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We've done this before. We have experienced radical shifts in the cycles of time and consciousness here on Earth. Many Indigenous traditions have identified the time in which we are living as a period of major shifts. Our ancestors foretold this time of awakening for humanity. They spoke of a transition in consciousness that would enable us to be co-creators of a golden period of peace. Why now? Why us? Why are we the ones who have to face ourselves? |  |  |
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Thursday, June 14, 2007
Shift of the Ages
http://www.shiftingages.com/about.html
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Re: Lake levels sink, state fears rise
Like I said:
What we need is MORE GLOBAL WARMING to melt some more snow to raise them lakes. This is definitely Bush's fault.
Everybody, get out your hair dryers and rev up your SUV's!!!
deexxoo
On 6/13/07, Liza <cassiopeia@aaahawk.com> wrote:
Lake levels sink, state fears riseSuperior's record low likely to hit shipping, recreationJim Lynch / The Detroit News
Todd McInturf / The Detroit NewsSt. Clair Shores resident Joyce Thurman, 66, sees low water at the Lange Street Canal. See full imageRelated Articles and Links
Todd McInturf / The Detroit NewsLake St. Clair's dropping water level is noticeable near the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club. Water levels in lakes Huron, Michigan, St. Clair, Erie and Ontario are on track to fall below average in the fall. See full imageHARRISON TOWNSHIP -- Lake Superior water levels are headed toward record lows in early fall, a projection that is causing concern about an eventual trickle-down effect in the other Great Lakes as well as Lake St. Clair.The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' June forecast -- looking ahead to September and October -- predicts Superior's water level will dip under the record low for that time of the year. That low was set in 1925.Water levels in lakes Huron, Michigan, St. Clair, Erie and Ontario are all on track to fall below average in early autumn, according to Army Corps estimates.Residents in Marquette have seen Superior's waters retreat from the shore in unprecedented fashion over a 20-year span. Pat Black, a longtime owner of a home on Superior's shores near Marquette, now finds her property has 50 feet of beach it never had before."This year is the first time I actually ever stepped back and said, 'Wow,'รข€‚" she said.Black, executive director of Marquette County Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the new shoreline is not entirely unwelcome, since it creates areas of pristine beach for residents and tourists.However, Black said at least one marina has been forced to transport boats to a harbor farther south to reach deep enough water to navigate.The rest of the Great Lakes system has been hurt by the same factors affecting Superior -- low precipitation, high evaporation and reduced ice cover.Tim Calappi, an engineer with the Army Corps, explained that water evaporates off the lakes and ends up as rain outside the Great Lakes basin. That causes a net loss of water, he said.Consumers face higher pricesThe loss of water means homeowners, resort owners and marina owners have more trouble getting boats in and out of the water, shipping companies need to lighten loads on freighters, and consumers face higher prices on goods and materials shipped via the lakes.Harrison Township resident Richard Rittenhouse, a retired business owner who lives off a Lake St. Clair canal, said the levels he has seen in recent summers are disturbing.And news of Lake Superior's problems doesn't help."Down here they've always said that the waters rise and fall on a seven-year pattern," said Rittenhouse, 58, whose company did construction work on docks and seawalls."I'm not seeing that smooth up-and-down pattern anymore."Because Lake Superior is the deepest of the Great Lakes, lower water levels are less problematic there than in lakes Michigan or Huron, said Bill Duckwall, who owns Uncle Ducky Charters near Marquette.Lake 'gets deep pretty quickly'"Superior is a lake that gets deep pretty quickly," said Duckwall, who doesn't expect problems for his business. "Other lakes can go pretty far out before you hit the deeper water."One of those is St. Clair, where shallow waters and dropping levels combine with penetrating sunshine to create dense underwater growth near shores. The growth can foul propellers and prevent some owners from launching their craft from home docks or even some marinas.As recently as a year and a half ago, Rittenhouse was unable to get his boat down the canal that backs up to his home -- the only route available for him to reach Lake St. Clair.The Army Corps of Engineers' three-month projection for St. Clair is at least 7 inches below normal.Lows for Michigan, HuronLakes Michigan and Huron receive 20 percent to 30 percent of their water from Superior.At the same time in September that Superior is expected to hit a record low, engineers predict Huron and Michigan will be around 20 inches below normal, roughly at the same point they were last year.And simply by holding steady, Huron has brought a nervous smile to the face of Rick Valley, owner of the Port Au Gres Sports Center near the Saginaw Bay.The lowest water in the marina right now provides 4 feet of depth for boats. The largest boat docked right now requires 3 1/2feet of clearance to come in and out of the dock area.'A big problem'"If it goes down another foot, it's going to be a big problem," Valley said. "Every port from here to Bay City has already been dredged, and you can only do that so many times."Even those whose livelihood does not come directly from the water could be affected by falling water levels.The shipping companies that traverse the Great Lakes waterways are hurt by the decreasing levels and, eventually, they pass that pain on to the consumers."For every inch of draft we lose, depending on the size of the ship, you're talking about a loss in the amount of freight you can carry between 50 to 270 tons," said Glen Nekvasil, vice president of corporate communications for the Lake Carriers' Association, which represents the shipping industry.Lighter payloads require additional trips, and additional trips lead to higher production costs, which raise prices on a variety of goods.
Another Bird Flu case in Egypt
Excerpt:
Last week Krisnamurthi expressed a suspicion that the H5N1 virus has mutated in a way that enables it to jump more easily from birds to humans. He said there were signs that humans could get infected with less intense exposure to sick birds than in the past.
