"Great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven."
(Luke 21:11)
Fearful Sights
Dear Friends,
Greetings! This weeks introduction is by a dear friend of People of the Keys, John Aggson Sr. He is an observer of earthquake trends and provided the following information which we thought you might find interesting.
"If you have time dear friends, please google "The Earthquake Site" or the USGS. This is getting pretty scary looking. I just sent the message on the quakes crossing the Pacific and starting up the coast of South America. Well the last time that happened, the next place that was hit was Central America, and then Southern California. Well, keeping in fashion with that same "firing order" ......just today (May 21, 2012) a 6 pointer hit in Costa Rica.
So once again they went from South America to Central America. I really feel California will be next, or Seattle / Portland or both. If you will look at California, something very scary is happening. Quakes are starting to swarm out like a bunch of 'bees' clear into the Rocky Mountains from California. Pressure is being put on the entire western ridge of the Rockies now from California's plate clear up to Seattle.
The USGS said recently they expected a huge explosive type quake in the Seattle / Portland area, along with California. Well In California itself, in the last month alone, the entire San Andreas has pretty much filled itself in with quakes in a SOLID LINE clear from San Diego through L.A. and into San Francisco, clear up past Redding in the north and out into the sea.
Also, two weeks ago nothing major was happening in the downtown areas of those cities. It was still swarming toward them from Mexicali. Now the "swarm of bees" has worked it's way from Mexicali clear up into the downtowns of those areas with up to 3 pointers steadily. So something is coming!
Pressure is being put on the California plate from the Rocky Mountains! Yellowstone is swarming also at the northern end of the Rockies at the corner of Montana and Wyoming. Pressure is building in this whole area! Something is fixing to blow! Give it a look and pray and see what you think.....
David Wilkerson said earlier this year that he really felt in his spirit that something SO BIG, and so major was about to happen in America, that it would cause even the most devout Christians to tremble as well as the whole country.
He does hear from God too....and his prophecy shook a lot of people. This may be what is the fulfillment of that. I don't know. But if you will get on the quake site and look for yourself you will be shocked. There has never been such an explosion of activity as this.
They are trying to deny that anything out of the ordinary is going on, but they are full of baloney! I've watched this for quite a while, and it's never been like this that I remember....filling in the entire ring of fire and now all over the world.......new quake zones other than the ring of fire!
CNN Breaking News recently posted that a "gag order" had been placed on the USGS by the Bush administration and is still in effect for Yellowstone. Apparently that now also covers what is going on in California. Like my wife just said, " if they are not trying to cover something up, why do they even have a little message there that nothing out of the ordinary is going on? Obviously, many people are seeing it and asking questions!
I think S. Cal. is about to get hit again big. Maybe it won't. But what is happening in Mexicali is extraordinary! It has never stopped quaking..........I think we are entering the time Jesus spoke of ...of the great earthquakes occurring in diverse places near the end. ........the beginning of sorrows! Anyway, please check it out if you have time and I think you'll be quite shocked! -Love y'all........-john"
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Ray Alex Website
OCEAN FLOOR RISING BY 13 FEET PER DAY IN AUSTRALIA
16/05/2010
OCEAN FLOOR RISING BY 13 FEET PER DAY IN AUSTRALIA - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website
This is very disturbing. More and more things are happening that really shouldn't. Is the 2012 events we are waiting for, starting already? The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has a Tsunami station in event mode activated for Station 55023 - STB Coral Sea located at 14.803 S 153.585 E (14°48'9″ S 153°35'6″ E). The tsunami station has been in event mode since the large quakes occurred in the area for several days now. This is triggered by the buoys' anomalies of water column height above the sea floor. If you do a data search for 2010 March 20th to 2010 April 13th you get this- Over 100 meters or 328 feet less distance from buoy to sea floor in 24 days! That's 13 feet per day since the quakes. As you will see from the waves on the line graph it matches the tide lines perfectly
Coral Sea tide chart
So Station buoy 55023 is still on the surface. Its not the lunar cycles, checked that as well. There also has been a very odd sea surface temperature in the same location See link CSIRO web page Note the area in blue on the map on the left then see the unusually cold surface temperatures on the surface in the map on the right. Seismic activity has also offers a good insight as to what may be occurring.
Note the long time periods of S waves on this seismic station is the upward thrust of the ocean floor by 13 feet per day? Does anyone know what's going on in this area? Is 2012 events already on its way? - It is also now speculated that the Indo Australian Plate is moving north-west, colliding with and subducting beneath the Eurasian Plate and this movement is allegedly causing the Indo Australian Plate to tip so that the western half of Australia will sink while the eastern seaboard will rise. However, the rate of movement of the Plate is so slow that it seems unlikely that that subduction is causing the rapid sea level rises recorded in the Coral Sea before the two NOAA buoys were taken off line, or at least their readings no longer made public.</P>
<P>Whats the conclusion?
In my view and many others one theory is, that it is more likely that at least parts of Lemuria are beginning to rise with totally uncertain consequences for Australia and especially the east coast. In any event the seismic activity around Vanuatu and along the western boundary of the Pacific Ring of Fire in the southern hemisphere indicates that the east coast of Australia and especially the Queenslanc coast needs to be on alert for possible tsunamis when generated there. Anyway big changes are going on here on earth, that`s for sure.
