text:
'use strict';
const logger = require('./../../applogger');
const router = require('express').Router();

const domainCtrl = require('./domainController');

// Mounted at mount point /domain/

// Create new domain
router.post('/:domainName', function(req, res) {

    try {

        let newDomainObj = req.body;
        logger.debug("in 8080 ",
            req.params.domainName);

        domainCtrl.publishNewDomain(newDomainObj)
            .then(function(savedDomainObj) {
                    logger.debug("Successfully published new domain: ",
                        savedDomainObj.name);
                    res.send(savedDomainObj);
                    return;
                },
                function(err) {
                    logger.error("Encountered error in publishing a new domain: ",
                        err);
                    res.status(500).send({
                        error: 'Failed to complete operation...!'
                    });
                    return;
                });
    } catch (err) {
        logger.error("Caught a error in posting new domain ", err);
        res.status(500).send({
            error: "Something went wrong, please try later..!"
        });
        return;
    }
});
router.post('/:domainName/crawl', function(req, res) {
    try {

        let reqObj = {
            domainName: req.params.domainName,
            data: req.body
        }
        logger.debug("sending data manually ", reqObj);

        res.send(domainCtrl.insertUrls(reqObj));
        return;

    } catch (err) {
        logger.error("Caught a error in posting URLs manually ", err);
        res.status(500).send({
            error: "Something went wrong, please try later..!"
        });
        return;
    }
});
// Get details of all domain in the system
router.get('/', function(req, res) {
    try {
        domainCtrl.getAllDomainDetails().then(function(cardDetailsObj) {
                logger.debug(
                    "Successfully retrieved all details to show length----->",
                    cardDetailsObj.length);
                res.send(cardDetailsObj);
                return;
            },
            function(err) {
                logger.error(
                    "Encountered error in retrieved concept(s) of domain: ",
                    err);
                res.send(err);
                return;
            })

    } catch (err) {
        logger.error("Caught a error in retrieved concept(s) of domain ", err);
        res.status(500).send({
            error: "Something went wrong, please try later..!"
        });
        return;
    }
});

// Get all domain in the system
router.get('/domains', function(req, res) {
    try {
        domainCtrl.getAllDomain().then(function(domainObj) {
                logger.debug(
                    "Successfully retrieved all details to show length----->",
                    domainObj.length);
                res.send(domainObj);
                return;
            },
            function(err) {
                logger.error("Encountered error in retrieving  domain: ",
                    err);
                res.send(err);
                return;
            })

    } catch (err) {
        logger.error("Caught a error in retrieving domains ", err);
        res.status(500).send({
            error: "Something went wrong, please try later..!"
        });
        return;
    }
});

// Get details of a specific domain by its name
router.get('/:domainName', function(req, res) {

    try {

        let domainName = req.params.domainName;
        domainCtrl.getDomain(domainName).then(function(domainDetails) {
                logger.info(
                    "Successfully retrieved all concepts and intents of a domain : "
                );
                logger.info(domainDetails)
                res.send(domainDetails);
                return;
            },
            function(err) {
                logger.error(
                    "Encountered error in retrieved concept(s) of domain: ",
                    err);
                res.send(err);
                return;
            })

    } catch (err) {
        logger.error("Caught a error in retrieved concept(s) of domain ", err);
        res.status(500).send({
            error: "Something went wrong, please try later..!"
        });
        return;
    }

});

// Freshly index a domain
router.post('/:domainName/index', function(req, res) {
    logger.debug("going to freshly index domain ", req.params.domainName);
    try {
        domainCtrl.freshlyIndexDomain(req.params.domainName).then(function(obj) {
                logger.debug("Successfully indexing for all concepts  ----->",
                    obj);
                res.send("Successfully done");
                return;
            },
            function(err) {
                logger.error(
                    "Encountered error in retrieved concept(s) of domain: ",
                    err);
                res.send(err);
                return;
            })

    } catch (err) {
        logger.error("Caught a error in retrieved concept(s) of domain ", err);
        res.status(500).send({
            error: "Something went wrong, please try later..!"
        });
        return;
    }
});

//get web Documents
router.post('/documents/:domainName', function(req, res) {
    logger.debug("got request for retrieving web documents ", req.body);
    logger.debug("Domain name ", req.body.domainName);
    //res.send('success');
    try {

        let domainObj = req.body;
        domainCtrl.fetchWebDocuments(domainObj).then(function(webDocuments) {
                logger.info("Successfully retrieved all we documents : ");
                logger.debug(webDocuments)
                res.send(webDocuments);
                return;
            },
            function(err) {
                logger.error(
                    "Encountered error in retrieved concept(s) of domain: ",
                    err);
                res.send(err);
                return;
            })

    } catch (err) {
        logger.error("Caught a error in retrieved concept(s) of domain ", err);
        res.status(500).send({
            error: "Something went wrong, please try later..!"
        });
        return;
    }

});

router.get('/domainhomeview/:domainName', function(req, res) {
    console.log('in DomainRouter');
    try {
        let reqObj = {
            domainName: req.params.domainName,
            data: req.body
        };

        var collection = domainCtrl.getTreeOfDomain(reqObj);
        // logger.debug('coll',collection);
        collection.then(function(jsonTree) {
            logger.debug("getting data into API")
                // logger.info(jsonTree);
            res.send(jsonTree);
            return;
        }, function(err) {
            logger.error(
                "Encountered error in retrieved concept(s) of domain: ",
                err);
            res.send(err);
            return;
        });

    } catch (err) {
        logger.error("Caught a error in posting URLs manually ", err);
        res.status(500).send({
            error: "Error: Failed get the tree structure"

        });
    }
});

router.post('/concept', function(req, res) {
    let domainObj = req.body;
    logger.debug("Got request to add a new concept to a domain", req.body);
    logger.debug("Domin name :" + domainObj.domain);

    try {
        domainCtrl.publishNewConcept(domainObj).then(function(conceptName) {
                logger.info("Successfully published a concept to the domain " + domainObj.domain);
                res.send(conceptName);
                return;
            },
            function(err) {
                logger.error(
                    "Encountered error in publishing concept : ",
                    err);
                res.send(err);
                return;
            })
    } catch (err) {
        logger.error("Caught a error in publishing a new concept to the domain ", err);
        res.status(500).send({
            error: "Something went wrong, please try later..!"
        });
        return;
    }
});

router.delete('/deletedomain/:domainName', function(req, res) {
    try {
        let reqObj = {
            domainName: req.params.domainName
        };
        console.log(reqObj);
        logger.debug("deletedomain:delete a domain", reqObj);
        res.send(domainCtrl.deleteDomain(reqObj));
        return;
    } catch (err) {
        logger.error("Caught a error in deleting a domain ", err);
        res.status(500).send({
            error: "Error: Failed to delete a domain"
        });
    }
});

router.get('/:intentName/terms', function(req, res) {
    try {
        let domainName = req.params.intentName;
        domainCtrl.getTermsIntents(domainName).then(function(domainDetails) {
                logger.info(
                    "Successfully retrieved all Relations and intents of a domain : "
                );
                logger.info(domainDetails)
                res.send(domainDetails);
                return;
            },
            function(err) {
                logger.error(
                    "Encountered error in retrieved concept(s) of domain: ",
                    err);
                res.send(err);
                return;
            })

    } catch (err) {
        logger.error("Caught a error in retrieved concept(s) of domain ", err);
        res.status(500).send({
            error: "Something went wrong, please try later..!"
        });
        return;
    }
})

router.post('/all/intents', function(req, res) {
    let domainObj = req.body;
    logger.debug("Got request to add a new intent to a domain", req.body);
    logger.debug("Domain name :" + domainObj.domain);

    try {
        domainCtrl.publishNewIntent(domainObj).then(function(intentName) {
                logger.info("Successfully published a intent to the domain " + domainObj.domain);
                res.send(intentName);
                return;
            },
            function(err) {
                logger.error(
                    "Encountered error in publishing intent : ",
                    err);
                res.send(err);
                return;
            })
    } catch (err) {
        logger.error("Caught a error in publishing a new intent to the domain ", err);
        res.status(500).send({
            error: "Something went wrong, please try later..!"
        });
        return;
    }
});

//Adding new term to a existing intent
router.post('/all/term', function(req, res) {
    let intentObj = req.body;
    logger.debug("Got request to add a new term to a intent", req.body);
    logger.debug("Intent name :" + intentObj.intent);

    try {
        domainCtrl.publishNewTerm(intentObj).then(function(termName) {
                logger.info("Successfully published a term to the intent " + intentObj.intent);
                res.send(termName);
                return;
            },
            function(err) {
                logger.error(
                    "Encountered error in publishing term : ",
                    err);
                res.send(err);
                return;
            })
    } catch (err) {
        logger.error("Caught a error in publishing a new term to the intent ", err);
        res.status(500).send({
            error: "Something went wrong, please try later..!"
        });
        return;
    }
});

router.post('/delete/relation', function(req, res) {

    let deleteObj = req.body;

    logger.info("Got request to delete a relationship :" + deleteObj.subject);

    try {

        subjectObjectCtrl.deleteRelation(deleteObj).then(function(result) {

                logger.info("Successfully deleted the relationship...!!!");

                return;

            },

            function(err) {

                logger.error("Encountered error in deleting : ", err);

                res.send(err);

                return;

            });

    } catch (err) {

        logger.error("Caught an error in deleting ", err);

        res.status(500).send({

            error: "Something went wrong, please try later..!"

