On October 14th 2009, Lord Christopher Monckton, a noted climate change expert, gave a presentation at Bethel College in St. Paul, MN in which he issued a dire warning regarding the United Nations Climate Change Treaty which is scheduled to be signed in Copenhagen in December 2009.
I've always been a big fan of the Aussies. People of uncommon common sense, they see through the emotion and rhetoric and get down to the heart of the matter. Here Professor Bob Carter 'torpedoes' the global warming theory. Video runs 36:25.
Johnny Cash
Naturally I'm referring to flurries here, not some other vulgar word. It happens every year. We see strange flakes falling around us and we look skyward, astonished at this white miracle. Raining at first in Brampton, it turned to snow as I was hitting Aurora on my way to Newmarket. 'Winter has arrived' I said to myself. Now apart from driving in really bad weather, I love the cool air that winter brings. I never sleep better at night than I do this season.
Giving Praise to God for Winter
Why not? To believe all the doomsayers we are headed for a climate catastrophe. While we humans love the summer for the good times we like to spend outdoors, think of what the world would be like if the polar regions didn't have their share of winter. The massive icesheets that cover Greenland and Antarctica would melt, flooding our coastal cities. Crops would likely fail, creating famine worldwide. Rain would fall unevenly, drowning some places while drought would create desertification elsewhere. Yet despite all the handwringing, winter arrives as it always does.
Canada: No Wimps Allowed!!
The snow gives the ski resorts a reason to celebrate too. A lot, and I mean A LOT, of tourist dollars flow into southern Ontario and Quebec as skiers and snowboarders flock to our gentle slopes. I think of the winter sports that Canadians love to play. While we still did rather well at the Beijing Olympics, I always look forward to the Winter Olympics to see our men and women strike fear into the hearts of the opposition. Without the snow and ice, hockey wouldn't be played outdoors either. While I myself was more a baseball fan, I did appreciate Canada's unofficial national sport (Lacrosse is our official national sport). Unlike bears, us humans don't have the luxury of hibernating. Yet I wouldn't trade this changing of the seasons for anything!
Speaking of No Wimps .....
Reminds me of my time spent in the army. If it was cold, damp, dark and windy, chances are we'd be out there doing our training. This weather always brings back the memories that I had while I was wearing the uniform. My first exposure was in basic training in Camp Borden before it became a cadet camp. Even though it was summer, crawling out of your sleeping bag in a tent at 5:30 in the morning to put on a t-shirt, shorts and running shoes was a wee bit traumatic. A second belly button followed by a cold shower is not what I had in mind when I joined at CFRC Hamilton. Now I did survive my basic training (it was only six weeks after all), but when I got to my unit it was more of the same. Army weekends. Oh how I dreaded that weekend every month. Now this might not have been so bad if I was in a service battalion (I was a supply technician), but I was in an infantry unit. This had mixed blessings of course. Firing a .50 cal machine gun, lobbing a live grenade, firing a mortar and other cool infantry weapons was something that very few individuals could boast of. But did they make you work! Not only did you have to qualify in your basic fieldcraft, you were tagged to do other support tasks such as meals or ammo pickup. Driving was a chore too. Fridays were bad enough after a long work week but Sundays were worse due to lack of sleep. Unloading the truck, cleaning equipment AND your weapon were chores that awaited us when we got back to Georgetown armouries. Do I have regrets? Thankfully not one. I'm proud of what I accomplished as a reservist over my twelve year tenure. However I'm just as equally glad I'm no longer doing it. So I've learned not to complain this time of year. After all, it could be worse. I could be in Meaford. HA!
Johnny Cash
Alaska, Yellowstone and an Extreme Weather Quiz
Alaska, a sensitive area to our north, is warming up at a rate five times faster than the rest of the world. This has proven to be a boon to ecotourism as park personnel have to be retrained to answer visitor's questions. Glaciers are indeed melting and signs of warming appear everywhere. This old earth has gone through many cycles of warming and cooling. The fact that we are indeed going through one of these warming cycles is no reason for hysteria.