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Telegraph.co.uk
Scientist Craig Venter creates life for first time in laboratory sparking debate about 'playing god'
Artificial life has been created in a laboratory for the first time by a maverick scientist.
By Richard Alleyne, Science Correspondent -
Published: 20 May 2010
Dr Craig Venter, a multi-millionaire pioneer in genetics, and his team have managed to make a completely new "synthetic" life form from a mix of chemicals.
They manufactured a new chromosome from artificial DNA in a test tube, then transferred it into an empty cell and watched it multiply - the very definition of being alive.
The man-made single cell "creature", which is a modified version of one of the simplest bacteria on earth, proves that the technology works.
Now Dr Venter believes organism, nicknamed Synthia, will pave the way for more complex creatures that can transform environmental waste into clean fuel, vaccinate against disease and soak up pollution.
But his development has also triggered debate over the ethics of "playing god" and the dangers of the new technology could pose in terms of biological hazards and warfare.
"We are entering an era limited only by our imagination," he said announcing the research published in the journal Science.
Dr Venter, a pioneer of genetic code sequencing and his team at the J Craig Venter Institute in Rockville, Maryland, have been chasing the goal for more than 15 years at a cost of £30m.
First they sequenced the genetic code of Mycoplasma genitalium, the world's smallest bacteria that lives in cattle and goats, and stored the information on a computer.
Then they used the computer code to artificially reproduce the DNA in the laboratory, slightly modifying it with a "watermark" so it was distinguishable from the original natural one.
Finally they developed a technique of stripping bacteria cells of all original DNA and substituting it with the new artificial code.
The resulting "synthetic cell" was then "rebooted" and it started to replicate. The ability to reproduce or replicate is considered the basic definition of life.
Dr Venter compared his work with the building of a computer. Making the artificial DNA was the equivalent of creating the software for the operating system. Transferring it to a cell was like loading it into the hardware and running the programme.
"This is the first synthetic cell that's been made, and we call it synthetic because the cell is totally derived from a synthetic chromosome, made with four bottles of chemicals on a chemical synthesizer, starting with information in a computer," said Dr Venter.
"This becomes a very powerful tool for trying to design what we want biology to do. We have a wide range of applications [in mind]," he said.
The researchers are planning to design algae that can capture carbon dioxide and make new hydrocarbons that could go into refineries.
They are also working on ways to speed up vaccine production, making new chemicals or food ingredients and cleaning up water, said Dr Venter.
While a major technological leap forward the life form is still incredibly simple in natural terms. Its DNA is made up of 485 genes, each strand of which is made up of one million base pairs, the equivalent of rungs on a ladder.
A human genome has 20,000 genes and three billion base pairs.
Nevertheless it is the beginning of the process that could lead to creation of much more complicated species, and into a world of artificial animals and people only envisaged in films such as Ridley Scott's Bladerunner and Steven Spielberg's Artificial Intelligence.
Professor Julian Savulescu, an expert in Practical Ethics at the University of Oxford, said: "Venter is creaking open the most profound door in humanity's history, potentially peeking into its destiny.
"He is going toward the role of a god: creating artificial life that could never have existed naturally.
"The potential is in the far future, but real and significant: dealing with pollution, new energy sources, new forms of communication. But the risks are also unparalleled.
"We need new standards of safety evaluation for this kind of radical research and protections from military or terrorist misuse and abuse.
"These could be used in the future to make the most powerful bioweapons imaginable."
Dr David King, director of the watchdog Human Genetics Alert, said: "What is really dangerous is these scientists' ambitions for total and unrestrained control over nature, which many people describe as 'playing God'.
"Scientists' understanding of biology falls far short of their technical capabilities. We have already learnt to our cost the risks that gap brings, for the environment, animal welfare and human health."
Dr Venter has called for reviews so that debate keeps up with the science.
He said: "It's part of an ongoing process that we've been driving, trying to make sure that the science proceeds in an ethical fashion, that we're being thoughtful about what we do and looking forward to the implications to the future."
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WRAL.Com
gulf oil rig torpedoed...
Published April 30
US Orders Blackout Over North Korean Torpedoing Of Gulf Of Mexico Oil Rig
A grim report circulating in the Kremlin today written by Russia's Northern Fleet is reporting that the United States has ordered a complete media blackout over North Korea's torpedoing of the giant Deepwater Horizon oil platform owned by the World's largest offshore drilling contractor Transocean that was built and financed by South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd., that has caused great loss of life, untold billions in economic damage to the South Korean economy, and an environmental catastrophe to the United States.
Most important to understand about this latest attack by North Korea against its South Korean enemy is that under the existing "laws of war" it was a permissible action as they remain in a state of war against each other due to South Korea's refusal to sign the 1953 Armistice ending the Korean War.
