Monday, November 30, 2009

Seattle police call to suspect on loudspeaker

Last updated November 30, 2009 12:47 a.m. PT
Seattle police call to suspect on loudspeaker


THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SEATTLE -- A hostage negotiator is using a loudspeaker to urge a man sought in the coffee-shop slayings of four police officers to leave a Seattle house and give himself up.
Police shone spotlights on the house early Monday morning and used a loudspeaker to call directly to Maurice Clemmons. Authorities in the region have been seeking Clemmons in the Sunday morning shootings of four Lakewood officers, about 30 miles from the Seattle house.
The negotiator urged Clemmons to call 9-1-1 if he wanted to talk, and said officers were prepared to wait all night.
There was no audible response from the house. Police spokesman Jeff Kappel had earlier said police weren't sure anyone was in the house, and refused to comment on the negotiator's tactics.


Source: http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa_officers_shot_seattle.html

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Man and Religion a Synopsis


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Sunday, November 29, 2009

Chick fil-A Wins Customers ... by Closing

Tonight I heard a peculiar program on the radio; I only caught the tail end of the program; but, It was called ABC "Perspective". It was about the Ten Commandments, and I wanted to share it.
I looked on line for it, and found it on ABC Nightline. Great!
Here is what I heard:

Big Crowds With Christian Bent Camp Out Before Restaurants' Grand Openings

By VICKI MABREY and MARY MARSH
Sept. 23, 2009

Where's the new hottest place to be on Wednesday nights?



Avid following: Chick Fil-A fans in St. Petersburg, Fla., line up for a free meal before a new restaurant opens at the stroke of midnight. The celebratory campouts before Chick Fil-A openings evolved as customers hungry for chicken and fun started showing up earlier and earlier to take advantage of the chain's free meal deal. (Courtesy Chick Fil-A)More Photos


Judging by the size of a recent crowd in Dallas, it's parking lots. But not just any parking lots. The real action is on the asphalt outside soon-to-be opened Chick fil-A restaurants.

Four years ago, in order to get publicity for new Chick fil-A openings, the restaurant chain began offering a free chicken sandwich meal once a week for a year for the first 100 people through the door. As word of the grand openings spread, people started coming earlier and earlier for a place in line.

So, Wednesday mornings around 6 a.m., tents sprout up and lounge chairs appear, and for the next 24 hours, there's a party -- with lots of dancing, games and plenty of time for just hanging out.

Getting the coveted First in Line spot in Dallas was Paul Kingery of Norman, Okla.


Related

PHOTOS: In Search of the 10 Commandments

Origins of the Ten Commandments

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"We did a roundtrip from Norman, me and another couple," he said. "I don't know what it is. It's just like, let's do that. It's just a cool company. They're really nice to let us do this, we have a good time." That's more than 300 miles for this roundtrip. Kingery said he and his wife (No. 2 in line) would save $600 this year with the free meals. But while they appreciate the savings, he said, they go because of how they're treated at the restaurants.

"The chicken is great, but their values -- you say 'Thanks,' they say 'My pleasure,'" said Kingery. "I think that's cool."

Juan Sierra, a self-described "raving fan," had only travelled around the state of Texas for openings. But so far, he'd been to 41 of them across the Lone Star State.

At another opening in La Plata, Md., campers were eager to show off their comforts for the overnight.

"Check out my crib here," one told ABC News. "See, I've got my nice little chair here."

In the midst of the hubbub, one figure stands out. He is friendly, unassuming and, even though he's been to nearly 100 campouts, he's as excited to pitch his tent in the parking lot as any of the other campers.

"Hi, I'm Dan," he introduces himself to one group. "Can I get a picture with you?"

"Would you guys like to go take a little kitchen tour?" he asks another.

Dan is Dan Cathy, the president of Chick fil-A.


The Ten Commandments News
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II. 'No Idols': Does Celebrity Worship Break a Commandment?
III. OMG! I Totally Just Broke a Commandment!
VI. 'Dr. Death' Breaks Down Suicide Techniques
Origin of the Ten Commandments: Journey to Egypt
VIII. 'Thou Shalt Not Steal'


Slideshows

PHOTOS: VII. Face-Off: Born to Cheat?

PHOTOS: Cupcakes: Recipe for Riding Out the
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Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/10Commandments/ten-commandments-sabbath-holy-chick-fila-closes-sundays/story?id=8570384
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FYI:The Sabbath is not Sun-day! It is Saturday.

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Their treasures of silver and gold


In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats;


Isaiah 2:20.
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The Superior General Adolfo Nicolas visits Slovenia


Father General visits Slovenia

Father General visited Slovenia from the 6th to the 8th of November. After courtesy visits to the Archbishop and the Apostolic Nuncio, he has met the Jesuits of the Slovenian Province at Saint Joseph Spirituality Center. During the afternoon a Eucharistic celebration has taken place at Dravlje church to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Province.



