, reasonably conclude, that as a moral matter of economics, one cannot compare the price increases in bottled water, beer (for whatever reason), hotel rooms, and gasoline to those of  security guards/ private police or private ambulances. And I have never read or heard anything, ever, about trying to quash private businesses providing special services for premium fees to those who can pay for them.

In purely economic terms, is it price gouging when someone with the financial resources voluntarily contracts out for their own private ambulance service? And they are willing to pay that price rather than depend on the public service ambulance? 

If a person with the financial resources contracts with a private security firm and they do it voluntarily, and they agree to a "premium fee" for those services, is that price gouging?

Worstall seems to fail in distinguishing price gouging and voluntarily paying  premium fees for special services. Or is there something I'm completely not understand here?

These Guys Know What They're Doing

I caught the very last of CNN's feed of Anderson Cooper interviewing the two guys in the image below. I didn't catch their names. All I caught, other than the screen grab, is that they've been driving around in high water in the big truck all day, helping out whoever needed it, and plan to keep doing it until no longer needed.

Cooper asked them, which one of them owns the truck.

One guy said, "oh, neither of us own it, it belongs to a friend."

Cooper: "Does your friend know what you're using the truck for?"

Guy: "Oh, yeah."

Cooper: "Does it take a lot of gas, was it hard finding gas?

Other guy: "Nah, we filled up this morning and it only took 30 minutes."

Yeah - these guys represent a whole lot of people doing a whole lot of good.

Screen grab: CNN

CNN

Continuing Live Feed of Houston flooding; Hurricane Harvey; Louisiana; Storm Tracker; Road and Travel conditions; Best Buy $42 water; Fire Ants on the move

Best Buy apologizes for bottled water priced at $42 per case. 
- - -

Mounds of Fire Ants. KHOU:

Flotilla of Fire Ants; From KHOU

Ongoing coverage.

KHOU 11

ABC 13

Fox 26 Houston Live

KPRC TV 2 Houston

FOX 10 Phoenix

LiveStream Feed

CBSN

ABC Action News

Real-Time Feed; Houston Traffic Cams; TranStar

Houston TranStar Traffic Map

DeQuincy, Louisiana Radar Weather

Port Arthur, flooded

Port Arthur Bower Civic Center shelter flooded

Louisiana Dept. of Transportation Travel/Weather map (site slow; likely due to high traffic)

KTBS Shreveport, LA Storm Tracker

Louisiana Highway Conditions 

KPLC TV, Lake Charles, LA

South Lake Charles, LA Skycams KPLC TV

WeatherBug: Lake Charles, LA Doppler Radar

Houston freeways reopening; Bridges and overpasses need to be inspected ASAP.

From Business Insider

- - -

Spelling correction: 8/31/2017

Minnesota Professor Massoud Amin Accused of Illegally purchasing several guns

From KTOE:

Massoud Amin is under felony indictment for a charge of providing fabricated financial documents during his divorce. The indictment bans him from buying guns.

But investigators say he purchased 14 handguns from seven different gun shops in Minneapolis in a two-and-a-half week span this summer.

 Wiki: Massoud Amin

Mr. Amin at UMN.edu 

At LinkedIn
- - -
Spelling fix 8/30/2017

Tracking Hurricane Harvey;State of Emergency declared in Louisiana

From AccuWeather:

While Harvey has made its final landfall in the United States and will ultimately diminish over land, impact from the storm will be ongoing as new incidents of flooding and severe weather occur.

Ongoing and new flooding to threaten southern US

"Very heavy rainfall will continue as Harvey's intensity slowly diminishes," according to AccuWeather Lead Storm Warning Meteorologist Eddie Walker.

Source: AccuWeather

Current tracking of Hurricane Harvey at Intellicast.

Louisiana Governor declares State of Emergency- The Weather Channel:

Up to a foot of rain is expected in parts of southwestern Louisiana through Thursday.

Louisiana Gov. Jon Bel Edwards is urging state residents not to get complacent as Hurricane Harvey churns over east Texas.

Lak Charles Mayor Nic Hunter joined the governor at a press conference Friday afternoon to urge people living in the western half of the state to pay close attention to the latest forecast developments.
[.]
[The] flooding could become worse if Harvey reenters the Gulf after landfall in Texas. The storm could re-intensify and bring additional heavy rain to the western part of the state.