To the attack itself, these reports continue, the North Korean "cargo vessel" Dai Hong Dan believed to be staffed by 17th Sniper Corps "suicide" troops left Cuba's Empresa Terminales Mambisas de La Habana (Port of Havana) on April 18th whereupon it "severely deviated" from its intended course for Venezuela's Puerto Cabello bringing it to within 209 kilometers (130 miles) of the Deepwater Horizon oil platform which was located 80 kilometers (50 miles) off the coast of the US State of Louisiana where it launched an SSC Sang-o Class Mini Submarine (Yugo class) estimated to have an operational range of 321 kilometers (200 miles).
On the night of April 20th the North Korean Mini Submarine manned by these "suicidal" 17th Sniper Corps soldiers attacked the Deepwater Horizon with what are believed to be 2 incendiary torpedoes causing a massive explosion and resulting in 11 workers on this giant oil rig being killed outright. Barely 48 hours later, on April 22nd , this North Korean Mini Submarine committed its final atrocity by exploding itself directly beneath the Deepwater Horizon causing this $1 Billion oil rig to sink beneath the seas and marking 2010's celebration of Earth Day with one of the largest environmental catastrophes our World has ever seen.
To the reason for North Korea attacking the Deepwater Horizon, these reports say, was to present US President Obama with an "impossible dilemma" prior to the opening of the United Nations Review Conference of the Parties to the Treat on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) set to begin May 3rd in New York.
This "impossible dilemma" facing Obama is indeed real as the decision he is faced with is either to allow the continuation of this massive oil leak catastrophe to continue for months, or immediately stop it by the only known and proven means possible, the detonation of a thermonuclear device.
Russian Navy atomic experts in these reports state that should Obama choose the "nuclear option" the most viable weapon at his disposal is the United States B83 (Mk-83) strategic thermonuclear bomb having a variable yield (Low Kiloton Range to 1,200 Kilotons) which with its 12 foot length and 18 inch diameter, and weighing just over 2,400 pounds, is readily able to be deployed and detonated by a remote controlled mini-sub.
Should Obama choose the "nuclear option" it appears that he would be supported by the International Court of Justice who on July 8, 1996 issued an advisory opinion on the use of nuclear weapons stating that they could not conclude definitively on these weapons use in "extreme circumstances" or "self defense".
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Canada Free Press
The depth and pervasiveness of corruption, duplicity, and sedition, in our government, media, and leaders, is stunning, and frightening
It's All Unraveling Even As It All Comes Together
By Jim O'Neill
May 17, 2010
"My heart bleeds for America. ...There is a plot against both your civil and religious liberties, and they will be lost. You have nothing but trouble before you."--George Whitefield (1714-1770)
"...know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jerimiah 29:11 NKJV
You say Marxists are running our government, Armageddon's ready to break out in the Middle East; the economy's set to collapse; Europe's ready to implode, and America's primed to detonate? Is that what's bothering you, Bunky?
Yeah, well, take a number and get in line.
Like Rip Van Winkle awakened from a hundred-year-doze, patriotic Americans are awakening to the lies we've been fed, and the dire straits we are in.
Patriots are questioning not only the veracity of the Lame Stream Media (LSM), our politicians, and religious leaders, but also fundamental "institutions," such as the Fed, the IMF (International Monetary Fund), the UN, the 14th Amendment, income tax, and government itself. link
There are no sacred cows anymore. Nothing, and no one, is immune from cynical scrutiny these days. Certainly not the POTUS who has spent close to $2 million hiding his past from "we the people." link
The depth and pervasiveness of corruption, duplicity, and sedition, in our government, media, and leaders, is stunning, and frightening
The depth and pervasiveness of corruption, duplicity, and sedition, in our government, media, and leaders, is stunning, and frightening. At the same time, to finally have the clean wind of truth, whip through our culture, is a bracing tonic that is as exhilarating as it is novel. link
And we need a "bracing tonic," to clear our minds as we prepare for the coming storm, and come it surely must.
The Far Left will never be this close to world domination again--and they know it
The Far Left will never be this close to world domination again--and they know it. It's now or never for them. They have no other option, but to "double down," and go for broke.link
The current crowd in power doesn't give a d--n about rules of law, and I don't see them willingly relinquishing power this November. I see the "oil spill," the situation in the Middle East, the falling apart of the EU, the economic meltdown, and more, as being orchestrated. Or, if not orchestrated, then at least taken advantage of, and used to promote chaos before the November elections. - My view is that when the s--t hits the fan, the NWO Globalists will quash all dissent (or at least, all dissent will be forced underground) and that will be that, or.... - Or, what's left of a patriotic military will stage a coup, and a bloody civil war will be fought in the streets and fields of America--(in which case, the eligibility of Obama to be POTUS, will become something of a moot point).
Be that as it may, I believe that this is going to be one interesting summer.
Last week the stock market dropped close to 1,000 points (998) in less than 20 minutes, before bouncing back. A dry run, or a simple fluke? I'm not much for believing in flukes, glitches, or coincidences these days. link
The oil spill (actually an oil blow-out), is another "coincidence" I'm not buying. link
Fascist/Marxist NWO
It can all go south in less than half an hour. And the next time it might not bounce back. It's no secret that Maurice Strong, George Soros and a number of other financial manipulators are enemies of the USA, and are actively involved in destroying America's economy in order to usher in their Fascist/Marxist NWO.
