True Light

Dear Friends,

Greetings! The first article below is an excerpt from an upcoming book by Thomas Horn and Cris Putnam entitled “Petrus Romanus”. The book concerns the coming of the last pope as predicted, by amongst others, St. Malachy, born in Co.Armagh, Ireland, in 1094 AD. We ran an article on January 6 of this year, concerning St. Malachy, under the editorial “Enlightening The Eyes”.

Tom Horn is an extremely good researcher, along with Cris Putnam. Our main reason for including this particular excerpt, is because of their compilation of events mentioned by various cultures which involve the year, 2012. We think you will find this interesting and food for thought.

Although we may not agree completely with their chronological sequence of 'End Time' events, and who the key players are, we still feel this is important information. (See our

70 Weeks of Daniel and the Time Line Chart of the 70 Weeks of Daniel.)

And as we have said on numerous occasions, we need to remember Jesus' second coming is after the tribulation.

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” (Matthew 24:29-31)

The Antichrist Shall Come

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PETRUS ROMANUS (Pt 13) - The False Prophet And The Antichrist Are Here

Posted: March 11, 2012 -

Petrus Romanus, the Antichrist, and the Years 2012 & 2016

Contemporaneous to the arrival of the False Prophet (Petrus Romanus) is a prophecy from what is widely considered the most important work of Jewish Kabbalah, the Zohar, a collection of books written in medieval Aramaic over seven hundred years ago containing mystical commentary on the Pentateuch (five books of Moses, the Torah). In addition to interpreting Scripture, the "Vaera" section (volume 3, section 34) includes "The signs heralding Mashiach," or "The coming of the Messiah." The fascinating date for "his" appearance is set in the Zohar in late 2012! Given the rejection of Jesus by orthodox Jews as Messiah, Christians understand this "coming" would herald the unveiling of Antichrist in 2012.

J. R. Church of Prophecy in the News called our office a couple years back and led us through verses 476 - 483 of this part of the Zohar to point out what nobody in the 2012 research community had written before--that the time of Jacob's trouble (the Great Tribulation, which some Catholic scholars say begins with the election of Petrus Romanus) will commence according to this ancient text in the year 2012 when the "kings of the earth" gather in Rome, possibly during a papal conclave, and are killed by fiery stones or missiles from the sky.

The prophecy in the Zohar, given by Jews hundreds of years separate from the divination of "the last pope," is amazing when compared with the Catholic prediction. The final pope, "Peter the Roman," whose reign ends in the destruction of Rome, will assume authority during a time of great tribulation, and then "the city of seven hills will be destroyed, and the terrible and fearsome Judge will judge his people." But Dr. Church pointed out how in the Jewish Zohar, this vision of the destruction of Rome is repeated, though one prophecy connects it to the coming of the False Prophet, and the other, the Antichrist:

This ancient rabbinical dissertation claims that Rome will be destroyed in the Jewish calendar year 5773, which, in our calendar begins with the new moon of September 2012 and concludes a year later:

"In the year seventy-three [2012/2013] the kings of the world will assemble in the great city of Rome, and the Holy One will shower on them fire and hail and meteoric stones until they are all destroyed, with the exception of those who will not yet have arrived there."

Is he hinting at the destruction of Mystery Babylon? He notes that not all kings will be destroyed. Of those remaining, he says: "These will commence anew to make other wars. From that time the Messiah will begin to declare himself, and round him there will be gathered many nations and many hosts from the uttermost ends of the earth."[i]

Thus the false messiah (antichrist) is predicted in a seven-hundred-year-old Jewish prophecy to appear in 2012. Similarly, the nine-hundred-year-old Prophecy of the Popes looks to be unfolding in parallel fashion to provide Petrus Romanus in 2012. To these, we could add numerous other strange attractors from throughout history that also assigned apocalyptic importance to the year 2012, including:

·         The Mayan calendar ends in 2012 with the return of their flying dragon god Kulkulkan.

·         The Aztec calendar ends in 2012 and their flying dragon god Quetzalcoatl returns.

·         The Cherokee Indian calendar ends in the year 2012 and their flying rattlesnake god returns. The "Cherokee Rattlesnake Prophecies," also known as the "Chickamaugan Prophecy" or the "Cherokee Star Constellation Prophecies," are part of a series of apocalyptic prophecies made by members of the Cherokee tribe during 1811 - 1812. Like the Maya, the Cherokee calendar ends mysteriously in the year 2012 when astronomical phenomena related to Jupiter, Venus, Orion, and Pleiades cause the "powers" of the star systems to "awaken."

·          According to ancient Mayan inscriptions, in 2012, the Mayan underworld god Bolon Yokte Ku also returns.

·         The Hindu Kali Yuga calendar ends in the year 2012 at the conclusion of the age of "the male demon."

·         According to the book, Apollyon Rising 2012, the prophecy of the Cumaean Sibyl on the Great Seal of the United States (novus ordo seclorum) points to the coming of the Antichrist in 2012. (more notes on this below)

·         Over two hundred sixty years ago, the leader of the first Great Awakening in America, Jonathan Edwards, tied the arrival of the Antichrist and Great Tribulation period to the timeframe 2012 and 2016.

