"A prudent man forseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished."   Proverbs 22:3 and Proverbs 27:12  KJV   Word study on this verse

New Mexico: Christian Photographer Hauled before Commission for Refusing Same-Sex Job lifesite.net 1/31/8 ["The case of a Christian photographer who refused to photograph a same-sex "commitment ceremony", was heard before the New Mexico Human Rights Division on Monday.  ...There are 20 states that have these laws where they ban sexual orientation discrimination. Most of the major cities in the United States also have these kinds of ordinances. So these are a big threat, as the federal government debates whether to make this a blanket nationwide law."]
House Approves Economic Recovery Plan ap.google.com 1/31/8 ["Congressional leaders are aiming to send the measure to Bush by Feb. 15. But the divergent plans — and bids by Senate Democrats and Republicans to swell the package with more add-ons — could drag out that schedule."]
Gold rises toward record high after Fed rate cut guardian.co.uk 1/31/8 [" Lower physical buying by India due to record prices has also taken a toll on market sentiment, but dealers contended that other factors, such as investment demand and the dollar, were more important now in driving the yellow metal.  "Right now, in my opinion, jewelry demand is not the primary force behind the rise in the metal. I think it's basically central bank buying from Asia and the Middle East countries in a move to dump the dollar. Ultimately I think the dollar is the major factor," Greenberg said."]
The U.N.'s Human-Rights Sham wsj.com 1/31/8 ["The problems begin with the council's composition. Only 25 of its 47 members are classified as "free democracies," according to Freedom House's ranking of civil liberties. Nine are classified as "not free." Four -- China, Cuba, Russia and Saudi Arabia -- are ranked as the "worst of the worst." These nations are responsible for repeated violations of the U.N.'s own Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Yet it is they who dominate the council, leading a powerful bloc of predominantly Arab and African nations that consistently vote as a unit."]
 

Half of gold in central banks gone? worldnetdaily.com 1/30/8 ["GATA, claims the Federal Reserve and the U.S. Treasury are surreptitiously manipulating the country's gold reserves by participating in undisclosed leases, according to an advance copy WND obtained of the ad running in Thursday's edition of the Journal.  ...GATA has decided to pay the Wall Street Journal $264,000 for a one-time placement of the full page ad in the national edition because the financial press has not covered the story."]

Planned Parenthood Tries to Get U.S. Pro-Life Ads Booted From Radio Stations lifesite.net 1/29/8 ["Planned Parenthood's Golden Gate chapter (PPGG) is trying to have pro-life radio spots by the USCCB removed, claiming that they spread "lies" and "gross inaccuracies" about abortion."]
New Home Sales Took Record Fall in 2007 ap.google.com 1/29/8 ["The Commerce Department reported Monday that sales of new homes dropped by 26.4 percent last year to 774,000. That marked the biggest decline on record, surpassing the old mark of a 23.1 percent plunge in 1980."]
Rick Warren & Brian McLaren at DAVOS crossroad.to 1/29/8 [" Two evangelical leaders, Rick Warren and Brian McLaren, who recently signed the common faith agreement Loving God and Neighbor Together, which called for Christian and Islamic leaders to work together, showed up in Davos, Switzerland, this week at the World Economic Forum.  This is quite significant. Davos featured a "West-Islamic World Dialogue" with a "Council of 100 Leaders (C-100) Promoting dialogue and cooperation between the Western and Islamic worlds.""]
Bush: "No Doubt" The Surge Is Working cbsnews.com 1/29/8 ["Mr. Bush proposed a $300 million "grants for kids" program to help poor children in struggling public schools pay for the cost of attending a private school or a better public school outside their district."]
Bush to commit $2 billion to climate change fund uk.reuters.com 1/29/8 [""Let us create a new international clean technology fund, which will help developing nations like India and China make greater use of clean energy sources," Bush said in excerpts of his speech released by the White House."]
Prince Charles beamed all the way to Dubai telegraph.co.uk 1/29/8 ["A life-size, three-dimensional image of the Prince was projected onto the stage of the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates."]
Can A Pagan Practice Be "Christianized?" newswithviews.com 1/29/8 [By Marsha West  "Caryl Matrisciana, who gives the reason God forbids His people to partake in pagan practices. She says, "While the word 'Yoga' isn't mentioned in the Bible, the idea of 'yoking' oneself to pagan gods and concepts is forbidden as is adulating self's desire above God's will."  Christians will argue that they only do the stretching and relaxation exercises. And since they don't embrace all that "divinity within" stuff Hindu's believe in, what's all the fuss about? They simply cannot wrap their minds around the idea that yoga cannot be separated from its Hindu roots. "]
 

An Overview On The Polio Vaccine newswithviews.com 1/28/8 [By Mary Tocco  "Small pox is often referred to as the “great success story” and yet the vaccine had very little to do with eradication. Only 10% of the world’s population received the vaccine. In a June 19-20, 2002 meeting in Atlanta Georgia after 911 when the government was debating to bring back the small pox vaccine, the Advisory Committee on Immunizations Practice said, “Small pox would have died out on its own due to improved sanitation, improved water supply and improved nutrition.”"]
New Zealand: Children to be vetted for antisocial acts nzherald.co.nz 1/28/8 ["Children as young as 3 are to be screened for signs of antisocial behaviour which could identify whether they are likely to become future criminals.  Youngsters aged between 3 and 7 will be vetted under a new Government initiative which also proposes training courses for both parents and teachers of up to 5 per cent of the 57,000 5-year-olds who start school each year - up to 3000 children a year."]
The black box economy boston.com 1/28/8 ["Despite the anxiety, nobody is stockpiling canned goods just yet. The prevailing assumption in today's economy is that recessions and bear markets come and go, and that things will work out in the end, much as they have since the Great Depression. That's because there's a collective confidence that the market is strong enough to correct itself, and that experts in charge of the financial system will understand how to mount a vigorous defense."]
Ford trims losses, plans more job cuts chicagotribune.com 1/28/8 ["As it reported a narrower net loss for 2007, Ford Motor Co. announced deeper cuts Thursday, saying it would offer buyouts and retirement incentives to all of its 54,000 hourly U.S. workers."]
 