Another situation of grave concern is the growing threat Iran's nuclear power poses. While the Obama Administration postures, placates, and dithers, Iran prepares for an all-out war in the Middle East.
The LSM demolished any "street cred" it still had, months ago, but "we the people" were quick to find other venues for our news--especially on the radio and Internet. One of the more popular of the new journalism outlets, is the Internet's PJTV.
If you haven't seen it yet, I urge you to watch PJTV's interview with Maj. Gen. Paul Vallely (US Army Ret.). - Gen. Vallely tells PJTV's Bill Whittle, that Iran has stockpiled "50 to 60 thousand rockets and missiles" in Lebanon. Meanwhile, the Obama Administration scolds Israel for building apartments in Jerusalem.
According to Vallely, a soviet submarine with an Iranian flag recently docked at Beirut, Lebanon, and offloaded boxes handled by personnel wearing gas masks, and hazmat gear--they were almost certainly handling chemical weapon components.
Vallely believes that the summer of 2010 will be "the tipping point for the Middle East"--that "the summer of 2010 is pivotal--it can change the whole world." - As I said, this is gearing up to be one interesting summer.
My mom is of the opinion that this may be "the spiritual Super Bowl," and adds "I'm not worried, I've read the book, and I know how this ends." (Make that, the Book).
None of this is graven in stone, of course. As devious, widespread, and active, as the Far Left's game plan may be, it is by no means a "done deal," or an infallible plan. - There are a great many freedom loving patriots opposing the globalists, and then there's the "God factor," as well.
What happened at Copenhagen last December, is an example of human intervention, and God, working in tandem to throw a wrench into the Progressive's "machine." First, a human agent leaked the "climategate" emails, and then the "God factor" came up with one of the coldest winters in recent memory. Here and here.
What about the Iranian situation, is there any human intervention that might help to defuse the powder keg?
I would say that having the USA strongly backing, and supporting, Israel, would go a long way toward stabilizing things--at least for the time being. The "God factor" is, of course, up to God.
Why would the Obama Administration change its antagonistic stance towards Israel?
Why would the Obama Administration change its antagonistic stance towards Israel? Because of pressure from Saudi Arabia. And why will Saudi Arabia, and other Muslim countries, pressure the Obama Administration? Because they are going to, at any moment, realize that an Iran with nuclear weapons, means not only trouble for Israel, but for them, as well.
Connect the dots with me here. First, a little simplified history.
After the death of Islam's founder, Muhammad, in 622 AD, Islam split into two main branches--Shi'ite and Sunni. Around 75% of the world's Muslims are Sunnis; only about 15% are Shi'ite. Saudi Arabia is a Sunni country and contains and controls Islam's two main holy cities of Medina and Mecca. - At the risk of over-simplifying things, the Shi'ite believe that the leaders of Islam descend through a bloodline connected to Muhammad, while the Sunnis believe that Islamic leaders should be chosen by a consensus of the Muslim community.
Iran: Reacquiring a Persian Empire
Iran is the only Muslim country controlled by Shi'tes. The Iranian Shi'tes are for the most part "Twelvers," who believe that great violence and chaos will trigger the reappearance of the 12th Imam (religious leader), and the beginning of a new age. This new age will usher in the reemergence of the old Persian Empire (which was centered in present day Iran and Iraq). - After attacking Israel, it is possible, even probable, that Iran would then turn its attention to Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. All three countries have large Shi'ite populations, and control of them would give Iran direct access to the Mediterranean Sea, and a jump on reacquiring a Persian Empire.
When might all of this activity get underway? I would guesstimate sometime around Mid-Sha'ban this summer. The Islamic calendar is based on lunar cycles, so the specific date of various holy days will differ from year to year--the same as the date for Easter Sunday differs from year to year in the West.
I would be especially alert around July 26, which this year, is the 15th of Sha'ban--the 12th Imam's birthday. There's a website named "DaysUntil.Com" where you can count down the days until Mid-Sha'ban, if you should wish to do so.
Muslim solidarity may take a backseat to Persian pride once the Iranians start strutting their stuff. The Shi'ite Twelvers might want some payback for centuries of playing second-fiddle to the Sunnis. When you're the only kid on the block with nuclear weapons, it can go to your head. link
The Saudis might want to stop cheerleading the Iranian nuclear efforts and consider the possibility that Israel may not be the only country that Iran's lining up in its sights. Perhaps the Saudis, and other Sunni countries, might want to reconsider their stance vis a vis the Obama Administration's attitude towards Israel.
Of course, if Obama is a Shi'ite Muslim then we know which side of the fence he'll fall on, don't we? That's not mere idle speculation either. According to an article in "Time" magazine (not exactly known for its anti-Obama rhetoric) "there's some anecdotal evidence that the notion [that Obama is a Shi'ite] is especially popular among poor, undereducated Shi'ites in Iran and Iraq." As the article makes clear, it is not only the poor and uneducated who believe this.
