Friday, September 03, 2010

Gay guide released for New Orleans


Posted: Friday, 03 September 2010 8:00AM

Gay guide released for New Orleans

Associated Press Reporting

There's now an official gay and lesbian destination guide for New Orleans. The Navigaytour will launch just in time for the 39th Annual Southern Decadence Festival, which welcomes on average 100,000 attendees for events over the Labor Day weekend.

The 32-page guide highlights events, attractions, restaurants, bars, clubs, accommodations and neighborhoods.

This year, the Navigaytour guide features the first-ever Gay History Trail Map for New Orleans.

Its website says Navigaytour guides are only produced in conjunction with official tourist bureaus and Chambers of Commerce. The first was created in 2004 for Philadelphia; the group also has guides to Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Chicago and San Diego.


Source: http://www.wwl.com/Gay-guide-released-for-New-Orleans/8068017
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The Vermilion 13

The fire began near an oil storage tank on top of the platform about 80 miles south of Vermilion Bay, La., while 13 workers were painting and water-blasting, forcing them to evacuate as flames engulfed the facility, according to Mariner Energy, the platform operator.

Thursday, September 02, 2010

Muslim Demographics

'>http://



friendofmuslim March 30, 2009
Islam will overwhelm Christendom unless Christians recognize the demographic realities, begin reproducing again, and share the gospel with Muslims.

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POPULATION GROWTH & NATIONAL SECURITY




American Democracy & The Vatican: Population Growth & National Security
$7.95 $5.95 Price reduced!!

Mumford explores a largely secret but powerful effort by the Vatican to oppose controlling runaway population growth. He dares to expose a largely secret but powerful opposition to controlling the runaway growth of the human population and establishing a sustainable society by the Vatican. If only half his claims are true, they still describe a grave threat to the future of humankind and the democratic institutions of the United States alike - Ann and Paul Ehrlich, Zero Population Growth.
". . . forecasts what could be America's second civil war. It also describes the action needed to prevent this impending catastrophe." - Elton Kessel, M.D., founder, International Fertility Research Program.
". . . sharp insights, unyielding courage, and philosophic sweep that is essential reading for everyone concerned with the assault of the Catholic hierarchy and right-wing fundamentalists on America's long tradition of church-state separation." - Larry Lader, President, Abortion Rights Mobilization, Inc.

"... should be required reading for all women.... The virulent moralists not only attack access to medically safe abortion but also attack family planning (especially in developing countries) indeed, women's economic rights and independence by seeking to turn women into breeding machines...." - Fran P. Hosken, Editor, Women's International Network News (WIN News) ". . . clearly shows that Paul Blanshard's warning of thirty-five years ago that the Vatican had a plan to impose its anti-democratic policies on America was justified . . . the effort has accelerated alarmingly.... Vatican policies, backed by Rome and the New Right, are increasing the overpopulation and insecurity of the world. Rome opposes planned parenthood, sex education, abortion, limitation of immigration, and to what end? To the increase of the Vatican's political and financial power. It is a power struggle, not a religious struggle." - Edwin H. Wilson, Executive Director Emeritus, American Humanist Association.

".....extremely interesting and indeed eye-opening.... well worth reading and digesting. Its message is deeply disturbing." - Rupert Cutler, Executive Director, The Environmental Fund.

Dr. Stephen Mumford is the president of the Center for Research on Population and Security (Research Triangle Park, North Carolina). His principal research interest is the relationship between world population growth and national and global security. This interest, pursued for the past fourteen years, first developed during a tour of military duty in Asia, where he first recognized the linkage between political stability and population pressures. He has a degree in agriculture from the University of Kentucky and was later commissioned in the Army Medical Corp. He obtained his master's in public health and his doctorate in population studies from the University of Texas Dr. Mumford is the author of Population Growth Control: The Next Move Is America's (Philosophical Library, 1977). He has also published two books on bio medical and social aspects of family planning and scientific articles in over fifteen journals.


Source: http://evolvefish.com/fish/product291.html

Related:


"Judge Dooling had spent a year gathering evidence and studying the anti-abortion movement, and his findings showed that the anti-abortion movement was essentially a Roman Catholic movement with a little non-Catholic window dressing."

"The bishops' Pastoral Plan prompted the creation of the Moral Majority."

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From ...... AMERICAN DEMOCRACY & THE VATICAN:

POPULATION GROWTH & NATIONAL SECURITY

By Dr. [Phd.] Stephen Mumford

Page 43-44 .........

The Catholic Church and Social Justice Issues

............ The Reagan Administration is clearly being manipulated by the [Roman] Catholic Church, apparently with the president's blessing. In an April 1982 speech before the National Catholic Education Association, Reagan made the incredible statement,

"I am grateful for your help in shaping American policy to reflect God's will ...., And I will look forward to further guidance from His Holiness Pope John Paul II during an audience I will have with him in June."

Mr. Reagan is obviously leaning on the Vatican for a lot of help, and he's getting it - much of it not in the best interest of the United States. If the United States government shows no more willingness to deal with illegal immigration than has been shown by the Reagan Administration, then a migration from Latin America of the magnitude described above is certainly imminent. A [Roman] Catholic majority in the United States and Vatican control of our government would greatly enhance the power of the Church not only in this country but worldwide.

The Abortion Movement

In 1980, Federal Judge John Dooling, United States District Court, Eastern District of New York, declared that the Hyde Amendment, which prevented Medicaid payment for abortion, was unconstitutional. (Copies of Judge Dooling's 328-page decision in McRae vs. HEW are rare. During a recent conversation with the Brooklyn United States District Court, I was told that their copy had disappeared and, for this reason, they were not in a position to reproduce it.)

Judge Dooling had spent a year gathering evidence and studying the anti-abortion movement, and his findings showed that the anti-abortion movement was essentially a Roman Catholic movement with a little non-Catholic window dressing. The amendment, says Dooling bluntly, was a ploy by anti-abortion congressmen frustrated in their attempt to pass a constitutional amendment that would override the Supreme Court's 1973 pro-abortion decision; its purpose was quite simply to circumvent the Court's ruling and prevent as many abortions as possible.

Dooling, a practicing Catholic, makes short shrift of the anti-abortionists' pretensions to be a spontaneous grass-roots movement that owes its political victories to sheer moral appeal. He confirms that the right-to-life's main source of energy, organization, and direction has been the [Roman] Catholic Church, and he describes in detail how the movement uses one-issue voting to put pressure on legislators, candidates, and the party organizations that nominate them - a tactic that gains influence far out of proportion to its numbers. Please see appendix one for excerpts from Judge Dooling's decision in McRae vs. HEW.

What is most significant in this extract is Judge Dooling's finding that the anti-abortion movement's main source of energy, organization, and direction has been the [Roman] Catholic Church.

The bishops' Pastoral Plan prompted the creation of the Moral Majority.

Richard A. Viguerie, a Catholic, is the man most responsible for the development and success of the New Right, and he will be the first to claim that honor. He was also involved in the original discussions that led to the creation of the Moral Majority and, as its fundraiser, can be credited with its financial success.

Paul Weyrich, a [Roman] Catholic, claims credit for originating the idea for the group and the name itself. In their search for an attractive front man for the organization, they chose Jerry Falwell, who, according to intimates, has an insatiable lust for power - and, thus, Moral Majority, Inc., was born.

It is inconceivable that these Catholic laymen were not responding to the bishops' Pastoral Plan. Much went into avoiding public disclosure of the role of the [Roman] Catholic Church in the creation of the Moral Majority.

Maxine Negri, in "A Well-Planned Conspiracy," exposed involvement of the [Roman] Catholic hierarchy in the Moral Majority. Then, the June 21, 1982, issue of U.S. News and World Report noted:

At the heart of Moral Majority is a direct-mail operation..... Membership claims.... put the number of Moral Majority's active supporters at roughly 4 million Roman Catholics, Protestant fundamentalists, and orthodox Jews. The organization says its "hardcore contributors," numbered at more than 400,000, include a cadre of 80,000 priests, ministers, and rabbis organized into fifty autonomous chapters.

This claim of autonomy should not be taken seriously. What is described here is exactly the organization described in the Pastoral Plan of Action down to the details. None of us who has ever worked extensively with fundamentalist churches or lived among fundamentalists ever took the claim that the Moral Majority was a fundamentalist organization seriously.

