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Weather: A chance of showers before 11am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 11am and 2pm, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 2pm. High near 87. Calm wind becoming northeast 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Friday Night: Showers and thunderstorms before 11pm, then a chance of showers between 11pm and 2am. Low around 72. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
- Daily weather briefing from the National Weather Service in Jacksonville here.
- Drought conditions here. (What is the Keetch-Byram drought index?).
- Check today’s tides in Daytona Beach (a few minutes off from Flagler Beach) here.
- Tropical cyclone activity here, and even more details here.
Today at a Glance:
Free For All Fridays with Host David Ayres, an hour-long public affairs radio show featuring local newsmakers, personalities, public health updates and the occasional surprise guest, starts a little after 9 a.m. after FlaglerLive Editor Pierre Tristam’s Reality Check. Today: Rabbi Merrill Shapiro on the annual 24-hour ham radio test, and Jonathan Lord on this year’s hurricane season. See previous podcasts here. On WNZF at 94.9 FM, 1550 AM, and live at Flagler Broadcasting’s YouTube channel.
The Friday Blue Forum, a discussion group organized by local Democrats, meets at 12:15 p.m. at the Flagler Democratic Office at 160 Cypress Point Parkway, Suite C214 (above Cue Note) at City Marketplace. Come and add your voice to local, state and national political issues.
Notably: Here’s something from the Department of Disbelief: North Carolina House Representatives Keith Kidwell, whose coastal district includes the Outer Banks, and Ben Moss, Jr., whose district is a bit more inland from the Queen of Hearts’ district, have introduced a proposed constitutional amendment that opens with this howler: “It is a matter of indisputable scientific fact that a distinct and separate human life begins at the moment of fertilization.” And that goes on to state that anyone who “destroys” so much as a fertilized egg “by any means, at any stage of life,” is guilty of first degree murder,” and ends with his: ” The State has an interest and a duty to defend innocent persons from willful destruction of their lives and to punish those who take the lives of persons, born or unborn, who have not committed any crime punishable by death.” In other words: carry out an abortion or take a pill that induces a miscarriage or wear an IUD that may allow fertilization but not implantation, or that discards fertilized eggs in an IVF process, and you may have a seat on the electric chair. Women primarily. There are a few “personhood” measures in some states, which are just as absurd. But this is something not even Margaret Atwood imagined. Insane? Fringe? Dead on arrival (the proposed constitutional amendment, I mean, not the egg)? We once thought the same of Ronald Reagan’s and Donald rump’s candidacies.
The Live Calendar is a compendium of local and regional political, civic and cultural events. You can input your own calendar events directly onto the site as you wish them to appear (pending approval of course). To include your event in the Live Calendar, please fill out this form.
June 2026
Free For All Fridays With Host David Ayres on WNZF
Flagler County Cultural Council (FC3) Meeting
Friday Blue Forum
‘The Battle of Shallowford,’ at Limelight Theatre
Flagler Beach Farmers Market
Coffee With Flagler Beach Commission Chair Scott Spradley
Democratic Women’s Club
Grace Community Food Pantry on Education Way
Chess Meet-Up At the Flagler Beach Public Library
‘The Battle of Shallowford,’ at Limelight Theatre
Random Acts of Insanity’s Roundup of Standups from Around Central Florida
ESL Bible Studies for Intermediate and Advanced Students
Grace Community Food Pantry on Education Way
Palm Coast Farmers’ Market at European Village
Al-Anon Family Groups
For the full calendar, go here.
I marvel again at the nakedness of men’s lives: the showers right out in the open, the body exposed for inspection and comparison, the public display of privates. What is it for? What purposes of reassurance does it serve? The flashing of a badge, look, everyone, all is in order, I belong here. Why don’t women have to prove to one another that they are women? Some form of unbuttoning, some split-crotch routine, just as casual. A doglike sniffing.
–From Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale (1985).
WhatEvenIsThat says
What even are we saying here? The story of Onan involves dropping semen on the ground to avoid impregnating his sister in law. Please help me understand this reference.
FlaglerLive says
Chick-fil-A, Ellianos, Now Taco Bell: Palm Coast Appears to Have a Fast-Food Solo Fetish on Its Hands
R.S. says
Onan’s sin has nothing to do with dripping or dropping anything. The problem was inheritance right. Onan’s brother had died; the wife continues to the brother: Onan. If Onan had fathered a child on his brother’s wife, that child would have had inheritance rights; if he had not, Onan would have gotten the loot. So, Onan’s sin actually was greed, not spilling stuff. Stupidity rules the roost for ‘merican Xtians! They refuse to spill and are ruled by greed and vengeance and cruelty. So Onan’s sin is greedy capitalism and has nothing to do with the procreative apparati that we humans are born with.