        });
        return;
    }
});

//Adding sub concept to a concept

router.post('/:domainName/subject/:subject/object/:object', function(req, res) {
    let addSubconcept = {
        domain: req.params.domainName,
        subjectNode: req.params.subject,
        objectNode: req.params.object
    }
    logger.debug("Got request to add a sub concept to a concept");
    logger.debug("Concept name :" + addSubconcept.subjectNode);

    try {
        subjectObjectCtrl.publishNewSubConcept(addSubconcept).then(function(objectName) {
                logger.info("Successfully published a subConcept to the concept " + addSubconcept.subjectNode);
                res.send(objectName);
                return;
            },
            function(err) {
                logger.error(
                    "Encountered error in publishing subConcept : ",
                    err);
                res.send(err);
                return;
            })
    } catch (err) {
        logger.error("Caught a error in publishing a subConcept to the concept ", err);
        res.status(500).send({
            error: "Something went wrong, please try later..!"
        });
        return;
    }
});

//Generalized adding for Concept,Intent and Term

router.post('/:domainName/subject/:subject/object/:object/predicate/:relation', function(req, res) {

    let addItem = {
        domain: req.params.domainName,
        subjectNode: req.params.subject,
        objectNode: req.params.object,
        relationName: req.params.relation
    }

    logger.debug("object", addItem.objectNode);
    logger.debug("relation", addItem.relationName);

    logger.debug("Got request to add a subject");
    logger.debug("Subject name :" + addItem.subjectNode);

    try {
        subjectObjectCtrl.publishNewAddItem(addItem).then(function(objectName) {
                logger.info("Successfully published a Subject " + addItem.subjectNode);
                res.send(objectName);
                return;
            },
            function(err) {
                logger.error(
                    "Encountered error in publishing subjectNode : ",
                    err);
                res.send(err);
                return;
            })
    } catch (err) {
        logger.error("Caught a error in publishing a subjectNode ", err);
        res.status(500).send({
            error: "Something went wrong, please try later..!"
        });
        return;
    }
});

router.get('/:domainName/:subjectType/:subjectName/objects', function(req, res) {
    logger.debug("Got request to get Objects of", req.params.subjectType);
    logger.debug("Node name :" + req.params.subjectName);
    let nodeObj = {
        nodeType: req.params.subjectType,
        nodeName: req.params.subjectName,
        domainName: req.params.domainName
    }

    try {
        subjectObjectCtrl.getObjects(nodeObj).then(function(objects) {
                logger.info("Successfully published a term to the intent " + objects);
                res.send(objects);
                return;
            },
            function(err) {
                logger.error(
                    "Encountered error in publishing term : ",
                    err);
                res.send(err);
                return;
            })
    } catch (err) {
        logger.error("Caught error getting objects ", err);
        res.status(500).send({
            error: "Something went wrong, please try later..!"
        });
        return;
    }
});

//Editing Term relation with Intent

router.patch('/:domainName/intent/:intentName/term/:termName/predicate/:relation', function(req, res) {

    let editTermRelation = {
        domain: req.params.domainName,
        intentName: req.params.intentName,
        termName: req.params.termName,
        relationName: req.params.relation
    }
    logger.debug("Got request to edit a Intent terrm relation");
    logger.debug("Intent name :" + editTermRelation.intentName);

    try {
        subjectObjectCtrl.publishEditedIntentTermRelation(editTermRelation).then(function(objectName) {
                logger.info("Successfully Edited a Intent terrm relation for " + editTermRelation.intentName);
                res.send(objectName);
                return;
            },
            function(err) {
                logger.error(
                    "Encountered error in publishing Intent terrm relation : ",
                    err);
                res.send(err);
                return;
            })
    } catch (err) {
        logger.error("Caught a error in publishing a Intent terrm relation ", err);
        res.status(500).send({
            error: "Something went wrong, please try later..!"
        });
        return;
    }
});

router.patch('/:domainName/intent/:intentName/term/:termName/predicate/:relation/weightValue/:weight', function(req, res) {

    let editTermRelationWeight = {
        domain: req.params.domainName,
        intentName: req.params.intentName,
        termName: req.params.termName,
        relationName: req.params.relation,
        weightValue: req.params.weightValue
    }
    logger.debug("Got request to edit a Intent term weight");
    logger.debug("Intent name :" + editTermRelationWeight.intentName);

    try {
        subjectObjectCtrl.publishEditedIntentTermRelationWeight(editTermRelationWeight).then(function(objectName) {
                logger.info("Successfully Edited a Intent terrm weight for " + editTermRelationWeight.intentName);
                res.send(objectName);
                return;
            },
            function(err) {
                logger.error(
                    "Encountered error in publishing Intent term weight : ",
                    err);
                res.send(err);
                return;
            })
    } catch (err) {
        logger.error("Caught a error in publishing a Intent term weight ", err);
        res.status(500).send({
            error: "Something went wrong, please try later..!"
        });
        return;
    }
});

module.exports = router;


