Author: Jim Ulvog

Thoughts about the Director’s Cut from The Overnighters documentary – part 6

This is the sixth and next to last post on my thoughts after viewing the director’s cut. Just a few more ideas before concluding with my reaction to a question asked by a person at the screening I attended.

Role of the newspaper

I think I’ll hold off for another day the role played by a reporter brought into town and the editor of the city paper.

One idea is the appropriate boundary between reporting a story of public interest on one hand and becoming part of the story or creating fear on the other hand.

Continue reading “Thoughts about the Director’s Cut from The Overnighters documentary – part 6”

Amazon increases staffing in Southern California

Check out these two articles about Amazon expanding its presence in SoCal as an indicator off what is happening in the on-line sales industry.

6/2 – Daily Bulletin – Amazon hiring for 1,000 full-time positions in Inland Empire – Amazon is adding 1000 new employees, all full-time, to its three fulfillment centers in the inland Empire. I only knew about the one in San Bernardino. There are two more, in Moreno Valley and Redlands.

Continue reading “Amazon increases staffing in Southern California”

Thoughts about the Director’s Cut from The Overnighters documentary – part 5

One final lesson that those of us in leadership at local churches or parachurch ministries can learn from the documentary The Overnighters. Previous lessons learned are visible here and here.

Hurting people hurt people. Alan and Paul turned on the pastor. They were quite angry with him and their outbursts were caught on camera. Comments in the director’s cut help me understand that they struck out in anger because of the hurts in their lives. Continue reading “Thoughts about the Director’s Cut from The Overnighters documentary – part 5”

Under new pricing structure, electricity costs will increase for most Californians. Or stay the same. Or maybe increase for efficient homes.

The California Public Utilities Commission approved a plan to dramatically change the pricing of electricity for residential users in the state.

Since we’re talking regulators who like regulation and complexity you have to be an accountant, engineer, or economist in order to understand this jumble. I think I get the basic picture.

Currently there are four different pricing ‘tiers’ based on how much electricity you use. The price for each level of usage is different. For example, our statements last summer gave an interpretive chart listing the various prices as motivator to conserve electricity: Continue reading “Under new pricing structure, electricity costs will increase for most Californians. Or stay the same. Or maybe increase for efficient homes.”

Thoughts about the Director’s Cut from The Overnighters documentary – part 4

Two more lessons learned that leaders in churches and ministries can pick up from The Overnighters documentary. The first three lessons are here.

In this post:

  • Your sin will find you out.
  • People lie.

Continue reading “Thoughts about the Director’s Cut from The Overnighters documentary – part 4”

Two more data points on cost to build renewable energy sources

I’m accumulating data points on the construction cost to build energy facilities. Two articles give info on three projects:

  • $2.5M / mW – solar
  • $1.6M / mW – wind
  • $1.6M / mW – wind

Continue reading “Two more data points on cost to build renewable energy sources”

I celebrate this Independence Day by using my freedom of speech and freedom of religion

Thought about putting on my blogs some cool patriotic visuals to celebrate the 239th anniversary of the greatest country in the world that has provided more political, economic, and religious freedom to more people than any country anywhere anytime. There are lots of nice looking things available on the ‘net.

Also thought about pulling up some photos of flags I’ve taken over the years and creating a visual celebration.

I decided to do something completely different.

Of the large number of freedoms that we humans have because we exist, which are also recognized by the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, I particularly cherish freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

So yesterday (which was the federal holiday), today (the actual anniversary), and tomorrow I exercise those freedoms.

Freedom of speech

Continue reading “I celebrate this Independence Day by using my freedom of speech and freedom of religion”

Extremely costly offshore wind farm will start producing expensive electricity late in 2016

The Wall Street Journal reports First Offshore Wind Farm in U.S. Powers Ahead – The first offshore wind turbines in the US will start construction soon and is expected to produce electricity late next year. Located a few miles off Block Island, Rhode Island, the turbines will replace diesel as source of electricity for the 1,000 residents.

The electricity has been purchased under a contract with National Grid with starting prices above market and rates to increase 3.5% each year for the 20 year life of the contract. Cost for the residents of the island will go down because this is replacing expensive diesel that is shipped to the island.

