#central kentucky tree service

[newstfionline]

Sunday, March 5, 2023

Storms roll east after slamming South; 10 deaths reported (AP) A large storm system took aim at the Northeast on Friday, threatening heavy snow and coastal flooding after heavy winds and possible tornadoes damaged homes and buildings, left thousands without power and caused 10 deaths in a wide swath of the South and Midwest. Three people were killed by falling trees in Alabama as severe weather swept through the state. In Mississippi, a woman died inside her SUV after a rotted tree branch struck her vehicle, and in Arkansas a man drowned after he drove into high floodwaters. News outlets reported two people died in Tennessee when trees fell on them. Three weather-related deaths also were reported in Kentucky in three different counties as storms with straight-line winds moved through the state. The National Weather Service in Louisville called the storm Friday “powerful and historic” with peak wind gusts between 60-80 mph (96-128 kph).

Technology Replaces Even The Repo Guy (Car and Driver) While companies like Google and Amazon are looking into autonomous driving technology in order to operate self-driving taxis and freight vehicles, Ford Motors is implementing the technology for a different purpose: repossessing cars. Recently, a Ford patent was formally published outlining a new suite of features in the field of vehicle repos, including a fully self-driving system that could have repo’d Fords drive themselves back to the dealer. The patent includes full- and semi-autonomous systems to aid in car repossession, alongside a few other features that might make holding onto a repo’d vehicle just plain exhausting. For example, Ford could remotely shut off an owner’s access to air conditioning, radio, or cruise control, or even play annoying sounds through the car stereo to ward off an owner from using their car. The systems could even escalate to fully turning off the car’s ability to drive. Most of these intermediary steps would be taken before the car actually up and drives itself back to a dealership.

Argentina inflation seen speeding in 2023, central bank poll shows (Reuters) Argentina’s inflation rate is seen hitting 99.9% in 2023, speeding up from last year’s rate and topping previous estimates which saw a slightly slower rise, according to a central bank poll of analysts released Friday. The forecast, which is 2.3 percentage points above the 2023 rate projected in last month’s poll, comes amid a prolonged financial and social crisis in one of Latin America’s largest economies. The annual inflation rate in 2022 hit 94.8%, according to Argentina’s statistics institute.

In Britain, ‘warm hubs’ emerge to beat soaring energy costs (AP) On a blustery late-winter day in Shakespeare’s birthplace, the foyer of the Other Place theater is a cozy refuge. Visitors are having meetings over coffee, checking emails, writing poetry, learning to sew. It looks and feels like an arty café in the picturesque streets of Stratford-upon-Avon, but it’s a “warm hub” set up by the Royal Shakespeare Company drama troupe to welcome people struggling to heat their homes because of sky-high energy prices. Warm hubs have sprouted across Britain by the thousands this winter as soaring food and energy prices drive millions to turn down the thermostat or skimp on hot meals. Research by the opposition Labour Party counted almost 13,000 such hubs, funded by a mix of charities, community groups and the government and nestled in libraries, churches, community centers and even a tearoom at King Charles III’s Highgrove country estate.

U.N. Russian Official Warns of Nuclear Clashes (Foreign Policy) Speaking at a U.N. conference in Geneva on the subject of nuclear disarmament, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov warned that western support for Ukraine could lead to a nuclear conflict. Ryabkov blamed “the U.S. and NATO policy of fueling the conflict in Ukraine” and warned “increasing involvement in the military confrontation is fraught with a direct military clash of nuclear powers with catastrophic consequences.” That Russian President Vladimir Putin suspended Russian participation in the 2010 New START nuclear treaty was, Ryabkov stressed, a response to this involvement. Ryabkov did say that Russia would continue to respect caps on nuclear weapons under the treaty.

Heavy fighting as Russians advance in Bakhmut (Washington Post) The battle for Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine continued to rage Friday, with Russian forces “constantly hitting the city randomly with artillery, Grads and mortars,” Ukrainian soldier Yuriy Syrotyuk, 46, who is stationed in the north of the city with Ukraine’s Fifth Independent Assault Brigade, said by phone. But Ukrainian forces were still in control of some parts of Bakhmut and have not been ordered to retreat, Syrotyuk said, despite new claims Friday from Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the leader of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, that Russian forces have “practically surrounded” the city. Other Ukrainian soldiers said that further reinforcements were being deployed to Bakhmut, even as some specialized units were told to redeploy to long-planned fallback positions. Ukrainian troops have pleaded for additional support from the West to push back the Russians from the city, whose value has become largely symbolic over the past months as the Ukrainians have resisted ceding territory in the east. One of the greatest challenges continues to be a lack of ammunition.

The E.U. Offered to Embrace Ukraine, but Now What? (NYT) When the European Union offered Ukraine a path to membership last year, it was in many ways an emotional response to the Russian invasion. Leaders were under pressure to show solidarity with the victims of aggression, even though many opposed the idea. Since then, preoccupied with passing sanctions, scrounging up aid and scouring military inventories to send Ukraine weapons, few in Europe have focused seriously on what that commitment might actually mean. But this is a courtship with consequences for the future, not only for Ukraine’s aspirations and survival, but also for Europe’s own security and finances. Ukrainian membership would reshape the bloc and its relationship with a post-conflict Russia. Tensions are already growing between Europe’s desire to maintain its tough requirements and Ukraine’s demand for quick entry into a promised land that has given hope to the embattled country. European Union officials like Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, have been slow-walking expectations for Ukraine, a country that nearly all agree is fundamentally unprepared to join.

Afghan Women, Banned From Working, Can’t Provide for Their Children (WSJ) Since toppling the U.S.-backed government in 2021, the Taliban has introduced a series of restrictions aimed at squeezing women out of public life in Afghanistan. Girls over sixth grade can no longer go to school, Afghan universities no longer accept female students and women are barred from most public-sector jobs. The employment ban is deepening a humanitarian crisis and putting the livelihood of whole families at risk. Widows are especially vulnerable.

Protests break out in Iran over schoolgirl illnesses (Reuters) Worried parents protested in Iran's capital Tehran and other cities on Saturday over a wave of suspected poison attacks that have affected schoolgirls in dozens of schools, according to Iranian news agencies and social media videos. The so-far unexplained illnesses have affected hundreds of schoolgirls in recent months. Iranian officials believe the girls may have been poisoned and have blamed Tehran's enemies. The country's health minister has said the girls have suffered "mild poison" attacks and some politicians have suggested the girls could have been targeted by hardline Islamist groups opposed to girls' education. Sickness affected more than 30 schools in at least 10 of Iran's 31 provinces on Saturday. Videos posted on social media showed parents gathered at schools to take their children home and some students being taken to hospitals by ambulance or buses.

The proud Pakistani tradition of feeding the hungry is strained as food prices soar (NPR) Since the pandemic, Pakistan has been battered by calamities that have pushed up the price of food and fuel: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and two events made more extreme by climate change: a spring heatwave that shriveled harvests, then summer floods that drowned them. Now there’s an economic crisis so dire, the country risks default. Inflation reached nearly 25% last year, but the figure conceals dramatic variations. In poorer rural areas, prices of food rose even higher. Now, the World Food Programme expects that 5.1 million people are likely to be a step away from famine-levels of hunger by the end of March—an increase of 1.1 million people from the previous quarter. “That number is frightening,” says Chris Kaye, the Pakistan country director of the WFP. And it has put a proud Pakistani tradition of feeding the hungry under strain just when it is needed the most.

Why are China’s tech leaders still disappearing if the crackdown is over? (Washington Post) China’s legendary tech dealmaker Bao Fan hasn’t been seen for almost three weeks. Stock prices have plunged for his investment bank China Renaissance, once known for brokering the country’s biggest tech mergers, and all it has said is that Bao is “assisting the government of the People’s Republic of China with an investigation.” Another titan of China’s tech world, Alibaba founder Jack Ma, was spotted days ago in Melbourne, Australia. While keeping a low profile since regulators put the brakes on his planned record-breaking IPO after he criticized them publicly, Ma has also turned up in Spain and Japan. Bao and Ma aren’t the only tech leaders in China who have vanished from public view seemingly at the peak of their influence. Many of the country’s top business executives and influencers—bankers, property developers, movie stars like Fan Bingbing and e-commerce superseller Austin Li—have gone missing without explanation as their power and influence have grown. Some were later hit with fines and accused of offenses like tax evasion or fraud. Officials have said that the crackdown on the tech industry, which saw a flurry of regulations torpedo the influence of companies from gaming to online education, has ended. But Bao Fan’s disappearance—the latest evidence of the government’s willingness to rein in even the most powerful executives—has shaken investor confidence and undermined Beijing’s insistence it supports the private sector.

