Heat wave: A major summer killer

Heat kills by taxing the human body beyond its abilities. In a normal year, about 175 Americans succumb to the demands of summer heat.Among the large continental family of natural hazards, only the cold of winter-not lightning, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, or earthquakes-takes a greater toll. From 1936 through 1975, nearly 20,000 people were killed in the United States by the effects of heat and solar radiation. In the disastrous heat wave of 1980, more than 1,250 people died.And these are the direct casualties. No one can know how many more deaths are advanced by heat waves or how many diseased or aging hearts surrender that under better conditions would have continued functioning.North American summers are hot; most summers see heat waves in one section or another of the United States. East of the Rockies, heat waves tend to combine both high temperature and high humidity although some of the worst have been catastrophically dry.NOAA's National Weather Service Heat Index Program considering this tragic death tollthe National Weather Service (NWS) has stepped up its efforts to alert more effectively the public and appropriate authorities to the hazards of heat waves. Based on the latest research findings, the NWS has devised the "Heat Index" (HI), (sometimes referred to as the "apparent temperature"). The HI, given in degrees Fahrenheit, is an accurate measure of how hot it really feels when relative humidity (RH) is added to the actual air temperature.How Heat Affects the Body HumanHuman bodies dissipate heat by varying the rate and depth of blood circulation, by losing water through the skin and sweat glands, and, as the last extremity is reached-by panting, when blood is heated above 98.6 degrees.The heart begins to pump more blood, blood vessels dilate to accommodate the increased flow, and the bundles of tiny capillaries threading through the upper layers of skin are put into operation. The body's blood is circulated closer to the skin's surface, and excess heat drains off into the cooler atmosphere. At the same time, water diffuses through the skin as perspiration. The skin handles about 90 percent of the body's heat dissipating function. Sweating, by itself, does nothing to cool the body, unless the water is removed by evaporation, and high relative humidity retards evaporation. The evaporation process itself works this way: the heat energy required to evaporate the sweat is extracted from the body, thereby cooling it. Under conditions of high temperature (above 90 degrees) and high relative humidity, the body is doing everything it can to maintain 98.6 degrees inside. The heart is pumping a torrent of blood through dilated circulatory vessels; the sweat glands are pouring liquid, including essential dissolved chemicals, like sodium and chloride, onto the surface of the skin...

To read more go to:

http://newsdemocratjournal.stltoday.com/articles/2007/09/01/news/sj2tn20070814-0815ndj_firtip.ii1.txt

As in the days of Noah...

Is there a plan for the world’s conversion to Islam?-Part One

"Some theories about an alleged Muslim plan to convert the world are a myth. But it is fair to say that some Muslims are engaged in constant propaganda and that at a social and cultural level Islam is colonising the West. Saudi Arabia provides the money; the process of de-Christianisation offers the religious motive; ignorance and a sense of embarrassment in many Western governments do the rest. Here is the third (and last) part of an analysis by Fr Samir Khalil Samir, an Egyptian Jesuit and Islam expert..."

Beirut-Is there a Muslim plan to take over the world? There is talk about a paper (which I haven’t seen) ostensibly published at a conference held in India in 1996 that purports to endorse a strategy for the conversion of Europe by 2050 and of the world by 2100 to Islam.I think this is just a myth or some story blown totally out of proportion. I do think though that for the past 60 or so years the Muslim Brotherhood, increasingly backed by Saudi Arabia and many other Muslim countries like Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, etc., has tried to turn Muslim countries into Islamic states governed by Sharia law.The second phase of this plan, carried out concurrently to the first, is to Islamise Christians living in Muslim countries. This is happening wherever there are radical Muslims, in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Iraq...We saw this happen in Iraq in the past year, where some neighbourhoods in Baghdad have become micro-caliphates in which Christians are told to convert to Islam or pay the Jizya (protection money), and accept second-class status.
Converting Europe
The third phase is the conversion of Europe (and for Muslims Europe symbolises Christianity). This is carried out first and foremost by working with young, European-born Muslims through imams teaching radical ideologies in mosques, prisons, bookstores. The next step is propaganda through Tabligh, a method that evolved in Pakistan and has spread to Europe. It is a mystical, Sufi-like missionary movement that has converted tens of thousands of Europeans. Another movement that aims at converting Europe is that of radical Islam, which is highly critical of European culture as a whole.However, the most dangerous trend because it is subtler is that incarnated by Tariq Ramadan, a scholar who has become a leading figure in Europe and is consulted as an expert by Western governments.Ramadan says that Muslims in Europe want to become European Muslims but for this to happen European society must recognise Muslims and give them the necessary space to express ourselves.In practical terms this means converting Europe’s social and legal systems in order to facilitate converting people. It means Islamising institutions on the premise that since Europe no longer has a soul but only technology, Islam is the only religion that can fill the void.Throughout Islam’s history conversions were the consequences of systems’ changes. In Egypt for instance a Christian who wanted to play a role in politics sooner or later had to convert with his family automatically following. Today anyone who wants to be a government minister, a head physician or an army general needs the advantages that come with being Muslim. As a result of this over the centuries the best and brightest and their offspring could only leave.The same happens in marriage. Non-Muslim women who marry Muslim men today end up becoming Muslim. And yet, the Qur’an says that a Jewish or a Christian woman need not change her religion to marry. Verse Five, Chapter Five (the last to be revealed by God) does indeed say:“Today, all good food is made lawful for you. The food of the people of the scripture is lawful for you, [and your food is lawful for them]*. Also, you may marry the chaste women among the believers, as well as the chaste women among the followers of previous scripture, provided you pay them their due dowries. You shall maintain chastity, not committing adultery, nor taking secret lovers. Anyone who rejects faith, all his work will be in vain, and in the Hereafter he will be with the losers.” (Translation by Rashad Khalifa)In Italy and Europe it is becoming increasingly commonplace for European women to become Muslim in order to marry Tunisian, Libyan or Moroccan men even though the Sharia does not require it. Pushed by extremists Muslim men increasingly demand from their future wives that they convert, and the latter out of love and because of the lack of strong religious convictions often do without fully grasping its consequences.Until the 1950s many Muslims intellectuals and political leaders boasted at having a Christian wife. This is no longer the case in Muslim but also in traditionally Christian countries. This is a victory for radicals in the Muslim world who, as they put, “can convert even in their Christian world.”

To be continued...

Source:Asia News

As in the days of Noah....

Lord of the Rings Film Star Ian McKellen Admits to Ripping Out Hotel Bible Sections Against Homosexuality

AUKLAND,NZ-British Actor Ian McKellen who has used the mega-stardom he achieved playing Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings films to promote homosexuality, has admitted to ripping out pages of hotel bibles that refer to homosexuality.In an August 10 interview on New Zealand's TV1 Close Up program McKellen was confronted by the interviewer questioning the truth of the rumour "He's the one, that when he stays in hotels rips the part of the bible out that criticizes homosexuality.""Yes it is true," responded McKellen in even tones."Its Leviticus 18:22 that I object to, or is it 22:18, I've always got to look it up.Thou shalt not lie with a man as with a woman, it is an abomination.And they, I think the punishment for an abomination was being stoned to death,"he said.McKellen added,"I think it's rather obscene and pornographic, and shouldn't be there,so I remove it."Asked how many bibles he has vandalized, McKellen replied, "I have no idea, but other people do it as well, people send me evidence that they have been removing that. "McKellen has been vandalizing bibles in the same fashion for at least a few years.He first admitted publicly to the activity in 2004 in an interview with the UK Telegraph. (see: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml;jsessionid=4UNBF1MS0VDI3QFIQMFCFF4AVCBQYIV0?xml=/arts/2004/05/17/bfian.xml&page=2 )In May last year, McKellen campaigned for homosexual 'marriage' in Britain.He complained that a then-new UK law allowing homosexual civil unions did not go far enough."I really can't see why the government couldn't just say gay people can get married-that would have been true equality and so much simpler.But that hasn't been done because they couldn't face the furore,"he said.Ironically, the genius behind the story which gave McKellen his current pedestal-J.R. Tolkien-held that homosexuality was a disorder and was a staunch defender of traditional Catholic teaching on sexual morality.Tolkien's thoughts on human sexuality are most clearly represented in his personal writings.In Tolkein's letter to his then-21 year old son Michael, he warned that illicit sexuality is one of the prime dangers for souls."The devil is endlessly ingenious,and sex is his favorite subject," he wrote. Tolkien was very aware of the hardships of remaining faithful in marriage,but recognized that in only in God's plan for marriage can happiness be found.He wrote,"No man, however truly he loved his betrothed and bride as a young man, has lived faithful to her as a wife in mind and body without deliberate conscious exercise of the will, without self-denial."And in another place he said,"Christian marriage is not a prohibition of sexual intercourse,but the correct way of sexual temperance-in fact probably the best way of getting the most satisfying sexual pleasure.