The Four G's newswithviews.com 1/27/8 [By Joe American  "A devastating, economic day of reckoning is coming soon, because of irresponsible Federal borrowing and spending and Federal Reserve currency and credit manipulations. The resulting collapse in the value of the U.S. Dollar will cause everything from food and fuel to ammunition and firearms to become increasingly scarce and very expensive.  The majority of people will be unprepared for what is coming and they will become very frightened by what they see happening. Frightened people are prone to panic. Panic causes violence. Violence will be the excuse used to declare Martial Law. Martial Law equals dictatorship. Dictatorship will be the Death of Freedom. "]
Chavez: Pull Reserves From US ap.google.com 1/27/8 ["Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez urged his Latin American allies on Saturday to begin withdrawing billions of dollars in international reserves from U.S. banks, warning of a looming U.S. economic crisis."]
The great fiscal stimulus package ... of 1929 marketwatch.com 1/27/8 [" Also on the table was an assurance from the Federal Reserve that it would provide cheaper credit. Granted, the Fed had much less power over the money supply in those days, mainly because the amount of liquidity it could create was limited by the supply of gold it held to back the dollar.  Of course, there were a litany of public-works projects, plans for new corporate investments, and even a promise by Henry Ford to raise wages at his auto plants.
None of this worked."]
Hypothetical attack on U.S. outlined by China airforcetimes.com 1/27/8 ["China’s experts concede its army would lose a head-on fight, with one senior colonel comparing such a scenario to “throwing an egg against a rock.” Instead, the Chinese would attempt what Rand calls an “anti-access” strategy: slowing the deployment of U.S. forces to the Pacific theater, damaging operations within the region and forcing the U.S. to fight from a distance."]
EU officials warn against overreacting to market crisis: reports afp.google.com 1/27/8 ["described the extent of market turbulence as "unfortunately, not surprising," predicting 400 billion dollars (272.6 billion euros) in losses over the coming months.  "It will bring clarity and transparency, which the markets need," he added, urging the EU to improve its instruments of market control."]
Pakistani President, in Britain, Rejects US Offer of Troops voanews.com 1/27/8 ["President Musharraf quickly rejected any notion that his government would accept an offer from Washington to send U.S. combat troops into parts of Pakistan to help fight extremists.  "They [the Americans] have their hands full in Afghanistan, they need more force in Afghanistan," said President Musharraf. "I can't imagine their coming to Pakistan. They will dilute in Afghanistan so please handle Afghanistan first of all.""]
South Africa Announces Electricity Rationing; Gold Mining Companies Suspend Operations voanews.com 1/27/8 ["Also on Friday, South Africa's major gold mining companies suspended operations over safety concerns after the state-owned power company, Eskom, advised it could not guarantee electrical power at the mines. The world's largest platinum mine also suspended operations. The price of gold and platinum on world markets reached record highs."]
Senate Set to Re-Up Bush Warrantless Spying Powers in U.S. wired.com 1/27/8 ["The Senate is set to revisit the legislation permanently granting the government's spies a free hand to unilaterally wiretap American telecom facilities and services and give immunity to the government's corporate partners in its warrantless wiretapping program, as Senate leaders and President Bush hope to push the measure through a typically slow legislative process by February 1.  That's the day that the controversial Protect America Act expires, leaving the nation's spooks without a tool to order new wiretaps on American soil without actually getting a court order from a special court."]
 

Building Costs Deal Blow to Local Budgets nytimes.com 1/26/8 ["The problems have come as many governments pursue ambitious projects to improve roads and airports, build schools and upgrade long-neglected water and sewer systems. Many of the projects were conceived when money from property, sales and income taxes was steady and interest rates low, but officials say the ground has shifted beneath their feet."]
New world, New ways, New minds, New gods crossroad.to 1/26/8 [By Berit Kjos  "Churches seem just as eager to ban offensive truths. Many have adopted new social rules that suggest hiding the "offense of the cross" and denying God's call for Biblical separation! The true Gospel is simply too "divisive!""]
India worst bird flu outbreak spreads afp.google.com 1/26/8 ["Officials at entry points to Kolkata were disinfecting cars and other vehicles entering the city.  India has not had any human cases of bird flu. But Rahaman said he feared the disease would spread to humans with hundreds of people reporting flu symptoms and children "playing with chickens.""]
US slides into dangerous 1930s 'liquidity trap' telegraph.co.uk 1/26/8 [""People have been drawing home equity out of the houses at a rate of $700bn or $800bn a year. It's been a huge boost to consumption, but that game is now up. House prices are going to continue falling, and lower rates won't stop that this point," he said."]
Banks may need $143 billion in fresh capital marketwatch.com 1/26/8 ["Downgrades also cut the value of the guarantees bond insurers have sold. Some banks have hedged complex mortgage-related securities known as collateralized debt obligations, or CDOs, by buying these monoline guarantees. That means more write-downs could come if bond insurers are downgraded."]
Banks may need another 143 bln dollars to deal with downgrades: study afp.google.com 1/26/8 ["Major world banks might need to raise a further 143 billion dollars in capital to confront the impact of ratings downgrades to bond insurers, a study by Barclays Capital warned Friday."]
Jamaica Parliament Creates Group to Examine Legalizing Abortion There lifenews.com 1/26/8 ["The move comes after a government report indicated the Caribbean nation should overturn its laws prohibiting abortions.  Doing so would have Jamaica join Cuba as the only other island nation in the western hemisphere to have legalized abortion."]
 

Five million more unemployed feared [globally] in 2008: ILO afp.google.com 1/24/8 ["But the organisation's employment director Jose Salazar-Xirinachs conceded that these forecasts will have to be further revised after recent market turmoil wiped billions of dollars off stock exchanges, further stoking fears of a global recession."]
NY regulator asks banks to rescue bond insurers reuters.com 1/24/8 ["U.S. stocks soared on news of the discussions, which could prevent investors from being forced to sell billions of dollars of bonds the insurers had covered.  Discussions between banks and the New York State Insurance Department are in early stages, and may not create a concrete plan."]
When The Stock Market Crashes newswithviews.com 1/24/8 [By Paul Proctor  "When the stock market crashes, we won't care anymore about the power of positive thinking - the prayer of Jabez - a purpose driven life - global peace plans - the Aids epidemic - third world debt - seeker-sensitivity or which prosperity preacher is currently under investigation."]
One World, One Money crossroad.to 1/24/8 [By Carl Teichrib  "All of this brings up an interesting question: Does the world need a global central bank? If you want a single world currency, it requires an international banking structure armed with a monetary policy on a planetary scale. Essentially, the requirement for a single global currency is a bank that has power over all countries, kindred, and tongues. Former Canadian Member of Parliament, Paul Hellyer, criticized this development in 1994, saying that under such a global currency/banking system “the interests of citizens, of individual countries must be subordinate…to the interests of international finance.” "]
Hundreds of thousands cross into Egypt from Gaza ynetnews.com 1/24/8 ["They had been protesting a months-long Israeli blockade of the impoverished territory that was tightened on Thursday and only partially lifted on Tuesday, with some fuel shipments being allowed in for the first time in four days."  Editor: A poignant reminder that situations of food or fuel scarcity create various tensions, and also ones that those of ill-repute will take advantage of.  Be prudent and prepare.]
Grant: The ‘Historical Anomaly’ of the Dollar cfr.org 1/24/8 ["What if the international currency of the future isn’t the dollar, but isn’t the euro either? James D. Grant, the editor of Grant’s Interest Rate Observer and an expert on financial markets, discusses the “historical anomaly” of currencies like the dollar and the euro as uncollateralized international reserve currencies—that is, ones that aren’t backed by a guarantee that they can be exchanged for something else, such as gold or silver."]
Israel Eyes Thinking Machines to Fight 'Doomsday' Missile Strikes wired.com 1/24/8 ["Israeli military leaders have begun early planning for a new, robotic defense system, armed with enough artificial intelligence that it "could take over completely" from flesh-and-blood operators. "It will be designed for... autonomous operations,' Brig. Gen. Daniel Milo, commander of Israel's air defense forces, tells Defense News' Barbara Opall-Rome. And in the event of a "doomsday" strike, Opall-Rome notes, the system could handle "attacks that exceed physiological limits of human command.""  Editor:  Whenever they announce such things, chances are they already have the technological capabilities.  Most modern militaries possess technology 10-20 years more advanced than the civilian realm knows about.]
UK:  Honeybees may be wiped out in 10 years telegraph.co.uk 1/24/8 ["Last year, more than 11 per cent of all beehives inspected were wiped out, although losses were higher in some areas.  In London, about 4,000 hives - two-thirds of the bee colonies in the capital - were estimated to have died over last winter. Of the eight colonies inspected so far this year, all have been wiped out. "]
Al Gore Speaks Out In Favor Of Same-Sex Marriage allheadlinenews.com 1/24/8 ["Former Vice President and Nobel laureate Al Gore was shown making a speech in support of gay marriage. A week-old video of him openly announcing his endorsement was posted on his website Current TV. The video was titled, "Gay men and women should have the same rights.""]
 