Did you know that Yellowstone Park is one of the most active geothermal places in the world? The entire place is a huge ancient supervolcano. Here are some interesting facts about this unique place:
1) The caldera floor is rising three inches (7 centimeters) per year over the past three years — more than three times faster since observations began in 1923.
2) The magma pushing up on the caldera is likely about 38 miles long and 13 miles wide, approximately the size of Los Angeles.
Here's an interesting Bible passage from Revelation 6:12-14
I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood. The stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. The heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
Does this not sound like a massive eruption is taking place? 'The heaven departing as a scroll' sounds very much a major explosion is taking place. An argument could be made that it could be a nuclear blast but from this description volcanic activity cannot be ruled out. The sun becoming black as a sackcloth of hair and the moon became as blood would frighten anyone. The amount of detritus in the atmosphere would block out the sunlight and discolor the sight of the moon. The 'stars of heaven falling to the earth' and being 'shaken of a mighty wind' sounds like pyroclastic flow. As well, earthquakes (and lightning) often accompany eruptions. Mountains and islands would be moved out of their places if the earthquake was large enough (though the actual displacement measured wouldn't have to be that large to fulfill this prophecy). Consider the Boxing Day tsunami of '04. A 9.0 earthquake that struck the Indian Ocean literally rang the earth like a bell for days afterward. And this wasn't even the largest earthquake ever recorded! A 9.5 was recorded at Chile on May 22, 1960.
So am I off track here? Only time will tell. If there is one point I'd like to make is this: The Bible is an unfailing prophetic lens through which we can see the future. It is both literal and trustworthy. Until this comes to pass, we'll have to wait and see. Mind you, I have no intention of actually being here when it happens. Hope that's true for you too.
Johnny Cash
I've always had my sneaking suspicions about the enviromental movement. To be sure there are some gentle souls within who mean well. I just cannot shake this feeling that much of the green movement is profoundly anti-capitalist (not to mention 'soft' globalists at heart) and pro-Marxist in their orientation. Rather than claiming interest in clean air and water and having a sustainable global economy, the greens seem to be more ideologically driven in preventing Third World nations from reaching their full potential. In places like Eastern Europe and Africa, mortality rates are high (as is unemployment) and such essentials as running water and electricity is but a dream. I'm well aware that there is a cost involved in industrializing a nation. But the cost of NOT creating jobs using advanced technology is even greater. The mantra 'suffer and die quietly' is what the green movement is telling the world's poor. I think their short-sighted attitude stinks.
Johnny Cash
Here is Acts 9:1-5 :
Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"
"Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked.
"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied.
My friend, this passage is still relevant today. There are many Saul of Tarsus' out there. When I look at these liberals, the shoe seems to fit awfully well. Within the Left establishment, it's all about proving your bona fides, your own 'street cred' if you will. How does one do this? By bad-mouthing and slandering any combination of America, Israel, the church, Christians, Jesus, the Bible and God in general. Basically, you cannot prove you belong to the church of militant secular-progressive humanism until you've persecuted Jesus Christ at length. Take Rosie O'Donnell, a hard-core disciple of the MSPH church. Isn't it enough for her that the battle over gay marriage is all but won? No, of course not. All dissent must be crushed. It's not enough to win the court battles, the enemies of the MSPH church must be humiliated as well. Consider too the case of Roman Catholic Poland as the EU is basically gang-raping the Poles over their insistence of 'one-man-one-woman-for-life' stance on marriage. It is the old story of 'repaying evil with evil', a Biblical no-no. It appears history does repeat itself and Christians are once more in the establishment's crosshairs.
One of the multi-billion dollar false churches that is in vogue today is led by High Priest Al Gore. I'm obviously referring to that whole global warming thing. It has to be believed, indeed it MUST be believed that human activity is the sole reason for the strange weather phenomena. Any scientist who dare suggests that increased solar activity is the main culprit runs the risk of ruining their careers. I found this bit of information in the article rather enlightening:
Dr Sami Solanki of the Institute for Astronomy in Zurich studies solar activity. His findings are as follows: "Looking at the past 1,150 years the Sun has never been as active as it has been during the past 60 years.
Now consider this: Israel just recently celebrated its 59th anniversary. And the sun just so happened to increase it's activity at roughly the exact same time! A coincidence maybe? I don't think so. One thing that can be agreed on is that God is still in full control.