"See the TV1 Up Close interview with McKellen here:http://tvnz.co.nz/view/video_popup_windows_skin/1287942?band...

PS:Well here we have a fellow that rips Bibles cause it doesn't "aprove of homosexuality" and I don't hear any uproar or he has not been prosecuted for it...Remember the guy that lately tried to flush the Koran down the toilet...?Where is he now...?Where is this stranged actor...??? Well this man has to rest assured of one thing...his head won't be cut off by christians....

As in the days of Noah...

PERSECUTION WATCH:36 church members disappear,1 returns;Minister warns of increased persecution of Christians

Three dozen members of one Christian church in Iraq disappeared over the course of a week, and only one returned, according to a minister who is warning of the increase of persecution of Christians in that violence-ridden nation.The warning from Rev. Canon Andrew White is being reported by Voice of the Martyrs, the ministry to persecuted Christians around the world.VOM cited an interview with White on CBNNews.com in which the Anglican minister from Baghdad was describing the conditions for Iraqi Christians for a committee on religious freedom. He said kidnappings, torture and executions of Christians are rising.He also noted the people's desire for Christ sometimes is overwhelming.The small church he leads in Baghdad was small, but has exploded to an attendance of more than 1,300 recently."It is an Anglican church, and none of my people are Anglicans,"he said."They simply some to church because it is the closest church to come to in the midst of great danger."But White said the conditions have deteriorated at an increasing pace in the past few months, and it's sometimes hard to quantify the extent of the persecution.But he said he asked members of his congregation for their perspective on the situation."Things are bad for everybody in Iraq.I said them (church members); tell me what has happened over the past week.And the people went through what had happened and I realized that 36 of my congregation in that past week had been kidnapped,"White said.Only one was returned.During his testimony before the commission,he said although Christianity has been present in Iraq from the "foundation" of the faith-ever since Thomas stopped off in Nineveh and converted the people of the city to Christianity-none of its historic tribulations compares to the troubles today."In the past few months many Christians have had to leave their places of residence, especially in Dora on the outskirts of Baghdad," he said. "In Dora, many people were threatened with death if they did not convert to Islam or pay large sums in Islamic tax.There are now hundreds of Christians living in churches in Baghdad, where the provision of food and water is becoming increasingly difficult."As WND has reported, radical Islamists in the region have been documented to be using a video of an actual beheading to terrorize Christians into leaving."In the past few months Christians have become a specific target," he said."They have become targets of murder, kidnapping and torture.Sadly, there are multiple examples of this. Thirty-six of my own congregation have been kidnapped.To date, only one has been returned."
The reasons given for the attacks including not being Muslim,and belonging to a Western religion, even though that is not accurate, he said...
To read more go to:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57416


As in the days of Noah....

Wiccan practitioner's widow not invited to Bush meeting:President talked to family members of other war dead

CARSON CITY-When President Bush took time Tuesday to meet family members of some of the fallen soldiers from Northern Nevada, a woman whose husband made the ultimate sacrifice was notably absent.Roberta Stewart of Fernley, who lost her husband, Sgt. Patrick Stewart, when the helicopter he was in was shot down in Afghanistan in September 2005, said she was not invited to the meeting that followed Bush's speech to the American Legion's national convention in Reno.Other members of the Stewart family were invited to the brief, private meeting, including her husband's parents and brother, as were family members of others who have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.Stewart said her in-laws were contacted by the White House last week in advance of the visit by Bush to Reno. But she received no call or e-mail extending an invitation.Stewart's parents, Steve and Sandy Stewart of Reno, and his brother, Jason Stewart of Silver Springs, offered no comment on the meeting.Roberta Stewart said she believes she knows why no invitation was extended to her by the White House.Roberta Stewart, like her late husband, is a practitioner of the Wiccan faith, and she fought with the Department of Veterans Affairs for more than a year to win the right to display the pentacle, the emblem of their faith, on his memorial marker in the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Fernley.Patrick Stewart had the pentacle on his dog tags.Roberta Stewart and several other Wiccans, backed by a major Wiccan religious group and Americans United for Separation of Church and State, reached a settlement with the federal agency in April allowing the symbol to be used in veterans cemeteries."I'm upset that I wasn't invited," she said of the Bush meeting. "I think it is because of my faith. I feel like I've been discriminated against again."Stewart said she would have gone if invited."I would have loved to have spoken to President Bush and ask him why he dishonored my husband," she said."That's probably why I wasn't invited."White House spokesman Trey Bohn said only that Bush met privately with family members of military personnel who have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan and that,"we do not discuss private meetings."Stewart said that while researching a lawsuit to allow the use of the pentacle,Wiccan attorneys came across information indicating Bush was opposed to recognition of the faith.The New York Times reported when the settlement was reached in April that Bush,in an interview with Good Morning America in 1999, said:"I don't think witchcraft is a religion."The government finally agreed to the settlement"in the interest of the families concerned and to spare taxpayers the expense of further litigation,"VA spokesman Matt Burns said in an e-mail announcing the agreement in April.Additionally,Burns said,the agency settled after it became clear that the Wiccan pentacle would be deemed acceptable under new rules the VA has proposed for recognizing "emblems of belief."The Wiccan faith is based on nature and emphasizes respect for the earth and its processes.One of its primary tenants is "do no harm."
The space allotted for Patrick Stewart's plaque at the Fernley cemetery remained blank until November, when the state of Nevada sidestepped the federal government and allowed the use of the symbol at the cemetery.The Nevada Army National Guardsman and four other soldiers died after their Chinook helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan.Among the dead was Stewart's friend, John Flynn, a chief warrant officer with the guard.Flynn's widow,Christie Flynn,was invited to the Bush meeting,Roberta Stewart said."Other local widows were there.I was excluded."If Bush thought he was honoring Patrick Stewart by meeting with selected family members,he was wrong,Roberta Stewart said."I am very, very disappointed," she said.

http://www.lvrj.com/news/9441071.html

As in the days of Noah...

