Mandatory News

Saturday, May 28, 2016

Flooding opens giant sinkhole in road north of Houston

HOUSTON WEATHER !!!

Heavy rains caused overnight flooding in parts of the Houston metro region Thursday night, leading to a giant sinkhole north of town. The sinkhole appeared on Farm-to-Market Road 2621 in the unincorporated community of Independence, north of Brenham. The road is now closed (obviously).

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... more Photo: Kyrie O"Connor

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... more Photo: Kyrie O"Connor Heavy rains caused overnight flooding in parts of the Houston metro region Thursday night, leading to a giant sinkhole north of town.The sinkhole appeared on Farm-to-Market Road 2621 in the unincorporated community of Independence, north of Brenham. The road is now closed (obviously). less Heavy rains caused overnight flooding in parts of the Houston metro region Thursday night, leading to a giant sinkhole north of town.The sinkhole appeared on Farm-to-Market Road 2621 in the unincorporated ... more Photo: Kyrie OConnor, Houston Chronicle

Lightning streaks across the Houston sky on Friday night.

Photo: Jon J. Shapley, Chronicle

A swollen Buffalo Bayou is shown at sunset on Friday.

Photo: Dylan Baddour, Chronicle

Double rainbows were spotted across the Houston area on Friday after heavy rain.

Photo: Molly Freemantle

Lightning flashes over the Houston skyline during a stormy Friday night.

Photo: Jon Shapley, Chronicle

Heavy rain falls along Wild Indigo Street in southwest Houston on Friday.

Photo: Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle

A car drives through high water along Wild Indigo Street in southwest Houston on Friday.

Photo: Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle

Water rises out of a manhole cover on White Oak Drive near Houston Avenue on Friday in Houston.

Photo: James Nielsen, Chronicle

Cody Munlin pulls a crew of linemen across Mill Creek Road in an attempt to help get power back to a Magnolia neighborhood cut off by a flooded Spring Creek Friday, May 27, 2016.

Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle

Dan Neef helps steer a boat being pulled across a flooded Mill Creek Road by a jeep Friday, May 27, 2016 in Magnolia as residents work to evacuate the cut off neighborhood.

Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle

Dan Neef helps steer a boat being pulled across a flooded Mill Creek Road by a jeep Friday, May 27, 2016 in Magnolia as residents work to evacuate the cut off neighborhood.

Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle

Dan Neef helps paddle Eve Pena, left, and her mother, Margaret Medina, to rescue their dog and gather belongings from their home in a neighborhood cut off by flood waters Friday, May 27, 2016 in Magnolia.

Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle

Lisa Watkins wades into a flooded Spring Creek on North Ravenswood Drive as she attempts to check on her trailer home in a Magnolia neighborhood Friday, May 27, 2016.

Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle

A home on Joseph Road in Magnolia sits underwater as Walnut Creek overflows the banks Friday, May 27, 2016.

Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle A man checks to make sure everyone made it safely out of a truck that flooded when the three men in the background drove around a closed road barrier on Nichols Sawmill Road and lost control of the vehicle in the water Friday, May 27, 2016 in Magnolia. less A man checks to make sure everyone made it safely out of a truck that flooded when the three men in the background drove around a closed road barrier on Nichols Sawmill Road and lost control of the vehicle in ... more Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Houston Chronicle

Conroe Fire Department J. Riddle stands next to a washed out section of Pecan Bend Road was washed out near the San Jacinto River on Friday, May 27, 2016, in Conroe.

Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

Conroe firefighter Bobby Allen evacuates Jim Treadway via boat after Treadway was stranded when Pecan Bend Road was washed out near the San Jacinto River on Friday, May 27, 2016, in Conroe.

Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

Conroe firefighters evacuate Jim Treadway via boat after Treadway was stranded when Pecan Bend Road was washed out near the San Jacinto River on Friday, May 27, 2016, in Conroe.

Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

Conroe firefighters evacuate Jim Treadway via boat after Treadway was stranded when Pecan Bend Road was washed out near the San Jacinto River on Friday, May 27, 2016, in Conroe.

Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

Conroe firefighters evacuate Jim Treadway by boat after he was stranded when Pecan Bend Road was washed out near the San Jacinto River on Friday, May 27, 2016, in Conroe.

Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle Two men stand on the Dry Creek bridge as they look on at a stranded vehicle from the rising flood water in Austin, Texas, early Friday morning, May 27, 2016. (Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman via AP) less Two men stand on the Dry Creek bridge as they look on at a stranded vehicle from the rising flood water in Austin, Texas, early Friday morning, May 27, 2016. (Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman via ... more Photo: Ricardo B. Brazziell, Associated Press Brazos County Sheriff Deputy Junior Tucker clears flood debris from the FM 2104 bridge over Pin Oak Creek near Smithville, Texas, Friday May 27, 2016, after a night of heavy rainfall. (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP) less Brazos County Sheriff Deputy Junior Tucker clears flood debris from the FM 2104 bridge over Pin Oak Creek near Smithville, Texas, Friday May 27, 2016, after a night of heavy rainfall. (Jay Janner/Austin ... more Photo: Jay Janner, Associated Press

Cattle are herded up US 290 out of a flooded pasture on Friday, May 27, 2016, in Chappell Hill.

Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

Cattle are herded up US 290 out of a flooded pasture on Friday, May 27, 2016, in Chappell Hill.

Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

Cattle are herded up US 290 out of a flooded pasture on Friday, May 27, 2016, in Chappell Hill.

Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

Cattle are herded up US 290 out of a flooded pasture on Friday, May 27, 2016, in Chappell Hill.

Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle David Goldstein, a construction inspector with Texas Deptartmen of Trasnsportation, looks over the damage to the FM 2104 bridge over Pin Oak Creek near Smithville, Texas, Friday May 27, 2016, after a night of heavy rainfall. (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP) less David Goldstein, a construction inspector with Texas Deptartmen of Trasnsportation, looks over the damage to the FM 2104 bridge over Pin Oak Creek near Smithville, Texas, Friday May 27, 2016, after a night of ... more Photo: Jay Janner, Associated Press

Homes in a neighborhood off Mill Creek in Magnolia sit underwater after heavy storms.

Photo: Michael Ciaglo

A family who lives in the neighborhood looks at Mill Creek where North Ravenswood Drive disappears in Magnolia.

Photo: Michael Ciaglo

Homes in a neighborhood off Mill Creek in Magnolia sit underwater after heavy storms.

Photo: Michael Ciaglo

Wynn Bellar takes photos of high water along Glen Loch on Friday, May 27, 2016, in The Woodlands.

Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

Pete Sanchez reacts as he looks at the flooding in his neighborhood in Magnolia as Mill Creek flows out of its banks.

Photo: Micahel Ciaglo

People watch as a car goes through a flooded Stevens Creek on Mosswood Drive in Conroe.

Photo: Michael Ciaglo

A fallen tree lays in front of a home in the Oak Wood Trailer Park in Conroe after a strong storm hit the area.

Photo: Michael Ciaglo

Cattle are herded up US 290 out of a flooded pasture on Friday, May 27, 2016, in Chappell Hill.

Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

Cattle are herded up US 290 out of a flooded pasture on Friday, May 27, 2016, in Chappell Hill.

Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

Cattle are herded along US 290 out of a flooded pasture on Friday, May 27, 2016, in Chappell Hill.

Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

Cattle are herded along US 290 out of a flooded pasture on Friday, May 27, 2016, in Chappell Hill.

Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

Cattle are herded along US 290 out of a flooded pasture on Friday, May 27, 2016, in Chappell Hill.

Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

Cattle are herded along US 290 out of a flooded pasture on Friday, May 27, 2016, in Chappell Hill.

Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

Cattle are herded along US 290 out of a flooded pasture on Friday, May 27, 2016, in Chappell Hill.

Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

Cattle are herded along US 290 out of a flooded pasture on Friday, May 27, 2016, in Chappell Hill.

Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

Cattle are herded along US 290 out of a flooded pasture on Friday, May 27, 2016, in Chappell Hill.

Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

Cattle are herded up US 290 out of a flooded pasture on Friday, May 27, 2016, in Chappell Hill.

Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle

Reader photos show the extent of the flooding in theMontgomery Creek Ranch Subdivision off of SH 242.

Photo: Shannon Pavlik/Twitter

Reader photos show the extent of the flooding off of 1488 North of 2978.

Photo: Nicole/Twitter

Reader photos show the extent of the flooding in theMontgomery Creek Ranch Subdivision off of SH 242.

Photo: Shannon Pavlik/Twitter

Reader photos show the extent of the flooding in theMontgomery Creek Ranch Subdivision off of SH 242.

Photo: Shannon Pavlik/Twitter

Reader photos show the extent of the flooding in theMontgomery Creek Ranch Subdivision off of SH 242.

Photo: Shannon Pavlik/Twitter

North Harris County got pounded by rain on Thursday evening, and the forecast shows more rain on Friday.

Photo: Karie Cranford Cornelius/Facebook

North Harris County got pounded by rain on Thursday evening, and the forecast shows more rain on Friday.

Photo: Karie Cranford Cornelius/Facebook

North Harris County got pounded by rain on Thursday evening, and more are forecast to extend into Friday.

Photo: TxDOT/Twitter

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... more Photo: Kyrie O"Connor

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Source: http://www.chron.com/news/houston-weather/article/Flooding-opens-giant-sinkhole-in-road-north-of-7949114.php

Inno3D unleashes GeForce GTX 1080 iChill series, led by HerculeZ X4

OVERWATCH + GTX 1080 Performance!

Inno3D has just unveiled one of the most beastly GeForce GTX 1080 video cards, with their take on the GP104 looking quite good.

We have the iChill GTX 1080 HerculeZ X3 and the Herculez X4 video cards, which the company will be debuting at Computex 2016. Inno3D"s iChill GTX 1080 HerculeZ X4 is such a crazy card, it features an additional fan that will provide additional heat dissipation from the VRM section.

Both cards feature 1 x 8-pin and 1 x 6-pin PCIe power connector, but the power side of things is 6+1 phase. We will be hands-on with these cards at Computex 2016, so be sure to check back soon!