Here's another thing that bothers me about this leftist hard-on for the environment. Does the whole green movement strike you as having neo-Marxist origins and blatant anti-American tendencies? Portraying Bush's America as the black-hatted villian seems to be the primary reason driving environmental activism. Why is the West vilified for its modern industry and countries like China (the world's second biggest polluter) given the kid glove treatment? I smell a rat here. There's a hidden political agenda at work and it does not bode well for what's left of Western civilization.
I've got a whole bunch of links that I'd love to share with you. As it's a wee bit late I'm going to fire them off in rapid succession.
Did you ever wonder where the ingredients for the food that you feed your family come from? After reading this article you may not want to.
Big Brother is listening! The demand for encrypting cell-phone conversations in Italy due to recent phone-taps is causing jitters. How long before this becomes a global demand?
Islam is bad for women and is the main reason for failure in Iraq.
The Canadian Anti-Christ (aka Justin Trudeau) has just won his nomination in the Montreal riding of Papineau. The kid knows how to pull 'em in, I'll give him that.
Earthquakes in Divers Places Dep't: There's been an unlikely 4.3 magnitude earthquake in Folkestone, England. Many buildings (whom I suspect were not built with California standards) have been permanently damaged.
To close, know that religion is good for your kids and ministering the Gospel as a family as this couple in India has discovered is even better.
Johnny Cash
Of course Al Gore is making it up as he goes along. Does that surprise you? Gosh, a politician who lies to gain the advantage. What is the world coming to? Watch this YouTube video (runs 75 minutes) on the Great Global Warming Swindle. It will open your eyes. And before you ask, yes I did see Al's movie. Tragically it's ninety minutes of my life that I'll never get back.
Enjoy the video,
Johnny Cash
Does it not seem that the world is spinning out of control? Well yes and no (Don't you just hate it when people give you that answer?). If we were to see things through man's finite vision we would say yes. But I think that's a mistake. You see, God is an unchanging God: He is the same yesterday, today and forever. When we see things through God's POV we see things coming together, not falling apart. Whether it be turmoil in the ME, domestic terrorism, the global persecution of Christians and even in the climate where it appears that nature is rejecting us, God is still in charge. I don't know what tomorrow will bring any more than the next individual. What I do know is that nothing is out of place as far as our Creator is concerned. The way I see it, you can live in fear and perplexity or you can put your faith in God and believe that He will safely deliver all those that have trusted in Him. For me, that's an easy call to make. Will you do the same?
I've got some backlog here that I want to get rid of so here we go:
I think I want to really expand on the domestic terrorism issue as Licia Corbella of the Calgary Sun touched upon (See the 'domestic terrorism' link above). It is precisely this irrational fear of causing offence is the thing that's going to get innocents killed, not the truth itself. I have said it before and I will say it again: Peace with Islam is pure death, plain and simple. Peace where it is possible yes, but not a peace where only one side (meaning us) makes all the personal sacrifices.
Are the Democrats so stupid to believe that once all U.S. troops are pulled out that the Iraqi debacle will come to an end? No! In all likelihood it will be the beginning of a new nightmare, the likes of which few of us (including myself) can comprehend. Just as this article succinctly states, the Americans will end up apologizing to the Iranians for a war that they started in 1979. This is not just Bush's war. This is our war too whether we like it or not.
I have three more links I'd like to share with you that didn't seem to fit the narrative above.
When I say the term 'Witch Doctor', you probably think of some silly, politically incorrect Bugs Bunny cartoon. However, in places like rural India, a witch doctor is a very real and usually one with a great deal of prestige in their local village. Read about Raju and how he forsook his witch doctor ways and chose to serve a living God, Jesus Christ the Messiah.
Is it possible that an off-shore wind farm in the North Atlantic could fill the energy needs of the U.S. Eastern Seaboard and then some? Does Dick Cheney know about this?
I've had this blog in my favorites folder for some time now but never bothered to put it in my OBAS section. Here now is Sand Monkey, an Egyptian blogger with a great sense of humor. As always, the X-Def does not take responsibility for the content of any external sites mentioned here.