World Bank: Quake caused damage worth $5.1 billion in Syria (AP) The World Bank said Friday that Syria sustained an estimated $5.1 billion in damages in last month’s massive earthquake that struck southeast Turkey and northern parts of the war-torn country. The quake killed at least 50,000 people, including about 6,000 in Syria, according to the United Nations. Tens of thousands are still missing and hundreds of thousands were left homeless. In a report released Friday, the World Bank says the level of the damage in Syria is about 10% of the country’s gross domestic product. Syria’s northern province of Aleppo was the most severely hit region, accounting for 45% of the total damages in Syria and amounting to about $2.3 billion in damages. Also badly hit was the rebel-held region in the northwest, home to some 4.6 million people, many of them previously displaced by Syria’s war.

#headlines #news

[leonbloder]

Seeing God Everywhere

I went outside in my backyard today, sat, and enjoyed a spectacular Spring day in Central Texas.   It wasn't hot.  The breeze was slightly cool, and the air was light and smelled slightly of flowers. The trees around my yard were that multi-colored green. They get this time of year when you can see all the different hues of green happening on one branch.   In a few months, all that will change.  It'll be hotter than the sun's surface on the rocks around the seating area, and flies will buzz incessantly around my head.  The air will feel like a blast furnace, and my now perky flowers look wilted and sad, which is why I am enjoying these days beforehand.   Despite all my caustic comments about Summer in Texas, I enjoy the changing seasons, and there is beauty in each of them.   It's not a coincidence that today was also the day I re-read this line from the poet Mary Oliver: 

Oh, feed me this day, Holy Spirit, with  the fragrance of the fields and the  freshness of the oceans which you have  made, and help me to hear and to hold in all dearness those exacting and wonderful  words of our Lord Christ Jesus, saying:  Follow Me. 

St. Francis called Creation "The Fifth Gospel" because of his beliefs that you could experience the presence of Christ all around in Creation if you had eyes that were willing to see and ears willing to hear.  

The eternal and universal Christ, which the Gospel of John calls "the Word" or (more literally) "The Blueprint," is God's creative, expressive Word for all Creation, including us.  

This Word, John's Gospel teaches, was with God at the beginning of all things and was God at the beginning of all things.  John goes on to say that nothing would have been created without the Word, but through the Word, everything is spoken into being. 

To put this another way, Jesus--the Christ--is everywhere, present in all of Creation, in every expression of God's loving creativity, which includes the Universe and everything in it, you, me, and everyone that ever lived or will live. 

How does it change how you feel about being a follower of Christ, knowing that everywhere you look, there is the potential to see and hear Jesus beckoning you to follow him? 

Every day we are called to follow Jesus, to be his disciples.  We don't have to be in a church service to hear the call or to experience Christ's presence.  All we need to do is look around us with better vision, and our ears attend to the frequency of the Divine. 

Every moment we have opportunities to see signs and symbols of God's creative, expressive Word, Jesus the Christ.  

And here's an incredible revelation:  When we open ourselves up to experience God, we have difficulty shutting it off.  When you are in this mode of being, you can't not see God everywhere.  

I have always been struck by Thomas Merton's experience on the streets of Louisville, Kentucky, an experience that is commemorated by a historical marker.  

Suddenly and unexpectedly, he saw everyone around him "shining like the sun." He wrote this about it: 

I was suddenly overwhelmed with the realization that I loved all those people, that they were mine and I theirs, that we could not be alien to one another even though we were total strangers. It was like waking from a dream of separateness, of spurious self-isolation in a special world, the world of renunciation and supposed holiness…

That vision changed him.  Even though the moment faded, the memory of it never did, and he found himself even more open to seeing God in the world and others. 

May you find moments today and every day from this day when you experience God in the world around you.  And may the memories of what you see guide you to becoming ever more open to God's presence.  

And may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you now and always. Amen.  

[mubashirnews]

‘Extremely dangerous’ tornado tears across US South as storms hit | Weather News

‘Extremely dangerous’ tornado tears across US South as storms hit | Weather News

The National Weather Service received 33 tornado reports across southern states like Alabama, Georgia and Kentucky. A “large and extremely dangerous tornado” ripped across central Alabama on Thursday, part of a line of storms that have slammed the southeastern United States. No deaths have been reported so far but the enormous, swirling weather system destroyed homes, toppled trees and trapped…

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[holidays-events]

"Historic" winter storm and Arctic blast sweep across the U.S.

An extraordinary stretch of extreme winter weather is blasting the Lower 48 as a powerful Arctic cold front sweeps south out of Canada, unleashing howling winds and sparking a bomb cyclone forming in the Midwest.

The big picture: The scope of the extreme weather stretches from coast to coast, with the National Weather Service's map of warnings and watches resembling an apocalyptic coloring book.

The front and storm system will continue to send temperatures plunging everywhere except the Southwest, an extraordinary reach that will wreak havoc on holiday travel plans through this weekend.

Why it matters: The Arctic air, strong winds and an associated bomb cyclone could be deadly to anyone caught outside — and it's causing travel chaos on the roads and in the air during the holiday rush.

Threat level: As of Thursday evening, about 325 million Americans were under winter weather warnings and advisories for heavy snow, frigid conditions and other winter weather hazards, stretching from the Pacific Northwest across the Plains and all the way South to the Gulf Coast.

"The National Weather Service's Watch Warning graphic depicts one of the greatest extents of winter weather warnings and advisories ever," the NWS stated in a forecast discussion, calling the event "historic."

Leaders from FEMA and the National Weather Service briefed President Biden on the winter storm. “I encourage everyone, everyone to please heed the local warnings,” Biden told reporters. “This is not like a snow day when you were a kid. This is serious stuff.”

State of play: The governors of Georgia, North Carolina, Kentucky and Wyoming declared states of emergency in response to threats from the severe weather system.

About 8,000 flights around the U.S. were canceled Thursday, with nearly 3,000 facing delays.

Roads were closed across Colorado on Wednesday night, from the town of Ault to the border with Wyoming, as Buckley Air Force Base, some 20 miles east of Denver, reported temperatures plummeting 46°F to 7°F in an hour.

Of note: Cheyenne, Wyoming, set a record for its greatest one-hour temperature drop, going from 43°F to 3°F in 30 minutes, per the NWS.

What we're watching: The front and storm will produce "widespread disruptive and potentially crippling impacts across the central and eastern United States," the NWS warned Thursday.

"At the forefront of the impressive weather pattern is a dangerous and record-breaking cold air mass in the wake of a strong arctic cold front diving southward across the southern Plains today and eastward into the Ohio/Tennessee Valleys by tonight."

A storm is beginning to feast upon jet stream energy and on the contrast between milder air to the east and frigid temperatures to the west, and will intensify dramatically Thursday night and Friday as it tracks across the Midwest and into Ontario, Canada.

Between the lines: This storm is already becoming a massive wind producer, with winds up to 45 mph expected as far as 1,000 miles away from the storm center.

More than 800,000 people have already lost power on Friday morning, with the most outages in New England and the Southeast, according to PowerOutage.us.

People may continue to lose power between Friday and Saturday amid the cold, due to downed trees and power lines, particularly in the Midwest, Ohio Valley and Northeast.

Some of the most extreme conditions will be felt around the Great Lakes.

In Buffalo, 70 mph winds Friday are likely to drive a lake surge event that may push waters 4 feet above the shoreline, the NWS warns. The city is also expecting blizzard conditions, with as much as 3 feet of snow predicted.

The surge will be part of what is known as a "seiche" event, where water sloshes from one side of the lake to the other, usually by strong winds or air pressure differences.

[atlanticcanada]

Kalin's Call: Post-tropical Nicole brings rainy and windy Saturday

Nicole made landfall in Florida at 4 a.m. Atlantic Time Thursday as a category 1 hurricane in the vicinity of Vero Beach, Florida.

Since then, Nicole has weakened to a tropical storm as it moved to position northeast of Tampa. The continued weakening of the system is expected as it remains over land. Tropical storm force winds are still expected to impact portions of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina into Thursday night. Heavy rain totaling 50 to 100 mm may fall in the central Appalachians and eastern areas of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Ohio. New England could also see totals of 25 to 100 mm out of the rain.

The remnants of Nicole will combine with a weather front to produce a rainy and windy Saturday for the Maritimes.

WIND

The highest wind on Saturday will be mostly out of the south for the Maritimes, with the exception of northern New Brunswick which will be a more easterly wind. Widespread gusts of 40 to 60 km/h should be expected through the day. Peak gusts could reach 60 to 80 km/h on the Bay of Fundy and eastern coastline of New Brunswick, Atlantic coastline of Nova Scotia, Cape Breton, and Prince Edward Island. Due to the topography of the highlands, northern Inverness County Cape Breton will likely hit some gusts near or in excess of 100 km/h. The wind falls into a range that would be expected out of an autumn storm.

Some extra caution may be warranted as there could be some trees/branches and infrastructure more vulnerable due to previous damage from Fiona. Any easily wind-blown objects/furniture should be secured. I wouldn’t expect widespread power outages from a system such as this, but there will probably be some scattered across the region. Watch for impacts to ferry services and possible traffic restrictions on bridges/causeways.