Glenn Beck - Stop Defending Joel Osteen

Average reading time: 2m 30s

Today, Wednesday, Glenn Beck again defending Joel Osteen, saying Lakewood Church doesn't have the resources to help those seeking a dry refuge.

Glenn said that he is glad that there are "those of us who know what's in Osteen's heart."

No Glenn, no one is pretending to know what is in Osteen's heart. What is happening is the reaction from people who, for the life of them, could not believe the initial reporting of Lakewood Church being closed, and the claim that it was unreachable due to flooded roads around the church which turned out to be an inaccurate claim. 

Glenn - stop it. If, for whatever reason, you chose to be on the "other side" of this issue, we'd be listening to 3-hours of your verbal pining of "...how could someone of faith not open their facilities to people in need?

"How can a man, the leader of one of the largest and most prosperous religious organizations, say their building is unreachable?"

Glenn's voice would raise an octave, and he'd ramble on with an endless, wordy monologue about "what has happened to humanity? Where is the goodness of people who have so much money, and a building (the church) with so much space, and who could provide so much room for those who have nowhere else to turn? And who claims their church is unreachable because the roads around it are flooded when we can see that's not the case?"

Lakewood Church doesn't have the resources? There have been many reports of people taking others into their homes because those people had nowhere to turn. Do you think these people who are housing others just happened to have, on-hans, enough extra food, room, sleeping facilities, band-aides or other minor medical supplies? Or, do you think that in doing this, everyone under that roof is making some degree of sacrifice to make-do with a little less than usual so that they can SHARE what they have?

Tell us Glenn, who has more resources? The leader of a MegaChurch and who is personally worth MILLIONS of dollars;  or someone with a 3 or 4 bedroom home who decides to do what Christ would do and provide food and shelter for those in need?

Glenn Beck. Image: Independent Sentinel

Bill Gates:

"I believe that with great wealth comes great responsibility, a responsibility to give back to society and a responsibility to see that those resources are put to work in the best possible way to help those most in need."

Joel Osteen failed the above. At least initially. And you know what? I fail too. A lot. In many areas. I'm not judging Osteen or Beck. It's commentary. We all fail; we all fall short because we are human. And this is why we seek forgiveness from Christ - for our human faults.

Maybe social media, including me, reacted too hastily on the whole Osteen/Church story. Then again, Osteen did not do himself any favors by responding too late and with too little substance.

Although I know of much smaller places of worship - smaller in membership and in square footage - that have a kitchen and seating area that can hold a couple hundred people for wedding and funeral receptions. But, in all fairness, despite its size and capacity, it appears this is not the case with Lakewood. From their site:

Wedding Options at Lakewood

Chapel Wedding
There is a Chapel available on the third floor for Lakewood Church members, seating up to 600 people.  Dressing areas are available for the bride, groom, and attendants.  The Church has available, at no extra charge: ten aisle candelabras with material, two sets of candelabras for the altar, one unity candle stand and one kneeler.

Office Wedding
We offer Office Weddings for those who prefer a simple, inexpensive wedding ceremony.  Services are performed in our New Beginnings room.  A maximum of 20 guests can be accomodated [sic]. Decorations are not permitted for Office Weddings. 

I don't know why Lakewood wouldn't have included in its design a larger-scale meal prep area and reception area. One would think Lakewood would be a sought-after venue to rent for providing services for a wedding or funeral.

If every person in social media, and those involved with the initial and conflicting reports from those speaking for Lakewood Church, all walk away from this with a heightened awareness of our own needs for atonement, then maybe we've taken a step forward in our future reactions and decisions.

Texas Flood / Hurricane Harvey live coverage

Coast Guard Assistance phone: 281-464-4851

PLEASE RE-TWEET -  HIGH WATER BOATS or VEHICLES NEED; to coordinate: 713-881-3100

RT @ReadyHarris: Do you have a HIGH WATER VEHICLE or BOAT and helping rescue in your community? Call us to coordinate: 713-881-3100.… https://t.co/WciEFh2Vq4

- - -

Live coverage:

LiveStream ABC 13

KHOU 11 Live

KPRC 2 / NBC Live

FOX 26 Houston Live

Right Side Broadcasting Network

Real-Time Feed; Houston Traffic Cams; TranStar

NASA satellite live feed of Hurricane Harvey

Houston TranStar traffic map 

Texas Dept. of Transportation - Highway Conditions Phone # 800-452-9292 

CBSN Live Coverage

AP

 

Houston TranStar (screen grab)

ABC 13

West Houston Aerial Photos of Flooding

Both from KHOU.

