He ventured forth to bring light to the world
The anointed one's pilgrimage to the Holy Land is a miracle in action - and a blessing to all his faithful followers

And it came to pass, in the eighth year of the reign of the evil Bush the Younger (The Ignorant), when the whole land from the Arabian desert to the shores of the Great Lakes had been laid barren, that a Child appeared in the wilderness.

The Child was blessed in looks and intellect. Scion of a simple family, offspring of a miraculous union, grandson of a typical white person and an African peasant. And yea, as he grew, the Child walked in the path of righteousness, with only the occasional detour into the odd weed and a little blow.

When he was twelve years old, they found him in the temple in the City of Chicago, arguing the finer points of community organisation with the Prophet Jeremiah and the Elders. And the Elders were astonished at what they heard and said among themselves: “Verily, who is this Child that he opens our hearts and minds to the audacity of hope?”

In the great Battles of Caucus and Primary he smote the conniving Hillary, wife of the deposed King Bill the Priapic and their barbarian hordes of Working Class Whites.

And so it was, in the fullness of time, before the harvest month of the appointed year, the Child ventured forth - for the first time - to bring the light unto all the world.

ROTFL! You must read the entire piece.



Harvard Law Reviewed
Kicking down doors.
by Elise O’Shaughnessy June 1990

The new president of the Harvard Law Review was somewhat taken aback by the deluge of media coverage that followed hard on the heels of his election. The New York Times ran a “First Black” headline, which probably won’t be the last time that label is affixed to Barack Obama. The twenty-eight-year-old law student says he wasn’t going to run for the office until a black friend talked him into it. “There’s a door to kick down,” the friend argued, “and you’re in a position to kick it down.”

Eighteen years ago. It's astounding just how little he's accomplished since then, and yet he's leading in the polls in the race for the presidency. God help us.


Full script of Obama's speech

BERLIN, Germany (CNN) -- Thank you to the citizens of Berlin and to the people of Germany. Let me thank Chancellor Merkel and Foreign Minister Steinmeier for welcoming me earlier today. Thank you Mayor Wowereit, the Berlin Senate, the police, and most of all thank you for this welcome.

I come to Berlin as so many of my countrymen have come before. Tonight, I speak to you not as a candidate for President, but as a citizen - a proud citizen of the United States, and a fellow citizen of the world.

'There comes a time when we heed a certain call.'

There was not a ton to object to, and indeed a lot to like, in Obama's speech in Berlin. Although I think I preferred it the first time I heard it, when it was sung by all those celebrities and rock stars back in the mid-80s.

Oh, wait, that was "We Are The World."

UPDATE: Pop quiz, hot shot. Pick out the "We Are The World" lyrics vs. Obama speech lines.

Just Hours Later, Obama Campaign Uses Berlin Speech to Raise Campaign Cash

Shortly after 6 pm Central time -- just a few hours after Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, gave his speech in Berlin, which his campaign insisted was not political -- his campaign manager, David Plouffe, sent out a fundraising solicitation using the speech to raise campaign cash.
...
UPDATE: The Obama campaign takes issue with my description of its email with its big, red "DONATE" button as a "fundraising soliciation." The campaign, which has raised more money through the internet than any other campaign in world history, says the purpose of this email, the "DONATE" button notwithstanding, was for folks to see the speech and share it with their friends.

He also had campaign fliers printed up in German. Good thing this wasn't a political rally, huh?


Nicolas Sarkozy to Barack Obama: je t'aime

Love was in the air in Paris today.

The source? French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his "dear friend" Barack Obama. The pair traded lavish compliments at a joint press conference after meeting privately at the Elysee Palace.

"France is happy to welcome Barack Obama, first of all, because he's American and the French love the Americans," Sarkozy began, before adding that "the adventure of Barack Obama, it is a story which speaks to the heart of French people and speaks to the heart of Europeans."

"I can't imagine somebody who better captures the enthusiasm and energy of France than" Sarkozy, Obama responded.

Sarkozy: Obama's my 'pal'

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is offering Obama a warm welcome on the day of their meeting, in an interview with the conservative daily Le Figaro.

"Obama? He's my pal," the president told Le Figaro. "Unlike my diplomatic advisers, I never believed in Hillary Clinton's chances. I always said that Obama would be nominated."
...
One interesting detail from Le Figaro: The Obama-Sarkozy meeting will be conducted with a minimum of fuss, to mark it off clearly from the trappings of a presidential visit.

"Nicolas Sarkozy's advisers received only one demand from the team of the Democratic candidate: no American flag for the press conference, because it's a candidate being received, not the president of the United States."

Should have had a UN flag there for the "world citizen" Barky.



Obama on Iran, Syria, and Jerusalem

Can you assure the people of Israel, and beyond, that as president
you will prevent Iran attaining nuclear weapons?

What I can do is assure that I will do everything in my power as president to prevent Iran attaining nuclear weapons. And I think that begins with engaging in tough, direct talks with Iran, sending a clear message to Iran that they shouldn't wait for the next administration but should start engaging in the P5 process [involving the five permanent members of the UN Security Council] that's taking place right now, and elevating this to the top of our national security priorities, so that we are mobilizing the entire international community, including Russia and China, on this issue.

Yes, I'm quite certain a nice tough talk with the lawn gnome will cool the Iranians right off, don't you?



Political Messiah in the Holy Land
Obama in the Mideast.

Caroline B. Glick is the deputy managing editor of the Jerusalem Post and the senior fellow for Middle East Affairs at the Center for Security Policy. Her book, Shackled Warrior, Israel and the Global Jihad was released earlier this year. She took questions from National Review Online editor Kathryn Lopez on Friday about Barack Obama’s visit to the Mideast.

Best quote:

Lopez: How close did you get to the “messiah”?
Glick: I generally try to stay as far away as I possibly can from people who say they can make oceans recede. Our paths didn’t cross. In fact, I managed to be out of the country on Wednesday.

McCain Accuses Obama of Pandering on Iraq

ABC News' David Wright reports:

Addressing a group of Hispanic veterans, including his former roommate from the US Naval Academy, John McCain today accused rival Barack Obama of telling Americans "what they wanted to hear" on Iraq, whereas he "told you the truth."

All week long, McCain has been pushing hard on the notion the current surge strategy in Iraq was a crucial test in judgment.

In 2007, McCain said, "We both knew the safe political choice was to support some sort of retreat."

"Many observers said my approach would end my hopes of becoming President," he said. "My choice was not smart politics. It didn't test well in focus groups. It ignored all the polls. It also didn't matter."

McCain says history proved him right.

"In Iraq, we are no longer on the doorstep of defeat but instead are on the road to victory," McCain said.

McCain rejects 'audacity of hopelessness' for Iraq

DENVER - Republican presidential candidate John McCain, ridiculing Barack Obama for "the audacity of hopelessness" in his policies on Iraq, said Friday that the entire Middle East could have plunged into war had U.S. troops been withdrawn as his rival advocated.

Speaking to an audience of Hispanic military veterans, McCain stepped up his criticism of Obama while the Illinois senator continued his headline-grabbing tour of the Middle East and Europe. The Arizona Republican contended that Obama's policies — he opposed sending more troops to Iraq in the "surge" that McCain supported — would have led to defeat there and in Afghanistan.

"We rejected the audacity of hopelessness, and we were right," McCain said,
a play on the title of Obama's book "The Audacity of Hope."

I have so much to post, but Blogger is all wonky. I'll stick with this Scripture:


2 Timothy 3
Godlessness in the Last Days

1But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

6They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. 8Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth—men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. 9But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.