One characteristic common among fundamentalists is a keen sense of individualism, and individualists are often fundamentalists because of this trait. There is self-selection. They strongly resist the "herding" that characterizes other major denominations such as the [Roman] Catholic Church. It is very difficult to organize two or three local fundamentalist church-......

[end page 44] -END QUOTE-

Also suggested reading-

The Right to Lifers ........ by Connie Paige, Summit Books

AND

Politics, Power and the Church .......by Lawrence Lader, Macmillan

Latter two available via-

Tom Davis Books POBox 1107 Aptos, CA 95001

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The anti abortion movement is a Roman Catholic movement.

Not Christian at all.

F. page 207

"The New Right, which is dominated by Catholics such as Richard Viguerie and which answers to the Vatican, drew the fundamentalists in under the guise of religion-but for explicitly political purposes".

page 203

AMERICAN CONSERVATISM vs. THE RADICAL RELIGIOUS

"If we didn't know the Pope agrees with us, we Catholics in the New Right would have serious conscience problems. I would never work counter to the Church's official position." -Paul Weyrich, founder Moral Majority Christian Voice Religious RoundtabIe

The radical religious in our country, the so-called New Right, religious right, religious conservatives, and the Moral Majority, according to Paul Weyrich, will be guided by policy established in the Vatican. To ensure that the Moral Majority does not act in ways in which the pope would not approve, the opinion of Weyrich and other Catholics in the organization must bear considerable weight in decision-making by the Moral Majority organization. They must be in positions of leadership. We have discussed earlier the Vatican's control over faithful laypersons, and Weyrich is apparently in this mold. Weyrich and his Catholic colleagues control the Moral Majority. The Vatican controls Weyrich and his colleagues. Thus the Vatican controls the Moral Majority. It is a fact that the American Catholic bishops described the Moral Majority in their 1975 Pastoral Plan of Action (appendix two), four years before Jerry Falwell was asked by the Catholics who named the organization to head it. The importance of this......

-END QUOTE-

AMERICAN DEMOCRACY & THE VATICAN: POPULATION GROWTH & NATIONAL SECURITY

By Dr. [Phd.] Stephen Mumford

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 84-72500

Pub.by- Humanist Press PO Box 146 Amherst, NY

Available [about $10] from-

Center for Research on Population and Security

PO Box 13067

Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
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Source: http://www.mosquitonet.com/~prewett/amdem4344.html
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Coast Guard: No oil sheen from Gulf explosion

13 crew members rescued from water, Coast Guard says


KATC.com

Crew members float in the water, huddled together in survival outfits called "gumby suits."

updated 59 minutes ago

GRAND ISLE, La. — The Coast Guard is backing off its earlier report that an oil sheen about a mile long was spreading following a platform explosion in the Gulf of Mexico.

Coast Guard Cmdr. Cheri Ben-Iesau said Thursday afternoon that crews were unable to confirm the oil sheen. The Coast Guard says platform owner Mariner Energy reported a sheen about a mile long and 100 feet wide. But the company has said in a statement that an initial flyover didn't find an oil spill.

Ben-lesau says the fire on the platform has been put out. All 13 crew members were rescued from the water.

Patrick Cassidy, a spokesman for Mariner Energy, told Reuters that the fire was extinguished shortly before 3 p.m. CDT and all crew members have been brought ashore in Houma, La. There were no injuries, he said, although Ben-Iesau said one person was injured.

Video: Oil platform explodes off Louisiana coast

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38973757/#slice-2


The platform, which produces oil and gas, caught fire early Thursday. The scene is west of the site of the massive BP spill.

Cassidy said that the seven wells, which last week produced 1,400 barrels of oil per day and 9.2 million cubic feet per day of natural gas, were shut in.

"The facility is still standing. The fire was contained" to the upper of two decks, Cassidy said. He disputed descriptions of the fire as a blast. "It wasn't a blowout, it's not an explosion," he told Reuters. "The fire appears to have been in or near the living quarters on the upper deck."



But Coast Guard Petty Officer Bill Coklough said the sheen, about 100 feet wide, was spotted near the platform.

The company that owns the rig, Houston-based Mariner Energy, did not know what caused the blast, which was reported by a helicopter flying over the area.

Crew members were found floating in the water, huddled together in survival outfits called "gumby suits."

"These guys had the presence of mind, used their training to get into those gumby suits before they entered the water. It speaks volumes to safety training and the importance of it because, beyond getting off the rig, there's all the hazards of the water such as hypothermia," Coast Guard spokesman Chief Petty Officer John Edwards said.

msnbc.com Seven Coast Guard helicopters, two airplanes and three cutters were dispatched to the scene.

The platform is in about 340 feet of water and about 100 miles south of Louisiana's Vermilion Bay. Its location is considered shallow water, much less than the approximately 5,000 feet where BP's well spewed oil and gas for three months after the April rig explosion.

Responding to any oil spill in shallow water would be much easier than in deep water, where crews depend on remote-operated vehicles access equipment on the sea floor.

The rig is a fixed platform that was in production at the time of the fire, according to a homeland security operational update obtained by The Associated Press.

The update said the platform was producing 58,800 gallons of oil and 900,000 cubic feet of gas per day. The platform can store 4,200 gallons of oil.

Story: Mariner may be facing BP-style crisis Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said Mariner Energy officials told him there were seven active production wells on the platform, and they were shut down shortly after the fire broke out.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said President Barack Obama was in a national security meeting at the time of the accident.

"We obviously have response assets ready for deployment should we receive reports of pollution in the water," Gibbs said.

Story continues below More below Sponsored links Advertisement ad infoAdvertisement ad info.A company report said the well was drilled in the third quarter of 2008.

There are about 3,400 platforms operating in the Gulf, according to the American Petroleum Institute. Together they pump about a third of the America's domestic oil, forming the backbone of the country's petroleum industry.

Platforms are vastly different from oil rigs like the Deepwater Horizon. They are usually brought in after wells are already drilled and sealed.

So? .."A production platform is much more stable," said Andy Radford, an API expert on offshore oil drilling. "On a drilling rig, you're actually drilling the well. You're cutting. You're pumping mud down the hole. You have a lot more activity on a drilling rig."

In contrast, platforms are usually placed atop stable wells where the oil is flowing at a predictable pressure, he said. A majority of platforms in the Gulf do not require crews on board. Federal authorities have cited Mariner Energy and related entities for 10 accidents in the Gulf of Mexico over the last four years, according to safety records from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement.

The accidents range from platform fires to pollution spills and a blowout, according to accident-investigation reports from the agency formerly known as the Minerals Management Service.
In 2007, welding sparks falling onto an oil storage tank caused a flash fire that slightly burned a contract worker. The Minerals Management Service issued a $35,000 fine.

Mariner Energy Inc. focuses on oil and gas exploration and production in the Gulf. In April, Apache Corp., another independent oil company, announced plans to buy Mariner in a cash-and-stock deal valued at $3.9 billion, including the assumption of about $1.2 billion of Mariner's debt. That deal is pending.

On Friday, BP was expected to begin the process of removing the cap and failed blowout preventer, another step toward completion of a relief well that would put a final seal on the well. The Deepwater Horizon exploded April 20, killing 11 people and setting off a three-month leak that totaled 206 million gallons (780 million liters) of oil.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
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P.S. The Oder is really busy at work! Next?
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Public TV Hijacked by Foreign Propagandists

By Jerry Kenney August 31, 2010

American taxpayers are helping to put this material on the air whether they watch it or not.Imagine the shock that some viewers must have felt when they first clicked on their public TV station’s new digital sub-channels expecting to see more shows like Big Bird or Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood, only to find programming more attuned to the views of Osama bin Laden and Vladimir Putin.

About 30 non-commercial TV stations around the U.S. are airing “MHz Network Worldview,” which includes programs from Al Jazeera English, the Kremlin’s “Russia Today” and other foreign state-controlled instruments of propaganda. MHz Worldview is also available in the Washington, D.C. area.

MHz Networks’ slogan is “Many voices. One world.” A non-profit entity, it is designed for “globally-minded people.”

One of the controversial programs broadcast on MHz1 WNVC-DT every Sunday is titled, “Living Islam in America,” described as “a thirty minute discussion-magazine formatted television series with a primary goal of educating the general population about the faith & culture of Islam and the burgeoning Muslim communities throughout America.”