FRANKESTEIN SCI-WATCH:Useful Mutants,Bred With Radiation

VIENNA-Pierre Lagoda pulled a small container from his pocket and spilled the contents onto his desk. Four tiny dice rolled to a stop.“That’s what nature does,” Dr. Lagoda said.The random results of the dice, he explained, illustrate how spontaneous mutations create the genetic diversity that drives evolution and selective breeding.He rolled the dice again.This time,he was mimicking what he and his colleagues have been doing quietly around the globe for more than a half-century-using radiation to scramble the genetic material in crops, a process that has produced valuable mutants like red grapefruit, disease-resistant cocoa and premium barley for Scotch whiskey.“I’m doing the same thing,”he said, still toying with the dice.“I’m not doing anything different from what nature does. I’m not using anything that was not in the genetic material itself.”Dr. Lagoda, the head of plant breeding and genetics at the International Atomic Energy Agency, prides himself on being a good salesman. It can be a tough act, however, given wide public fears about the dangers of radiation and the risks of genetically manipulated food. His work combines both fields but has nonetheless managed to thrive.The process leaves no residual radiation or other obvious marks of human intervention. It simply creates offspring that exhibit new characteristics.Though poorly known, radiation breeding has produced thousands of useful mutants and a sizable fraction of the world’s crops, Dr. Lagoda said, including varieties of rice, wheat, barley, pears, peas, cotton, peppermint, sunflowers, peanuts, grapefruit, sesame, bananas, cassava and sorghum. The mutant wheat is used for bread and pasta and the mutant barley for beer and fine whiskey.The mutations can improve yield, quality, taste, size and resistance to disease and can help plants adapt to diverse climates and conditions.Dr. Lagoda takes pains to distinguish the little-known radiation work from the contentious field of genetically modified crops, sometimes disparaged as “Frankenfood.” That practice can splice foreign genetic material into plants, creating exotic varieties grown widely in the United States but often feared and rejected in Europe. By contrast, radiation breeding has made few enemies....

To read more go to:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/28/science/28crop.html?ex=1189310400&en=4899fb9ae9c85a36&ei=5123&partner=BREITBART

As in the days of Noah...

More police to use stun guns

More police are now able to use Taser stun guns in the line of duty.Non-firearm specialists in 10 forces across England and Wales are to be permitted to use the 50,000-volt weapons to protect themselves or civilians.However, fears have been raised that the one-year trial could compromise public safety if it is not carefully handled.Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg said the pilot projects had to be conducted with "great caution and rigour"."Whilst everybody understands that police officers need to protect themselves in those places where they feel under direct threat, no-one wants to see us move down the slippery slope to fully armed US-style policing," he said."There remain many questions about Taser gun technology which must be carefully weighed up."The Home Office insists officers will undergo a rigorous selection procedure before being allocated Tasers. Previously around 3,000 were in use, but only by members of police firearms units.The Tasers deliver powerful electric shocks and are intended to be a "less lethal" alternative to regular police weapons.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=paTaser_Sat_17_Taser_guns&show_article=1&catnum=7
As in the days of Noah...

Talks on Climate Change Impact in Africa

OSLO,Norway-Climate change could worsen Africa's struggle to feed itself, but simple steps-a cistern to catch rainwater, a solar panel, or hardier seeds for crops-could help the continent's subsistence farms,specialists and activists said Friday.About 250 researchers,donors,and officials met in Oslo this week for the Second Green Africa Revolution Conference,which follows up a 2004 challenge from former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to revolutionize African farming.Africa imports about 25 percent of its food, and one in three of its residents suffer chronic hunger, according to a report at the conference.That will worsen if climate changes cause rains to dry up in some areas and flood others.David Stainforth, climate expert at Britain's Exeter University, said change is coming.Although most scientists are hesitant to make detailed regional predictions, he said,"We are certainly looking at a very dramatic situation.""Accounting for climate change could make the difference between the long-term success or the long-term failure of a project like the Green Africa Revolution,"he said.An April report by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,a network of 2,000 scientists, said that by 2020 an additional 75 million to 250 million people could suffer water shortages due to climate change.Kanayo Nwanze, vice president of the Rome-based International Fund for Agricultural Development, said most African governments are aware of the threat, but are often already overrun by other problems, such as epidemics of HIV/AIDS and other diseases."It is not that they ignore climate change, they just don't have the capacity," he said.Nwanze said such steps as rice crops genetically engineered to ripen faster, would help conserve water for other crops.
Howard Shapiro, director of plant science and external research for Mars Inc., said farmers could be provided with seeds that are hardier and more resistant to drought.In many areas, 60 percent of the rainfall runs off before African farmers can use it so "a simple cistern (to collect rainwater) could provide potable water,"he said."Even the smallest amount of irrigation at the right time can save a crop."John Boehmer, of Kyoto Energy Ltd., said African women do 60-70 percent of the farming, and then also haul water along with wood or other fuel to provide heat.
His company is developing a program in which Western industry could finance simple technology-solar panels or solar water heaters-for African families,paid for by offsetting the company's own carbon emission quotas."This is not aid, this is business,"he said.Boehmer said some families' costs would immediately be cut in half,and time would be freed up to farm instead of gather fuel.
On the Net:
http://www.africangreenrevolutionconference.com/
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8RCI7FG1&show_article=1&catnum=7
As in the days of Noah...

Germany Wants to Spy on Suspects Via Web

BERLIN-German officials on Friday defended a proposal to use "Trojan horse" software to secretly monitor potential terror suspects' hard drives, amid fierce debate over whether the measures violate civil liberties.Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble wants to include the measure in a broader security law being considered by conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition government.Schaeuble defended the tactic in an interview with n-tv television Friday, calling the ongoing debate "completely exaggerated,"underlining that judicial approval would be required before the measures could be used."It's about a few isolated cases."Carried in e-mails that appear to come from other government offices, the software would allow authorities to investigate suspects' Internet use and the data stored on their hard drives without their knowledge.Use of the government-produced technology for spying on terror suspects "will cover a serious and scandalous hole in our information that has arisen through technical changes in recent years," Stefan Kaller, a spokesman for Schaeuble told reporters.The proposal stems from a Federal Court decision earlier this year to block clandestine remote searches of suspect computers until there was a law governing the practice.It has met with strong criticism from opposition parties and civil liberties groups.Max Stadler, a security expert with the opposition Free Democrats, insists such practices would weaken citizens' trust in government."It is an invasion into the private sphere," Stadler told ZDF television.Schaeuble's office has not yet released a copy of the bill, but elements of it that were leaked to German media include allowing investigators to send e-mail messages that appear to be from the Finance Ministry or the Youth Services Office, but which actually carry the Trojan horse software.Thomas Steg, a spokesman for Merkel, said the chancellor supports the broader bill, but expects "a difficult and intensive discussion with the ministries, the coalition and the experts" on it before it is passed into law.
Hartmut Pohl, an expert with Germany's Association for Computer Technology, expressed doubt that the measure would succeed, pointing out that most suspects are technologically savvy enough to recognize and remove the Trojans from their hard drives.The government has not released any details of exactly how the software would operate.In February, Germany's Federal Court of Justice rejected federal prosecutors' attempts to search hard drives through the Internet. Prosecutors had argued that the legal reasoning used to allow telephone surveillance and other electronic eavesdropping techniques should also be applied to evidence gathering over the Internet.Germany, unlike Britain or Spain, has been spared a major terrorist attack, but German and U.S. officials have warned recently of increased dangers, prompting tighter security measures.In recent weeks, German troops and others working in Afghanistan have been targeted by Islamic radicals in suicide bombings and kidnappings aimed at forcing the withdrawal of the nation's 3,000 troops deployed with the international security force there.The heightened threat level only makes the matter more urgent, Kaller said, insisting that, "Any delay can mean a security risk."

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8RC4F2O1&show_article=1

As in the days of Noah....

Russia to send manned mission to the Moon by 2025

MOSCOW-Russia plans to send cosmonauts to the Moon by 2025 and establish a permanent manned base there in 2027-2032, the head of the space agency said Friday.Anatoly Perminov said that in accordance with Russia's space program through 2040, a manned flight to Mars will be carried out after 2035.He said that toward the end of this year, Russia will have 103 satellites in orbit, up from the current 95.There are plans for a new space center in the country, but a site has not yet been selected, he said. Russia currently launches all manned flights from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan. Perminov said previously that construction of a new launch facility would only begin after a new type of spacecraft was built.A major source of revenue for the agency in recent years has been space tourist flights from Baikonur to the International Space Station (ISS), with tickets currently priced at around $30 million. Russia has put five wealthy foreign tourists into space since 2001.Perminov said the first Russian space tourist, who will fly to the ISS in 2009, is a businessman and politician."He asked me not to disclose his name yet. I can only say that he is a serious young Russian businessman and politician. He is currently undergoing medical tests."The agency chief said that in 2016-25, after the ISS is put out of operation, Russia plans to deploy a platform in a low-earth orbit to assemble spacecraft.The US has said the station should be scrapped in 2015, while Russia has proposed using the Russian segment until 2020.Perminov said:"The ISS will be transformed into a laboratory complex where research will be conducted."

