CHOSEN: End Times Newsletter – Issue 110
The Minister's Corner
“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32
The Double-Edged Sword of Truth
By Regina
“I wanted to comment to you that it would be well if you were more careful not to make your message a message of fear. There is no need to mention the sufferings of the path of the one you call Lucifer, because there is plenty to say instead about the joys of the path of the one you call Christ. Let the message be a message of hope and not of fear.”
– Anonymous
Over the years I’ve received many comments from readers that are similar to this one, who believe that God’s message should be one of hope and not fear. I felt encouraged from within to attempt to impart some knowledge and understanding as to exactly why the messages we deliver in these End Times and during this Tribulation period contain both hope and a warning. It is an example of how the truth can also be a double-edged sword.
Imagine: You’re standing on the side of a busy street, and a friend of yours, someone you care for and love, steps out in front of an oncoming bus. Would you simply call out to the person “I hope you make it across safely!” or, would you call out a warning “Watch out! There’s a car coming!”
More than likely, the majority would do the latter and it is the same in regards to this ministry’s service to Father and Christ Jesus. We are to spread the light of truth, and at times, the truth can be a double-edged sword.
There are many people today who have been taught and also believe that Yahweh is a God of Love. And this is the truth, but not the whole truth. We know via the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments that Yahweh is most certainly a God of incredible love, who is also capable of wrath. It is this wrath that will be poured out upon this world and all of mankind that has not been Raptured to safety at Armageddon. It is like the speeding car coming down the street and many, many people are standing in front of that car and are in danger of being run over. And yet…for so many it's not that they don't see, it's that they refuse to see.
Isaiah 30:10 They say to the seers, "Do not see," and to the prophets, "Do not prophesy the truth to us. Tell us flattering things. Prophesy illusions.
Yes, there is much hope in Christ’s return. However… as one of Christ’s Ministers, I am also obligated in my service to him and Yahweh both, to deliver their message truth. Not just part of the truth, as so many shepherds of the day do, but the whole truth – because I have received the truth, and I am under obligation by the Creator.
Proverbs 4:7 “Wisdom is supreme—so get wisdom. And whatever else you get, get understanding.”
And as a minister, having acquired Wisdom about the Truth, it is not only our duty to spread the message as far as we can to creation, but if we fail to warn others, the Creator holds us accountable. Ezekiel 3:17-18 gives insight on this. "Son of man, I have made you a watchman over the house of Israel. When you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me. If I say to the wicked person: You will surely die, but you do not warn him—you don't speak out to warn him about his wicked way in order to save his life—that wicked person will die for his iniquity. Yet I will hold you responsible for his blood.”
It is for these reasons, and more, that I will not follow the advice given me that I shared with you at the start of this article. My heart simply won’t allow it. I am not here to please or placate mankind who choose not to believe that Father is capable of such wrath because it is Father and Christ that I serve first and foremost. I am not concerned with who I might please or if they might agree with me or like me more if I tell only partial truths because I serve them out of love; regardless of what they might think of the messages I deliver, or of me.
Proverbs 8:7 — For my mouth tells the truth, and wickedness is detestable to my lips.
I am a human, who, though sinful just like everyone else, chooses to accept and believe the truth of Father’s love and wrath that has been shared with me. And I am also a servant of Yahweh and Christ Jesus who does her very best to be obedient and follow Yahweh’s commands. If I were to not adhere to the command of sharing Yahweh’s truth, it would be a disservice to Father and Christ. And if I were not to sound the warning of the coming wrath which is sounded out of Love for Her creation it would also be a disservice to mankind, as it is truth that will set you free.
John 8:32 You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
One cannot exchange the truth of God for a lie. Nor can you coat the truth with lies.
Romans 1:25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served something created instead of the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
Job 13:4 But you coat [the truth] with lies; you are all worthless doctors.
It is the light of this double-edged sword of truth that shines brightly and that encourages those who look upon it to also look inwardly at themselves and perhaps come to terms with their wicked practices. And it might cause fear, because seeing and acknowledging the truth would mean changing and repenting – and of perhaps losing one's pride and humbling oneself and admitting Yahweh’s true power. But it’s a humble heart in addition to a belief in Christ as Lord and Savior that will actually save.
Psalm 15:2 The one who lives honestly, practices righteousness, and acknowledges the truth in his heart —
The truth is a double-edged sword because it reveals things for what they really are. It is a balanced view and message that is one of hope, and a warning that might cause fear because for each of us, the reality might either be salvation, or, eternal death.
2 Corinthians 2:14-17. "death leading to death…life leading to life".
A Cross in My Pocket
Submitted by Johanna
I carry a cross in my pocket
A simple reminder to me
Of the fact that I am a Christian
No matter where I may be.
This little cross is not magic,
Nor is it a good luck charm
It isn't meant to protect me
From every physical harm.
It's not for identification
For all the world to see
It's simply an understanding
Between my Savior and me.
When I put my hand in my pocket
To bring out a coin or a key
The cross is there to remind me
Of the price He paid for me.
It reminds me, too, to be thankful
For my blessings day by day
And to strive to serve Him better
In all that I do and say.
It's also a daily reminder
Of the peace and comfort I share
With all who know my Master
And give themselves to His care.
So, I carry a cross in my pocket
Reminding no one but me
That Jesus Christ is the Lord of my life
If only I'll let Him be.
Verna Mae Thomas
Inspired Writings
Staying Strong for Father
1 Corinthians 9:12 — If others share this authority over you, don't we even more? However, we have not used this authority; instead we endure everything so that we will not hinder the gospel of Christ.
When we stay strong for Father, we do not hinder any of the gifts Father has placed in our hearts. This comes two-fold, like a double-edged sword. First, we further the gifts Father has provided, and second, we keep anything that would destroy those gifts from continuing or even being introduced. In this, we also protect our hearts for Father, and also by doing so, obey Her commands.
Proverbs 4:23 — Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.
And who might reside in one's heart?
1 Corinthians 6:19 — Do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,
And so we guard Father with all our strength. And we keep moving forward no matter what may come.
Psalm 118:6 — The LORD is for me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
Evil may attempt multiple courses of action to sway a person to doing what it wants of them. Threats to one's family, one's well-being, one's possessions, many things. What evil cannot do is stop Father.
And so, amongst adversity, we guard Father with our very life and give Her every and all glory.
Nourishment From The Throne
“For the LORD gives wisdom. From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” Proverbs 2:6
Cherubic Commander: Scriptural connections:
1 Kings 19:14 "I have been very zealous for the LORD God of Hosts," he replied, "but the Israelites have abandoned Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they're looking for me to take my life."
People will abandon Father. Many that might have had Salvation if only they had hung on and trusted in Yahweh's Promise. Under threat of death by evil men, many whom profess to be loyal will pull away out of fear for their lives. Satan wants Father's faithful to fall to his side.
2 Kings 19:31 "For a remnant will go out from Jerusalem, and survivors from Mount Zion. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish this."
Remnant and survivors.
remnant >noun 1 a small remaining quantity.
survivor >noun a person who has survived.
The small remaining quantity are the only ones that will be salvaged for the journey.
On another subject: You've all been informed that we live inside Father, but where is an Scriptural indicator?
1 Samuel 15:2 "This is what the LORD of Hosts says:…" I've only quoted a small part of the Scripture because "Hosts" is the key word. It is the indicator.
host1 >noun 1 a person who receives or entertains guests. 2 the presenter of a television or radio program. 3 a person, place, or organization that holds and organizes an event to which others are invited. 4 often humorous the landlord or landlady of a pub: mine host raised his glass. 5 Biology an animal or plant on or in which a parasite lives. 6 the recipient of transplanted tissue or a transplanted organ. >verb act as host at (an event) or for (a television or radio program).
-ORIGIN Old French hoste, from Latin hospes 'host, guest'.
" 5 Biology an animal or plant on or in which a parasite lives." Of course you're not parasites, evil mankind excluded. But each of us live within Yahweh. She is the Lord of Hosts. "3 a person, place, or organization that holds and organizes an event to which others are invited." Within Her body, She has invited LIFE of all kinds, but it is ORGANIZED under Her Way, and the EVENTS She provides are regulated under Her Laws. Because Father is the Chief Agent governing who can live within Her, it is Her right to pick and choose those best suited to following Her Rule out of love for Her.
Cherubic Commander: Maybe if I post what the corridor looks like when visible, then you'll be able to see what others can see through mass media if it is filmed. Also, keep this in mind. All things move within creation. Nothing is static. The corridor is dynamic in activity and energy. It's an energized force comprised of strand energy that produces motion and movement from within and outside its perimeter.