The host, Johari Abdul Malik, is described by his supporters as an advocate of non-violence. However, the Investigative Project on Terrorism says that he supports radical and political Islamic causes. It reports, “At a 2001 conference hosted by the Islamic Association of Palestine, a now defunct propaganda branch of the Specially Designated Terrorist organization Hamas, he called for attacks against Israeli infrastructure to show Muslim displeasure with Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.”

Abdul-Malik said, “I am gonna teach you now. You can blow up bridges, but you cannot kill people who are innocent on their way to work. You can blow up power supplies… the water supply, you can do all forms of sabotage and let the world know that we are doing it like this because they have a respect for the lives of innocent people.”

Abdul-Malik has also been quoted as saying, “before Allah closes our eyes for the last time you will see Islam move from being the second largest religion in America—that’s where we are now—to being the first religion in America.”

American taxpayers are helping to put this material on the air whether they watch it or not.

This odd-couple arrangement with some tax-supported TV stations (not to be confused with the PBS network) has been a windfall for many foreign-propaganda machines. After years of struggling to obtain carriage on American TV outlets, some foreign governments not only get multiple hours of free national broadcast airtime each week, but as a bonus, they get a few dangerously naive souls, mostly from academia (who own many of these stations) insisting that foreign governments actually have a First Amendment right to free carriage on tax-supported public TV. Their spokespeople imply that to remove the programs would go against their affiliate agreements, constitute censorship and even violate the lofty principles of academic freedom.

I do agree that MHz Network Worldview is educational TV because the very first day that I watched it I learned that: (1) The U.S. spends too much money on intelligence gathering; (2) The U.S. is a fascist country; and (3) Harry Truman was a war criminal. Gosh, I didn’t know that!

These are examples of the propaganda being disseminated through the foreign networks carried by MHz.

One would think that the oil-rich Emir of Qatar, who bankrolled Al Jazeera, would already have enough of our petrodollars in his pockets to buy his own doggone airtime just like Rupert Murdoch did when he started Fox News Channel. If the Emir can’t find a commercial station stupid enough to air his twisted version of the world, he could always lease access on cable, just like the other infomercial kings do. That would satisfy any First Amendment concerns without forcing our great grandchildren to borrow even more money to buy airtime for him.

One station that I spoke with said that while they may not like some of MHz Networks programs, they cannot pre-empt them even if they want to.

They cite their affiliation agreement which reads: “The Station shall distribute the Program Service in full as delivered to the Station by the Network and during the time periods provided for herein, without any additions, insertions, alterations or deletions of any kind not otherwise covered in this agreement.” Some might interpret that as an “unauthorized transfer of control” of a station.

In effect, foreign propagandists have hijacked public television stations made possible by the American taxpayers.

I always thought that public TV stations adhered to production standards that put a substantial emphasis on accuracy in content. But obviously something has changed.

This has come about because the digital transition has given stations a lot more air time to fill. They find themselves with many more channels to program but unfortunately only the same paltry amount of creativity, initiative and common sense with which to do so. So, being desperately in need of filler, they turn to almost anyone with a satellite uplink and a program feed. I call it state-of-the-art technology in the service of medieval ideology.

It seems that some bureaucrat-broadcasters are willing to air almost anything knowing that no matter how misleading, irresponsible or reprehensible it may be, they can always justify it in the name of improved global understanding, academic freedom or free speech. Take your pick. That is, if they are even aware that they are airing it at all.

The very first MHz affiliate program manager that I contacted was at WDSC-TV in Daytona Beach, Florida. She appeared not to have known for nearly seven months that her station was even airing Al Jazeera English (AJE). She found out only after she received a complaint from a soldier. Apparently, they don’t even watch their own channels. After she finally did watch one episode of AJE, she concluded that it was “innocuous.”

Maybe it was the multi-million dollar studio in Washington, D.C. with anchors wearing designer suits and having proper British accents that brought her to that conclusion. Everyone knows that Jihadist propaganda can only emanate from a dusty cave somewhere in the Middle East decorated with war maps and AK-47s.

The bottom line is this: U.S. taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize the distribution in the U.S. of another country’s propaganda. Period.

With regard to censorship, there is however, one country’s state-sponsored programming that is censored by federal law. That country is the good ole US of A.

Yes, domestic broadcasting of the Voice of America’s foreign programs has been prohibited by the Smith-Mundt Act since the 1940’s. I haven’t heard MHz Networks or any of its affiliates make any effort to UNcensor VOA. Go figure.

Nine years ago, fanatical Jihadists used civilian airliners as missiles in waging their war on our form of government. Military experts call it “Asymmetric Warfare” when one foe with far fewer military resources than the other must resort to strategies that exploit the other side’s weakness and if possible use the other side’s resources against him.

Any serious warrior also knows the value of wartime propaganda and its ability to manipulate a foe’s attitude toward the war in general with the ultimate goal of lowering the other side’s will to fight.

Let’s make sure that tax-supported public TV isn’t being hijacked, too, for use as a propaganda machine.


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Jerry Kenney is an independent television producer from Daytona Beach Florida, a graduate of Daytona State College, and a volunteer pilot for charity medical flights. He can be contacted at gkenney@kenneytv.com.
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Source: http://www.aim.org/aim-column/public-tv-hijacked-by-foreign-propagandists/
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Blast on gulf oil rig injures 1 worker

By William Branigin and Debbi Wilgoren
Thursday, September 2, 2010; 11:56 AM

An offshore oil rig exploded Thursday in the Gulf of Mexico, injuring at least one worker, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

All 13 people on board the Vermilion Oil Rig 380 have been accounted for, and the one who was injured is being transported to a hospital, Coast Guard Petty Officer Bill Colclough said.

The rig is believed to be on fire, Colclough told CNN in a live telephone interview. He said it has not yet been determined whether there is a leak as a result of the explosion.

Multiple Coast Guard, Navy and civilian vessels are en route to the site of the explosion west of the location of the April 20 blast on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig that caused a massive oil spill.

The latest blast was reported by a commercial helicopter company about 10:30 a.m. EDT Thursday, the Coast Guard said.

Seven helicopters, two airplanes and four boats are en route to the site about 80 miles south of Vermilion Bay along the central Louisiana coast, the Associated Press reported.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/02/AR2010090202733.html?hpid=topnews
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Hurricane Earl, T.S. Fiona, and T.D. Gaston...




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They're back!


Ben Bernanke - Just back from Jackson Hole, Wyoming.




Imam Abdul Rauf - Back from a whirlwind tour of Muslim nations.


Here's a little ditty 'bout Ben and Abdul, two distant cousins acting a fool.

This is a present day version of the Patty Duke song:


Meet Abdul, who's lived most everywhere,
From Zanzibar to Barclay Square.
But Ben's only seen the sight.
A guy can see from Brooklyn Heights --
What a crazy pair!

But they're cousins,
Identical cousins all the way.
One pair of matching bookends,
Different as night and day.

Where Abdul adores a minuet,
The Ballet Russes, and crepe suzette,
Our Ben loves to rock and roll,
A hot dog makes him lose control --
What a wild duet!

Still, they're cousins,
Identical cousins and you'll find,
They laugh alike, they walk alike,
At times they even talk alike --

You can lose your mind,
When cousins are two of a kind.
...
*Hot Dog: Hebrew National.
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America - A Nation Oppressed And Controlled!


Volume XXIX Issue IX September 2010
Last Trumpet Ministries, PO Box 806, Beaver Dam, WI 53916
Fax: 920-887-2626 Internet: http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org/



America - A Nation Oppressed And Controlled!

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."

I John 2:15-17

"For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come."

Hebrews 13:14

"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."

Revelation 21:1-8

In this issue of the Last Trumpet Newsletter, we will once again examine the current events of our time as we move ever closer to the return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. There is so much going wrong in this world, and it is so very clear which direction we are headed. We need our faith in Jesus now more than ever, for these are very distressing times. If I didn't have the Lord with me, if I didn't have God on my side, I find it doubtful that I could even handle reading the news. It has become an endless stream of evil with one thing after another going wrong. I urge each and every one of you to yield your hearts to God and receive the salvation of Christ while you still can. Time is short!

