Signs of the Times

[HisDaughter]

Just shows that you don't have to be a Christian to read the writing on the wall!
Grammyluv
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New survivalists prepare for future energy crisis

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080524/D90S5MLG0.html


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A few years ago, Kathleen Breault was just another suburban grandma, driving countless hours every week, stopping for lunch at McDonald's, buying clothes at the mall, watching TV in the evenings.

That was before Breault heard an author talk about the bleak future of the world's oil supply. Now, she's preparing for the world as we know it to disappear.

Breault cut her driving time in half. She switched to a diet of locally grown foods near her upstate New York home and lost 70 pounds. She sliced up her credit cards, banished her television and swore off plane travel. She began relying on a wood-burning stove.

"I was panic-stricken," the 50-year-old recalled, her voice shaking. "Devastated. Depressed. Afraid. Vulnerable. Weak. Alone. Just terrible."

Convinced the planet's oil supply is dwindling and the world's economies are heading for a crash, some people around the country are moving onto homesteads, learning to live off their land, conserving fuel and, in some cases, stocking up on guns they expect to use to defend themselves and their supplies from desperate crowds of people who didn't prepare.

The exact number of people taking such steps is impossible to determine, but anecdotal evidence suggests that the movement has been gaining momentum in the last few years.

These energy survivalists are not leading some sort of green revolution meant to save the planet. Many of them believe it is too late for that, seeing signs in soaring fuel and food prices and a faltering U.S. economy, and are largely focused on saving themselves.

Some are doing it quietly, giving few details of their preparations - afraid that revealing such information as the location of their supplies will endanger themselves and their loved ones. They envision a future in which the nation's cities will be filled with hungry, desperate refugees forced to go looking for food, shelter and water.

"There's going to be things that happen when people can't get things that they need for themselves and their families," said Lynn-Marie, who believes cities could see a rise in violence as early as 2012.

Lynn-Marie asked to be identified by her first name to protect her homestead in rural western Idaho. Many of these survivalists declined to speak to The Associated Press for similar reasons.

These survivalists believe in "peak oil," the idea that world oil production is set to hit a high point and then decline. Scientists who support idea say the amount of oil produced in the world each year has already or will soon begin a downward slide, even amid increased demand. But many scientists say such a scenario will be avoided as other sources of energy come in to fill the void.

On the PeakOil.com Web site, where upward of 800 people gathered on recent evenings, believers engage in a debate about what kind of world awaits.

Some members argue there will be no financial crash, but a slow slide into harder times. Some believe the federal government will respond to the loss of energy security with a clampdown on personal freedoms. Others simply don't trust that the government can maintain basic services in the face of an energy crisis.

The powers that be, they've determined, will be largely powerless to stop what is to come.

Determined to guard themselves from potentially harsh times ahead, Lynn-Marie and her husband have already planted an orchard of about 40 trees and built a greenhouse on their 7 1/2 acres. They have built their own irrigation system. They've begun to raise chickens and pigs, and they've learned to slaughter them.

The couple have gotten rid of their TV and instead have been reading dusty old books published in their grandparents' era, books that explain the simpler lifestyle they are trying to revive. Lynn-Marie has been teaching herself how to make soap. Her husband, concerned about one day being unable to get medications, has been training to become an herbalist.

By 2012, they expect to power their property with solar panels, and produce their own meat, milk and vegetables. When things start to fall apart, they expect their children and grandchildren will come back home and help them work the land. She envisions a day when the family may have to decide whether to turn needy people away from their door.

"People will be unprepared," she said. "And we can imagine marauding hordes."

So can Peter Laskowski. Living in a woodsy area outside of Montpelier, Vt., the 57-year-old retiree has become the local constable and a deputy sheriff for his county, as well as an emergency medical technician.

"I decided there was nothing like getting the training myself to deal with insurrections, if that's a possibility," said the former executive recruiter.

Laskowski is taking steps similar to environmentalists: conserving fuel, consuming less, studying global warming, and relying on local produce and craftsmen. Laskowski is powering his home with solar panels and is raising fish, geese, ducks and sheep. He has planted apple and pear trees and is growing lettuce, spinach and corn.

Whenever possible, he uses his bicycle to get into town.

"I remember the oil crisis in '73; I remember waiting in line for gas," Laskowski said. "If there is a disruption in the oil supply it will be very quickly elevated into a disaster."

Breault said she hopes to someday band together with her neighbors to form a self-sufficient community. Women will always be having babies, she notes, and she imagines her skills as a midwife will always be in demand.

For now, she is readying for the more immediate work ahead: There's a root cellar to dig, fruit trees and vegetable plots to plant. She has put a bicycle on layaway, and soon she'll be able to bike to visit her grandkids even if there is no oil at the pump.