Ray W. says
The news outlet Fortune focused a story on a relatively obscure automotive issue. Most modern engine oil producers rely on high purity Group III base oil to formulate their unique blends of engine oil, including synthetic oil. A significant percentage of the world’s supply of Group III base oil comes from the Middle East. South Korea also produces Group III base oil, and its refineries are dependent on crude oil from the Middle East.
Some of the earliest targets of Iranian missiles were those Gulf state refineries that produce Group III base oil. Even were the Strait of Hormuz to fully reopen today, production of Group III base oil cannot return to normal until the refinery damage is repaired. Repair estimates in some cases exceed one year.
According to the reporter, engine oil price increases are coming. Oil change price increases are coming. Retail stores may experience shortages of quality engine oils. Empty store shelves may be coming. Using motor oils blended from lower grade base oils can damage an engine.
Make of this what you will.
Me?
EVs don’t need high-quality engine oil. Of what value is energy independence.
James says
“Beats & Eats is Palm Coast’s newest community event… ”
Eh, yeah… ya know, bad weather or not… perhaps it’s a good thing they cancelled it.
Just say’n… that event name just don’t sound right, consider’n.
Laurel says
Keep up the humor, James, it’s fun!
Ray W. says
Charleston, South Carolina’s The Post and Herald devoted a story to an aircraft takeoff from the Port of Charleston. On display was Electra’s new Ultra Short electric-hybrid aircraft. The main point I took from the story is that every day some 35 million Americans travel between 50 and 500 miles.
This comment is not about eVTOL craft flying into and out of major airports like LaGuardia to Manhattan, using helipads. Nor is it about the larger electric planes of the type being designed by Aura Aero. It is about a niche market, a potential network of regional locations with small landing pads, not necessarily airports, servicing the immediate needs of millions among us who, from time to time, have to go on short notice to Macon or Charleston or Miami or points in between, and want to get there fast.
The premise of the story is the potential easing of travel for those millions of mid-distance travelers in both time and cost.
So I sought out specifications for the Ultra Short. Because of the use of eight small electric-motor driven propellers, and because of the “blown lift” created by propeller-created air flowing over the wings, the aircraft can take off and land in as little as 150 feet. The plane needs a runway pad sized 300 feet by 100 feet, about the size of a football field, which was why the plane could take off from the Port of Charleston and not always from an airport.
Electra’s new plane design can carry two pilots and either up to nine passengers or up to 3,000 pounds of cargo. Noise created by the 8 propellers is 75 dBA at 300 feet, which is described as being the equivalent to the background sound of normal vehicular traffic. Stall speed is approximately 35 mph. Cruise speed is approximately 200 mph. Normal battery range is 330 miles, but the plane comes equipped with a turbine-powered backup generator to extend the plane’s battery flying range via backup generator. Expected fuel burn expense when using the turbine-powered generator backup is claimed to be 40-70% less than the fuel expense of engine-powered planes of similar size.
Make of this what you will.
Me?
Ingenuity abounds. Innovation amazes. Change is coming.
I am not arguing that the Ultra Short can compete in the more than 500-mile travel marketplace. That category belongs to major air carriers. I am not saying the Ultra Short will be the only option, or the best option. But the 50-500 mile travel marketplace may be ripe for a bit of creative destruction.
Picture an arc of 330 miles direct distance emanating from a football field-sized landing pad in Gainesville or Tallahassee or Jacksonville, or even Palm Coast or DeLand, for that matter, and anyone can see the regional possibilities. I am not saying today. Much still has to happen. But it looks like a collection of less-costly and more reliable small electric aircraft may be coming to locations near you.
Pogo says
Apology and correction
Does the exponential multiplication of potential collisions and de-confliction of general aviation, commercial aviation, trillionaire rocket man launch zones, and frequent imposition of secure flight zones for duh golfer with the hobby of POTUS, figure into your thoughts on this matter?
Just curious.
Ray W. says
Elite Energy Consultants (EEC) is a Texas-based wholesale electricity distributor. On its website, I found a glossary of terms relevant to a possible understanding of ERCOT’s deregulated electricity grid.
Here is how EEC defines ERCOT:
“The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the independent system operator (ISO) that manages the flow of electric power across approximately 90 percent of the Texas grid, covering most of the state outside the panhandle and El Paso. ERCOT operates the competitive wholesale electricity market where generators, REPs, and large commercial buyers trade power, and oversees grid reliability for over 26 million Texas customers. ERCOT’s market structure is unique in the continental U.S. because it operates largely independently of other regional grids, giving it distinct pricing dynamics that directly affect commercial electricity rates.”