There is a heavy foreboding throughout the world as many people can feel the pressure of these last days and sense that something very bad is going to happen. The scientific community generally attributes this to what they call global warming or climate change. In fact, Ove Hoegh-Guildberg, the director of the Global Change Institute at the University of Queensland in Australia, recently issued the statement, "We are well on our way to the next great extinction event." (1) The overwhelming sentiment seems to be that the world is on the very brink of an irreversible tipping point. It is because of this that they surmise that drastic action must now be taken in an effort to save the planet. The truth is, though people can drive their hybrid cars, recycle, compost, and do everything possible to reduce their carbon footprints, all of these efforts will change nothing. The Bible tells us this world is going to burn, and there is nothing that Al Gore, Barack Obama, the scientists or you can do about it. Don't let that scare you though. God has promised us "a new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness."

The BP Spill Aftermath

On July 15th, 2010, British Petroleum finally managed to cap their leak in the Gulf of Mexico and stop the flow of oil. It was the largest accidental oil spill of all time with an estimated 4.9 million barrels gushing into the Gulf. (2) Remarkably, much of the spilled oil seems to have already disappeared. Although that may seem like good news, experts familiar with the situation are worried that much of the oil is now underwater and may be impossible to capture or clean up. (3)

Another issue is the massive amounts of a highly toxic dispersant known as Corexit 9500 that BP used on the spill. Despite an order by the Environmental Protection Agency to use the dispersant sparingly, the Coast Guard issued seventy-four waivers, which allowed over a million gallons of the dangerous substance to be used. This activity has attracted the ire of Representative Edward Markey, D-Mass., who stated in a letter, "BP often carpet bombed the ocean with these chemicals and the Coast Guard allowed them to do it." (4) Dr. William Sawyer, a toxicology expert said, "The dispersants used in the BP clean-up efforts, known as 'Corexit 9500' and 'Corexit EC9527A' are also known as deodorized kerosene. With respect to marine toxicity and potential human health risks, studies of kerosene exposures strongly indicate potential health risks to volunteers, workers, sea turtles, dolphins, breathing reptiles, and all species which need to surface for air exchanges, as well as birds and all other mammals. Additionally, I have considered marine species which surface for atmospheric inhalation such as sea turtles, dolphins and other species which are especially vulnerable to aspiration toxicity of 'Corexit 9500' into the lung while surfacing." (5) Corexit was used in massive quantities despite the availability of less toxic dispersants such as Dispersit, which is manufactured by the U.S. Polychemical Corporation. (6)

The Road To Recovery Or The Road To Ruin?

Our leaders in Washington continue to insist that the economy is recovering. U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner recently stated, "You are seeing a recovery. You're seeing private investment expand again, job growth starting to come back. And that's very encouraging." Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke also informed us that we would see "moderate growth, a gradual decline in the unemployment rate and subdued inflation over the next several years." (7)

The "gradual decline" of unemployment in this country has been very gradual indeed. A report by the Associated Press indicates that 71,000 private-sector jobs were added in July. This is a paltry number and doesn't even put a dent in the 9.5% of unemployed workers. The United States would need to add 200,000 jobs per month to make any significant gains. And even at that pace, it would still take years to regain all the jobs that were lost since the recession began. The same report indicates that 14.6 million Americans want jobs but are unable to find work. (8)

Many economists and other financial experts are now saying we could be heading for a "double-dip" recession, which is a recession followed by a short period of growth, followed by another recession. Peter Morici, a business economist from the University of Maryland, stated, "Signs abound that the economic recovery is faltering." An economist from Yale University named Robert Shiller claims that there is more than a 50-50 chance of a double dip. Even former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan admitted that a double dip recession could happen. (9)

The housing market continued to decline in July after the market ceased to be propped up by government incentives. Home-buying applications sank to a 13-year low according to Reuters News Service. (10) Reuters also reported that homebuilder confidence was at a 15-month low, (11) and banks are repossessing homes at a record pace. Banks took control of 269,962 homes in the second quarter of 2010 and are expected to foreclose on more than one million homes this year. (12) An unfortunate consequence of the housing collapse in this country has been an increase in homelessness. In 2009, more than 170,000 families had to seek refuge in homeless shelters, which was a whopping 30% increase since 2007. (13)

Regulators at the FDIC continue to shut down banks. Recent closures include banks in Florida, Georgia, Oregon, and Washington. The number of failed banks in the United States soared to 108 in July, and we will likely see more closures throughout the year. It's interesting to note that only three banks failed in 2007, twenty-five failed in 2008, and 140 failed in 2009. (14)

Yes, they call these the days of "recovery." And during these days of recovery, we have seen headlines such as "Economists see U.S. Recovery Weakening," (15) "State Governors Face Fiscal Strain," (16) "Federal Reserve Worry List Gets Longer," (17) "U.S. Counties Confront Shortfalls With Cuts," (18) "Schwarzeneggger Declares California Fiscal Emergency," (19) "Joblessness and Housing Add Risks to U.S. Recovery," (20) "More Americans' Credit Scores Sink to New Lows," (21) and "Competing Currency Being Accepted Across Mid-Michigan." (22) Apparently, some of the citizens of Michigan have such little confidence in U.S. currency that they are instead using money made at private mints. (23)

Meanwhile, there's chatter in Washington about raising the age one can collect Social Security to age seventy. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-MD., stated "We're lying to ourselves and our children if we say we can maintain our current levels of entitlement spending, defense spending and taxation without bankrupting our country. We could and should consider a higher retirement age or one pegged to life span, more progressive Social Security and Medicare benefits, and a stronger safety net for the Americans who need it most." (24) U.S. News and World Reports published an article last month entitled "Eight Realities of the New Retirement." The article contained suggestions such as "continue employment," instead of retiring, and even going back to school. (25) It's starting to look like many Americans may never even get a chance to retire. A recent report from The Business Insider indicated that 36% of Americans don't contribute anything to a retirement plan, and 43% of Americans have less than $10,000 saved for retirement. (26)

Perhaps you've heard that the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer, and the middle class is disappearing altogether. Recent news reports indicate that is precisely what is happening. Consider the following facts: 83 percent of all U.S. stocks are in the hands of 1 percent of the people, over 1.4 million Americans filed for personal bankruptcy in 2009, (27) while 40 million Americans are now receiving food stamps. On the other hand, the number of millionaires increased 17.5 percent in 2009 over ten major metropolitan areas in the United States. (28)

Technology and the Death of Privacy!

There's a lot of amazing technology out there these days. And while this technology can be fun to play with and seemingly make our lives easier and more interesting, we need to keep in mind that the coming New World Order would be unable to operate without these amazing modern advances. We now live in a world where consumers carry a wide variety of gadgets that keep them connected to the Internet at all times. In fact, we can now use what they call "mobile broadband" to go online almost anywhere in the country as long as there are cell towers nearby.

Not only can we stay connected to the "world wide web" almost anywhere, but many people voluntarily report much of their activities to a website known as a Facebook. Facebook is a social networking site where you can post status updates to your friends and acquaintances, post pictures and videos, play games, and interact with other members of the website. Facebook is so addicting that many people are now checking it as soon as they wake up, even before using the bathroom. (29)

There has been a lot of controversy over Facebook's privacy policies these last few years. Many members grew upset after Facebook made certain information, such as friends' lists and pictures, available for everyone on the Internet to view. After receiving a lot of unwanted publicity, Facebook relented and added new privacy controls to ease the fears of its members.

But the founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, doesn't seem to consider privacy all that important. In January of 2010 he stated, "People have really gotten comfortable not only sharing more information and different kinds, but more openly and with more people. That social norm is just something that has evolved over time. We view it as our role in the system to constantly be innovating and be updating what our system is to reflect what the current social norms are." (30)

It is likely that Facebook does store all the data its members submit indefinitely. It's possible that they may be holding onto your data, (which by the way, they consider their data) even after you cancel your membership and leave the site. So without even realizing it, Facebook members are leaving behind a wealth of information about themselves, their personal lives, and their families. Of course, if the federal government were to come along and request this information, I find it unlikely that Facebook would refuse to hand it over.

If you happen to be a smartphone user, your phone apps may be spying on you. According to an Associated Press article, many applications for Apple's iPhone and Google's Android operating system are pulling sensitive data off your phone and sending it to third parties. This data can include your contacts, pictures, text messages, and Internet histories. (31) I guess that explains why so many apps are "free."

