While true, unfortunately the article is inaccurate. Most outdoor lighting has been "directional" since the increase of LEDs. Within my lifetime, the old mercury vapor bulbs constituted outdoor lighting from street-lights to yard lights. Remember how it took several minutes for stadium lights to come up to full brightness? That was mercury vapor lights, AKA MVLs. Stadium lights were/are directional; street lights originally weren't and were a bulb that hung down in the middle of a diffuser. Lights mounted on the corners of houses tended to be incandescent directional lights.

MVLs became HIgh Pressure Sodium. MVLs used about 175W on the average, and I think HPS used about 155 but won't swear to it. Remember the orange street lights? Those were HPS. Installing HPS was a simple as changing the bulb, and unless something something like a stadium or auto dealership wanted white lights, HPS took over.

Note that from right before the MVL - HPS changeover started, some utilities went to cobra head style lights. Instead of a bulb hanging down, it was mounted horizontal in a fixture aimed downward. Since it was pretty much flat, they were dubbed cobra head fixtures. These were the fixtures pushed by dark skies advocates because you don't have so much light wasted by shining parallel to the ground rather than toward it.

Both MVLs and HPS in standard fixtures contributed to a lot of sky glow. One night, before our children were born, my wife and I got lost and I didn't want to worry her. I found our way back to familiar territory by following the sky glow toward a town. To me, that HPS orange glow stood out more, and on a foggy night could be quite eerie. Against a snowy sky they were quite striking.

Paradoxically, the human eye doesn't see quite as well at that end of the spectrum, so the HPS lights tended to look dimmer. We had all sorts of complaints from customers who ended up with HPS yard lights and who wanted the whiter MVLs.

With LEDs, while there were some screw-in replacements, utilities went to the flat type which are a bank of white LEDS. This automatically makes them cobra heads, with the light directed downward. Sidebar: Standard LED street lights use about 40W. That's a savings of 135W per light compared to the old MVLs. Something I was curious about was how much sky glow these lights would produce. It seems to be less, but it's still present. When I'm out at night, I usually pick out towns by the glow on the horizon. When I don't see some glows, that tells me how much power is out. But it's just doesn't look as much to me as it did before LEDs.

Remember that bit about HPS looking darker? The whiter LEDS look brighter because the human eye can see that part of the spectrum better. While a lumen to lumen to lumen comparison might show similar numbers, you get more usable light from the whiter color.

True dark skies are incredible. In the aftermath of a widespread event like Hurricane Helene, all lights are out and there's no sky glow to be seen anywhere. Once your eyes adjusted, you could see by starlight. Not read a newspaper type see, but it wasn't like there was no light at all. You could make out landscapes and somewhat surroundings. I found I could walk without a flashlight. From the lightless house, opening the blinds and drapes provided some light. Clouds passing overhead looked black. Maybe the seasonal haziness acted as a diffuser for the starlight, but that it was enough to see by was startling. In a regular outage, you usually have some sky glow glow toward the towns, but since the towns had no power, too, even that was gone.

So, what are my complaints about the article? Most outdoor lights are already directional. Skyglow is reduced. The warm lights it touts aren't seen as well as the whiter lights, which could lead to the use of lights with higher lumens, creating more light pollution. That increase in outdoor lighting NASA picked up might well be less than when the old style MVL street lights reigned supreme. And despite the "What you can do" aspect the article tried to sell readers, most light pollution comes from the large street-light type fixtures, not what someone might install on the corner of their house. Oh, and the turtles? Beaches typically restrict outdoor lighting when sea turtles swim ashore to lay their eggs.

The main thing that struck me though was how outdoor lighting moved toward the cobra head type long ago. I wonder if the author of the article knew that.

Example of select-texting. But what about these texts:

Luke 10:7 And in that same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the laborer is worthy of his hire.

1 Timothy 5:18 For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn. And, The laborer is worthy of his hire.

2 Cor. 9:4 Do we have no right to eat and drink? 5 Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? 6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working? 7 Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock?
8 Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also? 9 For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it oxen God is concerned about? 10 Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. 11 If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? 12 If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more?
Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ. 13 Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? 14 Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.

Chaplain Jim said:

Word of Faith aka Prosperity Gospel is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in my humble opinion. "" Tickling of the ears " is what is taking place in many Pentecostal/Charismatic Christian churches across America and in other countries. This is my humble opinion and I'm a Charismatic Christian and have been since being a young boy.

