Secured Homeowner Loan vs Remortgage - Which One to Choose?
Are you looking to borrow money secured on your home?
If so, you have two main choices. A remortgage involves you switching your entire mortgage balance to a new lender and, if necessary, borrowing some additional funds. A secured loan means that your mortgage remains where it is and you take an additional sum with a second, different lender.
There are various pros and cons of each method of borrowing. So, to help you decide which one might be more appropriate for you, here are four questions you should ask when considering a secured homeowner loan versus a remortgage.
What Are the Set-Up Costs and Fees?
One of the main differences between a secured homeowner loan and a remortgage relates to the set up fees and charges. If you plan to remortgage to another lender you may well incur a number of charges, including a valuation fee, legal fees for the conveyancing work and an arrangement or booking fee. These fees can often run into several hundred pounds.
A secured homeowner loan will typically attract far fewer fees than a remortgage.
Are There Any Penalties for Leaving Your Current Lender?
If you have a discounted or fixed rate deal on your main mortgage you may be 'tied-in' with your current lender. This means that there may be 'early repayment charges' (ERCs) due if you pay off your main mortgage.
One of the main advantages of a secured homeowner loan over a remortgage is that you do not have to pay off your existing mortgage to borrow additional funds. Your existing mortgage remains as it is and you take a second loan with a new lender.
So, if you have early repayment charges on your current mortgage, a remortgage may see you paying thousands of pounds in penalties to your lender. So, a secured homeowner loan may be a better option for you as you can leave your mortgage as it is.
Do Your Personal Circumstances Allow a Remortgage?
If your circumstances have changed since you took out your original mortgage you may find that it is more difficult to secure a remortgage. You may have become self-employed, your income may have fallen or your credit rating may have deteriorated. In these situations, you may find it tough to agree a remortgage.
A secured homeowner loan has different underwriting criteria. Lenders may charge slightly higher rates but they will often consider your application if you are self-employed or if your credit rating is less than perfect.
Which Is More Financially Worthwhile?
When considering a secured homeowner loan or a remortgage it is important to work out which option makes more financial sense to you.
For example, if you have thousands of pounds worth of 'early repayment charges' for remortgaging, a secured homeowner loan may be more cost-effective. However, if you have plenty of equity in your property, a good credit score and a high income, a remortgage may offer better value for money.
As well as the interest rate being charged on the borrowing, don't forget to take fees, charges and any penalties into account.


SOUTH BLOOMFIELD – South Bloomfield police department had a successful toy drive last weekend with the 7th Annual Topple the Tahoe event.
"We love this time of year for this event", said Chief Ken McCoy, "from its initial inception, it has grown every year and we could not be prouder of all the people in our county that make the donations that keep this event going, and really show the communities supporting each other".
According to South Bloomfield Police they collected 753 unwrapped new toys for PICCA's Toys for Tots. A notable donation was given by BuddyRC.com that donated 50 new drones to the cause. The officers also received 550 dollars in cash and received 100 dollar donation from Pierce Motors in South Bloomfield. The officers used this money to buy more toys from Meijer's in Grove City using Santa Bucks, a program that stretches the dollar amount on 14.99 dollar toys and below allowing the officers to buy more toys for the cause.
South Bloomfield had a food event going on at the same time called "Cram the Kaboda" according to McCoy they had over 25 coats donated, and a huge donation of canned good and dry goods that will go towards the food pantry.


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Literature, Theatre
Review Frankenstein, Black Eyed Theatre, Greenwich Theatre by Hannah Goslin
February 13, 2017 Hannah Goslin Leave a comment
Anyone who is anyone at least knows the main premises of the classic, Frankenstein. Depicted over the years from the original novel in films, television, even costume at Halloween by the kids that knock on your door asking for mounds of sugar.
This is what makes this production such a challenge – how do you take something so well known and turn it into something that feels fresh, new and still a surprise?
Black Eyed Theatre have gone back to basics – they have taken the story and been true, reverted back to original theatre with keeping to the era, to the proscenium arch, no audience interaction and while this sounds unoriginal, it's actually refreshing that they haven't decided to take some modern take or make it some metaphorical twist on the story. Sometimes, keeping to the original is extraordinary in itself.
But while they do this, they still make it original to their company – with only four members of the cast, everyone pitches in – music and sounds are made on stage with instruments, objects and their own body and voices; times when the characters are changing, this leads to a change in instrumentalists and this is done with no pause of hesitance making the doubling up of characters and the atmosphere made by sound seamless.
Each performer (except for Frankenstein) at least has a minimum of two characters to play – there's a sense of melodrama to this as at times the gestures and characterisation are a little hammed up – this does provide a little comic relief which is helpful in keeping us upbeat and ready for shocks and surprises when we are also being drawn into the deteriorating mental state of Frankenstein but they also play each character very well, letting us forget that they are only a cast of 4.
The highlight for me, as a huge collector of and interest in, is the puppetry. How do you make a huge muscly monster of 6-7ft tall? The National Theatre Saw Benedict Cumberpatch and Johnny Lee Miller in costume and mask created especially for them each, changing the character they played each night and this was a triumph itself. Here, Frankenstein is a full sized puppet, movement and speech only being possible with a minimum of 3 of the performers. Made of rope, it has been made in such a way as to represent his strong muscular form, and with the head with moveable mouth and eyes, he is eerie, frightening and also pulls at your heart strings. One performer providing the simplistic voice, and the others providing soundscapes to represent echo and give a horror atmosphere, we are sucked in and see only a 5th member of the cast, not a puppet.
Frankenstein is clever, truthful to the novel and an inspiring approach to theatre and classic text.
FrankensteinHannah Goslin
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Browns quick hits: Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger beats Cleveland one last time as Baker Mayfield struggles again
Nate Ulrich
PITTSBURGH — Ben Roethlisberger had the last laugh against the Browns.
Of course, he did.
With their postseason hopes dashed Sunday, the Browns suddenly had nothing to play for in their "Monday Night Football" meeting with the Pittsburgh Steelers, except an opportunity to wreck what Cleveland's fiercest AFC North rival intended to be a party for Roethlisberger, its longtime starting quarterback.
Roethlisberger said last week all signs were pointing to Monday night's nationally televised game being his last at Heinz Field, and the Steelers surely wanted him to go out on top versus the Browns, a franchise he has owned for the vast majority of his career since it passed on the native of Findlay, Ohio, and Miami University product in the 2004 NFL Draft.
The Browns failed to spoil the plan, with quarterback Baker Mayfield and the passing game struggling mightily.
They fell 26-14 to the Steelers instead of eliminating Pittsburgh from playoff contention.
The Browns (7-9) were mathematically knocked out of the playoff race on Sunday. The Cincinnati Bengals won the AFC North by upsetting the Kansas City Chiefs 34-31 at Paul Brown Stadium, wiping out Cleveland's likeliest path to the postseason. Later, the Denver Broncos falling 34-13 to the Los Angeles Chargers ended the Browns' slim chances for a wild-card berth.
What Eli and Peyton Manning said:'ManningCast' not kind to the Browns on Monday night
The Steelers (8-7-1) still have flickering wild-card possibilities.
Roethlisberger improved to 25-3-1 as a starter against the Browns, including 0-1 in the playoffs.
Big Ben helped the Steelers triumph 15-10 on Oct. 31 in Cleveland, where he went 12-2-1. The Browns beat Roethlisberger in what was likely his final playoff game at Heinz Field. The Browns prevailed 48-37 on Jan. 10 in a wild-card game in Pittsburgh, capturing their first playoff win since Jan. 1, 1995. But Roethlisberger wasn't denied in his final matchup with Cleveland. He is 13-1 versus the Browns in Pittsburgh, counting the postseason matchup from nearly a year ago.
Since their rebirth in 1999, the Browns are now 9-38-1, including 1-1 in the playoffs, against the Steelers. Yes, Cleveland has played 23 seasons without reaching double-digit wins in the series, and Roethlisberger is more responsible than any other Steelers figure. He is the ultimate villain — the Darth Vader — of the expansion era.
The Steelers swept the Browns in the regular season for the 15th time since Cleveland's first season back in the NFL.
The Browns have one game left this season, but they no longer have a chance to earn back-to-back winning records for the first time since they finished above .500 in every season from 1986-89. They will host the Bengals (10-6) in the regular-season finale Sunday at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Browns defeated the Bengals 41-16 on Nov. 7 in Cincinnati.
The atmosphere at Heinz Field was electric for Roethlisberger's swan song, and the Terrible Towel-waving crowd went wild when he ran onto the field last during player introductions. "Cleveland sucks" chants broke out a few times.
32 things we learned from Week 17 of 2021 NFL season: Chaos breaks out, but clarity follows
The Steelers were in control from the beginning.
The Browns made things interesting late in the game when Mayfield's 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Harrison Bryant resulted in the Steelers' lead being cut to 19-14 with 1:10 remaining in the fourth quarter, but Pittsburgh recovered the ensuing onside kick.
With the Steelers needing a first down to ice the game on third-and-3, rookie running back Najee Harris broke free for a 37-yard rushing touchdown, and Pittsburgh took a 26-14 lead with 51 seconds left to play. Harris had 188 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries (6.7 average).
Roethlisberger watched Harris score, pointed to the sky and hugged teammates.
In the final minute, Steelers fans serenaded Roethlisberger by chanting, "Thank you, Ben."
Mayfield was picked off by rookie safety Tre Norwood with 10 seconds left, allowing Roethlisberger to finish the game in victory formation.
Roethlisberger went 24-of-46 passing (52.2%) for 123 yards and a touchdown with an interception for a rating of 56.3.
Browns QB Baker Mayfield has another rough outing behind offensive line
After throwing a career-high four interceptions on Christmas Day in a 24-22 loss to the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field, Mayfield had another ugly performance.
Mayfield finished 16-of-38 passing (42.1%) for 185 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions for a rating of 53.1. He had five of his passes batted or deflected near the line of scrimmage — a career high, according to ESPN Stats & Information. He took nine sacks, four of which were credited to Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt.
The Steelers became the first team since the 2017 New Orleans Saints to notch at least five batted passes and five sacks in the same game, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
The first half was especially rough.
Mayfield went 4-of-15 passing (26.7%) for 58 yards with an interception for a rating of 15.4 through two quarters.
Mayfield had four passes batted in the first half. Three other passes were dropped — two by starting tight end Austin Hooper and another by third-string running back D'Ernest Johnson.
Mayfield threw 10 consecutive incomplete passes in the first half, the longest streak in the NFL since Sam Darnold had the same amount in Week 7 of the 2019 season, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
Mayfield threw a 20-yard pass to receiver Jarvis Landry on the offense's second play from scrimmage. He didn't complete another pass — 9 yards to Landry — until just before the two-minute warning in the second quarter.
Cleveland Browns cut deficit to 13-7 late in third quarter vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Browns flirted with being shut out for the first time since Dec. 14, 2014, when they suffered a 30-0 beating to the Bengals in Cleveland.
But Mayfield and Co. showed some life late in the third quarter.
After defensive end Jadeveon Clowney sacked Roethlisberger for an 8-yard loss on third down and forced a punt from the Pittsburgh 4, the Browns took control at the Steelers 48.
On third-and-goal, Mayfield threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to the tight end David Njoku against the coverage of cornerback Joe Haden in the right side of the end zone. The score capped a four-play, 48-yard drive and allowed the Browns to cut the Steelers' lead to 13-7 with 56 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
The Browns offense stalled on its next series, and veteran Dustin Colquitt had an awful punt that traveled just 21 yards and out of bounds at the Pittsburgh 43.
Eight plays later, the Steelers extended their lead to 16-7 when Chris Boswell made a 50-yard field goal with 9:45 left to play.
The next time Colquitt punted, it was from the end zone after a sack and a series of penalties set up fourth-and-30 at the Cleveland 5. His 46-yard punt was returned 14 yards by Ray-Ray McCloud to the Browns 37.
Four plays later, Boswell made a 48-yard field goal to give the Steelers a 19-7 advantage with 5:48 left to play.
Cleveland Browns QB Baker Mayfield throws interception, Pittsburgh Steelers score off the turnover
Mayfield had a pass batted on each of the Browns' first four possessions. On the fifth possession, he threw an interception.
On first-and-10 from the Cleveland 26, Mayfield rolled to his left and had Njoku wide open underneath, but he threw to Landry instead. Steelers cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon stepped in front of Landry and picked off the pass at the Cleveland 43 with 7:03 left in the second quarter.
Ten plays later, the Steelers turned the takeaway into three points and a 10-0 advantage when Boswell made a 22-yard field goal with 3:02 left in the second quarter.
The Browns trailed by the same score at halftime. Cornerback A.J. Green filled in for Greedy Williams after he left the game for good with an injured right shoulder in the second quarter. Green intercepted a pass from Roethlisberger to end the first half.
Boswell made another field goal on the Steelers' first possession of the second half, nailing a 30-yard attempt to give them a 13-0 lead with 8:20 left in the third quarter.
Cleveland Browns defensive end Jadeveon Clowney helps Pittsburgh Steelers take 7-0 lead
After each team punted twice and had a turnover on downs, the Steelers ended the stalemate.
On first-and-goal, Roethlisberger and receiver Diontae Johnson connected on a slant route for a 5-yard touchdown against the coverage of cornerback Denzel Ward with 10:39 remaining in the second quarter.
But the Steelers probably would not have taken a 7-0 lead on the series if it weren't for Clowney helping them in the most bizarre way.
On third-and-10 from the Cleveland 36, Roethlisberger and Chase Claypool hooked up for 3 yards on a receiver screen. Clowney tackled Claypool and ripped off his left cleat. Then Clowney threw the shoe, drawing a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and giving the Steelers a first down at the 18. Without the flag, the Steelers would have faced fourth-and-7 at the 33. The Steelers scored three plays after Clowney's gaffe.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com.
© 2023 www.marshfieldnewsherald.com. All rights reserved.