UN Security Council to hold emergency meeting on Gaza ynetnews.com 1/23/8 ["The 15-member body was to meet at 10 am (1500 GMT) at the request of Arab UN ambassadors and the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference."]
Stunning jump in foreclosures sfgate.com 1/23/8 ["Foreclosures and default notices skyrocketed to record peaks in California and the Bay Area in the fourth quarter of 2007  ...a dramatic 421.2 percent increase from 6,078 in the year-ago quarter.   In the Bay Area, foreclosures rose an equally stunning 482.5 percent to 4,573 in the fourth quarter"]
On the cusp of economic history iht.com 1/23/8 ["Among the chieftains of politics and industry gathering in Davos for the World Economic Forum on Wednesday, a consensus appears to be building that the capitalist system is in for one of those rare and tempestuous mutations that give rise to a new set of economic policies."]
New Massachusetts Law Creates 35-Foot Buffer Zone Around Abortion Mills lifesite.net 1/23/8 [""Pro-life advocates shouldn't be penalized for expressing their beliefs," said ADF-allied attorney and lead counsel Michael DePrimo. "The buffer law is breathtaking in its scope. It obviously was designed and intended to squelch pro-life speech, but it prohibits much more, such as labor picketing and charitable solicitations. The First Amendment simply does not permit such outlandish restrictions on peaceful speech.""]
The next banking crisis on the way moneycentral.msn.com 1/23/8 ["Write-downs for high-risk, high-yield corporate debt, known as 'junk,' could dwarf losses in the mortgage mess. And that's when this financial crisis will finally hit bottom."]
Nato 'must prepare to launch nuclear attack' telegraph.co.uk 1/23/8 [" The authors of the blueprint for reforming Nato are understood to include Lord Peter Inge, the former British chief of the defence staff and US General John Shalikashvili, the former Nato commander in Europe and chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff.  "The risk of further proliferation is imminent and, with it, the danger that nuclear war fighting, albeit limited in scope, might become possible," the report said.  "The first use of nuclear weapons must remain in the quiver of escalation as the ultimate instrument to prevent the use of weapons of mass destruction.""]
Study: False statements preceded war kansascity.com 1/23/8 ["The study counted 935 false statements in the two-year period. It found that in speeches, briefings, interviews and other venues, Bush and administration officials stated unequivocally on at least 532 occasions that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction or was trying to produce or obtain them or had links to al-Qaida or both."]
 

'Roe vs Wade' legalized abortion in US 35 years ago afp.google.com 1/22/8 [""My lawyers did not tell me that I would later come to deeply regret that I was partially responsible for killing 40-50 million human beings," said McCorvey..."]

Why Would God Judge America? 1/22/8 [By Daniel Valles, Editor]
West Coast Walk for Life Sees Record 25,000 Pro-Life People Participate lifenews.com 1/22/8 ["Walkers paraded down thee streets of San Francisco after hearing from Alveda King, the niece of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Gianna Jessen, a woman who survived an abortion, at a pre-walk rally."]
Stock market bleeds, panic selling news.com.au 1/22/8 ["Australian shares have taken a battering today with the benchmark index down 5 per cent by midday after European share markets plunged overnight on fears of a US recession with investors bracing for a global stock-market crash.  ...For retirees, their savings are shrinking as superannuation funds post huge losses, with yesterday's share market plunge wiping more than $40 billion from personal investors and superannuation funds."]
Panic sparks plunge in global markets ft.com 1/22/8 ["Tumbling Asian shares – which continued to fall early on Tuesday – led European stock markets into their biggest one-day fall since 9/11 as the prospect of a US recession and further fall-out from credit market turmoil prompted near panic among investors, who rushed to the safety of government bonds.  About $490bn was wiped off the market value of Europe’s FTSE Eurofirst 300 index and $148bn from the FTSE 100 index in London, which suffered its biggest points slide since it was formed in 1983."]
UN transformation proposed to create 'new world order' news.independent.co.uk 1/22/8 ["Gordon Brown has begun secret talks with other world leaders on far-reaching reform of the United Nations Security Council as part of a drive to create a "new world order" and "global society".  ...He will call for the World Bank to lead the fight against climate change as well as poverty in the developing world, and argue that the International Monetary Fund should prevent crises like the credit crunch rather than just resolve them."]
Control The Food - Control The Population newswithviews.com 1/22/8 [By Doreen Hannes  "...the National Animal Identification System, and a whole lot of information on the Bioterrorism Act of 2002, which is basically NAIS for food and feed up to the final consumer. Incidentally, the Bioterrorism Act passed as part of the 2002 Farm Bill, which included the Animal Health Protection Act (the USDA claims AHPA as their authorizing legislation for NAIS) introduced by none other than current Ag Chair Senator Harkin of Iowa. This same man has now introduced the first probable statutory reference to NAIS in the 2007 Farm Bill. Is this a coincidence? Not likely."]
Chavez threatens to take control of Venezuelan banks that fail to finance agriculture thestaronline.com 1/22/8 ["The Venezuelan leader's warnings come amid fluctuating food shortages and rising inflation, which reached 22.5 percent in 2007 _ the highest official rate in Latin America. Chavez's critics blame the shortages on government-imposed price controls, which were established in 2003 as a means of fighting rising consumer prices. "]
Republicans: FISA authority in Constitution washingtontimes.com 1/22/8 ["Authority to conduct warrantless electronic surveillance comes from the Constitution and is vital to stopping foreign terrorist attacks and spies, says a Republican staff assessment of the revised Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act."]
Foreigners buy stakes in U.S. at record pace iht.com 1/22/8 ["Last year, foreign investors poured a record $414 billion into securing stakes in U.S. companies, factories and other properties through private deals and purchases of publicly traded stock, according to Thomson Financial, a research firm.  That was up 90 percent from the previous year and more than double the average for the last decade. It amounted to more than one-fourth of all announced deals for the year, Thomson said."]
Va. Tech Families Protest State Gun Law ap.google.com 1/22/8 ["Gov. Timothy M. Kaine has since signed an executive order requiring that anyone ordered by a court to get mental health treatment be added to a state police database of people barred from buying guns."]
 