text:
Bayou Basics
Photos and Films
Recent Films About Buffalo Bayou
Early Morning Fall Float on Buffalo Bayou, Coral Snakes, and Other Films on Save Buffalo Bayou's YouTube Channel
Aerial Photos of Buffalo Bayou
Flying Over the Flooded Bayou After Harvey
Film: Letting the River Heal
A Bend in the River
Films: Floating Above Buffalo Bayou
Photographs of Buffalo Bayou Flowing Past Memorial Park
Rainfall, River Flow Gauges, Flood Maps, Tree Benefits, and Other Useful Links
Books and Articles on Buffalo Bayou, Rivers, Flooding, and Nature
Podcasts: The Corps of Engineers, Flooding, and Buffalo Bayou
How to Paddle Buffalo Bayou
Who Owns the Bayou?
Who Needs A Permit?
Help! The Bank Slid Away
Do This At Home: Tips and Resources To Reduce Flooding (And Make Life Better)
Tending Our Garden, Tips and Resources
Classes on the Bayou
The Bat Trip
The Top Eleven Phony Arguments For Bulldozing Our Living Bayou and The Right Answers
Failed Natural Channel Design in Harris County
Problems with Natural Stable Channel Design in Buffalo Bayou Park
Donors 2021
Donors 2014-2015
Buy a Save Buffalo Bayou T-Shirt. Or a Bumper Sticker
Save Buffalo Bayou
A Ribbon of Life Through the Concrete of Houston
Spring 2017 on Buffalo Bayou
Never the Same River Twice
Out on Buffalo Bayou early this morning, Saturday, March 18, 2017, with photographer Jim Olive. We were looking for our Spring 2017 shot of the same bend of the bayou we have been documenting for the last three years throughout the seasons. Flow was low base flow, about 150 cubic feet per second. Birds singing. Frogs burping. Squirrels quarreling. Warmth wafting off the water. Was foggier than Jim had hoped, and he had to be patient, as always, for just the right shot. We'd been waiting for a clear morning for days.
For the entire series see A Bend in the River under Photos and Films. This scene is in the historic nature area targeted for destruction and "restoration" by the Harris County Flood Control District, the Memorial Park Conservancy, and the Bayou Preservation Association.
An update on that costly, misguided project, which sadly still threatens, is coming up next.
Morning on Buffalo Bayou, March 18, 2017, shot by Jim Olive from a high bank in Memorial Park looking downstream with River Oaks Country Club property on the right.
March 18, 2017 2 Comments More
A Gift to Nature: Photos of Buffalo Bayou
Prices Slashed for the Holidays!
Here's a wonderful gift idea. Limited time half-price offer!
Buy a photo of beautiful, wild Buffalo Bayou and help us protect it. And also help us promote sensible, cost-efficient flood management policies on all our urban streams. Working with nature, rather than against it, is cheaper, more effective, and more beneficial for us and our environment.
Photographer Jim Olive is offering a deep discount on high-quality prints of a selection of his stunning photos of our Mother Bayou. That's because Jim is donating $50 to Save Buffalo Bayou for each print that he sells.
Jim is an internationally known photographer who has worked all over the world. He is a devoted conservationist who believes in the mission of Save Buffalo Bayou. He also is a founder of the Christmas Bay Foundation.
Lo and Behold Buffalo Bayou
Watch this slide show of photographs offered for sale by Jim.
Great blue heron tracks in the mud on Buffalo Bayou. Photo by Jim Olive
Fall morning on Buffalo Bayou. Looking east from a high bank in Memorial Park. Photo November 2015 by Jim Olive
Winter morning on a bend in Buffalo Bayou, December 2014. Photo by Jim Olive
Spring on Buffalo Bayou. A sandy bank meander in Memorial Park. Photo April 2016 by Jim Olive
Summer on Buffalo Bayou. Looking downstream from a high bank in Memorial Park. Photo July 2016 by Jim Olive
Sunset on Buffalo Bayou. Photo by Jim Olive
Contact Jim Olive now.
Amazing Sale
And here is the low low low price list. Sale lasts only through Jan. 1, 2017. So act now! Make yourself and/or someone else happy and help Buffalo Bayou and our city too.
Three sizes are offered, and they are top-of-the-line prints using archival inks and paper, just as Jim prints them for his top collectors. Also offered are prints on Dibond aluminum. Larger sizes can be special ordered.
Sizes and prices are:
Archival Lustre Paper
12" x 18" $150
Dibond Aluminum
Here's how to contact Jim Olive. Take advantage of this generous offer and acquire a beautiful photographic print of Buffalo Bayou while helping to protect this amazing urban river and its tributaries. Support intelligent, cost-effective public policies that work with nature, not against it.
Jim Olive at work in the riparian woods of Buffalo Bayou in Memorial Park. Photo by Susan Chadwick, Aug. 1, 2015
December 16, 2016 2 Comments More
New Aerial Photos
Flying Downstream, One Year Later
Photographer Jim Olive has gone up in the sky again to photograph Buffalo Bayou in the area targeted for destruction by the proposed Memorial Park Demonstration Project. So we've updated our photo page with a few of Jim's beautiful new photos. We'll add more as they become available.
These new photos were taken on Sept. 29, 2016, almost a year to the day after Jim last flew over the bayou with his cameras on Oct. 2, 2015.
Watch a slideshow of the new and old photos here, including an overhead shot of the recent destruction of the riparian garden planted by the bayou during flooding at the boat launch in Memorial Park at Woodway. Planting the proper succession of native sedges, rushes, grasses, etc. to anchor and transform the bare sediment is what's supposed to happen during flooding. Nature knows!
Members of the Houston Garden Club kayaking down Buffalo Bayou in the area targeted for destruction. Photo taken Sept. 29, 2016, by Jim Olive
October 3, 2016 No Comments More
Summer on Buffalo Bayou
A Bend in the River in July
Here is the latest photo from Jim Olive of that lovely bend in Buffalo Bayou we have been documenting through the seasons since the summer of 2014. This most recent photo was taken by Jim at around 8 a.m. on Friday, July 8, 2016, from the same high bluff in Memorial Park looking downstream with the River Oaks Country Club on the opposite bank. The record high flows from the reservoirs behind Addicks and Barker dams in western Harris County had finally drained the last of the waters impounded from the record April 18 Tax Day rains, and the flow in the bayou had dropped to its base flow of around 100-200 cubic feet per second, as measured by the gauge at Piney Point.
To see all the photos of this same spot since 2014, go to A Bend in the River under Photos and Films.
Summer on Buffalo Bayou after the record high water from the spring rains had finally drained from Barker and Addicks dams upstream. Taken on July 8, 2016, by Jim Olive from the same high bank in Memorial Park looking downstream with the River Oaks Country Club on the right.
July 11, 2016 No Comments More
The View From the Bridge
Okay, it was a trick question. We asked our readers to identify the location of Geoff Winningham's lovely black-and-white photo of Buffalo Bayou taken in 1998. And we asked for a photo of the same view now.
Shoulda been easy. The photo was published in Winningham's beautiful photographic study of the bayou, Along Forgotten River, which traces our Mother Bayou from its source in the Katy Prairie to its end in Galveston Bay. And the photo was identified, of course.
Except that somehow the identification in the book was wrong, says Winningham. He went out and checked himself last week. The photo was taken looking upstream from the Waugh Bridge, not the Montrose Bridge. Still, the view doesn't look much the same. The river seems to bend differently now, after the "channel conveyance improvements" by the Harris County Flood Control District starting in 2010. Not so many trees either. Here's the way it looks now. Still lovely.
View of Buffalo Bayou looking upstream from the Waugh Bridge. Photo by Anonymous, June 13, 2016
And here is the way it looked in 1998.
Buffalo Bayou from the Waugh Bridge. Photo by Geoff Winningham, 1998.
Anonymous photographer wins a Save Buffalo Bayou bumper sticker, which everyone should have. Get yours by donating to Save Buffalo Bayou, and help us promote responsible flood control that works with nature rather than against it.
June 13, 2016 No Comments More
Can You Identify This View of Buffalo Bayou?
Take a Photo, Win A Prize
Where was this photo taken? And how does the bayou look there now?
Somewhere on Buffalo Bayou. Photo by Geoff Winningham prior to 2001.
Okay, it's not difficult. It's in Geoff Winningham's beautiful book of black-and-white photographs of Buffalo Bayou. Winningham, who teaches photography at Rice University, spent five years from 1997 to 2001 chronicling Buffalo Bayou from its beginning in the Katy Prairie to its end in Galveston Bay. The book, Along Forgotten River, published in 2003, includes accounts of early travelers in Texas from 1767 to 1858. The book can be purchased here.
Send us your shot of this location on Buffalo Bayou as it looks now. We'll publish the best of what we get and send the winner a Save Buffalo Bayou bumper sticker.
We're going to make this a regular series so keep looking.
… Often along these shady banks have I rowed my little skiff and wondered if ever some Bard had consecrated its border shades by a correspondent flow of song … — J.C Clopper's Journal and Book of Memoranda for 1828, Province of Texas, quoted in Along Forgotten River by Geoff Winningham.
May 29, 2016 1 Comment More
A Siege of Herons and a Skewer of Egrets
Highrise Homes for Young Families, Easy Access to Fish
The normally silent, spreading crowns of the live oaks along North and South Boulevards in Houston have been turned into noisy rookeries these past few weeks as yellow-crowned night herons and great egrets moved in to build nests and start families. The same densely-populated housing developments have no doubt been built all over the city in shady trees with relatively close access to nearby bayous and creeks for food. In this case, the parents appear to be bringing home fish and other edibles from Brays Bayou.
The noisy bird activity (squawks and kraks and lots of fluttering) has also drawn out bird watchers and photographers, including Allison Zapata, who's been posting her photos on her website and on Twitter. She took the following photo of a juvenile yellow-crowned night heron and sent it to us.
Houston is on the Central Flyway for migrating birds. Yellow-crowned night herons and great egrets reside in the Houston area year-round. But Allison, who's been watching these birds, said they were are on their way to somewhere and would be back again in the fall.
Juvenile yellow-crowned night heron pondering whether to fly or stay in the nest as long as possible. Photo on May 20, 2016, by Allison Zapata.
May 22, 2016 4 Comments More
Flooding on Buffalo Bayou
The View from Above with Photographer Jim Olive
Photographer Jim Olive took these shots from the air over Buffalo Bayou yesterday (Monday, April 18, 2016) following the extraordinary amount of rainfall that fell mainly on the far west side of town.
These photos show Buffalo Bayou as it flows past Memorial Park and the River Oaks Country Club as well as the confluence of White Oak Bayou and Buffalo Bayou downtown.
Buffalo Bayou flows from the Katy Prairie in west Houston through the center of the city through the Houston Ship Channel into Galveston Bay.
Looking east towards downtown with Memorial Park on the left, River Oaks Country Club golf course on the right. Photo April 18, 2016 by Jim Olive
Buffalo Bayou, April 18, 2016, with Memorial Park on the lower frame and River Oaks Country Club golf course above. Photo by Jim Olive
Looking north over Buffalo Bayou. River Oaks Country Club golf course on the south bank. Photo by Jim Olive
The confluence of White Oak and Buffalo bayous in downtown Houston on the afternoon of April 18, 2016. Photo by Jim Olive
April 19, 2016 No Comments More
Environmental Photography That Works
Coastal Essence in Fotofest 2016
How do environmental and conservation organizations get their message across?
By showing the public photographs of what they are trying to protect.
That's what Houston-based, internationally-known photographer Jim Olive has been doing for Save Buffalo Bayou and many other conservation organizations. Without Jim's stunning photos of the historic natural stretch of the bayou flowing past Memorial Park, far fewer people would have any idea of the rare and valuable treasure we have running right through the middle of Houston.