Australian economy under threat as climate change bites

The economic risks presented by climate change have been further highlighted with the publication by the Australian government of a new report showing that drought was threatening the water supply of more than a million Australians.

A six-year drought across the country has left its main water system – the Murray-Darling river system, which stretches across four states from southern Queensland to Victoria – severely depleted.

Speaking at the release of the report, Australia's climate change minister Penny Wong warned that unless measures were taken to save the river system, the country's drinking and agriculture supplies would dry up.

Do We Take Water for Granted?

Here in the United States whenever we turn on the tap on our sinks, bathtubs, etc. out comes a flow of water. The United States is a water rich nation compared to many others, and a developed nation at that. This means that for now, water resources have been adequate to meet demand.

It is estimated that of the over six billion people in the world though, one billion lack access to potable water. Most of these people are in underdeveloped nations that lack the resources to develop new potable water sources. But for the average American, these problems are miles and worlds away right? Well, perhaps for now, but is it possible that water shortages may be arriving to the world's richest nation? The signs of shortage are already beginning to show and something will have to be done in order to stop it.

Saving rain: How much is too much?
Collecting large amount runs afoul of 'archaic' law

On a nonprofit Woodinville farm devoted to sustainable practices, rain hits a green shed roof covered in a carpet of herbs and moss.

Drops run down a chain into four weathered barrels, draining to a small pond ringed by cherry trees, huckleberry bushes and native plants.

It's a system the 21 Acres farm wants to create on a much grander scale when it breaks ground next year on an agricultural center with farm stalls, classrooms and test kitchens. The new addition could store 150,000 gallons of rain to irrigate dozens of adjacent garden plots, currently sucking up expensive city water.

There's just one problem.

It almost certainly would violate state water law. And if one wanted to be persnickety, so might the rain barrels cities encourage conservation-minded homeowners to buy.

"We're all promoting it, it's the right thing to do, it makes sense, but it's illegal," said Vince Carlson, a meadmaker and architect for 21 Acres. "Nobody says anything, and we're all kind of hush-hush about it."

Technically, rain that falls on your roof isn't yours for the taking. It's a resource of the state, which regulates the use of public waters through an allocation process that can take years to navigate.

Experts warn California faces water catastrophe

A congressional field hearing in Fresno this week was among a number of forums bringing attention to the worsening water disaster in California. Government officials are reviewing the scope of the crisis and looking for solutions to severe water shortages that threaten crops and jobs.

Mendota Mayor Robert Silva testified that his city--located on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley and heavily dependent on nearby farms for jobs and economic activity--already had unemployment levels reaching more than 30 percent, and that jobless rates will increase as the harvest season ends.

Lester Snow, director of the state Department of Water Resources, testified that "2008 is a disaster, but 2009 could be the worst drought in California history."

Mideast Facing Choice Between Crops and Water

CAIRO — Global food shortages have placed the Middle East and North Africa in a quandary, as they are forced to choose between growing more crops to feed an expanding population or preserving their already scant supply of water.

For decades nations in this region have drained aquifers, sucked the salt from seawater and diverted the mighty Nile to make the deserts bloom. But those projects were so costly and used so much water that it remained far more practical to import food than to produce it. Today, some countries import 90 percent or more of their staples.

Now, the worldwide food crisis is making many countries in this politically volatile region rethink that math.

The population of the region has more than quadrupled since 1950, to 364 million, and is expected to reach nearly 600 million by 2050. By that time, the amount of fresh water available for each person, already scarce, will be cut in half, and declining resources could inflame political tensions further.

“The countries of the region are caught between the hammer of rising food prices and the anvil of steadily declining water availability per capita,” Alan R. Richards, a professor of economics and environmental studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz, said via e-mail. “There is no simple solution.”

Israel Faces Its Worst Water Crisis Ever (video)

As the dry months of summer sweep through the Middle East, Israel is faced with its worst water crisis ever. The water levels in Israel's three main water sources - the Sea of Galilee, the Coastal Aquifer and the Mountain Aquifer - have now receded to the lowest levels in recorded history. All three have already dropped below the red line - the line at which it is recommended to stop pumping from the water source. Faced with increased consumption due to population growth, land development and water commitments to Jordan and Palestine, Israel has no choice but to continue pumping from its water sources. Yet if Israel continues, water levels will soon drop under the black line - the point of no return, where continued pumping will cause severe, irreversible damage to the Israel's water sources. With many more rainless months to go, Israel is already dangerously close. 07/24/08

Greek Cyprus water shipment suffers more setbacks

Repeated delays in shipping much-needed water from Greece has left one of Greek Cyprus' largest cities with only two weeks' supply of water as the country faces severe drought, officials said on Wednesday.

There are new setbacks in getting drinking water off a ship for the 177,000 residents of Limassol, a port city in the south which has only 0.8 million cubic meters of water left in its reservoir. The city requires 45,000 cubic meters of water per day.

"The way things are going now, it's not enough to last even 20 days. It's possibly enough for 17 or 18 days," said Kyriakos Kyrrou, an official from Greek Cyprus' water department. "But whatever happens, people will get water," he told Reuters.

Effects linger from last summer’s drought in W.Va.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - First, there was last summer’s drought. Then came more bad news: skyrocketing fuel and fertilizer prices, and a wet spring that delayed West Virginia farmers’ plantings and hay harvests.

In 2007, the state’s 21,000 farms suffered millions of dollars in losses from the driest summer in years. Yet in an industry that serves mostly as a second income here, farmers are refusing to fold, even in the face of the latest setbacks.

“I don’t know what’s worse - too much rain or not enough,” said Ed Smolder, a West Virginia University extension agent for Jackson County. “It’s feast or famine.”

Farmers got a break last week, the first since Smolder can remember that no significant rain fell, giving many the first real chance this year to cut hay, usually harvested in June.

“And it’s July,” Smolder said. “I’ve been here 31 years and this is the first time I’ve seen everyone finishing up the hay the week before the (county) fair,” which began
Monday.

Drought forces ranchers to cull herds

Dwindling water supplies coupled with high grain costs have many Central Texas ranchers heading to auction barns.

Stock ponds are drying up as temperatures continue to hover near the century mark, forcing beef producers to either move cattle to pastures with deeper water supplies or cull their herds, according to Russ de Cordova, president of the Buffalo Livestock Commission.

"It's a bad situation, and it's going to get worse," de Cordova said. "A lot of producers will have to cut their herds in half - some even a third."

Although Marlin and most of Central Texas received much-needed rain last week, it was far from the drought-buster the ag community needs.

Governor asks SC residents to conserve water

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Gov. Mark Sanford is encouraging South Carolina residents to voluntarily conserve water so water restrictions don't become mandatory.

Officials say a drought gripping the state continues to worsen. The Department of Natural Resources says the worst conditions are in the Upstate, where some wells have gone dry and Lakes Hartwell and Thurmond along the Georgia state line are already 10 feet below where they should be.

Maharashtra to face sugarcane shortage

Sugar is set to leave a bitter taste in days to come with the sugarcane production in Maharashtra likely to decline substantially.

Maharashtra may witness a shortage in sugarcane and sugar in the forthcoming crushing season following a drought-like situation in the state.

...

Decline in sugar production in India and Brazil's decision to utilise 65 per cent of its sugarcane to produce ethanol directly has sent sugar prices soaring. If 2008-09 is going to be good for us then we expect a better crop in 2009-10 as well, claimed Prakash Naiknavre, managing director of MSSPL.