·         One hundred thirty years after that, in 1878, Reverend William J. Reid did the same, writing in his "Lectures on the Revelation" concerning the papal system: "...we are prepared to answer the question, When will the Papal system come to an end? [It] will be destroyed in the year 2012."[ii]

·         Also of interest is the Web Bot Project, which was developed in the late 1990s for tracking and making stock market predictions. This technology crawls the Internet, much like a search engine does, searching for keywords and following "chatter" in order to tap into "the collective unconscious" of the global community for tipping points regarding past, current, and future buying patterns. In 2001, operators began noticing what looked like more than coincidences, and that the "bot" was taking on a mind of its own, accurately predicting more than just stock market predictions, including June of 2001 when the program predicted that a life-altering event would be felt worldwide and would take place within sixty to ninety days. On September 11, 2001, the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center fell. The Web Bot also predicted the 2001 anthrax attack on Washington DC; the earthquake that produced the December 26, 2004, tsunami; Hurricane Katrina; and more. The Web Bot has now foretold global devastation for late December 2012.

·         In 2008, Henry Kissinger predicted the arrival of the New World Order in four years - 2012

·         In 2012, the United States elects a President.

·         In 2012, the United Nations gets new leaders.

·         And in 2012, Petrus Romanus is set to materialize during a Final Conclave.

Recurrence Of 2012 And 2016: Prophetic Or Occult Significance?

Concerning early American writers like Jonathan Edwards and Reverend William J. Reid holding a postmillennial view that the most likely time for the reign of Antichrist was 1260 years after AD 756 (the acceding of temporal power to the Pope), it seems judicious to observe that 1260 + 756 = 2016 and falls in range of 3.5 years from June of 2012.

The book Apollyon Rising 2012 goes into much more detail concerning the occult significance of these dates than we will take time to do in this series, but the year-dates 2012 and 2016 reappear on numerous occasion in connection to a Masonic prophecy involving the coming of Hiram/Osiris/Apollo connected to the date 2016 and representing the "midst of the week" of the Great Tribulation period (see Daniel 9:27; Revelation 11 - 13) when Apollo (Antichrist) presents himself as God and sets up the "abomination" in the temple in Jerusalem. Under this scenario, the year 2012 represents the beginning of the Great Tribulation period, three and one-half years before mid-2016.

That the year 2012 might mark the beginning of the Great Tribulation not only could fit with Bible prophecy, as it is in the "midst of the week"--three and one-half years into the Great Tribulation period--when Antichrist enthrones himself as God in the temple, this would also conform well with the Masonic and Great Seal prophecies (see Apollyon Rising 2012) forecasting the return of the Great Architect and Hiram Abiff (Apollo/Osiris/Nimrod), who enters the finished temple as god, in this case, mid-2016, which is three and one-half years following 2012.

Also consider that June 21, 2016, is exactly three and one-half years after the Mayan ending-date of December 21, 2012, and June 21 marks the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere when a cusp line is created between Gemini and Cancer, signs that celebrated Freemason David Ovason referred to as having deep astrological significance to the founding and secret destiny of America.

It is also important to recognize that, based on Daniel chapter 9 and related texts, scholars believe a period of not more than seventy years (a biblical generation) will elapse between the reformation of Israel as a nation and the return of Jesus Christ. When seventy years is added to 1948--the year Israel was formally recognized as an independent nation by the United Nations--it brings us through the year 2018. Does this mean the year 2019--exactly seven years after 2012--would mark the year that Jesus Christ returns with the armies of heaven to establish His rule over earth?

Islamic scholars also view this time as prophetically important. The author of The Day of Wrath, Safar Ibn `Abd Al-Rahman Al-Hawali, writes at www.IslamicAwakening.com:

When Daniel specified the period between its distress and relief, between the era of anguish and the era of blessing, he put it as forty-five years! We have already seen that he specified the time of the establishment of the abomination of desolation as the year 1967, which is what in fact occurred. Therefore, the beginning of the end will be 1967 + 45 = 2012.

Another remarkable connection between these dates is how the ancient Maya themselves recognized a direct link between the number thirteen and the years 1776 and 2012 in cycles and illustrations in a way that academic Richard N. Luxton found to be similar to prophecies of the "Christian Last Judgment." He translated and annotated The Book of Chumayel: The Counsel Book of the Yucatec Maya 1539 - 1638, and noted on katun 13 Ahau:

The dates that accompany the illustrations approximate real counts. Katun 13 Ahau ended in 1539 and began in the Colonial Count in 1776.... The traditional theme of agreement as the end of the eastern katun cycle in 13 Ahau is intermingled here with elements of the Christian Last Judgment. Whether this paradigm was also intended for the end of the Long Count in 2012 is open to question.[iii]

Religious ceremonies and prophecies accompanied Mayan katuns, and Luxton's connection to the "Christian Last Judgment" and the thirteen katuns (a katun is approximately 19.7 years) between 1776 and 2012 is drawn from the prophecies of the Mayan prophet Chilam Balam. Written down in about the year 1595, the oracular Chilam Balam, or "jaguar" shaman, said the end of this period would witness the judgment of God in the form of social collapse, epidemics, plagues, and famine. The same period would see the coming of two great prophets, one after the other, according to the Mayan prophecy. Is this the False Prophet (Petrus Romanus) paving the way for the Antichrist?