CNET News has reported that HP Labs is looking to build computers that monitor every move you make. The computers would track every song you listen to, every movie you watch, every book you read, and probably every other thing you do on the machine. HP Labs director Prith Banerjee stated, "When you think about it, HP sells 75 million PCs per year. That is an incredible place through which we can monitor all kinds of things. If you look at Google, if you look at Amazon, they are only able to look at what a consumer is doing on their web page." (32)

Oppression In The Last Days!

There seems to be a horrific abuse of power these days, whether it be by school officials, law enforcement, or the federal government. Here are just a few examples:

In Providence, Rhode Island, school officials banned an eight year-old boy's hat because it was decorated with toy soldiers carrying weapons. The boy and his parents were told his hat violated a strict zero-tolerance weapons policy. (33)

In Portland, Oregon, health inspectors shut down a seven year-old's lemonade stand after discovering she didn't have a $120 license to operate it. (34)

Police officers in El Reno, Oklahoma, tasered an 86 year-old disabled grandmother not once, but twice, after she supposedly "took a more aggressive posture in her bed." The officers also stepped on the woman's oxygen hose until she began to suffer from oxygen deprivation. (35)

President Obama has been urging federal employees to cut down on business travel and commuting by car in an effort to reduce pollution. In a statement issued in July 2010, Obama said, "The government has a responsibility to use that energy wisely, to reduce consumption, improve efficiency, use renewable energy, like wind and solar, and cut costs." (36) I wonder if our President is planning to reduce his own consumption. Is he going to cut down on business travel and commute less? Is Obama going to improve personal efficiency and cut costs? No, Obama likes to fly around in huge gas guzzling planes and to ride around in big gas guzzling cars. Someone should do a study on the size of Obama's carbon footprint. It's probably enormous.

On August 6, 2010, Rasmussen Reports published the results of a shocking poll. The results indicate that 9% of Americans believe the federal government should be allowed to do whatever they want. That number itself is disturbing enough, but the results also indicated that within the U.S. Political Class, 54% believe the government "should be allowed to do most anything." (37) So basically, within our leadership and amongst those running the United States, over half of them believe there should be no limits on what they can do. At a town hall meeting last July, Democratic congressman Pete Stark of California stated, "I think that there are very few constitutional limits that would prevent the federal government from rules that could affect your private life." He further went on to say, "The federal government, yes, can do most anything in this country." (38) Clearly, the Political Class and the members of our government consider themselves an elite class, which is better than the ordinary American people.

Perhaps one of the most astounding discoveries regarding our government was uncovered by a twelve year-old girl. BridgeAnne d'Avigon started a genealogical research project at age ten. Upon completion, she discovered that every President of the United States is related to each other except for one. With the exception of Martin Van Buren, each president can be traced back to King John of England, including our current president, Barack Obama. (39) This is either one of the most extraordinary coincidences in the history of mankind, or it indicates there is an unseen force influencing and manipulating the presidential office of the United States.

War and More War!

The war in Afghanistan has now dragged on for nearly nine years. Despite the fact that the U.S. military possesses amazing technology and all sorts of advanced weaponry, they have been unable to overthrow the Taliban and win that conflict. Sadly, sixty-three U.S. soldiers lost their lives in Afghanistan last month. According to an Associated Press report, the month of July 2010 was the deadliest month on record in the Afghan war for the United States. (40) You would think that after nine long years of war, things would be getting better and not worse.

Not only is the U.S. military having difficulty winning the Afghan war, they're spending billions of dollars in the process. Last month, Barack Obama signed a spending bill to finance a surge in troops. The price tag on that bill is nearly 59 billion dollars with 37 billion of that going to the Iraq and Afghanistan war efforts. The U.S. Congress has appropriated over a trillion dollars for war since 2001. (41)

Meanwhile, tensions between the United States and Iran remain high. When the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, was asked if the U.S. military had any contingency plans to attack Iran, he confirmed that such plans do exist. In response, Iran has claimed they have already dug mass graves for U.S. troops in advance preparation of any American attack. (42) The hostility between Iran and the United States has prompted Toyota Motor Corp to cease all exports to Iran. (43) The UN Security Council, the United States, and the European Union have all enacted or expanded sanctions against Iran. In retaliation to those sanctions, the Iranian government has announced they will no longer use U.S. dollars or euros. First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi reportedly said, "These currencies are filthy and we will no longer sell our oil in dollar and euro." (44) As we watch things continue to intensify between the United States and Iran, one can only wonder how long it will be before we see World War III.

North Korea also remains a potential threat. After the United States and South Korea performed joint naval drills together in a show of force, North Korea responded by firing 110 rounds of artillery near its disputed sea border with South Korea. (45) This reaction was much less drastic than the previously issued threat to mount a nuclear response against the United States and South Korea. (46)

I have an article in front of me with the headline, "Chinese Missile Could Shift Pacific Power Balance." The article reports that China is in the process of perfecting a new missile called the Dong Feng 21D. This missile is so advanced that it can be launched from land and accurately hit moving aircraft carriers at a distance of 900 miles. This new missile is causing considerable worry among those in Washington and in the U.S. military. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates issued the following statement, "When considering the military-modernization programs of countries like China, we should be concerned less with their potential ability to challenge the U.S. symmetrically -- fighter to fighter or ship to ship -- and more with their ability to disrupt our freedom of movement and narrow our strategic options." (47) It's quite obvious that China has aspirations of taking over the role of "world's greatest superpower."

The Dark Rise of Vampirism!

A recent report by AFP, entitled "Vampires Get Their Teeth Into U.S. Public," highlights a disturbing trend. More and more teenagers and young adults now consider themselves vampires. According to the article, hundreds of "vampires" are gathering together to attend balls every few months. One such vampire, known as Seregon O'Dalley, stated, "It's like a religion. There are houses, and pageants, and clans, and kinds of presidents, ministers." The article also reports that she loves the taste of blood. "Every once in a while I drink blood. I make a prick on my finger and take the blood," she says. (48) Vampirism has been growing in popularity over the last few years due to the Twilight series of books and movies and the HBO television show known as "True Blood."

While Twilight may seem harmless to some, it serves as an introduction to vampire culture for many young people. Additionally, the movies have instilled a grievous amount of lust within not only teenage girls, but also within grown women in their 20s, 30s, and even in their 40s, as they swoon over the often shirtless male stars. As for "True Blood" the show is rated TV-MA and is reportedly so full of sex and violence that many of the show's fans affectionately refer to it as "vamporn." Quite obviously, Christians should stay away from it.

The Earth in Distress!

On July 5, 2010, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel featured an interesting little tidbit in its Earthweek section. Apparently, religious leaders in India's holy city of Varanasi decided to perform "frog weddings" in an attempt to please their rain gods. "This is an age-old tradition that if frogs are wedded, then Indra Dev will be pleased and monsoon will come," organizer Munna Lal Yadav said. (49) Since that time there have been floods and landslides all over Asia.

In Pakistan, the floods are reportedly the worst they have ever had. One hundred thirty-two people have been killed, hundreds are still missing, and fifteen million more have been displaced. A flood in China's Gansu killed at least 127 people while entire villages have been covered in water, mud, and rocks. China has seen its worst flooding in a decade this year with over 1,100 people killed and hundreds more still missing. In Indian-controlled Kashmir, floods have killed 132 people and injured 500 more. (50)

As always, the daily earthquakes continue. Earthquakes have become so common that they are now considered part of the norm and generally don't garner a lot of attention from the news media. While it's true that many earthquakes are not deadly, shouldn't the fact that the earth is constantly rumbling be a cause of concern to the world's population? While people continue to deny any significance of the quakes, they will grow in frequency and intensity as we move through these last days. Recent significant earthquakes include a 7.1-magitude quake in Ecuador on August 12, 2010, a 7.3-magnitude quake in Vanuatu on August 10, 2010, and a 7.0 quake in Papua, New Guinea, on August 4, 2010. (51)

In closing, I urge all of you to put your trust and hope in our Almighty God. I know that reading about what is happening in this world may be hard to bear, but we must remember that this world we presently live in is only temporary. Jesus has promised us Paradise, and when we get there we won't need to worry about earthquakes, floods, oil spills, wars between the nations, or economic distress. All of the problems and issues discussed in this newsletter will be non-existent, and we will live in perfect harmony with God and His people. If you have not yet completely yielded your heart to God, I urge you to do so now. Thank you to all who support this ministry. Your prayers and contributions are greatly appreciated as we seek to get the end time Gospel message to as many people as possible. As usual, if you have any prayer requests, you are welcomed to send them to us, and our teams of intercessors will give each request individual attention. Grace and peace be unto you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.