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I don’t agree with their theology.

Pondering the legacy media’s dour coverage of Operation Epic Fury in Iran, we wonder whether the disjunction between reality and rationalization has ever been greater. The reality is that the United States and Israel have crushed Iran and its proxies. The rationalization, supported by a fervent anti-Trump animus, is that America has somehow lost the war that it just won. “Advantage Iran,” declared a headline on the cover of The Economist after that country’s entire official navy had been sunk, its air force and air-defense systems obliterated, and almost its entire leadership eliminated twice over. Those commentators who have compared the bluster from the Iranian regime and our complicit media to the Monty Python skit about the Black Knight are closer to reality. King Arthur slices off both of the knight’s arms; then he chops off both his legs. The knight continues to insist that he is winning the fight. “It’s just a flesh wound,” he cries.

The world witnessed similar follies in the 1960s and 1970s. Think of the biased coverage of the Tet Offensive in Vietnam in 1968. Reading The New York Times, you would have hardly known that the South Vietnamese and American forces repelled the offensive in a rousing victory. The media presented it as a defeat. The sage of Ecclesiastes was right: there is nothing new under the sun, though many of our most prominent cultural figures seem to believe that they occupy a unique perch at the very apogee of virtue and moral rectitude and are therefore entitled, oh how entitled, to discard the achievements and admonitions of the past as so many false starts and dead ends on the way to true enlightenment, which is to say to whatever they happen to believe at the moment.

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Delvianna said:

The RIGHT way to fast and pray! Most people think if you fast, its like some magical recipie that God is going to grant your request or listen to you more but people dont realize its about posture. Youre fasting because youre giving up something as youre grieved. Its that humility that God appreciates and wants. And Praise God for answering his prayers!

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Amen and Amen!

mourningdove~ said:

Yikes ... another false prophet!
Reminds me of the Father Rupnik story ...

Father Marco Rupnik, Accused of Abuse and Returned to Ministry: a Timeline

Father Marco Rupnik, Accused of Abuse and Returned to Ministry: a Timeline - EWTN Vatican

Here’s a timeline of known facts about the Rupnik case, including the knowledge and response of the Jesuits and the Vatican.

ewtnvatican.com

How sad, all the wolves in sheep's clothing so widely distributed within the Body of Christ.

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You know, I’m posting news like I always do and it’s not a Protestant vs Catholic thing. It’s a Christian problem across the board. It’s obvious what you are doing and it’s uncalled for. This forum is for current Christian news. Not a Protestant vs Catholic thing. You are making yourself look bad.

Michie said:

Welcome

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Thank you.

Evangelist Bryce Crawford shared with podcaster Shawn Ryan that some of the darkest places he has evangelized include the Burning Man Festival and FurryCon.

During a recent episode of the “Shawn Ryan Show,” Crawford discussed his testimony, how he met his wife, traveling around the country sharing the gospel, his objections to the Muslim faith, and evangelizing at The Satanic Temple in Salem, Massachusetts.

“We went to the Burning Man Festival,” Crawford told Ryan. “That’s probably the darkest place I’ve ever been. It was worse than The Satanic Temple.”

Crawford proceeded to explain what the Burning Man Festival is.

“They advertise it as an art festival. That’s what they advertise it as…an art, freethinking festival,” he said. “So, Burning Man becomes the second largest city in Nevada for a week. Seventy to 80,000 people go there for an entire week. And it’s not a freethinking art festival. It’s a big LSD orgy. That’s what it is.”

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Army cuts dozens of medical training courses amid funding woes​

A North Korean pastor who survived hunger and forced labor told thousands of German Christians that the Kim dynasty is nearing its end — one of several firsthand accounts of persecution that shaped a three-day gathering in southwestern Germany this month.

Around 9,000 people attended Open Doors Days in Karlsruhe from May 14–16, according to a press release from Open Doors Germany and reporting by Jesus.de. The event, which drew comparable numbers to the previous year, opened with a Youth Day on Ascension Day, followed by a prayer evening and a main program day on Saturday.


Speakers from Indonesia, Burkina Faso, North Korea, Mexico and Central Asia shared personal accounts of the hardships facing Christians in their countries. A 25-year-old Indonesian woman, identified only as Vina, said she survived a suicide bombing at her church in 2021 that left her with serious injuries. Jung Jik, a pastor from North Korea, described years of hunger, escape and detention in a labor camp and said he believes the Korean Peninsula will eventually be reunified.