It is no coincidence that the start and ending dates of the final thirteen katuns of the Mesoamerican Mayan Long Count calendar are reflected in the thirteen steps of the pyramid on the United States' Great Seal. That the steps of the pyramid were intended to convey units of time has been an open secret for many years. Though he was not sure what to make of it himself, Paul Foster Case wrote many years ago that:

Since the date, 1776, is placed on the bottom course of the pyramid, and since the number thirteen has been so important in the symbolism of the seal, it is not unreasonable to suppose that the thirteen courses of the pyramid may represent thirteen time periods.[iv]

John Kehne made an even more intriguing observation, directly coupling the Great Seal's trestleboard date, 1776, and the Mayan ending date 2012:

This Seal shows a thirteen-step pyramid with 1776 in Roman numerals.... [The year] 1776 was not only the year that the Declaration of Independence was signed, but was also a special year in the Mayan calendar. Just as the last katun in the Great Cycle is "katun 2012," the first katun in the cycle of thirteen was "katun 1776." In fact, the katun ended thirty-three days before the signing. So 1776 is the bottom level of the pyramid, where the date is actually inscribed--the top of the pyramid is therefore 2012.[v] 

However, in order for the agents of these prophetic dates to materialize on time, certain wizardry and alchemical machines were required to invoke the coming of the destroyers. Were such put in place at the Vatican and in Washington DC in anticipation of Petrus Romanus and his Antichrist master? We pick it up there in the next entry.

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Bible In The News

Dear Mr. Puting... get on with the job!

Bible students appeal to Mr. Putin to do what the finger of God has indicated.

March 9, 2012

By Jonathan Bowen

One hundred and fifty eight years ago, John Thomas, Author of Elpis Israel, wrote a bold letter to the Emperor Nicholas, his words are fitting for the new Autocrat.

One hundred and fifty eight years ago, John Thomas, Author of Elpis Israel, Anatolia, Eureka and other works on prophecy wrote a bold letter to the Emperor Nicholas, Autocrat and Czar of Russia - and published it as a witness for the proof of Bible prophecy.

With Vladimir Putin's return to the role of President for the next 6-12 years, the role of Autocrat has been filled once again. In his victory speech, Putin stated: 

"I promised you we would win. We have won. Glory to Russia...  We have won in an open and honest battle. We proved that no-one can force anything on us."

Denouncing attempts to "destroy Russia's statehood and usurp power," he declared:

"The Russian people have shown today that such scenarios will not succeed in our land ... They shall not pass!"

Canada's National Post reported of the common Russian, "They fear he could win another term in six years and rule until 2024 - almost as long as Soviet dictator Josef Stalin." The paper reported one Russian as saying, "Emperor Putin has decided everything."

Dear Mr. Putin

The words of John Thomas' letter are fitting for the new Autocrat and so we restate them here, this time addressing them to Mr. Putin:

Emperor - Sire - It has been truly said that "Knowledge is power." It imparts to him who is fortunate enough to possess it firmness of purpose in all he undertakes. No enterprise needs more of this quality for its success than that in which your Majesty is involved. A necessity is laid upon you by Providence, which you cannot evade. God, however, works by means; and these, in your case, Sire, require that you should not fear your enemies, though all Europe be leagued against you. Being interested in the consummation [completion], I wish to see you firm and fearless,--politically, a head of gold, breast and arms of silver, body and thighs of brass, and legs of iron, before the world. To assist in intensifying your courage against the hosts of your adversaries, I have taken the liberty of contributing to your Majesty's library the copy of "Anatolia" which accompanies this. May it reach you (if it interfere not with the Divine purpose) with acceptance; and, Sire, so far enlighten your Majesty's mind as that you may perceive what the mission is to which you are called, and execute it to the subjection of all the crazy and iniquitous governments of Continental Europe to your imperial will.

That your Majesty may reign and prosper till you have commingled the iron nations of the old Roman territory with the clay of your own hereditary dominions, is the unfeigned and earnest hope of your Majesty's well-wisher.

John Thomas, THE AUTHOR.

Why wish the Russian President Well?

John Thomas went on to explain why he should write such a letter to the autocrat of Russia, and such an explanation may be of use in its current context. He wrote:

It may by some be thought strange that I should wish success to Russia, the most barbarous of "the powers that be." I will not stay here to discuss the relative barbarism of the Gentile Horns. They are all of them Sin-powers, and as such entitled to no sympathy from the servants of Christ. The ground upon which I wish success, yea, speedy success, to Russia, is, the full assurance that Christ will not "appear to them that look for him" until Russia leads the nations of the Babylonian world against Jerusalem to battle. Before Russia can do this, she must become a mishmar, or imperial protector, to the iron and brass powers. The success of Russia in establishing this Protectorate is devoutly to be desired, as an event eminently proximate to the end. We rejoice in Russia's success as we are gratified with the amputation of a friend's limb for the saving of his life. The world is to be blessed in Abraham and his seed, the Christ. This will be "life from the dead;" but the world cannot attain to this life until "the vine of the earth," with its ripe grapes, is amputated from the body politic of nations, and cast into the winepress of the wrath of Almighty God. The binding of Europe by Russia to its imperial rule is the preparation for this event. Success, then, to Russia; for the sooner her work is accomplished, the sooner will she fall; and the nations be delivered from the wretched governments which blaspheme God and destroy the people.