Whatever the shape of things yet to come, she said, she's done what she can to prepare.

[HisDaughter]

Medvedev says Russia-China force to be reckoned with
May 24, 2008

BEIJING (AFP) — Russia's new President Dmitry Medvedev, winding up his first foreign trip, said Saturday the world could not ignore the joint voice of his country and China, and rejected criticism of the alliance.

Medvedev said it was symbolic that he picked China as his first destination outside the former Soviet Union. The two countries have been increasingly assertive as their economies grow on the back of rising exports.

"Russian-Chinese cooperation has today emerged as a key factor in international security, without which it is impossible for the international community to take major decisions," Medvedev said at Peking University.

"Maybe not everybody likes the strategic cooperation between our two countries, but we understand that this cooperation is in the interest of our people and we will boost it whether or not it pleases some people," he said, without naming critics.

A day earlier, Medvedev and Chinese President Hu Jintao in a joint statement denounced US plans to build a global missile defence shield.

Russia has been outraged by US plans to build the shield in Poland and the Czech Republic, former Soviet bloc countries in Eastern Europe. Russia and China have also been uneasy about US-Japanese cooperation on a missile shield.

But Medvedev has stayed away from openly assailing the West in the style of his mentor and predecessor Vladimir Putin, who remains highly influential in the prime minister's post.

China and Russia are veto-wielding permanent members of the UN Security Council, where they have coordinated positions on controversial issues such as Kosovan independence, which they both oppose, as well as the Iranian nuclear issue.

The two have also established the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation with four Central Asian nations in a set-up similar to the US-led North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), which has been expanding into Eastern Europe.

"Our activity is not directed against any other country but serves to maintain an international balance," Medvedev said of cooperation with China.

Unlike most Western nations, Russia has not voiced concerns about China's human rights record or its clampdown on protests that broke out in Tibet in March against Chinese rule.

Medvedev told the Chinese students that he was looking forward to the Beijing Olympics, whose worldwide torch relay was marred by protests over Tibet.

"I am convinced that the organisation of the Olympic Games will be at a high level," he said.

"When I watch the Olympic Games, of course I will support Russian athletes but also the Chinese athletes and I hope that together we will win all of the medals."

But analysts note that a spate of disputes still mar ties between Russia and China, which had armed conflicts in the Soviet era.

Negotiations have been bogged down on plans for a Russian oil pipeline to supply China's rapidly growing economy.

They are also competing for Central Asia's oil and gas, which was exclusively Moscow's preserve in Soviet times.

Hu accepted Medvedev's invitation to visit Russia next year, Chinese state media reported.

[Barbara]

I can identify with the survivalists, grammyluv!!!

We lived in NY for 50 years, then came 9-11. My husband had 2 more years until he could retire. I took early retirement and as soon as he could, we left NY along with thousands of other people. I still have friends up there who were thinking of leaving but now are feeling 'safe' again. 'They won't hit us again' they say.

When we moved we got a 13 acre 'hobby farm' in Virginia. There my husband and son could hunt, fish, raise livestock, plant our own food, etc. We had a stream on the property - it was perfect for these uncertain times.

Unfortunately I, for the first time in my life, got sick and it ended up to be cancer (but I'm well now - Glory to God!). Most doctors wouldn't take our insurance and the bills piled up fast. Soon we had to sell and move to a state where our insurance was accepted - so now we're in Florida. We'd go back to a farm in a minute if God enables us though. It empowered you to take care of yourself if there were food shortages and it was out of the way - far from any cities in case of any attack. It just felt alot safer. But we know we're in God's hands and as these times grow darker we pray we'll be in His Will and know He'll lead us to the place we need to be, to glorify Him and reflect His light in the darkness!

[Soldier4Christ]

But we know we're in God's hands and as these times grow darker we pray we'll be in His Will and know He'll lead us to the place we need to be, to glorify Him and reflect His light in the darkness!

Amen! Whether we are in the middle of New York City or in the remote portions of the nation or even on the front lines of a war torn nation, we are in His hands. All will be done according to His will. He promises us that He will guide us and protect us.

[Barbara]

This is some very interesting preaching from Bill Cloud, at a Prophecy Conference in Tampa this past February. It's about food and famine has to do with the end times:

"Acts 3:19 - 'Repent, (to turn, to return actually) therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
And that he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached to you:
Whom heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.'

So I want to point out very quickly; All things are going to be restored and when you restore something what do you do? You put it back the way it used to be. So in other words, he says that there's going to be a time of repentance, there's going to be a time of refreshing. This ultimately takes us to a time where all things are being put back the way they originally were and how long has He been speaking this message? Since the world began.