Samuel David Meyer

Acknowledgements
01. McClatchy Newspapers, July 04, 2010, By Les Blumenthal, Washington, D.C.
02. AFP, August 2, 2010, By AFP, Washington, D.C.
03. McClatchy Newspapers, July 30, 2010, By Curtis Morgan.
04. Associated Press, August 1, 2010, By H. Josef Hebert and Michael Kunzelman, New Orleans, LA.
05. PRNewswire, May 11, 2010, By PRNewswire, New Orleans, LA.
06. Wired, May 5, 2010, By Brandon Keim.
07. AFP, July 24, 2010, By AFP, Washington, D.C.
08. Associated Press, August 6, 2010, By The Associated Press.
09. Associated Press, July 31, 2010, By Tom Raum, Washington, D.C.
10. Reuters News Service, July 14, 2010, By Lynn Adler, New York, NY.
11. Reuters News Service, July 19, 2010, By Corbett B. Daly, Washington, D.C.
12. Reuters News Service, July 15, 2010, By Lynn Adler, New York, NY.
13. McClatchy News Service, June 17, 2010, By Tony Pugh, Washington, D.C.
14. Associated Press, July 30, 2010, By Marcy Gorden, Washington, D.C.
15. Reuters News Service, July 10, 2010, By Pedro Nicolaci da Costa, Washington, D.C.
16. Reuters News Service, July 12, 2010, By Ros Krasny, Boston, MA.
17. Reuters News Service, July 11, 2010, By Emily Kaiser, Washington, D.C.
18. Reuters News Service, July 9, 2010, By Lisa Lambert, Washington, D.C.
19. Reuters News Service, July 28, 2010, By Jim Christie, San Francisco, CA.
20. Reuters News Service, July 8, 2010, By David Lawder, Washington, D.C.
21. Associated Press, July 12, 2010, By Eileen AJ Connelly, New York, NY.
22. ConnectMidMichigan, July 12, 2010, By ConnectMidMichigan, http://connectmidmichigan.com.
23. Ibid.
24. McClatchy Newspapers, July 9, 2010, By David Lightman, Washington, D.C.
25. U.S. News And World Reports, July 10, 2010, By Philip Moeller.
26. The Business Insider, July 15, 2010, By Michael Snyder.
27. Ibid.
28. ABC News, August 5, 2010, By Rich Blake.
29. AFP, July 7, 2010, By AFP, Washington, D.C.
30. ReadWriteWeb, January 9, 2010, By Marshall Kirkpatrick, http://readwriteweb.com.
31. Associated Press, July 28, 2010, By Jordan Robertson, Las Vegas, NV.
32. CNET News, August 6, 2010, By Ina Fried, http://cnet.com.
33. Associated Press, June 18, 2010, By Michelle R. Smith, Providence, RI.
34. The Oregonian, August 04, 2010, By Helen Jung.
35. Courthouse News Service, June 24, 2010, By Tim Hull.
36. Associated Press, July 20, 2010, By Erica Werner, Washington, D.C.
37. Rasmussen Reports, August 6, 2010, By Rasmussen Reports.
38. Ibid.
39. Santa Cruz Sentinel, February 16, 2010, By Megha Satyanarayana, Santa Cruz, CA.
40. Associated Press, July 30, 2010, By Robert H. Reid, Kabul, Afghanistan.
41. AFP, July 29, 2010, By AFP, Washington, D.C.
42. Associated Press, August 10, 2010, By Associated Press, Tehran, Iran.
43. The Japan Times, August 12, 2010, By The Japan Times, Nagoya, Japan.
44. AFP, August 10, 2010, By AFP, Tehran, Iran.
45. Associated Press, August 9, 2010, By Hyung-Jin Kim, Seoul, South Korea.
46. Associated Press, July 24, 2010, By Jim Gomez, Hanoi, Vietnam.
47. Associated Press, August 5, 2010, By Eric Talmadge, Aboard the USS George Washington.
48. AFP, July 20, 2010, By Paola Messana, New York, NY.
49. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, July 5, 2010, By Steve Newman.
50. Associated Press, August 8, 2010, By Ashraf Khan and Aijaz Hussain.
51. US Geological Survey, August 12, 2010, http://usgs.gov.

Special Note: A new tribute website for Pastor David J. Meyer can now be accessed at http://pastormeyer.org.

http://lasttrumpetministries.org

Learn not the way of the heathen




Jeremiah 10

1Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:

2Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.

3For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.

4They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

5They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.

6Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great in might.

7Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee.

8But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities.

9Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of cunning men.

10But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.

11Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.

12He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.

13When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.

14Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.

15They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

16The portion of Jacob is not like them: for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: The LORD of hosts is his name.

17Gather up thy wares out of the land, O inhabitant of the fortress.

18For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this once, and will distress them, that they may find it so.

19Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous; but I said, Truly this is a grief, and I must bear it.

20My tabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth of me, and they are not: there is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains.

21For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.

22Behold, the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah desolate, and a den of dragons.

23O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

24O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.

25Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name: for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate.
.

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

Learn from 'the other,' author, pastor advises

Article published August 28, 2010


Diverse faiths can enhance beliefs

Samir Selmanovic grew up in a Muslim family in an atheist country before converting to Christianity while serving in the army. He lectures across the country, promoting interfaith education. Samir Selmanovic writes about his spiritual path in his book and says his faith has been enriched by Islam, Judaism, and atheism.


By DAVID YONKE
BLADE RELIGION EDITOR

When Samir Selmanovic describes himself as a "Muslim atheist Jewish Christian," he's not trying to be irreverent or overly inclusive. He's describing his Christianity.

"The words 'Muslim, atheist, and Jewish' are all adjectives toward the word 'Christian,'" he explained in a phone interview.

A New York-based pastor and author who is speaking in Toledo this weekend, Mr. Selmanovic asserted in an interview with The Blade that he is uncompromisingly and unflinchingly Christian. At the same time, he said, his faith has been influenced and enriched by Islam, Judaism, and atheism. He wishes he could add more religions to that list.

"It's basically saying that, together, people are not my competitors but mostly my teachers," he said.

Coming to the realization that everyone - not just those who share one's religion or culture - is created in God's image is a challenge, he said.

Yet Mr. Selmanovic has devoted himself to trying to break down the barriers that people put up between themselves and "the other."

The 45-year-old pastor has crossed over and maneuvered around a number of barriers in his own journeys. He grew up in the former Yugoslavia in Croatia, now independent, in a Muslim family that lived under an atheistic communist government.

He became a Christian while serving in the army, and eventually became a pastor.

Five years ago, Mr. Selmanovic quit a comfortable job as the pastor of a large and growing Seventh-day Adventist church in California and moved with his wife and two young daughters to New York City, where he is pastor of a nondenominational church called Citylights and the founder of the interfaith community Faith House Manhattan.
Samir Selmanovic writes about his spiritual path in his book and says his faith has been enriched by Islam, Judaism, and atheism.


He wrote about his spiritual path in the book It's All About God: Reflections of a Muslim Atheist Jewish Christian, published last year by Jossey-Bass/Wiley Books, and gives lectures across the country promoting interfaith education, outreach, and understanding.

The days of religious and cultural isolation and belief in one's "spiritual supremacy" are over, Mr. Selmanovic said. In today's shrinking, increasingly diverse world, the religions and beliefs that are the strongest are the ones with the most bridges, not the biggest walls, he said.

"People who isolate themselves and are afraid are afraid because their faith doesn't have roots," Mr. Selmanovic said. "I think being open in a pluralistic society is a show of strength. Withdrawing and hunkering down is actually giving up."

IF YOU GO
Author Samir Selmanovic will speak at:
• 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday at First Seventh-day Adventist Church, 4909 West Sylvania Ave.

• 9:30 a.m. Sunday at Washington Church, 3925 West Central Ave.

More information is available online at SamirSelmanovic.com.

Strangers play important roles in The Bible and in today's world, Mr. Selmanovic said.

"In the New Testament, you have 36 times 'Love the stranger,' and only two times 'Love your neighbor,'" he said. "As a community, the things we see that are wrong are just normal to us. That's the way things are. When others come here, they see things a different way and if we listen to them, there is plenty to learn. Even those people who are enemies and wish us bad, they have something to tell us. What they see is what we don't want to see."

