Signs of the Times

[Shammu]

Clinton to press Israel on Gaza as children suffer
Dale Gavlack, THE WASHINGTON TIMES
February 26, 2009

GAZA CITY | Assistance to the Gaza Strip, where tens of thousands of displaced people are living in flimsy U.N. tents despite freezing winter temperatures and rain, will be "at the top of [the] agenda" when Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visits the region next week, a U.S. official in Jerusalem said Wednesday.

A month after a cease-fire ended Israel's military offensive in Gaza, many sleep on thin mats on the muddy ground and traumatized children burst into tears at any loud noise. Lots where they once played are littered with crushed concrete and other debris.

Mrs. Clinton, who flies to the Middle East Saturday, has privately expressed anger at Israel for steps that have interfered with the delivery of humanitarian aid to help the Gaza residents, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported Wednesday.

A U.S. official in Jerusalem, who spoke on the condition that he not be named, said not to read too much into the Ha'aretz article but added, "You can bet this will be an issue at the top of the secretary of state's agenda. ... We respect the Israelis' need for security, but there are genuine humanitarian needs in Gaza."

More than 1,300 Palestinians, many of them civilians and a third of them children, died in Israel´s 22-day military offensive last month. Thousands more were injured, some permanently disabled.

But the enduring damage is mental as well as physical, and it is most evident among the children such as 9-year-old Amir Musbah. His family of eight initially hid in their house in the border town of Beit Lahiya as Israeli F-16s flew overhead.

"Planes came and started bombing us. The attack forced us to flee our home and head to a nearby school," Amir said.

When Amir's father and uncle ran to try to rescue their brother, who had been hit by artillery, they were killed by a helicopter gunship hovering overhead, said Amir's grandfather, Khalil Musbah. He said Amir's house collapsed after a bomb landed on it.

"Initially we thought Amir's father had been arrested and taken away. It was later that we discovered that he had died," Mr. Musbah said. "I buried him, after the planes and the tanks left, under the big tree."

Mr. Musbah said the grief-stricken boy ran to the tree and dug in the dirt with his hands to find his father.

Israel said the offensive was necessary to halt rocket fire into southern Israeli towns from the militant group Hamas, which rules Gaza.

Mark Regev, a spokesman for outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, said conflict also has traumatized Israelis.

"To be fair, you have a whole generation in southern Israel who are growing up in constant fear and trauma," he said. "I went with my prime minister to a grade school in Sderot. There were kids who have known nothing else but sirens and running to bomb shelters because of rockets from Gaza. ... I know the conflict has caused pain and suffering to children on both sides. The goal of our operation was to bring about an end to the violence."

Meanwhile, psychologists, teachers and community workers are training caregivers and offering a variety of activities to help Gaza children cope.

At the Zahwa Rosary Catholic School in Gaza City, counselor Fadl Abu Hein said children are given balloons to vent stress while affording them a sense of control. But when a green balloon popped and then a red one, eliciting squeals from about three dozen 6-year-olds during a recent outing, one child clapped his hands over his ears.

"Most of the children cry when they hear an explosion or any loud noise," said Mr. Abu Hein. "Many are bed-wetting. They bite their nails or have nervous twitches. They become afraid, especially at night."

Mr. Abu Hein, a psychologist and consultant for UNICEF, said the therapy is a kind of "first aid" for the people of Gaza. Further stages of the program, which will span six months to one year, include behavior modification for cases of severe depression and violent anger.

"We have a large number of highly stressed and traumatized people. It's a big suffering," said Mr. Abu Hein, who heads the Community Training and Crisis Management Center in Gaza City.

A survey carried out by the center after the war among 3,000 children and 1,000 adults revealed that 97 percent of children are afraid of the dark and cling to their parents, 76 percent exhibit behavioral problems such as social withdrawal, 70 percent are depressed, and 71 percent have trouble sleeping.

Mr. Abu Hein said the support program is aimed to help more than 8,000 people, mainly schoolchildren. A Washington-based group, American Near East Refugee Aid, and Norwegian Aid are providing financial assistance, he said.

Mr. Abu Hein said that all of Gaza's inhabitants had been "psychologically injured" to some extent by the bombardment, even though Israel insisted that it sought to limit civilian casualties.

"Nowhere in Gaza was safe," he said.

Although initial reports of Israel targeting a U.N. school proved inaccurate, more than a half dozen schools were destroyed and about 175 damaged.

"The emotional problems children face result not just from three weeks of severe conflict, but prior to that, a year and a half of essentially being under siege," said Ashley Clements, a spokesman for the charity World Vision. "They have been unable to get out and do not live what most of us would regard as a normal childhood."