Now in the beginning, was the man going up to commune with the Father or was the Father coming down to earth to be with the man? So then, what does this infer about the end? You see, ladies and gentlemen, scripture doesn't teach that you and I will spend eternity in heaven above, in spite of all the songs we've written about it, but heaven's coming down here. The New Jerusalem is coming down here. And the point in this is, once again, all things must be restored to their original condition.

From the beginning, we were designed to eat living foods. All things are going to be restored to what they used to be, including food, all things come full circle. In the beginning, what thing confronted man in which he failed? Food. Everything started going downhill when we decided that fruit was good for food when the Father said it wasn't. Because it was good AND evil - the tree of the knowlege of good and evil. Don't those things seem to oppose one another? They're not homogenous. In other words, it seems like it's a mixed type of situation. And I submit to you that mixed or mingled goes against the very nature of our Creator. Here's why I say that. 'I AM Holy, you be Holy. I AM set apart, you be set apart. I Am unique, there is no one like me, and so as far as people go, you be set apart.'

Does He not tell us do not mingle the Holy with the profane? Do not mix these things. Here's the way the Messiah put it when He spoke to Laodicea. He said, 'I would that you would be hot or cold, (in other words I would that you were totally righteous or totally wicked), but because you mix these together you are lukewarm, I will spew you from my mouth.'

And so what I'm getting at is that things that are a mixture, or mingled, these things that are opposed or are mixed together goes against the nature of our Creator and so I am of the opinion, I want to stress this, I am of the opinion that the tree of the knowlege of good and evil there in the midst of the garden was planted by somebody else.

In the parable of the wheat and the tare you'll recall that a man had a field, which was the world, and he was to sow good seed, which was the Word of God in that field. BUT while the man slept his enemy came into his field and sowed tares in the midst of the wheat. How is it possible for his enemy to sow a different seed in his world? Because the man was sleeping and this permitted his enemy to come into the midst of his field and sow that other seed. Now, some people would say, 'Well, Bill, sounds like you're giving the adversary creative powers'. No, I'm just saying that he, like you and I, can take things that God has made, and twist it and contort it, and turn it into something else. And I believe that's exactly what happened in the beginning, and here's why I believe that: Because the very same thing is happening today.

In 1996 at the urging of the Clinton administration, you started putting on your dinner table foods that look like food, taste like food, smell like food but they are not the foods that God created. They are by and large Genetically Modified Organisms. You've heard of GMO's? If you don't know what GMO's are, let me tell you very quickly - about 60 or 70 years ago, chemists began to develop pesticides and insecticides to treat our plants as they're growing in the fields to ward off the insects and things like that. Of course, you know, for thousands of years, even since the time of Adam, men have been growing things from the ground without the use of insecticides and pesticides. But because we're so smart, we thought 'we're gonna improve things'. But as time went on it became necessary to improve these things, because these insecticides and these pesticides not only were killing insects, but began to kill the plant that they were trying to protect in the first place.

So about 30 years ago, chemists and biologists began to develop what is called Genetically Modified Organisms. In other words they wanted to develop plants - corn, wheat - they wanted to develop plants that would be resistent to pesticides. Think about what I just said. Yes, they were going to be resistent to insects and blights but they also had to be resistent to their our own pesticides. And so to do this they had to tamper with the DNA of that particular plant. DNA is kind of the security system of that particular seed. And so to alter this seed they had to go in to the DNA and cut out part of that DNA strand of corn, for instance, cut that out and take it away and then they had to take the DNA strand of a foreign matter, in the case of corn, like spermicide, or in tomatoes - e-coli bacteria, or potatoes - spider genes, with rice - human blood cells, things of this nature that was a mix, and this is what we serve on our tables today.

Cont'd.

[Barbara]

What does the scripture say about mingling or mixing the seed? Don't do it! What are we doing? The very thing He said don't do.

The things that we're putting on our table - corn, wheat, etc. - it's almost impossible to avoid these GMO's. You and I are eating something that looks good for food, but there's something unnatural inside of it. Think about over the last 20 years, increase in obesity, diabetes, alzheimers, cancer, - all kinds of disorders. And  it's being proven that alot of this is due directly to our consumption of GMO's.

What this means to you is this, you and I, instead of growing robust, and being very healthy and thriving, are being more and more susceptible to diseases, and it's directly related to what we're eating. Things look good for food, and yet we're getting sicker.

Also sustainable agriculture is being affected by these GMO's. As these GMO's become more common place, pure seed becomes more rare. As this seed continues to pollinate and migrate, rare is the case that you come accross pure heirloom seed. With their introduction of what is called 'suicide seed', that after a certain amount of generations the seed just dies, basically they have insured that famine is an absolute. Because as years go by, less and less of that seed that's pure is going to be able to be found. So as this GMO seed dies off it means they've almost insured that we're facing famine in the very near future.