*************************

Dolly destroys Texas cotton, sorghum crops

Hurricane Dolly probably doomed South Texas's cotton and sorghum crops already damaged by heavy rains earlier in the summer. But analysts said the loss, while devastating for local producers, will have only a short-term effect on the markets.

Nonetheless, "it doesn't look good" for either crop, Texas AgriLife Extension agent Rod Santa Ana said Thursday.

About 92,000 acres of cotton in the region was awaiting harvest until driving rains and high winds stained the cotton and drove the bolls to the ground, where harvest becomes useless. Even if the bolls had remained on the plants, the resulting cotton cloth's quality would have been severely diminished.

No firm figures will be available on the damage until after Dolly passes and cotton producers are able to get back in their fields.

Flooding feared along US-Mexico border from Dolly

BROWNSVILLE, Texas, July 24 (Reuters) - Hurricane Dolly, which lashed the U.S.-Mexico coastline, weakened to a tropical depression on Thursday over South Texas, but concern remained over flooding along the populous Rio Grande Valley.

Initial reports indicated that aging levees holding back the Rio Grande River withstood a surge from Dolly, which dumped up to 12 inches (30 cm) of rain in the first hours after coming ashore at the barrier island of South Padre Island on Wednesday and spurred widespread flooding across South Texas and northeast Mexico.

The full effect of the flooding might not be seen for days as rain flows into the region where more than 1 million people live.

Local officials said the levees have held under the strain, though flooding was widespread.

Expert warns likely flooding in Nigeria

The Director Dams, Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, Mr. Emmanuel Adannu, has urged the federal government to take action on the Lake Nyos River, along Cameroon- Nigeria border before it over-flood the whole country. Adannu said that the situation needed urgent attention, stating that though the government had taken up the challenge of building dams around the River to prevent over flooding, work around there is slow, compared to the danger ahead.

Bangor, Maine, Has Massive Power Outage
118,000 Left Without Electricity in Probable Lightning Strike

The Associated Press is reporting a major power outage in most of Maine. On July 24th major power service provider Bangor Hydro Electric went down, the victim of a supposed lightening strike. Roughly 118,000 people were left without electricity.

The Associated Press says most customers lost their power before 8 a.m. This was verified by Bangor Electric's spokeswoman Susan Faloon, who said in the article that "street lights, traffic lights, you name it" were involved.

Storm Hits New England, Kills One
Some Rivers May Reach Flood Stage After Predicted Rain

CONCORD, N.H. -- Powerful thunderstorms sparked tornado warnings and flood warnings, caused building collapses and have been blamed for one death Thursday afternoon, reported WMUR-TV in Manchester, N.H.

Gov. John Lynch declared a state of emergency in Merrimack, Strafford, Belknap, Carroll and Rockingham counties and called out the National Guard to help after the storms cross New Hampshire.

"It appears that there are at least 100 homes damaged and probably at least a half-dozen homes which have been completely destroyed," Lynch said after a helicopter tour.

"It was a narrow swath of destruction that went from Epsom all the way to New Durham," he said.

Police and firefighters were going door to door in the storm-ravaged areas, which stretched from about 10 miles east of Concord to beyond the eastern end of Lake Winnipesaukee near the Maine border.

Downed trees and power lines blocked many roads, delaying emergency responders.
The storm knocked out power to 6,000 homes and businesses.

Labor pangs.

Magnitude 5.1 - EASTERN HONSHU, JAPAN
2008 July 24 02:27:42 UTC

Rain and fog hamper search for Japanese quake victims

RESCUE teams searched in dense fog and rain yesterday for victims of a powerful earthquake in northern Japan that left more than 100 people injured, some of them seriously.

The 6.8-magnitude quake struck just after midnight on the mountainous northern tip of Japan's main island of Honshu, shattering windows and triggering landslides. The region is still recovering from a June 14 tremor that measured 7.2 on the Richter scale, killed at least 13 people and left 10 others missing.

At least 116 people were injured yesterday, the national disaster agency said. Police said 26 of them were in serious condition — some broke bones as the quake threw them to the ground.

Magnitude 6.4 - KURIL ISLANDS
2008 July 24 01:43:17 UTC
Magnitude 6.4 quake near Russia's Kuril Islands


Magnitude 5.5 - SICHUAN-GANSU BORDER REGION, CHINA
2008 July 24 07:09:30 UTC

Magnitude 3.3 - BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
2008 July 24 08:57:59 UTC

Magnitude 5.8 - RAT ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
2008 July 25 00:29:27 UTC


Volcanoes in Alaska Are "Hopping," Says Scientist
[nifty pictures!--Amanda]

Reporting for the Anchorage Daily News, Beth Bragg captures the odd excitement
of local volcano researchers:

"Things are very hopping," research geophysicist Peter Cervelli of the Alaska Volcano Observatory said Monday afternoon. "We've been ramped up 24/7 for nine days because of Okmok, and to have Cleveland suddenly go off keeps us busy. I'm not sure I'd describe it as fun, but it's certainly exciting."

CHILE’S CHAITEN VOLCANO STILL ERUPTING

Southern Chile’s Chaiten Volcano, which erupted in early May for the first time in recorded history (PT, May 2), is once again making its presence felt.

Local news agencies reported Thursday that the now two-month-long, on and off again eruption has intensified significantly in the past 24 hours with the volcano once again began belching massive amounts of ash. The new eruption has also been accompanied by notable seismic activity.

The Abomination that is Obama

Obama Dons Yarmulke at Yad Vashem; Peres Praises His "Moving Humanity"

Obama left his hotel this morning, traveling in a bullet-proof limousine that was part of a nine-car motorcade. Upon arrival at Yad Vashem, Obama was greeted by Avner Shalev, chairman of Yad Vashem.

An Israeli journalist called out to Obama: “Can you ensure that there will be no second Holocaust?”

Obama walked into the museum’s main building without responding. At some point during his tour, away from the media's fixed gaze, Obama met with the Israeli border police officer who Tuesday shot and killed the Palestinian wreaking havoc and injuring Israelis with a bulldozer outside the King David Hotel.

In the “Hall of Remembrance,” Obama put on a white yarmulke, lit the “eternal flame” and placed a white chrysanthemum wreath on a stone slab.
...
Once again an Israeli journalist asked the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee how he’d help prevent a second Holocaust. "Senator can you assure Israel that there will be no second Holocaust despite Iran's threat to wipe us off the map?" he asked.

Obama demurred, saying that it wasn't appropriate to answer the question there.

"This is Yad Vashem!" the journalist responded.

Obama said he would answer the question at a later press availability.

Yeah, I'm sure.


Barack Obama heckled as he visits Western Wall

Barack Obama completed his trip to the Middle East with a pre-dawn visit to the holiest place in Judaism where he received a mixed reaction from Orthodox Jews.

The US presidential nominee was heckled as he visited the Western Wall in the early hours of Thursday morning, bowing his head in prayer and observing traditional custom by placing a folded piece of paper into the crevice of the wall.

Orthodox men interrupted their morning prayers to catch a glimpse of the Illinois senator, reaching out to shake his hand as he passed them by. But not all were taken by the Democrat. One yelled out: “Obama, Jerusalem is not for sale!” before Mr Obama was whisked away to his waiting plane.

THE HOLIEST SITE IN JUDAISM.
ONE OF THE HOLIEST SITES IN CHRISTIANITY.

and this dipshit used it for CAMPAIGN PUBLICITY.

Other news sources report the protester kept up his chant for 10 minutes or so until obamatons began chanting OBAMA! OBAMA! OBAMA!