End Excerpt.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another Egyptian H5N1 case reported
Jun 11, 2007 (CIDRAP News) – A 4-year-old Egyptian girl was reported to have H5N1 avian influenza today, as the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a 10-year-old girl from the same area died of the illness 2 days ago.
The Egyptian health ministry said the 4-year-old girl, from Qena governorate in southern Egypt, was hospitalized yesterday with fever and breathing difficulty, Reuters news service reported. Officials said she had been exposed to birds sick with suspected flu.
The 10-year-old girl, also from Qena, was listed in critical condition when her illness was reported Jun 8. The WHO said she fell ill Jun 1 and was hospitalized on the 6th. There was evidence that she had been exposed to dead birds, the agency said.
The two latest cases were the first in Egypt in about 2 months. The country had 16 cases earlier this year.
By the WHO's count, Egypt has had 35 cases with 15 deaths, for a case-fatality rate of about 43%. That compares with a fatality rate of 80% in Indonesia, the hardest-hit country, which has had 99 cases and 79 deaths.
The Reuters report said most Egyptian cases have occurred in the northern part of the country, but 10 of the past 12 cases have been in the hotter south.
Egyptian officials had expected the virus to be less active this summer, in line with the pattern set last year after the initial cases in February 2006, the story said.
In other developments, Vietnam's first H5N1 case-patient in a year and a half left the hospital today, according to another Reuters report.
The patient, a 30-year-old man, was hospitalized in Hanoi on May 15 after he helped slaughter chickens for a friend's wedding, the story noted. Doctors at the Bach Mai hospital said they treated him with the antiviral drug oseltamivir (Tamiflu) for 10 days instead of the standard 7 days, the report said.
Doctors also said the virus was found in the man's saliva, stomach, and feces, according to the story. A number of studies have reported gastrointestinal symptoms in H5N1 patients, and the WHO has said that H5N1 infection is more likely to involve diarrhea than ordinary flu is.
The Reuters report said a second Vietnamese patient, a slaughterhouse worker, is still being treated but is recovering well.
In Indonesia, meanwhile, officials said some poultry are getting H5N1 infections without showing signs of illness, complicating efforts to track the virus and protect humans.
"From our observations during 2007 we have found that chickens infected by bird flu have not been showing the usual symptoms," said Memed Zulkaraen, director of the agriculture ministry's avian flu campaign unit, according to an Agence France-Presse (AFP) report published today.
So far this year, 12,000 birds in Indonesia have died of avian flu or been culled, whereas last year about 1.75 million poultry died of the disease or were destroyed, said Musny Suatmodjo, animal health director at the agriculture ministry, according to a Reuters report today.
Bayu Krisnamurthi, chief of Indonesia's avian flu commission, expressed concern that healthy-looking poultry could shed the virus in their feces, increasing the risk of human cases, the story said.
Kisnamturthi said Indonesia has had some human cases in the absence of any sick or dead poultry in the area.
Last week Krisnamurthi expressed a suspicion that the H5N1 virus has mutated in a way that enables it to jump more easily from birds to humans. He said there were signs that humans could get infected with less intense exposure to sick birds than in the past.
See also:
Jun 11 WHO statement
http://www.who.int/csr/don/2007_06_11/en/index.html
http://www.who.int/csr/don/2007_06_11/en/index.html
WHO H5N1 case count
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/country/cases_table_2007_06_11/en/index.html
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/country/cases_table_2007_06_11/en/index.html
Jun 6 CIDRAP News story "Indonesia suspects ominous H5N1 mutations"
Oct 11, 2005, CIDRAP News story "Experts cite differences between H5N1 and ordinary flu"
CIDRAP overview of the implications of avian influenza for human disease
Monday, June 11, 2007
5,000 Australians flee flooding
| SYDNEY, Australia (Reuters) -- Thousands of Australians were evacuated from their homes on Sunday as floodwaters headed down the country's wine-rich Hunter Valley, leaving towns cut off and farms isolated like islands. A major storm battering Australia's east coast for the past three days has whipped up huge seas, which beached a coal ship, and dumped flooding rains over the Hunter Valley, north of Sydney. Eight people have drowned in the floods, the worst in 30 years in the area, which have been declared a natural disaster by the New South Wales state government. Another person was killed when a tree fell on him, bringing the storm's death toll to nine. "I speak for every Australian in saying ... we are heart broken by the loss of lives," said Prime Minister John Howard. Around 5,000 residents from the town of Maitland in the Hunter Valley were evacuated on Sunday fearing the swollen Hunter River would break levees overnight, said emergency officials. "This afternoon, we got advised that the levee is likely to overtop. Because of that we have ordered the evacuation of the some 5,000 people," Philip Campbell, a spokesman for the State Emergency Service told Reuters. "It is the most significant flooding in the Hunter Valley since 1971. It is a very serious flood threat and we are taking the threat very seriously." Army soldiers were constructing sand bag levees to try and hold back the flooded Hunter River, which had swollen into a wide, brown swirling torrent of water heading down the valley. "I just don't know what is going to happen now. It's a real battle," said dairy farmer John Cousins as he surveyed his flooded farm, which had been battling drought before the storm and floods hit. Another farmer whose entire property looked like a lake told local television: "We will survive, its what we do on the land". Some farmers were forced to swim their horses and cattle out of floodwaters. One farmer, chest deep in water, held a chicken above his head as he waded towards higher ground. Damage assessments of properties in the Hunter Valley were still being compiled and it was unclear how the areas famed wineries have faired in the flooding. New South Wales state premier Morris Lemma said the damage in Newcastle, one of Australia's major coal export ports, was worse than after a 1989 earthquake hit the city. "What I saw were parts of Newcastle that resembled the kind of damage that followed the earthquake," he told reporters after visiting Newcastle. Limited reliefUp to 300 mm of rain has fallen since Thursday on parts of the Hunter region, while parts of the Central Coast and Sydney received 200 mm. Still, the rains have eluded much of the drought-stricken Sydney catchment area, with just 40 mm of rains in the main Warragamba Dam area and other dams. More than 105,000 homes remain without power in Sydney, Newcastle, the Central Coast and Hunter Valley. "Never before has our electricity network sustained such severe damage across such a widespread area," EnergyAustralia executive general manager network Geoff Lilliss said. "The extreme weather over the last few days has taken a heavy toll." Wild seas on Sunday continued to hinder the salvage of the bulk carrier "Pasha Bulker", beached on Newcastle's Nobbys Beach on Friday. Authorities fear a marine disaster if the giant ship breaks up and spills its 700 tonnes of fuel and oil. Newcastle Port Corporation chief Gary Webb said a 10-man salvage team was working on refloating the ship. All coal loading operations in Newcastle have been suspended until the seas calm down, leaving some 50-plus ships anchored offshore. Copyright 2007 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. |
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| Find this article at: http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/06/10/australia.floods.reut/index.html |
Overcoming Temptation
Quote from the article: " ....but those evil angels cannot enter a space occupied by the living Christ!"