The article continues: "Others read meaning into Obama's name. In Persian, O-ba-ma means "He's with us," and Barack Hussein can loosely be translated as "blessings of Hussein," an allusion to Ali's son, another imam revered by the Shi'ites. Obama's strenuous denials made no difference to these theorists: they simply reasoned that he must be practicing al-Taqqiya, or dissimulation; Shi'ite jurists say believers may conceal their faith from infidels in order to protect themselves from harm."
(Ali, refers to Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, who was the first Shi'ite Imam).link - As should be obvious from the above, I believe we're in for a serious s--t storm soon. If you're religious or spiritual, I would take this opportunity to get right with your maker. If you're not, then do what you feel is best. In either case, keep your chin up, your head down, and your powder dry.
The Progressive "utopia" is all unraveling, even as it all comes together. It remains to be seen, whether it will all unravel first, or come together.
From The Sunday Times
Scientists forecast decades of ash clouds
Many more of Iceland's volcanoes seem to be stirring
Jonathan Leake and Chris Hastings
May 16, 2010
THE Icelandic eruption that has caused misery for air travellers could be part of a surge in volcanic activity that will affect the whole of Europe for decades, scientists have warned.
They have reconstructed a timeline of 205 eruptions in Iceland, spanning the past 1,100 years, and found that they occur in regular cycles -- with the relatively quiet phase that dominated the past five decades now coming to an end.
At least three other big Icelandic volcanoes are building towards an eruption, according to Thor Thordarson, a volcanologist at Edinburgh University.
"The frequency of Icelandic eruptions seems to rise and fall in a cycle lasting around 140 years," he said. "In the latter part of the 20th century we were in a low period, but now there is evidence that we could be approaching a peak."
His findings coincide with new warnings that the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull, which has disrupted air traffic across Europe for several weeks, could carry on for many months -- and possibly years.
Some geologists have also warned of a serious threat from a fourth volcano, Katla, which lies 15 miles to the east of Eyjafjallajokull. Two of its past three eruptions seemed to be triggered by those of its smaller neighbour and a report issued just before Eyjafjallajokull blew suggested Katla was "close to failure [eruption]".
The three other volcanoes cited by Thordarson as being potentially close to a large eruption are Grimsvotn, Hekla and Askja -- all of which are bigger than Eyjafjallajokull.
In the past, they have proved devastating. Hekla alone has erupted about 20 times since AD874, pouring out a total of two cubic miles of lava from a line of fissures that stretches 3 miles across the mountain.
There was a minor eruption in 2000 and geologists have reported that snow is once again melting on Hekla's summit, suggesting that magma is rising.
Grimsvotn, another highly active volcano, lies under the huge Vatnajokull glacier in Iceland's southeast. An eruption in 1996 saw much of this glacial ice melt, causing a flood that washed away the country's main ring road.
It is linked to the massive Laki fissure volcano whose 1783 eruption ejected so much ash into the atmosphere that it cooled the entire northern hemisphere for nearly three years. The resulting low temperatures caused crop failures and famines that killed 2m people and helped trigger the French Revolution.
Thordarson believes that the behaviour of the volcanoes is linked to movements in the earth's crust which create massive subterranean stresses over wide areas.
As these stresses build up, more volcanoes erupt and as the stress disappears, the volcanoes subside again.
The theory is a controversial one. Gillian Foulger, professor of geophysics at Durham University, suggests that historic clusters of eruptions could well have occurred by chance. She said: "This needs rigorous statistical support."
However, both she and Thordarson agree that Europe needs to take the threat of further Icelandic eruptions more seriously, including improving the monitoring of active volcanoes. Foulger is writing to David Willetts, the new science minister, suggesting Britain could support Iceland in such a project.
She said: "There are about 35 active [big] volcanoes in Iceland and if we put a high quality seismograph and some global positioning equipment on each one we would often be able to tell in advance if an eruption was coming. The cost is tiny compared with the potential economic damage from an unexpected eruption."
The most pressing question for Britain and the rest of Europe is how long the current eruption will continue.
Professor Stephen Sparks, from the earth sciences department at Bristol University, said: "Every volcano has its own personality. This particular volcano has erupted before in 1612 and 1821. When it erupted in 1821 it continued erupting for 15 months so there is no reason why it could not last a similar period of time."
The new rules in place for aviation mean Iceland and Europe can probably cope with Eyjafjallajokull, but an eruption by Katla could cause far bigger problems.
Dr Richard Waller, senior lecturer in physical geography at Keele University, believes the ash cloud could be immense, but for Iceland the biggest problem would be massive flooding.
"Katla has a crater filled with ice more than 2,000ft thick, which will all melt," he said.
voltairenet.org
Strategy shift in the Middle East
May 16, 2010
The failure to reshape the Greater Middle East has left the field open to a new alliance, the Tehran-Damascus-Ankara triangle. Since nature is allergic to vacuums, Moscow is filling the space left vacant by Washington. The wind has changed and it's blowing strong. In a matter of a few months, the entire regional balance of power has tipped.
In recent months the equilibrium of the Middle East has undergone a complete shift. First of all, the capabilities and positions of a number of players have changed.