Power Outages in Zambia, Zimbabwe google.com 1/21/8 ["Nationwide power outages shut down basic services across Zambia and Zimbabwe as anger mounted in South Africa over power cuts that have wreaked havoc in the continent's economic hub.  ...Power and water outages have worsened in Zimbabwe dramatically in recent weeks. The Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority said earlier this month it had no hard currency for imported spare parts to repair equipment dating back up to 40 years."]
Security sources: Gaza's power shortage worse than expected haaretz.com 1/21/8 ["Hamas spokesmen blamed Israel for the power shortage following the closure of the border crossings through which fuel for the power plant is brought into Gaza, but Israel said it is providing 75 percent of Gaza's electricity and Egypt is providing another 5 percent."]
7-year plan aligns U.S. with Europe's economy worldnetdaily.com 1/21/8 ["The plan – currently being implemented by the Bush administration with the formation of the Transatlantic Economic Council in April 2007 – appears to be following a plan written in 1939 by a world-government advocate who sought to create a Transatlantic Union as an international governing body.  An economist from the World Bank has argued in print that the formation of the Transatlantic Common Market is designed to follow the blueprint of Jean Monnet, a key intellectual architect of the European Union, recognizing that economic integration must inevitably lead to political integration."]
Leaders head for Davos as chilly winds whip world economy afp.google.com 1/21/8 ["The official theme of the meeting, The Power of Collaborative Innovation, appears intentionally vague."]
Dow plunges 307 points, off more than 1,000 in '08 usatoday.com 1/21/8 ["The financial pain that was first felt by homeowners who couldn't make their mortgage payments, and later spread to banks burned by bad home loans, has now engulfed stock investors.  It's not just stocks tied to the real estate bust, such as banks and home builders, that are going down. Virtually all stocks are suffering big declines."]
National firearms ban 'reasonable'? worldnetdaily.com 1/21/8 ["A Second Amendment advocacy organization is asking the Bush administration to withdraw a legal brief that leaders fear could be used to support "any gun ban – no matter how sweeping," as long as some court somewhere determines it is "reasonable.""]
Chavez Raises Milk Prices, Threatens to Seize Dairies bloomberg.com 1/21/8 ["The government has said it is working to eliminate milk shortages to lower Venezuela's inflation rate, currently the highest in Latin America. Chavez didn't address the impact that a jump in milk prices will have on inflation."]
 

Did Jesus Follow Romans 13? newswithviews.com 1/20/8 [By Coach Dave Daubenmire  "Jesus understood what we no longer comprehend, that there is a higher authority than man. There is a higher law than man-made law. There is a “greater-good” not just a “lesser of two evils.” I ask again, did Jesus violate Romans 13?  Isn’t it ironic that when the Sanhedrin wanted to kill God they turned to the law of man, and that today when we want to avoid the accountability of the law of God we too hide behind the law of man? "]
Bush Pushes $150B Economic Aid Package ap.google.com 1/20/8 ["On Friday, Bush said any plan, to be effective, would need to represent roughly 1 percent of the gross domestic product, or about $140 billion to $150 billion."]
Doubts Over Deal Hit Countrywide Shares online.wsj.com 1/20/8 ["Stocks in takeover deals regularly trade below the offer price because of the risks that plans could fall through. The gap, known as the arbitrage spread, is wider than usual in this case, though."]
US video game sales soar to record 17.9 billion dollars afp.google.com 1/20/8 ["US sales of video game consoles, software and accessories rose "an astounding" 43 percent, with each category reaching a new "personal best," NPD reported.  Nintendo DS handheld game devices and Wii consoles were the top hardware sellers, ranking first and second respectively. The Japanese company's gadgets accounted for 52 percent of the video game devices sold in the United States."]
Disaster Plan Is Set for Release washingtonpost.com 1/20/8 ["Another post-Katrina change eliminates a requirement that the homeland security secretary must declare an Incident of National Significance to trigger a more aggressive response -- a step that was delayed during the 2005 storm -- and instead spells out different standing plans for dealing with natural catastrophes and national security crises, the FEMA official said."]
Russia warns of nuclear defence news.bbc.co.uk 1/20/8 ["Russia's military chief of staff has said Moscow is ready to use force, including pre-emptively and with nuclear weapons, to defend itself.  Gen Yuri Baluyevsky said Russia had no plans to attack anyone, but it was important that other countries clearly understood its leaders' resolve. "]
 

The other oil shock: Vegetable oil prices soar iht.com 1/19/8 ["The Food and Agriculture Organization, an agency of the United Nations, reported that its index of export prices for 60 internationally traded foodstuffs climbed 37 percent last year. That was on top of a 14 percent increase in 2006, and the trend has accelerated in the past few weeks."]
Banned From Church wsj.com 1/19/8 ["The charge was trespassing, but Mrs. Caskey's real offense, in her pastor's view, was spiritual. Several months earlier, when she had questioned his authority, he'd charged her with spreading "a spirit of cancer and discord" and expelled her from the congregation. "I've been shunned," she says."  Editor: Secular article, but it also shows the corruptness that is in positions of 'leadership' today...]
Mortgage Company Exec Jumps to Death ap.google.com 1/19/8 ["Walter Buczynski was a vice president of Columbia, Md.-based Fieldstone Mortgage Co., a high-flying subprime mortgage lender that made $5.5 billion in mortgage loans and employed about 1,000 people as late as 2006."  Editor: Hmm...]
 

 'Harry Potter,' paperbacks are top trends in 2007 usatoday.com 1/17/8 ["Building on a trend that started in 2006, God Is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens rose to No. 14 on the list and remained in the top 150 for 22 weeks; The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins entered the list in 2006 and sold well into early 2007."]
 Vaccination Toxicicity Can Cause Injury newswithviews.com 1/17/8 [ by Mary Tocco  "Because vaccines are usually injected into muscle tissue, the major organs of the body may be exposed to the additives and preservatives in vaccines that are toxic as well as the viruses. When we change the method of exposure to the illness, we also change the way the immune system responds to that illness.  ...Now almost every year, new vaccines are added including the Flu shot which still contains 25 mcg of mercury, RotaTeq the rotavirus vaccine and the HPV Cervical cancer vaccine for young girls, totaling 18 different diseases given in multiple vaccines."]
 Japan poised to rescue Wall Street banks timesonline.co.uk 1/17/8 ["Senior sources at the “big three” Tokyo megabanks told The Times that they had readied a combined cashpile of as much as $10 billion (£5 billion) and were open to negotiation with any struggling Wall Street bank that approached them for a cash infusion."]
 UK: Food cost increase adds £750 to annual bill telegraph.co.uk 1/17/8 ["Official figures showed wholesale food prices rose by 7.4 per cent in the past 12 months - more than three times the headline rate of inflation."]
 Foreign funds lead $21bn US bank rescue ft.com 1/17/8 ["Citigroup and Merrill Lynch turned to foreign investors for an unprecedented bail-out on Tuesday, saying they would raise a total of $21.1bn in fresh capital – mainly from outside the US – to shore up balance sheets devastated by the subprime mortgage crisis."]
 ACLU Backs Gay Sex in Public Toilets under "Privacy" Provisions lifesite.net 1/17/8 ["On Tuesday, the ACLU filed an amicus brief to the Minnesota 4th District Court citing a Minnesota Supreme Court ruling 38 years ago that found that people who have sex in closed stalls in public restrooms "have a reasonable expectation of privacy.""]
 Americans Pay for Housing Boom's Excess ap.google.com 1/17/8 ["JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Wells Fargo & Co., two of the nation's biggest banks, on Wednesday joined a growing chorus warning that the subprime mortgage mess is just the start of a sweeping lending crisis. And some fear that consumers falling behind on all kinds of loan payments could tip the economy's scale toward recession."]
 Wealthy may be next in line in U.S. home crisis reuters.com 1/17/8 [""The next wave of problems will come from prime borrowers who bought too much house or borrowed too much against it," said Michael van Zalingen, director of home ownership services at Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago. A "prime" borrower is one with good credit.  Real estate agents warn that some high-income borrowers have already been forced to sell or leave their homes and more will follow. Especially those who used their homes as ATMs, withdrawing cash via home equity loans."]
 Cashiers vulnerable to flu from banknotes reuters.com 1/17/8 [Editor: Yet another small excuse to get a new money system?]
 IMF warns subprime crisis losses 'may be higher' afp.google.com 1/17/8 ["Recent moves by financial institutions to bring off-balance-sheet structures like CDOs on the balance sheet are not at explicit "transfer prices" and thus "may not be a full reflection of potential losses.""]
 U.S. to study bizarre health condition usatoday.com 1/17/8 ["Morgellons received its name only in 2002, and doctors know little about the disease, other than its symptoms: skin rashes or sores, along with granules, threads, and filaments or black, speck-like materials on or beneath the skin; crawling, stinging or biting sensations; fatigue; mental confusion and short-term memory loss; joint pain and vision changes."]
 