Mike Fortune, pastor of Toledo First Seventh-day Adventist Church, said he invited Mr. Selmanovic to talk at his church because "he has a message worth hearing - that there are things that are inherently good in people, even if they are never going to believe everything we believe."

He said Mr. Selmanovic's teachings are biblically based and that it is unfortunate some people mistakenly accuse him of pluralism.

"Part of Christianity is being known by your love," Mr. Fortune said, "and if you can't have love and live in community with people who are dramatically different, regardless of whether they agree with you, then I'm not sure you really understand the Bible."

Contact David Yonke at:
dyonke@theblade.com
or 419-724-6154.

Source: http://www.toledoblade.com/article/20100828/NEWS10/8270349

..

Irish cardinal: I will not resign after scandals



Editor's note: Watch CNN's interview with Cardinal Brady in a special report by Nic Robertson on "Connect the World" on CNN International at 9 p.m. London time/4 p.m. ET.

Months after the revelation that he helped cover up for one of Ireland's most notoriously abusive priests, the country's top Catholic churchman, Cardinal Sean Brady, says he has "moved on" and will not resign.

"I've moved on there, I think, and I got a lot of support in my decision," he told CNN in a rare interview.


Read the full story:
.

UCH health centers merge with Adventist chain

By SHANNON BEHNKEN The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 1, 2010

TAMPA - University Community Hospital has officially merged with Adventist Health System of Winter Park, a Christian hospital chain with 38 hospitals in 12 states.

The move gives UCH access to more capital. Adventist operates 37 hospitals in the Midwest and South, including 17 in Florida.

Adventist might benefit from UCH's greater presence in the Tampa Bay area. So far, Adventist's only local hospital is Florida Hospital Zephyrhills.

The new group's hospitals in the region include University Community Hospital; University Community Hospital-Carrollwood; Pepin Heart Hospital & Dr. Kiran C. Patel Research Institute; the Long Term Acute Care Hospital at Connerton; Florida Hospital Zephyrhills; and the soon to be built Wesley Chapel Medical Center.

Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital will also be joining Adventist Health System, serving the Tarpon Springs community.

The new hospital board appointed John Harding as president and CEO for the region. He is the currently president and CEO of Florida Hospital Zephyrhills and has more than 25 years of health care administration experience.

"John knows the Tampa Bay community and will provide the leadership experience needed to guide this new region," Mike Schultz, president and CEO of the AHS Florida Region and vice chairman for the UCH board, said in a news release.

"He embraces medical technology and advancement with an emphasis on quality and safety, all the while nurturing a Christian-based mission of health care delivery. These elements are vital to the future success of these hospitals."

Adventist Health System said it committed $125 million in capital investments, $10 million to the UCH Foundation and has agreed to take on UCH's debt and outstanding liabilities.

Adventist Health System, according to its website, is a not-for-profit health care organization that emphasizes Christ at the center of care.

It was founded in 1973 to support Seventh-day Adventist health care organizations in the south and southwest and is the now the largest not-for-profit Protestant health care provider in the nation, the website says.

Reporter Shannon Behnken can be reached at (813) 259-7804.
.
Source: http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/sep/01/uch-health-centers-merge-adventist-chain/
.

FDIC - Failed Bank List 2010


Latest figures as of August 20, 2010

Bank Name....City State... CERT #.... Closing Date...Updated Date


Sonoma Valley Bank Sonoma CA 27259 August 20, 2010 August 26, 2010
Los Padres Bank Solvang CA 32165 August 20, 2010 August 24, 2010
Butte Community Bank Chico CA 33219 August 20, 2010 August 25, 2010
Pacific State Bank Stockton CA 27090 August 20, 2010 August 24, 2010
ShoreBank Chicago IL 15640 August 20, 2010 August 24, 2010
Imperial Savings and Loan Association Martinsville VA 31623 August 20, 2010 August 26, 2010

Independent National Bank Ocala FL 27344 August 20, 2010 August 24, 2010
Community National Bank at Bartow Bartow FL 25266 August 20, 2010 August 24, 2010