Mr. Clements said assessments made before the offensive showed "disturbing numbers" of children who were afraid of being separated from their parents and other family members.

"It was bad before the recent conflict, but now it's been exacerbated significantly," he said.

When you see your family killed in front of you and you're unable to save them, it's a big shock," said Almaza al-Sammouri, 12, as she and her classmates drew pictures during a therapy session at the An-Jalout Islamic Girls School in Gaza City.

"I want to draw about when the Israelis kicked us out of our house and how I found my family martyred when a missile hit the place where we sought shelter," she said of the air strike that killed her mother, four siblings and several uncles.

"I found them piled on each other. Some were dead. Others died a little later because we couldn't get an ambulance. It was a huge shock. I couldn't move or do anything," she said.

"I want to become a first-aid nurse because if this happens again, I would be able to treat them so they wouldn't die," she said.

Psychologists and aid officials expressed concern about the long-term impact of the offensive, warning that it could persuade more young people to turn to terrorism.

"One thing we'll have to be very aware of is how these children engage politically in the future," Mr. Clements said. "Certainly, I hope these children can be helped to confront these experiences so they can become a productive part of the Gaza life."

But when 6-year-old Aseel of the Rosary School was asked whether he could see a future peace with Israelis, he responded with a determined, "No." When asked why not, he said, "That's just how it is. They're afraid of us, but we're not afraid of them."

Clinton to press Israel on Gaza as children suffer

[Shammu]

They will use the plight of the children of Gaza even though it is Hamas' fault. The rest of the world only sees what it wants to see. One way, or another the government will abandon Israel.

[nChrist]

They will use the plight of the children of Gaza even though it is Hamas' fault. The rest of the world only sees what it wants to see. One way, or another the government will abandon Israel.

Hello Brother Bob,

YES - Bible Prophecy tells us this is exactly what will happen. All who study Bible Prophecy know that things are going to get much worse. The earth will be full of chaos and insanity, skilfully established and escalated by the devil. The most ironic thing is that anyone can read all about what will happen in GOD'S WORD.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Romans 10:16-17 ASV  16  But they did not all hearken to the glad tidings. For Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?  17  So belief cometh of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

[Shammu]

Iran Eyes Mexico in Deepening Latin America Ties
February 26, 2009

MEXICO CITY -- Iran is exploring ways to expand anemic trade with Mexico as part of stepped up efforts to deepen ties with Latin America, a top Iranian diplomat said Thursday.

Annual trade between Mexico and Iran is a mere $50 million, compared to $2 billion with Brazil, said Ali Reza Salari, Iran's deputy foreign minister for the Americas.

"We are here to investigate, why so low?" Reza Salari told reporters in Mexico City, where he was to meet with diplomats and business leaders. "With Mexico, there is absolutely no political problem between us. No cultural problems. It shows we have many shortcomings in our trade relations."

Iran has a deepening alliance with some leftist-led Latin American countries, based partly on mutual antagonism toward the United States. Housing projects have brought hundreds of Iranian engineers and specialists to Venezuela, and Tehran has opened new embassies in Nicaragua and Bolivia.

Deeper ties with Mexico's U.S.-friendly conservative government would necessarily be more practical in nature. Mexico has been trying to find new markets for its exports in a bid to ease economic reliance on the United States _ especially since being dragged to the brink of recession by U.S. financial turmoil.

That could provide an opportunity for Iran as it seeks to ease its international isolation. Reza Salari said he sees opportunities to expand tourism and energy cooperation with Mexico, but acknowledged that such efforts are at a tentative phase.

Reza Salari said President Barack Obama's election raised hopes in Iran for better relations. But he suggested that concrete steps toward easing tensions are a long way off and complained that the Obama administration has sent mixed messages about its stance toward Iran's nuclear program.

"After President Obama, we think that the tone has changed in America," Reza Salari said. "We want to be patient, give them some more time to thoroughly investigate and see for themselves what are the real solutions for the ambiguities and the crisis."

Obama has signaled a willingness for dialogue with Tehran, particularly over its nuclear program. But Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said Thursday that the Obama government would seek to end Iran's nuclear ambitions. That immediately prompted an angry rebuke from Iran's U.N. envoy.

Iran insists its nuclear program has only peaceful energy purposes, while the U.S. and many European countries accuse it of secretly trying to build atomic weapons.

Iran Eyes Mexico in Deepening Latin America Ties

[nChrist]

Brothers and Sisters,

I'll just be honest and say that I have ZERO confidence in our government doing anything right. At this point, my confidence is in GOD and HIS WORD.

I also know beyond any doubt that Bible Prophecy is going to be fulfilled! I think the time is growing near. As Christians, we are in GOD'S HANDS and we need to remember this above all things.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Hebrews 9:27-28 ASV  27  And inasmuch as it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this cometh judgment;  28  so Christ also, having been once offered to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time, apart from sin, to them that wait for him, unto salvation.