 Mysterious $100 'Supernote' Counterfeit Bills Pop Up Worldwide foxnews.com 1/16/8 [Editor: I believe we will see the combined 'threat' of counterfeiting and dollar collapse to win acceptance of a newer introduced currency.]
 Hospitals tagging babies with electronic chips wnd.com 1/16/8 [""Standard protocol in the hospitals using the VeriChip system is that the baby receives an RFID anklet at birth and the mother receives a matching wristband," VeriChip spokeswoman Allison Tomek told WND. "The mothers are not asked.""]
 Increase Sentences for Gay "Hate Crimes": Scottish Parliament lifesite.net 1/16/8 ["Critics of such laws, however, have said that neither governments nor courts have the competence to rule on motives and that "hate"-based crimes already have ample provision for prosecution. Conservative justice spokesman Bill Aitken said attacks on gay people were serious issues already recognised by judges and sheriffs."]
 Soaring Grain Prices Prompt Wheat Thefts npr.org 1/16/8 ["Now, with a tractor trailer load of wheat fetching as much as $5,000, this crime is far more lucrative. Just last year wheat was selling at $3 a bushel, but now it's selling at $10 a bushel and is harder to come by."]
 Wholesale prices rose by 6.3 percent in 2007 msnbc.msn.com 1/16/8 ["The Labor Department reported that wholesale inflation was up 6.3 percent for all of 2007, reflecting a huge increase for the year in various types of energy costs ranging from gasoline to home heating oil."]
 State-Run Chinese Publication Endorses Sodomy lifesite.net 1/16/8 ["China's flagship English publication, which is completely government-run, has published an article containing three sympathetic accounts of Chinese homosexuals, and featuring a full-page photo of two men kissing each other."]
 FDA: Don't Ask, Don't Tell on Cloned Meat wired.com 1/16/8 ["Food producers say they're not about to put cloned meat on American dinner plates, as the procedure is too expensive and inefficient, and a third of U.S. adults say they won't eat cloned meat regardless of its approval. Instead, farmers will purchase cloned animals to serve as breeding stock for their entire herds."]
 

 Citigroup could write down up to $24 billion: report reuters.com 1/15/8 ["...could make as much as $24 billion in writedowns and lay off 20,000 workers as part of a plan to cut costs and boost capital..."]
 Dairy Company Lends Insight Into Wal-Mart's RFID Mandate informationweek.com 1/15/8 ["In 2003, Wal-Mart announced 100 top suppliers would launch its initial RFID effort. Daisy was among another 30-some companies that also volunteered. "We wanted a relationship with the appropriate partners and providers to get this done," Brown said. "Quite frankly, I didn't want to be in line.""]
 Drug-resistant staph found to be passed in gay sex reuters.com 1/15/8 ["This superbug can cause life-threatening and disfiguring infections and can often only be treated with expensive, intravenous antibiotics.  It killed about 19,000 Americans in 2005, most of them in hospitals..."]
 Wheat Warning—New Rust Could Spread Like Wildfire sciencenews.org 1/15/8 ["If not quashed soon, Ug99 infections might bloom into global crop epidemics within the next 15 years. In Africa alone, CIMMYT projected, grain-yield losses from such blights could approach $1 billion in value. Such events would increase the price of wheat on global markets and contribute to regional food shortages. These risks are especially grave for developing nations where reliance on wheat is high and budgets for fungicides are almost nonexistent"]
 UK: Norovirus reaches epidemic levels timesonline.co.uk 1/15/8 ["The winter vomiting bug norovirus has struck 2.8million people, with health professionals braced for another rise as people return to schools and offices.  The virus - which causes projectile vomiting, diarrhoea, mild fevers and headaches - is striking down more than 200,000 a week, according to official estimates. "]
 Buying papers with a smart card in Britain iht.com 1/15/8 ["The cards use a technology called "near-field communications," which has been widely rolled out in subway systems like the London Underground, the Hong Kong MTR and the Paris Métro, allowing commuters to open the turnstiles simply by touching their cards on a special reader."]
 

 Banks gloomy on commerical property debt ft.com 1/14/8 ["According to a survey by agents GVA Grimley, banks have already tightened lending criteria on commercial property, with most charging higher interest rates and exacting tougher terms on loans to investors and developers."]
 No immediate rescue for customers of Countrywide usatoday.com 1/14/8 ["Last week, Countrywide said that 7% of its borrowers were in default. The company is taking part in a national program to refinance or freeze interest rates for some borrowers with subprime adjustable-rate loans. The merger itself wouldn't immediately affect homeowners who have a mortgage from either lender."]
 