A Fotofest 2016 exhibition titled Coastal Essence features Jim Olive's photographs that have been used by local environmental organizations to illustrate their cause in print and social media. The exhibition, which includes a photograph of Buffalo Bayou at dawn used by Save Buffalo Bayou on its Facebook page, is on display at the Houston Museum of Natural Science in Sugar Land, Texas. The show runs through May 8 at the museum at 13016 University Blvd.
Fotofest is one of the world's leading photography festivals, and this year the theme is Changing Circumstances: Looking at the Future of the Planet. The festival, which continues through April 24, takes place every two years in galleries and exhibition spaces across the Houston metropolitan area, and draws photographers, curators, collectors, and other photography experts from all over the world.
Jim Olive, a native Houstonian, has been a professional photographer for fifty years and has traveled around the world on assignments. A longtime conservationist, he is the founder and executive director of the Christmas Bay Foundation.
This photo of Buffalo Bayou at dawn in the area targeted for destruction and "restoration" by the Harris County Flood Control District is on display in the Coastal Essence Fotofest exhibit through May 8 at the Houston Museum of Natural Science in Sugar Land, Texas. Photo taken by Jim Olive on Dec. 9, 2014, from the bluffs of Memorial Park looking downstream towards the bank of the River Oaks Country Club.
March 29, 2016 No Comments More
Photographs of Buffalo Bayou through the Seasons
These lovely photographs document the changes in the seasons on Buffalo Bayou, and in the dynamic river itself. Taken (with one exception) by Houston photographer Jim Olive, they were shot from the same high bank in Memorial Park looking downstream with the River Oaks Country Club on the right. This bend in the bayou is in the stretch proposed for destruction and "restoration" by the Harris County Flood Control District and the Bayou Preservation Association, with the support of the Memorial Park Conservancy and the City of Houston.
This first summer photo was taken by Susan Chadwick in July 2014. Proponents of Flood Control's destruction/restoration project claimed there was no overhanging tree canopy in the area. River Oaks Country Club on the right.
Late fall at sunrise from the same bend of Buffalo Bayou. Taken on Dec. 9, 2014, by Jim Olive from Memorial Park looking downstream.
Early spring on Buffalo Bayou at high water. Photo by Jim Olive on March 25, 2015.
Summertime view of the same bend in Buffalo Bayou from Memorial Park on August 1, 2015. Photo at low water (base flow) by Jim Olive.
Looking at Buffalo Bayou from Memorial Park from the same high bluff on Nov. 24, 2015. Photo by Jim Olive.
Sun rising over a bend of Buffalo Bayou at low water on Dec. 10, 2015. Photo taken by Jim Olive from a high bluff in Memorial Park looking downstream with the River Oaks Country Club on the right.
Early morning at high water on March 21, 2016, the day after the vernal equinox. The dams in west Houston were open, and water was flowing from the reservoirs at 2,000 cubic feet per second. Photo by Jim Olive, of course, from a high bluff in Memorial Park. River Oaks Country Club on the right.
Foggy, warm winter morning on Buffalo Bayou at moderate flow, about 800 cubic feet per second. Photo by Jim Olive on Dec. 13, 2016.
Spring 2017, shot by Jim Olive on the morning of March 18 from Memorial Park with birds singing, frogs burping, squirrels quarreling, and warm air drifting up the high bank from the river at low flow.
Summer 2017. Flow was about 500 cubic feet per second after a nighttime storm on the morning of July 10, 2017. Slumped bank was healing. Frogs were a courting. Photo by Jim Olive.
That bend in the river on Sept. 1, 2017, after Hurricane Harvey dropped record rain all over. Flow was around 12,000 cubic feet per second. Photo by SC
The bend in the river on Sept. 11, 2017, around 2:30 p.m. as the floodwaters from Harvey were slowly draining. Flow was about 7,000 cubic feet per second, down from at least twice that. Photo by SC because Jim Olive was flying around taking photos of disastrous flooding all over the Gulf.
After the flood. That Bend in the River post-Harvey on Friday, 13 October, 2017, just after dawn. The flood control reservoirs behind the federal dams on Buffalo Bayou upstream had emptied finally and flow had dropped to base flow, about 200 cubic feet per second (cfs). Large amounts of sand and slumping of the high banks. Many downed trees. Photo by Jim Olive
Winter photo by Jim Olive on Jan 13, 2018. Flow was about 600 cubic feet per second. Temperature was a chilly 34 degrees shortly after sunrise about 7:30 a.m. The banks were much changed after the floodwaters of Harvey, with lots of slumping, fallen trees and missing vegetation. We could hardly find our spot. Note the buildup of sediment on the opposite bank.
That Bend in the River on April 15, 2018. Springtime all over the place. Flow was about 650 cubic feet per second after a brief thunderstorm the day before. Photo by SC
A trackhoe on a barge stuck in the sandy channel bottom of Buffalo Bayou at that bend below the high bank in Memorial Park. Maintenance contractor with flood control was removing fallen trees from the banks and channel. Photo by SC May 19, 2018
Summer sunrise on Buffalo Bayou. That bend in the bayou on July 1, 2018, with flow at about 280 cubic feet per second. Photo by Jim Olive, of course.
Fall 2018 on that Bend in the River. Water was high and the morning was cloudy just after sunrise. Photo by Jim Olive on Nov. 6, 2018.
We were late with our winter shot, and this February morning was gloomy, the trees and banks bare. Flow was very low, about 150 cfs. The bend appeared to have been widened by the damaging dredging done by maintenance contractors working to remove woody debris, some of which should have been left on the banks for stability and sediment control. Photo Feb. 14, 2019, by Jim Olive
Spring again! That bend in the bayou, early in the morning of April 26, 2019. Jim Olive was back in town to continue our series documenting this same spot through time. Photo by Jim.
Summertime 2019 on that bend in the river with some of the destruction of the south bank visible in the distance. Pile of dirt is part of the River Oaks Country Club's costly and excessively damaging bank project. Photo by Jim on July 8, 2019, from that same high bank in Memorial Park.
That Bend in the River on a cool fall day--at last! Tractor is sitting on a pile of dirt dug out of the bank by the River Oaks Country Club for its very discouraging and deeply destructive "bank repair" project upstream and downstream. Photo by Jim on Oct. 12, 2019
Jim Olive's Winter 2019-20 photo of that bend in the bayou with continuing destruction activity on the bank opposite. Photo Dec. 19, 2019
Since Jim Olive was on a general coronavirus lockdown in California, Susan took this Spring 2020 photo around 3 p.m. on March 23. Flow was high, about 900 cubic feet per second. We're hoping JO will be back soon to take a better one.
Jim O. was still locked down in California, where temperatures were shooting past 120, so Susan took this summer photo just after sunrise on July 12, 2020. After nearly two weeks of high flow from the release of stormwaters from the federal dams, flow had dropped to base flow at about 150 cfs as the flood-control reservoirs, Addicks and Barker, were finally emptied.
Fall on that bend in the bayou, looking through the yaupon downstream on Nov. 6, 2020. Photo by Jim Olive
That bend in winter several days after a historic freeze and snowstorm. Photo Feb. 20, 2021, by SC because highways were closed and JO couldn't make it through ice storm.
Jim Olive's late winter photo of that bend in the bayou. Taken on a drizzling, foggy morning just after sunrise on March 2, 2021.
A temporary shot for spring until Jim Olive gets back to town. Taken by SC around 6 p.m. on April 21, 2021.
That bend in the bayou in summer during high flow, over 2,000 cubic feet per second, as the Corps of Engineers continued to release stormwater impounded behind the federal flood control dams. Photo June 18, 2021, by Jim Olive.
Looking lush and green on that bend in the bayou right before the autumnal equinox. Tropical Storm Nicholas had just passed through. Fall photo Sept. 17, 2021, by Jim.
Early morning mist rising on the bend. Photo by Jim Olive on Nov. 12, 2021, showing a bit of fall color.
The bend in spring 2022. Photo by SC on April 7, 2022
The bend in summer, during record heat and drought. Flow was exceptionally low. Photo July 7, 2022 by SC
A misty fall sunrise on the bend in the bayou. High flow from stormwater being released from the federal dams upstream after a big rain. Photo by SC, Oct. 30, 2022
December 23, 2015 No Comments More
Flood Planning Update December 23, 2022
Breaking: Mayor Nominating New Houston Parks Board December 5, 2022
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Fall on the Bayou November 21, 2022
Stormwater Tunnel on Buffalo Bayou Will Not Prevent Flooding October 2, 2022
Improving Flood Risk Knowledge. Proposing Solutions September 26, 2022
Summer on the Bend July 10, 2022
Deep Diving Into Flooding July 5, 2022
Bayou City Sitrep: What's Been Happening May 10, 2022
Spring on the Bayou April 8, 2022
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I resisted the idea of making my own personal care and household cleaning items for a long time. I worried that I didn't have the time, it would be too complicated, or that the ingredients would be too obscure and either cost a fortune or be difficult to locate. I was wrong about all of that!
Today I'm going to share a few of my favorite green recipes that I use daily with my family.
We all know the importance of washing hands and removing bacteria and other germs from our bodies, but what happens when you're out and about and don't have access to soap and water? As a family that makes a conscious effort to minimize our toxic exposure, most of the commercial sanitizing sprays on the market do not pass our "green" test. They contain questionable ingredients such as triclosan and artificial fragrances. In addition, they can be extremely drying to the skin and many don't work as well as they claim. So, what can you do about this issue? Make your own, of course!
You'll also want a container for the final product as well as a bowl and funnel if you're container has a small neck.
Begin by measuring 1 Tbsp of aloe vera gel and adding it to your bowl.
Optional: If you don't use the sanitizer frequently, you may choose to add ¼ tsp of vitamin E as a natural preservative.
Next, add 20 drops of On Guard essential oil. This essential oil blend helps to protect against environmental threats while supporting a healthy immune function. It also smells amazing! It's like fall in a bottle! Yes, please!
Finally, top your container off with water to thin the formula out a bit and make application easier.
That's it! You've got a simple and effective hand sanitizer that you can feel good about and whip together in no time at all.
When my husband and I were expecting our first child, I did some serious digging into the household cleaning products that we were using and was horrified at the synthetic chemicals that I was allowing into my home and onto our bodies. This is actually how my essential oil journey began. I researched various oils and their properties, learned which would be most effective for what I was attempting to do, and started making my very own green cleaners. Sadly, you can't always buy the cleaner that looks "green" and trust that it's got your best interest at heart. Take, for example, a popular green cleaning product seen here. This product appears to be free of harmful ingredients based on the name and claim of being "natural" but sadly this product received a rating of 'F' from the Environmental Working Group as part of their guide to green cleaning. Not only is greenwashing a large concern, but many of these companies are charging a huge premium and preying on consumers who don't know better. So, what's a green cleaning mama to do?
You guessed it, make your own!
This recipe is formulated for a 16 oz bottle. If yours is smaller or larger, you can adjust the ingredients as needed.
Begin by adding ¼ cup of white vinegar to your spray bottle.
Finally, add 30 drops of essential oils to your bottle (ensure that you have plenty of space before you begin adding these.
Once all ingredients are in the bottle, I give it a good shake to combine. Simple and safe cleaner that I can feel good about.
Ring in the New Year in the Queen City with the Kids!