That is why we can trust our inner discernment when we have the Universal Christ Consciousness. The Holy Spirit and God the Father are there together with the Living Christ, always. Jesus said, "I and the Father are One." The Living Christ filling our hearts and minds leaves no room for evil. Invite Him in every day, all day long. No worries!
Having the mind of Christ, "Christ Consciousness" through daily prayer and meditation will keep the Holy Angels around us protecting us, and our mind on track, in the flow of God's holy light and love. We can pray with a sincere and humble heart: "Let the Mind that operates in the mind of Jesus, the Christ, be the mind that operates in me."
deexxoo
Thanks to Liza for this:
-------------
Excerpt:
The purpose of demons seems to be twofold. They seek to hinder the purposes of God, and they seek to extend the power of Satan. We see this illustrated in Scripture. Consider this snippet from Paul's letter to the church in Thessalonica: "For we wanted to come to you – certainly I, Paul, did, again and again – but Satan stopped us" (1 Thessalonians 2:18).
The Apostle Paul mentioned his own personal struggles that were brought on by demons, and even allowed by God. In his second letter to the Corinthians, he speaks of a "thorn in the flesh" and calls it "a messenger of Satan" to buffet him (2 Corinthians 12:7-9).
The word "buffet" in this passage means to "strike with the fist." Though it's true we as believers can be hassled like Paul was, and tempted and oppressed and harassed by Satan, the devil cannot control us! The apostle said, "We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going" (2 Corinthians 4:9).
That's because when we put our faith in Jesus Christ we come under "new ownership!"
Liz
| Saturday, June 9, 2007 |
Overcoming temptation
I heard the story of a guy who was quite overweight and wanted to shed some pounds. Knowing his hankering for doughnuts, he carefully avoided driving past the Krispy Kreme doughnut shop on his way to work every day. He did this successfully for three weeks, and all his coworkers were really proud of him. Then one day he came to work with five boxes of hot Krispy Kremes – three of them already consumed.
Everyone started getting on his case for falling off the wagon. He smiled and said, "Wait, these are special doughnuts! I accidentally drove by Krispy Kreme in the morning, and I could see the sign was lit up telling me the doughnuts were being made fresh.
"So I prayed, 'Lord, if You want me to have some of these incredible donuts, let me have a parking space right in front of the store!' And sure enough, the eighth time around the block, there it was!"
That reminds me of a bumper sticker:
"Lead me not into temptation. I can find it myself."
We all know what it's like to be tempted to do the wrong thing. Like Oscar Wilde said, "I can resist anything – except temptation."
But the Bible promises us that we can overcome the lure and seduction of various kinds of temptation:
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Now, this is not to say you cannot put yourself in a place of temptation – a place where you don't belong.
Jesus taught us to pray, "And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." We cannot completely remove ourselves from temptation. To do that, we'd have to leave the planet. In this petition, we are asking God to so guide our steps that we will not wander out of His will and place ourselves in the way of temptation. We're saying, "Lord, don't let me be tempted above my capacity to resist."
But then there is also the devil, Satan, who directs a well-organized, highly effective army of fallen angels (demons) to lure you into bondage to sin.
The purpose of demons seems to be twofold. They seek to hinder the purposes of God, and they seek to extend the power of Satan. We see this illustrated in Scripture. Consider this snippet from Paul's letter to the church in Thessalonica: "For we wanted to come to you – certainly I, Paul, did, again and again – but Satan stopped us" (1 Thessalonians 2:18).
The Apostle Paul mentioned his own personal struggles that were brought on by demons, and even allowed by God. In his second letter to the Corinthians, he speaks of a "thorn in the flesh" and calls it "a messenger of Satan" to buffet him (2 Corinthians 12:7-9).
The word "buffet" in this passage means to "strike with the fist." Though it's true we as believers can be hassled like Paul was, and tempted and oppressed and harassed by Satan, the devil cannot control us! The apostle said, "We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going" (2 Corinthians 4:9).