 Spiritual Diabetes newswithviews.com 1/13/8 [By Coach Dave Daubenmire  "America’s pulpits have caused spiritual diabetes to destroy the church. If we are to regain our spiritual-health our pastors must once again preach the Word not a warmed-over plate of “Christian maple syrup.” It is our only hope.  Why is the preaching of the word so important? "]
 Don't Church Me Bro! newswithviews.com 1/13/8 [By Paul Proctor  "...according to LifeWay, the institutional church turns people off. OK, if that's true, why then do we as Christians continue to try and institutionalize them - especially when there is no biblical directive to do so?  Who do you think church leaders are discussing when they talk about the "unchurched?"  ...Come on folks - that's not even a real word and yet many use it now like they were quoting Jesus Himself! "]
 Gold Futures Rise to Record $900.10 on Interest-Rate Outlook bloomberg.com 1/13/8 ["Silver futures for March delivery rose 9.5 cents, or 0.6 percent, to $16.37 an ounce. The price earlier reached $16.415, the highest since January 1981. The metal gained 15 percent last year."]
 Remarks on Violent Radicalization & Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act, HR 1955 house.gov 1/13/8 [By Rep. Ron Paul, M.D.  "Previous acts of ideologically-motivated violence, though rare, have been resolved successfully using law enforcement techniques, existing laws against violence, and our court system. Even if there were a surge of “violent radicalization” -- a claim for which there is no evidence -- there is no reason to believe that our criminal justice system is so flawed and weak as to be incapable of trying and punishing those who perpetrate violent acts.  ...Could otherwise non-violent anti-tax, antiwar, or anti-abortion groups fall under the watchful eye of this new government commission? Assurances otherwise in this legislation are unconvincing."]
 Chertoff unveils new rules for driver's licenses usatoday.com 1/13/8 ["U.S. residents born after Dec. 1, 1964, will need to have new Homeland Security-approved drivers licenses by Dec. 1, 2014, if they want to use their ID to board an airplane or enter a federal building  ...The new rules do not require states to issue the new identification cards, but residents of states that do not participate will not be able to use their driver's licenses as proof of identity at federal agencies."]
 Tokyo to look for terrorist suspects in 3-D: official afp.google.com 1/13/8 ["Under the system, cameras would be installed throughout the world's largest city at train stations, commercial hubs and other key points.  The system would be the first to transform pictures instantly into 3-D, which would then be compared in real-time to images of suspects on wanted lists, the official said."]
 Motion to Protect Religious Freedom and Speech Defeated in UK Gay Hate Crimes Bill lifesite.net 1/13/8 ["The proposed "gay hate crimes" law would carry a maximum penalty of seven years in jail for anyone convicted of "inciting hatred" against homosexuals. The motion to amend was introduced by Jim Dobbin, the Labour MP for Heywood and Middleton, who warned that some Catholic and Anglican leaders believed the proposed law would make it impossible to teach or preach Christian moral doctrine on sexuality and marriage without incurring criminal penalties."]
 Public schools: The new red-light district? worldnetdaily.com 1/13/8 [By Olivia St. John  "Thanks to public apathy and the efforts of misguided state and federal lawmakers, activist judges and liberal teacher's unions, our nation's schools have become the new red-light district of the 21st century."]
 Bush: Peace treaty by end of my term ynetnews.com 1/13/8 ["US President George W. Bush on Thursday predicted that a Mideast peace treaty would be completed by the time he leaves office. He said he was convinced that both Israeli and Palestinian leaders understand "the importance of democratic states living side by side" In peace.  "I am confident that with proper help, the state of Palestine will emerge," Bush told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. "And I'm confident when it emerges, it will be a major step toward peace. I am confident that the status quo is unacceptable, Mr. President, and we want to help you." "]
 Iran encounter grimly echoes '02 war game iht.com 1/13/8 ["...a classified, $250 million war game in which small, agile speedboats swarmed a naval convoy to inflict devastating damage on more powerful warships.  ...In that war game, the Blue Team navy, representing the United States, lost 16 major warships — an aircraft carrier, cruisers and amphibious vessels — when they were sunk to the bottom of the Gulf in an attack that included swarming tactics by enemy speedboats."]
 Citi looks to secure further $14bn in new capital ft.com 1/13/8 ["...seeking up to $14bn from Chinese, Kuwaiti and public market investors.  Under the proposal being discussed, the bulk of the money – roughly $9bn – would be most likely to come from China, people familiar with the negotiations say. The Kuwait Investment Authority would contribute about $1bn, while $2bn to $4bn would be raised through a public placement of shares."]
 Bank of America to buy Countrywide for $4B usatoday.com 1/13/8 ["The acquisition of Countrywide, now a symbol of the excess in the mortgage market that fueled the real estate bubble, catapults Bank of America from the No. 5 mortgage lender to No. 1. With Countrywide's enormous portfolio of loans and distribution system, Bank of America will soon originate one out of every four mortgages in the country."]
 Preparing for the worst lasvegassun.com 1/13/8 ["Lt. Gen. Russel Honore led the Army into New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina...  Honore is retiring Friday, and he wants America to apply the lessons he learned from the hurricane. Honore wants to create a national “culture of preparedness.”"]
 Michigan loses partial-birth abortion ban at high court onenewsnow.com 1/13/8 ["The U.S. Supreme Court recently refused to hear a case in which the state of Michigan and pro-lifers sought to uphold a ban on partial-birth abortion. Brad Dacus, president of the Pacific Justice Institute, says the Michigan law simply sought to protect unborn children from the horrors of partial-birth abortions. He says the law was not a general ban on abortions as the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had claimed."]
 Cellphone obsession leads Japanese children into a 'scary world' afp.google.com 1/13/8 ["While the wired world they now inhabit holds enormous advantages for learning and communicating, it also brings a downside, say experts who point to a rise in cyberbullying and a growing inability among teenagers to deal with other people face to face.  ...children seemed to want the security of communicating with someone, without the bother of dealing with a real person."]
 Bank M&A Heats Up Amid Subprime Fallout ap.google.com 1/13/8 ["The bank branch on the corner might be changing names — again. Get set for the next wave of consolidation that could sweep through the nation's banking industry this year. Chief executives at some of the top regional players might be mulling deals to salvage businesses pummeled by the subprime mortgage market's collapse."]
 UK: Many new mortgages dubbed subprime ft.com  1/13/8 ["Almost one in five new mortgages written in 2007 was either dubbed “subprime” by the bank that loaned the funds or was made to a homebuyer who offered no proof of income, according to an industry trade association."]
 Behind the scenes, tech firms mapping the world afp.google.com 1/13/8 ["The cameras record a 360-degree view, making note of traffic signs and posted speed limits, while the laser makes detailed scans building facades and sizes.  ...Tele Atlas is now making three-dimensional digital recreations of the world's major cities."]
 

 Gold Surges Near $900 an Ounce breitbart.com 1/10/8 [" An ounce of gold for February delivery rose as high as $894.40 in overnight electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the highest ever and well above Tuesday's record closing price of $880.30. Gold retreated later Wednesday but remained in record territory at $881.80 an ounce on the Nymex."]
 Health spending in U.S. exceeds $2 trillion for first time iht.com 1/10/8 ["Health spending by businesses grew 5.7 percent in 2006, to $496.8 billion, the slowest rate of increase since 1997."]
 Court says San Francisco health plan can proceed reuters.com 1/10/8 ["A restaurant association had challenged San Francisco's plan and won an early round when a U.S. District Court judge ruled local governments could not compel employers to pay into medical insurance programs."]
 Gun bill tightens background checks upi.com 1/10/8 ["It adds an estimated 2 million felons and mentally ill people to the federal background database used to check gun buyers..."]
As housing slumps, realtors quit csmonitor.com 1/10/8 ["Americans are still drawn to working in real estate, according to the National Association of Realtors, which says its membership rose this year to 1.35 million. That growth in the ranks may be attributed to unaffiliated agents scrambling for clout in a tough market rather than an indication that the total number of agents is rising, the NAR acknowledges.  Evidence is growing that agents, especially in hard-hit markets like Florida, California, and Georgia, are closing up shop in large numbers, experts say."]
 New York Presses To Deploy More Bioweapons Sensors washingtonpost.com 1/10/8 ["City officials last month quietly activated some of the nation's newest generation of early warning sensors to detect a biological attack, turning on a limited number of filing-cabinet-size air filters in sensitive, high-volume areas of Manhattan."  Editor: Perilous times indeed...]
 German Homeschooling Family Flees to England After Mayor Attempts to Seize Children lifesite.net 1/10/8 ["A spokesman for the advocacy group told WND, "As the mayor knows that the family wants to leave Germany and that they have deregistered, his attempt is that the family court takes custody away in a so-called … (preliminary warrant) which means that custody can be taken away without a hearing [for] the parents.""  Editor: Where would you go?]
  Bush convenes Plunge Protection Team telegraph.co.uk 1/10/8 ["Sovereign wealth funds stand ready to rescue banks, as they have already rescued Citigroup and UBS. But as Moody's pointed out this week, the estimated $2,500bn in lost wealth from the US house price crash is more than the entire net worth of all the sovereign wealth funds in the world."]
 