[Shammu]

Russia, China call for restraint on Korea peninsula
By Guy Faulconbridge
Wed Mar 11, 8:32 am ET

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia and China said on Wednesday they were concerned about rising tensions on the Korean peninsula after North Korea warned that shooting down a long-range missile it plans to test would be an act of war.

Pyongyang said on Monday it had put its armed forces on full combat readiness in response to the start of annual military exercises by U.S. and South Korean troops, which it condemned as a provocation.

The reclusive state also said it planned to test-fire a long-range Taepodong-2 missile and warned any attempt to shoot it down would amount to an act of war. The missile is designed to fly as far as Alaska, but has never successfully flown.

"Both sides expressed concern about the worsening situation on the Korean peninsula," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement after Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke to his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi on Tuesday.

The ministers called on those involved "to show restraint and composure, and to refrain from any actions that could undermine security and stability in this region," it said.

Long-running six-party talks between the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States on the North's nuclear programs have stalled, with implementation of an initial energy-for-disarmament deal stuck on Pyongyang's refusal to allow nuclear material to be taken abroad for tests.

Moscow and Beijing are crucial to diplomatic efforts to rein in North Korea's nuclear program because they maintain closer ties with the government in Pyongyang than the other participants in the talks.

"Russia and China want all contentious questions to be resolved peacefully by political and diplomatic means via consultations and negotiations," the ministry statement said.

North Korea, which has tried to brush aside speculation about the health of leader Kim Jong-il, has repeatedly warned in recent weeks it could reduce South Korea to ashes in anger at Seoul's attempt to link aid to the North's nuclear disarmament.

It has complained that aid is not being delivered as promised.

The conservative South Korean government has cut back the flow of aid, making it conditional on the North moving on pledges to stop trying to build nuclear weapons.

The North has said it is preparing to launch a satellite and has the right to do so as part of its peaceful space program. North Korea is barred from test-firing its ballistic missiles under United Nations sanctions.

Russia, China call for restraint on Korea peninsula

[Shammu]

Obama Considering Deploying Troops to U.S.-Mexico Border
Obama tells regional reporters it is "unacceptable if you've got drug gangs crossing our borders and killing U.S. citizens."

FOXNews.com

Thursday, March 12, 2009

President Obama says he's considering whether to deploy National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, after Texas Gov. Rick Perry made an urgent call fort 1,000 more "boots on the ground" to deal with the growing violence.

The president weighed the option during a meeting with regional reporters Wednesday afternoon.

"We're going to examine whether and if National Guard deployments would make sense and under what circumstances they would make sense," Obama said, according to an account by McClatchy Newspapers. "I don't have a particular tipping point in mind. ... I think it's unacceptable if you've got drug gangs crossing our borders and killing U.S. citizens."

More than 1,000 people have been killed in Mexico in drug-related violence this year, and officials warn the violence is spilling into some U.S. cities, such as Atlanta, Phoenix and Birmingham, Ala.

Lawmakers have held a series of hearings on the violence on Capitol Hill in recent days, with one House panel holding a hearing Thursday on what the Homeland Security Department can do to secure the Southwest border and prevent Mexican drug cartel violence from spreading.

The top Republican on the House of Representatives' appropriations committee criticized the Defense Department on Tuesday for not making the situation in Mexico as big a priority as Afghanistan.

Rep. Jerry Lewis, a Republican, said the situation in Mexico is far more important than Afghanistan at this point. "We need to raise this to a higher level," Lewis told The Associated Press.

Perry said late last month that he was asking the Department of Homeland Security for extra resources and troops.

"As along as they are boots on the ground that are properly trained to deal with the border region, I don't care whether they are military troops, or National Guard troops or whether they are customs agents," he said.

Obama suggested to regional reporters Wednesday that he's taking a cautious approach.

"We've got a very big border with Mexico," he said. "I'm not interested in militarizing the border."