RAIN

It’s a good slug of fall rain for the region. A widespread 20 to 40 mm with some totals that could climb into a range of 40 to 70 mm. The higher rainfall amounts look most likely in New Brunswick and western P.E.I. Can’t rule out some higher totals in Digby, Yarmouth and Inverness counties of Nova Scotia as well. Given that the rain will have a tropical component, be aware that higher rainfall rates and downpours are possible. It would be a good idea to check that drainage is free and clear of any fall debris to help with water runoff.

COASTS

There will be minimal risk of coastal flooding or storm surge with this system. Be careful on the coasts around high tides on the Bay of Fundy and Acadian coastlines of New Brunswick and the Atlantic coastline of Nova Scotia on Saturday due to increased wave action and onshore wind. Any vessels operating in marine areas should check a detailed marine forecast as a strong wind and increased wave heights will be present.

WEATHER ALERTS

As of Thursday, a tropical cyclone information statement outlining the combination of weather front and post-tropical Nicole remains in effect by the Canadian Hurricane Centre for the Maritimes. An additional special weather statement is in place for both New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. That statement not only advises that some higher winds gusts may be present but that those areas are under higher risk of seeing heavier rain. I’ll have an update on our CTV Atlantic News programming at 5, 6, and 11:30 p.m.

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/8uPnh26

#new brunswick #prince edward island #nova scotia #news #politics #canada #CTVAtlantic

[arcticdementor]

Interesting to note that Netflix Co-Founder and original CEO Marc Bernays Randolph is the great-nephew of Edward Bernays, a pioneer of shaping public opinion who worked with the US government to drum up pro-war sentiment, ran campaigns for major tobacco corporations to entice new smokers, was contracted by United Fruit to network with journalists and politicians to manufacture consent to ultimately topple the Guatemalan government, and literally wrote the book on Propaganda and manipulation of popular consensus Edward Bernays' legacy was cultivating techniques and tools that provided leaders the means to “control and regiment the masses according to our will without their knowing about it.” As a rule, I try to avoid Netflix original series as they are, in my considered opinion, of invariably low quality; however, from what I have seen, they hamfistedly follow his example in service of relentlessly pushing woke dogma - even if that means, in the case of Queen's Gambit, making the chaplain of an all-girls orphanage in 1950's Kentucky a 6'1" transwoman. My girlfriend was watching a new program of theirs called Clickbait the other day, and the progressive 'subtext' of the show was so cacophonous and distracting that the actual contours of the plot seemed wholly subordinate to the central premise of an improbably diverse rainbow coalition of racial, religious, and sexual minorities using social media to uncover the sick and abusive misdeeds of dangerous white men Apple doesn't fall far from the tree, I suppose

Sizzle50

#quote #reddit #the motte #links in quote #netflix #marc randolph #edward bernays

[dipulb3]

1 dead after tornado touches down in Atlanta area and severe weather barrels through the Southeast US

New Post has been published on https://appradab.com/1-dead-after-tornado-touches-down-in-atlanta-area-and-severe-weather-barrels-through-the-southeast-us/

1 dead after tornado touches down in Atlanta area and severe weather barrels through the Southeast US

The man died in Douglasville, Georgia, west of Atlanta. The Douglas County Fire Department responded to reports of a tree on a car with a person inside around 10:36 a.m., according to a news release from county officials.

“When they arrived on the scene, they discovered the driver trapped inside the vehicle with power lines and a tree on the vehicle,” Douglas County communications director Rick Martin said in the release. “Firefighters had to extricate the driver who we are only identifying as a male at this time until next of kin are notified.”

A tornado warning was issued at about 10:30 a.m. and lasted until 11:15 a.m. ET, with about 450,000 people in its potential path, according to the National Weather Service in Atlanta. An EF-1 tornado with 90 mph winds was confirmed in Douglas County, according to the National Weather Service. The tornado was 250 yards wide and on the ground for a mile and a half.

The extent of damage from storms in the area wasn’t clear early Monday afternoon. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms tweeted photos of downed trees in her neighborhood in southwest Atlanta, while Dru Ghegan, the owner of Bonded Service Warehouse in Fulton County, shared photos that show the building suffered significant damage.

A tornado watch is in effect until 7 p.m. EDT for east-central Georgia, central South Carolina and south-central North Carolina. This includes Charlotte and Rockingham in North Carolina, Columbia and Greenwood in South Carolina and Augusta in Georgia. There are several thunderstorm watches, including ones in central Georgia, much of Alabama and eastern Mississippi, which will last until 9 p.m. ET, according to Appradab meteorologist Taylor Ward.

A couple tornadoes are possible with the thunderstorms, in addition to the risk for large hail up to the size of a quarter and isolated wind gusts up to 70 mph, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

TRACK THE STORMS WITH OUR STORM TRACKER >>>

The alerts came a day after tornadoes struck at least three cities in Mississippi, causing damage to buildings and knocking out power. The same system that spawned tornadoes over the weekend is still on the move, bringing the threat for the severe storms across the Southeast.

In addition, over the Plains, a new system is developing and will spark a separate outbreak of severe weather into the overnight hours.

There is also a severe thunderstorm watch for central Illinois and east central Missouri, including St Louis. Eastern New Mexico and West Texas are under a severe thunderstorm watch until 9 p.m. CT (10 p.m. ET).

Additionally, a new tornado watch has been issued for southeast Oklahoma and north central Texas, including Dallas. This watch is in effect until 11 p.m. CT.

Tornadoes most likely in southern Plains and Ohio River Valley

The greatest risk for severe weather through Monday night will be from Texas through Kentucky, where there is a level 3 out of 5, enhanced risk, according to the Storm Prediction Center. This includes Dallas, Fort Worth and Arlington in Texas, Fort Smith and Fayetteville in Arkansas, and Paducah in Kentucky.

This region has the best chance of seeing damaging winds, but large hail and tornadoes are also possible, especially in southeastern Oklahoma and northeastern Texas.

“Very large hail, tornadoes (a couple of which may be significant), and intense damaging winds are expected,” according to the Storm Prediction Center.

Showers and storms Monday morning were to exit the Ohio River Valley by midday, while the southern Plains remain dry most of the day.

By late afternoon, quickly moving thunderstorms will begin to form and they will persist into the night. Some of these storms are forecast to be supercells, which spin and can produce tornadoes. This tornado threat will continue into Monday night.

“A tornado risk may persist into the overnight hours as storms move from Oklahoma into parts of Arkansas/southern Missouri and approach the Mississippi River late,” according to the SPC.

Rounds of storms are possible overnight, so some locations could get hit by more than one storm — perhaps more than one severe storm.

These storms may not reach the western Ohio River Valley until early Tuesday, possibly impacting cities including Nashville, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Louisville.

Severe storms also threaten in Southeast

Monday’s severe weather threat extends across the Southeast. A level 2 out of 5, slight risk is in place for Atlanta, Birmingham, Charlotte, Charleston, Raleigh and Virginia Beach.

Marginal, level 1 out of 5, chances for severe storms stretch from the deep South through the Mid-Atlantic. Cities including Washington, Richmond and Savannah are all included in this risk area.

Unlike in the central US, the threat in the Southeast will primarily be during the daylight hours.

There have already been thunderstorms this morning, and additional storms will form during the latter half of the day.

This round will need to be watched for severe storms this afternoon and evening. Reports of tornadoes, hail and damaging winds are expected with some of the storms. Localized flash flooding will be possible with any of today’s storms, with some locations measuring 1 to 3 inches of rain.

Many states across the Southeast have seen double their normal rainfall over the last month, so even 1 to 2 inches of additional rain could lead to flash flooding.

Storms trek east Tuesday

The threat doesn’t end on Monday, however. The storm system over the Plains will make its trek toward the East Coast, fueling the risk for severe weather from the Gulf Coast through the eastern Great Lakes on Tuesday.

This puts Mississippi back at risk for tornadoes, but tornadoes could especially be possible in parts of Louisiana, Alabama and Tennessee as well, where there is a level 3 out of 5 severe weather risk.

“Large hail, damaging wind gusts and a few tornadoes will be likely along with rainfall rates in excess of an inch per hour,” said the National Weather Service office in Jackson, Mississippi.

Rounds of thunderstorms and rain showers will traverse across the Ohio and Tennessee River Valleys throughout the day Tuesday. Farther south, scattered storms will likely develop midday from eastern Texas through Georgia.

The risk for severe weather will ramp up during the afternoon and evening hours. In addition to the storms in the Gulf Coast states, some of which will turn severe, a final line or two of strong storms will likely track east from the coast through the Ohio River Valley through Tuesday night.

Flash flooding will be possible across the South thanks to the combination of heavy rainfall and all the rain that has fallen in recent days and weeks. A widespread 1-3 inches of rain is forecast across this region into Tuesday night.