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Visit to Slovenia.
Father General will visit Slovenia from the 6th to the 8th of November. He will arrive in Ljubljana on the evening of 6 November and meet with the Dravlje community for dinner. The next day, after courtesy visits to the Archbishop and the Apostolic Nuncio, he will meet the Jesuits of the Slovenian Province at Saint Joseph Spirituality Center. During the afternoon a Eucharistic celebration will take place at Dravlje church to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Province. At that Eucharist, several Jesuits will make solemn profession. Later there will be meetings with Christian Life Communities and the Association of Slovenian Catholic Professors as well as a brief interview with the catholic radio program Ognjisce. He will have dinner that evening with the Province Consultors. To mark this visit the catholic weekly Druzina will publish an interview with Father General. He returns to Rome on Sunday 8 November.
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P.S. Keep your eye on Slovenia!
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Political Correctness for Muslims




"Islam is a religion of peace"

Currently there is a great debate in the western world about civil rights for Muslims. On the one hand, many would like to restrict the amount of influence of the Islamic culture on their society; While others, want to ensure that Muslims enjoy all the freedoms that are allowed under their country's laws. This issue has become a point of contention especially in the United States of America after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

The U.S. Constitution's Bill of Rights ensures that religious establishment is prohibited; It also protects freedom of speech, of the press, and the right of petition. This is truly a Protestant, Christian document that protects freedoms provided by the Almighty God. This noble body of laws affords all of its citizens, and registered residents with liberties unparalleled in any other nation on earth. Our Declaration of Independence state:


We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.



Muslims Don't Reciprocate

Many Muslim countries are under Sharia Laws, while a few are secular nations. Under Sharia, all the laws of the country are strictly guided by the Koran; These are Theocratic Republics where the Koran supersedes all laws, and blasphemy is punishable by death. Under such a form of government only Islam is allowed to be practiced without restrictions. In a few of the Islamic nations there are a few exceptions to the religions that are permitted to be exercised; Such are Eastern Orthodox, and Roman Catholicism and its derivatives.

In the majority of Muslim countries there is no tolerance for anything considered to be foreign.

Yet, Muslims that have settled in the west have traditionally enjoyed religious, as well as financial freedom. They have benefited from decades of progress in Christian nations where secular laws provide freedoms that facilitate human development. Many Muslims have achieved success in the fields of Business, and even Politics. They have attended the finest educational institutions that money can buy where they have prepared themselves for their professions. This is something that is not reciprocated when Christians relocate in their countries. There are a myriad of obstacles in living in an Islamic country. The first obstacle is getting a visa to visit the country. For instance, Saudi Arabia is considered a holy land unfit for non-Muslims, except diplomats or soldiers.

Christianity is forbidden in the birthplace of Muhammad; Bibles are not allowed to be brought into most Muslim lands. Also, those that preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His plan of salvation do so at the risk of losing their lives. Many who have converted to Christianity in Islamic nations have been sentenced to death. Meanwhile, Islam is freely praticed in most western countries.

In the U.S. prison system Muslim adherents freely indoctrinate inmates in the Wahhabi principles with no resistance from the government. There have been protests in France and Britain where Muslims have demostrated defying the authorities, calling for the overthrow of their democratic systems.

Conclusion

When living in the west Muslims receive treatment that they don't provide for their hosts in their native countries. The "Mi casa es su casa" (my house is your house) principle, doesn't apply. What a shame? From Greece to Spain, from France to Finland, from Italy to Britain, from Argentina to Alaska, so many Muslims have been welcomed and integrated into western society; yet, their countries are private property. From Indonesia to Morocco their is a lack of tolerance for Christians, for Europeans, for North and South Americans; but, their citizens are welcome in their homelands. Muslims are treated as equals in most of the western countries; Yet, westerners are rarely allowed to do the same.

I just thought I'd mention this in the midst of all this politically correctness, and defense of Muslims in secular (Christian) nations. Most Muslims are decent law abiding citizens wherever they live in the western world; However, it's ironic that what's good for the goose, isn't good for the gander. It sure is different when the shoe is on the other foot?


Arsenio.

Swiss Voters Approve Ban on Minarets

Both the government and parliament said the initiative violates the Swiss constitution as well as the nation's tradition of tolerance

VOA News


Photo: AP
In this Nov. 4, 2009 file photo a man passes by a poster of the right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) which shows a woman wearing a burqa against a background of a Swiss flag upon which several minarets resemble missiles at the central station in Geneva, Switzerland


Unofficial Swiss election returns show voters approving a right-wing initiative banning construction of new minarets attached to mosques.

The Swiss news agency ATS says the controversial measure was backed by 57 percent of the electorate, with all but one jurisdiction counted. Voter turnout was about 55 percent.

The Swiss government opposed the measure. Opinion polls ahead of the vote predicted the ban would be rejected by 53 percent of voters.

Both the government and parliament said the initiative violates the Swiss constitution as well as the nation's tradition of tolerance.

Right-wing backers opposed to minarets call the structures symbols of militant Islam.

Switzerland, a country of seven million, is home to more than 300,000 Muslims, mainly from Turkey and the Balkans.

The growth of Islam across western Europe has raised concerns among non-Muslims about Islamic influence on local cultures. Protests against building new mosques have taken place in many countries.

France has banned all religious symbols in public schools, including head coverings for Muslim girls.

Some information for this report provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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Jesus Heals a Demon-possessed Man




1And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.

2And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,

3Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:

4Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.

5And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.

6But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him,

7And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.

8For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.

9And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.

10And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.

11Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding.

12And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.

13And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.

14And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done.

15And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.

16And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine.

17And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts.

18And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.

19Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.

20And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.


Mark 5:1-20.
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Church bells to ring out warning on climate change

Nov 12 08:45 AM US/Eastern



Churches want to create a 'chain of chimes and prayers' around the world

A man rings bells outside a church in Moscow during the Easter holiday. The World Council of Churches has called on churches around the world to ring their bells 350 times during the Copenhagen climate change summit on December 13 as a call to action on global warming.


The World Council of Churches on Thursday called on churches around the world to ring their bells 350 times during the Copenhagen climate change summit on December 13 as a call to action on global warming.

The leading council of Christian and Orthodox churches also invited places of worship for other faiths to join a symbolic "chain of chimes and prayers" stretching around the world from the international date line in the South Pacific.

"On that Sunday, midway through the UN summit, the WCC invites churches around the world to use their bells, drums, gongs or whatever their tradition offers to call people to prayer and action in the face of climate change," the council said in a statement.

"By sounding their bells or other instruments 350 times, participating churches will symbolise the 350 parts per million that mark the safe upper limit for CO2 (carbon dioxide) in the atmosphere according to many scientists," it added.

The chimes are meant to start at 3.00 pm local time in each location.

The WCC brings together 348 Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican churches representing about 560 million Christians in 110 countries.

The Council of European Bishops Conferences, which gathers Roman Catholic bishops and archbishops, is also supporting the campaign, according to a letter released by the WCC.

The UN summit in the Danish capital on December 7 to 18 is meant to produce a new global treaty to broaden cuts in emissions of greenhouse gases blamed for climate change, but the negotiations are still riven by disagreements.

The WCC acknowledged that plans for a bell ringing campaign have stirred controversy.

"In some countries, the question has been raised whether churches have the right to use their bells for what may be considered to be a political campaign," said Guillermo Kerber, WCC programme executive on climate change.

"Those who support the campaign see the care of creation and of people's lives and livelihoods threatened by climate change more as an ethical and spiritual issue that, of course, has political implications, not in a partisan sense but referring to the common good," he explained.
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Saturday, November 28, 2009

Video: Thomas Sowell explains the Great Depression

by Infidelesto on November 23, 2009

Just watch it and think about the similarities to today’s economy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQQon4tjlSA&feature=player_embeddedhttp://


Thomas Sowell is one of the greatest thinkers of our time.

Big Government liberals try and swoop in during a recession and try and fix things with more big government spending, only to compound the problem ten fold. Granted, Hoover the Republican made the same mistake as any liberal minded republican would thinking that only the government can save the people and nothing else when it comes to a time of crisis. If only they would have had the patience to see through the ups and downs of a normal capitalistic society, they would understand that as soon as they thought it was going to get bad, recovery is right around the corner, but instead, they drive us into a deep depression because of the over-expansion of federal programs which sapped the life out of the taxpayer.

The same exact thing is happening today. Everything’s a “crisis” and only the federal government can save you.

hattip: ZIP

Related Posts
Thomas Sowell: Dismantling America
CAIR whining about Cal Thomas exposing Islam on the air *update* Thomas responds
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Video: Joe Biden explains the “moderate” Taliban
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Source: http://infidelsarecool.com/2009/11/23/video-thomas-sowell-explains-the-great-depression/

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Muslim Mafia

10 pm - 2 am PT
Muslim Mafia
Attorney Galen Cook joins Ian Punnett in the first hour to discuss the D.B. Cooper mystery on the anniversary of the case.
Then, counter-terrorism specialist David Gaubats will share his insights into the Council of Islamic Relations and Muslim Brotherhood's plans to destroy American society from within.

Listen Now@




Muslim Mafia
Date:
11-28-09
Host:
Ian Punnett
Guests:
David Gaubats, Galen Cook

Attorney Galen Cook joins Ian Punnett in the first hour to discuss the D.B. Cooper mystery on the anniversary of the case.

Then, counter-terrorism specialist David Gaubats will share his insights into the Council of Islamic Relations and Muslim Brotherhood's plans to destroy American society from within.
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Website(s):
muslimmafia.com
Book(s):
Muslim Mafia

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Senate health care bill creates new marriage penalty


Proposal packed with 17 new levies


By Stephen Dinan and David M. Dickson THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Senate Democrats' health care bill would create a new marriage penalty by imposing a tax on individuals who make $200,000 annually but hitting married couples making just $50,000 more.

That's one of 17 new taxes imposed by the bill, which also creates a levy on elective plastic surgery - some call it "botax" - and places a 40 percent excise tax on those who have generous health care plans.

"If you have insurance, you get taxed. If you don't have insurance, you get taxed. If you need a life-saving medical device, you get taxed. If you need prescription medicines, you get taxed," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, who is leading the fight against the bill.

The new taxes would be used to fund an expansion of government medical programs and to fund subsidies for lower-income individuals to buy insurance, extending health care coverage to 94 percent of eligible non-elderly Americans.

Democrats said the bill will offer lower health care costs for small businesses and families, and said the new taxes are aimed at upper-income earners, so costs would not go up for the middle class. They said that makes good on President Obama's campaign pledge not to increase taxes on families making less than $250,000 a year, which explains the reason for the new marriage penalty.