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MassPort Approves $50M Subaru Pier Project
BOSTON-The Massachusetts Port Authority gives a preliminary thumbs up to a development group that wants to turn South Boston's 30-acre Subaru Pier into a $50-million commercial maritime complex.
By Beverly Ford | September 20, 2005 at 04:12 PM
(To read more on the industrial market, click here.)
BOSTON-A team of Bay State and New York City developers has proposed spending $50 million to transform a South Boston pier once used to store cars shipped into New England. Plans call for a three-building commercial maritime center.
The Massachusetts Port Authority says it has reached a preliminary agreement with Marine Terminal Development LLC to build the 440,700-sf project on 30-acres of leased land between Fish Pier and Black Falcon Cruise Terminal, a MassPort official tells GlobeSt.com. The project's developers estimate that the warehouses could eventually employ up to 600 workers.
Georgeane Tacelli says the development group is expected to begin construction on the site in 2006 pending city approvals and once a land lease is signed with MassPort, which holds a master lease on the property from the City of Boston. The two-year construction project call for the completion of three buildings, one offering road and rail connections, another designed to include office space, cold storage and seafood processing and a third to handle the offloading and storage of containers.
Tacelli notes that the area's deep water port makes it uniquely suited for the type of operations planned for the site, one of the largest undeveloped parcels along the South Boston waterfront. "We're seeing significant growth in cargo operations coming into Boston and to keep up with that you need services to support those operations. This contributes to making Boston a full service port."
Marine Terminal Development, a joint venture between Cargo Ventures LLC of New York City and Boston Freight Terminals, New England Development and Boston Freight Terminals, all of the Boston area, is expected to sign a 65-year lease on the land within the next few months. Tacelli says she could not discuss how much the development group will pay for the lease until it is signed. MassPort initially selected a scrap metal firm to build on the site, but after an outcry over the potential for environmental damage the authority reconsidered its decision.


Percocet is an opioid drug that combines two drugs into one: oxycodone and acetaminophen. Oxycodone is a narcotic and acetaminophen is a pain reliever. Sometimes people think acetaminophen is harmless because it's an ingredient in over-the-counter pain relievers like Tylenol. But taking too much acetaminophen can result in severe liver damage and even death. So, when someone abuses Percocet, they experience both the dangerous effects of opioid abuse and they cause severe damage to their liver. If you're struggling with an addiction to Percocet, learn more below about Percocet withdrawal symptoms and the importance of getting professional help.
What Are the Percocet Withdrawal Symptoms?
Although Percocet withdrawal symptoms usually aren't life-threatening, they can be very tough.
What Are the Stages of the Percocet Withdrawal Timeline?
Percocet withdrawal symptoms can range from mild to severe. They usually begin between six to 12 hours after last using the drug and peak within about one to three days. Withdrawal symptoms start to subside after about a week, but they can last about a month.
Emotional side effects and cravings may last longer than a month, which is known as post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS).
Going through a professional, medically-assisted detox program helps to ensure a successful recovery. You will be carefully monitored in a safe environment while your body eliminates the physical need for the drug by going through the difficult, and sometimes painful, detoxification process.
Your medical team can administer detox medications such as naltrexone or buprenorphine to help relieve the cravings. They will also ensure that your body has enough vitamins, fluids, and electrolytes. During this challenging time, professional mental and emotional support will also be part of your therapy to help make the withdrawal process successful.
The goal during the detox stage of Percocet withdrawal treatment is medical stabilization. Depending on the severity of your addiction, this stage will last about three to seven days. Your medical team will include doctors, nurses, and support staff. When you arrive, they will give you a complete medical assessment to determine your level of addiction and any other medical needs you may have. The medical assessment will include a medical exam and urine or blood tests to screen for drugs. After your physician reviews these results, you may also require additional testing such as: additional blood tests, including a CBC (complete blood count), chest X-ray, ECG (electrocardiogram), and testing for other diseases.
A detox plan will be created for you once the doctor has reviewed all of the test results. You will then begin the detox process under the care of your medical team. Detoxing may include a combination of detox drugs, such as methadone, buprenorphine, clonidine, and naltrexone. You will be under 24-hour supervision during this time.
After you complete the detox phase of treatment, you will then continue treatment in a residential facility or in a partial-hospitalization program. Your physician will determine which path is right for you based on the severity of your addiction and whether or not you have any other addictions or co-occurring medical or psychological conditions.
During a residential treatment stay, you can focus solely on your psychological and emotional recovery. You'll live full-time at the residential treatment center while you participate in a supportive, rigorous, and structured treatment program at least five days a week. This program will address your emotional and mental health needs to help you begin the process of returning to your life outside the treatment center. These skills will help to prepare you for long-term recovery.
A partial-hospitalization program (PHP) is a blend of inpatient care and outpatient treatment. During this stage, you'll live at a transitional living facility while undergoing a supportive, rigorous, and structured treatment program five days a week for six hours each day.
You will participate in individual, group, and family therapy programs to address your emotional and mental health needs. Learning positive life skills, coping mechanisms, and techniques to help prevent relapse will be the focus during PHP. The goal of PHP is to help you be better prepared for long-term recovery and begin the process of returning to your life outside the treatment center.
Each of the stages of the full continuum of treatment helps you to slowly transition back to life outside the rehab facility while helping you build the skills and resources you need to cope and avoid relapsing. The next stage is the intensive outpatient program (IOP). This stage allows you to either move back home or possibly into a "sober home," which is a facility that provides a more structured lifestyle for those in recovery from substance abuse. At this stage, your therapy sessions won't be as frequent, but you will still attend intensive therapy sessions and continue with medication management, if needed. You will continue to be accountable for your recovery during this stage of treatment. This stage will also include periodic weekly drug testing.
After completing the treatment program, you will have the opportunity to join other treatment center graduates during weekly support groups and social events. These opportunities to meet other program alumni can help you develop new friendships. This social network can help support you and your goals for long-term success. Plus, you can simply enjoy getting to know new friends.
When you're ready to detox from Percocet, the staff at Ocean Breeze Recovery can provide the guidance and support you need to start your recovery. Our admissions specialists are available 24/7 for free and confidential help and they can answer any questions you may have. After you speak with a specialist, you will know what to expect from our evidence-based services and feel prepared to make an informed decision about your treatment plans.
Our specialists can also check with your private health insurance to see if your treatment costs will be fully covered. You don't have to do this alone. Call us today at (855) 960-5341 and let us help you get started on your journey to recovery.