How the strand energy was utilized in forming the corridor is regarded as a three step process. The total energy required for the reaction necessary to form the framework is equal to the sum of the energies of the three steps involved. One step is the use of gaseous atoms. They are ionized by manipulation of the atomic structure to cause the loss of one electron from the equation. This forms the positive ions necessary in step one. Since a vast amount of combined energy is required to bring forth this reaction which is termed in humankind as being "endothermic," that meaning in part: chemistry of a reaction accompanied by the absorption of heat. The opposite would be "exothermic," meaning chemistry of a reaction accompanied by the release of heat. This is the final stage (exothermic) that makes the strand energy visible to the human eye. But in the three step process of formation, the second step involves other gaseous atoms that are ionized by the gain of one electron to attach itself to the first step of gaseous atoms. This energy formed through manipulation of the atomic structures becomes an electron-affinity energy because you have now added the negative ions. They form together, the ion-pair molecular makeup of the new formation. These are highly charged ions that act as spheres or balls of light with charges of + energy and – energy. And so, the distance between their nuclei in the ion-pair molecular structure by pairing is the equal energy released by the new energy's formation. This formed the third step, because the positive and negative ions have combined to form the ion- pair molecules that make up the corridor as a whole. In this fashion, both energies are safe to both positive and negative energy spirits, because the pairing of the two ions nulls out any effect on either side. It's like a demon that cannot come in contact with positive spirit forces, but can come in contact with a positive energy human because of the flesh acting as a buffer. Imagine the pairing effect to being like a sparkler that will not burn you verses a stove burner that would burn away your flesh. The effects of positive and negative energy are minimized by the pairing effect. And when the reaction of "exothermic," (meaning chemistry of a reaction accompanied by the release of heat,) this makes the corridor visible. Will it always be visible? No, because the energy is dynamically active.
For reference in understanding how the corridor was formed and how it becomes visible to the human eye:
electron >noun Physics a stable negatively charged subatomic particle with a mass 1,836 times less than that of the proton, found in all atoms and acting as the primary carrier of electricity in solids.
affinity >noun (pl. affinities) 1 a natural liking or sympathy for someone or something. 2 a close relationship based on a common origin or structure. 3 relationship by marriage. 4 the tendency of a substance to combine with another.
-ORIGIN Latin affinitas, from affinis 'related'.
By combination the two become married as one common structure. How the structure is manipulated to be seen is by the release of heat.
The photo reveals the bringing together of two gaseous atoms to start the formation of the corridor. One positively charged and one negatively charged. The Seraphs had to be involved because they are the only angelic hosts capable of working with purely raw negative energy. Once the pairing effect was completed, the other LOZ members could then work with fashioning and stranding the energy into what became the corridor. The demons lack the ability to work with pure positive energy, so the safeguard is in place to keep them from forming a corridor of their own if they chose to do so. If they had that ability, they could form one clean through the Azmon Barrier. However, this corridor falls short of penetrating the barrier, but it goes back to a safe perimeter where the Rapture vessel will be docked.
Ecclesiastes 4:12 "And if somebody overpowers one person, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not easily broken."
Signs From Above
“He rescues and delivers, He performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth, for He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.” Daniel 6:27
'UFO cloud formation' filmed in Romania
A flying saucer-shaped cloud has been spotted in the skies above Romania – just weeks after a similarly striking formation appeared over Moscow.
By Matthew Moore
Published: 2:07PM GMT 26 Oct 2009
Meteorologists explained that the phenomenon witnessed in Moscow was just an optical effect produced by rare weather conditions, but the latest clip – apparently filmed at the end of last week – has again set tongues wagging. "How come I have never seen clouds that look like that. Now we get two in a matter of weeks in different places," wrote one user of the video-sharing website Live Leak where the clip was first posted. Others speculated – with tongues firmly in cheeks – that the twin formations could herald an alien invasion. "Run the two videos and put them beside each other… It's very strange… are they here?" commented a user named Raginswirler.
UFO or Lens Flare in Cambridge, UK Photo?
Published: 1:49 PM 10/22/2009 Cambridge, UK – 10-18-09
UFOCasebook.com
I took these two shots of the sunrise last Sunday morning at our local carboot sale, which is about 10 miles south of the city of Cambridge, UK. I can't remember which shot I took first, but as you can see there is a small upside down half moon-shaped object on one of them, which I did not see until I put them on the computer. The reflection at the bottom of picture is from the top of my car. I thought the object looked a bit too defined to be a lens flare. There also appears to be a very faint, conical-shaped shadow which seems part of it. Time separation between the two shots was less than 1 minute. I am hoping it might be of some interest. Best regards, W. Jones.
Asteroid explosion over Indonesia raises fears about Earth's defences
An asteroid that exploded in the Earth’s atmosphere with the energy of three Hiroshima bombs this month has reignited fears about our planet’s defences against space impacts.
By Tom Chivers
Published: 10:23AM GMT 27 Oct 2009
On 8 October, the rock crashed into the atmosphere above South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The blast was heard by monitoring stations 10,000 miles away, according to a report by scientists at the University of Western Ontario. Scientists are concerned that it was not spotted by any telescopes, and that had it been larger it could have caused a disaster. The asteroid, estimated to have been around 10 metres (30ft) across, hit the atmosphere at an estimated 45,000mph. The sudden deceleration caused it to heat up rapidly and explode with the force of 50,000 tons of TNT. Luckily, due to the height of the explosion – estimated at between 15 and 20 km (nine to 12 miles) above sea level – no damage was caused on the ground. However, if the object had been slightly larger – 20 to 30 metres (60 to 90ft) across – it could easily have caused extensive damage and loss of life, say researchers.
Retired police officer spots low flying UFO over Ohio highway
October 26, 11:38 PMUFO ExaminerRoger Marsh
The UFO Traffic Report for Monday, October 26, 2009, includes 7 selected sightings over 5 states, according to witness statements filed in the past 72 hours with the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) database. Please keep in mind that most UFO reports can be explained as something natural or manmade. If MUFON investigates and reports back on any of these cases, I will update this page. The following reports and their headlines are unedited and uninvestigated. OH, October 25, 2009 – Fast moving, dart like object w/2 bright white lights. MUFON Case # 20128. Two Ohio witnesses entering State Route 2 from State Route 60 eastbound in Erie County stopped to watch a fast moving and low flying object. The object was described as a "long, dart like object with a bright, almost LED like, white light at each end. It flew in a straight line for what I estimate was 1/2 of a mile, about 1/4 mile away at no more than 300 ft. altitude. I estimated the speed to be over 300 mph." The reporting witness is a retired police officer. "My passenger is a paramedic/fireman and he also observed the object speeding across the sky and then vanish. There was no flame trail or smoke that would be associated with fireworks or a flare, nor was it an airplane."
Couple has encounter with UFO along Route 63 near Pavilion, NY
October 28, 10:58 PMUFO ExaminerRoger Marsh
A couple driving along Massachusetts Route 63 between Pavilion and Batavia watched an object with five large, white lights and one small red blinking light, hovering low above the road in front of them, according to testimony from the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) witness database. The cars around them were either pulling over or swerving – so additional witnesses may be coming forward. They noted that the object made no noise, and as they looked back a short distance down the road, the object "disappeared without a trace." Once at home, they noticed an odd smell in the air. A half-hour later, they heard "an odd humming noise unlike an airplane in the sky. We looked up and I saw an aircraft that looked like a square on top of a rectangle though my husband said it reminded him of the shape of an arrowhead sort of but without a point on the end. It was moving sideways. We watched until it disappeared once again." Then at 3 a.m., they "were awoken by the odd humming again. We looked out the windows but saw nothing. However, there was an unfamiliar high pitched noise coming from the corn field behind our house. Lasted about 15 minutes then just stopped."
Signs Down Below
"But know this: difficult times will come in the last days. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to the form of religion but denying its power." 2 Timothy 3:1-5
Beijing's first snow of season 'artificially induced'
AFP
November 1, 2009
BEIJING — Chinese meteorologists covered Beijing in snow Sunday after seeding clouds to bring winter weather to the capital in an effort to combat a lingering drought, state media reported. The unusually early snow blanketed the capital from Sunday morning and kept falling for half the day, helped by temperatures as low as minus 2 Celsius (29 Fahrenheit) and strong winds from the north, Xinhua news agency reported. Besides falling in the northeastern provinces of Liaoning and Jilin and the northern province of Hebei, the eastern port city of Tianjin also got its first snow of the autumn, the report said. "We wont miss any opportunity of artificial precipitation since Beijing is suffering from the lingering drought," the report quoted Zhang Qiang, head of the Beijing Weather Modification Office, as saying. Chinese meteorologists have for years sought to make rain by injecting special chemicals into clouds. Although the technique often gets results, a drought in the north of the country has continued for over a decade.