 

If Lakewood Church had water problems, why didn't Joel Osteen just say so?

This story becomes more odd with every new update.

From yesterday's IBT:

Joel Osteen apparently refused to help victims of Hurricane Harvey, the storm that killed at least five people, injured more than a dozen and displaced tens of thousands of people. Instead of opening up his church doors to victims, Osteen canceled services at Lakewood Church and locked the doors. The megachurch is an arena that could seat nearly 17,000 people and was not flooded by Harvey.

Osteen was harshly criticized on social media.

Now, we are told that there is - or was - interior water damage in Lakewood Church.   Heavy:

The Houston Chronicle also posted the flood photos from “inside the church,” but a spokesperson for the church said that the floodgate was “almost” compromised in the storm — which means the church was not flooded.

Yes, I agree, the picture above shows interior flooding in a building, and it most likely is from Osteen's church.

While there may have been other areas that were not flooded or a leaking ceiling or wall, considering the size of that church, there had to be plenty of dry areas available.

Anyway, I tend to believe the above pics are legit, but it begs the question; why didn't Osteen just say so?

Houston Curfew Changed; Midnight to 5AM

From GMA:  Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has imposed a mandatory curfew in the city from midnight to 5 a.m. in an effort to prevent potential looting, he announced at a press conference Tuesday evening.
- - -
Typo fix: 08/29/2017

Houston Looting; Police Impersonators; Houston Curfew 10PM to 5AM; Coast Guard Assistance phone number: 281-464-4851

Coast Guard Assistance phone: 281-464-4851 

Unfortunately, it is inevitable, I guess...looting and a small percent of low-lives impersonating police officers.

The Houston Chronicle: Authorities warn against police impersonation:

Houston Police say a possible police impersonator accosted a motorist not far from the Lone Star College Kingwood campus on the afternoon of Aug. 14.

The victim was stopped at a stop sign at the intersection of Kingwood Executive Dr. and Sorters Rd. at approximately 3 p.m. Tuesday, said HPD spokesman Keese Smith, taking a few moments to check for messages on his cell phone when another car stopped behind him.

From KTNC Action News: 14 arrested for looting.

The Harris County District Attorney's Office announced on Tuesday that 14 individuals have been charged with looting in recent days as the Houston area is recovering from record rainfall tied to Hurricane Harvey. 

According to Kim Ogg, the Harris County District Attorney, the 14 people charged with looting will face additional charges for committing the crimes during a crisis. 

The News & Observer asks: Is taking groceries in a hurricane looting?

On Monday night, at least seven people were arrested in Houston, according to KHOU, four of whom were impersonating authorities and telling people to leave their homes before looting them. The other three were caught raiding a video game store.

[.]

Matt Pearce, a correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, reported that he “drove around Houston all day and didn’t see anybody steal anything.” He also tweeted that the idea that looting was widespread was “bulls---.”

From AP: 10PM to 5AM Houston Curfew per Mayor Sylvester Turner. 

CURFEW CHANGED; MIDNIGHT TO 6AM, NOT 10PM TO 5AM

Flood / Hurricane live coverage

Live, on-line flood and hurricane coverage:

Fox TV News 26

MSNBC

KPRC TV - Houston

NASA live feed from space

KHOU TV - Houston

LiveStream TV News

Real-Time feed; Houston Traffic cameras. Houston TranStar

NPR: Does Trump Care?

Only from NPR. Only from NPR.

Written by Domenico Montanaro:

...tragedies present a special challenge for American presidents. It's one President Trump faces Tuesday in Texas[.]
[.]
This will be Trump's first test as consoler-in-chief, and it's not a role he has much experience with. Empathy is not what this president is known for.

Well...Domenico...how about if Trump tells those affected by the hurricane and flood that, he "feels their pain"? That should be all it takes, right Domenico?

Hurricane Harvey flooding and damage in Houston

See The Guardian for an up-to-date status on Houston.