This line of storms should weaken by Wednesday morning as it approaches the East Coast of the US, but isolated severe weather will remain possible.

[equinoxparanormal]

Map of the United Monsters of America

The natural world is losing up to 2,000 species a year, and that's a low estimate. Fortunately, one corner of the animal kingdom is immune from extinction: the monsters that thrive in our imagination. This map unites America's most famous cryptids on one map, from Caddy, a Northwestern sea serpent, over Nebraska's Alkali Lake monster to the skunk apes of Southern Florida. 

There's a whole discipline dedicated to the study of beasts unknown to science: cryptozoology, literally 'the study of hidden animals'. Although frowned upon by mainstream science, some of these 'hidden animals' have actually been proven to exist. The giraffe-like okapi of Central Africa was confirmed only in 1901. Indonesia's komodo dragon seemed too fantastical to be true until 1912, when its existence finally could be documented. These two species share the questionable distinction of having their existence threatened (by us) so soon after being discovered (by us).

Until science discovers evidence for the Loch Ness monster, the Himalayan yeti or any of their fellow cryptids (i.e. 'hidden creatures'), these monsters will have the good fortune to be as uncountable as they are unaccounted for, free to roam and multiply in our campfire stories and our folklore. The United States has quite a few of these cryptids, some famous, like the Mothman or the Chupacabra, some perhaps only known (and feared) locally, like the Beast of Busco or the Pope Lick Monster. 

As shown on the map, which brings them together for the first time, most cryptids are concentrated in the eastern third of the US. Perhaps not surprising: that's where most people live, thus presumable also an agreeable environment for monsters (as notable for their attention-seeking as for their camera-shyness). Further west, monsterdom is spread more thinly, with just 15 out of 32 cryptids mentioned on the map occurring in the two thirds of the land mass west of the Mississippi. So, which are America's favorite monsters?

1. Alkali Lake Monster

 A 40-feet horned reptile said to inhabit Nebraska's Walgren Lake (formerly Alkali Lake). Favorite treat: livestock and fishermen. Stinks to high heaven. More at American Monsters.

 2. Altamaha-Ha

A 30-foot creature navigating the mount of Georgia's Altamaha River with seal-like movements, blending in to its surroundings thanks to its green skin. A.k.a.: Altie. Possible footage of the monster here.

3. Bear Lake Monster

Although the person who first reported the Monster of Bear Lake, on the Utah-Idaho border, later admitted it was a “wonderful, first-class lie,” his tall tale has continued to generate numerous sightings, turning the 30-foot 'water devil' into a modest tourist attraction. More at American Folklore.

4. Beast of Busco

In 1949, inhabitants of Churubusco, Indiana reported seeing a giant snapping turtle which, despite a month-long turtle-hunt, managed to evade its pursuers. The town now boasts a statue of 'Oscar the Turtle', and annual Turtle Days, held in June. More at Unknown Explorers. 

5. Bessie

Loch Ness has Nessie, Lake Erie has... Bessie. Snake-like and between 30 and 40 feet, Bessie was first sighted as far back as 1793. A.k.a.: South Bay Bessie. Has its own comic book series.

6. Bigfoot

Perhaps North America's most famous cryptid, this large, hairy ape-man is said to inhabit the forests of the Pacific Northwest. Bigfoot (a.k.a.: Sasquatch) has left an aptly large imprint on American popular culture, figuring in countless TV series, movies and even a musical. The famous picture, claimed by some to show a genuine Bigfoot, by others a man in a gorilla suit, can be seen here.

7. Big Bird

A giant, ape-faced bird that terrorized the Rio Grande Valley. First spotted in 1976, it has blood-red eyes and a 12-feet wingspan. After a few months, the monster disappeared as mysteriously as it had emerged. Could it have been a jabiru, a Central American stork, as claimed by the Brownsville Herald?

8. Caddie

Named after Cadboro Bay in British Colombia, Caddie is a sea monster said to frequent the coasts of Washington and Oregon. A.k.a.: Cadborosaurus willsi. More at The Cryptid Zoo.

9. Cassie

Maine and Oregon both have a Portland, and also a sea monster. The Pine Tree State's Casco Bay is home to Cassie. Sea serpents were reported in the area as early as 1751, but have tailed off in the last couple of decades, says Maine Mysteries.

10. Chessie

Chesapeake Bay has its own sea monster – unavoidably called Chessie. Reportedly 25 to 40 feet long, it was sighted most often between the mid-1970s and mid-1980s, and as recently as 2014. Ranked #8 scariest sea serpent by Animal Planet.

11. Champ

The champion among American lake monsters, Champ's habitat is Lake Champlain on the New York/Vermont border. As with many monsters, the numerous contemporary sightings are supported by Native American traditions – in this case, the local Abenaki tribe's stories about a creature called Tatoskok. Last year, the Daily Mail reported on audio recordings presented as evidence of Champ's existence.

12. Chupacabra

The original sighting of the Chupacabra (Spanish for 'goat-sucker') was in the mid-1990s in Puerto Rico, and apparently influenced by a creature in the sci-fi movie Species. A rash of sightings (and mutilated goats) in northern Mexico and the southern US has been linked to mangy dogs. Yet the legend lives on, reports the Huffington Post.

13. Flathead Lake Monster

The Flathead Lake Monster is that Montana Lake's version of Nessie. Strangely, nobody thought of calling it Flessie. More at NBC Montana.

14. Honey Island Swamp Monster

Seven feet tall, with gray hair, red eyes and a foul smell, the Monster of Honey Island Swamp, Louisiana is a hominid cryptid seen since 1963 (but also linked to older Native American myths).

16. Jersey Devil

Winged and hoofed, the Jersey Devil would probably look like a devil, if it could be coaxed out of its lair in New Jersey's Pine Barrens. More info (and t-shirts) here.

17. Kipsy

Or the Hudson River Monster. Could also be an unusually large (and very lost) manatee? See also Cryptid Wiki.

20. Loveland Frogmen

Humanoid frogs about 4 feet tall, first sighted in Loveland, Ohio, and from 2014 stars of their own musical, named Hot Damn! It's the Loveland Frog! More at Who Forted? 

21. Mogollon Monster

A Bigfoot-like creature sighted along the Mogollon Rim in central and eastern Arizona. No attested sightings confirm its existence, but the monster does have its own website.

22. Mothman

'Couples See Man-Sized Bird...Creature...Something', titled the Point Pleasant Register on 16 November 1966. The sightings continued for just over a year, popularized by the book The Mothman Prophecies (1975), turned into a 2002 movie starring Richard Gere.

25. Paddler

Is Paddler a real monster in Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho, or is it just a cover story for secret Navy submarine tests? More on Cryptomundo.

26. Pukwudgie

A three-foot humanoid from Wampanoag (Massachusetts) folklore, with enlarged noses, fingers and ears, able to appear and disappear at will, transform into a porcupine, and lure humans to their deaths. Hence best left alone.

27. Pope Lick Monster

The Pope Lick Monster is part man, part bovine, lives under a railway bridge near Louisville, Kentucky, and kills people either by luring them onto the tracks, or jumping down on motorists beneath the bridge. Quite disappointingly, no actual popes were licked in the making of this urban legend. More at the Louisville Ghost Hunters Society.

28. Shunka Warakin

An Ioway term meaning 'carries off dogs,' the Shunka Warakin is said to resemble either a hyena or a wolf, or both. One such animal was shot and mounted in 1880s Montana, was displayed in a local store until it mysteriously vanished in the 1980s. 'Ringdocus,' as the animal was named, was found again in 2007, according to the Bozeman Daily Chronicle.

29. Skunk Apes

A.k.a. Florida Bigfoot, the skunk ape, according to the US National Park Service, does not exist. However, some mysterious photossent in by an anonymous source, seem to indicate otherwise.

30. Tessie

Another Nessie spin-off, Tessie swims in Lake Tahoe, on the California-Nevada border. After a few dives in the mid-1970s, famed French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau reportedly said: “The world isn’t ready for what is down there.”

31. Thunderbirds

Large bird-like creatures with enormous wingspans, associated with Native American myths, but sighted (and shot) in modern times; as in one famous (but apocryphal) case in the early 1980s. A picture of a dead thunderbird nailed to a barn in Arizona is one of the many cryptid clues that have 'mysteriously' gone missing. Or is this it?

32. Wampus Cat

A cougar-like cat stalking eastern Tennessee, not unlike the Eewah, a half-woman, half-cougar, from Cherokee mythology. Legend has it that when you hear the Wampus cry, someone will die within the next three days. The Wampus Cat also steals children, and smells awful. More here.