Parents able to show porn to children in Texas
Big News Network
October 29, 2009
A prosecutor in Texas has complained he wasn't able to file charges against a man accused of showing his young daughters online pornography. A case came about when the two girls, aged eight and nine, told a school counselor their father had made them watch adults having group sex. The parents of the girls are divorced and share custody. Visits by the girls to the father's house are now supervised. The prosecutor said his hands had been tied due to a law from the 1970s that allows parents to show pornographic and other so-called harmful material to their children. The Texas attorney general has now been asked to review the state's public indecency law to allow prosecutors to charge the man. The law, meant to protect the privacy of parents, states they can't be prosecuted for showing harmful material to their children.
Scientists make cells that form eggs and sperm in lab
Reuters
by Julie Steenhuysen
October 28, 2009
CHICAGO (Reuters) – U.S. researchers have found a way to coax human embryonic stem cells to turn into the types of cells that make eggs and sperm, shedding light on a stage of early human development that has not been fully understood. The findings could lead to new understanding of inherited diseases and transform treatments for infertility, they said. "We are really trying to look at the origins of normal and abnormal human development by going to the source," said Dr. Renee Riejo Pera of Stanford University in California, whose study appears in the journal Nature. "For years and years, we haven't had the ability to look at how germ cells — the cells that give rise to eggs and sperm — how they are made — what genes are required, what pathways are active," Pera said in a telephone interview.
Bosnia 'on brink of new civil war'
Telegraph
by Bruno Waterfield
October 19, 2009
The concerns have been triggered by Bosnian Serb leaders who have stepped up their demands for independence with a warning the country is no longer "sustainable". The growing ethnic divisions have raised fears of a return to the fighting which claimed the lives of up to 110,000 people between 1992 and 1995. Senior European and US officials have called an emergency meeting in Sarajevo on Tuesday to meet the country's leaders to find a solution. The crisis centres on attempts to overhaul the constitution which was imposed on the country in 1995 in the wake of the war. Since then Bosnia has been made up of two semi-independent entities – the Serbs' Republika Srpska and the Muslim-Croat Federation. The two are linked with weak central institutions whose functioning is often obstructed by ethnic rivalries.
Greenback's advance, Wall Street's slide hits LatAm stocks
Market Watch
by Carla Mozee
October 26, 2009
Regional equity benchmarks retreated from earlier gains as U.S. stock losses were spurred by a drop in commodities prices as well as rekindled concerns about the financial sector following a number of downgrades in the sector. Mexico's IPC dropped 1.1%. Argentina's Merval gave up 0.7% to end at 2,275 and Chile's IPSA finished 0.5% lower at 3,405.56. But Brazil's Bovespa managed to eke out a slight gain of 27 points, or 0.04%, to 65,085.55. In Sao Paulo, finance, communications and retail stocks fronted decliners. Shares of Itau Unibanco (BBD 19.70, -0.97, -4.69%) fell 0.13% and credit-transactions processor Redecard stumbled 3.5% and grocer CBD (CBD 60.49, -2.63, -4.17%) fell 1.1%. But a turnaround in most steel stocks and gains in market heavyweights helped push the Bovespa slightly out of the red. Mining giant Vale (VALE 25.49, -1.19, -4.46%) rose 1.2% and oil firm Petrobras (PBR 46.22, -2.22, -4.58%) rose 0.6%.
Signs in Humanity
'My parents don't know that we are living like this'
The Independent
by Jerome Taylor
October 31, 2009
Every morning Ismail Safi is woken up by the dew that has seeped through his blue blanket and on to his clothes. His current home is a strip of concrete under a canal bridge in eastern Calais where 17 fellow Afghan refugees sleep together in an attempt to keep warm as the early morning traffic passes overhead. A shaven-headed boy who stands little more than five foot, he looks and says he is 12 years old – one of 30 children under the age of 16 The Independent witnessed living rough on the streets of Calais. "They told us we would be able to live in peace and receive an education," he said. "They said it would be safer for us." The "they" he refers to, of course, are the traffickers who persuade some of the world's poorest citizens to borrow huge sums of money to send their children overseas with false promises of employment and education. Had Ismail arrived in Calais earlier this summer he would likely have secured a tent in the refugee camp known as the Jungle. Conditions were grim but the Afghans, Iraqis and Iranians who populated the tent city had done what they could to make life bearable. Latrines had been built along with a makeshift mosque and oil-drum ovens to bake bread. At night they would try to smuggle themselves on to lorries heading towards their ultimate goal: Britain.
Random attack by thugs every 30 seconds as 'stranger assaults' soar in Binge Britain
Daily Mail
by James Slack
November 2, 2009
Someone is attacked by a complete stranger every 30 seconds in Binge Britain, figures revealed last night. When Labour came to power, only a third of violent crimes were carried out by an attacker the victim did not know. That has now jumped to half as random violence – fuelled by alcohol and round the clock opening - has become commonplace. There were 1,057,000 violent attacks by strangers last year – the equivalent of 2,895 a day or 120 every hour. Opposition MPs said it was the latest proof the Government's relaxation of licensing laws had failed. Some 21 per cent of the assaults took place in pubs and a further 34 per cent in the street as town centres became increasingly scarred by alcohol-fuelled violence. Many of the attacks were carried out by violent women 'ladettes'.
Carnage caused by weekend bombings in Iraq
Big News Network
November 1, 2009
In Iraq, four weekend bombs killed at least eight people and wounded more than 50 others. A bomb attached to a bicycle exploded in a popular market in the town of Mussayab, about 60 kilometres south of Baghdad. The blast killed at least five people and wounded 37 others. In Ramadi, 100 kilometres west of the Baghdad, two bombs exploded almost simultaneously, killing two and wounding four others. A fourth bomb which was attached to the underside of a bus exploded near a police checkpoint in the Shi'ite Muslim holy city of Karbala. The blast killed at least one person and wounded at least a dozen others.
Brazilian police arrest over 270 suspected drug dealers
Ria Novosti
October 27, 2009
RIO DE JANEIRO, October 27 (RIA Novosti) – Federal police in Brazil have arrested 279 suspected drug dealers in the southern state of Parana following a recent announcement of a major crackdown on crime in the country. According to an official statement, as a result of a large-scale special operation in seven largest cities of the region over the weekend, police seized 1.2 metric tons of marijuana, 3.5 kilograms of cocaine, 3.7 kilograms of 'crack,' 52 small arms and a variety of stolen vehicles. Brazil, whose capital Rio de Janeiro has been chosen to host the 2016 Olympics, is well-known for its high rates of violent crimes related to drug trade and alcoholism.
Bystanders 'watched teenager's gang-rape ordeal'
Belfast Telegraph
October 27, 2009
Police spoke of their disgust today after about a dozen people looked on as a 15-year-old girl was beaten and gang-raped outside her high school homecoming dance. The bystanders did nothing to help the girl, who was attacked by as many as seven men over a two-hour period outside Richmond High School, California, on Friday night. "She was raped, beaten, robbed and dehumanised by several suspects who were obviously OK enough with it to behave that way in each other's presence," Lt Mark Gagan said. "What makes it even more disturbing is the presence of others. People came by, saw what was happening and failed to report it." The victim was in hospital today being treated for her injuries.
Arks of Safe Haven
www.arksofsafehaven.org
"Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your house, to clothe the naked when you see him, and to not ignore your own flesh [and blood]?" Isaiah 58:7
The mission of Arks of Safe Haven is to connect via an extensive network and online message board forum, those individuals and families who have been affected by recent economic downfalls and are in need with those individuals who are ready, willing and capable of providing assistance to those in need with employment, shelter, work, food, clothing and other necessities.
Coupled with our primary mission of delivering the Kingdom Message of Salvation, the assistance of Arks of Safe Haven is available to all who are in need. Our purposeful intention is to follow in the footsteps of Christ as our example, by providing hope to the hopeless and answering the prayers of those who have been forced to live outside of society.
How You Can Help?
In order to provide for those whose outcry of prayers have reached our heavenly Father's ears, Arks of Safe Haven is seeking out those who are able to provide shelter, whether it be an extra bedroom, empty rental property or a work for room and board agreement. Additionally, we also act as a liaison in connecting those with tangible items to donate to those in need like Food, Water, Clothing, & Other Personal Items. We pray that your heart is motivated to make a contribution, no matter how small. Visit http://www.arksofsafehaven.org and view the many posts from those in need to see if you're able to help with advice, prayers or goods & services.