Obama Considering Deploying Troops to U.S.-Mexico Border
~~~~~~~~~~~~

Each of the states have the National Guard. I see no problem with these troops being deployed, to arrest, and protect the border states. If the druggies or illegals what to shoot it out with the National Guard, the Guard should be allowed to shoot back. Unlike what the border patrol is allowed. The border patrol shoots back, and they get arrested. THAT IS NOT RIGHT!!

Is Barry going to send troops or diplomats to protect our borders?? The article says he is considering it. I hope Obama gets more serious about our national security and that this is more than rhetoric to appease people.

Though with Obama, only time will tell.

[nChrist]

DreamWeaver Said:

Each of the states have the National Guard. I see no problem with these troops being deployed, to arrest, and protect the border states. If the druggies or illegals what to shoot it out with the National Guard, the Guard should be allowed to shoot back. Unlike what the border patrol is allowed. The border patrol shoots back, and they get arrested. THAT IS NOT RIGHT!!

Is Barry going to send troops or diplomats to protect our borders?? The article says he is considering it. I hope Obama gets more serious about our national security and that this is more than rhetoric to appease people.

Though with Obama, only time will tell.

Brother Bob,

This seems to be a NO-BRAINER AND ONLY COMMON SENSE. What is there to think about? The government either handles a primary DUTY to protect the people OR IT IGNORES THIS DUTY AND OBLIGATION. In that case, we'll protect ourselves. We'll end up having to protect ourselves anyway.

It appears that our so-called government is just paying lip service, and that's just about it. The bottom line is that the people have a RIGHT TO MORE. We could care less about left-wing agendas EXCEPT TO STOP THEM, and a part of that will be our own security for our families and ourselves. This is not a matter of POLITICS, rather a matter of BASIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES THAT ARE BEING IGNORED AND NEGLECTED!

[Soldier4Christ]

NON-Christian college creates homosexual housing
'It's a chance for students to be part of a unique experience'

The church-affiliated Texas Christian University has announced plans to allocate apartment housing on its Fort Worth campus for homosexual students and their supporters.

According to a report in the city's Star-Telegram newspaper, the school plans to open a section of the Tom Brown-Pete Wright apartments for "lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender students and allies."

The school also will have two living groups that are designated "Christian-based" and others for fine arts and other themes, the report said.

"It's a change for students to be part of a unique experience," David Cooper, associate chief of residential life, told the newspaper.

Shelly Newkirk, a TCU sophomore who applied to create the homosexual residence lifestyle, told the newspaper her vision is that homosexuals and straight students will interact and hang out.

Cooper said the university opened its "living-learning communities" to student ideas.

Others coming up include the "Leadership and Strengths Community" for those who want to lead, environmentalists who are collecting in the "Green House" and the Health and Wellness Community.

"I think it's wonderful that TCU is offering this," Nancy Tubbs of the LGBT Resource Center at the University of California-Riverside told the paper.

The report said a fraternity for homosexuals opened at the University of North Texas in 1998 but lasted only a few years before closing.

On the paper's forum page, the reaction ranged widely.

"So let me get this straight. TCU now supports segregation?" wrote one contributor.

"Some of you will no doubt be SHOCKED to learn that 'Christian' does not necessarily mean 'anti-gay.' TCU is affiliated with the Christain (sic) Church (Disciples of Christ), a denomination that does not have anti-gay policies. … I'm just glad that some are trying to turn 'Christian' back into a term for love rather than the curse word that so many of you have caused it to be," said another.

Yet another was terse: "sick."


2Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

[Rhys]

Obama Considering Deploying Troops to U.S.-Mexico Border
Obama tells regional reporters it is "unacceptable if you've got drug gangs crossing our borders and killing U.S. citizens."

FOXNews.com

Thursday, March 12, 2009

President Obama says he's considering whether to deploy National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, after Texas Gov. Rick Perry made an urgent call fort 1,000 more "boots on the ground" to deal with the growing violence.

I believe the National Guard is under control of the States unless it is Federalized in an emergency, which means the Texas governor could himself send it to the border at any time. My guess is he doesn't want to either take the heat for doing so or bear the expense.

[Soldier4Christ]

I believe the National Guard is under control of the States unless it is Federalized in an emergency, which means the Texas governor could himself send it to the border at any time. My guess is he doesn't want to either take the heat for doing so or bear the expense.

There is some truth to this but when Congress passed the 2002 Authorization to Use Military Force (AUMF) against Iraq the National Guard was used to help fill the requirements of this bill.


_______________________


States Push to Take Back National Guard

Going on its seventh year, the Iraq war has taken its toll on not only the US military, but also on the states's National Guard units, which were called up when Congress passed the 2002 Authorization to Use Military Force (AUMF) against Iraq. Now a growing state-level movement is working to keep the Guard at home.

    Its logic: The AUMF's goals have been fulfilled. The authorization's explicit purposes were to defend the US against the "threat posed by Iraq" and to enforce UN Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq's alleged ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction. Saddam Hussein - along with his supposed threat - is gone, and the UN resolutions are no longer relevant, so there's no longer a mandate to keep troops in Iraq.