That's because when we put our faith in Jesus Christ we come under "new ownership!"
However, let me extend this word of warning: If you have not put your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, you are entirely vulnerable to the devil and his attacks.
Silver bullets, holy water or crucifixes will not stop him.
Only the power of Jesus Christ.
Someone may ask, "Greg, are you saying that you actually believe in demon possession?" Absolutely!
Now, I am not speaking of the "Hollywood/Exorcist" style of demon control here with spinning heads, etc. In the New Testament, we see people who were possessed by demons having many illnesses as well as suicidal tendencies.
There was one man who was possessed by not one but many, many demons. He hung around in a graveyard, naked, cutting himself with sharp rocks. The Amplified Bible says of this man, "Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always shrieking and screaming and beating and bruising and cutting himself with stones" (Mark 5:5). He had super-human strength and was able to break chains with his bare hands. No doubt the people of the area avoided this place – especially at night.
Nobody, that is, except Jesus, who delivered this tortured man, releasing him from an army of evil spirits in the space of a heartbeat.
But how does this sort of thing happen?
By opening the door of your soul to Satan.
Note the man was suicidal. When I look at the rash of suicides in our country today, especially among young people, I have to say Satan is at work. Suicides among adolescents have nearly tripled over the last 40 years. For those age 15 to 24, suicide is the third-leading cause of death, behind accidents and homicide.
The devil whispers in your ear, "You are worthless – take your life!"
Remember, his ultimate agenda is to "steal, to kill and to destroy."
But we can be encouraged to understand that when Christ comes in, the devil goes out. And that's why it's wrong when we hear people saying Christians can be "demon-possessed. " Believers might allow themselves to be hassled, harassed or oppressed by demons, but those evil angels cannot enter a space occupied by the living Christ! God is not interested in a time-share program with the devil.
If you are a true Christian, God has given you exceedingly precious promises that you can stake your life upon. God will help you overcome temptations of various kinds, and He has given you spiritual armor to wage war against Satan and his legions. Even better, since Jesus has overcome Satan and all his power, He is our Defender and invincible Advocate. As one of God's children, every move of the enemy against you must come by permission through the protective hedge of Jesus.
So pray, "Lord, lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil."
I suggest you flee temptation and not leave a forwarding address!
Breaking News: FBI Director Issues Warning About Nuclear Terror
FBI's Mueller: Al-Qaida Has Intent to Use Nuclear Weapons
Reprinted from NewsMax.com
FBI Director Issues Warning About Nuclear Terror
NewsMax Wires
Monday, June 11, 2007
Robert S. Mueller, Director of the FBI, spoke this morning at the Global Initiative Nuclear Terrorism Conference in Miami. His comments confirm claims made in a new book "The Day of Islam" detailing al-Qaida's nuclear plans. Read more Click Here Now
Good morning. It is an honor to be here with all of you today.
My thanks to Governor Crist and Mayor Diaz for joining us this morning, and to all those who organized this conference.
I also want to welcome Assistant Secretary John Rood and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Kislyak from the Kazakhstan conference. We appreciate your joining us, especially given the time difference.
We are here to discuss one of the most dangerous and deadly threats we face: nuclear terrorism. Few threats fall into the same class in terms of sheer devastation, damage, and loss. Few strike such fear in the hearts of the public. And few threats are so appealing to terrorists around the world, for the same reasons.
It has been said that the September 11th attacks were a "failure of imagination." We cannot fail to imagine the consequences of a nuclear terrorist attack. Nor can we fail to imagine that there are those for whom such an event is the end game.
Prevention must be our end game. Should there be a nuclear attack anywhere in the world, it would mean in some sense that we have failed in our mission. That is why we are here this week.
This morning, I want to talk about the threat of nuclear terrorism. I want to touch on our collective efforts in the United States to keep our citizens safe. And I want to discuss what we in the international community must do to contain this threat.
Our roadmap is clear. We must start with the source: we must secure loose nuclear material. We must share intelligence about those who wish to buy and sell such material, and we must stop those who do. Most importantly, we must stand strong together, for nuclear terrorism is a global threat that requires a global response.
Assessment of the Threat
By some estimates, there is enough highly enriched uranium in global stockpiles to construct thousands of nuclear weapons. And it is safe to assume that there are many individuals who would not think twice about using such weapons.
The economics of supply and demand dictate that someone, somewhere, will provide nuclear material to the highest bidder, and that material will end up in the hands of terrorists.
Al Qaeda has demonstrated a clear intent to acquire weapons of mass destruction. In 1993, Osama bin Laden attempted to buy uranium from a source in the Sudan. He has stated that it is Al Qaeda's duty to acquire weapons of mass destruction. And he has made repeated recruiting pitches for experts in chemistry, physics, and explosives to join his terrorist movement.
Bin Laden is no small thinker. Prior to 2001, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed – the mastermind of the September 11th attacks – suggested flying a small plane filled with explosives into CIA Headquarters. As noted by the 9/11 Commission, bin Laden reportedly asked him, "Why do you use an axe when you can use a bulldozer?"
If 9/11 was the "bulldozer" of which bin Laden spoke, we can only imagine the impact of a full-scale nuclear attack.
Unfortunately, Al Qaeda central is not our only concern. We face threats from other terrorist cells around the world, and from homegrown terrorists who are not affiliated with Al Qaeda, but who are inspired by its message of hatred and violence.
Several rogue nations – and even individuals – seek to develop nuclear capabilities. Abdul Khan, for example, was not only the father of Pakistan's nuclear bomb, he peddled that technology to North Korea, Libya, and Iran. Khan was one of many to prove that it is indeed a seller's market in the so-called atomic bazaar.