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Italian songstress Laura Guidi is a formidable madam. A tour de force. A dangerous and volatile creature, brimming with life, energy and bitter-sweetness. Her songs are brutal, explicitly honest, funny and aching with pathos. Her heavy Italian accent renders her lyrical eloquence all the more beguiling. Her voice is her plaything, flitting effortlessly and unpredictably between bursts of raw power and bruised fragility. Her music, her voice and dark, penetrating eyes, are an open invitation to venture into the depths of her very being. Listen to Laura Guidi and there is no escaping the intense, shared experience of what it is to be human.
© Laura Guidi 2020 Imprint Privacy Policy Contact


Meaning and definitions of bidi, translation in Telugu language for bidi with similar and opposite words. Also find spoken pronunciation of bidi in Telugu and in English language.
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What bidi means in Telugu, bidi meaning in Telugu, bidi definition, examples and pronunciation of bidi in Telugu language.


Just a very quick post to celebrate the arrival of our first nightingale of the year. Reports of a male singing briefly around Hanger View/Little Hanger hide - he'll be warming up ready for our Night-time safari and Dawn Chorus events later this week. Feeling delighted (and a little relieved)!
There seems to be a debate every year about whether Spring starts on 1st March or the equinox around the 21st. On either measure we have now arrived in Spring. Happily, our wildlife cares nothing about our human debates and just gets on with what it does best at this time of year.
Sorry, but due to staff shortages, the cafe will be closed on Wednesday 3 April. We are very sorry for any disappointment that this may cause.
We will be setting up self-service tea, coffee and water within the main area of the Visitor Centre.
Regular visitors may find this a rather strange title having been used to seeing flocks of several thousand lapwings during the winter months. However, every year in March these large flocks return to their normal breeding grounds in Europe having come to the UK in the autumn to take advantage of our milder climate.
Starting tomorrow, Wednesday 13 February, we're offering a 30% discount off our 12.75 kg sacks of bird food.
This offer is for one week only, ending on 19 February 2019 so be sure to stock up on sunflower seeds, peanuts and other tasty food for your birds.
Now's the time to give nature a home in your garden - it's nearly National Nestbox Week!
We're just starting to see a few early signs of spring… the first queen bee of the year buzzes past your ear, woodpeckers are drumming and you can hear the first few notes of bird song.
Thanks to volunteer Phil for his report and photos - sounds like a lovely wildlife moment!
The very wet area in front of West Mead Hide has been a brilliant place for spotting snipe and black tailed godwits at close quarters in recent weeks.
The very soft ground has been ideal for foraging for these long billed waders.
Join Hurtigruten, the RSPB's partners in saving species like the Albatross, as they host a photography workshop with 'Nature's Home' columnist and award-winning photographer Ben Andrew at RSPB Pulborough Brooks.
Thanks to volunteer Phil firstly for getting up early to help with our Wetland Bird Survey, and secondly for sending us this report and photos!
Over the next month or so our primary focus in terms of habitat management will be the management of hedgerow and scrub around the nature trail and in particular along adder alley.
Please be aware that the visitor centre will be closing at 2 pm on Tuesday 22 January to allow for staff training. The shop, cafe and toilets will be unavailable after this time so do make sure you plan your visit accordingly to avoid any disappointment. There will be normal access to the nature trail via the small side gate in the courtyard.
The centre will be open as normal on Wednesday 23 January.
Just a reminder to say that both the Visitor Centre and nature trails shut at 4 pm every Thursday during the winter months.
Other than that, we're now back open as normal every day of the week including New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.
'Tis the season...to grab a bargain!
The full range of binoculars and telescopes that we offer will be available for you to try out, and our usual team of optics experts will be on hand to answer any questions you have about the products.
From 3-9 December 2018, we are opening our doors for free to National Lottery players.
We'll be offering free nature trail entry to National Lottery players during the week of 3-9 December 2018. We are one of hundreds of participating National Lottery-funded visitor attractions across the UK saying 'thanks' to people who have raised money for good causes by buying a lottery ticket.
Who wants to be in my gang?
It was suitably wintery for our 'Wild Winter' weekend, although not the bright frosty kind of weather we'd have liked the most! But some of our wonderful volunteers ventured out and showed our visitors some lovely wildlife.
Just thought I'd share these stunning photos of one of our short eared owls. Well done and thank you to Howard Kearley (www.howardkearley.com) for letting us use his wonderful pictures.
It's been a particularly good week at Pulborough Brooks for sightings of owls and raptors with both barn owls and short eared owls out hunting in the late afternoon.
Yesterday, Winpenny Hide was the best place to be with a barn owl quartering on the South Brooks and a short eared owl sitting on a fence post close in to the hide before flying off onto the river bank - lovely.
RSPB properties for sale – 20% off all of our bird nesting boxes!
Observing birds nest building and raising young can be fascinating and very rewarding – especially if they have selected a home that you have put up for them. But nesting happens in spring, so why am I writing about it now?


text:
title: "Ways To Support Me"
---

If you like the various projects I do (or have done in the past), a donation
would be appreciated!

## No money? No problem

Do you want to help me but have nothing yourself? Fear not, you still can!

### Money Routine

One of the easiest ways is to signup for the "beermoney" services using the
referral links on [my Money Making Routine page](/money/) and I'll make a bit of
money while you make money. A Win-Win for both of us!

### CosiMine

If you are willing to let a webpage stay open and use a small portion of your
CPU usage, you can run [CosiMine](/cosimine/) which mines cryptocurrency with
your browser.

### Other Ways

- Share my content!
  - More people who see it, the more likely somebody who can donate will see it
    or more ad revenue from more people.
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## Donations

### Cash

You can pay me with good old fashioned cash at [my PayPal.me
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If you want to support me on an on-going basis, there's two separate ways you
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Both get you extra benefits at various tiers based on how much you choose to
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text:
Lansing United grabs biggest win of season on Father's Day
James L. Edwards III
EAST LANSING – With his wife and daughters in Canada, experiencing the Women's World Cup firsthand, Matt Brown was left to celebrate Father's Day on his own.
And on Sunday evening, the Lansing United striker, who is the only dad on the roster, celebrated in style as his two-goal performance helped the United grab a 4-0 win over the Minnesota United Reserves at the East Lansing Soccer Complex.
"That was my determination today: getting a goal for my dad and three girls," Brown said.
The United's (5-0-2) victory over Minnesota give the club its third National Premier Soccer League win in five days, and its biggest of the season.
Lansing has scored eight goals during its three-game winning streak, which is more than it had scored in its previous four league games combined.
"Some of our main guys have really picked it up," said United coach Eric Rudland, whose team is the only Midwest Region club without a loss. "We've gotten some consistency from game to game, and it's been great to see those guys respond."
Lansing's first goal came within minutes of the opening whistle. After a long pass from James DeCosemo found the foot of Stephen Owusu, the United forward was fouled in the penalty box, which led to a penalty kick three minutes into the game. Brown, the team's captain, took the spot kick and put the ball in the back of the net.
Nearly 10 minutes later, Owusu chested in a cross from Freddy Gomes to give Lansing a 2-0 lead.
"We needed an early start," said Brown, who has scored four goals during the winning streak. "It's been a long week with three games, and we were able to come out with nine points.
"We're getting to know each other now. ...The whole team, we have a good togetherness — better than last year. It's coming together now."
Right before halftime, DeCosemo put away his first goal as a member of the United. The England native received a long pass from Charlie Constantino and was able to slide the ball past the Minnesota keeper.
"I've made a couple of runs forward and haven't been able to find me (a goal)," DeCosemo said. "Charlie played an absolute dime. ...It's about time I got one."
Brown's scored the game's final goal in the 47th minute.
On Sunday, Lansing will face in-state foe Detroit City FC at 5:30 p.m. in Detroit. Detroit City is currently second, behind Lansing, in the Midwest Region.
Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.