They are DEFILING this site with the worship of a false messiah, a secular savior for the masses.

The LORD God is jealous; those who abuse and profane His Name will drink the cup of His wrath.



Psalm 79
A psalm of Asaph.

1 O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance;
they have defiled your holy temple,
they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble.

2 They have given the dead bodies of your servants
as food to the birds of the air,
the flesh of your saints to the beasts of the earth.
3 They have poured out blood like water
all around Jerusalem,
and there is no one to bury the dead.
4 We are objects of reproach to our neighbors,
of scorn and derision to those around us.
5 How long, O LORD ? Will you be angry forever?
How long will your jealousy burn like fire?
6 Pour out your wrath on the nations
that do not acknowledge you,
on the kingdoms
that do not call on your name;
7 for they have devoured Jacob
and destroyed his homeland.
8 Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers;
may your mercy come quickly to meet us,
for we are in desperate need.
9 Help us, O God our Savior,
for the glory of your name;
deliver us and forgive our sins
for your name's sake.
10 Why should the nations say,
"Where is their God?"
Before our eyes, make known among the nations
that you avenge the outpoured blood of your servants.
11 May the groans of the prisoners come before you;
by the strength of your arm
preserve those condemned to die.
12 Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times
the reproach they have hurled at you, O Lord.
13 Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture,
will praise you forever;
from generation to generation
we will recount your praise.

Good news!

GLOBAL MARKETS - Oil hits 7-week low and boosts stocks

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Oil prices fell to a seven-week low below $125 a barrel on Thursday amid a view U.S. energy demand has reached a tipping point, sending investors back into Asian stocks for the fourth consecutive day.

A retreat in oil prices and signs of improved confidence in the U.S. financial sector pushed the dollar to a one-month high against the yen.

More possible good news:

Arctic May Hold 90 Billion Barrels of Oil, U.S. Says (Update2)

July 23 (Bloomberg) -- The Arctic may hold 90 billion barrels of oil, more than all the known reserves of Nigeria, Kazakhstan and Mexico combined, and enough to supply U.S. demand for 12 years, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

One-third of the undiscovered oil is in Alaskan territory, the agency found in a study released today. By contrast, a geologic formation beneath the North Pole claimed by Russian scientists last year probably holds just 1.2 percent of the Arctic's crude, the U.S. report showed.

DRILL! DRILL! DRILL!


Meanwhile, what's going on with all those banks in trouble? Uncle Sam can't save them all, right?

If not, Uncle Mo will!

Dinars for Dollars: Arabs Buying Out Collapsing Western Banks

(IsraelNN.com) First it was Citibank. Now it's Barclay's and New York City's Chrysler Building skyscraper. Muslim Arabs are buying out collapsing Western banks and businesses and gaining growing international power, but some Arab investors are worried their investments may go down the drain with the American economy.

The current financial crisis in the United States has spread to other countries because of a massive debt that was not backed by enough real and liquid collateral. Banks and businesses gasping for financial breath are up for sale at basement prices, but no one is certain if the basement is the bottom.

"The possibility remains that more Arab white knights will be brought to rescue ailing financial institutions," wrote Dr. Mohammed Ramady, a former banker and Visiting Associate Professor at the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in the Financial Adviser magazine. He said he fears that Arab investors will end up chasing their investments with more money to keep them from going under.

Beating high food prices becomes an adventure

Also known as salvage grocers, stores such as D&K and Amelia's Grocery Outlet work with manufacturers and wholesale distributors to stock name-brand and private-label products no longer sold by traditional supermarkets for a variety of reasons, including discontinued flavors, sizes, logos or promotional labels. The stores also stock discounted groceries close to their recommended sell-by date.

Sales are up 27 percent for the year to date in Amelia's 11 stores, and there has been a 12 percent increase in same-store sales, said Michael Mitchell, Amelia's president.

Army may go unpaid as sanctions dry up supply of paper for Zimbabwe banknotes

The Zimbabwean government is struggling to find enough cash to pay its workers, and more importantly the military, after it was forced to cut back on printing money because sanctions have severed its supply of banknote paper from Europe.

Officials involved in the printing say the regime fears the presses could be shut down altogether if further political pressure causes the withdrawal of software licences used to design and print notes.

Let me get this straight: things have gotten so bad there they're actually running out of paper to print money on?!?


'Advanced S-300 on the way to Iran'

Iran is likely to begin receiving advanced S-300 anti-aircraft systems by the end of the year, defense officials said Wednesday.

The S-300 is one of the best multi-target anti-aircraft-missile systems in the world today and has a reported ability to track up to 100 targets simultaneously while engaging up to 12 at the same time.

Iran has already procured several S-300 systems to protect its nuclear facilities although reports have differed as to whether the systems have already been supplied by Russia. The systems will likely be supplied to Iran via Belarus.

Spain Seeks to Arrest Israeli Minister and IDF Officers

(IsraelNN.com) The National Court in Spain has accepted a Palestinian Authority courtsuit that was filed less than a month ago, and orders the arrest of Binyamin Ben-Eliezer. The explanation: He oversaw the killing of arch-Palestinian terrorist Salah Shehada.

The Spanish court has also ordered the arrest of former IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Yaalon and other IDF officials, both past and present, for the same reason.

The arrest orders are to be executed immediately upon the officials' setting foot on Spanish soil.

The Spanish government sympathizes with a terrorist and wants to arrest the guys who took him out? You'll pay, Spain. The LORD doesn't like it when you mess with His people.

Magnitude 6.8 - EASTERN HONSHU, JAPAN
2008 July 23 15:26:20 UTC

Dozens injured as strong quake jolts north Japan

TOKYO (Reuters) - A strong earthquake jolted northern Japan early on Thursday, injuring at least 91 people, trapping hundreds in halted trains and temporarily cutting off electric power to thousands of homes.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said there was no threat of a tsunami from the quake, which struck at 00:26 (10:26 a.m. EDT Wednesday) and had a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 and could be felt as far away as Tokyo.

A National Police Agency official said that 91 people were confirmed injured, 15 of whom were seriously hurt. Many were injured in falls or suffered cuts from broken glass.
...
"I woke up immediately. It felt like it was shaking for a long time. Books and other things that were piled up fell on the floor. All the doors were open and things were shattered," Sho Koseki, a city official in Hachinohe, about 550 km northeast of Tokyo, told Reuters by telephone.

Koseki said that troops had arrived in the area to assist, and the Defense Agency said that military planes were flying over the area to assess the extent of the damage.

Magnitude 5.3 - ANTARCTICA
2008 July 23 08:12:42 UTC

Magnitude 2.1 - GEORGIA, USA
2008 July 23 09:03:43 UTC

Magnitude 4.4 - ICELAND REGION
2008 July 23 18:35:03 UTC

Magnitude 5.8 - SICHUAN-GANSU BORDER REGION, CHINA
2008 July 23 19:54:45 UTC


Hurricane Dolly weakens to tropical storm

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (CNN) -- Hurricane Dolly weakened to a tropical storm Wednesday night after it made landfall on South Padre Island, Texas, leaving a trail of battered buildings and flooding.

By 9 p.m. CT, Dolly's sustained winds had dipped to about 70 mph with higher gusts, according to the National Hurricane Center. A Category 1 hurricane has winds of at least 75 mph. A tropical storm warning remained in effect from Brownsville to Port Aransas, Texas. Tropical storm warnings for other areas were lifted.