Signs in Natural Disasters
“You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.” Matthew 24:6-7
Current Climate Change Not Part of Natural Cycle: New Evidence Unlike Any Seen During Previous Warming Episodes Found in Arctic
10/27/09
The Daily Galaxy
The possibility that climate change might simply be a natural variation like others that have occurred throughout geologic time is dimming, according to new findings that reveal that sediments retrieved by University at Buffalo geologists from a remote Arctic lake are unlike any seen during previous warming episodes. The team was able to pinpoint dramatic changes that began occurring in unprecedented ways after the midpoint of the twentieth century. "The sediments from the mid-20th century were not all that different from previous warming intervals," said Jason P. Briner, PhD, assistant professor of geology in the UB College of Arts and Sciences. "But after that things really changed. And the change is unprecedented." The sediments are considered unique because they contain rare paleoclimate information about the past 200,000 years, providing a far longer record than most other sediments in the glaciated portion of the Arctic, which only reveals clues to the past 10,000 years.
Foam from ocean algae bloom killing thousands of birds
By Lynne Terry, The Oregonian
October 22, 2009
A slimy foam churning up from the ocean has killed thousands seabirds and washed many others ashore, stripped of their waterproofing and struggling for life. The birds have been clobbered by an unusual algae bloom stretching from the northern Oregon coast to the tip of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state. "This is huge," said Julia Parrish, a marine biologist and professor at the University of Washington who leads a seabird monitoring group. "It's the largest mortality event of its kind on the West Coast that we know of." The culprit is a single-cell algae or phytoplankton called Akashiwo sanguinea. Though the algae has multiplied off the coast of California before, killing hundreds of seabirds, the phenomenon has not been seen in Oregon and Washington, and has never occurred on the West Coast to this extent, Parrish said. "We're getting counts of up to a million cells per liter of water," she said. "Think about that. That's pretty dense."
Magnitude 7.0 Earthquake Strikes Indonesia
October 24, 2009
Associated Press
JAKARTA, Indonesia — A powerful earthquake struck deep under the sea in eastern Indonesia on Saturday, causing panic and sending residents running out of their homes, officials and witnesses said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The quake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.0, but at a depth of 86 miles was too far below the earth's surface to cause a tsunami, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. Saturday's quake came as Indonesia is still recovering from a devastating earthquake last month that killed more than 1,000 people on western Sumatra.
Pati administration closes mining site after killer landslide
The Jakarta Post
10/27/2009
Killer landslide: Locals on Tuesday assess houses that were severely damaged by a landslide at a limestone mining site in Kedungwinong, Pati, Central Java. The landslide hit the village on Monday night, killing five people. (Antara/Akhmad Nazaruddin) The Pati administration in Central Java has closed a limestone mine in Kedungwinong after Monday’s landslide killed five people. Pati deputy regent Kartina Sukawati said Tuesday the mining site would only be reopened should there be better safety conditions. The landslide occurred on Monday night at 10 p.m. following heavy rain. The victims have been identified as Sutikno (29), Narti (25), Kuntini (48), Prihatin (35), and Tungki (14).
Number of victims to unknown virus growing! State of emergency to be imposed in Ukraine?
MIGnews.com.ua
30.10.2009
Yesterday, on October 29 some media reported that allegedly in the Ternopil Region cases of ill people with typhus were registered, and that militarized detachments limited entrance and departure from the territory of the Ternopil Region. However, the Public Relations Center of the Ministry of Emergencies in the Ternopil Region denied information about it. Yesterday, on October 29 the chief physician of the regional sanitary-epidemiological station Halyna Hrynchuk assured that Kyiv Region is ready for prophylaxis and treatment of influenza, reported Yulia Makoveeva, MIGnews.com.ua correspondent. In the Ternopil Region 25 percents of infectiologists who worked with patients with acute respiratory viral infections are ill, the chairman of the Association of infectiologists of Ukraine Mykhaylo Andreychin reported yesterday, on October 29 at a press conference. "One fourth of doctors had such a disease or they are ill with it now. Fortunately, they are recovering now and soon again be able to work", – said Mykhaylo Andreychin.
Natural Disaster Update
Source: http://home.att.net/~thehessians/disasterwatch.html
QUAKES –
10/27/09 –
5.2 NORTHERN COLOMBIA
5.2 SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS
5.2 SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS
5.6 MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES
6.1 DRAKE PASSAGE [off southern tip of Chile]
10/29/09 –
5.5 PAPUA, INDONESIA
6.0 HINDU KUSH REGION, AFGHANISTAN
5.2 BHUTAN
5.0 TONGA
5.2 SICHUAN-GANSU BORDER REG, CHINA
5.4 OFFSHORE VERACRUZ, MEXICO
5.3 MOLUCCA SEA
10/30/09 –
5.2 NEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G.
6.9 RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN
5.1 HINDU KUSH REGION, AFGHANISTAN
5.2 OFFSHORE VALPARAISO, CHILE
5.0 OFFSHORE VALPARAISO, CHILE
10/31/09 –
5.3 SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
5.0 MINAHASA, SULAWESI, INDONESIA
5.9 SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS
5.1 SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS
5.2 SOUTH OF FIJI ISLANDS
11/1/09 –
5.5 TONGA
5.0 SICHUAN-YUNNAN BORDER REG, CHINA
Cluster of 200 moderate quakes in Iceland – the 12 strongest ranged from 3.4 to 4.3.
11/2/09 –
5.4 ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
5.2 VANUATU
5.0 TONGA
6.1 SOUTH OF TONGA
5.0 COLOMBIA
11/3/09 –
5.5 BONIN ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION
5.4 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
5.7 IONIAN SEA
Aftershocks have been felt in Samoa every other day since the 8.0-magnitude quake in late September, sending coastal villagers into the hills each time. Many children are too frightened to go to school and many families say they are too terrified to live in homes to be rebuilt in low-lying areas. "The country is in the grip of great fear." The country's worst natural disaster in living memory, the quake-caused tsunami flattened a dozen villages on the picturesque southern coast of the mainland, Upolu. That the people are still struggling to come to terms with it one month on is testament to its severity "The houses we are about to build are useless if no one will stay in them out of fear and indecision." Many families have already opted to move to higher ground. In Lalomanu, a popular tourist village on the south-eastern tip of the island, dozens have relocated inland. "People were just too terrified to stay on the coast after seeing what happened there. They want to get away, up higher. Many won't return."
IRAN – A 4.9 earthquake struck the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas early today, injuring at least 209 people.
A new ocean – A new study reports that a 20-foot wide crack in the center of the Ethiopian desert will eventually become a new ocean. The study shows how Dabbahu, a volcano at the northern end of the rift, erupted and pushed magma up through the middle of the rift area, "unzipping" the rift in both directions. The volcanic eruption tore open a 35-mile crack in just days. Scientists are excited about the findings because it reveals what is likely happening along the deep ocean floors, a place almost impossible to study. "We know that seafloor ridges are created by a similar intrusion of magma into a rift, but we never knew that a huge length of the ridge could break open at once like this." Scientists believe the Red Sea will eventually pour into the newly created sea.
CHINA – A moderate earthquake hit southwest China Monday, injuring 28 people, toppling more than 1,000 houses, and killing hundreds of livestock. The 4.9-magnitude quake hit Yunnan province early Monday morning not far from popular tourist destination Dali, striking at a depth of 35 kilometres (22 miles). Nearly 300,000 people were affected by the tremor, but no deaths were immediately reported. More than 400 livestock, including sheep, chicken and pigs, have been killed.
IRAN – Teheran's days as the Iranian capital may be numbered after a powerful government body approved a plan for a new principal city in an attempt to protect residents from a dangerous earthquake. Seismologists have warned that Teheran is liable to be struck by a catastrophic earthquake in the foreseeable future. It is not clear whether a new capital will be built from scratch or sited in an existing city. The city is home to 12 million people. Plans for a new capital were first drawn up 20 years ago, but officials only gave them serious consideration after the 2003 earthquake that devastated the south-eastern city of Bam and killed an estimated 40,000 people. Experts warn that Teheran sits on at least 100 faultlines and that many of its buildings would not survive a major quake.
VOLCANOES –
PHILIPPINES – Mayon Volcano spewed ash anew this morning, indicating fresh sign of heightened restiveness that could result in a major eruption, a month and 13 days after its first ash explosion episode last September 15. The event prompted authorities to issue a new 24-hour alert to residents of communities surrounding the volcano. Residents living near the slopes claimed hearing what they said was a "thud" followed by a display of whitish cauliflower-like plume above the crater. For the past 24-hour observation period, the seismic network recorded 13 volcanic earthquakes.