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The Australian Macadamia Society represents the biosecurity interests of macadamia producers and the industry. They are members of Plant Health Australia and signatories to the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed. Their responsibilities include:
biosecurity planning and implementation at the national and farm levels
liaising with federal and state governments on trade issues
funding and supporting biosecurity initiatives
participating in national committees and response efforts in an emergency.
In 2017–18, macadamia production was valued at $242 million (LVP) with exports valued at $266 million. Annual macadamia production has more than tripled in the last 10 years. The export value of the Australian industry grew by 23 per cent in the 12 months to June 2019.
Approximately 70 per cent of the crop is exported, principally to Europe, the United States, Japan and other Asian countries as kernel and to China in-shell. Australia, South Africa and Kenya are currently the world's largest producers of macadamia. China, the rest of Africa and South America are also significant producers. There are now approximately 800 macadamia growers with 28,000 hectares of crop in Australia. The majority of plantings are varieties of Macadamia integrifolia. Of these, about 75 per cent are Hawaiian varieties, with the remainder being Australian. Five new Australian-bred varieties have been released in the last few years including MCT1, a small precocious and high yielding variety that is proving very popular. Harvest commences in March and runs through to August.
Macadamias are grown along the eastern seaboard of NSW and Queensland, from Port Macquarie in the south through to the Atherton Tablelands in the north. Collectively Bundaberg and the Northern Rivers region produce more than 75 per cent of the Australian crop. Production is growing fastest in Bundaberg in Queensland and the Clarence Valley in NSW. New plantings are also being developed in Mackay and Maryborough in Queensland and in the Richmond and Clarence Valleys in NSW.
Approximately 70 per cent of orchards employ professional pest scouts. The Australian Macadamia Society convenes a forum where pest pressures for the previous season are reviewed and any new pest and disease sightings reported. A number of integrated pest and disease management related research projects are being funded through Hort Innovation, and the society recently distributed over 500 farm biosecurity signs to macadamia growers. The macadamia industry is also one of the contributors to the varroa mite incursion response being managed by the Queensland Government.
Value of production and distribution
Annual value of macadamia production, 2007–18
Distribution of macadamia production by state and territory, 2017–18 (based on LVP)
Biosecurity plans, manuals and resources
Biosecurity Plan for the Tree Nut Industry
Biosecurity planning provides a mechanism for the macadamia industry, government and other relevant stakeholders to assess current biosecurity practices and future biosecurity needs. Planning identifies procedures that can be put in place to reduce the chance of pests reaching our borders or minimise the impact if a pest incursion occurs.
The Biosecurity Plan for the Tree Nut Industry outlines key threats to the industry, risk mitigation plans, identification and categorisation of exotic pests and contingency plans. For a copy, please contact PHA on 02 6215 7700 or email [email protected].
Promotional item to support the exotic plant pest hotline 1800 084 881
Pests Expand
Exotic pests (not in Australia)
The following is a list of high priority exotic pests of macadamias. These pests were identified during the development of the Biosecurity Plan for the Tree Nut Industry in consultation with industry, government and scientists. They have been assessed as high priority pests based on their potential to enter, establish, and spread in Australia (eg environmental factors, host range, vectors) and the cost to industry of control measures.
PHA has a range of fact sheets, contingency plans and diagnostic protocols relevant to these pests. Pest risk review documents are also available for some pests. Please contact PHA on 02 6215 7700 or email [email protected] for more information.
EPPRD Category
Diagnostic protocol
Sudden oak death Phytophthora ramorum 1 FS FS FS CP DP
Tropical nut borer Hypothenemus obscurus FS
Tropilaelaps mites Tropilaelaps clareae and Tropilaelaps mercedessae FS FS
Varroa mites Varroa destructor and Varroa jacobsoni FS FS
Xylella fastidiosa Xylella fastidiosa including X. fastidiosa subsp. multiplex and pauca 2 FS FS FS FS FS FS CP CP DP
The following is a list of documents for other exotic and endemic pests of the macadamia industry. Please note that this is not a complete list of pests: rather it includes pests for which documents exist in the Pest Information Document Database.
Some of the documents presented here are not tailored to the macadamia industry and are included for information only.
Black twig borer Xylosandrus compactus FS FS
False codling moth Thaumatotibia leucotreta syn Cryptophlebia leucotreta 2 FS CP
Glassy-winged sharpshooter Homalodisca vitripennis FS FS FS FS FS FS FS CP CP
Texas root rot Phymatotrichopsis omnivora (syn Phymatotrichum omnivorum) 2 FS FS


Sammy Tippit: Yesterday we were talking with Dr. Walt Larimore about emotional and mental health and how it affects your overall health. We want to continue that discussion today in our devotional time. Walt, you were talking yesterday about the three groups (the grumblers, the gloaters, and then those who were grateful) and how much of a change it made in the health of those who were grateful.
What about people who have been abused, people who grew up in an atmosphere, a home environment, where they were put down on all the time and so they just naturally think negatively? I mean, how do they deal with it?
Walt Larimore: Here's how I think about that, Sammy. Take aspirin… You know, more and more people are taking that little tiny baby aspirin, that 81mg aspirin, to prevent colon cancer, to prevent cardiovascular… It doesn't matter how depressed you are, how angry you are, how irritated you are, how much you've been abused in the past. That aspirin is designed to work irrespective of where you're coming from.
I tell people to think of gratitude as being an emotional aspirin you can take every day, irrespective of the wrong, irrespective of the harm, irrespective of the background, irrespective of the injustice, irrespective of the abuse. Gratitude is part of God's divine design to begin to heal us.
I tell my patients, "Keep a gratitude journal." If you're a person who enjoys meditating in the evening, you can do this before bed, or you can do it right when you get up in the morning. For a 30-day period, just every day write five things you're grateful for. Initially, you may have to look. As you get better with this exercise, you'll find things during the day that you'll remember. That night, take three to five minutes and just meditate on those things you're grateful for, to thank the Father in heaven, to thank your Creator for the blessings he has bestowed.
Now there may be a lot of things that went wrong that day, but you can find five things you're grateful for. As you begin to meditate on that, it not only changes you emotionally; it changes you physically. The studies show blood pressure improves, heart rate improves, metabolism improves. Emotionally we begin to improve. It affects our relationships, our job performance, and it even affects us spiritually as we begin to see God's fingerprint every day in what he provides.
Sammy: What about worry? A lot of people are very anxious today. You know, the future, family, fortunes. Everything around us! There's a lot of worry I find and especially in the economy. How do men deal with worry?
It was a good reminder to me that I can choose to take that worry upon me, or I can release it to my Father. For me, learning how to daily depend upon his provision, be thankful for his provision, and be a good steward for what he provides can make a difference.
Sammy: We need to make some lifestyle changes periodically maybe to be good stewards and then also to just cast it on him if we know we're doing the right thing, we can trust him.
Walt: That's where a mentoring relationship has made a difference for me. I mentioned earlier, I've had a mentor for 25 years. Every week of the month, we would meet. The first week of the month, Bill would have me bring my checkbook and my credit card bill. He would help me look at how I was stewarding those. The second week of the month we looked at my schedule. How was I stewarding my time?
The third week of the month he would call Kate and Scott and find out what type of dad I was being. The fourth week, Sammy, was the hardest. He'd call Barb and find out what type of a friend and what type of a husband I had been. If there was a fifth Tuesday (we met on Tuesdays), then he would call my partner and meet with my employees. That type of mentoring helped me as a man to begin to get my priorities right. That can help reduce some of that worrying and anxiety.
Sammy: This is good stuff. We're going to have some more tomorrow with Dr. Walt Larimore. We're going to be talking about relationships, which gets even more difficult here. We're going to dig a little bit deeper tomorrow. We look forward to it.