 Huge "Ethical" Embryonic-Like Stem Cell Discovery Not So Ethical After All - Fetal Cells Used lifesite.net 1/9/8 [""Unless you read the papers published by Dr Yamanaka in Cell and Dr Thomson in Science, you would have no idea where the DNA came from that was used to transform the adult cells", stated Debi Vinnedge, Executive Director of Children of God for Life, a pro-life watchdog organization focused on stem cell research and aborted fetal cell lines in medical products. "And even then you would have to know what you were looking for to understand it", she added."]
 Midst Of Presidential Race Lawmakers Pull Fast One On Americans newswithviews.com 1/9/8 [By Jim Kouri  ""By eliminating the double fence requirement, the Democratic Congress is going to make it easier for drug and human smugglers to cross our Southern land border," said Congressman Hunter."]
 Schwarzenegger seeks new budget process to address deficits sfgate.com 1/9/8 ["The governor wants to trigger the cuts when state finances start falling into the red and create a surplus when revenues come in higher than expected. It would be capped at 15 percent of the budget and could be used only to help with the next downturn."]
 Market sinks as AT&T stirs recession fear reuters.com 1/9/8 ["U.S. stocks tumbled on Tuesday after a warning by phone company AT&T of soft consumer spending sparked a new round of recession fears, helping drive the S&P to its worst-ever five-day start to a year."]
 Citigroup could axe 32,000 workers to stem losses timesonline.co.uk 1/9/8 ["The world’s largest bank could lose 10 per cent of its workforce when it unveils full-year results next Tuesday. It is also believed to be considering the sale of non-core assets to raise capital."]
 Countrywide Financial denies bankruptcy rumors news.yahoo.com 1/9/8 ["after shares of the largest U.S. mortgage lender slid to their lowest level in nearly eight years."]
 Food riots of the 21st century mg.co.za 1/9/8 ["After decades of expanding crop yields and falling food prices, the past year has seen a sharp rise in the cost of wheat, rice, corn, soya and dairy products."]
 

 Kenya's Unrest Takes Violent Toll ap.google.com 1/8/8 ["A week of postelection violence has left at least 250,000 people homeless, shattering the East African country's image as a haven for those fleeing conflict."]
 SWAT officers invade home, take 11-year-old at gunpoint wnd.com 1/8/8 ["Someone, apparently the unidentified paramedic, called police, the sheriff's office and social services, eventually providing Leoniak with a report that generated the magistrate's court order to the sheriff's office for the SWAT team assault on the family's home  ...The paramedics were allowed to see the boy, and found no significant impairment, but wanted to take him to the hospital for an evaluation anyway. Fearing the hospital's bills, the family refused to allow that."]
 Pain Street USA: '08 housing outlook cnn.com 1/8/8 ["Home builders continued to add to inventory even as the slump got well under way, contributing to what is now an 11-month back-log of homes for sale, according to the National Association of Realtors.  Many of these homes are sitting completely empty: The Census Bureau reported a total of 2.1 million vacant homes for sale. Vacant homes add pressure on prices because owners of these houses are usually more willing to slash prices to move the properties. They cost out-of-pocket cash each month while providing neither income nor shelter."]
 2008 National Pastors Convention could send many pastors in mystical direction crossroad.to 1/8/8 ["Speakers at this year's event include some of the most blatant proponents of contemplative spirituality and the emerging church, which in many cases also means having a propensity toward Catholic mysticism and interspirituality. Some of these speakers include: Ruth Haley Barton, Tony Jones, Erwin McManus, John Ortberg, J.P. Moreland, Calvin Miller, Scot McKnight, and Dan Kimball. Chuck Colson, co-author of the ecumenical Evangelicals & Catholics Together document will also be speaking."]
 Bush: We'd defend Israel in event of Iranian strike haaretz.com 1/8/8 ["A recent U.S. intelligence report positing that Iran suspended its nuclear weapons program in 2003 did not mean that Iran no longer poses a danger, because Iran can restart the program or use its civilian nuclear program for military purposes, Bush said."]
 Commodity price surge powered by supply-demand tension afp.google.com 1/8/8 ["China has just announced the imposition, effective January 1, of export duty on cereals, rice and soya of between 5.0 and 25 percent.  Simultaneously, Russia reported a near five-fold increase on cereals export duties for the next three months from 22 to 105 euros per tonne, a move that effectively removes Moscow from the international market.  Those developments came as Argentina suspended wheat exports until further notice and amid reports of a major reduction in Australian grain output due to drought."]
 ACLU Rips Plan to Track R.I. Students guardian.co.uk 1/8/8 ["A tech company with ties to a school district plans to test a tracking system by putting computer chips on grade-schoolers' backpacks, an experiment the ACLU ripped Monday as invasive and unnecessary.  The pilot program set to start next week in the Middletown school district would have about 80 children put tags containing radio frequency identification chips, or RFID chips, on their schoolbags. It would also equip two buses with global positioning systems, or GPS devices. "]
 

 Update on Oprah Winfrey, Marianne Williamson and A Course in Miracles* crossroad.to 1/7/8 ["A Course in Miracles is reputedly “new revelation” from “Jesus,” channeled through a university professor in New York City by the name of Helen Schucman. But the Course is actually the Bible turned upside-down, as it teaches that “a slain Christ has no meaning” and that “the journey to the cross should be the last useless journey.” Its teachings state that “there is no sin” and that “the recognition of God is the recognition of yourself.”"]
 "At-Risk" Students newswithviews.com 1/7/8 [ By R.C. Murray  "Remember, real education increases opportunity, and opportunity reduces government dependence."]
 Mortgage bailout just makes it worse moneycentral.msn.com 1/7/8 ["Are contracts no longer to be viewed as law, but rather are to be viewed as nothing other than mere whim? If we are to allow mortgagees who are in trouble to stand down and have their problems taken up by taxpayers, what then of contracts anywhere? Can we demand foreign governments, or foreign companies, or foreign individuals to stand by their commitments to Americans if Americans will not stand by their commitments to one another?"]
 