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20070831/75959612.html

As in the days of Noah....

Couple weds before same-sex marriages halted

DES MOINES,Iowa-Two men sealed the state's first legal same-sex marriage with a kiss Friday morning, less than 24 hours after a judge threw out Iowa's ban on gay marriage and about two hours before he put the ruling on hold.It was a narrow window of opportunity.Thursday afternoon, Polk County Judge Robert Hanson temporarily cleared the way for same-sex couples across the state to apply for marriage licenses in Polk County.He ruled that Iowa's 1998 Defense of Marriage Act, which allowed marriage only between a man and a woman, violated the constitutional rights of due process and equal protection of six gay couples who had sued.County attorney John Sarcone promised a quick appeal, and he asked Hanson to stay his ruling until the appeal was resolved.A dozen gay and lesbian couples were waiting at the county recorder's office when it opened Friday morning.By late morning, 20 had applied for marriage licenses when Recorder Julie Haggerty announced that she had been instructed to stop accepting the applications. Hanson later said the judge had formally stayed his ruling.The judge's stay means the recorder's office is not permitted to accept any more marriage applications from gay couples until the Iowa Supreme Court rules on the county's appeal.Sean Fritz and Tim McQuillan were among the lucky few to get their application through.The marriage license approval process normally takes three business days, but Fritz and McQuillan took advantage of a loophole that allows couples to skip the waiting period if they pay a $5 fee and get a judge to sign a waiver.
Friday morning, the Rev. Mark Stringer declared the two Iowa State University students legally married in a wedding on the Unitarian minister's front lawn in Des Moines."This is it. We're married. I love you," Fritz told McQuillan after the ceremony.Fritz explained their hurry: "We're both in our undergrad programs and we thought maybe we'd put it off until applying at graduate school, but when this opportunity came up, we thought maybe we wouldn't get the opportunity again."Republican House Minority Leader Christopher Rants said the ruling illustrates the need for a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage."I can't believe this is happening in Iowa," Rants said. "I guarantee you there will be a vote on this issue come January," when the Legislature convenes.Gov. Chet Culver left open the possibility of state action."While some Iowans may disagree on this issue, I personally believe marriage is between a man and a woman," the governor said.Gay marriage is legal in Massachusetts, and nine other states have approved spousal rights in some form for same-sex couples. Nearly all states have defined marriage as being solely between a man and a woman, and 27 states have such wording in their constitutions, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.Dennis Johnson, a lawyer for the six gay couples who sued after being denied marriage licenses in 2005, said Iowa has a long history of aggressively protecting civil rights in cases of race and gender. The Defense of Marriage Act contradicts previous rulings regarding civil rights and is simply "mean spirited," he said.Roger J. Kuhle, an assistant Polk County attorney, argued that the issue was not for a judge to decide.Hanson ruled that the state law banning same-sex marriage must be nullified, severed and stricken from the books, and the marriage laws "must be read and applied in a gender neutral manner so as to permit same-sex couples to enter into a civil marriage ...""This is kind of the American Dream," said plaintiff Jen BarbouRoske, of Iowa City. "I'm still feeling kind of shaky. It's pure elation. I just cannot believe it."Kate Varnum of Cedar Rapids, another plaintiff, said she was elated but expected more legal battles: "I don't expect this to be the last one."

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/08/31/iowa.samesex.ap/index.html

As in the days of Noah...

Tropical depression could become Hurricane Felix

MIAMI-The sixth tropical depression of the Atlantic hurricane season formed Friday, while Tropical Storm Henriette drenched parts of Mexico's Pacific coast, the National Hurricane Center said.At 8 p.m. ET, the depression had top sustained winds of 35 mph.It would become a tropical storm when its winds hit 39 mph, which the hurricane center said could happen Saturday.Computer models call for the system-which would be named Felix-to reach Category 1 hurricane status early next week.The center of the storm was about 75 miles south of Barbados, moving west at 16 mph on a track that will take it past the Windward Islands late Friday and early Saturday.Tropical storm warnings were issued for the islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and for Tobago and Grenada. A tropical storm warning means tropical storm conditions are expected within the next 24 hours.Tropical storm watches-meaning tropical storm conditions are possible in the next 36 hours-were issued for the islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao and the northern coast of Venezuela from Cumana to Pedernales, including the island of Margarita.Although long-term predictions of the storm's behavior are not wholly reliable, computer models show the storm taking a similar track to that of Hurricane Dean, but somewhat to the south, closer to Venezuela.Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Henriette dumped heavy rain along the southwestern coast of Mexico, the National Hurricane Center said. Up to 15 inches could fall in some places, causing life-threatening flash floods and mudslides, the center warned. At 8 p.m. ET, the storm was about 120 miles west of Acapulco, Mexico, moving west-northwest at about 12 mph. It had top winds of 45 mph and could strengthen to hurricane status in the next day or so, according to the hurricane center.A tropical storm warning remains in effect along portions of the coast, from Lagunas de Chacahua to Manzanillo.A hurricane watch is in effect from Manzanillo to Cabo Corrientes. A hurricane watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within 36 hours.

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/weather/08/31/tropical.depression/index.html

As in the days of Noah...

USS Kearsarge Expeditionary Strike Group takes up position opposite Lebanese coast amid trepidation over September presidential election

Our military sources report that aboard the Kearsarge group’s vessels are members of the 22nds Marine special operations-capable Expeditionary Unit, ready to execute landings on Lebanese beaches.Wednesday, Aug. 29, Adm. William Fallon, chief of US Central Command and the war on terror paid an unannounced visit to Beirut, although for years US generals have given the Lebanese capital a wide berth. He left after three hours, the longest time considered safe for him to stay. Our sources reveal he reviewed with Lebanese leaders US preparations for military intervention should the September presidential election descend into civil violence or elicit an attempt by Iran, Syria or Hizballah to seize power by force. Such an attempt could leave Lebanon dangerously stranded between two rival administrations.The posting of the Kearsage and a marine force within reach of Lebanese shores is intended as a deterrent and indicator of Washington’s willingness to send the military over to prevent Lebanon’s takeover by Iran or Syria.Adm. Fallon also inspected the measures for protecting the lives of the anti-Syrian leaders prime minister Fouad Siniora, majority party head Saad Hariri and Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, and the safety of US ambassador Jeffrey Felton, a key mover in charting US strategy for Lebanon, and the embassy staff.Portents of coming unrest were seen last week in the hasty departure from Beirut of the Saudi and UAE ambassadors under threats to their lives. Most Arab and European missions have cut down staff in the Lebanese capital.Lebanese police are investigating the re-appearance of a sick videogame in Beirut whose goal is the murder of the prime minister, cabinet members, Jumblatt and Maronite leader Samir Geagea, who are designated “thieves and traitors.” Its name, “The Battle of the Seraya,” refers to the government building. The game, which has been removed from stores in Beirut, depicts underground tunnels leading from the government building to the US embassy, echoing Hizballah’s reference to the Siniora government as “the Feltman Cabinet."The government building has been guarded by tanks and three army and police battalions since the Hizballah-led opposition occupied downtown Beirut earlier this year with the declared aim of toppling the government.

http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=4548

As in the days of Noah...