Russia makes its entrance
The loss of U.S. influence is so palpable that General David Petraeus, Commander of U.S. Central Command, has set off alarm bells in Washington. In his view, the game played by the Israelis not only in Palestine, but especially in Iraq, has thwarted U.S. plans in the region. Moreover, the stagnation of the GIs situation in Iraq and Afghanistan has made them hostages to Turkey, Syria and Iran, the only ones able to pacify the rebellious populations. In a complete reversal of roles, the strategic ally of the Pentagon has become a burden, while its regional enemies are now its shields.
Noting the failure of U.S. plans to reshape U.S. Greater Middle East, Moscow has repositioned itself on the regional scene on the occasion of President Dmitry Medvedev's visits to Damascus and Ankara.
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Salem-News.com
Fallen Angels, Aliens, and Giants: Truth or Tale?
Bernard Powell Salem-News.com CROSSROADS
May-13-2010
Sumer was the first advanced civilization of human beings on Earth, before the dynasties of Egypt.
An owl in the window is a recurring scene in The Fourth Kind.
(SALEM, Ore.) - Recently, I watched the movie The Fourth Kind. While I found the film to be thoroughly entertaining, I immediately knew that the producers claims that the film was based on factual events containing footage from actual hypnosis sessions involving the victims and their therapist were false.
In spite of that, what I did enjoy was the fact that the film makers touched on a subject that is of great interest to me, but perhaps not commonly known among the majority of the population.
In the film, residents of a small town in Alaska seem to be having trouble sleeping. They end up seeing a local psychologist who utilizes hypnotherapy to get them to recall the source of their night terrors.
While under hypnosis it is revealed that the patients are being visited and abducted by alien visitors who seem to be subjecting them to a battery of scientific and physical examinations.
Nothing new or original there, but an interesting turn comes about when a non-human voice is recorded in the psychologists house. The voice is speaking in a strange language (as aliens probably would) that is later realized to be Sumerian. At one point in the film, one of the extra terrestrial beings is heard in a recording making references to "our creation" and also stating "I am God."
This is when I really started paying attention because this plays into a couple of theological ideas surrounding UFO's and the nature of the beings that pilot them. Currently, more people are probably familiar with the idea that extra terrestrials or "aliens" are believed by some to be angelic or demonic beings that are related to the Bible's account in Genesis 6 of "Giants" or Nephilim (Fallen Ones).
A little background: The ancient civilization of Sumer was located in the region now known as Iraq, and was situated between the Euphrates and the Tigris rivers, an area known as the cradle of civilization.
Sumer was the first advanced civilization of human beings on Earth. Their kingdom flourished about 6000 years ago, well before the dynasties of Ancient Egypt.
The Sumerians were the first to develop a system of writing and record keeping, they had developed an advanced form of mathematics which allowed them to divide into fractions and decimals, and they were also the first to develop a calendar, and were notably keen throughout the region in the area of astronomy.
They drew a model of our solar system with the sun at its center, a fact not known to European or modern scientists until about 300 years ago.
They had the first cities and urban planning boards; they had schools which taught language and writing, as well as the sciences of the day such as botany, zoology, geography, mathematics, and theology. Literary works were studied and composed.
There is even evidence that they possessed a rather sophisticated form of technology... what many scholars and scientists believe to be early battery cells have been found throughout the region, they are known as Baghdad batteries and are at least 2300 years old.
Though they were polytheists, the Sumerians had a rather complex religious system in place, much of which parallels Egyptian and Hebraic scriptures. Anyone who has conducted a reasonable amount of study into the religious writings of ancient civilizations would say that it is fair to assert that the Sumerian writings had a great deal of influence on the beliefs of subsequent cultures that emerged from that region.
It is also to be noted that the family of the Patriarch Abraham of the Bible originated from the Land of Ur, which was a city-state of ancient Sumer.
"Fallen Angel"
In fact, the oldest telling of the Deluge or flood story comes from a Sumerian texts known as the Eridu Genesis. In it, the gods decide to destroy humanity for their defiance, but Enki (god of wisdom) secretly warns a man named Ziusudra, instructing him to build a huge ark and to take mating pairs of animals into it so that the earth may be repopulated after the flood is over.
Another similarity between the Sumerian and Hebrew scriptures comes in Genesis 6, where we see that the "fallen ones" or angels that have rebelled against God, come to earth and procreate with human women creating a race of hybrid, half human, half angelic beings. These are known as Nephilim or Napal (fallen ones) in Hebrew. It was because of this mixing that the Biblical account of the story tells us that God decides to destroy humanity, because they have become tainted with angelic "genes."
Only Noah was found to be "Perfect in his generations," or untainted and of pure blood.
In the Sumerian text, there are also a race of beings that come from the skies, they are known as the Anunnaki which translates as "those who came down from the heavens."
According to the Sumerian mythos, the Anunnaki, being highly technologically advanced, spliced their DNA into the genes of Homo Erectus, producing Homo Sapiens to be their servants.
The Sumerians were great at keeping records, excavations of the ancient site shed light on the amazingly advanced civilization of Sumer and with it, thousands of clay tablets containing not only public records of commerce, marriages and military actions, but also advanced astronomical calculation systems and of the written history of the Anunnaki themselves!