Hope that'll do for now. I'll have more up to date stuff later.
Johnny Cash
Sign up now to stratfor.com and get:
1) Free Public Policy Reports
2) Free Terrorism Intelligience Reports and;
3) Free Geopolitical Intelligience Reports
While I'm no longer a premium subscriber to stratfor, I still get these real nifty updates. You can too! Just click on the Stratfor.com link provided in the sidebar, fill out the form, provide stratfor with a valid e-mail address and receive the same cutting-edge information today! I just got this neat Public Policy Report in my Inbox concerning Canada's energy policies and the recent threats made by al-Qaida and how it concerns Canada's unlikely implementation of the Kyoto Protocol. Real interesting stuff. Hope you enjoy it!
Johnny Cash
Canada: The Changing Shape of Energy Politics
By Bart Mongoven
On Feb. 14, the lower house of the Canadian Parliament passed a resolution that calls for Canada to rededicate itself to environmental commitments made under the Kyoto Protocol. On the same day, al Qaeda's branch in Saudi Arabia issued a call for jihadists to attack energy industry assets in Canada because it is a key supplier of oil and natural gas to the United States.
Both events are important -- not because the calls of either Canadian lawmakers or Islamist militants are likely to bear significant fruit (they are not), but because of the way they intersect with public sentiment and policy prospects that are likely to impact the future of the country's energy industry.
Earlier this month, Canada's Conservative government launched into a series of meetings with environmentalists, industry groups and local politicians on issues relating to energy development. The meetings are noteworthy because Prime Minister Stephen Harper -- both in his 2006 election campaign and throughout his political career -- has unwaveringly advocated rapid development of Canada's energy potential. Harper is widely expected to call for a new election before the end of April, and, significantly, his government appears to be considering a different approach to energy development in the run-up to that election. In short, Canada's long-term vision for its energy industry could be changing.
At the same time, the support that Canada provides to the United States on numerous fronts -- most notably, military support in Afghanistan and exports of natural resources for U.S. manufacturing -- is growing increasingly controversial, and moving to the forefront of Canadian political debate. Though exceedingly unlikely to have been purposely timed to coincide with the climate change debate, the al Qaeda threat that surfaced Feb. 14 will only add to the questions and public dissatisfaction over the U.S. relationship.
Taken together, the two events add another layer of complexity to the debate over how freely Canada should send natural resources to its neighbor to the south. This is a debate that is extremely important to the United States, which is looking for ways to reduce its own dependence on energy sources in the Middle East. A new energy plan proposed by President George W. Bush would require not only that Americans become more efficient in their consumption and make greater use of nonoil sources of energy, but also rests on the assumption that Canada would make up for the loss of any oil imports from the Middle East -- as well as for dwindling output from domestic oil sources and Venezuela.
The Politics of Energy
To fully understand the issue in the wider context, it is important first to examine the role that Canada already plays in the U.S. story and perspectives on the growth of the Canadian energy industry.
Currently, Canada supplies more than 21 percent of the United States' crude oil imports, far more than any other country. The 2.1 million barrels per day come primarily from traditional oil fields in the far northern and Rocky Mountain regions. The U.S. Energy Department projects that Canada will increase its total oil production by almost 50 percent in the next four years, and that U.S. imports from Canada will increase in the coming decade. As Washington considers a number of policy options to reduce imports from the Middle East, however, the percentage of U.S. imports from Canada likely will be even higher than the Energy Information Administration estimates.
Though that may be perfectly acceptable from the American viewpoint, it is a problem for the Canadians -- many of whom are coming to perceive their country as a well-stocked cupboard of natural resources that is continually being raided by their neighbor to the south. The notion that Canada is continually exporting its raw material riches to the United States is a dominant theme in Canadian political dialogue: The United States is viewed as a bully and an exploiter.
At the same time, it is difficult to dismiss the fact that Canada has benefited financially from U.S. "exploitation," and that even closer energy ties with the United States could be good for oil companies and certain energy-rich provinces. For example, in a province like Alberta, which has a sparse population and tremendous natural resources, the idea that energy exports to the United States could be further increased leads to visions of becoming something like a North American version of Kuwait.