... still Russia will eventually triumph, and with her allies overthrow the French empire, and establish a Russian Protectorate over the Catholic world.... Surely it requires no great sagacity to perceive that Russia must be triumphant and Europe chained! This is destiny: who can avert it? The po wers that attempt it will be found fighting against God. The consequences are inevitable--disaster and defeat.

An Autocrat is What is Needed

While the world may mourn the apparent lack of "democracy" in the return of Putin to power in Russia, Bible students rejoice the right character is being formed - that of an Autocrat. After all, Ezekiel describes him as the prince of Rosh, the nasi, (Strong's number 5387), the vapour which is lifted up, the governor, the prince or the captain. Ironic that Putin's youth movement is called Nashi. This rising vapour stands in opposition to another vapour that will rise out of the dust of the earth - the dew of the saints (Isaiah 26:19-20) who will be raised to the political heavens as the great "cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1) which will replace all human governments that lift themselves up - and form a "new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness" (2 Peter 3:13).

The return of a form of imperial leadership to Russia is in keeping with the purpose of God. John Thomas makes reference to the word Mishmar which comes from Ezekiel 38:7:

Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.

Russia's role as "prince" and "guard" of the nations of Europe and its allies in the Middle East who will "march in its steps" is a foregone conclusion. So as John Thomas, 158 years ago wished success for Czar Nicholas, so we wish success for Vladimir Putin in bringing to pass his designs. He stated, "We showed that no one can impose their will on us. Not anyone, and not in any form", well - to that we cannot agree. His designs are not his own, but the course which finger of God has indicated, and which cannot be evaded, and which will bring Russia, the King of the North, into conflict with Almighty God upon the Mountains of Israel, where, "he shall come to his end, and none shall help him" (Daniel 11:45).

The consummation or coming to the end of the Prince of Russia will see the Prince of Israel, "the sun of righteousness arising with healing in his wings" (Malachi 4:2) when "ye shall tread down the wicked under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts". It is at this point in time that God states, "I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." (Psalm 2:6 - 9).

So, Mr. Putin, we encourage you, get on with the job!  Do what God hath put in your heart to fulfill, until the words of God shall be fulfilled - and day come upon us when, "the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever." (Dan 2:44).

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News Watch Magazine

Ancient Writings Found That Proves Jesus Existence!

By David J. Smith - March 9, 2012

Archaeologist Jonathan Gray came into contact with keepers of a nearly 2,000 year-old document, written by Joseph of Arimathea and other close relatives of Jesus, that proves by eyewitnesses of Jesus the exact version found in the Bible. They were there and recorded the events as they occurred. Joseph was the GREAT uncle of Jesus.

Because of his powerful influence as a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin and minister of mines for the Roman Empire, he could observe events without fear until after the crucifixion and resurrection. The persecution became too intense after that.

He witnessed: "And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins." And "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, GOD WITH US." (Matthew 1:21, 23).

Joseph of Arimathea had three beautiful homes: One in Jerusalem; One in Arimathea; and a third just inside the border of Egypt. The wise men found Jesus and His family. They were warned not to go back and tell Herod where the child was. After the wise men left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph [Jesus' step-father] in a dream and said: "Arise, and take the young child and His mother, and flee into Egypt, and be you there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young child to destroy Him. When he arose, he took the young child and His mother by night, and departed into Egypt: And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, OUT OF EGYPT HAVE I CALLED MY SON" (Matthew 2:13-15). More than likely, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus went to Joseph of Arimathea's house in Egypt until they were told it was safe to return.

As Jesus grew to age 12, he was found baffling the religious leaders by His words of wisdom. They could not speak back to His profound wisdom. Who do we think was listening to Jesus quietly in the background? Joseph of Arimathea!!! He knew Jesus had a special purpose. He quietly followed Jesus' actions, and recorded what he saw Jesus do and say. He was a member of the Sanhedrin, but also a secret follower of Jesus.

Suddenly, Jesus dropped out of sight until about 30 years of age. Since Joseph of Arimathea owned a fleet of ships for the purpose of TIN mining in Britain, he took Jesus with him on many trips. Jesus may have even gone to the Orient in Joseph's ships.

In the Pilton church in England hang a very beautiful tapestry of Joseph of Arimathea and the boy Jesus in a small vessel oaring to shore. This type of figure is all over that part of England, especially, that is close to Glastonbury.

Jesus reappeared in Jerusalem about the age of 30. Joseph of Arimathea was there watching and writing his eyewitness account of events that would survive for nearly 2,000 until today. He witnessed the leaders of the Sanhedrin and Roman guards come to Jesus in the garden to take Him. He witnessed Jesus say: "... Hereafter shall you see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent [tore] his clothes, saying, He has spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? Behold, now you have heard His blasphemy" (Matthew 26:64b-65). Of course they followed the thinking of the high priest that Jesus was worthy of DEATH. He wasn't worthy of death, but He had to die to blot out the sins of the world.