COLUMBIA – GALERAS & HUILA – Officials in southern Colombia have issued a code orange alert for the newly-active Galeras volcano which they said could erupt in a matter of days or weeks. Authorities said they are continuing to monitor the nearby Huila volcano, also on orange alert, where sizeable volcanic activity also has been detected in recent weeks. Huila last erupted in November 2008, killing 10 people. The Galeras volcano situated near the southern border with Ecuador is Colombia's most active volcano, with five eruptions over the past two years. It began rumbling back to life on October 27. Some 7,000 people live in the vicinity of the volcano. A 1993 eruption of Galeras killed nine people, including six scientists who had descended its crater to take gas samples.
On October 16, authorities ordered high 'orange' alert across the region surrounding the Huila volcano, meaning that a full scale eruption could occur within days. Between October 21 and 27 the Institute recorded some 1,004 seismic events, which included 119 related to fracturing rock and 847 related to lava flow within the volcano body. The ash ejected by the volcano has affected 17 settlements in the Cauca, Valle and Huila departments. Nevado del Huila has erupted several times over the past few months and though the eruptions have damaged roads and bridges there have been no recorded casualties.
A volcano overlooking Taiwan's capital Taipei is still active, and not dormant as long thought, potentially threatening an area that is home to three million people. Datun Mountain, around an hour's drive from Taipei's city centre, could devastate the entire urban area if it were to erupt now. The assessment is based on findings from the academy suggesting the volcano last erupted 5,000 years ago rather than 200,000 years ago, as previously thought.
TSUNAMI / FREAK WAVES / ABNORMAL TIDES / RISING SEA LEVELS –
Tsunami warning funds squandered in American Samoa – When an earthquake-triggered tsunami cascaded into the tiny island in late September, the result was 34 lives lost and untold millions in property damage. But a CNN investigation has uncovered an array of unsettling facts that point to a single conclusion: this natural disaster was in many ways a man-made tragedy. And in half a dozen villages either wiped out or badly damaged by the tsunami, CNN could find no visible evidence of local government assistance. The Department of Homeland Security had awarded millions of federal dollars in grants for disaster preparedness here, including the construction of an island-wide siren warning system, thirty towers in all, with 30 sirens that could have been activated by the push of a single button – but the system was never installed. All the federal funding was frozen in early 2007 after DHS inspectors found that the local American Samoan government had been diverting millions of dollars for its own uses. The FBI is now conducting an investigation into exactly what did happen to the federal preparedness dollars sent to American Samoa. In the Samoan villages destroyed by the tsunami, stories of corruption are not new. "The government here gets a lot of money from the U.S. federal government. Every year, they get millions and millions of dollars. As you see, we look like a Third World country when we should be looking more like a U.S. territory." On average the 65,000-population — the size of a typical American suburb — receives about $250 million in federal money each year.
TROPICAL STORMS –
Typhoon Mirinae has smashed through the Philippines, killing 11 people and worsening floods in areas that were struggling to recover from recent deadly storms.
Typhoon Santi (Mirinae) pummeled Southern Luzon Saturday, and state weather forecasters are now keeping tabs on a potential cyclone that has entered Philippine territory. The shallow low-pressure area (SLPA) was 850 km east of Luzon as of 4 a.m. Sunday. "We are still monitoring it, but it is too early to say if it will become a cyclone. But for now, it is not likely to have any direct effect on any part of the country because it is still too far away." If the SLPA intensifies into a cyclone while in Philippine territory, it will be code named “Tino," the 20th cyclone in Philippine territory this year. Meanwhile, Pagasa advised fishing boats and small seacraft against venturing to the sea due to strong winds associated with Santi. Santi began unleashing its wrath Friday evening causing power outages, floods, and landslides in some areas in Luzon.
North Atlantic Hurricane Season slowest since 1997 – the consequence of the transition from La Nina to El Nino during the past year. Global and Northern Hemisphere Tropical Cyclone Activity remains near 30-YEAR HISTORICAL LOWS — three years in a row now of considerably below-average activity globally. The global Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) sunk to RECORD LOW LEVELS during the early summer prior to the typhoon activity in the Western Pacific and the hurricane activity in the Eastern Pacific. While it may seem like the world has experienced considerable tropical cyclone activity lately, 2009 as a whole is still well behind normal or climatology. This is a natural consequence of the rather UNUSUAL FLIP from strong La Nina to El Nino conditions during the past calendar year, which did not happen at all during the period of 1976-2006. It is expected by NOAA and others that the current El Nino is locked in for the rest of winter 2009-2010 and may indeed strengthen. This would suggest enhanced typhoon activity in the Western Pacific throughout the rest of the fall and winter which will necessarily increase the NH ACE. The Southern Hemisphere TC season may begin at any time now, but most activity is experienced between January and March.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said there is a need to look into the “ABNORMAL BEHAVIORS” of the recent storms that hit the country in the last two previous months. The state weather bureau has to conduct research to find out exactly what caused Tropical Storm Ondoy to dump “the HIGHEST AMOUNT OF RAINFALL IN HISTORY” last September 26. They will also focus on the CURIOUS case of Typhoon Pepeng whose threat lingered the longest for more than two weeks because of “the UNUSUALLY ERRATIC TRACK” it followed in early October. The top weather official noted that they will also look into the ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR of Typhoon Ramil which was “UNEXPECTEDLY overpowered” by weaker weather systems, prompting its failure to make landfall in Cagayan thrice in its 12-day stay in the country in mid-October. PAGASA would find the results of the study useful, which could help minimize the guessing game with the coming of more "UNUSUALLY STRONG AND ABNORMALLY ERRATIC” tropical cyclones produced by the adverse effects of climate change. “It would be indicative of what is going to come, which will DEFINITELY be getting WORSE. And we need these studies for us to take better preparation."
When NASA's Aqua satellite flew over the Philippine Sea during the early morning hours Monday, November 2, infrared imagery saw another new tropical cyclone coming together. The U.S. Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Center, the organization that forecasts tropical cyclones in that area of the world is getting a workout. Tropical Storm Mirinae just made landfall Monday morning in Vietnam, and had crossed northern Luzon, the Philippines this past weekend. Now, there's another threat in the region. At 0600 UTC (4 p.m. local Asia/Manila time) on Monday, November 2, "System 97W" appeared to be taking on tropical cyclone characteristics. In fact, the Philippine Government hasn't waited for it to be named and gave it the local name "Tino." Tino, or 97W was located about 320 miles northeast of Manila. It was moving in a westerly direction toward the Philippines and the outer fringes of 97W's clouds were already moving into the northern areas of Luzon.
Typhoon Mirinae weakened to a tropical depression after crossing Vietnam’s southern coast, where authorities had ordered evacuations. The storm left at least two people dead and eight injured as of 7 p.m. local time in the southern coastal province of Phu Yen, where the storm made landfall Monday. The depression will move westward and reach the Cambodian border by 4 a.m. today with winds of below 39 kilometers (24 miles) per hour before dissipating by Nov. 4.
Tropical Depression 97W hasn't grown into a tropical storm and is now tracking through the central Philippines, far south of Manila. The storm is weakening and is dissipating, and NASA's Aqua satellite verified that the thunderstorm cloud tops are not as cold as they were Monday, indicating a weakening storm. Tropical Depression 97W, named "Tino" in the Philippines, is forecast to move on a south-southwesterly track, over Tabaco City, Ligao, Oas, and Naga City into the Ragay Gulf. It will continue moving south-southwest through the Sibuyan Sea and into the Mindoro Strait.
Wide-scale floods in central Vietnam have killed more people than officials originally estimated. Tropical storm Mirinae killed at least 40 people in a number of provinces, with at least 10 others missing. Disaster officials said information was still trickling in from isolated areas and the toll could rise. Most of the recorded deaths were due to the floods, with Phu Yen province worst hit. An estimated 338 millimetres (13 inches) of rain fell in Vietnam's central provinces. Around 2,600 houses and 4,400 acres (1,800 hectares) of farmland have been destroyed. State television showed pictures of people stuck on roofs of houses, and rescuers attempting to take children and the elderly to safety.
HEAVY SNOW / EXTREME COLD –
ARIZONA – UNUSUAL WEATHER brought high winds and blowing dust swept through the Valley Tuesday afternoon, and the chance of snow as low as 3,000 feet by Wednesday. The low-pressure system which combined with a cold front moving in was expected to be a 20 degree drop in weather for the next few days, and has caused driving hazards across the Valley with strong winds and blowing dust. “This is an ABNORMAL AND UNUSUALLY STRONG cold front." Tuesday's high was 84, and a drop to 64 was expected for Wednesday. Winds were expected to reach between 30 and 35 mph, with some gusts reaching as high as 40 to 45 mph. The windy and dry conditions increase fire danger.