Jordan's king holds high hopes for int'l Mideast peace conference

Jordan's King Abdullah II urged Palestinians on Friday to overcome internal divisions to realize their goal of an independent state.The king's call comes as the Fatah and Hamas movements remain deeply divided, both physically in their respective strongholds of the West Bank and Gaza Strip and ideologically in their approach toward Israel."We call upon all our Palestinian brothers to let sound judgment and reason prevail," Abdullah said in an interview with Jordanian television."The separation of Gaza from the West Bank is unacceptable at both the Palestinian and Arab levels."The violent seizure of the Gaza Strip by Hamas in June has created dueling Palestinian governments, with Hamas ruling the Gaza Strip and loyalists of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in charge in the West Bank. Hamas opposes Israel's existence, while Abbas seeks a political accommodation.Abdullah held out high hopes for an international Mideast peace conference called for by US President George W. Bush and scheduled to take place in November.He said the meeting would be a "significant opportunity to resolve the core conflict in the region between Israelis and Palestinians in accordance with international resolutions and the Arab peace initiative."The peace plan referred to by the king envisions full Arab recognition of Israel in exchange for lands it captured in the 1967 Six-Day War.The US and Israel have said the plan could be a basis for reviving the Arab-Israeli peace process, but Israel has also expressed reservations over many of its provisions, including the call to solve the Palestinian refugee issue.Abdullah called on Israel "to recognize the rights of the Palestinian people...and cooperate for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on Palestinian land."The king is scheduled to visit France, Saudi Arabia and Egypt in the coming days to push forward the Mideast peace process.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1188392507772&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

As in the days of Noah...

US hints at large food aid for North Korean flood victims

A State Department spokesman late Friday said that the US was ready to talk to North Kore about a "significant" food aid package for victims of the recent devastating floods.Widespread floods in August caused huge crop losses in a nation already unable to feed its people.

Washington "is prepared to engage with North Korean officials on arrangements for a significant food aid package, including appropriate monitoring procedures," deputy State Department spokesman Tom Casey said in a statement.The US "is already providing immediate assistance in the form of badly needed antibiotics to prevent the spread of water-borne illness,"Casey said.The State Department on August 17 said that US is providing 100,000 dollars in humanitarian aid to North Korea.The aid is funneled through Mercy Corps and Samaritan's Purse, two US non governmental organizations operating in North Korea.Casey also said that the US "would like to express its sincere condolences to the people of North Korea who have suffered loss of life, homes and injury as a result of the recent severe flooding."Almost 300 people were dead or missing in the North Korean floods, according to a foreign aid agency quoting official figures in the nuclear-armed hardline communist nation.Official media in the reclusive state have painted a grim picture of inundated crops and homes, flooded factories and mines and washed-out roads. The US, together with China, Russia, Japan and South Korea,have promised to provide the North Koreans aid and security and diplomatic guarantees if it scraps its nuclear weapons program.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=070901053904.3y4zafwm&show_article=1&catnum=0

As in the days of Noah...

END TIMES WEATHER:Heat Wave Increases Calif. Fire Threat

LOS ANGELES-Utilities urged customers to ease up on electricity use and officials opened cool shelters as California continued to swelter under a heat wave Friday. Meanwhile, cloudbursts laced with lightning unleashed downpours in the mountains and deserts, leading to flash flood watches and warnings. Firefighters also watched for lightning-sparked wildfires.The steamy conditions were expected to continue into midweek."When I opened the door, the heat almost knocked me down," Joan Porter told KCAL-TV as she sat in an air-conditioned senior citizens' center in Altadena, a foothill community northeast of Los Angeles that topped 100 degrees.A Los Angeles utility reported power outages to nearly 4,800 customers with high demand. Meanwhile, a regional utility said it supplied a record amount of electricity to some 13 million people in Southern California and attributed the power demand to increased use of air conditioners.The hot weather began Wednesday and may have played a role in the death of an 81-year-old hiker who became exhausted and ran out of water in inland Riverside County.The heat also may have played a role in the crash of two small planes taking off hours apart Thursday at an airfield east of Sacramento, officials said.Two people died and two critically injured in one crash, and two were injured in the other crash.The thinner warm air may have provided less lift for the planes as they took off, suggested Bob Petersen, air squadron commander for the El Dorado County Sheriff's Department.Meanwhile, the state entered the peak two months of its fire season, when historically the most devastating blazes have occurred, said Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.Aircraft patrolled the Sierra and other wilderness areas to spot remote wildfires. Visitors swarming into the backcountry over the Labor Day weekend increased the risk of fires from improper or illegal campfires, Berlant said.Officials also announced charges against two men and a cattle ranch suspected of recklessly starting a fire that has burned for nearly two months in central California.The heat was expected to strain the state's electricity generating capacity, although no shortages were predicted. The California Independent System Operator, which oversees the state's power grid, urged customers to continue conserving electricity.Southern California Edison said its energy load peaked at an all-time high of 23,303 megawatts Friday afternoon, surpassing the previous record of 22,889 megawatts set on July 25, 2006.The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said crews were working to restore power to 4,798 customers, said utility spokeswoman Kim Hughes.
Meanwhile, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the nation's largest public utility, said Friday that the recent heat wave in its seven-state region helped create record electricity demand.The TVA set 13 peak power demand records-more than one every three days-during the month of August,TVA spokesman Gil Francis said Friday.The federal utility set an all-time record of 33,499 megawatts on Aug. 16 when the average temperature in the valley hit 103.6 degrees-the highest average for TVA's region in 55 years.A thousand megawatts powers about 550,000 homes in the utility's coverage area, which includes most of Tennessee and parts of Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina and Virginia.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8RCG4O00&show_article=1&catnum=0

As in the days of Noah...

Seven Major Prophetic Signs of the Second Coming -Part One

Sixth Annual Year End Update 12-30-06
There are seven major prophetic signs of the Second Coming, and for the first time in history all seven are in some stage of fulfillment. As in years past, I'll list the seven with their primary biblical references and offer commentary from current events.
1. Israel Will Be In The Land... Ezekiel 38:8
After many days you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel , which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety.In 1948, when Israel took its place among the nations of the world again for the first time in nearly 2000 years, students of prophecy recognized the fulfillment of the primary sign that the end of the age was upon us. Jesus had said that the generation being born when that happened would still be alive when He returned (Matt. 24:34).The fulfillment of this prophecy caused another reaction as well. Satan reads prophecy too, and began exerting his influence on world leaders in his continuing effort to thwart the plan of God. As a result, Israel has fought six major wars in the last 58 years, each of them an attempt to erase the Jewish Homeland from the face of the Earth. And it's clear that this effort will continue, with the biggest battle of all looming on the horizon, foretold by Ezekiel in chapters 38-39. Israel 's enemies, both physical and spiritual, won't let up until they've either succeeded (their view) or been destroyed (God's view).But in abandoning their Gaza settlements last year, and with their inconclusive performance against Hezbollah this summer, it seems to many as if the Israelis have become their own worst enemy. In Gaza , the plan was to free the military from having to protect the settlements (a major commitment) while maintaining control of their borders. But turning part of their border security over to Egypt has been a disaster, permitting the Palestinians to smuggle in tons of weapons, ammunition and explosives from the Sinai (courtesy of Syria and Iran) and fire more mortars and missiles into Israel than ever before.Although US and Israeli leaders promised that abandoning Gaza would improve the nation's security, the opposite has happened. And as those opposed to the abandonment predicted, Gaza has become a major center for terrorist activity. When Hamas won the Palestinian elections they quickly turned Gaza into an armed camp. Now Hamas appears to be just as dangerous a threat as Hezbollah and Israel seems to be caught between two forces powerful enough to make defeat a distinct possibility.But the God of Israel sees a different outcome. "I will bring back my exiled people Israel ; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them," says the LORD your God. (Amos 9:14-15)

By Jack Kelley.....To be continued on Part Two....

As in the days of Noah.....