I argue that long ago the Texas legislature, via legislation, forced a significant majority of Texans into adopting of a set of energy policies that differ from models in use in other states. It might be worthwhile for FlaglerLive readers to gain a measure of understanding about a grid system different from the one in place in Florida. Maybe better. Maybe not.
As always, make of this what you will. More definitions to come.
As an aside, because the Pyrenees separate the two Iberian Peninsula nations, Spain and Portugal, from the rest of Europe, the Iberian countries, de facto, have a grid unique to their needs. Texas’s de jure grid, too, is separate from the greater American grid. Only two high-tension power lines of limited transmission capacity connect the otherwise isolated Iberian grid to the greater European grid.
Pogo says
Does the exponential multiplication of potential collisions and de-confliction of general aviation, commercial aviation, trillionaire rocket man launch zones, and frequent imposition of secure flight zones for duh golfer with the hobby of POTUS, figure into your thoughts on this matter?
Just curious.
Ray W. says
Valid points. Thank you, Pogo.
Ray W. says
Hello, Pogo.
Have you considered whether a prime danger in flight is the landing? An old saying in the industry is that any landing you can walk away from is a good landing. A plane with a stall speed of only 35 mph has to inherently be less dangerous to passengers than the landing of commercial planes at speeds well in excess of 100 mph.
Pogo says
In all events, the number of landings ought to be equal to the number of take offs — no?
My concerns have to do with crowding and the increased probability of collisions.
More over, the effect of terminal velocity of a falling body: on that body itself — and whatever it falls on!
Truly, thank you for the courtesy of your reply.
Be well, good sir.
Ray W. says
According to Elite Energy Consultant’s glossary, in Texas, deregulation means:
“The legislative process that opened Texas electricity and natural gas markets to competition, giving customers the right to choose their own Retail Electricity Provider (REP) or natural gas marketer rather than buying energy from a regulated monopoly utility at government-set rates. Texas deregulated its electricity market in 2002 under Senate Bill 7, creating the competitive ERCOT market. Deregulation enables businesses to shop for better rates, negotiate contract terms, and work with energy brokers like Elite Energy Consultants to secure more favorable pricing.”
Make of this what you will.
Me?
Yes, individual Texas businesses and homeowners operating or living within the boundaries of the ERCOT grid can negotiate in advance the rate per kilowatt used that they pay for energy. Two-year stable rate. One-year stable rate. Daily variable rate. Each option has advantages and drawbacks. More to come.
Ray W. says
According to Elite Energy Consultant’s glossary, Wholesale Market means:
“The competitive market in which electricity generators, REPs, and large industrial buyers buy and sell bulk power, primarily through ERCOT’s day-ahead and real-time settlement markets in Texas. Wholesale electricity prices in ERCOT are set in supply and demand at each 15 minute interval and vary by location via Locational Marginal Prices (LMPs). The wholesale market directly influences the rates the REPs offer to commercial customers in supply contracts, and understanding wholesale price trends is central to the commercial energy procurement strategy that Elite Energy Consultants provides.”
Make of this what you will.
Pogo says
By any chance, are you pitching Sheridan Taylor Gibler Jr., to become a showrunner?
https://www.google.com/search?q=Sheridan+Taylor+Gibler+Jr.
His treatment of the Book of Revelation, IMO, is gonna be a race between him and the Fox breaking news Chiron.
Makes me look forward to being gone with wind when my ashes cross the finish line; such is life, as old age before sunrise clicks on POST COMMENT — takes its breakfast from the 7 day pillbox, and searches for Sgt. Pepper on YouTube.
Cheers, amigo!
Ray W. says
Hello, Pogo.
I am not pitching Mr. Gilbert. But I know of a subject that strikes home to certain FlaglerLive readers and that subject is FP&L seeking rate increases from a quasi-governmental oversight commission. Texas chose its own path for setting electricity rates: customer choice. In my mind, curious people might want to know about other choices. Maybe, I am wrong.
ERCOT’s choices are not for everyone. Then again, few things other than tasty vegetables are for everyone.
Pogo says
I’m not very optimistic about the erstwhile home of Enron as a model for anything.
And then there is this: wind and solar generation coupled with battery storage have many obvious virtues and advantages; AND, it gives humans agency to live literally anywhere. Whether that is a good thing for the rest of the planet is not obvious to me.