We have often said that the next terrorist attack is not a question of if, but when. If we up the ante to a nuclear terrorist attack, we know it is a question of if, but we cannot let it become a question of when. Now is the time to act.
Our Collective Efforts to Prevent Nuclear Terrorism
I want to talk for a moment about our collective roles in combatting nuclear terrorism. While the FBI investigates all acts of terrorism in the United States, the prevention of a nuclear attack is a responsibility shared by many. Our investigations are joint efforts in every sense.
In October 2005, for example, a radiation sensor at the Port of Colombo, in Sri Lanka, triggered an alarm for an outbound shipping container. The container was sent to sea before it could be examined.
Working with their Sri Lankan counterparts, personnel from the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Energy determined that the suspect container could be on one of six ships, three of which were bound for New York. Officials around the world, from Italy to India, screened various containers on these ships as they moved from port to port. Scientists from Lawrence Livermore Nuclear Laboratory worked with FBI experts to analyze why the sensor may have been triggered, and whether any of the containers held weapons-grade nuclear material. FBI agents and analysts searched computer databases for criminal or terrorist ties to the ships in question.
We worked with our state and local counterparts in New York and New Jersey to put response plans into place. As three of the ships pulled into the Port of Newark, FBI personnel and officials from the United States Coast Guard, and Customs and Border Protection, screened and secured several containers.
Although this investigation turned out to be nothing more than the disposal of scrap metal mixed with radioactive material, it illustrates the need for a quick and a coordinated response.
That coordination begins with training. We need to know how best to respond to a pending threat before a real need arises. To that end, we routinely train with federal, state, and local agencies and first responders.
The FBI's Hazardous Devices School, for instance, provides bomb disposal training, using state-of-the-art equipment. In the past 36 years, we have trained more than 20,000 first responders, and nearly 3,000 bomb technicians stand ready to respond if we are threatened with a nuclear terrorist attack.
We also train our law enforcement counterparts across the country and around the world to detect, deter, and disrupt weapons of mass destruction. Field exercises include the smuggling, sale, transport, and use of hazardous material.
The International Counterproliferation Program, for example, is a partnership of the FBI, the Department of Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and the Department of Homeland Security.
Together, we are training our foreign partners in WMD detection, border security, undercover investigations, nuclear forensics, and crisis management. To date, we have trained more than 5,000 participants from more than 23 countries.
This September, for example, four of our partners in this Global Initiative – Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, and Georgia – will participate in an integrated exercise. We will run a hypothetical threat of a radiological dispersal device from start to finish, to see whether we are solid, and where we need to improve.
By training together, we can better work together. In recent years, we have worked with many of you on highly sensitive matters related to the trafficking and threatened use of nuclear material. I am not able to discuss those cases today, because the details remain classified.
The mere existence of these cases, however, with buyers seeking to obtain nuclear materials and willing sellers peddling samples, illustrates the size and the seriousness of the threats we face. These cases also illustrate the continued need for information sharing and collaboration.
Containing the Threat of Nuclear Terrorism
Let me spend a moment discussing how best to contain the threat of nuclear terrorism.
We all face the prospect that at some point in the near future, a terrorist will steal, smuggle, buy, or build a nuclear weapon. We must focus on prevention; we cannot afford to wait for a calling card to announce an attack.
Strong intelligence is our primary asset. We must collect intelligence from those closest to the threat, from port security and border control to state and local law enforcement. And we must share that intelligence with those who need it.
But intelligence alone is not enough. If we uncover information about potential nuclear trafficking or a pending plot, we must be able to move at a moment's notice.
We cannot sit back and wait for others to act. To do so is to continue to feed the crocodile, hoping he will eat you last, as Winston Churchill once said. Our safety lies in protecting not just our own interests, but our collective interests.
We cannot simply hope that stockpiles will be secure, that smugglers will somehow be stopped, that devices will fail to detonate. Hope alone will not suffice.
Each and every country must safeguard its nuclear material. Those who run the black market must be locked up and shut down. Possessing, peddling, and purchasing nuclear material must be prosecuted. And terrorists must be cut off at the source.
Our greatest weapon is unity. That unity is built on intelligence and interagency cooperation. It is built on the idea that, together, we are smarter and stronger than we are standing alone.
No person, no police officer, no agency, and no country can prevent a nuclear terrorist attack on its own. There are too many unlocked doors and unknown players, too many ports and porous borders.
Yet together, we can stop the smuggling of nuclear material. We can stop those who seek to buy such material on the black market. And we can stop terrorists from using this technology to threaten our citizens. We can, and we must.
Throughout the Cold War, the threat of nuclear attack loomed large. In 1962, at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis, President Kennedy addressed the American people, saying, "My fellow citizens, let no one doubt that this is a difficult and dangerous effort on which we have set out ... Many months of sacrifice and self-discipline lie ahead ... months in which many threats and denunciations will keep us aware of our dangers. But the greatest danger of all would be to do nothing."
The dark days of the Cold War have been relegated to the history books. The United States and Russia ultimately resolved many of their differences through deft diplomacy. But terrorists do not want a seat at the diplomatic table. They do not respond to reason or rationale, nor do they share any desire for peace and prosperity. Quite the opposite, in fact.
Indeed, the greatest danger for each of us here today would be to do nothing. We must take action. And we must do so together. Our safety can only be secured with the help of the international community.