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Top 10 best company cars
Company cars have always been a perk, a tasty four-wheeled sweetener for signing up to a new job. Yet in recent years, increasing taxation has meant that many users have been abandoning these machines in favour of cash alternatives. However, with the Government keen for us to go green, there are now plenty of incentives to sign up for a set of company wheels if you're willing to embrace electrification.
So, what are the best cars for business users? Here we list our favourites in 10 categories, from superminis to SUVs and everything in between. All of them combine a low Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) rating (the percentage of the car's value that you're taxed on) yet are still great to drive.
Compact crossover
Range Rover Evoque P300e SE: Range Rover stole a march on rivals when it launched the original version of its eye-catching Evoque, while the latest second generation continues to keep the competition at arm's length. Stylish and sophisticated, it's as good to drive as it is to look at and sit in, distilling the luxury vibe and go-anywhere versatility of its larger siblings into a smaller and more manageable package. Better still, the arrival of the P300e plug-in hybrid has made it much more attractive for company car user choosers. The incredibly slick 1.5-litre three-pot petrol and electric motor combo promises 34 miles of electric range and 44g/km of CO2 for an 11% BiK rating. Lower rate earners face a minimum tax bill of £981, but we'd stretch to £30 more for the lavishly appointed HSE.
Autocar's company car tax calculator shows exactly what you'll pay for every make and model
Large electric car
Mercedes EQC400 4MATIC Sport: Mercedes' first all-electric car also remains one of its best. Fighting off challenges from SUV rivals from Audi, Jaguar and Tesla, the handsome EQC is a great all-rounder, mixing polished driving dynamics with a handy 255 miles of range. With 402bhp on tap from its twin motors, the Merc delivers a startling turn of speed, while its air-suspension melds a plush ride with accurate handling. It's roomy too, while the interior is typically tightly finished and packed with high grade materials and tech. For business users the entry-level Sport is the model to go for, it's lavishly equipped but with a 1% BiK rate higher rate earners will pay just £263 in tax.
Mid-size exec
BMW 530e SE: Some things never change, and despite numerous challengers – both saloon and SUV – the 5 Series remains king of the corporate car park. This is especially true of the plug-in hybrid variants, which deliver the BMW's trademark sharp handling and cosseting long distance refinement, but throw in a welcome dose of tax-relief. The 288bhp 530e is best, it's combo of 2.0-litre four-cylinder motor and 127bhp electric motor being beautifully integrated for a pleasing combination of punch and parsimony. It also results in 31g/km CO2 emissions and an 11% BiK rating that results in an annual salary sacrifice of as little as £1,073 on SE models.
Family hatchback
VW Golf 1.4 TSI eHybrid Style: The evergreen Golf has always been a family hatch hit, but the latest eighth generation model puts the versatile VW back at the top of the class. Of course, there's a Golf for every taste and budget, and for company car drivers it's the plug-in 1.4 TSI eHybrid in lavishly equipped Style trim, which with CO2 emissions of 21g/km attracts a lowly seven percent BiK rate. Yet with 204bhp on tap it's no slouch, while like other models it serves-up a perfectly judged ride and handling balance. The touchscreen infotainment system is fiddly, but in all other respects this is a car that'll keep drivers and fleet managers happy.
Compact family saloon
BMW 330e SE Pro: Such is the brilliance of the BMW 3 Series that you wonder why rivals even bother. A mixture of engaging handling, impressive refinement and a hewn-from-solid quality make it the default choice for those that love driving and are also climbing the corporate ladder. The 318d used to be the default tax-busting choice, but the plug-in 288bhp 330e delivers more performance (it's 0-62mph sprint of 5.9 seconds is nearly three seconds faster) yet with 30g/km CO2 emissions it's rated at 11% BiK, meaning a lower rate earner will pay £888 in tax compared to £1,956 for the cheapest diesel model.
Family SUV
Audi Q5 50 TFSIe Sport: It's hard to pick fault with the stylish and beautifully finished Q5, which is a consummate all-rounder. Spacious, well-equipped and oozing premium appeal, the high-riding Audi is the sort of car that slips seamlessly into your life. It's not much fun to drive, but it's poised, planted and benefits from quatrro security, plus it's comfortable and has impeccable long haul credentials. The addition of mild hybrid engines have improved efficiency, but business users are better served by the plug-in hybrids. The 50 TFSIe in Sport trim combines 2.0-litre petrol and electric power for 295bhp and 35g/km emissions, the latter resulting in a 13% BiK rating. If your budget stretches further up the range, bear in mind the 362bhp 55 TFSIe costs barely any more in tax over an equivalent spec 50 TFSIe.
Range Rover Sport P400e PHEV HSE: Before the arrival of a plug-in petrol-electric option, the Range Rover Sport was an expensive business indulgence. However, by combining its 2.0-litre Ingenium petrol with an electric motor, the P400e models can crack 25 miles in zero emissions mode and emit as little as 74g/km CO2 in the HSE, which works out at an 18% BiK rate, meaning you'll pay half the tax of an equivalent diesel D250. It's not as refined as six-cylinder Sports when worked hard, but in all other respects you get the same remarkable breadth of talent that allows it to be dynamic on-road and unstoppable off it. It's luxurious and spacious interior is also likely to impress those corporate clients.
Small electric car
Peugeot e-208 Allure Premium: It's still rare these days that an all-electric version of a car is more desirable than its ICE counterpart, but that's exactly the case with the e-208. The standard car's style, refinement and comfort perfectly matched the EV's near-silent 134bhp motor and effortless, linear acceleration. It's backed by a 217 mile range and a rapid DC 100kWh charging capability, which is rare in this sector. It's obviously a great company car choice, particularly if your business requires multiple short hops, because all versions are rated at one percent. The entry-level Active Premium will cost just £59 for lower rate users, but we'd add another couple of quid to our tax bill for the much better equipped Allure Premium.
Seven-seater cars
Volvo XC90 T8 Recharge Inscription Expression: It's getting on a bit now, but the handsome and versatile XC90's appeal remains undimmed. Key to its success is a third row of seats that is actually suitable for adults, while it's also good to drive, in a wafty and easy-going sort of way. For business owners, however, it's the Recharge plug-in models that really catch the eye, especially the recently facelifted versions that get a larger 18.8kWh battery that increases EV range to 42 miles and drops CO2 emissions to 28g/km. As a result, it falls into the seven percent BiK band, meaning higher rate earners will pay £1,870 in tax – less than half the £4,292 they'd be liable for with the old car.
Toyota Hilux: For many, this tough Toyota is the definitive pick-up truck, thanks in no small part to heritage that stretches back half a century. This latest version is the best ever, a refresh in 2019 helping to deliver more car-like manners on the road that made it a viable alternative to an SUV. This is particularly good news for business users, because like all pick-ups with a payload of more than a ton, all Hilux models are flat-rated at £3,500, which means a lower rate earner will face a modest salary sacrifice of £700. This is the same for all models, so if your company will pay, we'd recommend the Invincible with its keyless entry, heated seats and infotainment that pack Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
This article was originally published by Autocar.co.uk. Read the original article here.
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We Need a Winning Pro-life Strategy
After 50 years of abortion on demand, it is time to rethink our pro-life strategies and examine the efficacy of the national pro-life movement.
"Insanity is repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results."
LEGAL STRATEGY MEMOS
Professor Charles Rice on Personhood
Charles E. Rice (2006)
In 2006, Michigan became the first state to attempt to amend their laws to recognize the preborn child as a person for purposes of the state constitution. In reponse to opposition by several establishment pro-life organizations, Professor Charles Rice wrote this succint legal memo in support of the amendment.
Click here to read the entire memo.
Rethinking the Pro-Life Strategy
By Robert Muise Esq. (2008)
Over the past year, debate and discussion over the direction of the pro-life movement has increased profoundly. National leaders of the movement, including Catholic leaders, have eschewed—and in some cases directly opposed—efforts to pass constitutional "human life amendments" at the state level. Instead of supporting such a strategy, they largely favor the current "incremental" approach, which offers no plan or promise of ending abortion in the foreseeable future. After 35 years of abortion on demand through all nine months of pregnancy, it is time to rethink pro-life strategy and the efficacy of the national pro-life movement.
Read the entire memo by clicking here.
Incrementalism vs. Personhood Debate
Debate at the Ave Maria Law School (2009)
Robert Muise of the American Freedom Law Center defends the Personhood strategy and Clarke Forsythe argues for incrementalism based on the virtue of prudence.
https://personhood.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Forsythe_Musedebate.mp3
Prudence and Moral Clarity in the Quest for Personhood
By Gualberto Garcia Jones, Esq. (2009)
The close relationship between the social conscience and representative democracy is at the heart of American and world history. Behind every major twist and turn of history there is a social movement driven not by legal subterfuge and political compromise but unabashed truth, courage, and clarity.
A Fool's Errand: State Personhood Proposals (Pro-Life Establishment Arguments Against Personhood)
By Paul Benjamin Linton, Esq. (2009)
There is no shortage of bad ideas in the pro-life movement. Here's the most recent one: state "personhood" proposals. These proposals, drafted as either state constitutional amendments or state statutes, purport to recognize unborn children as constitutional "persons," and are intended to challenge the Supreme Court's holding in Roe v. Wade that the unborn child is not a "person," as that word is used in § 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment. Failing that, they are intended to persuade the Court to overrule Roe and return the issue of abortion to the states.
To read the entire memo click here.
A Defense of State Personhood Amendments and of Civility in the Pro-Life Movement
Perhaps the weakest assertion put forth by Mr. Linton in his article is that "state personhood amendments … could overturn the entire body of law developed over the years regulating the practice of abortion. That is because, by definition, you cannot regulate what you prohibit." Isn't the goal of the pro-life movement to prohibit the practice of abortion? And if the state personhood amendment is as ineffectual as Mr. Linton predicts, and is simply thrown out at first glance, how would this affect our current laws, for how could laws deemed to be unconstitutional trump existing laws? And if they are found to be constitutional and therefore the amendment is enforced, why would a complete ban be a worse thing than the regulation of the lawful killing of children in the womb?
Unborn Children as Constitutional Persons
Gregory Roden, J.D. (2010)
The Roe opinion and other Supreme Court cases implicitly recognize this function of state sovereignty. The states did exercise this power and held unborn children to be persons under the property, tort, and criminal law of the several states at the time Roe was decided. As an effect of the unanimity of the states in holding unborn children to be persons under criminal, tort, and property law, the text of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment compels federal protection of unborn persons. Furthermore, to the extent Justice Blackmun examined the substantive law in these disciplines, his findings are clearly erroneous and as a whole amount to judicial error. Moreover, as a matter of procedure, according to the due process standards recognized in Fifth Amendment jurisprudence of the Supreme Court, Roe v. Wade should be held null and void as to the rights and interests of unborn persons.
An Apologia for Personhood
By Stephen M. Crampton, Esq. (2012)
When it comes to the unborn, however, we not only fail to protect them, we celebrate their destruction as a constitutional right. This is plainly wrong. The Personhood Movement seeks to remedy this injustice and to protect the unborn. It is the only pro-life strategy that offers a direct and immediate challenge to the tyranny of Roe v. Wade.'
Personhood Contra Mundum
Being attacked by the mainstream pro-life movement for adhering to its foundational principles can be discouraging for any pro-life activist. However, now, more than ever, a return to our foundational principles is the only longterm solution to the constitutional, political, and cultural crisis brought on by liberal secularism.
Protecting Prenatal Persons: Does the Fourteenth Amendment Prohibit Abortion?
By Joshua J. Craddock (2017)
What should the legal status of human beings in utero be under an originalist interpretation of the Constitution? Other legal thinkers have explored whether a national "right to abortion" can be justified on originalist grounds.1 Assuming that it cannot, and that Roe v. Wade2 and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey3 were wrongly decided, only two other options are available. Should preborn human beings be considered legal "persons" within the meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment, or do states retain authority to make abortion policy?
You are convinced of the unspeakable evil that abortion represents. You want abortion to end. You are willing to help, but where do you start?
take local action