It is apparent from detail in those records that the Sumerians believed that the offspring of these aliens were real flesh and blood members of their society.
One of the most impressive finds was a sealed nine foot by six foot room in Sippar holding a set of 400 clay tablets containing an unbroken record of the history of those times neatly arranged on shelves. Like a sort of time capsule.
The recovered records place the location of the Anunnaki laboratory where the first humans were literally produced in east central Africa in the same location on the map where the mitochondrial DNA "search for Eve" places the first woman Homo Sapiens and in the same time-period.
The writings also include detailed descriptions of our solar system matching what we now know and beyond. It describes the orbit of a tenth planet between mars and Jupiter. They say that this planet, called Niburu (which means the planet of crossing) was thrust into our solar system and collided with a planet called Tiamat.
The remaining bulk of Tiamat became Eridu or the Earth, and the fragments that were left became the asteroid belt. Niburu took orbit in retrograde, in an elongated orbit around our sun and passes between mars and Jupiter approximately every 3600 years. (Note: People of the Keys do not believe this account, but believe the account in the Bible.)
According to the texts, this information was given to the Sumerians by the Anunnaki, who came from the planet Niburu. It is believed by some that this information prompted scientists to search for the unknown planet that they refer to as planet X.
This also ties in with 2012 theories, some believe that 2012 actually marks the approximate time that Niburu will cross through our solar system again, an event that would cause many anomalies in the earth, as the planet likely has its own magnetic poles and gravitational pull which could interfere with those of the earth, causing natural disasters. Another interesting note is that throughout The Fourth Kind, the arrival of the beings is somehow connected to the appearance of an owl outside of the witnesses' homes. The Sumerian deity Moloch was depicted as an owl and is named as one of the greatest warriors from among the fallen in John Milton's Paradise lost.
Whether these similarities are coincidental or not, the result of my own overactive imagination making connections were none are, possibly a side effect of too much study, only the film writers and producers can say, but what about you? Do you believe in the possibility of the existence of extra terrestrial beings?
What of the Sumerians? How did they learn about our universe and solar system without the use of a telescope? And how were they able to draw detailed and precise maps which depicted the position and sizes of the various planets in relation to one another? Is it possible that they were visited by interplanetary beings who taught them sciences? If so, what does that mean to us today?
If there are such beings, do they mean us harm or are they just examining us the same way that we examine wildlife?
Abducting them out of their natural habitations and dwellings and inspecting and tagging them, releasing them back into the wild with implants and identifying marks that help us track them and monitor their migration and mating patterns... makes you wonder...
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Love Not Wasted
(The story is taken from the John Mark Ministries Web page, and detailed in the book Aggie: A Girl Without a Country, previously published under the title One Witness, written by Aggie Hurst and published just after her death in 1981.) It's an account of how someone planted seeds of love, and about how far that love went in the life of one person--eventually affecting the lives of thousands.
Sometimes--often, in fact--we don't see the immediate results of our witness to people. However, just because you can't see the results of your efforts to give God's love to others doesn't mean they don't exist. Maybe you don't see who your witness has affected, but that doesn't mean there aren't many who you've touched with Jesus' love who are now reaching others.
Sometimes it takes faith to believe that you're making a difference, but don't ever throw away your faith, as did the man in the following account, because some day you will see.
The fruit of your faithful perseverance has a ripple effect that will continue to spread if you continue to have faith that God's Word will accomplish its purpose. Time will prove the immeasurable value of your contributions to God's work. God has promised that if we plant, He will give the increase (1Cor.3:7).
This testimony also highlights the importance of our witness to anyone the Lord places in our path--rich or poor, educated or poorly educated, successful or down and out. We can never know how the Lord will use a person who gives their life to Him, and what wonderful things people may accomplish once they have been transformed by Jesus. Karen Zerby)
Back in 1921, a missionary couple named David and Svea Flood went with their two-year-old son from Sweden to the heart of Africa--to what was then called the Belgian Congo. They met up with another young Scandinavian couple, the Ericksons, and the four of them sought God for direction. In those days of much devotion and sacrifice, they felt led of the Lord to set out from the main mission station and take the Gospel to a remote area.
This was a huge step of faith. At the village of N'dolera they were rebuffed by the chief, who would not let them enter his town for fear of alienating the local gods. The two couples opted to go half a mile up the slope and build their own mud huts.
They prayed for a spiritual breakthrough, but there was none. Their only contact with the villagers was a young boy, who was allowed to sell them chickens and eggs twice a week. Svea Flood--a tiny woman only four feet, eight inches tall--decided that if this was the only African she could talk to, she would try to lead the boy to Jesus. She succeeded, but there were no other encouragements.
Meanwhile, malaria struck one member of the little band after another. In time, the Ericksons decided they had had enough suffering and left to return to the central mission station. David and Svea Flood remained near N'dolera to carry on alone. Then, of all things, Svea found herself pregnant in the middle of the primitive wilderness.