Alberta, Harper's home province, is an important focal point in Canada's energy debates because it is the province where most of the country's oil sands are located.
Canada long has recognized the significance of these oil-rich sands (sometimes referred to as "tar sands"); but until recently, this resource has been viewed as only a potential source of wealth. The process of deriving oil from the sand is expensive: Oil-laden rocks must be collected and then heated to separate the petroleum from the surrounding minerals. Though the technical costs of the process now are falling, the feasibility of developing large-scale oil-sands projects remains questionable, since they would be unprofitable if global oil prices fall below $50 per barrel. The profitability threshold for oil-sands projects could come down a bit more as Canada builds new gas pipelines and other infrastructure, but compared to most of Canada's traditional drilling -- often profitable at $6 per barrel -- oil sands remain a risky venture.
The Politics of Politics
The Liberal government that was in power during the 1990s promulgated a series of laws designed to reduce the risks of oil-sands development and encourage companies to take the plunge. Among the measures passed was a 1996 tax break -- essentially allowing the rapid depreciation of assets used in tar-sands development -- that encouraged companies to find new ways of approaching the tar sands. It is not clear whether this and other tax breaks and subsidies were key factors that drove interest in the resource, but it can be said that industry has invested heavily during the past 11 years in technologies to exploit the tar sands.
The 1996 tax break is now at the center of a political storm in Canada.
Harper, a Conservative, was brought into office not on the strength of his political ideology, but in a voter backlash over missteps by the previous Liberal government. In order to consolidate his party's hold on power, it is in his interest to move quickly -- while he is still in something of a honeymoon period -- to call new elections, since most have concluded he will. Harper, who is more conservative than the average Canadian, wants to move his party and his government toward the political center -- and rescinding the 1996 tax break is one of the options he is considering to achieve this. The justification for the move is similar to that recently given in the United States by Democrats, who sought to rescind a Clinton-era "royalty relief" package: That oil companies are profiting plenty with global prices at their current levels and do not need additional tax breaks.
The easiest way to expand the Conservative Party's base is to capture votes in the Greater Toronto Area. Therefore, Harper will have to part with many of his more conservative positions, and to some extent sever his Alberta roots, for political gain. Addressing climate change, standing up to the United States and reducing subsidies to oil companies fit well into a strategy designed to capture the political center.
The Politics of Climate Change
The Parliament resolution passed Feb. 14, calling for Canada to meet its Kyoto Protocol obligations on climate change, should be viewed in this context. The resolution also complicates the political problems associated with accelerating oil-sands development.
Many Canadians are convinced by political rhetoric that their country cannot meet the greenhouse gas emission reductions that Canada agreed to in the Kyoto Protocol largely because unrelenting U.S. demand for energy compels Canadian companies to increase oil and natural gas production. That in itself is an energy-intensive undertaking -- and under the North American Free Trade Agreement, Canadians are powerless to put a halt to these energy exports.
The technicalities of extracting oil from tar sands also make for an energy-intensive process, meaning that further development of tar-sands projects would further increase, rather than reduce, Canada's greenhouse gas emissions. With many in the country already upset that Canada is not expected to meet its Kyoto commitments, efforts to develop tar sands as an oil resource are viewed as a way of guaranteeing the country's Kyoto failure.
The Politics of Terrorism
Even if there were not strong domestic arguments against the oil-sands development, underlying sentiments about Canada's trade relations with the United States should not be dismissed or understated. The Canadian public senses that the United States uses Canada as a colony to supply its demand for raw materials and energy, and the tar sands would be just another example. Because NAFTA makes it impossible for Canada to prevent companies from exporting raw materials freely across the border, and because it consigns Canada to supply natural gas to the United States in perpetuity, many Canadians have come to view the trade agreement as a strategic blunder that reduced Canada to the status of a natural resources vassal to the American overlord.
And with the call issued by al Qaeda on Feb. 14 for attacks in Canada -- specifically citing its energy relations with the United States -- there likely will be a growing sense that Canadians have accepted vassal status at risk to their own life and limb.