Some parts of Texas may experience 50 inches (127cm) of rain or about a year’s worth of rainfall in just over a week.
[.]
The former hurricane turned tropical storm is regaining strength and continues to batter south-eastern Texas, with life-threatening floods surging through Houston before moving toward Louisiana.
[.]
Officials estimate that 30,000 residents are likely to need shelter.

Glenn Beck defends Joel Osteen

Average reading time (excluding links): 1m 15sec

Glenn Beck defended Joel Osteen on his Tuesday radio program.

Osteen came under intense "attacks" for not opening his Lakewood megachurch to people in need due to Hurricane Harvey and flooding.

Osteen, in the early hours of Tuesday, said his church would be open for those in need.

Beck was critical of the internet backlash from people who lambasted Osteen for not opening the doors of his megachurch. Beck called those who were critical of Osteen, "despicable".

Beck said the church doesn't have adequate shower and hygiene facilities, is unable to provide adequate shelter and food for anyone seeking refuge in Osteen's church.

Glenn Beck is "okay", in my opinion - but sometimes his stance on an issue leaves me scratching my head.

Yes Glenn, we understand anyone seeking shelter at Lakewood church won't have the accommodations that one might find at a Hilton hotel. And I don't believe anyone is expecting Lakewood church staffers provide 24 hour concierge service or provide meals made to order.

Look, there are people in Texas who have nothing but the clothing on them, and nowhere to go. Should they stay on the roof of their homes or wander about in flooded streets, Glenn, or could they be at least find some comfort in a place like Lakewood Church?

For whatever reason, have you ever not had anything to eat or drink for a significant amount of time? And then, when you do have the opportunity for food and/or drink, no matter what it is, it tastes fantastic because you have gone without for so long?

I think anyone with nowhere to go would be more than grateful to sleep or rest on a clean and dry floor, rather than having to remain outside in the weather elements we see in Texas.

Lakewood church doesn't have the resources to gather some blankets, some food (hell, just some sandwiches), some toothbrushes and toothpaste, dry T-shirts, a place to rest?

Big swing and a miss on this one, Glenn. BIG SWING and a MISS.

No room "at the Inn"? Maybe there's a manger somewhere.

Updated: Dear Glenn Beck, see the people in the below photo? Do you think they'd rather stay in their garage or be somewhere dry? Like...Lakewood Megachurch?

Getty Images. People wait to be rescued from their home after the area was inundated from Hurricane Harvey in Houston on Monday.

 

More Rain expected?

Image: AP

From AP, more rain expected.

The storm is generating an amount of rain that would normally be seen only once in more than 1,000 years, said Edmond Russo, a deputy district engineer for the Army Corps of Engineers, which was concerned that floodwater would spill around a pair of 70-year-old reservoir dams that protect downtown Houston.
[.]
Forecasters expect the system to stay over water with 45 mph (72 kph) winds for 36 hours and then head back inland east of Houston sometime Wednesday. The system will then head north and lose its tropical strength.

Before then, up to 20 more inches (51 centimeters) of rain could fall, National Weather Service Director Louis Uccellini said Monday. 

Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.  - see Prayers In Times of Natural Disasters.

Joel Osteen = Not a total asshole

Joel Osteen has seen the light. A bit late, but better late than never.

And it's probably Green light; green...the color of money, not wanting to impede the flow of green in the collection plates.

Osteen opened his megachurch to those in need in Texas. MSN:

HOUSTON — Televangelist Joel Osteen says his Houston megachurch has "never" closed its doors to people seeking shelter as Harvey swamps the city.

Osteen has faced criticism for not opening his massive Lakewood Church as a storm shelter. In a statement to ABC News, Osteen says the church "will continue to be a distribution center for those in need" and is "prepared to house people once shelters reach capacity."

The 16,000-seat former arena served as the home of the NBA's Houston Rockets from 1975 to 2003.

Osteen's comment stands in contrast to a church Facebook post and a since-deleted Instagram remark by Lakewood associate pastor John Gray, who said flooded highways had made the church inaccessible. A spokeswoman for Osteen didn't immediately return a request for comment Tuesday.

O$teens' Megachurch

I don't see any flooded highways or water holding anyone back from reaching the church.

In the future he can ask himself, "WWJOD"...What Would Joel Osteen Do? And then...he should do the opposite.