Palos Bank and Trust Company Palos Heights IL 17599 August 13, 2010 August 17, 2010
Ravenswood Bank Chicago IL 34231 August 6, 2010 August 11, 2010
LibertyBank Eugene OR 31964 July 30, 2010 August 6, 2010
The Cowlitz Bank Longview WA 22643 July 30, 2010 August 26, 2010
Coastal Community Bank Panama City Beach FL 9619 July 30, 2010 August 6, 2010
Bayside Savings Bank Port Saint Joe FL 57669 July 30, 2010 August 6, 2010
Northwest Bank & Trust Acworth GA 57658 July 30, 2010 August 6, 2010
Home Valley Bank Cave Junction OR 23181 July 23, 2010 July 30, 2010
SouthwestUSA Bank Las Vegas NV 35434 July 23, 2010 July 30, 2010
Community Security Bank New Prague MN 34486 July 23, 2010 July 30, 2010
Thunder Bank Sylvan Grove KS 10506 July 23, 2010 July 30, 2010
Williamsburg First National Bank Kingstree SC 17837 July 23, 2010 July 30, 2010
Crescent Bank and Trust Company Jasper GA 27559 July 23, 2010 July 30, 2010
Sterling Bank Lantana FL 32536 July 23, 2010 July 30, 2010
Mainstreet Savings Bank, FSB Hastings MI 28136 July 16, 2010 July 22, 2010
Olde Cypress Community Bank Clewiston FL 28864 July 16, 2010 July 26, 2010
Turnberry Bank Aventura FL 32280 July 16, 2010 July 22, 2010
Metro Bank of Dade County Miami FL 25172 July 16, 2010 July 22, 2010
First National Bank of the South Spartanburg SC 35383 July 16, 2010 July 26, 2010
Woodlands Bank Bluffton SC 32571 July 16, 2010 July 22, 2010
Home National Bank Blackwell OK 11636 July 9, 2010 July 19, 2010
USA Bank Port Chester NY 58072 July 9, 2010 July 12, 2010
Ideal Federal Savings Bank Baltimore MD 32456 July 9, 2010 July 12, 2010
Bay National Bank Baltimore MD 35462 July 9, 2010 July 19, 2010
High Desert State Bank Albuquerque NM 35279 June 25, 2010 August 26, 2010
First National Bank Savannah GA 34152 June 25, 2010 August 26, 2010
Peninsula Bank Englewood FL 26563 June 25, 2010 August 26, 2010
Nevada Security Bank Reno NV 57110 June 18, 2010 August 26, 2010
Washington First International Bank Seattle WA 32955 June 11, 2010 August 26, 2010
TierOne Bank Lincoln NE 29341 June 4, 2010 August 26, 2010
Arcola Homestead Savings Bank Arcola IL 31813 June 4, 2010 August 26, 2010
First National Bank Rosedale MS 15814 June 4, 2010 August 26, 2010
Sun West Bank Las Vegas NV 34785 May 28, 2010 August 26, 2010
Granite Community Bank, NA Granite Bay CA 57315 May 28, 2010 August 26, 2010
Bank of Florida - Tampa Tampa FL 57814 May 28, 2010 August 26, 2010
Bank of Florida - Southwest Naples FL 35106 May 28, 2010 August 26, 2010
Bank of Florida - Southeast Fort Lauderdale FL 57360 May 28, 2010 August 26, 2010
Pinehurst Bank Saint Paul MN 57735 May 21, 2010 August 26, 2010
Midwest Bank and Trust Company Elmwood Park IL 18117 May 14, 2010 August 26, 2010
Southwest Community Bank Springfield MO 34255 May 14, 2010 August 26, 2010
New Liberty Bank Plymouth MI 35586 May 14, 2010 August 26, 2010
Satilla Community Bank Saint Marys GA 35114 May 14, 2010 August 26, 2010
1st Pacific Bank of California San Diego CA 35517 May 7, 2010 August 26, 2010
Towne Bank of Arizona Mesa AZ 57697 May 7, 2010 August 26, 2010
Access Bank Champlin MN 16476 May 7, 2010 August 26, 2010
The Bank of Bonifay Bonifay FL 14246 May 7, 2010 August 26, 2010
Frontier Bank Everett WA 22710 April 30, 2010 August 26, 2010
BC National Banks Butler MO 17792 April 30, 2010 August 26, 2010
Champion Bank Creve Coeur MO 58362 April 30, 2010 August 26, 2010
CF Bancorp Port Huron MI 30005 April 30, 2010 August 26, 2010
Westernbank Puerto Rico Mayaguez PR 31027 April 30, 2010 August 26, 2010
R-G Premier Bank of Puerto Rico HatoRey PR 32185 April 30, 2010 August 26, 2010
Eurobank San Juan PR 27150 April 30, 2010 August 26, 2010
Wheatland Bank Naperville IL 58429 April 23, 2010 August 26, 2010
Peotone Bank and Trust Company Peotone IL 10888 April 23, 2010 August 26, 2010
Lincoln Park Savings Bank Chicago IL 30600 April 23, 2010 August 26, 2010
New Century Bank Chicago IL 34821 April 23, 2010 August 26, 2010
Citizens Bank and Trust Company of Chicago Chicago IL 34658 April 23, 2010 August 26, 2010
Broadway Bank Chicago IL 22853 April 23, 2010 August 26, 2010
Amcore Bank, National Association Rockford IL 3735 April 23, 2010 August 26, 2010
City Bank Lynnwood WA 21521 April 16, 2010 August 26, 2010
Tamalpais Bank San Rafael CA 33493 April 16, 2010 August 26, 2010
Innovative Bank Oakland CA 23876 April 16, 2010 August 26, 2010
Butler Bank Lowell MA 26619 April 16, 2010 August 26, 2010
Riverside National Bank of Florida Fort Pierce FL 24067 April 16, 2010 August 26, 2010
AmericanFirst Bank Clermont FL 57724 April 16, 2010 August 26, 2010
First Federal Bank of North Florida Palatka FL 28886 April 16, 2010 August 27, 2010
Lakeside Community Bank Sterling Heights MI 34878 April 16, 2010 August 27, 2010
Beach First National Bank Myrtle Beach SC 34242 April 9, 2010 August 27, 2010
Desert Hills Bank Phoenix AZ 57060 March 26, 2010 August 27, 2010
Unity National Bank Cartersville GA 34678 March 26, 2010 August 27, 2010
Key West Bank Key West FL 34684 March 26, 2010 August 27, 2010
McIntosh Commercial Bank Carrollton GA 57399 March 26, 2010 August 27, 2010
State Bank of Aurora Aurora MN 8221 March 19, 2010 August 27, 2010
First Lowndes Bank Fort Deposit AL 24957 March 19, 2010 August 27, 2010
Bank of Hiawassee Hiawassee GA 10054 March 19, 2010 August 27, 2010
Appalachian Community Bank Ellijay GA 33989 March 19, 2010 August 27, 2010
Advanta Bank Corp. Draper UT 33535 March 19, 2010 August 27, 2010
Century Security Bank Duluth GA 58104 March 19, 2010 August 27, 2010
American National Bank Parma OH 18806 March 19, 2010 August 27, 2010
Statewide Bank Covington LA 29561 March 12, 2010 August 27, 2010
Old Southern Bank Orlando FL 58182 March 12, 2010 August 27, 2010
The Park Avenue Bank New York NY 27096 March 12, 2010 August 27, 2010
LibertyPointe Bank New York NY 58071 March 11, 2010 August 27, 2010
Centennial Bank Ogden UT 34430 March 5, 2010 August 27, 2010
Waterfield Bank Germantown MD 34976 March 5, 2010 August 27, 2010
Bank of Illinois Normal IL 9268 March 5, 2010 August 27, 2010
Sun American Bank Boca Raton FL 27126 March 5, 2010 August 27, 2010
Rainier Pacific Bank Tacoma WA 38129 February 26, 2010 August 27, 2010
Carson River Community Bank Carson City NV 58352 February 26, 2010 August 27, 2010
La Jolla Bank, FSB La Jolla CA 32423 February 19, 2010 August 27, 2010
George Washington Savings Bank Orland Park IL 29952 February 19, 2010 August 27, 2010
The La Coste National Bank La Coste TX 3287 February 19, 2010 August 27, 2010
Marco Community Bank Marco Island FL 57586 February 19, 2010 August 27, 2010
1st American State Bank of Minnesota Hancock MN 15448 February 5, 2010 August 26, 2010
American Marine Bank Bainbridge Island WA 16730 January 29, 2010 August 26, 2010
First Regional Bank Los Angeles CA 23011 January 29, 2010 August 26, 2010
Community Bank and Trust Cornelia GA 5702 January 29, 2010 August 26, 2010
Marshall Bank, N.A. Hallock MN 16133 January 29, 2010 August 26, 2010
Florida Community Bank Immokalee FL 5672 January 29, 2010 August 26, 2010
First National Bank of Georgia Carrollton GA 16480 January 29, 2010 August 26, 2010
Columbia River Bank The Dalles OR 22469 January 22, 2010 August 26, 2010
Evergreen Bank Seattle WA 20501 January 22, 2010 August 26, 2010
Charter Bank Santa Fe NM 32498 January 22, 2010 August 26, 2010
Bank of Leeton Leeton MO 8265 January 22, 2010 August 26, 2010
Premier American Bank Miami FL 57147 January 22, 2010 August 26, 2010
Barnes Banking Company Kaysville UT 1252 January 15, 2010 August 26, 2010
St. Stephen State Bank St. Stephen MN 17522 January 15, 2010 August 26, 2010
Town Community Bank & Trust Antioch IL 34705 January 15, 2010 August 26, 2010
Horizon Bank Bellingham WA 22977 January 8, 2010 August 26, 2010
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Source: http://www.fdic.gov/bank/individual/failed/banklist.html
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So far, not good!
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China: Rumors of the Central Bank Chief's Defection

August 30, 2010

Rumors have circulated in China that People’s Bank of China (PBC) Gov. Zhou Xiaochuan may have left the country. The rumors appear to have started following reports on Aug. 28 which cited Ming Pao, a Hong Kong-based news agency, saying that because of an approximately $430 billion loss on U.S. Treasury bonds, the Chinese government may punish some individuals within PBC, including Zhou. Although Ming Pao on Aug. 30 published a report on its website indicating that the prior report was fabricated by a mainland news site that had attributed the false information to Ming Pao, rumors of Zhou’s defection have spread around China intensively, and Zhou’s name has been blocked from Internet search engines in China.

STRATFOR has received no confirmation of the rumor, and reports by state-run Chinese media appeared to send strong indications that Zhou is in no trouble at the moment. However, the release of this rumor and its dispersion throughout the public is significant, particularly as the Communist Party of China (CPC) is preparing for a leadership transition in 2012.

Chinese state-run media and official government websites have run several high-profile reports about Zhou, which should be seen as a move to refute the rumors. The PBC website published two articles on its homepage reporting on Zhou’s meeting with visiting Japanese Financial Services Minister Shozaburo Jimi during the third China-Japan high-level economic dialogue as well as a meeting with an Italian delegation. Xinhua news agency reported that Zhou told the PBC Party Committee Enlargement Meeting on Aug. 30 it should “continue to implement justice, and strengthen legislative work in financial system.” Prior to this news, Zhou appeared at the 2nd annual conference of the heads of the Chinese, Japanese and Korean central banks held on Aug. 3, and his most recent public appearance was Aug. 10 for China’s Financial System Anti-corruption Construction Exhibition.

Zhou is known to have lofty political ambitions and is believed to be a close ally to former Chinese President Jiang Zemin, as well as a core figure for Jiang’s “Shanghai Gang.” There has been no shortage of rumors about Zhou’s possible dismissal in the past five years, as he is believed to be associated with several high-level financial scandals. For example, Zhou was rumored to be under “shuanggui,” a form of house arrest administered by the CPC, during the massive crackdown of Shanghai Party Secretary Chen Liangyu in 2006, which was perceived in the country as a crackdown of the Shanghai Gang and part of Hu’s effort to consolidate power ahead of the 2007 power transition. There was also a rumor that he might have been detained following the investigation and arrest of Wang Yi, the vice governor of the China Development Bank, along with several other officials in the financial circle. Currently, several financial scandals are still under investigation, and it is likely that Zhou, as PBC governor and one of the most powerful economic players in the country, could be associated with some cases. Therefore, whether or not the rumor is true at this time, the leaking of this news is very likely to be associated with a power struggle within the Communist Party’s economic hierarchy.
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Source: http://www.stratfor.com/analysis/20100830_china_rumors_central_bank_chiefs_defection
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