Luke 21

1As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3"I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."

5Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, 6"As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down."

7"Teacher," they asked, "when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?"

8He replied: "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not follow them. 9When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away."

10Then he said to them: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.

12"But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. 13This will result in your being witnesses to them. 14But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 16You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17All men will hate you because of me. 18But not a hair of your head will perish. 19By standing firm you will gain life.

20"When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. 21Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. 22For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. 23How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. 24They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

25"There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

29He told them this parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees. 30When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. 31Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.

32"I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 33Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

34"Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. 35For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."

37Each day Jesus was teaching at the temple, and each evening he went out to spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives, 38and all the people came early in the morning to hear him at the temple.

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Pestilence!

Fear, anger and fatalism over swine flu in Mexico

FACTBOX - Some facts about the WHO's pandemic alert phases

Swine Flu Epidemic in Mexico and US Sets Off Alarms Across Latin America

Mexican swine flu deaths spark worldwide action
WHO says virus has killed 81 people in Mexico as US declares public health emergency and travellers' illnesses prompt concern in Europe and New Zealand

U.S. Declares Public Health Emergency in Wake of Swine Flu
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said 25 percent of the stockpile for the swine flu anti-viral medication has been released as the U.S. declares a public health emergency.

Swine Flu Confirmed in 20 People in the U.S., CDC Chief Says

Is swine flu 'the big one' or a flu that fizzles?

Swine flu fears prompt quarantine plans, pork bans

Russia: Mexican, US imports banned


Mexico flu: Your experiences
Make sure you read this one; first hand accounts from people in Mexico.



Okay, based on all of this together, there are two things I'm pretty sure of:

1) Government estimates from both sides of the border are a lot lower than people there are reporting, which makes me think they're keeping the real numbers under wraps to hide their own ignorance/incompetence.
2) Real threat or no, they're gonna leverage this for another monstrous power grab.


Also on the table:

Third bird flu death in Egypt this week

Vietnamese woman dies from bird flu: doctor

Threat of cholera outbreak after floods in Namibia

Dengue fever cases soar in Brazil

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Famine, fearful events, great signs!

The Geomagnetic Apocalypse — And How to Stop It

Could Food Shortages Bring Down Civilization?: Scientific American

1 Dead After Severe Storms Rake Midwest

Get used to saving water, Californians told

Storms sweep through Midwest, damage several homes

Forest fire burns out of control in Sweden

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Earthquakes!

Magnitude 4.6 - CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN SEA

Magnitude 4.7 - JAN MAYEN ISLAND REGION

Magnitude 5.0 - NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN

Magnitude 4.4 - JAN MAYEN ISLAND REGION

Magnitude 3.0 - NEVADA

Magnitude 5.3 - ROMANIA
Magnitude 5.3 quake rattles Romania and Moldova

Perilous fault might be causing quake swarm near O.C.

Galeras volcano erupts again

Magnitude 6.1 - KERMADEC ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND
Strong Quake Hits off New Zealand North Island

Magnitude 5.2 - MENDOZA, ARGENTINA
Moderate quake shakes Argentina, Chile

Magnitude 4.6 - NORTHERN COLOMBIA

Magnitude 5.0 - EASTERN NEW GUINEA REG, PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Magnitude 5.1 - KEPULAUAN TALAUD, INDONESIA
Moderate earthquake hits off Philippines coast

Magnitude 5.3 - KYRGYZSTAN


But don't mind me, I'm just one of the crazy right-wing extremists DHS warned you about. LOL.