    The president can call up the states's Guard units in a time of war. But when the mandate for war becomes obsolete, say members of the Bring the Guard Home: It's the Law (BTGH) campaign, sending those troops overseas is illegal. BTGH members and their allies are now sponsoring a chain of bills and resolutions in states across the country, demanding an investigation into the legality of deploying the Guard to Iraq, and a refusal to comply with any illegal federal orders.

    "There is not Congressional authorization for the use of the Guard today," Vermont State Rep. Mike Fisher told Truthout. "One Guard member improperly called into federal service to fight a war - that's a real problem. Choosing to go to war is one of the most serious decisions that we make. The very least we can do is follow the Constitution."

    The state legislators involved in the campaign argue that it is their duty, along with the governor's, to ensure Guard members' welfare. Although a governor can't order the Guard's return, he or she does have the right to challenge federalization orders (mandates to call up the Guard) in the first place. Every month, another set of call-ups sends more Guard members overseas. Should a state decide to refuse a federalization order, the case would likely be brought to the courts.

    "We believe that it would be a good thing for a court to be asked the question of whether a state Guard can be brought into federal service to fight in an overseas war - other than in an emergency - that does not have a proper Congressional authorization," Fisher said.

    The campaign began back in 2007, after Fisher had written and passed a resolution in the Vermont legislature to urge the withdrawal of US military forces from Iraq. He wanted to intensify this state-level action against the war by asserting the war's illegality, and relating it back to Vermont law. So, Fisher joined with attorney Benson Scotch, formerly the executive director of Vermont's ACLU, to spearhead an effort that would both advocate for Vermont's Guard members and challenge the legal basis for continued US involvement in Iraq.

    The effort is premised on the National Guard's dual chain of command. Usually, the governor is the commander in chief of a state's Guard. With Congressional authorization, the Guard can be called into federal service. However, since that Congressional authorization has expired for Iraq, control reverts back to the states - or at least it should, under the Constitution, according to Scotch and Fisher.

    Regardless of legality, the federalization orders continue, with more Guard troops called up every month. The state Guards have seen some of their largest deployments since World War II. In New Jersey, for example, the planned deployment represents about 50 percent of the state's National Guard.

    This transfer of the Guard out of state not only reduces its ability to respond to local emergencies, it also fuels a frightening shift in US foreign policy, according to Ben Manski, executive director of the nonprofit Liberty Tree Foundation.

    "We're supposed to have a national defense that's based on the citizen soldier, and decentralized as a result," Manski told Truthout. "What the federal government has done, and what states have allowed it to do, is it has transformed the National Guard into the reserve for an expanded military and for a policy of empire building."

    In the process, the federal executive branch has taken over many of the rights and responsibilities of both Congress and the states. The War Powers Act of 1973 states that the president can wage war only by Congressional authorization, unless the US is under attack. Now, since Congress's authorization is no longer applicable and troops remain in Iraq, the standard is being set for a very weak Congressional role in war powers, according to Scotch.

    Under the current, Bush-conceived system, "Congress can start a war but cannot stop a war, or even impose enforceable limits to a war it authorizes," Scotch, who is now legal counsel to BTGH, told Truthout. "The president in today's US initiates, conducts, limits (or not) and ends wars (or not)."

    The Guard legislation promoted by the BTGH campaign reasserts not only the states's power to refuse illegal Guard orders, but also calls attention to the fact that Congress should determine whether or not a war is allowed to continue.

    At its heart, BTGH is a push to reverse the quiet ebbing away of the balance of powers that took place throughout the Bush administration. Now is the time to make sure the precedent of executive, federal domination doesn't become set in stone, according to Fisher.

    "Article 1 of the Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war and Article 2 gives the president the power to be commander in chief, "Fisher said. "It seems our founding fathers intentionally delivered us this tension, because they understood the dangers of executive power. They also delivered us tension between the states and the federal government - they positioned a large part of the military in the states's control."

    The Guard initiative also activates another "branch" of opinion that was neglected throughout the Bush administration: the American people. Since state-level legislation hits closer to home, and since state legislators interact with their constituents more regularly and on a more immediate level, the BTGH campaign intends to provide a new, effective outlet for citizens's voices.

    "We had seven years that the most people thought they could do to change foreign policy was to march, to vote or to participate in direct action," Manski said. "At the state level, it's much easier for people to get involved in legislation."

    For example, instead of writing letters to members of Congress, advocates for BTGH often request to speak directly with their state representatives or senators. National groups like Military Families Speak Out, Veterans for Peace and Peace Action have worked through their local chapters to communicate with legislators.