It does not automatically follow that jihadists, having issued the threat, would be able to carry out a meaningful strike against Canada's energy industry. Al Qaeda has used Canada as a base for operations in the past, but at this time the militant presence in Canada appears to be more of the "grassroots" variety than the well-trained or battle-hardened type. That means that any attacks mounted in response to al Qaeda's call would be more likely to involve "soft" targets -- or relatively unprotected assets -- rather than "hardened" facilities that are critical to core operations. Nevertheless, the threat itself (or an actual casualty-producing attack against the public on Canadian soil) has the potential to damage U.S.-Canadian relations. If al Qaeda's goal is to weaken the United States economically, threats against one of its key energy suppliers -- issued in a way or at a time that dovetails with existing public sentiment -- certainly could have an effect.
In short, none of these issues can be considered in a vacuum. The United States has come to view increased oil production from Canada as a significant piece of any strategy designed to promote "energy independence." Meanwhile, pressure is building within Canada to slow the pace and scope of the energy industry's growth, particularly as it relates to oil sands. For the Canadians, questions about energy development place the country's relationship with the United States front and center in the political spotlight. And for the Americans, the stakes are just as high: The Canadian debate casts a shadow of uncertainty over U.S. options for reducing reliance on Middle Eastern oil supplies.
No, this is not the entrance to Hell though it sure could pass for it. Actually, this picture (from livescience.com) was taken in Hawaii. Take a look at the creepy 'face' to the right of the entrance. I just thought it was a cool picture so that's why I'm posting it here.
Now that I've got your attention, here's two picture galleries from livescience.com, the first is top ten weather phenomena and another is a top ten list of how weather altered human history.
So let me ask you a question: If Efraim Halevy, the former head of Israel's intelligience service told you that WW III was already underway would you believe him? This is not some amateur hack we're talking about here. When anti-semitism rears it's ugly head you know that's a precursor to war. That's a simple fact if you take a look at your history.
May I make a confession here? Back in the day when I was a university student, I became 'caught up' in the whole radical leftist movement. Looking back I've no regrets or apologies but it certainly was an education for me in more ways than one. I'm glad I went through it actually. However it appears to me that the left are for the most part absolutely clueless, even to the point of relishing America's defeat. Do they realize what will happen to the Sunni-Shia civil war should Congress bring all of its fortunate sons (and some daughters too) home? What we are seeing now is a cakewalk compared to what will happen should U.S. forces depart prematurely. Don't think for a second that the Saudis are going to idly sit by while the minority Iraqi Sunnis are being massacred wholesale by various Shiite militias. Nor will the Iranians twiddle their thumbs should Saudi forces cross into Iraqi sovereign territory. Americans are fed up with this war not because they are committed pacifists, but because of the lack of visible progress and the disposition of the Iraqi 'security forces' who are either indifferent, corrupt, incompetent or who are collaborating (sometimes openly) with America's sworn enemies. Do these lefties even grasp this? No, of course not. Which is why I left the Left, never to return.
In Canadian news, authorities are shocked, shocked (!) that nice Canadian Muslims are being radicalized by the supposed 'Religion of Peace'. Wow. Did I mention the word clueless previously? Read the Koran, Hadith, Sira and Sunna and buy a clue why don'cha? Go to jihadwatch.org or memri.org. Or you can just sign up for the RSS feed for this blog and get it all. Not that I'm into self-promotion or anything like that. While you're doing that, please pray for the safety of 1st Canadian Field Hospital and 3PPCLI who are headed to Afghanistan just in time for spring and renewed Taliban offensives.
To close, listen to Ann Coulter roar about Hillary's presidential ambitions, see a photo gallery of a Gospel for Asia missionary at work in India, and why in God's name are the Israelis seriously considering handing over control of Judea and Samaria to the EU?
Two things and then we're done. I've added a new section called 'New World Order'. In the NWO section I've added the Bilderberg site and Kofi Annan's 'Alliance of Civilizations', a wretched site if there ever was one. I've also got some personal news to share. I'm bloody well moving again! The new place is a ten-minute commute to work as opposed to the 45-minute one I've been doing for the past seven years or so. As a result, I don't know how long the X-Def will be down while me and my roomies figure out how to get connected to the world wide web. I'm moving this Saturday and as soon as I'm able I'll knock off a quickie post to let my vast readership (Vast? Who am I kidding?) know that I'm back. Will try to get another post off before Friday but don't worry if I go offline for a short while. You can always go through the archives or better yet, actually take a look at some of the links I've generously provided. All Johnny Cash approved of course.