text:
Q: Why do we not apply length contraction when finding out the time taken for objects moving at relativistic speeds? I was going over a question on my own, then I took a brief look at the solution...it's basically about
A rocket has a proper length of 250 m and travels at a speed v = 0.950c relative to the Earth. A missile is fired from the back of the rocket at a speed u′ = 0.900c relative to the rocket. Find the time it takes observers to calculate the time it takes for the missle to move to the front of the rocket.
When I was thinking about the question, it's pretty standard.
There are two ways about this question:
Method 1:
-Work out the time required for the missle to reach the front relative to the rocket (so the rocket is the frame of reference)
-Apply lorentz transform and find the time observed by people on Earth)
Method 2:
-Find gamma
-Use addition laws to find rocket's speed relative to people on earth
Here's what I don't get:
I've worked round it and realized the correct way is to use Δx = γ(Δx′ + v Δt′). Then just use distance = speed * time to work out the time (which agreed with my original answer in method 1) What I don't understand is why do we not apply length contraction to the rocket when it clearly is travelling at relativistic speeds and hence appears shorter to observers on Earth? Technically the rocket should become shorter and hence time also shorterns. Is there something I'm clearly not understanding here?

A: There is no problem using length contraction, other than that it may take a couple of extra lines to arrive at the same result.
Just to have a reference, starting from $\Delta x = \gamma (\Delta x′ + v \Delta t′)$ and denoting ${\bar u}$ the velocity of the missile relative to the rocket, $u$ the velocity of the missile relative to Earth, and $L$ the proper length of the rocket, gives
$$
t' = \frac{L}{\bar u}, \;\;\Delta x = \gamma (L + v \frac{L}{\bar u}) = ut \;\;\;\Rightarrow\;\;\; t = \gamma \frac{L}{u}\left( 1 + \frac{v}{\bar u}\right)
$$
Now let's use the rocket's length contraction as seen from Earth. From the latter's frame, the distance traveled by the missile during time $t$, $\Delta x = ut$, is also the rocket's contracted length, $L/\gamma$, plus the distance traveled by the rocket's tip at velocity $v$ during the same time. This gives
$$
\Delta x = \frac{L}{\gamma} + vt = ut \;\;\;\Rightarrow \;\;\; t = \frac{L}{\gamma (u - v)}
$$
But from velocity addition $u = \frac{{\bar u} + v}{1 + \frac{{\bar u} v}{c^2}}$ and
$$
u - v = \frac{{\bar u} + v}{1 + \frac{{\bar u} v}{c^2}} - v = \frac{{\bar u} + v - v - {\bar u} \frac{v^2}{c^2}}{1 + \frac{{\bar u} v}{c^2}} = \frac{\bar u}{\gamma^2} \frac{1}{1 + \frac{{\bar u} v}{c^2}} = \frac{\bar u}{\gamma^2} \frac{u}{{\bar u} + v}
$$
Substitute the latter expression into $t$ and obtain
$$
t = \frac{L}{\gamma (u - v)} = \frac{L}{\gamma}\frac{\gamma^2}{\bar u}\frac{{\bar u} + v}{u} = \gamma \frac{L}{u} \left( 1 + \frac{v}{\bar u}\right)
$$
just as before.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


There are approximately 5,000 buses traversing along the Edsa highway, including approximately 1,500 illegal operators – all contributing to traffic congestion and air pollution, reports The Inquirer Network.
In order to comply with environmental protocols set by the United Nations, the Metro Manila Development Authority will install RFID technology to cut carbon emissions, at the same time streamlining traffic flow.
Under the "Bus Reduction Project," the Development Authority will be able to manage traffic along Edsa by registering public utility buses with an electronic RFID tag, serving as a form of identification.
This will help detect which buses should or should not be allowed on the Edsa, reducing the number of illegal buses that are contributing to air pollution and traffic congestion.
The United Nations' environmental protocols state that industrialized nations are required to have their greenhouse emissions reduced by five percent by 2012, from the 1992 levels.


Initial programming has been announced for the 2019 Norfolk and Norwich Festival, which runs for 17 days across May next year.
To celebrate theatre company Hoipolloi's 25th anniversary, the festival will feature a trilogy of shows with their artistic director Shôn Dale-Jones. The trilogy will be composed of two existing shows – The Duke and Me and Robin Hood – alongside new piece The Ladder, looking at the way optimism and pessimism affects how we create stories.
Circus company Gravity and Other Myths will come to Norwich with their acclaimed show A Simple Space, while dance company Boy Blue will present Blak Whyte Gray at Norwich Theatre Royal.
Victoria Thierrée Chaplin (Le Cirque Invisible) will present her new production Bells and Spells, which follows an incurable kleptomaniac, while Grammy-Award winning Chilly Gonzales will perform an intimate show featuring his Solo Piano album cycle as well as other hits. Thomas Adès and Britten Sinfonia will return to the festival to present Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.
The full programme will be announced in February.


Warm Mediterranean hospitality is the cornerstone of the Brandonisio family's success and it's the thing you'll find aplenty at this scenic winery, restaurant and guest house in Maple Park.
Head winemaker Sergio Benavides (left) with general manager Joseph Brandonisio and his father, owner Vito Brandonisio, inside the cask room.
For thousands of years, grapes have been cultivated as a source for fine wines. Grapes are widely recognized as the largest food crop in the world, with more than 10,000 varieties.
Still, few of the world's vineyards are as treasured or as celebrated as those in Italy. That's one reason why Acquaviva Winery, 47W614 Illinois Route 38, in Maple Park, has swiftly become a destination for those who appreciate fine wine coupled with the world-famous hospitality for which Italy is known.
Located just 50 miles west of Chicago, Acquaviva has achieved regional recognition in less than a decade based not only on its selection of delectable wines but also its warm hospitality.
When the family purchased 40 acres of land in Maple Park to build a new family home, they saw prime terrain underfoot.
"We looked at the soil here, which is sandy and rocky, and thought we might be able to grow our own grapes for wine," Joseph Brandonisio says.
The family began with 3 acres of select hybrids that could withstand the tremendous variance in Midwest temperatures and precipitation. The winery quickly grew to 6 acres and then to 20. In 2000, the family purchased land across Route 38 and expanded their vineyard to include more hybrid varieties.
The structure that houses the winery operation, tasting room and restaurant is an impressive stone-covered structure with a distinct echo of Italy.
The building's lower production area holds more than 300 barrels of wine in various stages of production.
But underlying the architectural beauty and pastoral appeal of the winery, Brandonisio believes operating a successful winery is both an agricultural and commercial challenge.
To help the operation successfully cultivate wine grapes and produce fine wine, Acquaviva brought in head winemaker Sergio Benavides, a native of Chile who's worked with vineyards in Spain and California. Benavides, who arrived in 2010, heads up not only the vineyards but also the entire vinification process that produces more than 23 fine varietals.
Among the distinctive wines visitors can savor and serve are Acquaviva's own Sangria and the full-bodied Don Giuseppe, an Italian red. For the more adventurous wine enthusiast, Acquaviva has crafted a Frontenac delicately flavored with black cherry and toasted vanilla. The Donna Mia is a crisp white wine with a hint of citrus. In a salute to the Midwest, Prairie Star offers tasters a lightly sweet wine touched with tangerine.
When the year's harvest falls short of their goals, Brandonisio sources grapes and juice from outside growers.
Early on, Acquaviva began offering small plates of Italian specialties paired with its wines. The food was so appreciated by visitors that it inspired Brandonisio to open a full-service restaurant on-site.
Fans of Acquaviva can also enjoy the family's cuisine and wines at the Ristorante Di Acquaviva, 219 W. State St., in Sycamore, and the Acquaviva Winebar, 214 W. Main St., in St. Charles.
The Maple Park restaurant boasts extra space that's ideal for gatherings, celebrations and parties, so it was only natural when Acquaviva began receiving requests to host weddings.
Couples can celebrate both their ceremony and reception on the Acquaviva grounds, which can accommodate nearly 230 guests for such an event.
The business expects exciting growth over the next few years. Brandonisio is planning another expansion that will bring 400 new hybrid vines on an additional 10 acres. A cozy guest house is currently under construction. Once complete, it'll bring six private suites, all furnished, with views of the vineyard estate. Families that celebrate a wedding at Acquaviva can rent single rooms or the whole house.
"Guests will be able to stay and spend time looking out over the vineyards and enjoying our hospitality even more," says Brandonisio.
For those who hunger for the lush cuisine and flavorful wines of Italy, Acquaviva Winery is one way to satisfy that hunger close to home.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 15th, 2017 at 11:57 am	and is filed under Northwest Business Magazine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.


My experience in the institutional church taught me that Christ was somewhere far off and I needed to do something to draw Him near. I needed to perform certain actions for Him to come closer. My worship and prayer needed to be done in the right way for Christ to come and be with me. If I couldn't focus or I was bored then I was bad and Jesus wasn't going to come. When I was into the music and focused on worship then I was good and Jesus would come. This idea of Him being with me was signaled by a certain feeling in worship. I would feel a certain way when Christ drew near. I have discovered that idea looks an awful lot like the Old Testament worship of the Jews or a tamer version of the pagan worship. What I was experiencing there wasn't necessarily Christ, they were emotions either about Christ or about the song we were singing.
The pagans felt they had to repeat things in order to get their gods to come. They chanted over and over phrases. They would offer sacrifices of something to get the gods to bless them.
In the Old Testament the Jews had many practices they had to perform to be clean and ready for worship. These were ordained by God through the Old Testament Law. They bathed and cleaned themselves both physically and spiritually. Yet what was God's purpose in ordaining these? In the New Testament through our brother Paul we learn that the Law was a tutor to show us our sin. Without the law I wouldn't know that I was a sinner in need of a Savior. In chapter 7 of Romans Paul's dilemma isn't in Christ, but in the Law. "Why can't I keep the Law?" is his cry. Romans Chapter 8 reveals the relief from the dilemma, it is Christ!
Jesus truly is the focus of our faith. Jesus is the center of our salvation. I have tried to be perfect all my life in order to be loved by God and others. I have finally figured out, as my brother Paul did, that Christ took my place and now I am free of condemnation. Sin no longer has a hold on me…meaning that I am no longer marked by it. It doesn't mean I wont sin again but it means that Jesus' blood has taken care of the sin. I don't have to do anything to make myself cleaner. Does that mean I have a free ticket on sin…may it never be. A person who is in Christ will be transformed. We will be changed. Our hearts will become like His heart. It may take time but Jesus and God the Father will do the work to transform us into His likeness.
So the Old Testament Contract or Covenant has been completed by Jesus…it is finished (Read 2 Corinthians). A new Contract or Covenant has been established through Christ (read 2 Corinthians). So here is where the closeness of Christ comes in. We as believers in Christ have become one with Him. He is in us and we are in Him. As the Vine is connected to the branches so is He connected to us. As the Head is connected to the body so is He connected to us. The curtain was torn in half and taken down in the temple. We don't have to do anything to be in His presence anymore. We are already there if we are in Him.
What I am not saying is that worship is wrong. What I am saying is that Christ and we are one. He will never leave us or forsake us. He is among us. We are His body and He is our Head. We are His branches producing fruit that He has ordained us to produce and He is our Vine.
Be at peace my brothers and sisters in Christ…He is there among you already…enjoy Him. Stop calling Him to come and start enjoying Him.