    Grassroots efforts directly led to Wisconsin state Rep. Spencer Black's involvement in the campaign.

    "The issue was brought to my attention by community activists," Black told Truthout. Wisconsin's version of the bill will be introduced in March.

    As the new session of Congress gains speed, the Guard legislation is quickly moving forward. Versions of it have been introduced in 14 states, and eight more have active campaigns pushing for the bill's introduction.

    In Oregon, bipartisan Guard legislation was introduced last week. Leah Bolger, vice president of Veterans for Peace, is hopeful that the upcoming deployment of 3,000 Oregon Guardsmen overseas will be halted and the case will be brought to the courts.

    "Our hope for the campaign is that if just one state can get this legislation passed and stand up to these illegal federalizations of Guard troops, it will have a ripple effect across the country," Bolger told Truthout.

    The legislation's sponsors firmly believe it is still relevant under the Obama administration. Bush not only left Obama with a foreign policy disaster to clean up, according to Fisher, he also left him a "legal mess." The state legislation is intended to redirect war powers back to their legal order.

    "I have a great hope for Obama - I really believe he is many times better than Bush, in many ways," Fisher said. "But if it was illegal for Bush to demand the state Guard deploy to Iraq, it is for Obama as well. We can't let that precedent stand - that a president can federalize the Guard without Congressional approval."

    In fact, according to Scotch, the ascendancy of a new president with "a humane ethic and a sound view of the Constitution" opens up new possibilities for the BTGH movement, just as it does for health care advocates, environmentalists and civil rights activists. Scotch hopes that Obama might become the first president to endorse the War Powers Act of 1973.

    "The Bush years and the Iraq war experience teach us that the smart sharing of war powers is still the best response to an increasingly dangerous world," Scotch said.

[nChrist]

NON-Christian college creates homosexual housing
'It's a chance for students to be part of a unique experience'

The church-affiliated Texas Christian University has announced plans to allocate apartment housing on its Fort Worth campus for homosexual students and their supporters.

According to a report in the city's Star-Telegram newspaper, the school plans to open a section of the Tom Brown-Pete Wright apartments for "lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender students and allies."

The school also will have two living groups that are designated "Christian-based" and others for fine arts and other themes, the report said.

"It's a change for students to be part of a unique experience," David Cooper, associate chief of residential life, told the newspaper.

Shelly Newkirk, a TCU sophomore who applied to create the homosexual residence lifestyle, told the newspaper her vision is that homosexuals and straight students will interact and hang out.

Cooper said the university opened its "living-learning communities" to student ideas.

Others coming up include the "Leadership and Strengths Community" for those who want to lead, environmentalists who are collecting in the "Green House" and the Health and Wellness Community.

"I think it's wonderful that TCU is offering this," Nancy Tubbs of the LGBT Resource Center at the University of California-Riverside told the paper.

The report said a fraternity for homosexuals opened at the University of North Texas in 1998 but lasted only a few years before closing.

On the paper's forum page, the reaction ranged widely.

"So let me get this straight. TCU now supports segregation?" wrote one contributor.

"Some of you will no doubt be SHOCKED to learn that 'Christian' does not necessarily mean 'anti-gay.' TCU is affiliated with the Christain (sic) Church (Disciples of Christ), a denomination that does not have anti-gay policies. … I'm just glad that some are trying to turn 'Christian' back into a term for love rather than the curse word that so many of you have caused it to be," said another.

Yet another was terse: "sick."


2Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Hello Pastor Roger,

Brother, I'm very sad to hear this about TCU. Facilitating and promoting sin didn't used to be part of the TCU mission. Many of my family members will be very upset with this horrible news. This is yet another example of the devil destroying Christian education.

[HisDaughter]

Why Is The Military Covering Up Fireballs From Space?   

foxnews.com/

For 15 years, scientists have benefited from data gleaned by U.S. classified satellites of natural fireball events in Earth's atmosphere — but no longer.

A recent U.S. military policy decision now explicitly states that observations by hush-hush government spacecraft of incoming bolides and fireballs are classified secret and are not to be released, SPACE.com has learned.

The satellites' main objectives include detecting nuclear bomb tests, and their characterizations of asteroids and lesser meteoroids as they crash through the atmosphere has been a byproduct data bonanza for scientists.

The upshot: Space rocks that explode in the atmosphere are now classified.

"It's baffling to us why this would suddenly change," said one scientist familiar with the work. "It's unfortunate because there was this great synergy ... a very good cooperative arrangement. Systems were put into dual-use mode where a lot of science was getting done that couldn't be done any other way. It's a regrettable change in policy."

Scientists say not only will research into the threat from space be hampered, but public understanding of sometimes dramatic sky explosions will be diminished, perhaps leading to hype and fear of the unknown.

Incoming!

Most "shooting stars" are caused by natural space debris no larger than peas.

But routinely, rocks as big as basketballs and even small cars crash into the atmosphere.