Famine is lurking on the horizon, which is a result of mingling or mixing the seed. So in the beginning was the issue of food - what Adam should eat and what he shouldn't eat, and guess what? It's becoming an issue today. In I Corinthians 15, Paul tells us that for everything natural there's a spiritual counterpart. He was talking about the first Adam and juxtaposes that against the 2nd Adam, that is Jesus. First comes the natural things - then they teach us of spiritual things. So if physical food was an issue in the beginning, and becoming an issue as far as our health goes and as far as the potential for famine goes, then I submit to you that it's also a spiritual issue. In other words, the body (of Christ) at large, would you say it's thriving and healthy and growing stronger with every day - or is it sick, susceptible to every kind of 'bacteria' and all kind of things getting mixed in to the Word? I believe it's the latter.

Instead of the body of Messiah growing, thriving, doing what it was placed here to do, it's become mixed. Much of the body today is preaching mixtures, not wanting to 'offend' anyone, so as not to lose their gigantic followings. It's favoring the social trends of the day. But our Father is long-suffering, not willing that anyone should perish. He is merciful, He is love, He is compassionate, BUT He don't give a rip if you get offended at His Word. His Word is an offense.

When Israel came to the mountain and He came down on top of the mountain to speak to them in an audible voice and said 'I AM the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, you're to have no other gods before me...', here's what Israel said, 'Hey Moses, we got a really good idea, why don't you go talk to God, you come back and tell us what He said and we'll do it, because who can hear the voice of God and live'. And Moses reports what they said back to God and God agreed with them. They're right - if I continue to speak to them they're going to die. Why? Because people can't handle the truth because of our flesh. Because the flesh does not want to hear what God has to say. Because if God's Word continues to go forth, we have to die to our flesh.

And so, when the true Word of God goes forth it offends people, and it get's into someone's finances which causes them to make decisions. Are we gonna tell them the whole truth or are we gonna preach a different way so as not to offend them?  

You know, one of the features of these GMO's is that it has an addictive quality - just as our flesh is drawn to sin. We might add some organic food, but what we're eating mostly is some good and some evil. Most people in this culture when they hear what God is really saying compared to what they want God to say, do you know what - they're addicted to what they want to hear.

The very thing that is going on in the natural, is going on spiritually. In other words, the body at large is consuming what they think is food. People are looking for a place that is saying what they want to hear. So rather than being sustained, we're facing a famine. Not a famine for bread or thirst for water, says Amos in chapter 8, but a famine for the hearing of the Word of God.

You see there is a famine coming ladies and gentlemen, but I'm not just talking about a physical famine although I believe that's coming. But we have to understand this, God uses famine. Consider Joseph. It was during a famine that he and his brotherswere reunited or restored.
It was during a time of famine that Elijah goes up to Mt. Carmel and summons all of Israel to him. Now I want you to think about this, do you think it's possible, that if they had plenty of food, if there hadn't been 3 1/2 years of drought and the subsequent famine, do you think all of Israel would have answered Elijah's summons? I doubt it. But there had been famine, they answered his summons, and what is his message? How long are you going to be going back and forth between 2 opinions. If the LORD is God then serve the LORD, you've gotta do it His way. If Baal is God, by all means go and serve Baal. But make up your mind who you're gonna serve. No longer are you going to be able to mix them back and forth. Choose!

In other words, it was in the midst of a famine that this message went forth. And because God answered Elijah's prayer with fire, the people said, 'The LORD, He is God', and there was restoration.

Remember the Prodigal in Luke 15, when he was feeding the swine and desiring the food he was feeding them, when did he come to his senses? In the midst of a famine. And then what did he say, 'I'm gonna rise up and return to my Father'.

God uses famine. He uses the lack of physical bread to bring us to our senses. And here's why. Because in Deuteronomy 8:3 God says through Moses say this to the children of Israel. He humbled you and He caused you to 'hunger' - the word there in Hebrew is re'av which is the word 'famine'. So He caused you to experience famine and then He gave you bread that your fathers did not know, nor did you know, so that you would know - Man does not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

In other words, He allowed them to experience hunger, He sent them bread from heaven to teach them that the hunger that they were feeling and being satisfied with that bread from heaven, was to teach them that that's not what you need the most. What you need more than anything is every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

So is the body at large living, acknowledging, embracing, EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD? If we don't, that tells me from Deut. 8:3 that He will allow hunger/famine, to teach us that it's not physical bread we need the most. Every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God is pure, it's unadulterated, it's not mingled or mixed with anything else.