COLORADO – The RECORD-BREAKING STORM that dumped more than 17 inches of snow in Boulder on Wednesday wasn't over yet. The National Weather Service expected another 5 to 10 inches of snow to fall overnight into Thursday morning, while falling temperatures overnight and blowing snow could make for a hazardous commute. The fall storm, which started late Tuesday and was expected to continue through Thursday afternoon, crushed the snowfall record for the date — 3.7 inches — though, as of Wednesday night, it wasn't close to the October record of 29.8 inches. As of 10 p.m., Boulder had tallied 17.3 inches of snow.
GERMANY – on October 22nd a weather station in Berchtesgaden National Park in Bavaria RECORDED THE COLDEST TEMPERATURE EVER DURING THE MONTH OF OCTOBER in Germany, as the mercury dipped to a chilly -24.3 degrees Celsius in Bavaria’s Berchtesgaden national park. The bitter cold was measured at the Funtensee, a notoriously frosty lake high in the Bavarian Alps.
CHINA – Meteorologists in China covered Beijing in snow at the weekend after seeding clouds to bring winter weather to the capital. It is part of an effort to fight a drought affecting northern China. The UNUSUALLY EARLY snow blanketed the capital from Sunday morning and kept falling for half the day. Chinese meteorologists have for years sought to make rain by injecting special chemicals into clouds. The technique often gets results, but the drought in the north of the country has continued for more than a decade.
HONG KONG – Temperatures are set to plunge today as strong winds blow in from the mainland – as boffins in Beijing claim credit for an early cold snap that caused chaos for many Hong Kong travelers. Four Hong Kong-Beijing flights were canceled and 21 delayed Sunday as the capital felt the full blast of a strong cold front that has pushed temperatures to below zero. The blizzard – the EARLIEST TO HIT THE CAPITAL IN 40 YEARS – was caused by "artificial means," according to state media which quoted the Beijing Weather Modification Office. "We won't miss any opportunity for artificial precipitation since Beijing is suffering from a lingering drought." According to preliminary calculations, more than 16 million tonnes of snow had been artificially created. "We have used a total of 186 doses of silver iodide since 8pm on Saturday." The Hong Kong Observatory is forecasting temperatures will drop as low as 17 degrees Celsius today as the cold front moves in on Guangdong. The cold spell gave Beijing its FIRST SNOW A MONTH EARLIER THAN USUAL. The cold weather is expected to persist until Thursday. The early winter blast caused chaos in many other parts of the mainland. In Shandong, passenger shipping services from Yantai to Dalian were suspended. Snowstorms also lashed Jilin province, collapsing trees and disrupting flights. In Yanji, more than 5,455 hectares of cropland were damaged.
EXTREME HEAT / WILDFIRES / DROUGHT / CLIMATE CHANGE-
BRITAIN will enjoy some unseasonal balmy weather this week, thanks to an extended blast of tropical air. Parts of the England and Wales are expected to reach at least 20C over the coming days – five degrees above average – as warm southern winds stave off an autumnal chill. It is being produced by a low pressure out in the Atlantic and a high pressure over Scandinavia, which are sending warm winds up from southern France and central Africa. Virtually all parts of the UK will bask in the Indian summer conditions, with the mercury expected to reach 17 degrees as far north as Glasgow. The heatwave will make the week ONE OF THE WARMEST ON RECORD FOR LATE OCTOBER. The highest temperature for this time of the year stopped just short of 23 degrees in 1996.
FLORIDA – HEAT RECORDS CONTINUE TO FALL as a heat wave has the Treasure Coast feeling very un-Octobery. And meteorologists predict a very active and potentially dangerous winter with downpours, floods and tornadoes possible thanks to El Niño, the same “little boy” who’s kept them safe from storms this hurricane season. El Niño forms every three to five years as warm surface waters in the Pacific Ocean shift from the west to east. Those warmer waters form upper atmospheric storms that can thwart hurricanes forming in the Atlantic, but they can also cause havoc during the winter months. The current El Niño weather pattern started in July and weakened eight hurricanes. Now considered a moderate El Niño, it is expected to strengthen in the coming months, producing hazardous weather. In the meantime, this October definitely has been hotter than usual. There have been 15 days this month in which the temperature has soared above 90 degrees, including 12 days in a row (Oct. 5 to 16). The previous record was six 90-plus days in 1980. Mercury climbed to the 89-degree mark in Vero Beach on Tuesday, BREAKNG THE RECORD of 87 for the date, set in 1972.
BRITAIN – Mini-heatwave fools daffodils into thinking it's spring. When one sees the first daffodils poking out of flowerbeds, its generally a sign that spring is just around the corner. But this year was different – the flowers have begun blooming in October Horticulturists believe that the UNUSUALLY mild autumnal weather has fooled the daffs into thinking it is spring. Most daffodils need cold weather in winter to germinate before flowering when temperatures rise in March. But the 'avalanche' variety does not need such cool conditions. "I have grown daffodils all my life but have never seen anything like this. When I went out into my garden my eyes came out on stalks. I think this may be the most unusual thing anyone has ever seen in a garden. For daffodils to be out at this time of year is absolutely amazing. They have come out five months early." The London Weather Centre is reporting highs of 20C – that's well above what is expected for this time of year – the average is 13C (55F).
The snows capping Mt Kilimanjaro, Africa's tallest peak, are shrinking rapidly and could vanish altogether in 20 years, most likely due to global warming. Mount Kilimanjaro's top has lost 26% of its ice since 2000.
SPACE WEATHER-
INDONESIAN ASTEROID – 10/8/09 – Picture this: A 10-meter wide asteroid hits Earth and explodes in the atmosphere with the energy of a small atomic bomb. Frightened by thunderous sounds and shaking walls, people rush out of their homes, thinking that an earthquake is in progress. All they see is a twisting trail of debris in the mid-day sky. This really happened on Oct. 8th around 11 am local time in the coastal town of Bone, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The Earth-shaking blast received remarkably little coverage in Western press, but meteor scientists have given it their full attention. "The explosion triggered infrasound sensors of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization more than 10,000 km away. Analysis of the infrasound data revealed an explosion at coordinates 4.5S, 120E (close to Bone) with a yield of about 50 kton of TNT, making it ONE OF THE LARGEST ASTEROID EXPLOSIONS EVER OBSERVED. That's two to three times more powerful than World War II-era atomic bombs. However, this time we were lucky – the blast caused no damage on the ground because it occurred at high altitude, 15 to 20km above Earth's surface. The asteroid that caused the blast was not known before it hit and took astronomers completely by surprise. According to statistical studies of the near-Earth asteroid population, such objects are expected to collide with Earth on average every 2 to 12 years. "Follow-on observations from other instruments or ground recovery efforts would be very valuable in further refining this unique event."
KANSAS – 10/27/09 – At 3:07 a.m. Tuesday, McPherson County Communications officers received several reports from citizens and law enforcement officers regarding a large blue light falling from the sky. Dispatchers spoke with Saline and Reno County authorities and were advised that they had also received reports of this phenomena. The National Weather Service in Wichita, was contacted and they advised they had received a report of this from Lincoln County. The general consensus is that it was a meteorite, however there is no determination as to where it made impact.
STRANGE ANIMAL BEHAVIOR-
CANADA – Two coyotes have attacked and killed a 19-year-old folk singer in a national park in eastern Canada. Taylor Mitchell, 19, a promising musician from Toronto, died in hospital after the animals pounced as she hiked alone in Cape Breton park, Nova Scotia. Walkers alerted park rangers after hearing her screams. The rangers shot one coyote, but were still searching for the second. Attacks by coyotes on humans are RARE; they usually prey on deer and hares. "Coyotes are normally afraid of humans. This is a very irregular occurrence". The two coyotes were "extremely aggressive" when authorities arrived at the scene. Ms Mitchell – touted as a rising star in the folk music scene – was nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award earlier this year in the youth category.
Giant jellyfish have sunk a 10-tonne trawler in Japan. – The Nomura's jellyfish can weigh up to 200kg each and have recently begun to swarm in the waters off the coast of China. Unfortunately for the three-man crew, their net dragged through such a swarm, capturing dozens of the jellyfish, which can grow up to two metres in diameter. The three men were thrown into the sea when the vessel capsized and sank under the weight of the jellyfish. The swarm has come as a SURPRISE to local fisherman, who reported none in 2008. Nomura's jellyfish swarm in order to breed. The last spikes in Nomura's jellyfish populations occurred in 1958 and 1995.