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A conversation with Kevorian Barnes of UTSA Football
By Joe Rodriguez / January 19, 2023 January 20, 2023
By now every UTSA football fan knows the name Kevorian Barnes. Barnes had a breakout season for UTSA after starting the year as the fourth running back on the depth chart. Kevorian finished the season with 857 yards and six rushing touchdowns and was selected as this year's Conference USA Freshman of the Year. The future looks bright for Barnes as he hopes to continue to improve as UTSA transitions to the AAC next season. Prior to UTSA, Barnes was a standout at San Augustine High School in East Texas. In his four years at the high school level, Kevorian …
A conversation with Kevorian Barnes of UTSA Football Read More »
Q&A with Kyra White of UTSA Basketball
By Joe Rodriguez / October 24, 2022 October 25, 2022
Kyra White is Junior transfer from USC on the women's basketball team. She's a San Antonio native and played her high school basketball at Converse Judson. In high school she was a three-time all-state honoree and helped Judson win the 2019 6A state championship. While at Southern California Kyra played in 77 games and started 22 times. She scored 138 points, posted 131 rebounds, 49 steals, 127 assists, and 25 blocks. Kyra took some time out of her busy schedule to answer some questions for the Runners Rising Project. See the full Q&A below. If you enjoy this type of …
Q&A with Kyra White of UTSA Basketball Read More »
Aug 1 2022 October 20, 2022
For Raffle: Mini-Helmet Signed by Joshua Cephus
By Eddie Benningfield / August 1, 2022 October 20, 2022
As you all know, everything we do is based on donations from the UTSA fanbase. Those donations go directly towards our ability to support deals with student athletes, which in turn is returned to the fanbase with some sort of content creation with these athletes. With the Roadrunners' Football season a little under five weeks away, we've decided to mix it up a little bit, and are expanding the content we're providing…so that said… Recently, we came across a mini-UTSA football helmet which we think would look awesome on a desk in an office, or placed somewhere prominently at someone's …
For Raffle: Mini-Helmet Signed by Joshua Cephus Read More »
Jun 9 2022 November 4, 2022
Now Hiring! Will YOU be our next Director of Business and Community Outreach?
By Eddie Benningfield / June 9, 2022 November 4, 2022
One of the key characteristics of The Runners Rising Project is the staff is 100% comprised of volunteers. We do this to make sure that our monetary contributions go directly to supporting UTSA Student Athletes. As we ourselves are donating our time to The Project, we have to weigh that with things that are going on in other aspects of our lives. Today, we've reached one of those moments. Caleb Hopkins, who is doing some phenomenal work in his day job, is stepping down as our Director of Operations for Business and Community Outreach. He's still involved with Runners Rising, …
Now Hiring! Will YOU be our next Director of Business and Community Outreach? Read More »
Mar 22 2022 October 27, 2022
Q&A with Elyssa Coleman of UTSA Basketball
By Joe Rodriguez / March 22, 2022 October 27, 2022
Elyssa Coleman is a redshirt freshman from Houston, Texas. She transferred to UTSA after signing and attending UT Austin out of Atascocita high school. Coleman was ranked as the #12 forward in the 2020 high school class (ESPN). She had an impressive first year with UTSA. Her breakout game came in the CUSA tournament against UTEP with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Elyssa took some time out of her busy student athlete schedule to answer some questions for the Runners Rising Project. See the full Q&A below. If you enjoy this type of content and want to ask questions for …
Q&A with Elyssa Coleman of UTSA Basketball Read More »
Mar 21 2022 November 4, 2022
Twitter Q&A – Jonathan Tapia of UTSA Baseball
By Joe Rodriguez / March 21, 2022 November 4, 2022
The Runners Rising Project is happy to have Jonathan as our very first official Runners Rising Athlete! Jonathan is a San Antonio native and attended O'Connor High School in Helotes. He choose to stay home and attend UTSA while majoring in Kinesiology. He batted .295 in 2021 with 24 RBIs as a member of the UTSA baseball team and also played in the Texas Collegiate League as a member of the Victoria Generals. Excelling both on and off the field, Jonathan has been named to the Conference USA Commissioner's Honor Roll in each of his four years at UTSA (2017-2021). …
Twitter Q&A – Jonathan Tapia of UTSA Baseball Read More »
A Conversation with Luke Malone of UTSA Baseball
By Jared Kalmus / March 15, 2022 November 4, 2022 / Leave a Comment
This week we were lucky enough to get a Runners Rising favorite to join our Executive Director Eddie for a 1-on-1 conversation. UTSA Baseball pitcher Luke Malone was one of our original NIL agreements when we launched the website. After his dominant start to this season we felt it was natural to reach back out to him about participating in another NIL deal. The Runners Rising project is committed to bringing you an inside look at the lives of UTSA student athletes, and Luke definitely brought the goods. Eddie and Luke chopped it up for close to an hour on …
A Conversation with Luke Malone of UTSA Baseball Read More »
Mar 7 2022 January 12, 2023
A Conversation with JT Clark of UTSA Football
By Jared Kalmus / March 7, 2022 January 12, 2023
Last week the Runners Rising Project hit an exciting milestone as we recorded our first interview with a UTSA student-athlete. Our volunteer staff approached UTSA wide receiver JT Clark to engage in an NIL agreement with him to produce an interview in exchange for a cash payment. We were blown away by JT's thoughtfulness and empathy which really shone through in our interview. Supporters of the Runners Rising Project at the Booster tier and above were provided the opportunity to submit questions for JT and attend the live recording session over Zoom. If you'd like to enjoy this level of …
A Conversation with JT Clark of UTSA Football Read More »


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Flagi gmin w województwie świętokrzyskim – lista symboli gminnych w postaci flagi, obowiązujących w województwie świętokrzyskim.

Zgodnie z definicją, flaga to płat tkaniny określonego kształtu, barwy i znaczenia, przymocowywany do drzewca lub masztu. Może on również zawierać herb lub godło danej jednostki administracyjnej. W Polsce jednostki terytorialne (rady gmin, miast i powiatów) mogą ustanawiać flagi zgodnie z "Ustawą z dnia 21 grudnia 1978 o odznakach i mundurach". W pierwotnej wersji pozwalała ona jednostkom terytorialnym jedynie na ustanawianie herbów. Mimo to wiele miast i gmin, w tym w województwie świętokrzyskim, podejmowało uchwały i używało flagi jako swojego symbolu. Dopiero "Ustawa z dnia 29 grudnia 1998 o zmianie niektórych ustaw w związku z wdrożeniem reformy ustrojowej państwa" oficjalnie potwierdziła prawo województw, powiatów i gmin do ustanawiania tego symbolu jednostki terytorialnej.

W  w województwie świętokrzyskim swoją flagę posiadało 46 ze 102 gmin. Symbol ten, od 2001 (ze zmianą w 2013), ma ustanowione samo województwo.

Lista obowiązujących flag gminnych

Powiat buski

Powiat jędrzejowski

Powiat kazimierski

Miasto Kielce

Powiat kielecki

Powiat konecki

Powiat opatowski

Powiat ostrowiecki

Powiat pińczowski

Powiat sandomierski

Powiat skarżyski

Powiat starachowicki

Powiat staszowski

Powiat włoszczowski

Zobacz też
 Flagi jednostek samorządu terytorialnego w Polsce
 Flagi powiatów w województwie świętokrzyskim

Przypisy

Flagi jednostek samorządu terytorialnego w Polsce

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Q: SQL query - Replace/Move some parts of content I need to update about 2000 records in MySQL
I have a column 'my_content' from table 'my_table' with the folowing value
Title: some title here
Author: John Smith
Size: 2MB

I have created 3 new columns (my_title, my_author and my_size) and now I need to separate the content of 'my_content' like this
'my_title'
some title here

'my_author'
John Smith

'my_size'
2MB

As you can imagine the title, author and size are always different for each row.
What I'm thinking is to query the following, but I'm not great at SQL queries and I'm not sure what the actually query would look like.
This is what I'm trying to do:
Within 'my_content' find everything that starts with "title:..." and ends with "...
au" and move it to 'my_title'
Within 'my_content' find everything that starts with "thor:..." and ends with "...
s" and move it to 'my_author'
Within 'my_content' find everything that starts with "ize:..." and ends with "...
" and move it to 'my_size'

I just don't know how to write a query to do this.
Once all the content is in the new columns, I can just find and delete the content that's not needed any more, for example 'thor:' , etc.

A: You can use INSTR to find the index of your delimiters and SUBSTRING to select out the part you want.  So, for instance, the author would be
SUBSTR(my_content,
       INSTR(my_content, "Author: ") + 8,
       INSTR(my_content, "Size: ") - INSTR(my_content, "Author: ") - 8)

You'd need a bit more work to trim the
 and any surrounding whitespace.

A: Please try the below:
SELECT SUBSTRING(SUBSTRING_INDEX(mycontent,'
',1),LOCATE('Title: ',mycontent)+7) as mytitle,
SUBSTRING(SUBSTRING_INDEX(mycontent,'
',2),LOCATE('Author: ',mycontent)+8) as myauthor,
SUBSTRING(SUBSTRING_INDEX(mycontent,'
',3),LOCATE('Size: ',mycontent)+6) as mysize
FROM mytable;

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Tuesday, January 31, 2023 1.5 Hours Upon Adjournment of the House
House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee -- 3-M Full Committee
House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee -- 3-M Military and Veterans Affairs
House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee -- 3-M Municipal and Public Affairs
House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee -- 3-M Medical and Health Affairs
House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee -- Military, Local Government and Public Affairs Subcommittee
House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee -- 3-M Subcommittee I, Health and Environmental Affairs
Tuesday, April 19, 2022 Upon adjournment of the Full 3-M Committee
House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee -- 3-M Subcommittee II, Occupational Regulation and Licensing Boards
Tuesday, April 19, 2022 2:30 pm or 1.5 hours after adjournment of the House, whichever is later
Thursday, April 7, 2022 Immediately upon adjournment of the House
Monday, April 4, 2022 10:00 am
House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee -- Health and Environmental Affairs Subcommittee
House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee -- Occupational Regulation and Licensing Boards Subcommittee
House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee -- Social Services, Mental Health and Children's Affairs Subcommittee
Tuesday, March 8, 2022 2:30 pm or 1.5 hours after the House adjourns, whichever is later
House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee -- Military, Local Government and Public Affairs
Tuesday, February 15, 2022 2:30 pm or 1.5 hours after House adjournment, whichever is later
House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee -- Local Government and Public Affairs Subcommittee
House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee -- 3-M Subcommittee II
House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee -- 3-M Social Services, Mental Health and Children's Affairs Subcommittee
House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee -- 3-M Health and Environmental Affairs Subcommittee
House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee -- 3-M Occupational Regulation and Licensing Boards Subcommittee
House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee -- Social Services, Mental Health and Children's Affairs
House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee -- 3-M Subcommittee III, Military, Local Government and Public Affairs
Thursday, April 8, 2021 9:00 am
House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee -- 3-M Subcommittee IV, Social Services, Mental Health and Children's Affairs
House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee -- Full Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee
Wednesday, February 19, 2020 2:00 pm or 1 hour after the House adjourns, whichever is later
House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee -- Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee
House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee -- 3-M Subcommittee I, Health and Environmental Affairs on 3521
House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee -- 3-M Subcommittee II, Occupational Regulation and Licensing Boards on 3078
Tuesday, May 5, 2015 2:30 pm or 1½ hours after the House adjourns
Tuesday, February 10, 2015 2:30 pm or 1½ hours after the House adjourns