text:
Faith September 14, 2016
Christians, Let's Be Honest. Our Excuses For Skipping Church Are Lame.
Of course, a pastor telling Christians not to go to church is like a dentist warning his patients not to brush their teeth. It's absurd and self-defeating, to put it mildly.
(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
I recently read a report showing that less than 20 percent of the people in this country attend church on a regular basis. Not a shocking revelation, obviously. It's said that America is a "Christian nation," but the empty pews have long been calling that claim into question.
Yet not everyone sees dwindling church attendance as a problem. Not even every church leader agrees. For instance, my wife alerted me to a blog post she noticed popping up on her newsfeed here and there. It's written by a self-identified pastor from North Carolina named John Pavlovitz, and titled, "Relax Christians, You Don't Have To Go To Church."
[mattwalsh-social-instory]
Of course, a pastor telling Christians not to go to church is like a dentist warning his patients not to brush their teeth. It's absurd and self-defeating, to put it mildly. But I don't want to pick on this Pavlovitz guy, mainly because I fear drawing too much attention, and thus giving a platform, to yet another heretical "pastor." What I'd like to do is use him as a jumping off point to tackle the common anti-church talking points you always hear from the unchurched crowd.
First of all, when inspecting those talking points, you'll notice that they never seem to answer the most basic question: Why not go? OK, you don't think the Bible mentions going to church (it does, and we'll get to that in a minute), but why not go regardless? The Bible never specifically requires us to say grace before dinner or pray with our children before bed, but why wouldn't you do it anyway? I understand we might skip prayers some nights because we're lazy or think we're "too busy" or whatever, but to boycott them in principle because the Bible never says, "Pray with your children each night"? Does that seem like the right approach? Does abandoning church seem like the right approach?
Seriously, what reason do we really have? After all, if we're throwing out something that Christians have considered crucial to their faith for 2,000 years, the burden of proof is on us. We Christians in America are always demanding that someone explain to us why we ought to do the kinds of things Christians have always done. But nobody ever tosses the question back at us: Why shouldn't you?
The other day I told my daughter to clean the playroom. She became somewhat indignant at the idea. "Why should I clean it?" Sure, I could have provided her with practical reasons. I could have given her the old "Because I said so," and that certainly would have been a fine and definitive answer. But instead I tried out the Socratic method.
"Why shouldn't you clean it?"
"Um. Uh. Well..."
"Exactly. Now get to work."
And that was the end of the conversation.
I won't make that the end of this conversation, though.
So let's start here: Historically speaking, Christians have always met for corporate worship and prayer. Sure, as anti-church Christians point out with extreme satisfaction, the Apostles didn't build cathedrals or use words like "pew" or "usher." Reliable sources inform me that the ancients didn't have brunch in the fellowship hall following service, either. According to my research, most churches back in the old days didn't even hold annual ice cream socials. Clearly this means our entire notion of joining together in worship and sacrifice on Sunday -- the day the Lord rose from the dead (Matthew 28:1), the day he appeared to the Apostles (John 20:26), the day he sat at table with His disciples and broke bread with them (Luke 24:25), the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1) -- is completely arbitrary.
Or maybe not. The early Christians may not have had beautiful buildings or raffle drawings at the church bazaar, but they did meet in homes and caves and anywhere else they could manage. Acts tells us the first believers still convened for a while in synagogues to pray (Acts 2:46). As they became increasingly unwelcome in the temples, they were forced to meet in secret. But still they met.
I'm sure they would have liked to construct their own temples, but any house of worship they built would have been burned to the ground immediately. That's why they didn't have buildings. For the same reason Christians in Afghanistan or Syria or Iraq today do not have buildings. To ask why Christians under Roman persecution didn't meet in church buildings is like going to Falujah, noticing that all of the churches are empty or demolished, and concluding that Iraqi Christians must have a relaxed attitude about church attendance.
Indeed, for hundreds of years, Christians across the known world risked torture and execution in order to come together and worship. But still they gathered, whether in tunnels or houses or wherever, enduring considerable danger and discomfort just so that they could celebrate their faith as one community. St. Justin, born just a few decades after St. Peter was martyred, revealed under interrogation by Roman authorities that he met with his brothers and sisters in faith at his own residence. There they preached, prayed, baptized, and had communion. Shortly after that admission, Justin and his co-defendents were tortured and beheaded.
Most historians believe one of the first "official" churches was the Dura-Europas in Syria, built about 100 years after St. Justin. Evidently, Christians all the way back then -- still in the infancy of the faith -- felt it necessary to have dedicated buildings for worship, even if they risked their lives in meeting there. But it wasn't until the Roman Empire declared religious tolerance in 313 that Christians could feasibly erect the sort of church structures that we would recognize today.
Yet, clearly, they didn't wait until the fourth century to worship together. That is something they always did. It has always been a defining feature of the Christian life. If you travel in a time machine to any point in history up until recently, you will see Christians in communion -- maybe in caverns, maybe in cathedrals, maybe in houses -- but no matter what you will find them in communion. That is the essential point.
So what about us? What makes us special? What's our excuse? Do we actually have an excuse that the Christians under Roman persecution or communist persecution or Japanese persecution or Mexican persecution or Islamic persecution didn't have? Do we have a credible and compelling reason to not do the thing that our brothers and sisters risked their lives to do? Even if we see church as "just" a tradition, shouldn't we have a reason to chuck it to the side after all this time?
Oh, I suppose we do have our reasons. We're tired. It's a hassle. It's boring. The seats are uncomfortable. We have too much Facebook perusing to do. Aside from the people who are physically unable to attend because of infirmity or some other extreme circumstance, the primary excuses for skipping sound pretty lame when you say them out loud.
Granted, sometimes we have justifications that feel more righteous. Maybe we went to church a while ago and something happened there that offended us. Maybe we've tried out the churches close by and found something distasteful about all of them. Someone once told me she stopped going to church because there were "rude people" and "hypocrites" at the last one she attended. Apparently she's looking for a church where the congregants are as flawless as her. Perhaps next she'll search for a doctor's office where all of the patients are in perfect health before they arrive for their appointments.
In the blog post I mentioned, Pavlovitz says it's OK to skip if you feel "damaged" or "shaken" or "weary." But we are all damaged and shaken and weary, and that's exactly why we should go to church. "Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden," Jesus says in Matthew. Pavlovitz suggests that instead of church you might "snuggle in bed" and "giggle" (I'm not kidding), or you might go for a stroll or have breakfast with a friend or tend to your garden. That's not coming to Jesus. That's doing what you want to do with your time and demanding that He to come to you.
Someone emailed me last week and said he "had church" with his family the previous Sunday when he took the gang down to the beach for a swim. It was "fun" and they "enjoyed each other." It was "sacred in its own way," he said.
That may be true, but we have 168 hours in a week to do all the "sacred" snuggling and giggling and swimming we want. We really can't set aside a small fraction of that allotted 168 for communal worship? Call me crazy but something tells me it isn't a sincere desire to draw closer to God that explains our decision to sleep in or sunbathe rather than attend services.
Church isn't a fun thing to do when it happens to strike our fancy. It's not a bowling alley, for goodness sake. It's not recreation at all; it's adoration. It is, as much as we like to pretend otherwise, an actual necessity and obligation of Christian life, and that brings us finally to why all of those Christians throughout history have given up so much to do the thing that we have stopped doing for no reason.
The New Testament tells us about the Apostles traveling far and wide to convert the unbelievers and establish churches. They didn't come with blueprints for basilicas, but the churches they formed weren't vague and shapeless blobs. They created communities. And there were rituals and rules and laws that those communities followed. The communities were lead and administered. Acts 14:23 tells us about Paul and Barnabas appointing elders in each church they formed -- a completely unnecessary step if these churches were not meant to be functioning organizations. If being Christian simply means thinking nice thoughts as you snuggle with your dog, it seems the Apostles wasted a lot of time on extraneous details.
But if we can agree that the men personally appointed by Jesus Christ were more reliable authorities on these matters than Christian bloggers like myself or our friend Pavlovitz, it should be noted that they did not see our faith as an individual exercise. That is why we are commanded in Hebrews to "meet together." In his letter to the Colossians, Paul tells us to come together for teaching, admonishment, and song. He didn't say "in a building called a church" -- largely because such buildings, as we covered, could not have existed at that time -- but noticeably he also didn't say, "at home in bed by yourself" or "at the beach while you sip a daiquiri."
Pavlovitz insists that, at the Last Supper, Jesus only commanded us to "remember him." As the logic goes, we could just as easily remember him while go for a leisurely bike ride, so there's no need for church. But as is common with modern Christians, Pavlovitz seems to have conveniently glossed over the first part of Christ's statement: "Do this in remembrance of me." Do this.
Now, there are two parts to "do this" that warrant further inspection. First, do. To "do" means to perform an action. The second, this. "This" is a word used to call attention to a certain thing or activity that is currently taking place. Put together, we have Christ instructing us to do what He was doing, and to do it together in His name. Acts tells us that the Apostles proceeded to follow that instruction on the first day of each week (Acts 20:7), as they met to break bread and pray. Were those instructions only intended for the Apostles? Was the Sermon on the Mount only directed at the crowd physically present to hear it?
Paul makes it more clear: "Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?" (1 Cor 10:16). Notice the words we and participate.
The New Testament knows nothing of the individualized Christianity of the Christian who thinks he doesn't need church. In Scripture, we are referred to as a flock, a collective "bride" of Christ. We are all limbs and organs in the body of Christ, and we are told that we cannot separate ourselves from the rest of the body. We are "baptized into one body" (1 Cor 12:13) and must participate in it.
So if the fingers and hands and arms are gathering in prayer and devotion to Christ, how can the right leg stay back and mow the lawn? Has he not separated himself from the body? Has he not refused his calling to participate?
God seems to think it important to engage in active and corporate thanksgiving to Him. Scripture seems to bear that out. Paul seemed to be clear. Peter and the other Apostles seemed to agree. Two thousand years of Christian history seems to concur. Are our excuses convincing enough to invalidate all of this?
Do they invalidate Christ's own example?
Indeed, Christians who scoff at the notion of "going to some building" to pray and worship must be more enlightened than Jesus, because the New Testament frequently depicts Our Lord in the temple (Mark 1:21, Luke 2:41, etc). Jesus was so protective of "some building" that he physically drove the money changers out of it, incensed that they had comprised the integrity of "a house of prayer" (Matthew 21:12).
Christ believed so strongly in having a literal house of prayer -- an actual building where people gathered to worship and praise God -- that He resorted to violence to protect it. If Jesus shared the same attitude as the modern unchurched Christian, he would have been home on his couch watching Netflix (or the first century equivalent, a Blockbuster VHS tape) and those money changers would have been spared the unpleasantness of being publicly flogged by the Son of God.
Jesus, noticeably, did not share their attitude. Neither did the Apostles. Neither did the early Christians. Neither did the not-so-early Christians. The "we don't need no stinkin' church" folks are on their own, which, I guess, is how they prefer it. But there's no such thing as "on your own" Christianity. Our faith is a gift that God gave the entire world, and we are meant to share it. We are meant to experience it as a flock, as a body. And yes, as a church -- in a church.
Listen to Matt's latest podcast here.
To request Matt for speaking engagement, contact Matt at Outreach Speakers. Email: events@outreach.com Phone: 866-400-2036. For all other comments and hate mail, email Contact@TheMattWalshBlog.com.
TheBlaze contributor channel supports an open discourse on a range of views. The opinions expressed in this channel are solely those of each individual author.
'Somber' Nancy Pelosi hands out souvenir pens used to sign impeachment bill