"We wanted to make this provision consistent with the president's pledge not to increase taxes on singles making under $200,000 and married couples making under $250,000," said Jim Manley, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who wrote the Senate bill.

"Yes, this structure can create a 'marriage penalty' for some couples. It also creates a 'marriage bonus' for others," he said. "A married couple with one wage earner can earn up to $250,000 without facing this higher tax, whereas a single person in the same job with the same pay would be hit by it."

But a married couple in which each earner makes $150,000 would be hit with the tax, whereas an unmarried couple living together with the same incomes would not.

Ryan Ellis, tax policy director at Americans for Tax Reform, said the new marriage penalty comes on top of an existing one that's always been part of the payroll tax, which funds Social Security and Medicare.

He said when the payroll tax was created to fund Social Security during the New Deal, lawmakers didn't anticipate the freelance of two-income families, so there's always been a sort of marriage penalty for couples whose incomes topped the single-earner income taxation level.


Such penalties have been thorny issues in the tax codes for years.

The new tax would rise from 1.45 percent to 1.95 percent for singles making $200,000 a year and couples making $250,000.

Congress earlier this decade tried to reduce the marriage penalty in the income tax code by adjusting the standard deduction for single taxpayers and married couples and expanding the 15 percent tax bracket for couples filing joint tax returns.

Mr. Ellis said another problem with Democrats' plan is that the new payroll tax is not indexed for inflation, even though wage growth is about 5 percent a year. That means the tax will capture an ever-larger share of taxpayers.

"Fifteen years from now, someone who today is earning $100,000, if their wage growth just grows on average, 15 years from now they're going to be paying this tax," Mr. Ellis said.

The plastic surgery tax could increase the cost of nips and tucks by imposing a 5 percent tax on the cost of such surgeries. The tax is slated to go into effect Jan. 1 and is expected to raise $5.8 billion over 10 years. It would cover all elective procedures, whether covered by insurance or not, but would not be levied on surgeries intended to repair personal injuries.

Some of the taxes are already running into political trouble with Democrats' core supporters.

The Teamsters union on Thursday blasted the proposal to impose a 40 percent excise tax on "Cadillac" high-value health insurance plans, saying it would threaten the benefit-rich coverage unions have fought hard to win for their workers.

"Any claim that it affects only 'Cadillac' plans and thus the wealthy is misleading," said Teamsters President James P. Hoffa Jr. "This tax will fall on one-third of Americans in 10 years. ... The idea that this tax will curtail rising premiums is just dead wrong."

The tax is slated to go into effect in 2013 and would apply to individual policies worth $8,500 or family policies worth $23,000. A slightly higher threshold would apply for early retirees and those in high-risk professions.

Budget analysts said they expect that employers and consumers will start to ditch the high-value plans and instead pay the money to workers in higher wages and salaries, so most of the nearly $150 billion in revenue on which Democrats are counting from the provision would come from higher income taxes.

"Put a tax on my high-premium health plan and suddenly it's not such a good deal," said Roberton Williams, a senior fellow at the Tax Policy Center. "I'd rather have the cash."

Several relatively small tax increases will be aimed at health savings accounts and medical savings accounts. One will change the definitions for medical expenses that qualify as itemized deductions. Another will raise the penalties for withdrawing funds from these vehicles. A third would limit health-related flexible spending arrangements.

"All of these changes are designed to make health savings accounts less attractive and cripple consumer-directed health care plans," said Michael Cannon, director of Health Policy Studies at the Cato Institute. Altogether, they would raise about $20 billion through 2019.

Jennifer Haberkorn and S.A. Miller contributed to this report.


Source: http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/nov/20/married-couples-face-tax-in-senate-health-care-bil/
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Weather Channel Founder And 30,000 Other Scientists Wanting To Sue Al Gore For Global Warming Fraud

by Infidelesto on November 21, 2009

Long overdue…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIe2JCUc_pA&feature=player_embeddedhttp://



Stolen(?) classified emails and files were released yesterday that proved that the junk scientists behind the global warming movement knowingly perpetrated a fraud on the global community.



The Climategate scandal (and I do apologise for calling it that, but that’s how the internet works: you need obvious, instantly memorable, event-specific search terms) continues to set the Blogosphere ablaze.

For links to all the latest updates on this, I recommend Marc Morano’s invaluable Climate Depot site.

And if you want to read those potentially incriminating emails in full, go to An Elegant Chaos org where they have all been posted in searchable form.

Like the Telegraph’s MPs’ expenses scandal, this is the gift that goes on giving. It won’t, unfortunately, derail Copenhagen (too many vested interests involved) or cause any of our many political parties to start talking sense on “Climate change”. But what it does demonstrate is the growing level of public scepticism towards Al Gore’s Anthropogenic Global Warming theory. That’s why, for example, this story is the single most read item on today’s Telegraph website.

What it also demonstrates – as my dear chum Dan Hannan so frequently and rightly argues – is the growing power of the Blogosphere and the decreasing relevance of the Mainstream Media (MSM).

This is not altogether the MSM’s fault. Partly it is just the way of things that more and more readers prefer their news and opinion served up in snappier, less reverent, more digestible and instant for.