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Tag Archives: carbon sequestration
Environment Mongabay@COP25: Indonesian dam raises questions about UN hydropower carbon loophole
Tapanuli Orangutans (Pongo tapanuliensis): Adult male on left, and adult female on right. Batang Toru Forest, North Sumatra, Indonesia. Image by Tim Laman under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.
This story here, my third of ultimately five stories from COP25 in Madrid, Spain, was truly a team effort. It also illustrates the challenge and thrill of journalism — learning a new topic from scratch, finding just the right sources you've never met before, working with an editor in Indonesia and one in Vermont to put together a complex and nuanced environmental story about an ecologically sensitive part of the world (North Sumatra) with an rare and endangered great ape (Tapanuli orangutan).
Thanks to Isabel Esterman, Mongabay's Indonesian editor, and Glenn Scherer, my editor at Mongabay, for putting me on to the story, then assisting prodigiously in putting all the pieces together about an Indonesian hydroelectric company, a dam-in-the-jungle project, the Tapanulis' habitat and a serious question over carbon emissions.
Indonesia's pavilion at the UN climate summit in Madrid.
This entry was posted in Environment and tagged carbon emissions, carbon sequestration, Climate change, COP25, Indonesia, mongabay.com, North Sumatera Hydro Electric, orangutan, UNFCCC, United Nations Climate Summit on December 13, 2019 by Justin Catanoso.
Environment Mongabay: 'Guardians of the forest:' Indigenous peoples come together to assert role in climate stability
Guardians of the Forest at Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco, September 2018. Photo by Joel Redman, courtesy of If Not Us Then Who.
Several weeks before I flew to San Francisco ahead of Hurricane Florence to cover the Global Climate Action Summit hosted by Gov. Jerry Brown (September 12-14, 2018), I had a conference call with Mongabay special projects editor Willie Shubert and videographer/activist Paul Redman of the nonprofit group If Not Us Then Who. His group seeks to raise the visibility of indigenous peoples and their role in forest protection.
Willie had an idea for the story — ultimately, this story — and Paul had details about how I could get at it. His group was hosting a side event to the summit in which tribal leaders from around the world would meet for presentations, panel discussions and documentaries. What's the story? I asked. They both offered ideas and themes, both general and specific. But I realized that this was one I just had to trust, trust that if I spent enough time at the side event, and spoke to enough people — along with the reading and research I would do in advance — that the story would come to me.
I spent several hours both September 13-14 at Covo, the co-working space where the side event was being held about a half mile from the Moscone Center and the main summit. Paul was there Thursday; he was tremendously helpful, lining up a trio of exceptional sources for me to interview one-on-one while I took notes during panel discussions and took in the scene. On Friday I interviewed NGOs with the Nature Conservation Society and World Wildlife Fund for greater context. And little by little, I got the sense that I had witnessed something special, something important, and that I had the pieces I needed to tell the story.
This one quote by a remarkable tribal leader from Panama crystallized the theme of my story and led me to the equation around which I built my story: indigenous peoples + land title and tenue = climate mitigation:
"There is one basic principle," Candido Mezua told Mongabay through a translator. "We cannot see the forest or nature as a tool for getting richer. That is something the indigenous people cannot do… We are contributing to climate stability, something we have been doing for centuries without being compensated one penny."
Candido Mezua of Panama talking with me through translator Ana Isabel Alvardo of Costa Rica. My photo.
This entry was posted in Environment and tagged Activism, Carbon Conservation, carbon emissions, carbon sequestration, Climate, Climate Activism, Climate change, Climate Change And Conservation, Climate Change Policy, Covo, Environment, Forest Carbon, forests, Global Climate Action Summit, global warming, If Not Us Then Who, Indigenous Groups, indigenous peoples, Indigenous Rights, Mongabay, Nature Conservation Society, rainforests, San Francisco, Saving Rainforests, Soil Carbon, Tropical Forests, World Wildlife Fund on October 4, 2018 by Justin Catanoso.
Environment Mongabay: Carbon sequestration role of savanna soils key to climate goals
An elephant roams the mixed savanna of Kruger National Park in South Africa in June 2017. Photo by Bobby Amoroso
I'm quite proud of this story for Mongabay, which for me represents a new part of the world, new ecosystems and new scientific sources with a news hook that sets up my coverage of my fourth United Nations Climate Summit — COP23 — in Bonn, Germany from Nov. 6-Nov. 17, 2017. Within a few days, it became hit the No. 2 spot on Mongabay's Most Read stories list. Here's how it came about:
When I met and began talking with Wake Forest biologist Michael Anderson in spring 2017 about his work in in the Serengeti of Tanzania, I realized there was this enormous ecosystem — savannas and grasslands — that I knew precious little about. I've had the good fortune, with the initial invitation of good friend and tropical ecologist Miles Silman (also of Wake Forest), of reporting from the cloud and rain forests in the Peruvian Amazon and from the Mesoamerican coral reef of Lighthouse Reef Atoll far off the coast of Belize. But savannas and grasslands, which cover more than 20 percent of the earth's surface? I knew virtually nothing.
Getting into Tanzania proved too difficult on short notice, so Anderson recommended South Africa. He then put me in touch with a quartet of scientists at a top university in Johannesburg (Nelson Mandela got his law degree there), and three responded readily that they would be happy to meet with me and talk about their research in the bush. Through the help of London-based World Fixers, I was able to hire a videographer named Neil Bowen in Johannesburg to work as my fixer, helping to arrange interviews, plot logistics and make contacts near the world-famous Kruger National Park. When my good friend Bobby Amoroso agreed to join me as my photographer, we bought plane tickets for the 17-hour flight from Atlanta to Jo-burg and went on safari.
Rhino resting in the wide open savanna in South Africa. These iconic creatures don't live in forests. Photo by Bobby Amoroso
Over the course of 12 days, we observed, experienced and learned so much. I hadn't expected to do a story on rhino poaching and the threat of species extinction in Kruger and the rest of the African continent. That story, which Mongabay posted in July, fell into our laps with the help of Bowen's exceptional contacts. But this story here was my initial target: how do I understand the role of savannas and grasslands at two often conflicting levels — sequestering carbon in their soils and thus slowing the rate of global warming, and providing a home for the largest, most iconic animals left roaming the earth.
The essence of my story can be summed up in this quote from highly regarded researcher Bob Scholes (pictured with me below) when we met and spoke at a weekend event outside Jo-berg:
"If you want to keep global temperature rise under 2-degrees Celsius [1.8 degrees Fahrenheit; the Paris Agreement goal], then you need forests growing," says biologist Bob Scholes, a systems ecologist at Witwatersrand University. "I love trees," he adds. "But the fact is, for a lot of reasons, they are not always the answer."
Bob Scholes and I at a science and art event on the outskirts of Johannesburg in June 2017. Photo by Bobby Amoroso
This entry was posted in Environment and tagged afforestation, Bill Hoffmann, Bob Scholes, Bonn, carbon sequestration, Climate change, COP23, extinction, Germany, global warming, Kruger National Park, Mark Ritchie, Michael Anderson, Miles Silman, Mongabay, Sally Archibald, South Africa, Wake Forest University, woody encroachment on November 2, 2017 by Justin Catanoso.
10030 retweets


text:
Scholar Outlines The Long, Rocky Road Of GOP Outreach Efforts
By Frank James
Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan., speaks on Oct. 22, 1977, in Atlanta. A political scientist says the GOP has suffered some missteps in its outreach efforts to certain voters since at least the time of Dole.
One of the most interesting observations we've seen regarding the Republican National Committee's latest effort to win the hearts and minds of minorities, women and young voters was to be found on a blog that promotes a political science textbook written by professors Joseph Bessette and John J. Pitney Jr.
Titled "GOP Outreach: A History," the post by Pitney, who teaches at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, Calif., provides snippets of news coverage of past GOP attempts to appeal to some of the same demographic groups the party acknowledges it is struggling to connect with today.
It starts back in 1977, when a poor word choice by Kansas Sen. Bob Dole eclipsed his attempts to woo an audience of African-Americans to the Republican Party. He used the word "spades," though he meant it innocently enough.
While later Republican officials have not had that degree of misfortune, Pitney's list is a stark reminder that the attempt to expand the party's membership outlined by Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus Monday follows many others that have come up relatively empty.
"We've seen this movie before," Pitney said in an interview."The Republican National Committee has frequently mounted outreach efforts over the past several decades. The big question is whether this time will be different."
Asked to posit an answer to that question, Pitney said: "I don't know. Chairman Priebus seems very sincere. He's devoting serious resources and one would hope that he would learn from the mistakes of the past."
Pitney witnessed some of those mistakes firsthand. He worked for the RNC as deputy director of research when it was run by Lee Atwater, the South Carolina political operative whose political tool kit was filled with anything he could use to slash or burn opponents.
Atwater encouraged the use of the infamously race-baiting Willie Horton ad in the 1988 presidential race, for instance. Later, when Atwater was the RNC chairman, he found that blacks hadn't quite gotten past such campaign tactics.
"I think Chairman Priebus would have to do some heavy convincing," Pitney said. "I used to work at the Republican National Committee and I watched the Atwater effort up close. And it didn't have much by way of concrete results. He had his faults but he was very serious about this.
"I think the difference this time is that there's a broader realization among Republicans across the board that they have a problem. So that might be one difference. But only time will tell. However, history is not encouraging on this point."
NPR News Republican Party (GOP)Reince Priebus
Frank James
Frank James joined NPR News in April 2009 to launch the blog, "The Two-Way," with co-blogger Mark Memmott.
See stories by Frank James
Republicans' Secret To Success? Sound And Act More Like Democrats
The Republican National Committee report offers the party a way forward after its 2012 failure to defeat President Obama, who was long seen as vulnerable because of a relatively high jobless rate and uninspiring economic growth.
For GOP Comeback, Leaders Urge Stepped-Up Outreach
Don Gonyea
"I will talk to a head of lettuce if I can get them to vote Republican," says Sharon Day, the newly re-elected Republican National Committee co-chair. RNC Chairman Reince Priebus says the GOP needs better relationships in "minority communities, urban centers, college towns."
RNC Post-Election Report A Line In The Sand For Divided GOP
The hard-eyed assessment of the 2012 national election by the Republican National Committee is either the first step toward the GOP's recovery or the latest sign that the party is headed for a break-up.
College Republicans Offer GOP Advice For Winning Over Their Generation
NPR speaks with a group of college Republicans at Ohio State University about the president's policies, his popularity with their peers, and what the GOP needs to do to win more young votes.