HEALTH THREATS –
The US Department of Homeland Security has not developed a plan to address Internet congestion during a severe pandemic and has not looked into the possibility of asking the public to reduce nonessential use in such a setting. Most securities firms have addressed pandemic planning, but not all have addressed staffing issues or telework alternatives.
El Salvador notes flu, dengue fever co-infections in 4 patients – Though it's not clear if the virus is pandemic H1N1, moderators suspect it is, because virus activity is increasing in El Salvador, unlike other Central American sites. Though the cases did not appear to be fatal, there was little other information about the clinical course.
Gender-based vaccine doses suggested to boost supply – Two commentators writing in the New York Times say that using lower doses of flu vaccine in women could improve the vaccine supply without sacrificing protection. They point to studies in which women had a significantly stronger immune response to flu vaccines than men did. They say that besides stretching the supply, the step would reduce side effects for women.
Flu activity at US colleges has increased significantly, showing spikes even in some areas such as the southeast that have reported decreases over the past few weeks. The Midwest, mid Atlantic, and northeast regions also showed unexpected rebounds. The report for the week ending Oct 23 said the rate of flu-like illnesses on member campuses was 28 per 10,000 students, up 34% from the week before.
Uncertain timing clouds UK vaccine campaign – General practitioners in Britain have said it could take weeks for them to receive H1N1 vaccine supplies, leaving those in priority groups uncertain about when they can be vaccinated. Healthcare workers and hospital patients received their doses last week, and it was expected that vaccination of other priority groups would begin this week. But many doctors have not yet received their doses and don't know just when they will come.
China sees tough flu fight ahead – Chinese government sources said flu activity is spiking in many parts of the country and clusters of illnesses are occurring in schools. China's state council said the country's challenge is grim. The assessment was prompted by the death of a student at a university in Beijing where other students were ill. The fatality is China's fourth from the pandemic H1N1 virus.
Global jump in swine flu deaths – The number of swine flu deaths reported worldwide jumped by 700 in a week. More than 5,700 swine flu deaths were reported by 25 October, compared to nearly 5,000 the week before. The biggest rise was in the Americas where 4,175 deaths have been reported, up 636 from the week before. There have been 440,000 confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus worldwide. But, as many countries have stopped counting individual cases, the actual number is likely to be significantly higher. "In the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere, influenza transmission continues to intensify, marking an UNUSUALLY EARLY start to winter influenza season in some countries." Statistics showed fatal cases in Europe climbed to at least 281, while those in Asia-Pacific rose to 1,070.
U.S. – Flu activity is now widespread in 48 states, up from 46 last week. Even though the winter flu season has yet to begin, the flu is taking a heavy toll on children, killing 114 U.S. children and teenagers since April. Nineteen of those deaths were reported last week. Two-thirds of those children had underlying medical conditions. In a normal flu season, 40 to 50 children die. Since the CDC began tracking children's flu deaths five years ago, the highest toll was 88, in the winter of 2007-8. Comparable numbers are not available for adults.
New York's governor Thursday declared a state emergency to permit more health workers to give H1N1 flu vaccinations. Normally only physicians, nurses, and nurse practitioners can do so; the declaration will enable physician assistants, dentists, some dental hygienists, and emergency personnel to participate. The action — requested by local governments — also authorizes school-based health centers to vaccinate adults and children.
Dutch scientists suggest that vaccinating children against seasonal flu may make them more vulnerable to pandemic flu strains. Shielding children from the need to generate immunity to actual seasonal viruses might leave them more vulnerable to pandemic strains. But other experts, while not necessarily agreeing, say it's better to protect children from an annual threat than one they may face every few decades.
Swiss regulators on Friday restricted the use of an adjuvanted pandemic H1N1 vaccine made by GlaxoSmithKline in pregnant women, children, and people older than 60. The agency held back its authorization for the groups because it has little data on the vaccine's use in children and no data for pregnant women. It endorsed one of two pandemic vaccines made by Novartis and is still examining the company's cell-based pandemic vaccine.
Though pandemic activity continues to intensify in North America, several European countries are reporting high rates of flu-like illness and pandemic virus detections, including Iceland, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Many other countries in Europe and western and central Asia are reporting early flu transmission. Flu activity is up sharply in Japan. At least 5,712 deaths have been reported, up 713 from last week.
The World Health Organization confirmed yesterday that it was sending a team of experts to help the government of Ukraine, where it said more than 2,300 people have been hospitalized for what is suspected to be pandemic H1N1 influenza and 38 have died. Monday a Ukrainian health official put the death toll from flu and acute respiratory illnesses at 67. The Deputy Health Minister said the country has had 255,000 cases of flu and respiratory illness, with 15,000 people hospitalized. The reports follow the government's decision on Oct 30 to close schools and ban public meetings for 3 weeks because of the steep rise in suspected H1N1 cases. The health ministry said only 22 cases have been confirmed as H1N1, with one death. But it said the country's National Security Council put the death toll at 4. The WHO said the Ukraine Ministry of Health confirmed the H1N1 virus in 11 of 30 patients from two of the most affected regions, using tests in two Ukrainian laboratories. The WHO planned to run confirmatory tests at one of its collaborating centers. The WHO reported that 38 deaths associated with "severe manifestations of acute respiratory illness" had occurred as of Oct 31. Preliminary analysis indicates that "severe cases and deaths primarily occur among previously healthy young adults and aged 20 to 50 years." Sunday Ukraine made an urgent appeal to world powers for help in battling the pandemic, after announcing that 60 people had died of respiratory disease and flu. Poland, Ukraine's neighbor, urged the European Union to act swiftly to help the country, saying it was in EU members' best interest to send medical aid. Meanwhile, Slovakia closed two pedestrian border crossings with Ukraine and ordered spot medical checks at others. The WHO noted once again that travel restrictions are not recommended because they will not prevent the spread of the disease. Alarm over H1N1 has become a political issue in Ukraine as it prepares for a presidential election in January, with rival candidates seeking to show leadership in battling the disease. The Prime Minister Monday said Ukraine is suffering an epidemic of normal flu with a few cases of H1N1. She charged that "the unscrupulous statements of certain politicians" were causing panic.
Canadian advisors push seasonal vaccine – Canada's vaccine advisory group has recommended against delaying seasonal flu shots, a move that many provinces made after an unpublished study suggested the vaccine might raise the risk of contracting pandemic flu. The panel concluded that even if the finding is valid, the risk of skipping the seasonal shot outweighs the risk seen in the studies. The group also endorsed giving both seasonal and H1N1 shots at the same time.
Contaminated beef – Two people, one from New Hampshire and another from upstate New York, have died after eating ground beef that may be responsible for an E. coli outbreak linked to illness in more than two dozen people.
Uptake of seasonal flu vaccine may set record – This year's uptake of seasonal flu vaccine is "UNPRECEDENTED" and may set a record. The CDC expects that 114 million doses will be distributed by the end of the year, but the demand may be greater still. There are signs of a higher vaccination rate than usual among healthcare workers, who usually have only about a 40% immunization rate.
No H1N1 test is currently approved or cleared by the FDA. The US Food and Drug Administration published guidance Monday to help manufacturers develop diagnostic tests for the novel H1N1 influenza virus. Manufacturers of tests can submit a request to the FDA for an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). If granted, the EUA will allow the test to be used during the H1N1 pandemic.
FOOD / WATER / SUPPLIES-
AUSTRALIA – Queensland is facing a THREAT OF BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS as Australian plague locusts mass on the border with NSW. Biosecurity Queensland has warned that the locust swarms, which can travel up to 600km in a night, could cause damage worth millions of dollars. In 2004/05, locusts were responsible for national agricultural losses estimated to be worth more than $11 million. The ability of locusts to migrate over large distances in short periods of time meant virtually all of Queensland's agricultural areas are at some level of risk. "A single Australian plague locust can eat approximately one-third to half of its body weight per day throughout its lifespan. This means a locust swarm covering an area of one square kilometre will eat up to 10 tonnes of vegetation every 24 hours."