Years ago, we stood across from one another, divided by walls and different ways of life. Today, we stand together in this Global Initiative. We are united in a common cause. It is my sincere hope that in the years to come, we will have no need to meet to address this threat. Let us begin to make that hope a reality.
Thank you and God bless.
Get the bestselling book by former FBI consultant Paul Williams that details al-Qaida's incredible nuclear plan - Click Here Now.
Editor's note:
Can America avoid a nuclear 'D-Day'? Get the INSIDE story – Click Here Now.
Iran's Clerics Plan a Nuclear Showdown with the U.S. – Click Here!
The Coming War with Iran: 6 Days of Hell - Read More
Can America avoid a nuclear 'D-Day'? Get the INSIDE story – Click Here Now. Iran's Clerics Plan a Nuclear Showdown with the U.S. – Click Here! The Coming War with Iran: 6 Days of Hell - Read MoreRead more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
102-102-101-101-102
Nearly 100 Killed in Storms in Bangladesh, still Raining
Nearly 100 killed in landslides, storms in Bangladesh
by Nurul AlamMon Jun 11, 12:42 PM ET
Landslides and lightning strikes have left nearly 100 people dead in Bangladesh as torrential monsoon rains pounded the disaster-prone country, officials said Monday.
At least 86 people were killed when weekend rains flooded the southeastern port city of Chittagong and set off landslides in surrounding areas. A further ten people were struck by lightning in four districts across the country.
Chittagong police and city council officials said the landslides had buried dozens of homes in hilly districts around the city of five million, and warned the death toll could still rise.
"The situation is very grave.... It is still raining hard in the city," Chittagong police chief Moinur Rahman Chowdhury told AFP.
Major Kawser Ali of the army control room said so far 86 bodies had been recovered in the port city. Most of the victims were killed by landslides. Another 89 people had been injured and admitted to hospital.
Chittagong division commissioner Mukhlesur Rahman said the death toll would rise as three houses containing 15-16 people were buried under 12 feet (3.5 metres) of mud in the city's central Hathazari district.
"Army and fire brigade officers are using shovels and spades to dig through the mud. But we are racing against time to save them," he added.
"These are the worst ever rain-triggered landslides in Chittagong," said the head of the city's fire brigade Rashedul Islam, adding that it could take at least another 24 hours to recover all the dead.
"Home after home has been buried in tonnes of mud and we still haven't reached all the affected areas yet," he said.
Thousands of troops, police and fire brigade personnel, plus civilian aid teams, had been mobilised while mosques had been asked to provide shelter to those evacuating their homes, Rahman said.
Survivors said they were stunned by the ferocity of the landslides.
"We have been living here for more than a decade. We never saw such a thing before. This morning I found myself half buried under rubble and mud," said Anisur Rahman, 19, a resident of Hathazari, where rescue teams pulled out at least 31 bodies.
"My brother and a cousin were sleeping in another room. They died under the mud," he said.
Fakhruddin Ahmed, head of the country's emergency government, had sent communications minister M.A. Matin to the city to coordinate the relief effort but his plane could not land at the airport because of bad weather.
"It's a huge task but we are trying to reach everyone," division commissioner Rahman said.
Communications within the city were paralysed and telephone links with the rest of the country were down.
"One-third of the city is now under three to four feet (around one metre) of water, affecting more than 1.5 million people," said Chittagong's mayor, Manjurul Alam.
Bangladesh's meteorological office has also warned that low-lying areas in coastal districts and small islands are likely to be submerged under tidal water.
It said further heavy rains were expected across Bangladesh during the next 24 hours.
"We have asked fishing trawlers and boats not to go to deep sea as squally weather and rains will continue for some time," the department's Sanaul Haq Mandal said.
Officials said flights to the city's Shah Amanat International Airport had been temporarily suspended and Chittagong Seaport, which handles more than 90 percent of the country's foreign trade, was also forced to close.
Landslides are a regular occurrence in hilly areas of Chittagong. Experts have previously warned of environmental disasters due to the government's failure to stop the illegal clearing of hill areas for housing.
"The landslides were very much linked to the cutting of hills in this region," Rahman said.
Copyright © 2007 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AFP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Agence France Presse.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Ancient Egyptian City spotted from Space~
Satellites hovering above Egypt have zoomed in on a 1,600-year-old metropolis, archaeologists say.
Hmmmnnn .. Wonder what they see under the right paw of the Sphinx? deexxoo
Hmmmnnn .. Wonder what they see under the right paw of the Sphinx? deexxoo
Related Images
The Great Aten Temple at Tell el-Amarna, Middle Egypt. Even though the northern enclosure wall of the temple is buried beneath a modern cemetery, using Quickbird high resolution satellite imagery, it is still possible to see the buried wall. Credit: Sarah H Parcak, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Ancient Egyptian City Spotted From Space
By Heather Whipps, Special to LiveScience
posted: 05 June 2007 09:40 am ET
Satellites hovering above Egypt have zoomed in on a 1,600-year-old metropolis, archaeologists say.
Images captured from space pinpoint telltale signs of previous habitation in the swatch of land 200 miles south of Cairo, which digging recently confirmed as an ancient settlement dating from about 400 A.D.
The find is part of a larger project aiming to map as much of ancient Egypt's archaeological sites, or "tells," as possible before they are destroyed or covered by modern development.
"It is the biggest site discovered so far," said project leader Sarah Parcak of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. "Based on the coins and pottery we found, it appears to be a massive regional center that traded with Greece, Turkey and Libya."