But in the case of “Climate Change”, the MSM has been caught with its trousers down.


hattip: ZIP, GWP

Related Posts

U.S. Senate Report: Over 400 Prominent Scientists Disputed Man-Made Global Warming Claims in 2007
Myth of Consensus Explodes: APS Opens Global Warming Debate
Goracle compares fighting global warming to fighting Nazis; compares himself to Winston Churchill
Goldberg: Gore uses fascist tactics to push Global Warming agenda
Al Gore urges civil disobedience to stop coal plants

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Source: http://infidelsarecool.com/2009/11/21/weather-channel-founder-and-30000-other-scientists-wanting-to-sue-al-gore-for-global-warming-fraud/

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The International Year of Astronomy, 2009







The International Year of Astronomy, 2009, will be a year-long, worldwide, public celebration of astronomy, held to mark the 400th anniversary of Galileo turning a telescope to the sky. The Year has been endorsed by UNESCO.
IYA2009 is being coordinated by the International Astronomical Union, the international body that represesents the world’s professional astronomers. However, almost all activities will be organised at the level of a country or region.
Each country has a “national node” for coordinating the activities within that country. An advisory group has been convened to help guide the development of activities for the year.
IYA2009 is a chance to shine a spotlight on astronomy — a chance for those who love astronomy to communicate their excitement to the rest of the population.

Webcast
The Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope (VATT) is one of the sites featured in the webcast "Around the World in 80 Telescopes" as a part of the ongoing 100 Hours of Astronomy, running from April 2-5, a centerpoint of the International Year of Astronomy. The webcast can be seen at:




Specola astronomer Fr. Richard Boyle SJ will be webcasting at the Vatican's Observatory on Mt. Graham, Arizona, on the evening of April 3, from 11:35-11.50 p.m. Arizona Time; that is 8:35 - 8:50 a.m. on the morning of April 4, Rome Time.




Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope (VATT) comprises the Alice P. Lennon Telescope and the Thomas J. Bannan Astrophysics Facility.Speaker: Dr. Richard P. Boyle, S.J.


Vatican City State celebrates IYA2009
Nov 2, 2009
The Governorate of the Vatican City State and the Vatican Observatory organised a celebration of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 in Vatican City on 30 and 31 October.
The two-day celebration included an address at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences by Prof. John Huchra of Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and President of the American Astronomical Society with the title "From Galileo to Hubble: Astronomy in the 21st Century".


This is a rebellious people, lying children, that will not hear the law of the LORD



Isaiah 30

1Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin:

2That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt!

3Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion.

4For his princes were at Zoan, and his ambassadors came to Hanes.

5They were all ashamed of a people that could not profit them, nor be an help nor profit, but a shame, and also a reproach.

6The burden of the beasts of the south: into the land of trouble and anguish, from whence come the young and old lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent, they will carry their riches upon the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures upon the bunches of camels, to a people that shall not profit them.

7For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I cried concerning this, Their strength is to sit still.

8Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever:

9That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD:

10Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:

11Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.

12Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon:

13Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant.

14And he shall break it as the breaking of the potters' vessel that is broken in pieces; he shall not spare: so that there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sherd to take fire from the hearth, or to take water withal out of the pit.

15For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.

16But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift.

17One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on an hill.

18And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.

19For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee.

20And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers:

21And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

22Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence.

23Then shall he give the rain of thy seed, that thou shalt sow the ground withal; and bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall be fat and plenteous: in that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures.

24The oxen likewise and the young asses that ear the ground shall eat clean provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan.

25And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.

26Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.

27Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:

28And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity: and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err.

29Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the LORD, to the mighty One of Israel.

30And the LORD shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones.

31For through the voice of the LORD shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod.

32And in every place where the grounded staff shall pass, which the LORD shall lay upon him, it shall be with tabrets and harps: and in battles of shaking will he fight with it.

33For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.
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Country Living - The Best There Is




A Simplicity Story, Thought
Country Living - The Best There Is
By Byron Pulsifer © 2007

The decision was made. We would sell our cottage, leave our hectic jobs, and move to a new province, and a country home. For us, living in the country was more than a dream come true. It was the result of a long-term goal to say goodbye to noise pollution from sirens, vehicles, and neighbours so close you could literally reach out and touch them. There was no such thing as sitting in a private and quiet backyard. Our city home was like living in a fish bowl with no less than seven other houses able to see in our back year.

Oh my, country living. All those people who spend hours commuting to their weekend retreat just so they can turn around a few short hours later and do it all again. I know how they feel. We did it for years. While you may have a few hours to relax all that was quickly forgotten as the stress levels rose rapidly on the crowded six-lane highway home. From beach side pleasures to smog filled concrete towers, we came back to our city dwelling to endure all those things we so longed to leave behind.

Now, we can sit in our backyard, a yard with no one staring at us, or noisy neighbours to interrupt the serenity of a cool evening with a glorious sunset.
The only noise there was came from the sound of evening crickets or the faint buzz of a bumblebee going about its business. Pollution, what pollution? Hardwoods and pine surround us on our land with its own babbling brook a faint and soothing sound.