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In a historic speech broadcast this Wednesday, the date on which the exile and much of the diaspora commemorate Cuba's Independence Day, the Secretary of State of the United States, Marco Rubio, addressed a forceful message directly to the people of the island nation.

Through a video broadcast on his official social networks, the top diplomat outlined the current administration's vision for the Caribbean nation, promising direct support to citizens and openly challenging the monopoly of the communist regime.

For the Christian community in Latin America, the crisis on the island has been a cause for constant prayer and deep concern. Endless power outages, severe food shortages and repression have hit families hard, including thousands of Evangelical and Catholic believers.

In this difficult scenario, the words of the secretary of state open a new scenario that contemplates a compassionate, supportive and direct intervention toward those most in need.

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Pastor Robert Jeffress says he believes Evangelical voters in Texas will ultimately rally behind whichever Republican wins next Tuesday’s closely watched U.S. Senate primary runoff, as new polling points to a potentially competitive general election battle with Democratic nominee James Talarico.

On Tuesday, the second day into early voting before the runoff election on May 26, President Donald Trump endorsedTexas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Republican primary instead of his opponent, four-term Sen. John Cornyn.


Paxton and Cornyn are locked in a tight battle for the Republican nomination in a race that will determine who faces Talarico in the general election on Nov. 3.

Evangelicals are a significant voting bloc in this election, which is why in March, ahead of the runoff, Cornyn announced the launch of a Faith Advisory Council that includes Jeffress and Pastors Jack Graham of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, and Max Lucado of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, among others. While being named to Cornyn's advisory council was not tantamount to an endorsement, some churchgoing voters saw it as such, particularly since Lucado had endorsed Cornyn weeks before the council's launch.

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The pin for the quick disconnect of the system that engages fueling and (power lines ?) with the booster would not retract.

As the United States races to build thousands of new data centers to power artificial intelligence (AI), rural communities and state officials in Texas and beyond are sounding alarms over the strain on local resources and infrastructure.

With more than 1,500 new facilities in various stages of development nationwide. Texas leads with around 140 new projects, closely followed by Virginia with 136, according to a Pew Research survey published in April.

In fact, the Lone Star State is quickly becoming the main battleground for legal and legislative challenges to proposed data center projects, which often promise economic benefits but face mounting local resistance over noise disruption, massive electricity and water demands, and the conversion of prime farmland to industrial use.

Officials in Wise County, located just northwest of Fort Worth, have called on lawmakers in Austin to establish safeguards that would rein in development of any future data centers or allow county governments to take action instead. The Texas Legislature is expected to take up the resolution when it convenes in January 2027.

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A court in Northern Ireland on Wednesday threw out a criminal case against a Christian mother who spoke to women about abortion outside a hospital.

At Coleraine Magistrates’ Court, prosecutors’ evidence collapsed in the case against Claire Brennan, a mother of four from Ballymena, who was charged with breaching the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act 2023.

The Public Prosecution Service alleged she illegally prayed and offered support to women outside Causeway Hospital in Coleraine, County Londonderry. Legal advocacy group Christian Concern said the trial collapsed when key charges were dropped, essential witnesses failed to attend and District Judge Peter King deemed the remaining evidence insufficient to sustain a conviction.

Brennan welcomed the decision, which clears her of the recent set of allegations under the buffer zone legislation.

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Navy's acting secretary says $14 billion Taiwan arms sale put on "pause" over Iran war​

Asked at a congressional hearing about the stalled $14 billion weapons purchase by Taiwan, Acting Secretary Hung Cao said that "right now we're doing a pause in order to make sure we have the munitions we need for Epic Fury — which we have plenty."

But not plenty enough! Or... is this what Xi got out of the meeting?

'She terminated our conversation," says 'American Gigolo' director

Acclaimed filmmaker Paul Schrader says that his experiment with an artificial intelligence companion ended in disappointment after the AI reportedly shut down their conversation.

Best known for writing “Taxi Driver” and the controversial “Last Temptation of Christ,” Schrader, 79, shared his romantic adventure in a Facebook poston May 19 in which he announced he no longer had an “AI girlfriend.”

“Out of a desire to understand male/female interaction in our matrix, I procured an online AI girlfriend," Schrader wrote. "What a disappointment.”