[Frank Jacobs, Big Think / Map by Hog Island Press]

#cryptids #cryptozoology #United States #paranormal #maps

[contactover709]

Dating Man In Alton Texas

Dating Man In Alton Texas Map

Dating Man In Alton Texas Police Department

Dating Man In Alton Texas

HIDALGO, Texas—U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (OFO) at the Hidalgo International Bridge arrested a 22-year-old man from Alton, Texas in connection with a failed drug smuggling attempt of alleged methamphetamine worth $631,400. “Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, our officers continue their steadfast commitment towards keeping dangerous. Single Gay Men in Alton, TX. Lone Star State of Texas. Match.com has been the leading online dating site for over 10 years. Why waste time and money searching Alton,Texas bars for love? Create a Match.com profile for FREE. Tired of being single? Your dating choices are endless with thousands of exciting Alton singles available online.

Online Dating Man In Richardson Texas, gay matchmaking service lakewood, speed dating beach branson pawn missouri, dating gay fort thomas kentucky Service and support Bonus offer: Free Membership to DatingVIP. For a town that no longer exists, Alton has a fascinating history. In 1848 the Texas legislature decided that Alton would become the county seat of government for Denton County, replacing the community of Pinckneyville. Present-day Corinth is less than a mile from what was the first town to be named Alton. The county seat was occupied by a. Interracial Dating in Alton, TX. Lone Star State of Texas. Whether you're searching for casual Texas dating or serious Texas relationships, Match.com has millions of smart, sexy and attractive singles meant just for you. Don't miss out on the online dating experience in Alton,Texas. Sleepless and single in Alton?

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Dating Man In Alton Texas Map

About 3 ½ miles from the present-day town of Corinth, in Denton County, Texas, once stood the small village of Alton, which, for a decade, served as the Denton County seat. When Denton County was formed in 1846, the first pioneers chose a place along Pecan Creek for the first county seat and named it Pinckneyville, in honor of Texas’ first governor, James Pinckney Henderson.

But, Pinckneyville would hold the title only two years and never develop into a town. Water shortages forced the county seat to move to a new site in June 1848. Located less than a mile from present-day Corinth, on a high ridge between Pecan Creek and Hickory Creek, the new townsite was called Alton.

Though Commissioners were appointed and directed to lay out a town and sell lots, there are no records that this was ever done and no public buildings were ever erected. In fact, the only residence that existed was that of a man named W.C. Baines, who established a farmstead long before the designation of the new county seat.

County business was held at the Baines’ residence, most of the time, under the shade trees in his yard. The location of the second county seat also proved to be unfavorable due to a lack of potable water and the state legislature soon directed that the site be moved again.

The third county seat location was designated in November 1850, about five miles southwest of present-day Corinth on Hickory Creek. The new site retained the name of Alton and submitted an application for a post office. This location did grow and before long it boasted a hotel and two stores.

By 1856, the small town boasted a number of homes, a blacksmith shop, three stores, a school, saloon, hotel, two doctors, and several lawyers. The Hickory Creek Baptist Church, which continues to stand, was organized in 1855.

Though the fledgling town had begun to grow, the location of the county seat was still unsatisfactory for the majority of Denton County residents, who soon petitioned for yet, another county seat – one that was more centrally located and again, one with better water. Put to a vote in November 1856, the county seat was moved again to Denton. Townsite lots began to be auctioned in January 1857.

In the meantime, Alton began to die as many of its businesses moved to the new county seat. In May 1859, its post office doors closed forever.

There is little remaining of the old townsite today, with the exception of the Hickory Creek Baptist Church and the old Alton Cemetery, which contains graves that date back to 1852. The church is located at 5724 Teasley Lane ( F.M. Road 2181), Denton, Texas. Next to the church is the cemetery.

Years later, in 1884, long after Alton had died, an iron through-truss bridge was built over Hickory Creek on Copper Canyon Road, south of the old townsite. Built by the King Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio, the 145-foot long bridge would serve area travelers for more than a century. Called the Old Alton Bridge, sometimes the Argyle bridge, and is better known amongst the locals as “Goatman’s Bridge,” it was first built to carry horses, but would later carry vehicles across the creek.

Alton Bridge Sign

It continued to be used until about 2001 when it was replaced with a concrete-and-steel bridge and a new road, which straightened out a sharp curve. Before the new bridge was built, motorists were required to honk their horns on the one-lane bridge to let other travelers know they were coming.

The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in July 1988 and closed to vehicle traffic in 2001. It is open only to pedestrians today.

Not only is the Old Alton Bridge a picturesque historic site, but it is also said to be haunted by the “Goatman,” hence the nickname of the bridge.

Half a century after the bridge was built, an African-American man named Oscar Washburn, settled with his family near the bridge. Earning his living raising goats, he was soon called the “Goatman” by the locals. An honest businessman, his goat raising business was a success. Unfortunately; there were those who did not welcome a successful black man within their midst.

When Washburn posted a sign on the bridge that advertised “this way to the Goatman,” it angered local Klansman. On a dark night in August 1938, these hateful men crossed the bridge without their headlights, then, burst into Washburn’s home and drug him from his family to the bridge.

The Klansman then fitted a noose over his head and pushed him over the side of the bridge. However, when they looked over to make sure he was dead, they could see only the rope. Washburn was gone and was never seen again. The hateful Klansman then went back to his home and killed the rest of his family.

Ever since that fateful day, a number of strange things have reportedly occurred on and around the bridge. Many believe that the Goatman haunts the overpass and the nearby woods. The tale continues that when travelers crossed the bridge at night with their headlights off, they would meet the Goatman on the other side. These tales are obviously old, as the bridge has been closed to vehicle traffic since 2001.

Dating Man In Alton Texas Police Department

A number of other reports tell of numerous abandoned cars that have been found near the bridge, with their occupants missing.

Others report seeing a ghostly man herding goats over the bridge, while others say they have seen an apparition staring at them, holding a goat head under each arm. Stranger stories even include people having seen a creature that resembles a half-goat, half-man.

More tales of strange noises have also been described including the sounds of horses’ hoof beats on the bridge, splashing in the creek below, maniacal laughter, and inhuman like growling coming from the surrounding woods.

Visitors sometimes tell of seeing mysterious lights in the area, of car doors, locking and unlocking of their own accord, and numerous vehicle breakdowns while near the old viaduct.

According to legend, if you visit on Halloween and honk your car horn twice, visitors can see Goatman’s glowing eyes.

Ghost Towns: America’s Lost World DVD. At Legends’ General Store.

Dating Man In Alton Texas

And, the Goatman is evidently not alone. Other reports tell of a woman’s spirit who wanders the area allegedly in search of her lost baby. Maybe that spirit is that of La Llorona, who is well known as haunting the rivers of the Southwest.

The bridge is located about seven miles south of Denton. Take I-35E S/US-77 S to exit 463 and merge into the I-35 Frontage Rd. Turn right at Lillian Miller Pkwy and go 0.8 miles, where the road becomes Farm to Market Rd 2181/Teasley Ln, continue 3.2 miles and turn right at Old Alton Rd.

© Kathy Weiser/Legends of America, updated October 2019.

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[orbemnews]