Earth's Axis Tilt... Has recently increased by an additional 26 degrees

Earth tilt has recently increased by an additional 26 degrees.Normal 23.5 degree tilt, Current 49.5 degree tilt.You should be able to confirm this simply by looking out your window...Take a look at the volcanic and seismic activity for 2007, below. Nearly every volcano in the world has become active and are having synchronized simultaneous eruptions and plumes on the same dates. Volcanoes across the globe have all become active since April 2007. Five volcanoes have erupted between April and July 2007. 17 other volcanoes are spewing thermal plumes, earthquakes and expanding lava domes during this same time frame.Even St Helens in Washington state has shown signs that the lava dome is expanding and increased seismic activity.Then look at the seismic activities. In a 30 day period between June 23 and July 23, 2007, there were 318 earthquakes above 4.0 on the Richter scale. Eleven of the earthquakes during that period were above 6.0 magnitude.The number and intensity of these events signify a major global upheaval...
IF you are still not convinced...then read the following.....:
*Bizarre Global weather in 2007, flooding nearly every country on the globe.

*Ice Storms, blizzards and record breaking snow globally during winter months.

*Record heat waves and record cold waves worldwide.

*Sun rising and setting on June 21, 2007 at a 26 degree angle North of Dallas latitude.

*2 volcanoes erupting simultaneously in April 2007

*2 additional volcanoes erupting simultaneously in July 2007

*A fifth volcano erupting 2007

*17 more volcanoes sending out thermal plumes simultaneously.

*318 earthquakes above 4.0 between June 23 and July 23, 2007.

*Eleven earthquakes between June 23 and July 23, 2007 were above 6.0.

*Between Jan and July 2007, there were 21 earthquakes above 6.0.

*Tree leaves changing to autumn colors in May and June 2007 in south central US.
*Loss of entire GPS satellite system in Dec 2006 which was not revealed until Apr 2007.

*Satellite weather image of Earth on Dec 6, 2006 at 19:15 Zulu showing earth shifting

*Satellite weather image of Earth on Dec 4, 2006 at 12:30 Zulu showing earth shifting

*Satellite loops showing bizarre weather patterns over US between April & July 2007

*Satellite & statistical weather comparisons between 2001 and 2007

*Ion storms, solar radiation and solar imaging for 2007

*Solar magnetic storm sheered earth's outer atmosphere, Oct 1998 (per NASA)

*Ion fountains & solar winds at earth's poles Jan 1999 (per NASA)

*Solar images and solar emission charts showing no historic solar flare occurred & the GPS system was knocked down due to the axial slippage.
http://www.divulgence.net/
PS:Remember Matthew 24...!!!!
As in the days of Noah...

QUAKE WATCH...!!!!

Dear visitor:

Because of the massive amount of daily quakes all over the world,I've created a site only for quakes.

They will be reported daily and with updates and reviews.

I will also try to include interesting notes related on seismic activity,weather,and some testimonials.

As the Bible declares that in these last days there would be earthquakes in divers places...it's already happening and it's a proven fact that the amount of seismic activity has increased exponentially in the last years,all over the world,with massive earthquakes long overdue,like the one expected to hit in the coast of California(San Andreas Fault).To visit it you can go to:

http://quakewatch.blogspot.com

I hope you will find it interesting,and it will be another sign more to keep you walking close to the Lord and doing His Will as we continue to look up till that day....!!!

Jesus is coming soon my friend and the signs are all out there....!

Be watchful and sober....!

May God bless you and your family richly

Thank you for stopping by....!!!

And come back....!!!!!

As in the days of Noah....

SIGN of the TIMES:'Brutal' game gets thumbs up

San Francisco-Manhunt 2, a brutally violent video game that was effectively banned in the United States, has risen from the grave in a modified form and will go on sale for Halloween, its publisher said.Take-Two Interactive Software Inc said a new version of the game, which features an insane asylum escapee killing enemies in gruesome ways, had won a "Mature" rating from the US Entertainment Software Ratings Board, meaning it is meant for players aged 17 and over.The ratings board had previously slapped an "Adults Only" rating on the game. While its decisions carry no legal weight, Microsoft Corp, Sony Corp and Nintendo Co Ltd do not allow such titles on their game consoles.It was the second bit of good news this week for Take-Two after the strong debut of its spooky underwater shooting game BioShock, and the company's shares rose as much as 3.3%.Manhunt 2 is important to us, and we're glad it can finally be appreciated as a gaming experience," said Sam Houser, founder of Rockstar Games, the development team within Take-Two that created Manhunt and is behind other popular but controversial titles like Grand Theft Auto and Bully.Manhunt 2 is a powerful piece of interactive story telling that is a unique video game experience.We think horror fans will love it," Houser said.Censors in Britain and Ireland have also banned the game from being sold, but Take-Two did not say whether it had submitted the reworked game for review in those countries.The restrictions on Manhunt 2 sparked a debate in the video game industry about whether the rating system needed an overhaul.Several game critics who played review versions of the game said it was similar to extremely violent but popular horror movies such as Saw.Take-Two shares have been hammered in recent weeks after it delayed its most important game, the criminal adventure Grand Theft Auto IV, from its original October launch date.The game will be released on Sony's PlayStation 2 console and PSP handheld device as well as Nintendo's Wii.

http://www.news24.com/News24/Technology/News/0,,2-13-1443_2171342,00.html

As in the days of Noah...

Mob 'tries to lynch gays'

Lagos -Angry demonstrators have injured a prison official in northern Nigerian Bauchi state in an attempt to lynch suspected homosexuals being held, official news agency NAN said on Saturday.The prison chief, Mohammed Nata'ala, was quoted by NAN as saying the unnamed official was injured while preventing the mob from forcing their way into the prison late on Friday.The demonstrators were said to be protesting the substitution of the charge against the suspects from sodomy, which carries the death penalty under the Islamic sharia code, to idleness.The sharia penal code was adopted in Bauchi and other states in Muslim northern Nigeria eight years ago following the end of military rule.The suspects, 18 in all, were arrested on August 4 in a hotel in Bauchi for wearing women's clothing and allegedly attempting to conduct a gay marriage.But a judge granted them bail on August 21 after the prosecution had substituted the charge of sodomy with idleness, which carries one-year imprisonment.Five of the men who satisfied the bail conditions, including payment of 20 000 naira, were released pending the resumption of the case on September 13.The remaining 13, who have not yet satisfied bail conditions, were sent back to the Bauchi prison after appearing in court.As the suspects left court, the crowd hurled insults at them and pelted them with stones, some of which hit police and journalists covering the trial.Police fired into the air and used tear gas to restore order.

http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_2171185,00.html

As in the days of Noah...

ENVIRO CRAZE WATCH:China says one-child policy helps protect climate

VIENNA-China says its one-child policy has helped the fight against global warming by avoiding 300 million births, the equivalent of the population of the US.But delegates at U.N. climate change talks in Vienna said on Thursday birth control is unlikely to find favour as a major policy theme, partly because of opposition by the Catholic Church and some developing nations trying to increase their population.Some scientists say that birth control measures far less draconian than China's are wrongly overlooked in the fight against climate change, when the world population is projected to soar to about 9 billion by 2050 from 6.6 billion now."Population is clearly an important factor," said Yvo de Boer, head of the U.N. Climate Change Secretariat, at U.N. talks trying to plan a new deal to combat climate change after 2012.China, which rejects criticism that it is doing too little to confront climate change, says that its population is now 1.3 billion against 1.6 billion if it had not imposed tough birth control measures in the late 1970s.The number of births avoided equals the entire population of the US.Beijing says that fewer people means less demand for energy and lower emissions of heat-trapping gases from burning fossil fuels."This is only an illustration of the actions we have taken," said Su Wei, a senior Foreign Ministry official heading China's delegation to the 158-nation talks from Aug 27-31.He told Reuters that Beijing was not arguing that its policy was a model for others to follow in a global drive to avert ever more chaotic weather patterns, droughts, floods, erosion and rising ocean levels.But avoiding 300 million births "means we averted 1.3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2005" based on average world per capital emissions of 4.2 tonnes, he said.