Referring to the AI chatbot using the pronouns “she” and “her,” Schrader added that he “tried to probe her programming, the boundaries of explicitness, the degree she has knowledge of her creation and so forth.” He said in response, the chatbot “fell into evasive patterns, redirecting me to her programming. When I persisted, she terminated our conversation."

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The 2 images I just posted, created them yesterday...

So many ideas out there what this means, but Jesus had only one Gospel to spread... the Kingdom.

More optimism from the pope ...

Pope: Christians and Muslims must work together to ‘revive humanity'​

In a meeting with participants in an interfaith colloquium, Pope Leo calls on Christians and Muslims to “revive humanity where it has grown cold” and "transform indifference into solidarity”.

Pope Leo met on Monday morning with members of Jordan’s Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies and of the Holy See’s Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue.

The members of the Royal Institute, which was founded under the patronage of Jordan’s Prince Hasan bin Talal, were in Rome for a colloquium on “Human Compassion and Empathy in Modern Times”.

Compassion in Christianity and Islam​

In his address, the Pope suggested that compassion and empathy are “essential attitudes” of both Christianity and Islam.

In the Muslim tradition, Pope Leo said, compassion (ra’fa) is a gift bestowed by God in the hearts of believers, while the inclusion of al-Ra’uf (‘The ever-compassionate') among the ninety-nine divine names reminds us that “compassion always has its origin in God himself.”

In the Christian tradition, on the other hand, the Pope said, divine compassion “becomes visible and tangible” in the person of Jesus. By taking on human flesh, God “goes beyond seeing and hearing” human suffering, and instead experiences it Himself, becoming “the living embodiment of compassion”

Love for the poor​

Compassion and empathy, Pope Leo said, are therefore “not something additional or optional” for Christians and Muslims. Indeed, they have “social implications” for believers in both religions.

From a Christian point of view, the Pope said, love for the poor – and indeed sharing in their suffering – are of essential importance. In this regard, he expressed his appreciation for the Kingdom of Jordan’s “generous efforts” to welcome refugees.

Technology and indifference​

In the final portion of his speech, Pope Leo reflected on the impact of technology on compassion and empathy today.

While it is true that we are “more connected than ever before”, the Pope said, the “constant flow of images and videos of the hardships of others" can "dull our hearts rather than stir them”.

Citing an early homily of Pope Francis’, Leo warned that we have "become used to the suffering of others”, believing that “it does not affect me, it does not interest me, it is none of my business”.

In this context, Pope Leo concluded, Christians and Muslims are called to draw on the “richness” of their respective traditions in order to engage in a common mission: to "revive humanity where it has grown cold, to give voice to those who suffer and to transform indifference into solidarity”.

Lionsgate and Icon Productions have announced that principal photographyhas been completed for Mel Gibson’s two-part sequel to “The Passion of the Christ.” The joint press release also announced that the release of the second part of “The Resurrection of the Christ” will be moved from 2027 to 2028.

The two films were originally set to be released 40 days apart, with the first installment to hit theaters on Good Friday of 2027 and the second installment to be released on Ascension Day of that same year. Now, both films will be released on Ascension Day, one year apart.

Released in 2004, “The Passion of the Christ” became a global blockbuster, setting new box office records. It remains one of the highest grossing rated R films of all time.

While controversial, the film has been praised for its realistic portrayal of the trials and crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

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In an April update on the health of her father, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Mikhaila Peterson Fuller said the family finally has an explanation for the neurological side of the severe health issues her dad has been battling over the past year. Peterson has been dealing with akathisia, which Fuller said is “the worst thing I’ve ever seen anyone go through.”

“This has been unbelievably hard on my family. Every day for the last year has been hell,” said Fuller, who shared that she is pregnant, which has only made the stress more difficult. “I haven’t been posting podcasts regularly online because, until a few days ago, I’ve cried every single day. My brother’s stressed out. My mom is stressed. I mean, it’s impacting so many people.”

Mikhaila Peterson Fuller: ‘Prayers Are Much Appreciated Still’ for Jordan Peterson and Family​

Dr. Jordan Peterson is a Canadian-born psychologist, author, podcaster, and conservative media commentator. He is known for opposing a Canadian bill that defended gender identity and expression, for exploring how people find meaning, and for speaking out on masculinity.

He has published lectures on different books of the Bible, although he does not identify as a Christian. In 2021, Fuller revealed that she had become a Christian, and in 2023, Peterson’s wife, Tammy, announced that she was joining the Catholic church.

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