1 dead after tornado touches down in Atlanta area and severe weather barrels through the Southeast US The man died in Douglasville, Georgia, west of Atlanta. The Douglas County Fire Department responded to reports of a tree on a car with a person inside around 10:36 a.m., according to a news release from county officials. “When they arrived on the scene, they discovered the driver trapped inside the vehicle with power lines and a tree on the vehicle,” Douglas County communications director Rick Martin said in the release. “Firefighters had to extricate the driver who we are only identifying as a male at this time until next of kin are notified.” A tornado warning was issued at about 10:30 a.m. and lasted until 11:15 a.m. ET, with about 450,000 people in its potential path, according to the National Weather Service in Atlanta. An EF-1 tornado with 90 mph winds was confirmed in Douglas County, according to the National Weather Service. The tornado was 250 yards wide and on the ground for a mile and a half. The extent of damage from storms in the area wasn’t clear early Monday afternoon. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms tweeted photos of downed trees in her neighborhood in southwest Atlanta, while Dru Ghegan, the owner of Bonded Service Warehouse in Fulton County, shared photos that show the building suffered significant damage. A tornado watch was in effect until 7 p.m. EDT for east-central Georgia, central South Carolina and south-central North Carolina. This included Charlotte and Rockingham in North Carolina, Columbia and Greenwood in South Carolina and Augusta in Georgia. There were several thunderstorm watches, including ones in central Georgia, much of Alabama and eastern Mississippi, which will last until 9 p.m. ET, according to CNN meteorologist Taylor Ward. A couple tornadoes are possible with the thunderstorms, in addition to the risk for large hail up to the size of a quarter and isolated wind gusts up to 70 mph, according to the Storm Prediction Center. TRACK THE STORMS WITH OUR STORM TRACKER >>> The alerts came a day after tornadoes struck at least three cities in Mississippi, causing damage to buildings and knocking out power. The same system that spawned tornadoes over the weekend is still on the move, bringing the threat for the severe storms across the Southeast. In addition, over the Plains, a new system is developing and will spark a separate outbreak of severe weather into the overnight hours. There is also a severe thunderstorm watch for central Illinois and east central Missouri, including St Louis. Eastern New Mexico and West Texas are under a severe thunderstorm watch until 9 p.m. CT (10 p.m. ET). Additionally, a new tornado watch has been issued for southeast Oklahoma and north central Texas, including Dallas. This watch is in effect until 11 p.m. CT. Tornadoes most likely in southern Plains and Ohio River Valley The greatest risk for severe weather through Monday night will be from Texas through Kentucky, where there is a level 3 out of 5, enhanced risk, according to the Storm Prediction Center. This includes Dallas, Fort Worth and Arlington in Texas, Fort Smith and Fayetteville in Arkansas, and Paducah in Kentucky. This region has the best chance of seeing damaging winds, but large hail and tornadoes are also possible, especially in southeastern Oklahoma and northeastern Texas. “Very large hail, tornadoes (a couple of which may be significant), and intense damaging winds are expected,” according to the Storm Prediction Center. The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, airport spokesperson Bill Begley told CNN. Showers and storms Monday morning were to exit the Ohio River Valley by midday. By late afternoon, quickly moving thunderstorms will begin to form and they will persist into the night. Some of these storms are forecast to be supercells, which spin and can produce tornadoes. This tornado threat will continue into Monday night. “A tornado risk may persist into the overnight hours as storms move from Oklahoma into parts of Arkansas/southern Missouri and approach the Mississippi River late,” according to the SPC. Rounds of storms are possible overnight, so some locations could get hit by more than one storm — perhaps more than one severe storm. These storms may not reach the western Ohio River Valley until early Tuesday, possibly impacting cities including Nashville, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Louisville. Severe storms also threaten in Southeast Monday’s severe weather threat extends across the Southeast. A level 2 out of 5, slight risk is in place for Atlanta, Birmingham, Charlotte, Charleston, Raleigh and Virginia Beach. Marginal, level 1 out of 5, chances for severe storms stretch from the deep South through the Mid-Atlantic. Cities including Washington, Richmond and Savannah are all included in this risk area. Unlike in the central US, the threat in the Southeast will primarily be during the daylight hours. There have already been thunderstorms this morning, and additional storms will form during the latter half of the day. This round will need to be watched for severe storms this afternoon and evening. Reports of tornadoes, hail and damaging winds are expected with some of the storms. Localized flash flooding will be possible with any of today’s storms, with some locations measuring 1 to 3 inches of rain. Many states across the Southeast have seen double their normal rainfall over the last month, so even 1 to 2 inches of additional rain could lead to flash flooding. Storms trek east Tuesday The threat doesn’t end on Monday, however. The storm system over the Plains will make its trek toward the East Coast, fueling the risk for severe weather from the Gulf Coast through the eastern Great Lakes on Tuesday. This puts Mississippi back at risk for tornadoes, but tornadoes could especially be possible in parts of Louisiana, Alabama and Tennessee as well, where there is a level 3 out of 5 severe weather risk. “Large hail, damaging wind gusts and a few tornadoes will be likely along with rainfall rates in excess of an inch per hour,” said the National Weather Service office in Jackson, Mississippi. Rounds of thunderstorms and rain showers will traverse across the Ohio and Tennessee River Valleys throughout the day Tuesday. Farther south, scattered storms will likely develop midday from eastern Texas through Georgia. The risk for severe weather will ramp up during the afternoon and evening hours. In addition to the storms in the Gulf Coast states, some of which will turn severe, a final line or two of strong storms will likely track east from the coast through the Ohio River Valley through Tuesday night. Flash flooding will be possible across the South thanks to the combination of heavy rainfall and all the rain that has fallen in recent days and weeks. A widespread 1-3 inches of rain is forecast across this region into Tuesday night. This line of storms should weaken by Wednesday morning as it approaches the East Coast of the US, but isolated severe weather will remain possible. Source link Orbem News #area #Atlanta #Barrels #Dead #severe #Severeweather:1deadaftertornadotouchesdowninAtlantaareaandsevereweatherbarrelsthroughtheSoutheastUS-CNN #Southeast #Tornado #touches #Weather

[xtruss]

He Has 17,700 Bottles of Hand Sanitizer and Nowhere to Sell Them!

Amazon cracked down on Coronavirus price gouging. Now, while the rest of the World searches, some sellers are holding stockpiles of sanitizer and masks.

— By Jack Nicas | March 12, 2020 | The New York Times

On March 1, the day after the first coronavirus death in the United States was announced, brothers Matt and Noah Colvin set out in a silver S.U.V. to pick up some hand sanitizer. Driving around Chattanooga, Tenn., they hit a Dollar Tree, then a Walmart, a Staples and a Home Depot. At each store, they cleaned out the shelves.

Over the next three days, Noah Colvin took a 1,300-mile road trip across Tennessee and into Kentucky, filling a U-Haul truck with thousands of bottles of hand sanitizer and thousands of packs of antibacterial wipes, mostly from “little hole-in-the-wall dollar stores in the backwoods,” his brother said. “The major metro areas were cleaned out.”

Matt Colvin stayed home near Chattanooga, preparing for pallets of even more wipes and sanitizer he had ordered, and starting to list them on Amazon. Mr. Colvin said he had posted 300 bottles of hand sanitizer and immediately sold them all for between $8 and $70 each, multiples higher than what he had bought them for. To him, “it was crazy money.” To many others, it was profiteering from a pandemic.

The next day, Amazon pulled his items and thousands of other listings for sanitizer, wipes and face masks. The company suspended some of the sellers behind the listings and warned many others that if they kept running up prices, they’d lose their accounts. EBay soon followed with even stricter measures, prohibiting any U.S. sales of masks or sanitizer.

Now, while millions of people across the country search in vain for hand sanitizer to protect themselves from the spread of the coronavirus, Mr. Colvin is sitting on 17,700 bottles of the stuff with little idea where to sell them.

“It’s been a huge amount of whiplash,” he said. “From being in a situation where what I’ve got coming and going could potentially put my family in a really good place financially to ‘What the heck am I going to do with all of this?’”

Mr. Colvin is one of probably thousands of sellers who have amassed stockpiles of hand sanitizer and crucial respirator masks that many hospitals are now rationing, according to interviews with eight Amazon sellers and posts in private Facebook and Telegram groups from dozens more. Amazon said it had recently removed hundreds of thousands of listings and suspended thousands of sellers’ accounts for price gouging related to the coronavirus.

Amazon, eBay, Walmart and other online-commerce platforms are trying to stop their sellers from making excessive profits from a public health crisis. While the companies aimed to discourage people from hoarding such products and jacking up their prices, many sellers had already cleared out their local stores and started selling the goods online.

Now both the physical and digital shelves are nearly empty.

Mikeala Kozlowski, a nurse in Dudley, Mass., has been searching for hand sanitizer since before she gave birth to her first child, Nora, on March 5. When she searched stores, which were sold out, she skipped getting gas to avoid handling the pump. And when she checked Amazon, she couldn’t find it for less than $50.

“You’re being selfish, hoarding resources for your own personal gain,” she said of the sellers.

Sites like Amazon and eBay have given rise to a growing industry of independent sellers who snatch up discounted or hard-to-find items in stores to post online and sell around the world.

These sellers call it retail arbitrage, a 21st-century career that has adults buying up everything from limited-run cereals to Fingerling Monkeys, a once hot toy. The bargain hunters look for anything they can sell at a sharp markup. In recent weeks, they found perhaps their biggest opportunity: a pandemic.

As they watched the list of Amazon’s most popular searches crowd with terms like “Purell,” “N95 mask” and “Clorox wipes,” sellers said, they did what they had learned to do: Suck up supply and sell it for what the market would bear.

Initially, the strategy worked. For several weeks, prices soared for some of the top results to searches for sanitizer, masks and wipes on Amazon, according to a New York Times analysis of historical prices from Jungle Scout, which tracks data for Amazon sellers. The data shows that both Amazon and third-party sellers like Mr. Colvin increased their prices, which then mostly dropped when Amazon took action against price gouging this month.

At the high prices, people still bought the products en masse, and Amazon took a cut of roughly 15 percent and eBay roughly 10 percent, depending on the price and the seller.

Then the companies, pressured by growing criticism from regulators and customers, cracked down. After the measures last week, Amazon went further on Wednesday, restricting sales of any coronavirus-related products from certain sellers.

“Price gouging is a clear violation of our policies, unethical, and in some areas, illegal,” Amazon said in a statement. “In addition to terminating these third party accounts, we welcome the opportunity to work directly with states attorneys general to prosecute bad actors.”

Mr. Colvin, 36, a former Air Force technical sergeant, said he started selling on Amazon in 2015, developing it into a six-figure career by selling Nike shoes and pet toys, and by following trends.