Joseph of Arimathea witnessed the false trial, and illegal trial, of Jesus. He finally was pushed into the corner and headed the defense of Jesus. 40 men voted to release Jesus, while 31 voted to kill Him. Joseph was an eyewitness to this event. He recorded it as did Nicodemus. Joseph's life was now in jeopardy!!! He ran the Christian under-ground escape routes by using his ships as long as he could. He used his wealth to aid Christians escape Jerusalem when the persecution started in earnest.

Finally, he could do no more. But he retained his written eyewitness events and took them to Glastonbury, England. There they were safe guarded for many hundreds of years. Finally, they were smuggled out of England to New Zealand where they reside today.

Joseph of Arimathea was an eyewitness to the cruel beating Jesus took. He saw Jesus struggle to carry the cross until He collapsed under its weight and His loss of blood. Joseph's eyewitness report confirms the Biblical account 100%. He witnessed that Jesus rose from the dead and talked with many people in Jerusalem He saw Jesus ascend into the heavens and said: "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ... and teach ... them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you ... I am with you always, ..."

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Zero Hedge

The Black Swan NO ONE is Talking About: Germany's "Plan B"

Submitted by Phoenix Capital Research on 03/10/2012

While the Second Greek Bailout may or may not be complete (depending on whether we get a credit event as a result of it), Germany can and will walk from the Euro if it needs to. This is the unforeseen black swan everyone is ignoring.

Obviously, Germany wouldn't want to do this as it would result in Germany being blamed for the Euro failing. So thus far, "Plan A" for Germany has been to offer bailout funds that are contingent on requirements so unpalatable that Greece or any other PIIG would likely end up preferring to walk rather than submit to them.

Case in point, before the second Greek Bailout German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble proposed that Greece should postpone its April elections as part of the bailout package.

In simple terms, Schäuble is concerned that the unpopularity of the austerity measures being imposed on Greece as part of the second bailout package would lead to a "wrong" democratic choice.

Let that last paragraph sink in for a moment; it's so outlandish it's hard to even comprehend. Imagine if a Chinese official suggested the US put off its elections otherwise China would dump US Treasuries en masse and you'll see what I mean.

Understand, Schäuble is no idiot. He knows that there is no way Greece would go for this. So his comment can only be seen as an attempt to incite a Greek backlash while also winning political points in Germany.

Indeed, those who show themselves willing to play hardball with Greece have seen a huge boost in the polls (Merkel recently saw her approval ratings hit their highest levels since her re-election by doing this). Schäuble is obviously taking a page from her playbook here.

We should also take Schäuble's statements in the context of Angela Merkel's recent backing of Nicolas Sarkozy's re-election campaign in France against hardened socialist François Hollande, who wants to engage in a rampant socialist mission to lower France's retirement age, cut tax breaks to the wealthy, and break the recent new EU fiscal requirements Germany convinced 17 members of the EU to agree to.

Current polls show Hollande winning the election if it goes to a second round. The fact that Sarkozy's re-election campaign just kicked off with an MP from his party announcing that the Nazis never deported homosexuals from France to Germany during the Holocaust (hardly a statement that boosts Sarkozy's chances of re-election) isn't helping.

Put another way, German leaders, particularly Merkel and Schäuble see the writing on the political wall: that both Greece and France are likely going to find themselves with new leadership that is pro-socialism, anti-austerity measures, and most certainly anti-taking orders from Germany.

Thus, Germany must be aware (as the EU, IMF, and ECB are to some degree) that it is ultimately fighting a losing battle by participating in the bailouts. Indeed, Schäuble has even gone so far as to recently call Greece a "bottomless pit" where money is wasted (having just participated in Greek bailouts that exceed the entirety of Greece's GDP, he does have a point here).

Schäuble's statements have not passed unnoticed by the Greeks. Greek politicians have regularly brought up Germany's lack of war reparations to Greece post-WWII while the Greek media has begun regularly portraying Schäuble and Angela Merkel as Nazis.

So while a "deal" may have officially been struck for Greece, there are deep underlying tensions that could bring the EU to a crashing halt at any point.

Big picture, we must remember that Greece is just the opening act for what's to come in Europe: Italy and Spain are waiting in the wings to take center stage as soon as the Greece bailout deal is finalized (if this happens... which remains to be seen).

Having seen how ineffective the whole "hand over fiscal sovereignty in exchange for more, cheaper debt/ bailouts" deals have been for Greece, Spain's already told the EU to "shove" its budgetary requirements. This kind of political tension will be growing between EU members in the coming months as Ireland, Portugal, Spain and Italy all start showing their hands at the EU poker table.

Germany is aware of this, as well as the fact that there is no way German voters will go for bailouts of any more of the PIIGS (even if Germany, the IMF, and ECB had the funds to bail out Spain or Italy... which they don't). This is why Germany has decided to play hardball with Greece. It's also why Germany has put into place a contingency plan that would permit it to leave the Euro if it had to.

What is Germany's "Plan B"? Leave the Euro but remain in the EU (maybe).

If you don't believe me, consider that in the last six months Germany has:

Passed legislation that would permit Germany to leave the Euro but remain a part of the EU

Reinstated its Special Financial Market Stabilization Funds, (or SoFFin for short)

It is the second of these items (the reinstatement of the SoFFIN) that the western media and 99% of investors have missed entirely. In short, Germany has given the SoFFIN:

€400 billion to be used as guarantees for German banks.