When the time came for her to give birth, the village chief softened enough to allow a midwife to help her. A little girl was born, whom they named Aina. The delivery, however, was exhausting, and Svea Flood was already weak from bouts of malaria. The birth process was a heavy blow to her stamina. She lived only another 17 days.
Inside David Flood, something snapped in that moment. He dug a crude grave, buried his 27-year-old wife, and then took his children back down the mountain to the mission station.
Giving his newborn daughter to the Ericksons, he snarled, "I'm going back to Sweden. I've lost my wife, and I obviously can't take care of this baby. God has ruined my life." With that, he headed for the port, rejecting not only his calling, but God Himself.
Within eight months, both the Ericksons were stricken with a mysterious malady and died within days of each other. The baby was then turned over to some American missionaries, who adjusted her Swedish name to "Aggie" and eventually took her back to the United States at age three.
This family loved the little girl, and they were afraid that if they tried to return to Africa, some legal obstacle might separate her from them. So they decided to stay in their home country and switch from missionary work to pastoral ministry. And that is how Aggie grew up in South Dakota. As a young woman, she attended North Central Bible College in Minneapolis. There she met and married a young man named Dewey Hurst.
Years passed. The Hursts enjoyed a fruitful ministry. Aggie gave birth first to a daughter, then a son. In time, her husband became president of a Christian college in the Seattle area, and Aggie was intrigued to find so much Scandinavian heritage there.
One day a Swedish religious magazine appeared in her mailbox. She had no idea who had sent it, and of course she couldn't read the words. But as she turned the pages, a photo suddenly stopped her cold. There in a primitive setting was a grave with a white cross--and on the cross were the words SVEA FLOOD. Aggie jumped in her car and drove straight to a college faculty member whom she knew could translate the article. "What does this say?" she demanded.
The instructor summarized the story: It was about missionaries who had come to N'dolera long ago ... the birth of a white baby ... the death of the young mother ... the one little African boy who had been led to Christ ... and how, after the whites had all left, the boy had grown up and finally persuaded the chief to let him build a school in the village. The article said that gradually he won all his students to Christ ... the children led their parents to Christ ... even the chief had become a Christian. Today there were six hundred Christian believers in that one village, all because of the sacrifice of David and Svea Flood.
For the Hursts' 25th wedding anniversary, the college presented them with the gift of a vacation to Sweden.
There Aggie sought out her real father. David Flood was an old man now. He had remarried, fathered four more children, and generally dissipated his life with alcohol. He had recently suffered a stroke. Still bitter, he had one rule in his family: "Never mention the name of God--because God took everything from me."
After an emotional reunion with her half-brothers and half-sister, Aggie brought up the subject of seeing her father. The others hesitated. "You can talk to him," they replied, "even though he's very ill now. But you need to know that whenever he hears the name of God, he flies into a rage."
Aggie was not to be deterred. She walked into the squalid apartment, which had liquor bottles everywhere, and approached the 73-year-old man lying in a rumpled bed. "Papa," she said tentatively. He turned and began to cry. "Aina," he said. "I never meant to give you away." "It's all right, Papa," she replied, taking him gently in her arms. "God took care of me." The man instantly stiffened. The tears stopped. "God forgot all of us. Our lives have been like this because of Him." He turned his face back to the wall.
Aggie stroked his face and then continued, undaunted. "Papa, I've got a little story to tell you, and it's a true one. You didn't go to Africa in vain. Mama didn't die in vain. The little boy you won to the Lord grew up to win that whole village to Jesus Christ. The one seed you planted just kept growing and growing. Today there are 600 African people serving the Lord because you were faithful to the call of God in your life. ... Papa, Jesus loves you. He has never hated you."
The old man turned back to look into his daughter's eyes. His body relaxed. He began to talk. And by the end of the afternoon, he had come back to the God he had resented for so many decades. Over the next few days, father and daughter enjoyed warm moments together. Aggie and her husband soon had to return to America--and within a few weeks, David Flood had passed into eternity.
A few years later, the Hursts were attending a high-level evangelism conference in London, England, when a report was given from the nation of Zaire (the former Belgian Congo). The superintendent of the national church, representing some 110,000 baptized believers, spoke eloquently of the Gospel's spread in his nation.
Aggie could not help going to ask him afterward if he had ever heard of David and Svea Flood. "Yes, madam," the man replied in French, his words then being translated into English. "It was Svea Flood who led me to Jesus Christ. I was the boy who brought food to your parents before you were born. In fact, to this day your mother's grave and her memory are honored by all of us." He embraced her in a long hug, sobbing. Then he continued, "You must come to Africa to see, because your mother is the most famous person in our history."
In time, that is exactly what Aggie Hurst and her husband did. They were welcomed by cheering throngs of villagers. She even met the man who had been hired by her father many years before to carry her down the mountain in a hammock-cradle.
The most dramatic moment, of course, was when the pastor escorted Aggie to see her mother's white cross for herself. She knelt in the soil to pray and give thanks. Later that day, in the church, the pastor read from John 12:24: "I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." He then followed with Psalm 126:5: "Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy."
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God bless and keep you in the week ahead.
Almondtree Productions
"Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
(Matthew 25:40)