Another large city dating to 600 B.C. and a monastery from 400 A.D. are some of the four hundred or so sites that Parcak has located during her work with the satellites. The oldest dates back over 5,000 years.
Egypt contains a wealth of already identified archaeological tells like these, but even they represent only about 0.01 percent of what is out there still uncovered, Parcak said.
Most of the ancient settlements still buried are at risk of being lost to looting and urban sprawl. Residential sites, where the Egyptian empire's millions of citizens lived during its heyday, are especially vulnerable, archaeologists say.
"There are thousands of settlements that Egyptians don't even know are there," Parcak told LiveScience. "Nothing will ever destroy the Pyramids or the Temple of Luxor, but these huge settlement sites where we get a lot of information are being threatened. And that's how we find out how people lived."
The satellite technology lets archaeologists such as Parcak—the first to use space imagery in Egypt—identify points of interest on a large scale.
"Basically, I'm trying to distinguish the ancient remains from the modern landscape," she said. "A site is going to appear very differently from space." Archaeological sites absorb moisture in a different way, she explained, and tend to be covered with specific types of soil and vegetation.
The subtle differences would take much longer to identify on the ground, said Parcak, so Egypt's government uses her catalog to identify sites and excavate there before development takes over and destroys the site for good.
Images captured from space pinpoint telltale signs of previous habitation in the swatch of land 200 miles south of Cairo, which digging recently confirmed as an ancient settlement dating from about 400 A.D.
The find is part of a larger project aiming to map as much of ancient Egypt's archaeological sites, or "tells," as possible before they are destroyed or covered by modern development.
"It is the biggest site discovered so far," said project leader Sarah Parcak of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. "Based on the coins and pottery we found, it appears to be a massive regional center that traded with Greece, Turkey and Libya."
Another large city dating to 600 B.C. and a monastery from 400 A.D. are some of the four hundred or so sites that Parcak has located during her work with the satellites. The oldest dates back over 5,000 years.
Egypt contains a wealth of already identified archaeological tells like these, but even they represent only about 0.01 percent of what is out there still uncovered, Parcak said.
Most of the ancient settlements still buried are at risk of being lost to looting and urban sprawl. Residential sites, where the Egyptian empire's millions of citizens lived during its heyday, are especially vulnerable, archaeologists say.
"There are thousands of settlements that Egyptians don't even know are there," Parcak told LiveScience. "Nothing will ever destroy the Pyramids or the Temple of Luxor, but these huge settlement sites where we get a lot of information are being threatened. And that's how we find out how people lived."
The satellite technology lets archaeologists such as Parcak—the first to use space imagery in Egypt—identify points of interest on a large scale.
"Basically, I'm trying to distinguish the ancient remains from the modern landscape," she said. "A site is going to appear very differently from space." Archaeological sites absorb moisture in a different way, she explained, and tend to be covered with specific types of soil and vegetation.
The subtle differences would take much longer to identify on the ground, said Parcak, so Egypt's government uses her catalog to identify sites and excavate there before development takes over and destroys the site for good.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
My piano recital.. The Secret works, Praise God..
Sunday for my performance, I was a bit nervous indeed especially being second to last on the list of 29 performers. Well, I did forget parts of the middle, but I adapted it and improvised (as usual!) and my teacher just loved it! She actually received compliments on me the next day from an adult that had been there! All my life I've wanted to play the piano, and have had numerous dreams at night with me in rooms full of big, old, very unusual pianos.. and I would go from piano to piano, and music would just pour out of my fingers.... wow... I will keep playing, now forever!
Then we left immediately after the concert to drive up to Tarpon Springs for a funeral for my uncle. He could play the piano by ear! Afterwards we went to my aunt Betty's house - she has a 10 foot grand!!!! Her oldest daughter, Angela teaches piano and had a lot of tips for me to help my technique. Angela is extremely talented - can play Scherzo by memory - she told me that I have a wonderful 'feel' for the music! I played the recording of my recital piece for her and my 90 year old mother, and - at long, long last - got a compliment from Mom, that it "was good", and she smiled and she said that she could never play it that well herself! My mother rarely ever gives her children compliments to their faces. Then I played it on my aunt's concert grand. Oh my goodness.. I got so many kudos from everybody.. I can hardly believe it. Dreams come true, with imagination, prayer, and right action.
Then we left immediately after the concert to drive up to Tarpon Springs for a funeral for my uncle. He could play the piano by ear! Afterwards we went to my aunt Betty's house - she has a 10 foot grand!!!! Her oldest daughter, Angela teaches piano and had a lot of tips for me to help my technique. Angela is extremely talented - can play Scherzo by memory - she told me that I have a wonderful 'feel' for the music! I played the recording of my recital piece for her and my 90 year old mother, and - at long, long last - got a compliment from Mom, that it "was good", and she smiled and she said that she could never play it that well herself! My mother rarely ever gives her children compliments to their faces. Then I played it on my aunt's concert grand. Oh my goodness.. I got so many kudos from everybody.. I can hardly believe it. Dreams come true, with imagination, prayer, and right action.
I had done the "Secret" thing.. with faith, by practicing at home, then smiling at the imaginery audience and getting up to do the curtsey. :- Well, it went just like that!