The eye of the storm made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane on South Padre Island, Texas, about 1 p.m. CT, tearing roofs off homes, flooding streets and sending residents scrambling for safety from wind gusts reaching 120 mph.

I guess I'm jaded after what we've gone through in previous years. None of the video or pictures I saw really impressed me.

I don't think that's a good thing.


Even after Hurricane Katrina, many won't leave
A survey shows that nearly one-fourth of people would refuse to evacuate

MIAMI - Nearly one-fourth of people in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina would refuse to evacuate for a storm if told to, a survey released Wednesday by Harvard University found.

Even after their experience with the hurricane that devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in 2005, 23 percent of people in Katrina-affected areas would not evacuate, the Harvard School of Public Health study found. Overall, 27 percent of coastal residents in eight states agreed.

*headdesk*

What makes me angry is that rescue personnel will have to risk their lives to get these freaks out when the time comes.


Bears eat two workers in remote Russian region

Up to 30 hungry and desperate bears have attacked and eaten two men in Russia's wild far eastern region of Kamchatka, and have trapped a group of geologists at their remote site.

The bears - apparently starving - killed the men last Thursday, Russian agencies reported. The bears had surrounded a local platinum mining company. Both victims worked at the mine as security guards.

About 400 geologists and miners are now refusing to return to work, afraid of further attacks. Attempts by local officials to fly to the scene by helicopter and shoot the bears have so far failed, because of bad weather, agencies reported.

Emerging Killer Virus Starts Like a Cold, But Kills Many

(NaturalNews) A newly discovered and highly lethal virus strain begins with symptoms similar to that of a cold but can quickly lead to severe respiratory crisis."This virus has the capability of causing severe respiratory illness in people of all ages, regardless of their medical condition," said John Su, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The virus was discovered by infectious-disease expert David N. Gilbert, who noticed that otherwise healthy patients were being stricken by pneumonia so severe that they would die without oxygen treatment. The dangerous symptoms developed within only one or two days of initial cough and fever symptoms.

16 hurt in bulldozer attack in J'lem

For the second time in three weeks, an Arab bulldozer driver from east Jerusalem rammed his construction vehicle into a city bus and several cars on a central
thoroughfare in the capital on Tuesday, wounding 15 people before being shot dead by a Druse border police officer and a civilian passerby.

The early afternoon attack on King David Street was seen as a failed copy of July 2's lethal bulldozer rampage on Jaffa Road in which Husam Taysir Dwayat killed three people and wounded dozens before he was killed.

'Focus on the Family' Radio Program Wins Hall of Fame Spot
Gay Activists Enraged Over Pro-Family Program's Hall of Fame Induction

The “Focus on the Family” radio program, founded by prominent conservative Dr. James Dobson, will be inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame despite efforts by homosexual activists to keep it out.

Heard on more than 1,000 stations across the United States by millions of listeners weekly, the 30-minute program is one of the largest and most respected resources for practical, emotional and spiritual support for families in the world.

Its election into the Hall of Fame is the result of online balloting that began in May and ran through July 15 following its nomination earlier this year. The program won in the “national active” category, which includes “active broadcasters who have made at least 10 years of significant contributions to the industry on a national level.”

Dolly Now a Hurricane, Set to Hit Texas Coast
Dolly upgraded to hurricane, set to hit Texas coast; Officials fear flooding may burst levees

Dolly spun into a hurricane Tuesday, heading toward the U.S.-Mexico border and the heavily populated Rio Grande Valley, where officials feared heavy rains could cause massive flooding and levee breaks.
...
A hurricane warning is in effect for the coast of Texas from Brownsville to Corpus Christi and in Mexico from Rio San Fernando northward.

Magnitude 4.3 - KOMANDORSKIYE OSTROVA, RUSSIA REGION
2008 July 22 05:33:11 UTC

Magnitude 5.2 - OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
2008 July 22 08:46:51 UTC

Magnitude 3.1 - SOUTHERN IDAHO
2008 July 22 09:32:52 UTC

Magnitude 4.1 - DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
2008 July 22 13:29:27 UTC

Magnitude 4.1 - OFF THE COAST OF OREGON
2008 July 22 18:30:35 UTC

Magnitude 4.4 - HINDU KUSH REGION, AFGHANISTAN
2008 July 22 19:40:16 UTC

Magnitude 5.1 - TONGA
2008 July 22 22:46:23 UTC


Chile decrees red alert for volcano eruption

SANTIAGO, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The Chilean regional authorities Wednesday issued a red alert near the erupting volcano Llaima.

The National Bureau of Emergency (Onemi) said the measure includes the creation of a cordoned zone to protect residents from the 50-meter wide lava flow visible from Cherquenco, some 12 km from the volcano.

After Volcanoes Erupt, Chile Decides to Build More Monitoring Stations

According to the Associated Press, the government of Chile has chosen to build three new volcano monitoring centers. Several of the country’s 122 active volcanoes have erupted this year, the most notable event being a sustained eruption of the Chaitén Volcano that started on May 2nd.

After the initial volcanic activity began, approximately 4,500 people were evacuated from the town of Chaitén, which sits at the base of volcano. The eruption lasted through various levels of intensity through July, and several amazing, cool, and intriguing photos depict an electrical storm that occurred one evening directly above
the volcano. Currently, a different eruption that commenced on July 2nd within the Llaima Volcano has other Chilean communities on alert.

Montserrat volcano spews clouds of ash; scientists say no cause for concern

OLVESTON, Montserrat (AP) - Montserrat's volcano shot towers of gray ash more than a mile (2 kilometers) into the sky Monday, but scientists said there was no cause for alarm.

Two blasts late Sunday and two more early Monday released blistering gases and steam from inside a hardened lava dome topping Soufriere Hills volcano, according to Roderick Stewart, director of the Montserrat Volcano Observatory.Wind blowing from the east pushed most of the ash from the 3,000-foot (900-meter) high volcano over open water, said Stewart, adding that there was light ashfall overnight in parts of the British island's west coast hamlet of Old Towne.

Second volcano erupts in Alaska's Aleutian chain

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - A second volcano in Alaska's Aleutian Islands has erupted in less than a month, shooting steam and ash as high as 20,000 feet into the air, officials said on Tuesday.

The eruption on Mount Cleveland on Chuginadak Island took place 90 miles west of Okmok Volcano where ongoing eruptions since July 12 have captured the attention of scientists and forced nearby residents to evacuate.

The initial eruption on Mount Cleveland, a volcano about 940 miles southwest of Anchorage, occurred on Monday, showering ash on nearby fishing vessels, according to the Alaska Volcano Observatory, a joint federal-state office that monitors Alaska's plentiful volcanoes.

Magnitude 1.6 - GEORGIA, USA
2008 July 21 01:12:30 UTC

Magnitude 5.0 - OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
2008 July 21 09:01:04 UTC
Magnitude 6.1 - OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
2008 July 21 11:30:31 UTC
Strong earthquake jolts northern Japan


Obama ban: What not to wear where?

AMMAN, Jordan—An Obama campaign ban on green clothing during the candidate’s visits to Israel and Jordan has created wide puzzlement among observers of the Middle East. In a memo to reporters, described as “a few guidelines we sent staff before departure to the Middle East,” Obama advance staffer Peter Newell laid out rules on attire for Jordan and Israel. First among them: “Do not wear green.”

An Obama aide explained to reporters that green is the color associated with the militant Palestinian group Hamas. But while the color does appear on Hamas banners, there is no particular symbolism to wearing green clothes, experts said. Moreover, green is more generally seen as a symbol of Islam.