€80 billion to be used for the recapitalization of German banks

Legislation that would permit German banks to dump their euro-zone government bonds if needed.

That is correct. Any German bank, if it so chooses, will have the option to dump its EU sovereign bonds into the SoFFIN during a Crisis.

In simple terms, Germany has put a €480 billion firewall around its banks. It can literally pull out of the Euro any time it wants to. The question is whether its current EU power grab is successful. If it isn't... and other EU nations refuse to play ball (like Spain has started to) then Germany could very easily leave the Euro.

This is the black swan no one is talking about. If Germany bails on the Euro, the EU will collapse. It will be Lehman Brothers times 10 if not worse.

Super State

"Europe's nations should be guided towards a super state without their people understanding what is happening. This can be accomplished by successive steps each disguised as having an economic purpose, but which will eventually and irreversibly lead to federation." The single currency was the most important of these steps: as Monnet said, "Via money Europe could become political in five years." - Jean Monnet

Jean Omer Marie Gabriel Monnet, (9 November 1888 - 16 March 1979) was a French political economist and diplomat. He is regarded by many as a chief architect of European Unity and is regarded as one of its founding fathers. Never elected to public office, Monnet worked behind the scenes of American and European governments as a well-connected pragmatic internationalist. Wikipedia

Fox

Mass. elementary school changes name of St. Patrick's Day to O'Green Day to be more inclusive

St. Patrick‘s Day has been replaced as the name for the school’s celebration surrounding the popular holiday. It’s been replaced with the generic “O’Green Day.”

(Billy Hallowell) -- St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday rooted in Christian values, however secular celebrations are also regularly held to commemorate the day. In fact, for a great many, the religious tones aren’t even a consideration, as alcohol, Shamrock shakes and other fun-filled elements regularly dominate the day’s observations. Somehow, though, the holiday is reportedly still too religious for one Massachusetts elementary school.

At the Soule Road School in Wilbraham, St. Patrick‘s Day has been replaced as the name for the school’s celebration surrounding the popular holiday. It’s been replaced with the generic “O’Green Day.” MassLive.com’s Patrick Johnson calls the move “a heavy-handed attempt to instill political correctness among the impressionable 4th and 5th graders.”

The school’s principal, Lisa Curtin, is apparently looking to become more inclusive. So, rather than tout St. Patrick’s Day, she has purportedly come up with a way to circumvent the faith-related nature of the holiday. The school apparently did something similar for St. Valentine’s Day, which, in some classrooms, was referred to as “Caring and Kind Day.”

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MailOnline

Luck of the Irish: Major oil discovery made off the coast of Ireland just in time for St Patrick's Day

By DAVID BAKER

PUBLISHED: 15 March 2012

There will be cause for more celebration than ever on St Patrick’s Day this weekend after a major oil find off the coast of Ireland.

It is the first time that a commercially viable offshore source of oil has been struck there and the discovery is being likened to ‘winning the lottery’.

Exploration company Providence Resources announced the find off the coast of Cork today.

'Like a lottery win': Providence Resources has struck oil and discovered the first commercial well off the Irish coast

The Barryroe well is more than 300ft deep and is producing 3,514 barrels of high-quality oil a day - twice the rate initially hoped for.

The well also produces 2.93 million standard cubic feet of gas each day.

The black gold discovery is a timely find for Ireland, which is facing the need for a second bailout to boost its ailing economy. 

Tony O’Reilly, chief executive officer of Providence Resources, said the find was ‘a defining moment for the Irish offshore oil and gas industry’ and could spark huge investment in the country.

Black gold: Barryroe well successfully flows oil and gas and it is hoped it will be a catalyst to getting more investment in the Irish offshore

‘It’s just like with winning the lottery - you’ve got to buy tickets. So in the case of the oil and gas industry we need more wells,’ he said.

‘Ireland is massively under explored so hopefully this is a catalyst to actually get more investment in the Irish offshore.’

The coastal Basins surrounding Ireland have long been known to harbour valuable natural resources.

Timely find: The Barryroe well, off the coast of Cork, is more than 300ft deep and is producing 3,514 barrels of high-quality oil a day

It’s estimated that they could produce 10 billion barrels of oil and an unquantifiable amount of gas.

In the past, exploration has been held back by a lack of technology and low oil prices.

(CNN) -- The United States, the European Union and Japan filed a trade case Tuesday over China's export restrictions on minerals that are crucial for the production of many high-tech devices, according to EU and U.S. officials.

The case aims to pressure China to lift export limits on certain minerals known as rare earths.

President Barack Obama announced the action Tuesday in the White House Rose Garden.

China produces 97% of all rare earths, according to the EU. The materials are used in products such as flat-screen televisions, smart phones, hybrid car batteries, wind turbines, energy-efficient lighting, electronics, cars and petroleum.

"Together with the U.S. and Japan, the EU formally requested dispute settlement consultations with China in the World Trade Organization," a statement said.

The EU said the challenge targets raw materials including 17 rare earths, including cerium, neodymium and dysprosium as well as tungsten and molybdenum. The elements and substances are used in high-tech and "green" businesses and also in cars, machinery manufacturing, chemicals and steel.