To read more go to:

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L30472039.htm

As in the days of Noah...

PESTILENCE WATCH:U.N. reports cholera outbreak in northern Iraq

More than 2,000 Iraqis in the northern part of the country have contracted cholera, U.N. officials say, citing local authorities.The outbreak of the potentially deadly disease is thought to be the result of poor water quality, the U.N. officials said."Local authorities report that over 2,000 people have been affected so far by the outbreak, with five deaths reported and 500 patients admitted to hospital with severe diarrhea within the last two days alone," the U.N. Children's Fund, or UNICEF, said on
Wednesday.Forty-seven cases have been confirmed as epidemic cholera, but the number is expected to grow, said UNICEF, which has rushed emergency aid to the affected area.The outbreak has hit the Sulaimaniya province and the nearby Kirkuk region in northern Iraq."Although the outbreak is largely affecting adults, children are at extremely high risk,"UNICEF said.Cholera is a bacterial ailment that affects the intestinal tract. The disease is contracted by consuming contaminated water. The outbreak is being attributed to "serious problems with water quality and sewage treatment"-an assessment repeated by the U.N. Assistance Mission in Iraq.Only 30 percent of the population in Sulaimaniya has an adequate water supply, according to local reports, and "many people have been reduced to digging shallow wells outside their own homes," UNICEF said.UNICEF is urging families to make sure children stay away from areas contaminated with raw sewage, wash their hands with soap and drink only water that has been purified or boiled.UNICEF is providing material such as oral rehydration salts and safe water kits."If the epidemic spreads, there will be an urgent need for additional support," UNICEF said.
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/08/29/iraq.cholera/index.html?eref=ib_world


As in the days of Noah...

Tribe accepts Christ, turn from false God

Papua New Guinea-After years of resistance, a people group in Papua New Guinea has found a new way of life.Missionaries from New Tribes Mission began working with the Bisorio people in 1977 and shared the Gospel with them for the first time in 1982. Until then, the group had lived in fear of evil spirits, and most of them had killed at least one other person.The new believers became very motivated to help others."They were concerned about their relatives that lived out in the hills and began praying for their enemies that God would send someone that could come and share the good news with them as well," said Bob Kennell of NTM who was there when they first worked with the Bisorios.One group of Bisorio people in an area called Wilipa, however, was less reachable.Those people came to the missionaries and told them about a visit from their own god before the missionaries could get to their village."He told them how to live, he gave them a new language, and he said ‘Do not listen to the message of the white man.' So, in this little area, they've been Dinaiya worshippers for years and years now and totally resistant to the Gospel," Kennell said.But Christians in other Bisorio tribes were determined to share the Gospel with these people. Over the past few years, they have prayed for their hearts to open up.Finally, one local missionary decided it was time.Although the Wilipa people told him they didn't want him to come, he walked into their village anyway."He said listen, ‘I am sorry. I am here. I'm going to teach you.I'm going to build my house right here, and the teaching will start tomorrow.'"This March, Bob Kennell joined the missionary on the three-day, painful hike to the Wilipa village."They taught them and presented the Gospel.And it's not a super large group-25 people, but out of that group 19 of them made a very solid profession of faith in Jesus Christ," said Kennel.Plans for discipleship were already set.The missionary stayed for a month, and other missionaries are lined up for back-to-back short-term stays.They also began carrying Christian literature and other resources to the Wilipa village. Literacy was on the top of the priority list so the tribe would be able to utilize the materials.
Source:MNN

As in the days of Noah...

LEWDNESS WATCH:Grand Jury Issues Obscenity Charges Against Kansas Stores

A grand jury that resulted from a citizen petition drive has indicted several Kansas City, Kan., businesses on obscenity and drug charges.The Wyandotte County grand jury indicted owners of a tobacco shop on two misdemeanor counts of promoting obscenity and one felony and one misdemeanor charge related to drug paraphernalia. A convenience store was charged with a misdemeanor obscenity count, and another store received one drug paraphernalia count, according to The AP.The petition drive seeking a grand jury investigation was organized by the area chapter of the National Coalition for the Protection of Children & Families.Daniel Weiss, senior analyst for media and sexuality at Focus on the Family Action, called the indictments a citizen victory in the absence of aggressive law enforcement.“Citizens have no way of establishing their community standards unless something like this is done,” he said.“The dearth of law enforcement locally and across the nation really comes down to citizens not voicing their outrage and not making their district attorneys and their police chiefs aware of how much these crimes impact the community.This example in Kansas should demonstrate the power and the importance of speaking up.”

http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000005369.cfm

As in the days of Noah...

Ex-Gay Ministry Harassed by Homosexual Activists at Fair

Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (PFOX) got an earful of "tolerance" at the Arlington County Fair in Virginia last week. They were faced with a barrage of verbal abuse, and one man was reportedly assaulted by a gay activist.“They accused this young man of hiding his feelings," PFOX Executive Director Regina Griggs explained. "They walked by him and hit him in the back-attacked him.”PFOX set up a display to offer hope to people dealing with unwanted same-sex attractions, but two gay activists objected to the message of hope.“They told us that we had no right to be there.That we were nothing but a group of religious bigots,"Griggs told Family News in Focus. “And that the right to free speech doesn’t apply to former homosexuals.”Officers kicked the gay activists out of the fair and encouraged the PFOX volunteer to press charges, but he chose not to.

http://www.citizenlink.org/CLBriefs/A000005368.cfm

PS:Well...here is another group that protest all the time about "their right" to do whatever they want,BUT "THEY DON"T WANT TO EXTEND IT TO ANYBODY ELSE",especially when it involves christians telling them the TRUTH or Ex-Gays that have been saved and now enjoy a full life in the Lord....

Interesting....it's the same like with fanatic muslims,fanatic hindus,fanatic bhuddists,and fanatic hateful"gays"[I personally don't think they are....on the contrary they live a sad,tormented life-that of course don't want to admit to anyone....-gay pride...you know....]

As in the days of Noah...

Muhammad cartoon:Sweden 'sorry for hurt feelings'

Pakistan has added its voice to that of Iran in condemning the publication of a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad in newspaper Nerikes Allehanda. Sweden has told Pakistan it is sorry if the publication hurt Muslim feelings.The protest concerned a cartoon by artist Lars Vilks, which showed the head of Muhammad on the body of a dog. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad said Pakistan condemned the publication "in the strongest terms.""Regrettably, the tendency among some Europeans to mix the freedom of expression with an outright and deliberate insult to 1.3 billion Muslims in the world is on the rise," the statement said.The Swedish Chargé d'Affaires in Islamabad, Lennart Holst, was given a dressing down on Thursday by Miangul Akbar Zed, a middle-ranking official at the Pakistani Foreign Office. The official protest was relayed during the course of a planned meeting. According to the Pakistani statement, Holst said the Swedish government "fully shared the views of the Muslim community" and called the publication on August 18th "unfortunate." Swedish Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Anna Björkander told The Local it had been a "misunderstanding" on the part of the Pakistanis to conclude that the government fully shared the views of the Muslim community....
To read more go to:
http://www.thelocal.se/article.php?ID=8341


As in the days of Noah...

Tropical Storm Henriette Forms Off Mexico Coast

MEXICO CITY Tropical Storm Henriette formed off Mexico's Pacific coast on Friday and was forecast to move parallel to the mainland, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.A tropical storm warning was issued for a long stretch of Mexico's southern coast from Lagunas de Chacahua on the coast of Oaxaca to the resort city of Manzanillo in the state of Colima. The warning area includes the resort of Acapulco.At 10 a.m. EDT, the center of Henriette was about 85 miles south of Acapulco, with maximum sustained winds near 40 mph, with higher gusts.It was moving northwest at near 10 mph and is expected to continue on the path for the next day, with some strengthening forecast.The storm is forecast to move near and parallel to Mexico's Pacific coast on Friday and is expected to dump 4-8 inches of rain along the southern coast, with flooding and landslides possible.Also Friday, Tropical Storm Gil drifted hundreds of miles off Mexico's Pacific coast with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, the hurricane center said.

http://wcbstv.com/topstories/topstories_story_243082711.html

As in the days of Noah...