Gas under $4? It may be closer than you think

Drivers could see gasoline prices below $4 by Labor Day, and even a nickel decline within days, after oil prices fell again Friday.

In the last four days, oil prices have dropped more than $16 a barrel, as the market looked optimistically at calm weather, U.S.-Iran negotiations, failing bank rescues and lower demand for gasoline.
...
Perhaps by Labor Day we could see gasoline prices back below $4, but we need good news," said Phil Flynn, senior market analyst for the Chicago-based Alaron Trading Group.

The good news must include no big bank failures, no sudden spike in gasoline demand, no tropical storms that endanger oil rigs and no rebel attacks on pipelines in Nigeria.

The Economy: How Bad Can It Get?

As heartening as last week's turnabout in oil prices was, however, the economy is still a long way from healthy. And there could be a lot more stock-market pain to come.

Where do we go from here? Here are the main scenarios most economists and analysts are considering.


USDA Expects Food Prices to Rise Nearly 5 Percent

Food prices have already jumped more than 5 percent this year, and some of the largest food manufacturers say they plan to raise prices again.

From the deli to the dairy aisle, prices are already high and are going to keep going up. The United States Department of Agriculture predicts that all food prices will increase up to an additional 5 percent in 2009.

Kraft Foods, Kellogg's and Tyson all say they may be forced to raise prices on some items by more than 20 percent, citing higher energy costs.

***

Deuteronomy 8 (NIV)

Do Not Forget the LORD

1 Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers. 2 Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. 4 Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. 5 Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you.

6 Observe the commands of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and revering him. 7 For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills; 8 a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; 9 a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.

10 When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. 11 Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. 12 Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, 13 and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 15 He led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. 16 He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you. 17 You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." 18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.

19 If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. 20 Like the nations the LORD destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the LORD your God.

Storm Cristobal dumps rain on Carolina coast

WILMINGTON, N.C., July 20 (Reuters) - Tropical storm Cristobal weakened slightly off the Carolinas on Sunday but still brought gale-force winds and dumped heavy rain on the North Carolina coast.

Tropical Storm Dolly speeds across Caribbean toward Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula

A tropical storm warning was in effect from Campeche, Mexico, to the Belize order. The center of the storm was about 165 miles (265 kilometers) southeast of the island tourist destination Cozumel on Sunday evening, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.

Dolly was moving northwest at 14 mph (22 kph), on course to cross the Yucatan on Sunday night and reach the Gulf of Mexico on Monday. The storm had sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph) with higher gusts.

Magnitude 3.0 - NEVADA
2008 July 20 02:40:49 UTC

Magnitude 5.2 - CARLSBERG RIDGE
2008 July 20 08:21:42 UTC

Magnitude 4.0 - NEAR THE COAST OF WESTERN TURKEY
2008 July 20 10:15:24 UTC

Magnitude 4.4 - CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN SEA
2008 July 20 11:08:31 UTC

Magnitude 4.7 - OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
2008 July 20 02:22:54 UTC
Magnitude 4.9 - NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
2008 July 20 14:16:21 UTC
Magnitude 4.8 - OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
2008 July 20 20:48:15 UTC

Magnitude 5.8 - BONIN ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION
2008 July 20 21:30:30 UTC


Threat of mass starvation looms in Zimbabwe after latest harvest fails

Millions of Zimbabweans are threatened with starvation after the widespread failure of the latest harvest brought on by the government's disastrous mishandling of land redistribution, and food shortages in the shops caused by hyperinflation.
...
A medical worker in Matabeleland, where the maize crop failure was almost total, said that there were widespread food shortages and what did arrive was mostly given to members of Mugabe's Zanu-PF party.

"The situation is extremely severe in Matabeleland. Hunger is extreme. There are the odd maize deliveries but it only goes to people with Zanu cards. Even where there is food people can't afford it," she said.

Mugabe is a raid dog and should be dealt with accordingly.


Olympic Plagues

Chinese officials appear to have been victorious in their Herculean effort to rid China's Olympic sailing venue of foul-smelling green algae that clogged bout a third of the waterway over the past month. About 10,000 soldiers, working alongside local volunteers, had raced against time to scoop up the algae with shovels, rakes and their bare hands. Huge piles of the damp green microorganisms were dumped along the shore of Qingdao, a major resort city. Environmentalists say the algae grew to such a scale because of the sewage and agricultural waste that flows into the Yellow Sea. But Chinese officials downplayed the link to pollution, saying instead that this year's unusually large bloom was due to heavy rain and hot weather. Chinese Olympic officials could also face trouble on Beijing's western front from swarms of locusts that threaten to descend on the capital from Inner Mongolia.

***

Drought still causing problems for state

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor report released this week, almost all of Chilton County is classified in a severe drought compared to 29 percent of the whole state. Most of the areas affected by the D2 severe drought are in northeastern Alabama.

All but about six percent of the state is currently experiencing some drought. The only areas not classified in a drought are Mobile and Baldwin counties.

Because of the drought, Alabama Power is taking additional steps to conserve water.
Alabama Power has cut releases from its hydroelectric dams to the minimums required to protect fisheries, endangered species, water quality and critical municipal and industrial uses. These minimal releases are the only times the company is generating any power from its dams.

First of 6 tanker brings Greek drinking water to drought-stricken Cyprus

NICOSIA, Cyprus: A tanker bringing Greek drinking water to Cyprus began nloading into a reservoir on the drought-stricken Mediterranean island Wednesday.

The vessel is one of six tankers that will ferry water from Greece in successive shipments until November to restore Cypriot water reserves, after an almost rainless winter led the government in March to cut water supplies to homes by a third.

Cyprus reached a deal with Greece for a total of 2.1 billion gallons (8 million cubic meters) of water to be brought in by November at a cost of €43 million (US$68.8 million).

It's town against farmer

GOVERNMENTS will be forced to consider hoarding water to meet the needs of regional towns dependent on the Murray-Darling river system by the end of next year.

State and federal ministers released another bleak assessment of the future of the river system yesterday. They agreed to continue emergency measures first put in place in 2006 that mean water in the lower areas of the Murray-Darling will be used only for people rather than for agriculture and irrigation.

Drought creates tension along both banks of the Jordan

A thin trickle of murky, polluted water made its way from the Jordan River to the Dead Sea this week, the normally small amount of water further diminished by drought. The situation has made it difficult for farms and towns on the Jordanian and Israeli sides of the river to continue farming or hosting tourists on the Dead Sea's northern shores.

Last week the water crisis almost sparked a diplomatic incident between Israel and Jordan. The Jordanians said Israeli farmers dammed the river beside the Adam Bridge (also called the Damia Bridge) and stopped the flow of water southward so they could irrigate their crops. Senior Defense Ministry officials contacted the Israel Defense Forces, which quickly dispatched earthmoving equipment to clear stones from the river and prove that Israel is not deliberately stopping the river's flow. The river was cleared under the watchful eyes of a Jordanian military commander, and the Jordan Valley Regional Council denied Jordanian charges that it had dammed the river.

Iranian Parliament Allocates 5bn Dollars to Eliminate Drought Damage

Bukan, Mahabad, 19 July: The representative of Bukan in the Islamic Consultative Assembly has said that the Assembly has allocated 45,000 billion rials [5bn dollars] to compensate for the damage caused by the drought and frost.

Mohammad Qasim Osmani said in an interview with IRNA on Saturday [19 July] that 20,000 billion rials of this sum will be paid to farmers and villagers for the damage caused by the drought and frost.