But all things are going to be returned to their original state. How many trees were in the midst of the garden in the beginning? The Tree of Life and the tree of the knowlege of good and evil. But go look in Revelation 21, look at how many trees are in the midst of the city. One - the Tree of Life. So my question is if all things have to be restored back to the way they were originally, why isn't the tree of the knowlege of good and evil there at the end? Maybe it's because God didn't plant that tree. Perhaps in the beginning somebody was genetically modifying the seed. What was the adversary doing at the beginning? He said, 'Did God indeed say...' He was contradicting what God said. He said, 'God knows you'll understand good and evil...' What was he doing? He was taking the seed, the Word of God, and altering it, modifying it. You know what - he's still doing the same thing today.

But God has always had a remnant. In Revelation 12:17, the woman is being persued by the dragon, but God has prepared a place for her. So when he can't get to the woman the devil turns to the remant of her seed who keep the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Just like today, there is a remant of pure seed out there. If there comes a famine in the future, how valuable will that pure seed be? Extremely valuable. It will be set apart above all the other seed that's out there.

Amos 8 doesn't say the Word of God is going to disappear, but the HEARING for the Word of God - there's a distinction. People are running to and fro trying to get a Word. But you get the Word from God's Holy Bible, not from the oh so many self-proclaimed prophets that are around today. A true prophet according to scripture is someone who will come and say 'Repent' (return to God). What did Jesus say - 'Repent'; what did John say, 'Repent'; what did Elijah say, 'Repent'; what did all the prophets say 'Repent' - go back, you're going the wrong way - I'm not worried about your self esteem - I'm worried about your soul. A prophet is one who calls Gods people to return to His Word, Jesus Christ!

The Word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword. Able to divide assunder soul and spirit, bone and marrow. But the Word of God is an offense because human flesh does not want to hear the Word of God. Because we have to die to our flesh when God speaks.

[Barbara]

Cont'd.

In the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares there's wheat growing out in the field, there's tares growing in the midst of the field. And the parable tells us that the reapers are first going to gather the tares, bundle them and burn them in the fire. Then the wheat is going to be gathered into His barn. Before the wheat is gathered into the barn it has to be threshed. Threshing means the hard, calloused shell, the unfruitful part called the chaff has to be broken off - it has to die. Then there has to be a sifting of the chaff and the wheat. So when the chaff is broken off of the kernel of wheat it's lighter than the wheat and so they would toss it into the air with a winnowing fork and the wind (the Holy Spirit) would carry the chaff away. And so all that would remain on that threshing floor would be pure wheat. And when you pick it up in your hand it looks like seed.

What I'm saying is now more than ever there has to be that remnant of pure seed that stands up in the midst of all that's going on. Because it will be unpopular to stand for the Word of God. If you think they don't like us now - wait. Because it's my opinion that right now there is a Pharoah arising who knew not Joseph.

We've allowed this mixed message to be preached in this country. It's time to stand up for the Word of God because it is LIFE!"


NOTE:
In the 2nd part I'd written too much and had to edit it. I hope this still is easy to follow.

[Barbara]

More 'Signs of the Times' from Christian White House Correspondent, Bill Koenig:

Inside the Whitehouse

An unbelievable nine days of news since Olmert's White House visit - Mississippi River flood could be worse than the historic flood of the summer of 1993, which coincided with the Oslo peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians...US on pace for record number of tornadoes and earthquake swarms, plus record heat, oil prices, and corn and wheat prices...Olmert traveled to US with an unusually small group...Olert convinced US would take action on Iran...Olmerts days appear numbered...Are Morgan Stanley and Golden Sachs manipulating oil futures markets and costing Americans billions?...Corn's "perfect storm": record rains, commodity price manipulation, and ethanol being used for fuel...European Central bank pulled the rug out from under the US...Is a wek dollar leading to the merging of the dollar, the Euro and the Japanese yen - forming a one world currency? Bank of America now has 10.9 percent of total insured US bank deposits...

News Briefs -  Putin's man in control of Russian oil trading...worst economic conditions since the Great Depression - and US is to blame, according to Russian President...Terrorist attack on US power grid could disrupt over $100 billion a day...Iran cannot be deterred by diplomacy...Unemployment figures signal corporate nervousness over economy...

Connecting the Dots -  Global leaders strategizing to raise oil prices even further...

Exective Summary

Higher gas prices, food shortages and international oil politics dominated the headlines during the past week. Many companies are planning to freeze hiring and curtail new investment to ride out what they see as a time of economic troubles.

Meantime, Vladimir Putin in using his old buddies to secure Russia's windfall in the oil market and perhaps insulate the economy there from International recession. Russia's new President Dmitri Medvedev blames America's lack of ability to lead a global economy as one of the reasons for global recession.

Cont'd.

[Barbara]

Cont'd.

Inside the White House

by Bill Koenig

Another disruptive period

As usual when the Bush Administration is in active talks about dividing the land of Israel, the US experienced disruptive periods. The following are the headlines that followed Ehud Olmert's White House visit on Wednesday, June 4.