All praise and honor and glory goes to God my Father. :-)
deexxoo
Strongest Cyclone in 60 Years hits Oil Rich Arabia
Unusual weather, indeed! And look where it is.
deexxoo
Last updated June 5, 2007 7:41 p.m. PT
Cyclone Gonu's winds blast Oman coast
 | |
| Stronger than normal waves come ashore at Muscat, Oman, Tuesday June 5 2007. A cyclone expected to be the strongest storm ever recorded in the Arabian Peninsula churned toward the oil-rich Gulf on Tuesday, forcing thousands of residents of Oman's coastal towns to flee their homes. Its affect the region's oil installations was unclear with the storm expected to skirt or lose strength before hitting the most important installations in the Persian Gulf off of Saudi Arabia and southern Iran. (AP Photos/Hamid Al-qasmi) |
View related videoMUSCAT, Oman -- A powerful cyclone menaced Oman's central coast with strong winds and rain early Wednesday, after thousands of resident fled to higher ground. Forecasters said the Arabian Peninsula's strongest storm in 60 years was on a course for southern Iran and the oil-rich Persian Gulf.
Cyclone-force winds of Gonu, which had been churning northwest through the Indian Ocean, reached the Omani coastal towns of Sur and Ra's al-Hadd. Civil Defense said the storm was dropping heavy rains on the capital, Muscat, and other nearby towns. But there were no immediate reports of any serious damage.
At 6 p.m. EDT, Cyclone Gonu was centered just off central Oman, about 140 miles southeast of Muscat, and was traveling along the coastline at about 8 mph, according to the U.S. military's Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
The storm had weakened somewhat during the day but was still packing winds of up to 106 mph and churning up ocean waves, predicted to reach as high as 36 feet, Oman civil defense officials said.
Heavy rains pelted Muscat early Wednesday, and streets were empty as most people stayed indoors, said blogger Vijayakumar Narayanan in a telephone interview.
"Everyone is cocooned in their houses," said Narayanan, whom NowPublic.com reached out to in Oman. NowPublic.com is a journalism Web site with 98,000 members in 3,500 communities worldwide. "Shops and businesses are closed."
Narayanan said city streets were quickly becoming flooded, but there were no reports of wind damage.
He said the storm has alarmed many Omanis, unaccustomed to cyclones. "They haven't had this kind of fear before."
Gonu was expected to skirt the region's biggest oil installations but could disrupt shipping in the Straits of Hormuz, causing a spike in prices, oil analysts said.
Oil prices rose on Monday but retreated Tuesday, although the storm weighed heavily on the market.
"If the storm hits Iran, it's a much bigger story than Oman, given how much bigger an oil producer Iran is," said Antoine Haff of FIMAT USA, a brokerage unit of Societe Generale. "At a minimum, it's likely to affect tanker traffic and to shut down some Omani oil production as a precautionary measure."
Gonu, which means a bag made of palm leaves in the language of the Maldives, is expected to hit the east coast of Oman and head to the Gulf of Oman, according to AccuWeather.com meteorologist Donn Washburn. The cyclone was expected to hit land in southeastern Iran late Wednesday or early Thursday, Washburn said.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center, a U.S. military task force that tracks storms in the Pacific and Indian oceans, predicted rough seas in the Straits of Hormuz, the transport route for two-fifths of the world's oil and the southern entrance to the Gulf.
In Tehran, the government's Department of Meteorology predicted heavy rain and strong winds along Iran's southeastern coast. Storm warnings had been issued and some damage was expected, the department said.
On Tuesday, as the cyclone approached, authorities evacuated nearly 7,000 people from Masirah, a lowland island off the east coast of Oman, according to Gen. Malik bin Suleiman al-Muamri, head of the country's civil defense. Oman's main international airport in Muscat was also closed.
Masirah Island includes one of four air bases that the Omani government allows the U.S. military to use for refueling, logistics and storage, although little has been revealed publicly about U.S.-Oman military ties.
The Masirah base hosted U.S. B-1B bombers, C-130 transports and U.S. Special Forces AC-130 gunships during the war in Afghanistan, and the United States has continued to have basing rights on the island.
U.S. forces are preparing for Gonu "just like anyone would prepare for such a cyclone," said Lt. Denise Garcia, a spokeswoman for U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, which is based in Bahrain. She declined to provide more details.
She said U.S. Navy ships in the Persian Gulf and elsewhere in the region were also taking precautions to avoid Gonu, but there was no major overhaul of operations. The U.S. military has offered its assistance to Oman, but so far, Omani authorities have not requested help, she said.
On Masirah, authorities said a state of emergency had been declared. Troops and police were mobilized to help provide shelter and medical services.
Families were also leaving their homes Tuesday on the mainland, officials said. The government said schools and public building were emptied to make room for the evacuees.
Oman's major oil installations, which were not directly in the storm's projected path and nowhere near as extensive as those of its neighbors, continued operations but took precautions as Gonu approached.
In neighboring Saudi Arabia, the government said the country and oil markets would not be seriously affected by the storm.
But some oil analysts said the storm could have a damaging effect on the oil market.
Manouchehr Takin, an analyst at the Center for Global Energy Studies in London, said the real fear is that the loading of tankers might be delayed by the storm.
"About 17-21 million barrels a day of oil are coming out of the Persian Gulf. Even if only some of the tankers are delayed, that could reduce the supply of oil and increase prices," Takin said.
Even with the weaker wind speeds, Gonu is expected to be the strongest cyclone to hit the Arabian Peninsula since record keeping started in 1945.
A cyclone is the term used for hurricanes in the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific.
---
Associated Press writers Anna Johnson in Cairo, Egypt; Robert H. Reid in Amman, Jordan; Sarah DiLorenzo in New York, and Thomas Wagner, Tariq Panja and Raphael Satter in London contributed to this report.
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