And, what about those neighbours? Well, we never had better neighbours in our lives. Here we are blessed with people who will come and help you without a thought of payment, or the need to feel obliged to return the favour. Meeting them was a piece of cake especially when you go in the ditch on a snowy evening. All of a sudden, they appear out of nowhere with their shovels and muscles ready to lend any assistance required. Why, just a short month ago, I decided to see if my Jeep could fly. Guess what? It doesn't. But, when that piece of icy road propelled me through the air, up and over a driveway, and into a huge snow bank, we were only a few minutes before we had a traffic jam of friendly neighbours stop to help.

Even though they couldn't collectively budge that big Jeep from its snowy resting spot, I was only a few yards away from a neighbours phone to call another neighbour, we had met, for a tow. Not to be facetious, but when I called, all I said was "Do you want to come and play in the snow?" Without hesitation, he was on his way. Although he couldn't get me out with his 4-wheel drive truck, he simply made a short trip to his dad's place and got the tractor. Out and on our way in no time.

Country living. We hope that if this appeals to you, you'll be able to enjoy the tranquility, the beauty, the friendliness, and the solitude as much as we do. Country living - the best there is.


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Friday, November 27, 2009

And they shall not escape


1 Thessalonians 5


1But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.

2For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

3For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

4But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

5Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

6Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

7For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

8But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

9For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

10Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

11Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

12And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;

13And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves.

14Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

15See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.

16Rejoice evermore.

17Pray without ceasing.

18In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

19Quench not the Spirit.

20Despise not prophesyings.

21Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

22Abstain from all appearance of evil.

23And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

24Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

25Brethren, pray for us.

26Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss.

27I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren.

28The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.


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NPR, Emanuel no longer on first-name basis








After one of its reporters repeatedly referred to Rahm Emanuel simply as "Rahm" in an on-air segment last week, NPR executives have decided such familiar references by reporters will be verboten in the future.


Henceforth, the White House Chief of Staff will be known only as "Rahm Emanuel." The customary second reference using only the person's last name is being set aside in this case because Rahm is rarely referred to as "Emanuel" in Washington circles.


"No one, absolutely no one, refers to Rahm Emanuel as Emanuel, or Mr. Emanuel, or Chief of Staff Emanuel. Therefore our style for him will have to be Rahm Emanuel, both names on first reference and second reference," NPR Washington editor Ron Elving told the network's ombudsman, Alicia Shepard last week.


Shepard said she disagreed with the special second reference for Emanuel and thinks he should simply be called by his last name on second mention, like most others referred to on NPR.

Posted by Josh Gerstein 11:35 PM




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Black Friday - Red Friday







Thursday, November 26, 2009

Plenary Session of International Theological Commission


Vatican City: November 26, 2009, (PCTV Newsdesk)

The International Theological Commission, which is presided by Cardinal William Joseph Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, is due to celebrate the first annual plenary session of its new five-year term. The session, due to take place from 30 November to 4 December in the Vatican's "Domus Sanctae Marthae", will be chaired by Frt. Charles Morerod O.P., secretary general of the commission.

According to a communique published today the commission, which this year celebrates the fortieth anniversary of its creation by Paul VI, will decide what questions must be examined over this new five-year term and how to organise the work. Among the subjects Cardinal Levada has put before the commission is "the important question of theological methodology", which was also examined during the last five-year term.

The members of the International Theological Commission will also be invited to participate in a Mass celebrated by the Holy Father in the Apostolic Palace.



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Bob Chapman - Financial Analysis (Dr. Deagle Show)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qb1gJ_uYeJIhttp://


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Germany's highest military officials resign



Posted: Friday , Nov 27, 2009 at 0925 hrs

Berlin:


Germany's top general and a senior defence ministry official resigned on Friday over allegations of a cover up of the NATO air strike on two fuel trucks in northern Afghanistan last September in which a number of civilians were killed.

The head of the German Armed Forces General Wolfgang Schneiderhan and the State Secretary in the Defence Ministry Mr Peter Wichert resigned on Friday for failing to properly pass on information to political leaders about a September air strike in Kundus.

The German Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, who disclosed their resignation in the Bundestag during a debate on extending Germany's military mission in Afghanistan, told the house that Gen Schneiderhan and Wichert withheld information on the air strike.

They took responsibility for not presenting to him a secret report on the civilian casualties in the air attack since he took office four weeks ago and were "relieved of their duties on their own request", he said.

Their resignation comes after the mass-circulation newspaper Bild reported in today's edition that on the basis of an investigation by the German Military Police and videos which were kept top secret until now, the ministry had information from the very beginning that details about the air attack, including civilian casualties were being held back.

The NATO air strike on two fuel trucks hijacked by the Taliban on September 4 was ordered by col Georg Klein, commander of the German contingent to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan.

The Military Police had documented when the information about civilian victims in the air attack was conveyed by the German regional command in northern Afghanistan to the German Armed Forces' operational centre in Potsdam.

Germany's top general and a senior defence ministry official resigned on Friday over allegations of a cover up of the NATO air strike on two fuel trucks in northern Afghanistan last September in which a number of civilians were killed.

The head of the German Armed Forces General Wolfgang Schneiderhan and the State Secretary in the Defence Ministry Mr Peter Wichert resigned on Friday for failing to properly pass on information to political leaders about a September air strike in Kundus.