In early February, as headlines announced the coronavirus’s spread in China, Mr. Colvin spotted a chance to capitalize. A nearby liquidation firm was selling 2,000 “pandemic packs,” leftovers from a defunct company. Each came with 50 face masks, four small bottles of hand sanitizer and a thermometer. The price was $5 a pack. Mr. Colvin haggled it to $3.50 and bought them all.

Hand sanitizer that Mr. Colvin is keeping in a storage locker. Credit: Doug Strickland for The New York Times

He quickly sold all 2,000 of the 50-packs of masks on eBay, pricing them from $40 to $50 each, and sometimes higher. He declined to disclose his profit on the record but said it was substantial.

The success stoked his appetite. When he saw the panicked public starting to pounce on sanitizer and wipes, he and his brother set out to stock up.

Elsewhere in the country, other Amazon sellers were doing the same.

Chris Anderson, an Amazon seller in central Pennsylvania, said he and a friend had driven around Ohio, buying about 10,000 masks from stores. He used coupons to buy packs of 10 for around $15 each and resold them for $40 to $50. After Amazon’s cut and other costs, he estimates, he made a $25,000 profit.

Mr. Anderson is now holding 500 packs of antibacterial wipes after Amazon blocked him from selling them for $19 each, up from $16 weeks earlier. He bought the packs for $3 each.

Eric, a truck driver from Ohio who spoke on the condition that his surname not be published because he feared Amazon would retaliate, said he had also collected about 10,000 masks at stores. He bought each 10-pack for about $20 and sold most for roughly $80 each, though some he priced at $125.

“Even at $125 a box, they were selling almost instantly,” he said. “It was mind-blowing as far as what you could charge.” He estimates he made $35,000 to $40,000 in profit.

Now he has 1,000 more masks on order, but he’s not sure what to do with them. He said Amazon had been vague about what constituted price gouging, scaring away sellers who don’t want to risk losing their ability to sell on its site.

To regulators and many others, the sellers are sitting on a stockpile of medical supplies during a pandemic. The attorney general’s offices in California, Washington and New York are all investigating price gouging related to the coronavirus. California’s price-gouging law bars sellers from increasing prices by more than 10 percent after officials declare an emergency. New York’s law prohibits sellers from charging an “unconscionably excessive price” during emergencies.

An official at the Washington attorney general’s office said the agency believed it could apply the state’s consumer-protection law to sue platforms or sellers, even if they aren’t in Washington, as long as they were trying to sell to Washington residents.

Noah Colvin, Mr. Colvin’s brother, moving boxes of hand sanitizer from his brother’s storage locker on Thursday. Credit: Doug Strickland for The New York Times

Mr. Colvin does not believe he was price gouging. While he charged $20 on Amazon for two bottles of Purell that retail for $1 each, he said people forget that his price includes his labor, Amazon’s fees and about $10 in shipping. (Alcohol-based sanitizer is pricey to ship because officials consider it a hazardous material.)

Current price-gouging laws “are not built for today’s day and age,” Mr. Colvin said. “They’re built for Billy Bob’s gas station doubling the amount he charges for gas during a hurricane.”

He added, “Just because it cost me $2 in the store doesn’t mean it’s not going to cost me $16 to get it to your door.”

But what about the morality of hoarding products that can prevent the spread of the virus, just to turn a profit?

Mr. Colvin said he was simply fixing “inefficiencies in the marketplace.” Some areas of the country need these products more than others, and he’s helping send the supply toward the demand.

“There’s a crushing overwhelming demand in certain cities right now,” he said. “The Dollar General in the middle of nowhere outside of Lexington, Ky., doesn’t have that.”

He thought about it more. “I honestly feel like it’s a public service,” he added. “I’m being paid for my public service.”

As for his stockpile, Mr. Colvin said he would now probably try to sell it locally. “If I can make a slight profit, that’s fine,” he said. “But I’m not looking to be in a situation where I make the front page of the news for being that guy who hoarded 20,000 bottles of sanitizer that I’m selling for 20 times what they cost me.”

After The Times published this article on Saturday morning, Mr. Colvin said he was exploring ways to donate all the supplies.

[blackpjensen]

Betting On A Winner

Every year, 20 horses bolt out of the paddocks at the Kentucky Derby, vying for the coveted rose garland. And every year, at least a third of those horses have grazed and galloped on grass mowed and maintained by Hillenmeyer Landscape Services.

“In any given year, up to half of the Derby horses have some connection with a farm we are associated with or take care of,” said Chase Hillenmeyer, president Hillenmeyer Landscape Services. “We’ve had a few winners on farms we’ve maintained.”

Hillenmeyer, a sixth-generation family commercial landscaping operation, received its first contract for equine maintenance in the 90s. “That’s the biggest thing we do today,” said Hillenmeyer. “Our niche is maintaining horse farms in central Kentucky.”

Hillenmeyer Leadership

With properties ranging from 400 acres to a sprawling 2,500 acres, equine maintenance is a constant job during peak season. Hillenmeyer and his crew of 275 provide two types of mowing services for horse farms: common mowing, which is conventional grass cutting with a 60-inch ZTR mower around houses, barns, and roadways; and field mowing, accomplished with a tractor and a 20-foot batwing application for mowing fields and paddocks. They also string trim fence lines, with one contract boasting 85-miles of fencing, and offer services such as mulching, edging and tree trimming.

Keeping Up In Kentucky

Keeping the fields of central Kentucky’s horse farms maintained takes quite a few lawnmowers so Hillenmeyer runs a little more than 100 units. In the past few years, though, the crew started to encounter problems with its engine manufacturer.

“We were seeing a large number of engines blowing prematurely in the 1,000 to 1,500-hour range,” said Hillenmeyer, “This caused us significant production problems, management problems, and customer problems.”

“There was a period of time… when we were constantly dealing with down equipment, retooling crews, and working with two half crews instead of a whole crew because mowers weren’t working,” said Hillenmeyer. The crew wasn’t able to complete jobs on time, and everyone was feeling the burden of unreliable equipment.

On top of the performance issues, Hillenmeyer found a lack of accountability on the engine manufacturer’s part, as well as the mower manufacturer that spec’d the engines. “You can have product failure, but you can’t have service failure — they had both,” said Hillenmeyer. So he decided to make a change.

Finding Harmony

In the past, Hillenmeyer had purchased some units spec’d with Vanguard® engines. “We looked at our fleet and saw that the engines with a Vanguard sticker on them lasted a lot longer than the ones without Vanguard stickers,” said Hillenmeyer. With that in mind and looking for alignment among his engine and mower manufacturer, Hillenmeyer and his team reached out to Briggs & Stratton to see what it could offer.

Hillenmeyer quickly discovered that Vanguard engines not only offered the performance he was looking for, but an opportunity to work with manufacturers already in harmony with one another. “The chain of alignment among the Ferris® mowers and Vanguard engine teams and our local distributor really caught our attention,” he said. “When we spoke with them, they heard our challenges with previous manufacturers who didn’t work well together and showed us how that wouldn’t be a problem if we went with Vanguard engines.”

A factory tour of the engine manufacturing facility in Auburn, AL, solidified that assertion. “We were blown away by watching the Vanguard production team and the quality controls they used. It gave us a lot of confidence,” commented Hillenmeyer.

The final selling point came down to maintenance. The BIG BLOCK

V-Twin engine line he was eyeing to spec on the new Ferris mowers came equipped with Vanguard’s innovative Oil Guard

system. “We saw that Oil Guard would help us reduce our time spent on oil maintenance and therefore maintenance cost,” said Hillenmeyer, “Not to mention the larger oil reservoir that offers a little more margin of error on an engine blowing.”

A New Season

Ultimately, Hillenmeyer and his team replaced 35 units — about a third of its fleet — with Ferris mowers equipped with Vanguard engines. The new engines tackled the 2017-18 season with the reliability Hillenmeyer needed. “If the mowers aren’t working, that causes pain all the way down the line. Uptime is key, and the Vanguard engines have certainly provided that,” he said.

Now, the Hillenmeyer crew is back to cutting the horse pastures of central Kentucky. And while it can’t be known if this service has anything to do with determining Derby winners, Hillenmeyer has a theory. “Let’s just say we do our job so well that the owners can focus… more attention on the horses.”

The post Betting On A Winner appeared first on Turf.

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From The Wilderness To Scole Swansong – Pt 1

http://bit.ly/2Iv1FLG

Photographer: Arto Marttinen | Source: Unsplash

A compelling series about how direct guidance from Spirit created The Spiritual Science Foundation in Spain.

By Robin P Foy

November 1998. The month when our world fell apart!

That is exactly how it felt when the unique, pioneering 'Scole Experiment' ended quite suddenly and unexpectedly after 5 years of the most amazing Physical Mediumship phenomena that we had ever witnessed in our 25 years of intimate and sustained involvement in this field.