Wednesday, June 4

Massive storms hit Washington, D.C. area, gusts up to 75 mph, 500,000 without power

Thurday June 5 thru Friday morning June 13:

37 tornadoes hit the US heartland

Friday morning, June 6:

- Dark day on Wall Street: the Dow's 395 point drubbing is it's biggest one day point loss in 15 months

- Oil jumps to $138 a barrel

- Oil prices skyrocket to new record

- Oil surges to biggest single-day advance in history

- Storms bring new round of destruction to the Midwest US

- Gold surges most in six months on jobs data, dollars slump

- Olmert returns home to continue Israeli-Palestinian negotiations

Saturday, June 7, and Monday, June 8:

- Russia blames US for global financial crisis

- Rice to travel to Paris, Israel, West Bank

- Record heatwave in Washington, DC and northeast US

- Earthquake swarm picks up again in Nevada

- A weekend of heavy rain and tornadoes pummeled the Midwest

Monday, June 9:

- Heavy rain, floods, pound Midwest, with more on tap

- Scott McClellan to testify before House on CIA leak case

Tuesday, June 10:

- Floriday tomato industry in "complete collapse" due to salmonella panic

Wednesday, June 11:

- Mississippi River floods could be worst in 10 years

- US defends airstrikes that angered Pakistan

Thursday, June 12:

- Midwest expecting up to 4 more inches of rain: towns submerged, crops drowned, rivers still rising, dams threatened

- Cedar Rapids, Iowa, evacuating due to floods

- Flooding hits historic, 500 year levels in Iowa

Major records being set:

The US is on pace for major record numbers of tornadoes and earthquake swarms, has experienced record heat, oil prices and wheat and corn prices - now and at the time of Bush's early January departure to Israel.

Tornado record

The US has recorded 1,200 tornadoes so far this year - getting close to 2004's record of 1,817

Brothers In Arms (Barak Ravid, Ha'aretz)

Excerpts from the article:

Unlike Olmert's previous trips abroad, this time there was an end-of-season atmosphere aboard the 767. Only 40 seats were occupied. The Prime Minister's entourage was smaller than usual, the Shin Bet security group was smaller than usual (mainly because Olmert was staying in Blair House and not in a Hotel), and some media outlets did not even send correspondents along.

Olmert addresses soaked members of the White House Press Corps

 In every state trip abroad, the prime minister takes time to brief the political correspondents. This week, the briefing turned into an especially surreal show. The warm weather, which was accompanied by heavy rainstorms, caught the correspondents as they made their way to a meeting with Olmert at Blair House. Soaked, they sat down wrapped in towels in front of him. Olmert sarcastically offered his aplogies on behalf of the State of Israel.

Cont'd.

[Barbara]

Cont'd.

Olmert convinced White House will take action against Iran

Olmert, his advisers and other senior Israeli figures are convinced that Bush will take action. It is unclear whether this will come in the form of an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities or pressure on Tehran. It is unclear whether the prime minister himself is in favor of an attack by the US, considering that Iran would likely respond by striking Israel.

Instead of and attack, Olmert is willing to make do with steps beginning with an aggressive naval seige, which he discussed with House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi, and ending with freezing Iranian funds around the world.

Olmert is leaving Washington with a sense that he managed to influence the American president on Iran. Bush believes that his legacy will not be determined by tomorrow's headlines but by the history books in another 50 years. Olmert's message to Bush was that he continues to be the only person who can stop Iran. But who knows who will fill his shoes?

Koenig's perspective:

Benjamin Netanyahu has made the Iran issue his lead concern and mentions it virtually every time he meets with Bush, VP Dick Cheney, or Secretary of State Rice - or makes major speeches to large Jewish organizations.

Former Israeli Defense Minister and current Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz was in Washington a few weeks ago for briefings on Iran. He made major news this week by saying that an Israeli strke on Iran may be "unavoidable" if Iran doesn't abandon it's nuclear program.

Meanwhile, in an excerpt from an interview to be published in Germany's Der Spiegel, UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed El Baradei condemned threats of war with Iran to stop its nuclear program, like those made by Mofaz.

"With unilateral military actions, countries are undermining international agreements," he said.

History shows international agreements with Iran are not fulfilled.

Why doesn't the UN express outrage when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinijad talks about eliminating Israel every week or two? The UN allowed Ahmadinijad to address the UN General Assembly. Now that is grounds for outrage.

Cont'd.

[Barbara]

Cont'd.

Barak to Kadima: Hold Primary Elections Soon or We'll Force Elections
(Ha'aretz)

Israeli Defense Minister and Labor Pary Chairman Ehud Barak said Thursday that he would call for the dissolution of Knesset and preparations for general elections, unless Kadima follows through and expedites its party primaries.