The German Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, who disclosed their resignation in the Bundestag during a debate on extending Germany's military mission in Afghanistan, told the house that Gen Schneiderhan and Wichert withheld information on the air strike.

They took responsibility for not presenting to him a secret report on the civilian casualties in the air attack since he took office four weeks ago and were "relieved of their duties on their own request", he said.



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P.S. Does the cross in the picture above look familiar?
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Obama is Playing Nice With China


It's not clear if the president's visit made progress on forging a partnership with Beijing
By Joshua Kucera
Posted November 25, 2009


When President Obama visited China last week, he had a good case to make to his hosts that he was trying to see things their way. He'd recently declined a meeting with the Dalai Lama in Washington and said that he wanted a strategic partnership with China.

What did he get for his troubles? Other than a tantalizing but vague joint statement on climate change, it's not clear that Obama made any progress getting China's help on key issues like North Korea, Iran, Afghanistan, and the touchy question of the exchange rate for China's currency. Of course, the world wasn't privy to any conversations behind closed doors, and the fruits of the summit could be growing slowly.

With China holding $800 billion in U.S. treasury bonds and the U.S. position in the world badly damaged by war in Iraq, Obama is in no position to boss China around. Nevertheless, one of the key questions of Obama's foreign policy remains unanswered. Does his desire to engage with potential adversaries lead to reciprocal goodwill and cooperation, or is it a sign of weakness that will be exploited by Machiavellians in Tehran, Moscow, and Beijing?

Obama's accommodation to Chinese wishes continued while in Beijing. Take his public appearances. While the Americans would have preferred more freewheeling events, the forum with university students and the press conference were both tightly scripted. "Obama is being allowed less free interchange and access with Chinese society than his predecessors have been in the past," says James Mann, author of The China Fantasy: How Our Leaders Explain Away Chinese Repression. "For all the talk about how China is getting more open . . . that's not how the Chinese regime behaves when an American leader comes."

A joint statement by the United States and China says that "each country and its people have the right to choose their own path, and all countries should respect each other's choice of a development model." Mann says this statement is more important to the Chinese government than anything Obama said in public because it is something of a vow to stay out of China's business.

Perhaps the most significant example of this, Mann says, was the Chinese government's arrest and detention of dozens of dissidents and activists before Obama's trip and the fact that no U.S. official said anything about it, at least publicly, in an apparent desire not to sour relations before the big visit. "The only reason they can be doing this is to show the United States and people in China that they can do it, that no one is going to stop them," Mann says.

The vow of noninterference is crucial, however, to getting China's cooperation on international issues like Iran and North Korea, says Bonnie Glaser, a China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She pointed to another clause in the joint statement, that "respecting each other's core interests is extremely important to ensure steady progress in U.S.-China relations." That also will please the Chinese. "But those core interests are not defined," she says. "And I think that is a problem going forward. We've agreed with each other not to undermine each other's core interests, but we haven't defined them." Now Obama and the Chinese have to do just that.



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UN, France push climate at Commonwealth summit


The 53-nation Commonwealth has given Sarkozy the rare opportunity to address the event



By Marc Burleigh (AFP) – 3 hours ago

PORT OF SPAIN — UN chief Ban Ki-moon and French President Nicolas Sarkozy are to fire early shots in a global climate debate to start in earnest next month by dominating a Commonwealth summit opening in Trinidad on Friday.

The 53-nation Commonwealth has given the two leaders, both non-members, the rare opportunity to address the event out of a determination to influence the December 7-18 climate talks to take place in Copenhagen.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, the titular head of the Commonwealth, was to officially open the three-day summit before the leaders hear from Ban, Sarkozy and another non-member, Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen.

Their presence underlined an important quality of the Commonwealth: its diversity.

The organization represents two billion people -- a third of the planet's population -- and acts as a sort of microcosm for the different positions between developed and developing countries to be presented at Copenhagen.Facts: The Commonwealth

Politically and industrially hefty countries such as Britain, India, Australia, South Africa and Canada have seats alongside states such as Vanuatu, Tuvalu and Lesotho, whose points of view are often ignored on the international stage -- but which are directly threatened by rising sea levels and other global warming phenomena.

The Commonwealth "allows the world's small countries to have their voice heard," a spokesman for the body, Eduardo del Buey, told AFP.Related article: Commonwealth seeks makeover

The summit's host, Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Patrick Manning said on Thursday that Ban, Sarkozy and Rasmussen had been invited when "there was some concern about the way negotiations were going ahead of Copenhagen next month."

He acknowledged there had also been a suggestion of inviting US President Barack Obama but that went nowhere.

Just a few weeks ago, the Copenhagen meeting was described as all but doomed because of a perceived inability to reach a deal under which developed and big developing countries would commit to big cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.

But this week, Obama announced he would be going to Copenhagen with an offer to curb US emissions by 17 percent by 2020, and China spoke, somewhat confusingly, of using 40- to 45-percent less carbon per unit of gross domestic product.

China and the United States are the world's two biggest emitters of greenhouse gases, so the statements were seen as significant, even if questions remained over how effective they would be.

Sarkozy hailed their moves late Thursday in northern Brazil, where he met with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and senior representatives from other South American countries that span the vast Amazon river basin for other preparatory climate talks.