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Q: P8C WS: No Internet I supposedly built a PC off the ASUS P8C WS motherboard more than six years ago. The dual ethernet ports have been working fine.  Now, neither one of them works, but everything else on the MB seems to work okay...  I tried:

*

*Fresh installing Windows 10

*Fresh installing Windows 8.0

*Fresh installing Ubuntu 18.04 LTS

*Using the MS Windows Network troubleshooting tool which constantly reports "'Ethernet X' doesn't have a valid IP configuration.'

*Completely disabling the onboard network cards and using a third party USB to Ethernet adapter from Best Buy marketed by Insignia

*Swapping out ethernet cables

*Connecting directly to my Cox Internet provided SB6182 Modem via http://192.168.100.1
(my P8C WS can't see the SB6182 at the said address but the computer I'm typing this question on can...)

*Reinstalling drivers

*Successfully flashing my BIOS

*Resetting the BIOS via jumper and pulling the battery and external "115" Volt Power Cable

*Various other "tricks" I've seen on the internet that I can't remember right now.

The modem works okay for the machine I am typing this question on, but it does not work for the P8C WS MB even when I use a third party ethernet USB adapter by Insignia.
What's got me confused as a "deer staring into headlights" is that:

*

*I've tried several clean OSes

*The MB seems fine
and

*I'm using a brand new ethernet USB adapter at this point
(Onboard ethernet is now disabled in the BIOS out of frustration)

I would think one of the last three options would have resolved this issue by now...
Anyone happen to know what else I can try or forgot to list here?

A: I am a bit confused by your description. It is reasonable at 6 years that onboard network cards could fail - dual ports likely share a controller.
Now you installed several clean operating systems with no change, so it is not OS.
Now not Motherboard you say, except that the USB controller is on the motherboard and USB Ethernet adapters do not work.
So I would conclude from the above a Motherboard Hardware Issue.


I know this is a mushroom site, but out of the 30 or so times Ive done mushrooms and acid, this is the only trip Ive had that qualifies as a level 5.
I know this is a mushroom site, but out of the 30 or so times Ive done mushrooms and acid, this is the only trip Ive had that qualifies as a level 5. It was also the first time Id ever done psychedelics. I was 17 at the time.
Id never been a big partier in high school. My senior year Id gotten into drinking and smoking pot a bit and had decided that I wanted to try psychedelics. I had a few friends who were also interested in pushing the envelope of experimentation. None of us had ever done psychedelics before. One of my friends managed to hook up 10 or 20 tabs of acid from someone he knew. Of my circle of friends, he, S, another friend, D, and I all hung out more or less on a daily basis. I think it was a friday night when we hooked up and were planning to go to S's house to watch a movie or play some video games or something like that. After we were all in the car, S told us that he'd hooked up some acid. We decided then and there that we were gonna try it out that night.
None of us really knew what to expect. Id done some reading on 'hallucinogens' and was expecting on seeing colorful, swirly hallucinations and hearing neet sounds, etc. I was not at all ready for the mind trip. We decided we'd take some and play monopoly of all things. We decided we'd take 2 tabs each because we wanted to be sure we'd feel it. We certainly werent disappointed on that count. We found out later that the tabs were double dipped, so we wound up taking about 400 mics each (4 regular hits worth). A good first time amount is supposed to be more like 50-100 mics. 100 mics is a standard trip.
We took the hits and started playing the game. After about 45 minutes things were getting all shiny and we all were getting very giggly. I remember that the paint texture on the wall all started melting in on itself and I saw what looked like little laughing faces in the paint. By about an hour after we'd dropped the game was completely forgotten and we were all well on our way to losing our minds.
The effects continued getting stronger and stronger over the next hour or so as we started to peak. I remember seeing clear rainbow patterns flowing across the wall, each color having its own pattern. Everytime I looked at D's face it would slowly change into a wearwolf. His face would elongate and grey hairs would sprout from around his eyes. He would begin to grow fangs. He didnt look evil, just like a wolf. Id look away and then look back and the whole process would start over again. The wierd thing about that was later on S told me he'd seen the same thing. I guess D just has wearwolf-like features. S's face also would undergo the same process, but he'd look like an Aztec warrior, with his nose becoming beak-like. I just remember his face looking really smooth, like a statue.
Anyway at about the 2 hour point, I really began to lose it. I was tripping balls at that point. No matter what I looked at, as soon as Id look at it it would change or melt into somehting else. The effects werent at all what I expected. I didnt know Id basically be losing my mind. I began to tell myself outloud that everything was going to be ok. Unfortunately we werent prepared for the paranoia that was starting to grip us. D asked my why I kept saying that over and over again. He was paranoid that I was saying it in like an evil way, like 'dont worry (hehehe) everything will be alright...just let me get my knife'. That wasnt how I meant it at all, but thats how he took it. To make a long story short, the three of us retreated into seperate corners of S's room as we entered the peak.
My mind was literally blown for the next 2 hour or so. I was basically a drooling mass, lying on the floor. My mind blared on and on like a freight train. I remember I couldnt control my thoughts, they would just randomly loop over the same thoughts over and over again. I was a helpless observer trapped in my own head, unable to move and unable to control my own mind. I was literally helplessly riding the snake. The outside world ceased to exist. It was like being in the middle of a constant explosion of thought. I was no longer using my senses. I was looking at anyhting or listening to anything. I was just lost in my own head. It was agonizing.
Finally after what turned out to be a couple of hours I began to regain control of my thoughts. I came back to the real world. I have no idea what D and S were doing during this time, but I became aware of the room and of their presence once more. I remember S yelling 'shut up trashcan!' and kicking the trashcan across the room. I returned back to a more standard psychedelic experience, with everything melting and the random background noise patterns. By about 8 hours after we'd dropped I only had sort of light background visuals and was recovering from having my mind blown. D and S decided they wanted to take another one so I did too. They went downstairs to watch Silence of the Lambs, while I just lay on my back and watched the visuals intensify again. It wasnt nearly like the first time, and after a bit I just fell asleep.
When I woke up I was basically down, but D and S were still lightly hallucinating. We went for a really long walk and they kept stopping to stare at bushes and what-not. I was just exhausted at that point and was glad when I finally went home.
Anyway like I said I know this is a mushroom site, but I didnt really read many other stories that sounded like they were really intense enough to what I would call a level 5, so this was my story.


The United Way of Southwest Louisiana is doing everything they can to untangle themselves from associations with ACORN, according to Denise Durel, President and CEO of United Way SWLA.
The United Way of Southwest Louisiana is doing everything they can to untangle themselves from associations with ACORN (the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now), according to Denise Durel, president and CEO of United Way SWLA.
Durel spoke to the Sulphur Rotary Club about the United Way of Southwest Louisiana. ACORN and the United Way of SWLA are connected through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA), which is a federal program that helps provide free income tax preparations to qualifying families.
For at least the past three years, according to a press release to media from the United Way, the state of Louisiana has funded VITA wth state funds, part of which went to the United Way to host seven VITA sites in the five parish area, including two in Lake Charles.
Four other sites, hosted by McNeese, Care/Help of Sulphur, the Beauregard Christian Academy, as well as ACORN, were also given money in 2008. All sites are partners in the Southwest Louisiana Assest Building Coalition.
In June, the Louisiana Department of Social Services sent a request that, for the 2009 tax season, one agency should manage all sites at a particular region, and the Coalition determined that United Way of SWLA best fit that job. The four independent sites were also included under this proposal.
Then the controversy with ACORN started.
In a sting operation, the website biggovernment.org posing as a pimp and prostitute went to sites in New York, Washington, California and Maryland asking for help in hiding their income from federal tax employees. The interviews were videotaped, and subsequently sent to media outlets around the country, igniting a story featured on Fox News, CNN and MSNBC.
ACORN CEO Bertha Lewis offered a statement about the controversy, which was published online at the Christian Science Monitor (www.csmonitor.com): "We have all been deeply disturbed by what we've seen in some of these videos. I must say, on behalf of ACORN's Board and our Advisory Council, that we will go to whatever lengths necessary to reestablish the public trust," Lewis said.
Sen. Mike Johanns (R) of Nebraska has called for the United States Attorney General to investegate ACORN, and the US Senate voted 83-7 to block the Office of Urban Housing and Development from giving grants to the organization. Governor Bobby Jindal has also issued an order to halt state funding to ACORN.
On Sept. 22, Kim Lacour, EITC Program Manager for the Louisiana Department of Social Services Office of Family Support requested that the United Way submit an application with an alternate VITA site to replace the site administered by ACORN.
"The United Way will comply with that," Durel said. "ACORN will not be a part of our efforts."
Durel expressed alarm that the negative assertions at ACORN may extend to those they are even tangentally associated with, such as the United Way of SWLA.
"We were just trying to help people do their income tax," Durel exclaimed.
"We think it's so important that we are putting the applications together, and are going to find an alternate site," she added.
Durel said that VITA is a big help in the five parish area. Last year, at the 11 sites, IRS certified volunteers prepared over 1,000 tax returns, resulting in an impact of $1.5 millioon in returns in Southwest Louisiana.