After some background, let’s look at the construction costs per megawatt of theoretical capacity.

Continue reading “Extremely costly offshore wind farm will start producing expensive electricity late in 2016”

Thoughts about the Director’s Cut from The Overnighters documentary – part 3

This post continues my reflections on a documentary describing the overnighters program at a church in Williston, which provided housing to people looking for work when sufficient housing was not available in the area. First of three discussions on lessons learned from my perspective as one of the leaders in my congregation.

Lessons learned

From the perspective of leadership training in the local church, there are many lessons to be learned from the documentary. Here are six for your consideration:

  • Beware the Lone Ranger mentality.
  • Don’t keep secrets.
  • Set proper boundaries.
  • Your sin will find you out.
  • People lie.
  • Hurting people hurt people.

The first three:

Beware the Lone Ranger mentality. While I loved that TV series as a kid, that show contains a poor model for adults. Ministry in both a local church and a parachurch organization requires teamwork. Continue reading “Thoughts about the Director’s Cut from The Overnighters documentary – part 3”

We can change alleged to confessed when talking about the corrupt DEA investigator of Silk Road

This post continues the coverage of worlds far away I’ll never visit.

It is also in the you can’t make this stuff up category.

I previously discussed a federal DEA agent investigating Silk Road who allegedly got $100K from Dread Pirate Roberts for information about the investigation the agent was conducting and allegedly stole $297K from a customer of a bitcoin dealer. He allegedly invested in and was allegedly working for that company as their compliance officer.

Well, we can now drop the alleged and change it to confessed.

Oh, he had a movie deal too.

I will describe a few tidbits from news reports and then go deeper into the plea agreement.

Continue reading “We can change alleged to confessed when talking about the corrupt DEA investigator of Silk Road”

Where are they now? Followup on people you saw in The Overnighters documentary.

Update 7/17/17: Welcome to those checking out the page. I have some followup on The Overnighters documentary:

The PBS pages set up to talk about The Overnighters documentary have a lot of information. PBS aired the documentary on June 29.

There is a 19 minute interview with Jesse Moss. Most of the comments there will be familiar to anyone who’s read lots of posts on my blog or watched the documentary. If you weren’t aware of what is happening in the North Dakota oil fields before watching the documentary, that interview would be a great way to get up to speed.

Here is some update on the characters and then general goal of the documentary.

Background and follow-up of the main subjects of the documentary

The “About the Characters” page gives some background of many of the people the documentary focuses upon.

The “Film Update” page follows up on several of the people.

Continue reading “Where are they now? Followup on people you saw in The Overnighters documentary.”

Keith Graves’ trial postponed to October 19, 2015

Keith Graves is awaiting trial in North Dakota on 10 federal counts which includes 7 allegations of human trafficking. He is a main player in The Overnighters documentary. I have discussed his situation on my blog several times.

His trial was scheduled to start July 13. Continue reading “Keith Graves’ trial postponed to October 19, 2015”

This is what hyperinflation looks like

10T zim

(ten trillion Zimbabwe dollars worth about 4 cents in US currency)

The government of Zimbabwe is converting all Zimbabwe dollars into U.S. dollars. It will then remove all Zim dollars from circulation. The economy has functioned on South African rands and American dollars since 2009.

The reason for getting rid of their currency?

Hyperinflation.

Continue reading “This is what hyperinflation looks like”

Thoughts about the Director’s Cut from The Overnighters documentary – part 2

This continues my pondering about the Overnighters program after watching the director’s cut of a documentary by the same name.

Your worldview controls how you view everything in the world

Your worldview filters everything you see and think.  It drives how you interpret everything around you.

You take your worldview with you into every conversation.

Mr. Jesse Moss, who created, filmed, and directed the documentary, has stated several times in articles I have read that he is not a Christian. If I understood his comments correctly he is not a follower of any faith tradition. I do not state that to be critical in any way; I merely wish to identify his worldview.

In case it was not previously obvious, I will share with you that I am a Christian. In particular I worship in a denomination that is a part of the Protestant community. I do not hesitate to say that my worldview filters everything I see and how interpret everything around me.

Back to the documentary.

What was the pastor’s motivation?

Continue reading “Thoughts about the Director’s Cut from The Overnighters documentary – part 2”