Source: http://www.tweaktown.com/news/52290/inno3d-unleashes-geforce-gtx-1080-ichill-series-led-herculez-x4/

Virginia Hemp Farming Gets Push From Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard - It"s All Going to Pot

Fans of a long-outlawed multi-purpose crop raised a hemp flag with Willie Nelson before a Charlottesville concert on Wednesday (5/25).

It was on the mind of Willie Nelson, and on the mind of Kentucky farmer Michael Lewis. Farmers need opportunities, says Lewis.

Michael Bowman, chair of the Hemp Association, says that unlike those who grow cotton and soybeans, hemp farmers arent seeking subsidies. Were simply just asking for the right to grow it, says Bowman.

Another difference is that hemp farmers dont need pesticides. None. And Im not kidding. I kid you not, says Bowman.

While Virginia has taken steps toward allowing educational hemp plots, a 1970s federal drug law still treats hemp as marijuana, the intoxicating version of the species.

Source: http://ideastations.org/radio/news/virginia-hemp-farming-gets-push-willie-nelson

Friday, May 27, 2016

New Zealand vs Australia: Steven Adams against Andrew Bogut with the Western Conference title on the line

Steven Adams The Kiwi Way documentary Thunder NBA

Last August, the FIBA Oceania Championships took place with a spot in this August"s Olympics on the line.

Australia was the overwhelming favorite. But New Zealand stood as optimistic challengers, hoping that its young, giant phenom could neutralize Australia"s massive longtime advantage in the matchup Andrew Bogut.

"On paper, Steven Adams is the only Tall Black who could reasonably be expected to tussle with Bogut in single coverage," a New Zealand news report read in late July.

But Adams chose not to compete and Australia rolled to two straight double-digit wins, securing the automatic bid.

Nine months later, on the other side of the world, that anticipated clash of centers from rival countries has materialized in the opposite hemisphere. The young Adams has morphed into a vital piece for the Thunder. The aging but cagey Bogut proved huge in the Warriors Game 5 season-saver.

An Olympic bid isn"t at stake, but a Western Conference title is on the line. There are plenty of factors to follow on Saturday night in OKC. But one of Game 6"s biggest storylines: the battle down under between a New Zealander and an Australian.

These two countries, separated by a three-hour flight over the Tasman Sea, have peaceful relations. Except when it comes to sports. They are heated rivals in everything, but particularly rugby and cricket.

Made fun of him when we won in cricket a while back, Adams joked of Bogut. But that was my first year. Last year we got kicked (in cricket) so I didn"t talk to him from then on. We got destroyed. It"s bad stuff.

Despite being from a similar area of the world, the two don"t know each other. They"re nine years apart. Bogut is 31, Adams is 22. When Bogut was drafted first overall in 2005, Adams was a 12-year-old with little to no basketball knowledge or experience.

I just know he"s from New Zealand, Bogut said. That"s about it. We didn"t play against each other or anything like that.

After one year at Pittsburgh, Adams was the 12th overall pick in a thin 2013 draft. The selection didn"t generate buzz around the league, but it was a national story back in New Zealand. Adams became the country"s first-ever first-round pick.

Despite the proximity, though, that meant little to Bogut.

Is it good for Australia that a New Zealander got drafted? Bogut said. I couldn"t really care. He"s not from Australia. That"s like asking if it"s good a Canadian got drafted for America.

Adams" growth was steady through his first three seasons in the league. But in these playoffs showing improved touch and admirable toughness Adams has burst into the national spotlight.

He dominated an overmatched Mavericks frontline in the first round, then completely outplayed Tim Duncan in the Spurs series, possibly ushering one of the league"s most legendary players to his retirement.

So many positive factors have collided for the Thunder during this surprising postseason run. Dion Waiters is more reliable than ever. Andre Roberson is hitting 3s. Billy Donovan has pushed all the right buttons. The two stars have committed to the defensive end.

But perhaps most influential is the evolution of Adams from a promising young talent to a physically imposing, suddenly polished two-way force at the center spot.

That emergence continued in the first four games of this Warriors series. Adams averaged 11.0 points and 8.5 rebounds, while anchoring a strong defensive effort. Meanwhile his Australian counterpart, Bogut, was basically a non-factor, averaging 3.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.2 fouls.

Before Game 5, Steve Kerr publicly called out Bogut. In Game 5, Bogut responded, going for 15 points and 14 rebounds, while patrolling the paint and forcing a ton of errant Thunder layups.

The big fella was amazing tonight, Draymond Green said. At both ends of the floor.

Adams gave decent minutes, but battled through some early foul trouble and was beat to a few rebounds by Bogut. For the first time this series, Australia outplayed New Zealand.

As this clash shifts to Game 6, the Thunder looks to flip that back in its direction. The battle down under will be crucial.

Source: http://newsok.com/article/5500876

Hiroshima, Mark Salling, Tom Hiddleston, Lilly Wachowski, Ramsay Bolton, Aristotle: NEWS

Mark"s Tribute to his Glee Family

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