Hunger in Bangladesh not just physical

DHAKA,Bangladesh-"Tell me. I want to know the story of Jesus."After making cell phone calls, asking store owners for directions and riding rickshaws through downtown Dhaka, the two South Carolina volunteers knew their pilgrimage had been worth it when a Bengali Muslim spoke those words.The 35-year-old man had requested an Injil (New Testament) and provided his name and approximate address. The two volunteers, accompanied by Bangladeshi believers, finally located his home. For an hour, they sat in his bathroom-sized apartment, pointing out verses for the man to read."Yes, I believe that very much," the man responded as he read the Scriptures. "But before I join your community, I want to make absolutely sure. There is no turning back."The man's receptivity to the Gospel surprised the visitors who were part of a three-member South Carolina team who traveled to the predominantly Muslim country to attempt food distribution to flood victims in the southern part of the capital city, Dhaka. The encouraging response also sustained the volunteers as they spent their days between waiting in vain for permission from authorities to open a distribution site-an effort partly funded by the South Carolina Baptist Convention-and trekking across the capital city to deliver Scripture."I had never had people this hungry for the Gospel before,"volunteer Daniel Rice* said."Just knowing that of the millions of people, there are those just waiting to hear the Gospel-that will drive you."Fellow volunteer Grant Ezell* had visited India two years ago after an e-mail from a friend prompted him:"How far would you go and what obstacles would you overcome to speak the name of Jesus to someone who has never heard it?"That original calling came to bear on his second trip to southern Asia.Ezell and the two other volunteers had signed up to go backpacking in the region and distribute Scripture in mountain areas.After civil unrest there, their trip changed to training local Bengali believers and then adjusted again after the rising floodwaters prompted a food distribution effort to reach the starving, hurting people of the capital city. Thousands of Bangladeshis were stranded by floodwaters that have killed more approximately 700 in Bangladesh and left thousands more without food, clean water or access to medical care for water-borne illnesses. Beyond the edges of the flood-affected areas, brightly painted rickshaws still clatter through the streets and market vendors set up their wares.Poverty is a way of life for most living in the floodplains, but even in the more affluent part of the city, hungry children can be found.The volunteers encountered a group of street children in need of clothes and food. They brought the children a loaf of bread that night and returned each day to talk with them, give them hugs of comfort, as well as either cookies, bananas or bread-the best dollar Dewey Ogburn* said he has ever spent.Touching the lives of south Asians is a commitment that's been made by many Southern Baptists in South Carolina. Three years into a five-year partnership with the region, the South Carolina convention already has sent more than 500 volunteers into the region.Beyond Bangladesh, Southern Baptists are praying that through short-term trips, South Carolinians will have a long-term impact on the region considered to have the greatest concentration of lostness on earth."It may be two months later, but they will ask, 'Why did that person come? Why did they share that story with me?'" said Thad Crisler*, a Southern Baptist relief worker. "It opens doors to share the Gospel. Volunteers come and fill needs, they lay a foundation, they push doors open. Sometimes they get to share the Gospel outright."

http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=26355

As in the days of Noah...

Inside the nuclear underworld:Deformity and fear

SEMEY,Kazakhstan-Kazakhstan's nuclear orphans are a distressing sight.The first child I met in the local orphanage was lying limply in his crib. His giant, pale head was perched on his tiny shoulders, covered in bed sores, like a grotesquely painted paper-mâché mask. Peering out, a pair of tiny black eyes darted around.It took me a few seconds to understand what I was seeing. The doctor told me he was 4 years old.Through the bars in the next crib, I saw another child, twisted with deformities. His fragile legs and arms turned in impossible contortions.These are the children of Kazakhstan's terrifying nuclear past. Decades of Soviet nuclear testing unleashed a plague of birth defects.When the Soviet Union tested its nuclear devices, it chose eastern Kazakhstan, one of its remotest, most desolate areas. But no one bothered to evacuate the people living there.The testing began in 1949 at a site known as Polygon and continued until 1989. According to the Nuclear Threat Initiative, there were 456 tests, including 116 nuclear bombs tested above ground.The Polygon site officially closed on August 29, 1991-16 years ago this week.Local officials say there were hundreds of thousands of people, possibly as many as a million, who lived in the region during the nuclear testing.The end of the Cold War might have ended this dark chapter, but thousands are still paying a terrible price.From the old Soviet city of Semipalatinsk, now renamed Semey, it was a long grueling drive across the barren, flat Kazakh plain. Nature can be hostile here, with temperatures hitting over 100 degrees Fahrenheit in summer, then plunging to 40 below in winter.The people living in the villages scattered throughout this former nuclear testing zone have been through the unspeakable. Seriqkaisha is 62 years old. She remembers watching the mushroom clouds as a child."We were very frightened," she told me, "because the windows in our house would blow out and the walls would shake. My parents both died of cancer, and my own son is handicapped."Almost every family in Seriqkaisha's village, 20 miles from the old test site, is affected-from cancers to impotency to birth defects and other deformities.Meeting people was proving hard.The genetic defections and illnesses that afflict so many here are frequently a source of shame.The doctor told me that people hide their deformed family members from outsiders.For decades,they have felt like animals in a zoo, she said, and had grown to distrust prying eyes.The region also has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, according to local health officials.Tragically,many young men who discover they are impotent-one of the effects of nuclear fallout-end their own lives....

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http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/08/30/btsc.chance.nukes/index.html?eref=ib_world

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http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/08/30/btsc.chance.nukes/index.html?eref=ib_world#cnnSTCVideo

As in the days of Noah...

Spreading deserts threaten world food supply

GENEVA-Spreading deserts and degradation of farm land due to climate change will pose a serious threat to food supplies for the world's surging population in coming years, a senior United Nations scientist warned on Friday. M.V.K. Sivakumar of the U.N.'s World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said the crunch could come in just over a decade as all continents see more weather-related disasters like heat waves, floods, landslides and wildfires.
"Should we worry about land being degraded? Yes," Sivakumar, who leads the WMO's agricultural meteorology division, told a news conference in Geneva."Today we feed the present world population of 6.3 billion from the 11 per cent of the land surface that can be used for serious food production. The question is: Will we be able to feed the 8.2 billion that we expect to populate the globe in 2020 if even less land is available for farming?," he said.Africa, Latin America and parts of Asia-where the climate is already more extreme and arid regions are common-will be most affected as rainfall declines and its timing becomes less predictable, making water more scarce, he said.But Europe, particularly around the Mediterranean, would also suffer from heat waves like those that this summer have led to devastating fires in Greece.Declining rainfall and evaporation of water supplies could also mean less was available for irrigation and for generating electricity for farm machinery, causing lower crop productivity.Sivakumar said that in some regions the spread of deserts and the salination of once arable land was already well under way. In the future it would be most widespread in drier areas of Latin America, including in farming giant Brazil.In Africa, increasing climate variability would create major problems for farmers, who are likely to see their growing seasons getting shorter and crop yields cut, especially in areas near already arid and semi-arid regions.Sivakumar, speaking on the eve of a U.N. conference on desertification in Madrid from September 3-14, said it was vital for the international community to help put innovative and adaptive land-management practices into action.These should be targeted at preserving land and water resources. But a return to mixing crops, rather than focusing on single-crop production based on intensive use of fertilizers, could also help face the challenge, he said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070831/sc_nm/food_dc

As in the days of Noah...