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Factory worker taken to hospital with serious burns following factory fire at Moorooka
February 1, 2013 | In the News | benpeetz | No Comments
AUSTRALIA — A factory worker is in intensive care at Royal Brisbane Hospital with burns to his face and torso after a factory fire in Brisbane's south this morning.
A firefighter was also injured.
The blaze, at the Fulcrum factory on Evesham St in Moorooka, broke out just after 6am, fire crews rushing to the scene with reports that the highly flammable chemical, methyl keytone, was reported to be on the premises.
The chemical, used as a solvent, is believed to have been locked in a fire-proof cupboard.
Fulcrum production supervisor Chris Baker said he arrived to see the flames.
"Three people were inside," he said. "When I got here they were just on the other side."
One man in his 30s, described as a "long-term, experienced employee" suffered severe chest, head and torso burns. It is also believed he suffered respiratory burns.
 Fulcrum managing director Graham Scudamore-Smith said the Moorooka factory had never had a fire like this.
"They managed to get him out and into a shower," he said.
"We are prepared for these sorts of things," he said.
Queensland Fire and Rescue on call inspector Ted Ireland said it was unknown how the fire started.
"On arrival they had a fully involved fire on the upper levels and the placement of our lines have been really good, they were able to knock it out really quick," he said.
The fire burnt a hole into the factory's roof and damaged the upper part of the building.
"The guys (factory workers) that were here did really well, they shut everything down and self-evacuated."
He said fire crews were particularly vigilant at the moment because of the water shortages.
"We've got a specialised foam pump that's been repositioned at Annerley for this sort of event," Insp Ireland said.
"A lot of things lined up to give us a good outcome."
Scientific officers are now on site to ensure the chemicals have been contained.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/factory-worker-taken-to-hospital-with-serious-burns-following-factory-fire-at-moorooka/story-e6freoof-1226565642189


WASHINGTON – Several media organizations are asking a Washington judge to hear their request to access transcripts and documents related to recent secret proceedings in the case of the man convicted in the 2001 killing of Chandra Levy.
The group, which includes The Associated Press, filed a motion Wednesday asking Judge Gerald Fisher to hold a hearing Feb. 6 on the request.
Fisher has held two recent hearings in the case and barred the public and press from hearing the majority of both proceedings. Fisher said he sealed a portion of the first hearing because of "safety issues." The organizations also want to attend another hearing scheduled for Feb. 7 and future hearings.
A Salvadoran man, Ingmar Guandique, was convicted of killing Levy in 2010. He is serving a 60-year prison sentence.


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arts entertainmentPop Music
Eric Clapton gets loud at tour opening in Fort Worth, but stays quiet on vaccine stance
His first date since the pandemic began featured loose and powerful playing — and no mention of his views on vaccines, which had caused controversy.
A 2013 file photo shows Eric Clapton performing at American Airlines Center. On Monday, Clapton played his first tour date since the onset of the pandemic at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth.(Michael Mulvey / Special Contributor)
By Thor Christensen
11:37 AM on Sep 14, 2021 CDT
FORT WORTH — On opening night of his first tour since the pandemic began, Eric Clapton wisely let the music do the talking.
The 76-year-old British guitar god arrived Monday night at Dickies Arena in the middle of a strange brew of controversy. Earlier this year, after helping Van Morrison record the anti-lockdown tune "Stand and Deliver," the normally close-lipped Clapton wrote an angry public letter alleging the AstraZeneca vaccine made his hands numb and caused other "disastrous" side effects.
Clapton later issued a statement rejecting England's plans to require vaccine passes at certain public venues and threatened to cancel his concerts there. (On Sunday, England scrapped plans for the vaccine pass, at least for now.)
And last month, he wrote and released "This Has Gotta Stop," a thinly-veiled attack on mandates and vaccines, which he prudently opted not to play Monday.
The Clapton COVID Kerfuffle marks an unexpected chapter in the career of a musician who's long presented himself as apolitical. You have to go back 45 years for the previous chapter, and that one was a doozy: the infamous 1976 anti-immigrant rant he made onstage in England during the height of his drug and alcohol addictions. That tirade inspired Britons to launch the Rock Against Racism movement.
Yet if Clapton is turning cranky again in his 70s, he certainly didn't show it Monday. The concert was business as usual, with the singer-guitarist rarely speaking to the near-capacity crowd during the hour-and-40 minute show.
He did make one roundabout mention of the pandemic. Thirty minutes into the show, he pointed out that one of the last times he played live was two years ago in D-FW — referring to the Crossroads Guitar Festival at American Airlines Center in September 2019.
But the long hiatus barely took a toll. Clapton was back with a vengeance, ripping out long, suspense-buildings solos in "I Shot the Sheriff" and two Robert Johnson tunes, "Little Queen of Spades," featuring some nice B.B. King-style fretwork, and "Crossroads," overhauled as a funk-jazz rocker.
As a guitarist, he's nowhere near as fast as he was in his early days, when earned the facetious nickname "Slowhand." Diagnosed with nerve damage in 2013, he's mellowed noticeably in recent years, but he sounded just fine Monday night. His style has always had more to do with soul than speed anyway.
On opening night of a short U.S. tour, the players were a bit rusty at times. Clapton uncorked the occasional bum note on guitar, his singing was hesitant now and again and keyboardist Chris Stainton had trouble fitting his solos into several songs.
For the most part, however, the show was loose and powerful like fiery late-night jam session. The set list was just as unpredictable.
He did play a half-dozen hits, including "Tears in Heaven" and a drowsy acoustic shuffle version of "Layla." And he chased them with his usual flurry of blues standards, including a slow, swinging take on Willie Dixon's "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man."
Some of the high points arrived in unexpected tunes, like the funky Derek & the Dominos outtake "Got To Get Better In A Little While" and a pair of lovely unplugged tunes: the new instrumental "For Kerry," and Fleetwood Mac's "Man of the World," which he dedicated to the late Peter Green.
He got impeccable backing from his 8-piece band which featured veteran drummer Steve Gadd, bassist Nathan East and Paul Carrack, who stole the spotlight with his gospel-tinged organ solos. But the star of the group was his longtime left-hand man, Dallas-born guitarist Doyle Bramhall II, whose semi-dirty textures provided the perfect contrast to Clapton's more fluid style.
Clapton ended the show on a high note, with another Big D native, guitarist Jimmie Vaughan, adding fuel to the fire on Joe Cocker's hit "High Time We Went."
Earlier, Vaughan had opened the show with his own short set of blues classics and originals. But his cameo in the big finale was even sweeter. As Vaughan once put it, if he hadn't been so awestruck listening to Clapton's first album in his Oak Cliff bedroom back in 1966, he would never have mustered the courage to become a musician.
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Thor Christensen. Thor Christensen is a former pop music critic for The Dallas Morning News and The Milwaukee Journal whose work has appeared in The New York Times and several books, including Musichound: The Essential Album Guide (Visible Ink Press). He's interviewed two Beatles, a pair of Rolling Stones and hundreds of musicians from Beyoncé to Bono to David Bowie. He's a Chicago native and a longtime resident of East Dallas.
thorchris2@yahoo.com
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Delhi fire: Threats forced neighbours to keep mum
Monday - December 9, 2019 6:02 pm , Category : INDIA
New Delhi, Dec 9 (IANS) Despite being aware of the possible threat to life and the dangerous conditions, the "corruption and fear of power" prevented neighbours from raising alarm that could possibly have averted the Anaj Mandi fire and saved lives.
Speaking to IANS, a neighbourhood resident said, "We tried to raise alarm with the factory owners. But our mouths were shut with threats."
The risk of disaster has always been lurking in these self-styled industrial areas with few inches thin wall separating houses, tiny passages and electric wires dangling just few meters above the head of a standing man.
"Another incident of fire had taken place here a few days ago. Three-four people died. But it was pushed under the carpet using threats and bribes," said a 25-year-old resident of a house behind the gutted factory.
"Apart from incidents like fire, people also get injured working in these units. Even young children are employed. But nothing happens as the authorities have turned a deaf ear and shut their eyes to it," said another neighbour.
Earlier in the day, the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team visited the spot to examine the crime scene and collect evidence.
Forty-three people died in the fire that broke out at a factory in the wee hours of Sunday.
The police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the factory owners and others under section 304 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and arrested two people, including the building owner Rehan, in the case.
"The case has been transferred to the Crime Branch," said Anil Mittal, Additional PRO, Delhi Police.
On Monday, the two accused were produced before a Delhi court, which remanded them to 14-day police custody. The police told the court that many deceased were yet to be identified and the post mortem were being done.
--IANS anb/pcj
Indian passport ranks 84th position in world's powerful passport
If planning to travel abroad so 58 countries provide Indians the facility of visa-on-arrival