"We prefer governmental stability and if we can build a government that appeals to us in this Knesset, we will consider establishing it together," said Barak. "If not, we will go to elections."

Barak said that labor was still waiting for Kadima to decide weather it will conduct early primaries, and was prepared to call for dissolution of Knesset by June 25.

Koenig's perspective: In other words, Barak doesn't stand a chance of being elected Israel's next prime minister, and next to no chance of being in a Netanyahu government.

Ehud Barak has a history of making "big and bold statements" that get alot of press coverage, but he usually doesn't follow through with his threats politically or militarily. He is grandstanding.

A Kadima primary would enable Kadima to get behind a new party leader, maintain its partnership with the left-leaning Labor Party, and avoid an early election that opinion polls show Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party would win.

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Mofaz have the best chance of leading the Kadima party; and as I shared last week, Mofaz cut a deal with the Shas Party for child education to get their coalition backing, so he may be moved into the lead.

Ha'aretz has reported the Likud has called for a preliminary vote on June 18 to dissolve parliament. A Knesset spokeswoman said a firm date for the vote - one of three needed before the proposal is approved - would be set only on Monday. But even if the legislation passes its first vote this month, final approval could stretch past the Knesset's summer recess, which begins on Aug. 3 through Octoer 26.

So will Netanhayu be squeezed out of a chance to be the Israeli prime minister once again as he was by Ehud Barak and Ariel Sharon in 2000?

Are Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs manipulating oil futures?

As I shared last week, Professor Michael Greenberger testified last Tuesday before the Senate Commerce Committee on the topic of energy market manipulation. He stated that the investment banks, namely Goldman Sachs (GS) and Morgan Stanley (MS), control the price of oil and gas through the ICE futures market. He said that Morgan Stanley currently owns 27 percent of the natural gas futures.

Friday, Morgan Stanley predicted crude oil prices would hit $150 by the Fourth of July. Oil's meteoric surge, which pushed prices more that 8 percent higher in a single day, added to a huge increase Thursday to cap oil's biggest two day gain in the history of New York's Mercantile exchange.

Traders also used the remarks by Transportation Minister Mofaz, that an Israeli strike on Iran may be "unavoidable" if Tehran doesn't abandon its nuclear program, to "ignite the oil future's frenzy."

[Barbara]

Cont'd.

An oracle of oil predicts $200-a-barrel crude (New York Times)

Arjun N. Murti, 39, remembers the pain of the oil shocks in the 1970's. But he is bracing for something far worse now: he foresees a "super-spike"- a price surge that will soon drive crude oil to $200 a barrel.

An analyst at Goldman Sachs, Mr. Murti has become the talk of the oil market by issuing one sensational forecast after another. A few years ago, rivals scoffed when he predicted oil would breach $100 a barrel. Oil shattered yet another record on Tuesday, touching $129.60 on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Gas at $4 a gallon is coming just in time for those long summer drives.

Mr. Murti coined what has become his signature phrase: super spike.

The following March, he drew attention by predicting prices would soar to $105, sending shock waves through the market. Angry investors questioned whether Goldman's own oil traders benefitted from the prediction. At Goldman's annual meeting, Henry M. Paulson, Jr., then the bank's chief executive and now Treasury Secretary, found himself defending Mr. Murti.

"Our traders were surprised as everyone else was," Mr. Paulson reportedly said. "Our research department is totally independent. Our trading departments have no say about this."

Koenigs perspective: Ironically, the Associated Press reported that ex-Goldman Sach's Chairman, and now US Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson said last Thursday that speculators were not the force behind this years rise in oil prices.

"I don't believe financial investors are responsible to any significant degree for this price movement," Paulson told CNN. "Financial investors are on both sides of the market...They don't set trends, they follow trends."

US lawmakers have accused speculators and pension funds of artificially raising energy prices. Under pressure from Congress the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the watchdog, met with Wall St. banks, commodities exchanges and industry groups to discuss price movements.

Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil producer, said last Thursday that last week's price jump was "unjustified and abnormal."


Oil speculators caught short by backing falls in price of crude (Financial Times - London)

Speculators lost money in last weeks oil price jump as they were forced to cover previous bets on falling prices, data from the New York Mercantile Exhchange show.

Traders said many speculators had been betting on falling oil prices ahead of last weeks jump of $16.24 in less than 36 hours to a record $139.12 a barrel by Friday. Caught in a wrong bet, they had to buy back their positions.

NYMEX, the commodities exhchange, revealed that the number of outstanding contracts - or open interest - in key futures declined on Friday.This was a sign that speculators were buying back previous money losing positions - or short coverin - rather than adding fresh bets on rising prices.

Giovanni Serio, an oil analyst at Goldman Sach's in London, said the speed of the rebound on oil prices last week suggested the price move was "due to a large short covering."