Signs in False Shepherds & False Religion
"For among them are those who worm their way into households and capture idle women burdened down with sins, led along by a variety of passions, always learning and never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so these also resist the truth, men who are corrupt in mind, worthless in regard to the faith. But they will not make further progress, for their lack of understanding will be clear to all, as theirs was also." 2 Timothy 3:6-9
Paganism, Just Another Religion for Military and Academia
NY Times
October 30, 2009
If personal tradition holds, just before sundown Saturday, Michael York will stand before a colonial-style wooden cabinet in his bayside town house here and light a candle. As night falls, it will illuminate the surrounding objects: tarot cards, Tibetan silver bowls, a bell and statues or icons of deities like the Greek earth-mother, Gaia, and the Lithuanian thunder god, Perkunas. While facing the altar, if past practice holds, Mr. York will invoke the names of the ancestors and loved ones who have died. He will often write down their names, too, and keep that piece of paper in the cabinet. One can mourn on any day, as Mr. York put it recently, but on this occasion, “the veil between the worlds is understood to be thinnest.” The day that most Americans know as Halloween, a commercial bonanza and secular holiday with only the faintest remnants of its pantheistic origins, Mr. York celebrates as Samhain, the autumnal new year for Pagans. And for Mr. York, Paganism is indeed a proper noun, connoting a specific religion that he has observed for decades.
Girl's confession stuns worshippers
Modern Ghana
25 Oct 2009
“I placed a goat's horn into the stomach of my elder sister to prevent her from having children," Olivia, 19, and a self-proclaimed witch, now exorcised, told a large congregation at the Ebenezer Healing Church at Kasoa, in the Central Region last week. She had been sent to the church by her relatives after they heard about Prophet Michael Osei, founder and leader of the church and his miraculous encounters with witches and wizards. They had the conviction that the man of God could help their child to get rid of her witchcraft. Olivia had told her parents (the father and a step-mother) that she was forced to send her mother (now deceased) to a witches camp where she was slaughtered for a feast. "They gave my mother's heart to me to eat and our queen witch feasted on my mother's head as our culture demands," she told the stunned congregation. Earlier, Olivia had confessed that she was given the witchcraft spirit by her paternal grandmother at the age of five.
SI Muslim woman slashes sleeping husband over religion
NY Post
October 29, 2009
A devout Muslim woman from Pakistan who wed a fellow countryman who did not share her faith tried to stab him to death as he slept in their Staten Island home because she claimed he forced her to drink alcohol, eat pork and dress provocatively, officials said today. Rabia Sarwar, 37, climbed onto her husband Sheikh Naseem’s chest around 3 a.m. yesterday and repeatedly slashed at his neck as he slept, officials said, screaming, "It’s time for you to die!" Naseem, a 41-year-old high school math teacher who goes by the name Eddie, said he woke up with the knife to his neck and as he wrestled with his wife – whom he wed five months ago in an arranged marriage — for the weapon. He begged her to consider his two children from a previous marriage. "She just screamed, ‘They are going to be orphans now!’" he said. "She kept on coming after me with the knife and I grabbed it and broke it into two pieces and ran out of the room."
Christian teacher charged with sex assault used Bible to persuade victims
Examiner
October 28, 2009
Until Monday, when he was arrested, Robert Louis Rosseau taught 8th graders at the Christian Academy of San Antonio. Along with other subjects, he taught Bible classes. This all came to an end when he was arrested on Monday after a girl he was trying to lure into his "secret society" complained to police. According to a report on the Houston Chronicle Web site, the 37-year-old teacher isn't even certified by the state of Texas to teach. He is now being held on a $100,000 bail charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child. Reportedly, Rosseau's "secret society" included himself and two girls. It was when the two girls tried to get a third girl to join that it all began to come undone. The third girl resisted the two girls and a fight broke out when the two girls allegedly attacked the third at school. The police were called. It was then that the third girl told police of the teacher's secret society. She also told police that the other two girls had told her that the teacher had seen them nude as part of the "trust" that had to be established for the "order" to survive. It was also said that the two girls told the third girl that Rosseau was in a lot of "pain" because she wouldn't join them.
Afghan protest over 'burnt Koran'
BBC
25 October 2009
There have been protests in the Afghan capital, Kabul, over allegations that foreign troops in the country burnt a copy of the Koran. Hundreds of Kabul University students led the latest protest, burning an effigy of US President Barack Obama. The US-led Nato force has denied the claims, saying it has investigated the incident in Wardak province and found the allegations to be groundless. The local authorities there have so far supported Nato. They say they did find evidence that a Koran had been burnt, but blamed drug addicts and said the Taliban may be spreading rumours that foreign troops were responsible to provoke anti-American unrest.
Faith under Fire
“Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:11-12
“You will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who endured to the end will be delivered.” Matthew 10:22
Report: Florida Man Says Home Depot Fired Him for Wearing 'One Nation Under God' Pin
Fox News
October 26, 2009
A Florida man says he was fired from his job at The Home Depot for wearing an American flag pin that said "One nation under God, indivisible." Trevor Keezer, 20, said he had worn the button ever since he started working at the home improvement retailer 19 months ago. He said it was his way of supporting U.S. troops, the Florida Sun-Sentinel reported. Keezer, whose brother Army Spc. Steven Keezer Jr. is set to return to Iraq in December, said none of his supervisors had anything negative to say about the pin until last month when he began bringing his bible to work, the paper reported. "That's when I was told it had to come off, or I would be sent home," Keezer told WPTV last week. "So they sent me home for six straight days without pay. And then today they terminated me."
Indonesia: Jakarta, more violence against students of Christian theology
Spero Forum
October 29, 2009
The police chased the students of Setia from the temporary seat set up in former town hall in West Jakarta. A group of students and teachers is under investigation, five arrested. In July 2008 a Muslim mob had attacked their school, forcing the students to flee. The Christian building wanted by a … Jakarta – Police in Jakarta has driven the students of Christian theological Institute Arastamar (STT Setia) from the land of the former town hall in West Jakarta. The students were holding their lessons there after they were forcibly removed – in July 2008 – from their campus in Kampung Makassar, east of the capital. The raid police started on 26 October. After three days of clashes and protests by Christians for their umpteenth banishment, a group of students and some teachers were indicted on charges of resisting a public officer. Five students were arrested, pending trial. In the summer of 2008 a mob of angry Muslims stormed the original headquarters of the theological Christian Institute, in East Jakarta. The violence was sparked by accusations – perfectly fabricated- of the theft of a motorcycle by a student and the illegal construction of the Christian’s building. In Indonesia, in fact, stringent laws govern the construction of churches or non-Muslim institutions, for which a specific authorization is needed.
Group sues commission in removal of Jesus display
freep.com
Oct. 26, 2009
A Christian group based in Ann Arbor has filed a lawsuit against the Road Commission of Macomb County after it allegedly prevented this year a Christmas display on a road median in Warren that had been allowed in the past. The commission had expressed concerns about the nativity display after complaints from a group that supports separation of church and state, according to the lawsuit filed Friday by the Thomas More Law Center. For decades, the Satawa family has helped erect a nativity display – which depicts the birth of Jesus Christ – on a public median in Warren. In December 2008, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, based in Madison, Wis., sent a letter to the Road Commission of Macomb County objecting to the display on a public site. The foundation said it violated the “constitutional principle of separation of church and state.” The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court and has been assigned to Judge Gerald Rosen. Ben Aloia, attorney for the road commission, said that previous court decisions make it clear that a government agency can’t appear to favor one religion over another. The nativity display is “in effect, endorsing religion,” Aloia said.
Muslim-Christian Clashes Erupt After Murder of Villager
Fox News
October 24, 2009
CAIRO — Muslims and Christians clashed in southern Egypt on Saturday following an earlier murder of a Christian villager by attackers accusing his son of having an affair with a Muslim, according to witnesses. Relatives of the slain villager and the girl pelted each other with rocks, broke shop front windows, and shot bullets into the air before police restored calm to the southern village of Dayrut. The clashes erupted after four relatives from the girl's family had their detention extended by police investigating their involvement in the murder. Henry Atallah was shot dead while waiting in his car on Oct. 18 in the nearby village of Attaleen, near the southern city of Assiut.
Will student prez be ousted over this?
Christian ignites campus firestorm on Constitution Day, faces wrath of school
WND
October 29, 2009
SACRAMENTO – A California college student government president says he is feeling the wrath of peers and school administration and facing a recall election because he allowed a pro-life display on campus during the school's Constitution Day. Each year, the Sacramento City College Associated Student Government votes to invite outside groups and speakers to participate in a two-day event on campus in celebration of the Constitution and free speech. But ASG President Steve Macias, a 19-year-old Christian student, is now subject to a recall election because he allowed the Genocide Awareness Project, a group affiliated with the Sanctity of Human Life Network, to host a pro-life exhibit. The student government unanimously voted to allow the Genocide Awareness Project to host a display on campus Sept. 16 and 17 as part of the Constitution Day event. The display ignited debate after photographs of aborted unborn babies offended some students.