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Ambrane India has launched a wireless headphone Ambrane WH-5600 in the Indian market. It is priced at Rs. 1999 and is now available from all leading retail and e-commerce stores across India.
Ambrane WH-5600 is a stylish headphone that claims to offer good music experience. It has leather covered headband. It has easy control buttons for controlling sound, tracks, and receiving calls.
The headphone has high-end chipset for offering crisp sound experience and an enhanced digital amplifier for noise cancellation. The company claims that WH-5600 delivers cinematic surround sound. It has 32 mm dome drivers delivering deep bass and a wide frequency range.
Ambrane WH-5600 packs 250 mAh battery and claims to offer 8 hours of battery backup. It also takes 90 minutes in fully charging.


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Trippier's ban to end in February, regardless of Atletico appeal
Atletico Madrid's Kieran Trippier gestures during the Champions League Group D match between Atletico Madrid and Juventus at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019. (Bernat Armangue/AP)
| January 14, 2021, 9:22 AM
LONDON — The English Football Association has been unable to extend the end of Atletico Madrid defender Kieran Trippier's ban for breaching betting rules while it is blocked from being applied in Spain and the rest of the world.
Trippier served less than two weeks of the 10-week ban when FIFA paused the global extension of his punishment following an appeal by Atletico.
The sanction was imposed for Trippier giving information to friends on his transfer from Tottenham to the Spanish capital in 2019 which he knew they were using for betting. The ban runs through Feb. 28.
The FA asked its own independent regulatory commission to revise the dates of the suspension until FIFA decided on whether the suspension should apply beyond England.
But the FA said on Thursday the appeal had been rejected, meaning the punishment expires on Feb. 28 even if the FIFA part of the case is still ongoing and Trippier misses no more games.
The FA commission concluded Trippier was entitled to think ``these long drawn-out proceedings had been finalized and that as from the end of February 2021 he could begin a new chapter,'' and that changing the dates of the suspension would create uncertainty for the player.
The decision also means if Trippier was to return to play in England in the transfer window that runs through Feb. 1, the ban will have been considered to still be running since Dec. 21.
``We accept that the suspension is probably having a deleterious effect upon KT's transfer prospects,'' the FA said.
Now there wouldn't be uncertainty for an English buying club about Trippier's ban continuing into March.
``There is a very real benefit to football worldwide,'' the FA commission said, ``in resolving as quickly as possible whether it is open to clubs to intervene as AM (Atletico Madrid) has done in this case in the absence of its player's consent and, indeed, against his wishes when such intervention might be viewed as frustrating the outcome of national disciplinary processes and the ability of FIFA to give effect to those outcomes worldwide.''
trippiers-ban-end-february-regardless-atletico-appeal


A teaser story, the "origins" of THE GRID! An unknown drifter wanders too far off into the desert badlands. There's not much hope either. He escaped from desert pirates to end up stuck in the middle of nowhere. Soon he'll understand why it's not safe to go too far off into the desert! A short story idea that I'll adapt into a bigger story later. But you can't miss this part as it exposes the truth behind the grid! This will be my first chapter by chapter story, followed by two 100 page books, and then finally FIRE N' ICE will be my 4th. These teaser stories are collectibles! 3 pages, 7 pages in all.


Twin sisters with unique arrangements that draw inspriration from folk music originating from Ireland, Scotland and beyond. Performing evocative and enthralling contemporary and traditional songs that move imaginatively from high energy jigs and reels to sublime harmony singing.
Evocative and entrancing. Acoustic music at its best.
Formed by three of the most experienced folk musicians on the circuit. Between them they have a wealth of experience performing with many well established folk acts and a musical pedigree that crosses the genres, the combined result brings in a new dimension and a fresh inventive approach that challenges the boundaries of traditional music to experiment with different grooves. If you like a little funk with your folk, this is the band for you.


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Better Buy: CenturyLink vs. Verizon
Nicholas Rossolillo, The Motley Fool
With the launch of 5G Home, America's leading wireless network, Verizon (NYSE: VZ), is on a collision course with Century Link (NYSE: CTL) and other internet service providers. The two companies' primary money-making operations have been headed in opposite directions the last few years, with Century Link steadily losing cable TV and voice business, while Verizon has managed some incremental gains despite a competitive mobile services industry.
However, while investors might be quick to pan Century Link in favor of Verizon, the comparison isn't as unfair as it looks on the surface.
The side-by-side numbers
Trailing-12-month revenue
Trailing-12-month P/E
Forward-12-month P/E
Trailing-12-month free cash flow
Price-to-free cash flow
P/E = Price-to-earnings. Data sources: Verizon, Century Link, Yahoo! Finance, and YCharts.
The world is going mobile, but...
Even in spite of stiff competition in the mobile space, there has been plenty of room for Verizon to add new subscribers and slowly grow its top line -- cumulative revenue grew 8.5% over the last trailing five year period. The world is transitioning to mobile-first, and Verizon is helping lead the charge with its new 5G Home broadband internet service, which will initially be available in four U.S. markets starting in October. That service is laying the groundwork for a next-generation 5G mobile platform that will be able to power new smartphones as well as new data-driven technology like smart cities, connected autos, and connected healthcare.
However, Verizon's stock isn't without its faults. Free cash flow -- or money left over after basic operations and capital expenditures are paid for -- has been back on the rise since 2017. Building out new mobile 5G services is expensive, though, which could keep a lid on profitable growth in the coming years even as revenues increase from new subscribers. Management has also said that getting its debt paid back down is a priority, a large chunk of which was taken out to fund network upgrades and the acquisition of Yahoo! and AOL. Until that happens, interest expense will also weigh on results. Thus, while Verizon's P/E makes it look ultra-cheap, its price to free cash flow ratio of 17.1 has the stock valued more like a stable and mature company. That's still a fair price to pay given Verizon's plan to grow with the release of 5G in the coming years.
Four young people stand against a red wall using their smart phones.
That's where CenturyLink makes a compelling counter-argument. Though its basic services are in decline, its combination with Level 3 last year has been helping the company give expenses a haircut through synergies. Debt is sky high, but there's a plan to get it reduced, and faster fiber optic-based internet that can keep up with Verizon's 5G offering is also being slowly rolled out to its business and residential customers.
As a result, CenturyLink's free cash flow is also on the rise, making the stock cheaper than it may appear to be when using the P/E ratio to value it; price to free cash flow sits at just 8.8. More importantly, though, that free cash fully covers CenturyLink's huge dividend -- and then some. Management said it will pay out $2.3 billion in dividends in 2018 and will have $1.3 to $1.5 billion in free cash left over after that. So, while many investors have steered clear of the stock because of falling revenue and perceived risk that the dividend will get the ax, that doesn't appear to be in the cards anytime soon.
CenturyLink doesn't look like a bad pick for investors seeking income over the next few years. However, don't expect growth anytime soon, especially with Verizon gunning for traditional internet service providers with its new wireless tech. Thus, I still believe Verizon is better suited to handle future internet and data needs with its 5G services, making the stock the better buy as a long-term play. Still, with CenturyLink making some headway in its recovery, the showdown between the two isn't as skewed in Verizon's favor as it might initially appear.
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Nicholas Rossolillo and his clients own shares of Verizon Communications. The Motley Fool recommends Verizon Communications. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.