Koenigs perspective: Many oil traders thought that oil futures were about to sell off in the possible $120 per barrel range. Instead they went in the other direction when Morgan Stanley stated demand was outpacing supply, the Mofaz made his Iran comment, and the dollar weakened due to European Central Bank decisions.

Those betting the crude oil price would go down quickly began buying futures based on higher crude prices to hedge and offset their massive losses.

Meanwhile, the American public is paying higher prices at the pump.

The fact Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs have so much clout is alarming. Wall Street's greed and casino gambling continues to extract money from the American public. And the less than perfect alternative is more of the federal government intervention and regulations and more cost to the US taxpayer. The federal government has shown over and over that it is outmatched by Wall Street and high-priced lobbyists.

Corn prices' - "perfect storm" - record rains, ethynol use for fuel, commodity price manipulation

American corn and soybean farmers are suffering from too much rain, while Australian wheat farmers have been plagued by drought.

US corn futures soared more than 4% to a fresh record high for the fifth consecutive trading session on Wednesday as flooding expanded in the US Midwest, harming the 2008 corn crop.

Corn prices on the Chicago Board of Trade have surged 80% over the last year, with nearly 17 percent of that tacked on just this month.

"There is definately concern. There is way too much water, and, even if it is drier next week, it won't matter now. It's too late to plant corn, and even bean yields are being affected," Vic Lespinasse, and analyst for GrainAnalyst.com, said.

The US Department of Agriculture this week slashed 5 bushels per acre from its estimate for US corn yeilds because of excessive rainfall and flooding in key corn states, including top producers Illinois and Iowa.

US wheat markets leaped to keep up with corn, and now the maturing winter wheat crop is being threatened by rains.

Koenig's perspective: The historic floods of 1993 occured during the big push by the Clinton Administration for an Israel-Palestinian peace deal, which eventually led to the Oslo 1 agreements being signed on September 13, 1993, on the south lawn of the White House in front of 3,000 people.

That summer the US Midwest suffered from heavy flooding after weeks of rain that eventually caused the Mississippi River, a major North American river and grain shipping artery to flood - washing out surrounding corn and soybean fields.

 

[Barbara]

Cont'd.

Koenig's perspective on financial markets

I am not a financial advisor, but I do feel the need to show the cracks in our financial system periodically for your review, prayer, advisement and conservative planning.

The bottom line is the US has been living beyond its means financially, personally, corporately and federally -- and we are experiencing the consequences of our fiscal policies and actions, including a weak dollar.

We are also experiencing the financial consequeces of not having a national energy plan, which would have allowed new refineries to be built and allowed drilling for oil off the US coasts and on federal land.

We are also relying on corn-produced ethanol for fuel for our cars, which has led to sky rocketing food costs and 35 to 45 cents more per gallon of gas along with other unpleasant consequeces.

I think the following is an accurate assessment of of the worst-case scenario if the world experiences a depression.

This is from Ken Gerbino, an investment manager from Beverly Hills, Ca.

 The world will not go into a depression like the 1930's, which was a depression of productivity. The depression of the future will be one of purchasing power of the lower and middle class wage earners who will see their standard of living reduced because of the paper money system.

Best investments:

Swiss francs

Gold

Precious metal mining stocks

Natural resource companies

One-year government bonds

Koenig's perspective: There are world economies that are booming. China has $1.3 trillion in foreign reserves. Saudi Arabia has a $1 trillion sovereign fund and is taking in billions of dollars for their oil weekly. The United Arab Emerates has a sovereign fund in the $750 billion range, and other Middle East oil producing countries are creating enormous sovereign funds. Russia has over $500 billion in foreign reserves.

These are nations that will continue to grow, while continuing to buy US real estate assets and stocks at "fire sale" prices, and to invest in US banks. Plus India's economy is growing rapidly.

RBS stock market alert: Fund managers react (Telegraph, UK)

RBS issues global stock and credit crash alert

Fund managers have reacted strongly to the forecast by the Royal Bank of Scotland of a looming stock market crash and warns investors not to act in haste and panic.

The Royal Bank of Scotland has advised clients to brace for a full-fledged crash in global stock and credit markets over the next 3 months as inflation paralyses the major central banks.

"A very nasty period is soon to be upon us - be prepared," said Bob Janjuah, the banks credit strategist.

[Soldier4Christ]

There is soon to be a very nasty period of time ahead of us but no amount of preparation in things of this world will be of much help.

[Barbara]

Amen. Pastor Roger!!

I think we must be prepared to be a light in the coming darkness. To get closer to our LORD and His Word and be ready at any moment to give an account of the hope that's in us! Most people we come in contact with are still insisting things are going to get alot better - especially with a new administration they say. They do have their heads in the sand as far as real world events and the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ! When and if this comes, they are going to need some light!