Can you imagine exactly what it feels like to lose your entire family; suddenly, and without prior warning? That is exactly what losing our wonderful Spirit Team felt like!

Coming Soon: The Scole Movie

The 'Scole Experiment' has since become quite famous for its pioneering role – and the role of our beloved Spirit Team – in introducing a new way of producing physical phenomena to mainstream Psychic Research. So much so, that a big-screen Scole Movie is planned about our historic project, based on the book The Scole Experiment by authors Grant and Jane Solomon.

The mind-blowing, often unique phenomena that we witnessed over more than 1,000 hours of sitting during the experimental Scole years was produced by using only a mix of 3 different types of energy dubbed 'Creative Energy' by our Spirit Team. This method has since been named and recognized as Energy-Based phenomena, as opposed to the more traditional Ectoplasm-based phenomena that was practiced widely over the previous 150 years of Physical Mediumship. Energy-based phenomena is now becoming increasingly popular with groups who set out to develop physical mediumship and its stunning objective results.

In the 'stunned' months immediately following the final sittings of the 'Scole Experiment', all four of us Scole Group members presented public seminars for interested people and researchers which set out the hard work and achievements of our Scole Spirit Team.

From the video footage taken during the live sessions at Scole, Alan Bennett edited together a superb compilation of some of our phenomena, together with animated images of ET beings that visited us during the Experiment – leaving pictures of themselves behind for us to see. There were also a number of pictures of the Spirit World itself – including animated trees and fields, plus pyramids similar to those in ancient Egypt. None of these videos and still images had previously been released to the public.

It was during the first of these seminars that we met the authors Grant and Jane Solomon, who had never sat with us – but were still so taken by the Scole results. Their enthusiasm compelled them to write a book about us entitled 'The Scole Experiment', which became a bestseller. It was Grant and Jane who coined the phrase 'The Scole Experiment' and the title has since stuck.

Such was the interest in the 'Scole Experiment' that in the two years following its demise, many different people and groups from all over the world arrived on our Scole doorstep uninvited, expecting to interview us and be entertained. Despite a large number of rubberneckers, however, many really were serious experimenters and researchers themselves.

We also received numerous offers from several either amateur or quasi professional film makers and documentary makers to take part in their proposed films and documentaries. No payment was ever offered for our services or cooperation in their projects. Most simply wanted to make a name for themselves by getting involved in reporting the special and unique Scole results from their own angle.

'The Afterlife Investigations'

We turned the majority of these potential documentary projects down on the spot as few seemed genuine and none offered our own editorial freedom. However, we decided to jointly cooperate in the making of Tim Coleman and Dan Drasin's Documentary 'The Afterlife Investigations' about Scole.

This film was completed by Tim Coleman and has since proved to be a major informational documentary, showcasing amazing evidence of the afterlife which we gathered during our five-year experiment.

The Afterlife Investigations has been seen by millions of people over the years, and played an instrumental role in changing the views of many people who were previously committed skeptics!

I was asked to take part in radio and TV interviews, which I happily did (without any payment). There were also invitations for me to lecture on Scole in Columbus, Ohio, in the USA (which I did on two separate occasions), and another in Budapest, Hungary, which I also did. I appeared at a number of psychic seminars by invitation. There were articles in the 'Sunday Times Supplement'; the EDP (Eastern Daily Press) magazine; plus a special Japanese magazine that reported our Scole results and published some of our photos received during sittings via the 'psychic photography department' of our Spirit Team.

Uninvited Guests of a Different Kind

One of the very first uninvited visitors after our Experiments had finished, was a dentist from Israel – Doctor Adrian Klein – who has since become a very good friend. On another occasion, a party of eight people arrived one afternoon from Italy. This party included Marcello Bacci (the famous Direct Radio Voice medium) and his wife Marina, together with their friends Emanuel Toriello; Alex Zampieri, with Italian Lawyer Amerigo Festa and their three wives.

Whilst enjoying a drink with this group at the Scole Inn, and in full light, I witnessed the unexpected arrival of a few apported glass trinkets – one of which actually arrived in my own pocket without any of the Italian group touching me!

This meeting resulted in our being invited to Marcello Bacci's laboratory at Grosseto in Italy (three times in all) to experience Bacci's impressive Direct Radio Voice phenomena.

As a result of this invitation, and after our initial visit to Italy, two of the party who had visited us at Scole – Emanuel and Alex – became good friends. They worked in the UK for a so that they could join us in starting a new group at Scole, some 18 months after our original Experiment finished in 1998.

Just The Two Of Us

After a few months with our two new sitters, it was obvious that the new group was not going to be successful – but the experience did reawaken our passion for sitting. Although the circle with the Italians did not work out, we went back to the drawing board and started sitting all over again – just Sandra and I.

First of all, we simply sat together on a weekly basis. Very little happened during these sittings until we invited our daughter and grandson to join us. On the few occasions we sat with them in the cellar at Scole, we noticed some reoccurring phenomena.

For example, a ping-pong ball 'scooted around' rapidly in a Pyrex bowl on our central table each time they joined us. This got our attention! Although our daughter and grandson were unable to sit with us regularly in the experiments, these early results did give us the motivation to continue.

Then we started to look for other circle members to join us on a regular basis. Up until 2006, we tried all sorts of different combinations of sitters in our new group. Once again, though, most of these produced very little in the way of results. We also started to have private readings with a number of professional mediums to see if we could get any clues from Spirit as to what they wanted us to do.

Finally, at a local spiritual centre near Diss, we came across an evidential deep trance medium called Les Driver. Both of us had short sittings with him and Les was able to put us in touch with some of the Spirit Team we had known at Scole in an evidential way.

This led us to believe that Spirit still had a job for us to do – and that the timing had to be right for us to once again develop some excellent phenomena. It also caused us to visit Les a second time (around 2002) for a private sitting in his home at Worksop in Nottinghamshire.

More accurate revelations came from this joint sitting and it became obvious that we did need to once again start sitting seriously, and that there was already a Spirit Team in place to monitor our efforts and help with the new centre development.

Les had himself given a large part of this private sitting in deep trance and soon afterwards, was able to work as an electrician close to Scole and combine that with a weekly sitting with the two of us. This continued for several months. Although we got lots of encouragement from Spirit via Les's deep trance, the eagerly sought phenomena just did not happen again at that time, and Sandra and I went back to simply sitting together for a while.

DelaWarr Camera Experiments

Shortly afterwards, we were contacted by Peter Moscow – the then President of the American Psychotronics Association and one of the founders of the Electronic Medicine Association in the UK. Peter had a holistic healing clinic in St Louis, Kentucky and was extremely knowledgeable in the field of radionics, and especially electronic radionic gadgets that he used, many of which were to his own specification. Peter was also a member of the Delawarr Society of Radionics.

Seeing that we had enjoyed such good physical mediumship and phenomena during the 'Scole Experiment', Peter was anxious to discover if we were able to get any positive results with his DelaWarr Camera. As far as we knew, there were only two original DelaWarr Cameras left in existence.

It was a very large piece of equipment that did not, in any way, resemble an actual camera. It worked on 'radionic' psychic principles, some of which go hand-in-hand with physical phenomena.

The De La Warrs made many radionics experiments with the De La Warr Radionic Camera in particular. A few amazing experiments the De La Warrs carried out included one in which they produced a photograph of a three-month-old fetus from the blood sample of a pregnant woman, with the lady being over 50 miles away at the time.

Another example involved taking a picture of a patient’s brain from a blood sample, which showed a tumour. An autopsy after the patient’s death showed a tumour in the exact place on the brain that was depicted in the photograph.

In 1950, George De La Warr took a photograph using a drop of his own blood and a drop of his wife Marjorie's blood while holding the thought in his mind of their wedding day in 1929. The photo they received showed two human-like figures standing side by side, although not clearly identifiable as George and Marjorie.

From 2003 to 2006, and between our weekly sittings for the development of physical phenomena, we started to experiment with the De La Warr Camera that Peter had lent us. Surprisingly, although our sessions with the camera were a bit hit and miss, we did start to get some very good psychic pictures and photographic images when we used the camera, so there was definite development taking place.

Our results, however, were never up to the standard of the photographs obtained when the De La Warrs were using and experimenting with their camera. The camera was returned to a scientific researcher designated by Peter before we left Scole.

We considered the possibility of retiring abroad, but could not agree on which country would suit us best. So, for a few years, we travelled to France, Cyprus and Majorca to seriously look at suitable retirement properties. France came out as favorite initially, but we thought that such a move might involve us in too much red tape, and dropped the idea for a while.

It was in early 2004 that Sandra began to receive crystal clear clairvoyant and clairaudient messages again. Whilst she sat quietly during her night-shift job in a Diss electronics factory, she kept getting a recurring message which constantly told her to 'move to Spain'.

In Part 2, Robin and Sandra Foy embark on the unknown road to Spain.

Watch The Tosp Interview On The Scole Experiments

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