Tungsten is used in lighting technology, in electronics and in automotive, aerospace and medical technologies, the EU said. China produces 91% of the world's tungsten.

Molybdenum is a metallic element used for filaments in light bulbs. China produces 36% of the world's molybdenum, according to the EU.

Most of the time, rare earths cannot be substituted without resulting in a redesigned and more costly product, according to the EU. "Their non-availability can lead to the disruption of whole value chains," the EU said.

China has gradually tightened export restrictions on the materials through raising export taxes and "drastically reducing the export quota," according to the EU. In 2010, China reduced the quota by 32% for domestic companies and 54% for foreign-invested companies.

"Because China is a top global producer for these key inputs, its harmful policies artificially increase prices for the inputs outside of China while lowering prices in China," said a Tuesday statement from the U.S. Trade Representative.

"This price dynamic creates significant advantages for China's producers when competing against U.S. producers -- both in China's market and in other markets around the world. The improper export restraints also contribute to creating substantial pressure on U.S. and other non-Chinese downstream producers to move their operations, jobs and technologies to China."

Beijing defended its approach Tuesday.

"China has worked out its own policy on managing rare earths, which is in line with WTO regulations," Liu Weimin, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a news conference. "Our policies tackle not only the export of rare earth but also its production and exploration."

The United States accuses China of hoarding the valuable minerals for its own use. But China said the restrictions are motivated by environmental concerns.

China will have 10 days to respond to the case and must hold talks with the other parties within two months.

The WTO, the body tasked with monitoring trade between nations, will be asked to be a facilitator in talks with China, an Obama administration official said Monday.

"China's restrictions on rare earths and other products violate international trade rules and must be removed," said Karel De Gucht, EU trade commissioner, in a statement. "These measures hurt our producers and consumers in the EU and across the world, including manufacturers."

Despite a recent ruling in a separate dispute over different raw materials, "China has made no attempt to remove the other export restrictions," he said. "This leaves us no choice but to challenge China's export regime again to ensure fair access for our businesses to these materials."

Ron Kirk, U.S. trade representative, said, "America's workers and manufacturers are being hurt in both established and budding industrial sectors by these policies. China continues to make its export restraints more restrictive, resulting in massive distortions and harmful disruptions in supply chains for these materials throughout the global marketplace."

Concern in the United States over the supply of rare earths resulted in a September hearing on the matter by the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific.

Of particular concern was how vital the minerals are for top-of-the-line weapons, including missile guidance systems, drones and the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

American companies are trying to answer the demand. Molycorp Inc., one of the few producers of rare earth minerals outside China, has urged Congress to do more to confront the problem and encourage research and development. Molycorp has mines in California and Colorado.

In 2010, China temporarily halted shipments of rare earths to Japan, prompting a sharp spike in prices of the minerals.

The EU said it has raised the issue repeatedly with China over the past few years without success. If no solution can be found through the consultation process, the dispute can be transmitted to a WTO panel for a ruling, the EU said.

The Jerusalem Post

'US warns Iran: Accede or be attacked'

By JPOST.COM STAFF

03/14/2012

Clinton gives Russian FM a message for Tehran: P5+1 talks are last chance to avoid military option, 'Kommersant' reports.

By Raheb Homavandi/Reuters

The United States asked Russia to send Iran a message that the upcoming round of nuclear talks is its last chance to avoid a military confrontation this year, Russian newspaper Kommersant reported Wednesday according to a diplomatic source.

The unusually stark warning by the US was passed on by Secretary of State Hilary Clinton to her Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, after the two met in New York on Monday, the diplomatic source told the Russian newspaper.

The source said pressure from Jerusalem on Washington was forcing the latter to support a military option within the year in order to stop Tehran from developing a nuclear bomb.

"The invasion will happen before the year's end," the source told Kommersant. "The Israelis are, in effect, blackmailing Obama: either he supports the war, or he risks losing the support [of the Jewish lobby]" the year of US presidential elections.

Israel and the US have said all options are on the table for dealing with Iran's nuclear program, though both countries have highlighted the importance of seeking a diplomatic solution before any military option is considered.

Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, though diplomats in the UN's nuclear watchdog say recent intelligence indicates otherwise.

On Tuesday, Iran rejected claims that it was attempting to clean up radioactive traces possibly left over from covert nuclear work at its Parachin military site.

The P5+1 - a group of Iran mediators that includes the permanent UN Security Council members and Germany - received a letter earlier this month from Tehran which indicated that Iran sought to resume international discussions at the earliest opportunity.

The diplomatic source said talks between Tehran and the international group will take place in April, when the P5+1 wants Iran to clarify details surrounding its nuclear program.

The US wants Tehran to understand that these talks represent the Islamic Republic's last chance to avoid a military confrontation with the West over its nuclear program, according to the report.

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Digital Journal

Teenager arrested for comments made on Facebook page

By Anne Sewell

Mar 13, 2012

A teenager has been arrested for allegedly making comments on Facebook about the deaths of six British soldiers in Afghanistan last week.

According to Sky News, Azhar Ahmed of Ravensthorpe (19) posted comments on his profile page, criticizing the level of attention British soldiers who died in a bomb blast received, compared to that received by Afghan civilians killed in the war.