Moderate drought conditions continue in Lenoir County

Rain forecasted for tonight and Sunday morning is expected to bring some temporary relief to the area as a low pressure hugs the North Carolina coast, sending scattered showers inland, Accuweather meteorologist Carrie McCabe said.
...
For local farmers, the good news comes too late. Corn crops were devastated this year by drought conditions, especially in southern Pitt County, local farmer Kendall Hill said.

Texas endures drought and bit of a monsoon

LUBBOCK — Exceptional drought has returned to Texas.

Last year at this time, nearly the entire state was free of any drought stage. On Friday, about 4.5 percent of the state was in exceptional drought, the most severe stage on the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Parts or all of as many as 20 counties in the northern portion of South Texas are in exceptional drought, including Bexar, Travis, Bastrop and Hays counties.

Water scarcity in the deserts of central Asia

In Uzbekistan, it is said that every drop of water contains a grain of gold. Water is a precious resource in the desert lands of Central Asia, where only the Aral Sea and a few rivers must provide enough water for the region's 60 million people. But while the desiccation of the Aral Sea has been well documented, very little attention has been focused on the ecological destruction of the sea's two dependent rivers, the Syr Darya and the Amu Darya.
...
"Living in the center of Tashkent, water shortages are always embarrassing and just unacceptable for me. People have to go to nearby government buildings or restaurants asking for a bucket of cold water. In case of absence of hot water, it's common that families boil cold water in large amounts for showering and washing clothes, dishes and general cleaning," says Samira Umarova, an Uzbek student now studying in Canada. She criticizes the Uzbek government for its incompetence in managing water policy. "If the Uzbek state can't handle the issue, then they should allow foreign companies to deal with this problem by investing into water resource management and infrastructure."

Drought of a different sort:
Pope says 'spiritual desert' is spreading

The Pope launched a fresh assault on consumer culture and materialism today, warning of a “spiritual desert” spreading across the world in a speech to a sprawling, flag-waving crowd of about 400,000 worshippers at a mass in Sydney.

Benedict XVI, who yesterday apologised to children abused by paedophile priests, challenged young people to help build a “new age” by rejecting the “indifference, spiritual weariness and blind conformity” of the times. He also urged them to fill the growing gaps in the ranks of priests and nuns.

“A new generation of Christians is being called to help build a world in which God’s gift of life is welcomed, respected and cherished — not rejected, feared as a threat and destroyed,” the pope told the crowd, which the church claimed was the biggest on record in Australia.

Full text here.

Magnitude 7.0 - OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
2008 July 19 02:39:30 UTC
Magnitude 5.3 - OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
2008 July 19 02:47:28 UTC
Magnitude 6.6 quake hits eastern Japan
Tsunami warning lifted in northeast Japan


Magnitude 6.7 - SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS REGION
2008 July 19 09:27:04 UTC
Magnitude 6.3 - SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS REGION
2008 July 19 11:01:22 UTC
Magnitude 5.2 - SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS REGION
2008 July 19 11:15:29 UTC
Magnitude 5.3 - SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS REGION
2008 July 19 11:45:41 UTC
Strong quake hits Solomon Islands -- seismologists
Strong quake rocks Solomon Islands


Magnitude 6.4 - FIJI REGION
2008 July 19 22:39:53 UTC


Magnitude 2.3 - ALABAMA
2008 July 18 19:01:47 UTC

Magnitude 4.6 - TAJIKISTAN
2008 July 19 06:17:45 UTC

Magnitude 4.5 - MID-INDIAN RIDGE
2008 July 19 08:13:59 UTC

Magnitude 4.8 - CENTRAL PERU
2008 July 19 10:49:04 UTC

Magnitude 4.4 - GULF OF CALIFORNIA
2008 July 19 15:21:21 UTC

Magnitude 4.9 - HINDU KUSH REGION, AFGHANISTAN
2008 July 19 18:28:01 UTC

Magnitude 4.4 - MICHOACAN, MEXICO
2008 July 20 00:02:31 UTC

Magnitude 4.8 - COSTA RICA
2008 July 20 02:34:13 UTC

***

India's southwest monsoon plays hide and seek

• The weighted average rainfall across the county is now 9% above the normal. The same was 15.3% above normal a month ago.
  
• Although the onset and advancement of the rainfall was quite strong, it has failed to peak up pace especially in the rain dependent areas.
  
• In the rain dependent areas the weighted average rainfall has now fallen to level of 3.0% above normal compared with 18.4%, a month ago.
  
• The rainfall in states like UP, Punjab and Hariyana continues to be strong. These states are well irrigated and hence, the excess rainfall should help the build up reservoir levels for future. A good reservoir level in states like UP, Punjab and Haryana would also mean a great Rabi crop like wheat.
  
• Rainfall continues to elude states like Maharashtra (Marathwada and Vidarbha), Chattisgarh Andhra Pradesh (coastal, Telangana, Rayalaseema), Karnataka and Tamil Nadu
• Number of district with deficient or scanty rainfall have gone up from 4 to 14 over last one month
• We have tried to analyse the risk to the crop based on the area under cultivation in monsoon season of 2006. Key crops which are at risk are: Coarse Cereals, Oilseeds and Cotton
• For the forthcoming week good rainfall activity is likely over northeastern states, West Bengal & Sikkim, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Coastal Karnataka and Kerala. However, states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are likely to see subdued monsoon.
  

Met: More bad news in store on monsoon in Pune

PUNE: They came, they poured a little and then disappeared before anyone could say ‘enough’. That’s been the story of the monsoons this year. And the Met department has little solace to offer on the revival of monsoon. Except in the Konkan region, the state has received 20-60% less-than-normal rainfall. According to the department, the situation is likely to deteriorate further, causing concern for the state’s agricultural outlook, as only 44% of the kharif sowing has taken place till now.

Karnataka is heading for power crisis

BANGALORE, July 19, 2008: With depletion of water levels in hydel reservoirs of Karnataka on account of weak monsoon, the State Government has decided to formalize the on going unscheduled power load shedding in the State.

The Government of India's decision on Friday to reduce 100 MW of power from its central gird to Karnataka has further aggravated the crisis. The Centre took this decision a day after Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa announced that the BJP Government would provide free power to farmers owning irrigation pumpsets with a capacity up to 10 HP.

Tropical Storm Cristobal

Cristobal, the third tropical storm of the 2008 Atlantic season, has been named off the Carolina coast. As of 11 p.m. Saturday, EDT, Tropical Storm (TS) Cristobal had a center about 45 miles southeast of Cape Fear, N.C., and 170 miles southwest of Cape Hatteras, N.C. Cristobal was drifting towards the northeast at about 6 mph. Highest sustained winds were near 45 mph with higher gusts.

***

'Germany will get better Schalit deal'

In the aftermath of Wednesday's prisoner swap between Israel and Hizbullah, there are increasing calls in Hamas to replace the Egyptian mediators with German intermediaries in the talks on abducted IDF soldier St.-Sgt. Gilad Schalit.

Several Hamas officials have been quoted over the past 24 hours as expressing deep disappointment with the way the Egyptians have been handling the Schalit mediation effort.

From Hot Air: Instead of a gas-tax holiday, Congress considers gas-tax hike

Despite calls from the presidential campaign trail for a Memorial Day-to-Labor Day tax freeze, lawmakers quickly concluded — with a prod from the construction industry — that having $9 billion less to spend on highways could create a pre-election specter of thousands of lost jobs.

Now, lawmakers quietly are talking about raising fuel taxes by a dime from the current 18.4 cents a gallon on gasoline and 24.3 cents on diesel fuel.