Most vaporize or explode on the way in, but some reach the surface or explode above the surface.

Understandably, scientists want to know about these events so they can better predict the risk here on Earth.

Yet because the world is two-thirds ocean, most incoming objects aren't visible to observers on the ground. Many other incoming space rocks go unnoticed because daylight drowns them out.

Over the last decade or so, hundreds of these events have been spotted by the classified satellites.

Priceless observational information derived from the spacecraft were made quickly available, giving researchers such insights as time, a location, height above the surface, as well as light-curves to help pin down the amount of energy churned out from the fireballs.

And in the shaky world we now live, it's nice to know that a sky-high detonation is natural instead of a nuclear-weapon blast.

Where the space-based surveillance truly shines is over remote stretches of ocean — far away from the prospect of ground-based data collection.

But all that ended within the last few months, leaving scientists blind-sided and miffed by the shift in policy. The hope is that the policy decision will be revisited and overturned.

Critical importance

"The fireball data from military or surveillance assets have been of critical importance for assessing the impact hazard," said David Morrison, a Near Earth Object (NEO) scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center. He noted that his views are his own, not as a NASA spokesperson.

The size of the average largest atmospheric impact from small asteroids is a key piece of experimental data to anchor the low-energy end of the power-law distribution of impactors, from asteroids greater than 6 miles (10 kilometers) in diameter down to the meter scale, Morrison told SPACE.com.

"These fireball data together with astronomical observations of larger near-Earth asteroids define the nature of the impact hazard and allow rational planning to deal with this issue," Morrison said.Morrison said that fireball data are today playing additional important roles.

As example, the fireball data together with infrasound allowed scientists to verify the approximate size and energy of the unique Carancas impact in the Altiplano — on the Peru-Bolivia border — on Sept. 15, 2007.

Fireball information also played an important part in the story of the small asteroid 2008 TC3, Morrison said.

That was the first-ever case of the astronomical detection of a small asteroid before it hit last year .

The fireball data were key for locating the impact point and the subsequent recovery of fragments from this impact.

Link in public understanding

Astronomers are closing in on a years-long effort to find most of the potentially devastating large asteroids in our neck of the cosmic woods, those that could cause widespread regional or global devastation. Now they plan to look for the smaller stuff.

So it is ironic that the availability of these fireball data should be curtailed just at the time the NEO program is moving toward surveying the small impactors that are most likely to be picked up in the fireball monitoring program, Morrision said.

"These data have been available to the scientific community for the past decade," he said. "It is unfortunate this information is shut off just when it is becoming more valuable to the community interested in characterizing near Earth asteroids and protecting our planet from asteroid impacts."

The newly issued policy edict by the U.S. military of reporting fireball observations from satellites also caught the attention of Clark Chapman, a planetary scientist and asteroid impact expert at Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado.

"I think that this information is very important to make public," Chapman told SPACE.com.

"More important than the scientific value, I think, is that these rare, bright fireballs provide a link in public understanding to the asteroid impact hazard posed by still larger and less frequent asteroids," Chapman explained.

Those objects are witnessed by unsuspecting people in far-flung places, Chapman said, often generating incorrect and exaggerated reports.

"The grounding achieved by associating these reports by untrained observers with the satellite measurements is very useful for calibrating the observer reports and closing the loop with folks who think they have seen something mysterious and extraordinary," Chapman said.

[Shammu]

Medvedev: World Needs New Reserve Currency

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

YEKATERINBURG, Russia —  Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Tuesday the world needs new reserve currencies.

Medvedev told a regional summit that the creation of new reserve currencies in addition to the dollar is needed to stabilize global finances.

Medvedev has made the proposal before. It reflects both the Kremlin's push for greater international clout and a concern shared by other countries that soaring U.S. budget deficits could spur inflation and weaken the dollar.

Airing it at a summit meeting underlined the challenge to U.S. clout.

Medvedev spoke at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which includes China and four Central Asian nations.

Later Tuesday he hosts a summit of the BRIC group of leading emerging economies — Brazil, Russia, India and China.

The Kremlin's top economic adviser said Russia may put part of its currency reserves in bonds issued by Brazil, China and India.

Arkady Dvorkovich said Russia could make the move if the other three nations reciprocate. Brazil, Russia, India and China are the members of the BRIC group of leading emerging economies.

Dvorkovich told a briefing Tuesday that the move could be part of efforts to diversify financial instruments.

He also proposed revising the way the International Monetary Fund's obligations are valued. He said the ruble, the yuan and gold should be part of a revised basket of currencies to form the valuation of the IMF's special drawing rights, or SDRs.

Medvedev: World Needs New Reserve Currency

[HisDaughter]

What makes our generation unique to the Signs of the Times?     