Johnny Cash
Who says its two minutes closer to midnight? According to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists we are indeed that close (now at five minutes to midnight). It is feared that even a few small atomic weapons being used in a war would have disasterous consequences on the global climate far away from the battlefield. Keep in mind that this 'clock' moves both backwards and forwards as the graph below shows.
What is it with this 'wrath of God' type weather that is happening around the world today? Violent storms in Europe has left 47 dead with recorded gusts of over 200 km/hr! Lithuania's stormy coast from the Beeb's picture gallery is shown here.
It's not just in Europe either. In Malaysia, 23 year-old Chai Ming Hui was struck by lightning just as she was answering her cell phone. Chai died as a result of the burns she suffered from the lightning strike. Also, as a result of massive drought in Australia, many poisonous snakes such as the Eastern Brown are making their way to urban areas in search of water. Some Aussies have already been bit and have died as a result. Crikey!
The End Is Nigh Dep't: Probably one of the surest signs of the apocalypse is Hillary Rodham Clinton announcing her bid for the presidency. I think if Hillary secures the Democratic nomination the Dems will get slaughtered by the American voters. Not that any of the GOP nominees look like a winner with the possible exception of Tom Tancredo.
I called this post 'Two Minutes Closer To Midnight' but I could've just as easily called it Wars and Rumors of Wars. As the U.S.-Iran showdown looms, it appears that plans for an outright invasion of Iran and not just mere strategic airstrikes is being seriously considered.
The Chinese, not content with being a Far East economic powerhouse, are looking to claim space as their final frontier as well. An aging Chinese weather satellite was destroyed recently with a ballistic missile. The 'shot across the bow' to the Americans is obvious. However, any attempt by the Chinese to start picking off American assets in space will invite massive retaliation, a certainty that the Chinese know all too well.
Are our 'allies' the Turks scheming to invade the Kurdish north of Iraq as well? Should Kurdish forces weaken and the Americans commit that just might happen. The oil fields in Iraq's north are an inviting trophy to be sure. What does all this prove to us? That oil and Islam simply don't mix.
Three more articles to close out this fairly large post.
Assyrian Christians have had it tough in Iraq, no question about it. They have suffered for their faith a great deal but it appears now that the end game is in sight. What a sad story. As the bride of Christ grows in places like China and India, the church appears to be dying a slow death in the Middle East, the very birthplace of Christianity.
Speaking of Turkey, Armenian journalist Hrant Dink has been assassinated by a teenaged Ogun Samast. Mr. Dink (Yes, that's his real name. Stop giggling.) was reporting on the Armenian genocide that occured many years ago at the hands of the Turks, considered an 'offence to Turkiness' in so-called securalist Turkey.
Lastly, here's a fun quiz from Christian Science Monitor called 'Shiite or Sunni?'. Eight well-known leaders in the Islamic world are shown and you guess which one. Not to brag but I got seven out of eight. So there.
Johnny Cash
I just got an e-mail from my English friend dizzyfatplonka over the nature of the French in Canada. To someone who is unfamiliar with this country of ours, the French-English divide is most perplexing. Think of it as a dysfunctional marriage where you have a couple that mostly bicker and fight and yet the thought of divorce terrifies them. That's how it is with the francophonie in our midst. Truth of the matter is that I love this messed up country, even one that includes Quebec. However, my point is with them is that they share this sort of very snobbish European attitude towards the global jihad. It's like, "This is Bush's and Harper's problem. Why should we fight their war?". To say that this is terribly short-sighted is a massive understatement. To believe this, we would have to think that everything was OK prior to Bush assuming the presidency in 2000 and before 9/11. No, everything was not OK! I agree that perhaps singling out the French is probably unfair on my part. There are many of us who wish to join the surrender and appeasement chorus, including anglophones. But when Mr. Duceppe tries to tell his people that they can separate from Canada without cost or opt out of the global jihad being waged against us, I tend to get a wee bit upset. I realize also that there are many others who are being terribly flippant about this, a sort of laissez-faire attitude that we can manage this war, that simply muddling through will be enough. I dare say it will not. There can be no surrender. There is nothing that we can do that will ever placate the enemy to his perfect satisfaction. And it's up to us, francophone and anglophone to stand shoulder to shoulder in this country if we wish to defeat the likes of al-Qaida. Anything less than victory will not do!