Oh, yes, my wallet thinks that's a great idea.

Oxford professor warns of increasing opposition to Christianity

"History has come full circle and Christianity is seen once more simply as one among a plethora of competing alternatives, all of which are regarded by an increasing number of influential intellectuals as dangerous," stated Oxford professor Dr John Lennox at this year's Keswick Convention.

"We are called upon to defend the Gospel. It is on trial, faith is under fire, and it is not only its contents, it is the messengers, and we will increasingly find we have not only to defend the Gospel to the world but we have to defend it to believers as well."

Amen. And to those who call themselves believers, yet spout new-age-babble and PC gobbledygook:

US bishop hits out at African church leaders

An influential US bishop has attacked African leaders for treating him and his church as a "punchbag".

The Right Rev John Chane, the Bishop of Washington, said neither he nor the Episcopal church deserved the treatment, accusing the leaders of "demonic and dangerous" behaviour.

"I think it's really very dangerous when someone stands up and says: 'I have the way and I have the truth and I know how to interpret holy scripture and you are following what is the right way,'" he said "It's really very, very dangerous and I think it's demonic."

Watch out, "reverend", you're straying into blasphemous territory with that.

Isaiah 5:20
Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who put darkness for light
and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter.


Meanwhile, in other corners of the world:

World's Former Only Hindu Country Opens to Christianity

The world’s former only official Hindu country is now open to the preaching of the Gospel, a Christian missionary working in the country shared this past weekend with joy.

Formerly, Christians were reportedly arrested and imprisoned for preaching the Gospel in Nepal. Speaker Narayan Sharma, Gospel for Asia’s Nepal country leader, said at the GFA “Renewing Your Passion” Conference in Dallas, Texas, on Friday. He recounted when he himself was arrested and put into a dungeon-like prison cell because he shared his faith.
...
But in April, Nepal held its first election for a new legislative assembly, and in May lawmakers legally abolished the monarchy and declared the country a republic. The king was previously considered to be a god. Newly elected officials also promised to allow religious freedom in the government.

Now, Gospel programs are aired over the same government-owned radio stations that used to carry reports of Christians being arrested, Sharma said.

Uzbekistan: Man May Get 15-Year Sentence for Reading "Christian literature"

UZBEKISTAN -- A Protestant from the Karakalpakstan area of north-west Uzbekistan faces criminal trial later in July on charges of teaching religion without official approval, and establishing or participating in a state dubbed “religious extremist” organization.
...
One of the two charges Aimurat Khayburahmanov faces – establishing or participating in a “religious extremist” organization – carries a penalty of up to 15 years imprisonment. Jakbaev denied reports from local Protestants reaching Forum 18 that Khayburahmanov has been beaten in prison since his June 14 arrest. He claimed his health is “fine.”

According to Forum 18, Karakalpakstan Region operates a very harsh religious policy, with all non state-controlled Muslim and non-Russian Orthodox activity being a criminal offence. Asked what behavior in Khayburahmanov’s activity characterizes him as an “extremist,” Jakbaev told Forum 18 that he gathered people in his home and read “prohibited” Christian literature, as determined by the Karakalpakstan Religious Affairs Committee. “The Bible is not prohibited in Uzbekistan, but there are Christian books that are,” Jakbaev told Forum 18.

Asked by Forum18 which “prohibited” books Khayburahmanov had been reading, Jakbaev refused to say. All he would say was that the Religious Affairs Committee expert analysis had found them to be banned. He insisted that imprisonment is not too harsh a punishment for reading “prohibited” Christian books.

God is at work across the globe today. So is the adversary. Be vigilant; pray without ceasing; study the Word.

The 17th of Tammuz

The Mishna in Ta'anit 4:8 associates the 17th of Tammuz as the "Fast of the Fourth Month" mentioned by the prophet Zechariah. According to this Mishna, the 17th of Tammuz will be transformed in the messianic era in a day that"shall be joy to the House of Judah" full of "gladness and cheerful feasts."

The fast of the 17th of Tammuz is observed from the break of dawn until dusk, one of only two Jewish fasts to be observed in this manner.

Expecting or nursing mothers and those who are ill are expected to observe the fast but with lenience, refraining from meat, luxurious food and hard liquor.

Minors that are old enough to understand, though exempt from fasting, should also be fed only simple foods as a manner of education.

Unlike many Jewish fast days, washing and wearing leather is permitted.

Special prayers (vayechal and anenu) are added to the morning and afternoon prayers. Ashkenazim add the latter only in the afternoon service (mincha).

This day is the beginning of the Three Weeks, an annual period of mourning over the destruction of the first and second Temples in Jerusalem.

Tradition Today: The limits of mourning

The fast of the 17th of Tammuz, which begins the three-week period of mourning, is the first of four fasts associated with the destruction of the Temple. It commemorates the breach of the wall of Jerusalem by the Romans. According to Jeremiah 39:2 the Babylonians breached the wall on the 9th of Tammuz, the original date of the fast of Tammuz. The others are the 9th of Av commemorating the destruction of both Temples, the fast of Gedaliah, when the last Jewish ruler, Gedaliah, was murdered by Jews in 586 BCE, and the fast of the 10th of Tevet, which marks the beginning of Nebuchadnezzar's siege of Jerusalem. Over time other calamities were associated with these dates.

Sundown July 19- sundown July 20. The fast would be dawn to dusk Sunday.
http://www.jewfaq.org/current.htm


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Magnitude 5.0 - SOUTHERN XINJIANG, CHINA
2008 July 18 12:47:05 UTC

Magnitude 4.1 - OAXACA, MEXICO
2008 July 18 05:00:31 UTC

Magnitude 3.1 - ILLINOIS
2008 July 18 02:58:55 UTC
Another Quake Rattles Tristate

Magnitude 2.7 - WESTERN TEXAS
2008 July 18 17:31:09 UTC


'Israel declines Nasrallah's offer to negotiate Schalit deal'

Israel has turned down an offer by Hizbullah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah to take Egypt's place as mediator between Israel and Hamas for the release of captive soldier Gilad Schalit, Channel 2 reported Friday evening.

Obama's Globetrotting

Senior advisers to Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, deigned to take a few minutes to share with us some information about the senator's pending visit to Jordan, Israel, Germany, France and the UK. Any possible pending trip the senator may make to Iraq and Afghanistan was not mentioned.

"This is not a political trip," said senior Obama adviser Robert Gibbs. "This is a trip of substance."
...
What's the campaign's response to the assertion that this would seem like a political rally abroad?

“That’s not what we’re doing," Gibbs said. "The speech in Berlin will be a substantive speech about American and European relations. This trip is not at all a political trip. Or a rally of any sort. It is a series of substantive meetings with our friends and our allies to talk about the challenges we face and the national security demands for the 21st century.”

Mmm-hmm. I'm sure.



FDA Clears Suspect Tomatoes
Salmonella Investigation Now Turns to Raw Jalapeño and Serrano Peppers

Consumers got the go-ahead this afternoon to eat tomatoes again, following months of concern that the produce was linked to more than 1,000 cases of salmonella.
...
Still, the FDA said today that tomatoes may have been responsible for illnesses at the start of the outbreak. When asked if the outbreak could have been due to peppers all along, FDA and Centers for Disease Control officials Thursday declined to speculate.

Food safety officials instead said there could have been cross-contamination between tomatoes and peppers at packing or washing stations before the foods made its way to restaurants and grocery stores. They said that has never happened before in previous outbreaks.

Very, very strange.