He was arrested on Friday and charged over the weekend.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "He didn't make his point very well and that is why he has landed himself in bother."

Ahmed has been charged with a racially aggravated public order offence and will appear at Dewsbury Magistrates Court on 20 March 2011.

The soldiers were killed on March 6 in the deadliest single attack on British forces in Afghanistan since 2001 when their Warrior armoured vehicle was blown up by a massive improvised explosive device (IED).

The deaths take the number of UK troops who have died since the Afghanistan campaign began in 2001 to 404.

It seems you have to be careful if you have an opinion on Facebook these days.

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Express.co.uk

HEART WARNING OVER JUST A SINGLE TIN OF FIZZY DRINK

One can of sugary fizzy drink a day can dramatically increase the risk of a heart attack

Tuesday March 13,2012

By Jo Willey, Health Correspondent

ONE can of sugary fizzy drink a day can dramatically increase the risk of a heart attack, warn scientists.

In men, those who have a single 335ml drink every day are 20 per cent more likely to suffer heart disease.

But less frequent consumption - twice weekly and twice monthly - was not found to increase risk.

The researchers from Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, US, are calling for people to cut down on fizzy drinks.

Dr Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at HSPH, said: "This study adds to the growing evidence that sugary beverages are detrimental to cardiovascular health.

"Certainly, it provides strong justification for reducing sugary beverage consumption among patients, and more importantly, in the general population."

The study, published in Circulation, an American Heart Association journal, studied 42,883 men who worked in the health profession, aged 40 to 75, between January 1986 and every two years until December 2008. Other risk factors, including family history of heart disease, were looked at. The risk for women, based on the 2009 Nurses' Health Study, was comparable, Dr Hu said.

The British Soft Drinks Association said: "Drinking sweetened beverages does not cause an increased risk of heart disease - not based on this study nor any other study in the available science.

"The authors found a link between consuming sweetened beverages and cardiovascular risk, but this could have been the result of other lifestyle changes over the 22 years."

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Before It's News

Neotame: 13,000 Times Sweeter Than Sugar And Even More Toxic Than Aspartame

14 March 2012

- In the event that the public becomes too informed and savvy about toxic additives in our food supply, what's a multi-billion dollar industry to do? The first step is to create another more toxic version of the additive. The second step is to collude with regulatory authorities such as the FDA to convince the public that the new, more toxic additive is safe. The third and final step is to prevent the toxic additive from being listed on any ingredient labels. From the folks that brought us Aspartame, meet Neotame, a deadly sweetener that you'll never see on a label because...well that's just the way the FDA wants it. -

PreventDisease

In the event that the public becomes too informed and savvy about toxic additives in our food supply, what's a multi-billion dollar industry to do? The first step is to create another more toxic version of the additive. The second step is to collude with regulatory authorities such as the FDA to convince the public that the new, more toxic additive is safe. The third and final step is to prevent the toxic additive from being listed on any ingredient labels. From the folks that brought us Aspartame, meet Neotame, a deadly sweetener that you'll never see on a label because...well that's just the way the FDA wants it. - Neotame is officially marketed as an inexpensive artificial sweetener made by NutraSweet, which is a former division of Monsanto and original manufacturer of aspartame. - - Eighty percent of all Food and Drug Administration (FDA) complaints pertain to aspartame's adverse reactions. These reports include: grand mal seizures, brain tumors, blindness and other health-related problems, including deaths. Monsanto's Nick Rosa stated in 1998, that Neotame is "based on the aspartame formula." - - It is up to 13,000 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar). The product is very attractive to food manufacturers, as its use greatly lowers the cost of production compared to using sugar or high fructose corn syrup (due to the lower quantities needed to achieve the same sweetening). - - Neotame is aspartame plus 3-di-methylbutyl, which can be found on the EPA's list of most hazardous chemicals. The aspartame formula is comprised of Phenylalanine [50%], which caused seizures in lab animals and Aspartic Acid [40%], which caused "holes in the brains" of lab animals -- bonded by Methyl Alcohol, or Methanol [10%] which is capable of causing blindness, liver damage and death.

Methanol, or wood alcohol in aspartame breaks down further in heat and in the body, into Formaldehyde (embalming fluid), Formic Acid (venom in ant stings) and the most deadly of all -- Diketopiperazine (DKP), a brain tumor agent. - - When it comes to human health, neotame is in the same dangerous category as aspartame, but it is a deadlier neurotoxin, immunotoxin and excitotoxin. The long-term effects are essentially cell-death. - - Even Monsanto's own pre-approval studies of neotame revealed adverse reactions. Unfortunately, Monsanto only conducted a few one-day studies in humans rather than encouraging independent researchers to obtain NIH funding to conduct long-term human studies on the effects of neotame. - - There were NO independent studies that found neotame to be safe. All industry-funded studies are now being found to be based on very poorly designed, deceptive and fraudulent research . - - This is no surprise given all of the problems with aspartame industry research and scientific abuse. It is clear that any neotame research that Monsanto, industry groups, or consultants of Monsanto should be rejected until which time more trustworthy, independent research can be conducted. Such experiments should include independent animals studies and especially long-term (e.g., 4-5 years+) human studies in various susceptible population groups. 

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Until next week...

Almondtree Productions

“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”
(1 Corinthians 6:19)