Hope that sort of answers your question DFP. Always glad to be of help!
Anyways, there's lots of Canadiana here for you. Let me congratulate Stephen Harper for being voted Canada's top news maker for 2006. Last January, the Harper Conservatives went from being the opposition to forming the next Parliament, albeit in a minority role. The real test, I believe, will come early in 2007 as Canadians trudge (heads lowered, shoulders hunched) to the polls once more. As it stands right now, the Liberals and the Conservatives are fairly even. What's interesting is that they both have popularity numbers below the 40% threshhold. Should any party show forty percent (or more) support nationally, then it is likely that they will be the ones forming the next majority government.
This country I believe does want someone who has a vision and an idea of what Canada should be both domestically and abroad. Mr. Harper should put the focus away from mere grubby tactics and show that the Conservaties have a clear long-term strategy to defeat Islamic extremism. Take the Bloc for instance. Mr. Duceppe is now saying we should just try to reconstruct Afghanistan without any thought towards security. Huh? By telling Canadians that we are denying the Taliban sanctuary and taking the fight to the enemy is how you help in reconstructing a country! We can argue tactics all day long but the Conservatives must keep strategy first and foremost. If Mr. Harper chooses the high road, he just might come out with a majority. If he tries to win a mud-slinging contest or gets bogged down in the details he will fare badly. Already 2007 is looking more and more interesting. I cannot wait!
Let's look at some international news that has piqued my interest recently.
Money, Money, Money!
I've reported on both these before but I would like to update you on them as I believe it is of incredible prophetic importance. Basically put, Europe's fortunes are waxing while America's financial role is waning. The New York Stock Exchange and Euronext NV are rapidly coming together as a trans-atlantic stock exchange. This was unthinkable a mere ten years ago! There are a few factors which I believe are the reasons God is removing his protective hand over America. The 9/11 attacks and the subsequent funding for the war in Iraq has really put a dint in America's economy. Tourism has suffered as more and more (mostly silly and ineffective) rules have come into play when getting on an airplane. Any Muslim with a full beard and a prayer cap now gets looked at cross-eyed by everybody. I also think that America's spending under the Bush regime is spiralling out of control. Drunken sailors on shore leave have more restraint than what Congress is laying out. There is also a moral element to this as more Americans are leaving their Christian heritage and adopting a more materialistic worldview. Not cool with the Big Guy Upstairs if you know what I mean.
Here's another thing about the Iraqi war that I think most people missed. As I have stated before, the real reason why Bush went ahead with the cynically named 'Operation Enduring Freedom' had little to do with Saddam's notional nukes he was supposed to have. Nor was it over human rights, even though Saddam and his sons were indeed bona-fide monsters. No, the real reason was that Saddam wanted to sell his oil in euros rather than U.S. dollars, a direct challenge to the Bretton Woods system. Remember, this is the reason why the U.S. Congress can rack up huge deficits. So long as the world is forced to do business with America to get its dollars to buy oil, the sky's the limit. Now it appears that the Iranians are taking their cue from their one-time mortal enemy and doing the same. The big difference is that the Iranians are in a much stronger position than Iraq should America take military action against them. Should other oil-exporting countries follow en masse the result will be a financial apocalypse for North American markets. And just who is America's biggest trading partner? Why, Canada of course!
Ah Christmas! Chestnuts roasting on a open fire. Singing carols out of tune. Donning we now our gay apparel! And you certainly can't have Christmas without some Islamic yob threatening jihad against those who like to celebrate the season. Bunch of Grinches!
I came across this interesting article from Der Spiegel. Basically any kind of nuke exchange in the ME (or elsewhere) would have disasterous climatic consequences far away from the battlefield. A must read.
Johnny Cash