Prophecy News Watch

Whenever I present an overview of the signs of the times that point to the soon return of Jesus, I am often confronted by someone — often a professing Christian — who will say, "Come on David, these signs you are talking about have always existed in one degree or another, so what else is new?" They will then proceed to point out that there have always been wars and rumors of war, there have always been natural calamities, and throughout history Christians have always been persecuted. Then comes the inevitable challenge: "Show me something really new and unique that clearly points to our day and time as the season of the Lord's return."

The challenge is understandable, but it is not entirely legitimate. That's because Jesus said the end time signs would be like "birth pangs" (Matthew 24:8 ). In other words, the signs would increase in frequency and intensity as the time draws near for Jesus to return. There would be more earthquakes, and more intense ones. Wars would be more frequent and more horrible in their degree of devastation. And that, of course, is exactly what happened in the 20th Century. The signs began to increase exponentially in both frequency and intensity, and they continue to do so to this day.

But still, it is legitimate to ask if there are any signs that are truly unique to our day and time — signs that have never existed before. Are there new signs that clearly point to this period of history as the time of the Lord's return? The answer is yes.

A Key Prophecy

A verse that immediately comes to mind in this regard is found in Daniel 12. Daniel was given many prophecies by the Lord. Those relating to his day and time he clearly understood. He even seemed to understand prophecies that the Lord gave him relating to distant times, such as the succession of Gentile empires that would ultimately lead to the establishment of the Roman Empire. But when it came to prophecies about the end times — the period leading up to the Lord's return as King of kings and Lord of lords — Daniel did not understand what was revealed to him.

He wrestled mightily with the prophecies and finally cried out to the Lord in despair. "I have heard," he said, "but I do not understand! What do these events mean?" (Daniel 12:8 ). The Lord, in effect, responded by saying, "Cool it, Daniel, because it is not for you to understand!" The Lord's actual words were: "Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time" (Daniel 12:9). It was Daniel's responsibility to deliver the prophecies, not to understand them.

Note that Daniel was told the prophecies would not be understood "until the end time." In fact, in the very next verse the Lord told Daniel that at the proper time "those who have insight will understand" (Daniel 12:10).

Accordingly, there are many end time prophecies that have never been understood until now, either because their understanding depended on historical events or because they were dependent upon technological developments. The fact that these prophecies have become understandable in recent years for the first time ever is proof positive that we are living in the end times. Let's look at some examples from the book of Revelation.

Revelation Examples

1) The Tribulation Slaughter — Revelation 6 says that the Tribulation will begin with a series of judgments that will result in the death of one-fourth of Mankind. The world's population is approaching six billion. That means one and a half billion people will die in the initial judgments, reducing the world's population to 4 1/2 billion. The next series of judgments, recorded in Revelation 8 and 9 will kill another third of Mankind. One-third of 4 1/2 billion is another one and a half billion. Thus, in the first 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation, a total of 3 billion people will die. That's half the population of the world!

Is this possible apart from the use of nuclear weapons? Only if it is a supernatural intervention of God. But God normally works through natural processes.

The unparalleled carnage of the Tribulation seems to me to point to nuclear weapons. Revelation 8 speaks of one-third of the earth being burned and one-third of the seas being polluted (Revelation 8:7-8). Later in the Tribulation, near the end, we are told that people will suffer from "loathsome and malignant sores" (Revelation 16:2). That sounds like one of the effects of radiation poisoning.

The advent of nuclear weapons makes possible for the first time the overwhelming Tribulation carnage portrayed in Revelation. I think nuclear power was what Jesus referred to in His Olivet Discourse when He said that the end times will be characterized by "men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken" (Luke 21:26).

The prophecies concerning the Tribulation carnage have clearly depended upon a major technological breakthrough for their understanding. That breakthrough occurred on July 16, 1945 when the first atomic bomb was exploded in New Mexico. When the first hydrogen bomb was exploded in 1952, we entered the era when, for the first time in human history, we could inflict upon ourselves the kind of carnage described in the book of Revelation.

2) The Army of 200 Million — Chapters 9 and 16 of Revelation state that an army of 200 million soldiers will march "from the east" toward Israel. Daniel 11 indicates that this will be an army representing nations in revolt against the Antichrist (Daniel 11:44).

Demographers estimate that the total population of the world at the time the Apostle John wrote Revelation (95 A.D.) was only 200 million. How could an army that size march out of the east? It made no sense. In fact, it took 1,650 years for the world's population to double to 400 million! At the beginning of the 20th Century the total world population was only 1.6 billion, still too small for an army of 200 million to march from the east.

But the 20th Century has witnessed an exponential increase in population. The population count is now at 6.7 billion, and just one country to the east of Israel — namely, China — could field an army of 200 million.

cont...