"The latest statements by Barack Obama and China's leaders are extremely encouraging in making Copenhagen a success," said Sarkozy.

Sarkozy and Lula have made a pact to present a common position in Copenhagen, one based on getting wealthier countries to pay developing ones to preserve their environment and make up for economic disadvantage caused by cutting greenhouse gases.

Brazil has also pledged "voluntary" carbon output cuts of 36 to 39 percent by 2020.
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Queen Elizabeth II's visit to Trinidad is prelude to global climate talks


TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Queen Elizabeth II has arrived in Trinidad and Tobago for a meeting with global leaders on the issue of climate change.


BY JACQUELINE CHARLES
jcharles@MiamiHerald.com


Britain's Queen Elizabeth II arrived in Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday to a wave of enthusiasm but also concern as some world leaders wonder if they can reach an agreement on climate change ahead of an upcoming international summit, and some in the Caribbean question whether they should remain tethered to the British monarch.

The queen's rare visit to the region -- her third to oil-rich Trinidad since 1966 -- comes as the Commonwealth Heads of Government hold meetings in Port of Spain through Sunday. Climate change is expected to dominate discussions among 50 of the 53 self-governing members of the former British empire.

The summit will also feature French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Although none heads a Commonwealth nation, the four have been invited to help forge an agreement on climate change before the U.N.-sponsored Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, next month. That gathering is expected to attract at least 65 world leaders, including President Barack Obama.

``Already, this is turning out to be one of the largest major gatherings of political leaders and heads of governments before next month's summit in Copenhagen,'' said Ben Malor, a spokesman for Ban.

``This is an opportunity where the Secretary General is going to drive up the momentum toward Copenhagen, asking and urging the leaders to make sure success is achieved in Copenhagen because failure would be too costly.''

Malor said Ban will have bilateral meetings with several of the 39 Commonwealth leaders who will be in Trinidad. He will also participate in an executive session on climate change on Friday, as well as discussions on small island developing states, which are being heavily impacted by rising sea levels. There also will be a separate meeting with Australia's prime minister and the least developed countries of the world, focusing on economies and livelihoods.

Earlier this week, the Australian government proposed a pledge of $46 million to assist Grenada and other Caribbean countries in areas including climate-change mitigation, agriculture and small-business development. Australia is seeking to develop stronger ties with the Caribbean.

A RAISED PROFILE

This is the second time this year that Trinidad and Tobago, a natural gas- and petroleum-rich eastern Caribbean nation, is at the center of a diplomatic gathering of huge significance.

In April, the country hosted Latin American leaders along with Obama and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during the Fifth Summit of the Americas.

``We have the opportunity to positively influence its outcome,'' Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Patrick Manning said about his tiny twin-island nation's big role in the climate-change talks. ``Trinidad and Tobago is doing its utmost to advance the process that could result in a global agreement on this crucial matter affecting all of humanity.''

Just as in April, security measures will be tight throughout Trinidad, where traffic around Port of Spain will be rerouted and hundreds of Caribbean troops will keep a close watch over leaders, including India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, fresh from an official visit to the White House this week.

One Commonwealth leader who won't be traveling to Port of Spain: the president of the small West African country of Gambia, who in September threatened to kill human-rights workers.

On Thursday, the queen and her husband, His Royal Highness, Prince Phillip, The Duke of Edinburgh were greeted at Piarco International Airport by schoolchildren waving the Union Jack. The queen wore an apple-green dress, matching high-brimmed hat, and black gloves and pumps. Later, as crowds lined the street for a glimpse, she laid a wreath at Memorial Park in Port of Spain. She also attended a black-tie state dinner hosted by Trinidad and Tobago's president.

As the head of the Commonwealth of Nations, Queen Elizabeth, 83, is expected to deliver a keynote address on Friday as she officially opens the gathering. She is also scheduled to host a luncheon for newly elected Commonwealth leaders while her husband jets off to Tobago. This is the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Commonwealth, which represents 2 billion people.

The queen's last visit to Trinidad was in 1985. This recent visit comes the same week that voters in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a former British colony, went to the polls to decide on a new constitution that would remove the queen as head of state. In the end, voters opted to keep the queen, with nearly 56 percent of voters rejecting the referendum.

Leaders in the tiny eastern Caribbean nation wanted to join Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana, which both long ago dropped the queen as head of state but remained members of the Commonwealth.

For leaders in all three nations, as well as most of their counterparts in the 15-member mostly English-speaking Caribbean Community bloc known as CARICOM, the Commonwealth meeting comes at an opportune time. Leading up to the meeting, CARICOM launched a campaign on climate change in the region to sensitize citizens to the dangers to coral reefs, coastal barriers and marine ecosystems.

CONTENTION

But they also have more than climate change on their minds. The former British colonies oppose a new airfare tax launched by the United Kingdom. The tax designed to help cut carbon emissions would raise airfare to the tourism-dependent Caribbean by as much as 50 percent next year while keeping taxes to the U.S. low.

In addition to the airfare tax, the leaders plan to push for reforms among international financial institutions to help middle-income nations have access to badly needed funds in the global economic crisis.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.


Source:http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/haiti/v-fullstory/story/1353497.html

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