 America Has Lost Her Mind newswithviews.com 1/6/8 [By Coach Dave Daubenmire  "We no longer teach our children HOW to think. Instead, we “coach” them on WHAT to think and then test to measure if the indoctrination has worked."]
 We Desperately Need The "Confessing Church" bloomberg.com 1/6/8 [By Pastor Chuck Baldwin  "I again urge you to read the book, Hitler's Cross, which was written by Erwin Lutzer and published by Moody Press.  ...When Ron Paul was asked about Mike Huckabee's overt usage of a cross for a campaign advertisement, he quoted Sinclair Lewis as saying, "When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross." ...(To see how Hitler used this same tactic, I invite readers to note the photograph of the German Fuhrer in Lutzer's book, on page 75, which shows Hitler coming out of church with a large emblem of the Cross directly over his head. This photo was used extensively by Hitler during his political campaigns.)"]
 Job growth skids to near halt reuters.com 1/6/8 ["...only 18,000 new non-farm jobs were added last month, the weakest performance since August 2003, while the jobless rate jumped to 5 percent from 4.7 percent in November -- the largest monthly rise since October 2001 in the wake of the September 11 terror attacks."]
 Americans Sold Out to Foreign Firms at Record Rate bloomberg.com 1/6/8 ["Buyers from Dubai to the Netherlands accounted for 46 percent of the $230.5 billion of U.S. mergers and acquisitions announced in the fourth quarter, the largest portion since 1998 when Bloomberg started compiling the data. The total excludes $17.9 billion of so-called passive investments by state-run funds in Asia and the Middle East in U.S. banks, including New York-based Citigroup Inc."]
 Some girls fainting after receiving HPV vaccine msnbc.msn.com 1/6/8 ["Gardasil is the first vaccine approved specifically to target the human papilloma virus, or HPV, which causes cervical and vaginal cancer. The Food and Drug Administration approved it for girls ages 9 to 26."]
 Japan to Increase Emergency Stockpiles of Grains, Yomiuri Says bloomberg.com 1/6/8 ["to ensure stable supplies at a time of soaring global prices...  The country plans to boost reserves, including privately held inventories, to three months of annual demand in 2009 from one to two months currently..."]
 Mexican trucks defy Congress, still roll worldnetdaily.com 1/6/8 ["Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration officials told the San Diego Union Tribune the cross-border Mexican truck demonstration project would continue because the program was established in September and the amendment allows programs that have already begun to continue."]
 Jerusalem readies for Bush's arrival, the first visit by an American president in a decade iht.com 1/4/8 ["Israeli officialdom is eagerly anticipating the arrival of Bush, whom Israel sees as one of the most supportive presidents ever to have served in the White House."]
 Academy stresses evolution's importance reuters.com 1/6/8 ["The National Academy of Sciences on Thursday issued a spirited defense of evolution as the bedrock principle of modern biology, arguing that it, not creationism, must be taught in public school science classes."]
 US doomed if creationist president elected: scientists afp.google.com 1/6/8 ["The evolution versus creationism debate has crept into American schools and politics, where it is mainly conservative Republicans who espouse the non-scientific belief."]
 Some girls fainting after receiving HPV vaccine msnbc.msn.com 1/6/8 ["Gardasil is the first vaccine approved specifically to target the human papilloma virus, or HPV, which causes cervical and vaginal cancer. The Food and Drug Administration approved it for girls ages 9 to 26."]
 Jesuits to Elect a New 'Black Pope' time.com 1/6/8 ["...the moniker historically assigned to the leader of the Jesuit order  ...the order was founded with a special mission to directly serve the Pontiff, and has been dubbed the "Pope's cavalry," engendering suspicion in the past of conspiracies and secret powers. Even Popes, including John Paul II, have criticized them for their apparent autonomy."]
 

 Gold soars to record high above key $850/oz level reuters.com 1/3/8 ["Gold prices swept to a record high on Wednesday above the key $850-an-ounce mark, driven by surging oil, a weaker dollar and simmering geopolitical tensions that polished its safe-haven credentials."]
 Passport Card Technology Criticized ap.google.com 1/3/8 ["Passport cards for Americans who travel to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean will be equipped with technology that allows information on the card to be read from a distance.  ...On Jan. 31, land and sea travelers returning to the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will no longer be allowed to make an oral declaration of citizenship and must present a birth certificate, driver's license or passport."]
 Gulf states form common market bbc.co.uk 1/3/8 [" The Gulf Co-operation Council states, whose wealth is largely based on oil, say the move will give them a stronger negotiating position internationally.  ... The nationals of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are now to be seen as equal, economically, whichever country they chose to live in.  They will be able to work, buy houses and companies, trade shares, go to school and receive medical treatment in all six states."]
 Sudan's Central Bank opts for euro businessweek.com 1/3/8 ["The Central Bank of Sudan will deal only in the euro beginning in 2008 and advised local commercial banks to opt for convertible currencies other than the U.S. dollar.  ...also recommended commercial banks us currencies other than the U.S. dollar, with the view to "lessen the risk of continuing to deal in the U.S. dollar.""]
 Broke Britain: millions face struggle to stay afloat as financial crisis hits home news.independent.co.uk 1/3/8 ["Debt experts are predicting a record number of personal insolvencies this year as excessive Christmas shopping, rising mortgage payments and soaring food and fuel costs force thousands of people over the financial edge and into bankruptcy."]
 UK:  Migrant labour to 'create new UK underclass' telegraph.co.uk 1/3/8 ["A generation of low-skilled British workers risks being trapped in unemployment by record immigration, a new study suggests."]
 Is Your Church Suffering From R & R? newswithviews.com 1/3/8 [By Paul Proctor  "the pragmatic pursuit of Results and Relationships - refashioning their religion into something more marketable - more practical - more horizontal and humanistic, so as to please prospects and participants into jumping onboard, that they might artificially grow their congregations into something impressive instead of something faithful - boasting of "fruit" while yielding a great harvest of weeds."]
 

 The Unity of Satanic Imagination! lasttrumpetministries.org 1/2/8 [By Pastor David Meyer  "We know that Almighty God is opposed to one-world government, which is why He confounded the languages at Babel and forced them to stop their project of being one people with one capital city, consisting of a high tower. In the Bible verses above, we see that special mention is made of the imaginations of the people. These imaginations are called vain and would be perpetuated by raging heathen kings of the earth. Indeed, the push is on to somehow unify every institution and endeavor of man for single governance at the very top. We are seeing this dynamic at work in our world presently."]
 New Year, New Unions for Gay Couples ap.google.com 1/2/8 ["New Hampshire follows Vermont, Connecticut and New Jersey in allowing civil unions. Massachusetts is the only state that allows marriage. New Hampshire estimates that as many as 3,500 to 4,000 civil unions will be performed this first year."]
 Some China firms avoid U.S. technology transfer licenses iht.com 1/2/8 ["Six months ago, the U.S. government quietly eased some restrictions on the export of sensitive technologies to China. The new approach was intended to help U.S. companies increase sales of high-technology equipment to China despite tight curbs on sharing technology that might have military applications."]
 Credit Cards Sock Late Payers With Default Rates Of 30% Or More foxbusiness.com 1/2/8 ["Faced with mounting account delinquencies, major U.S. banks are penalizing credit-card customers late on payments by hiking their accounts to maximum default interest rates of 30% and more -- even those with good credit records."]
 Venezuela Introduces New Currency ap.google.com 1/2/8 ["Venezuela launched a new currency with the new year, lopping off three zeros from denominations in a bid to simplify finances and boost confidence in a money that has been losing value due to high inflation."]
 Military Use of Unmanned Aircraft Soars ap.google.com 1/2/8 ["the Air Force more than doubled its monthly use of drones between January and October, forcing it to take pilots out of the air and shift them to remote flying duty to meet part of the demand."]
 Israel: Kinneret levels at 5-year low, only 40cm away from forcing halt to pumping jpost.com 1/2/8 ["The water line in Israel's main source of water has dropped by two meters since 2004. Sources in the country's water authorities told the radio station that Israel could be facing a serious water crisis."]
 And We Call This Education? newswithviews.com 1/2/8 [By Lynn Stuter  "People want to believe that No Child Left Behind (HR 6 under GW Bush) is not an extension of the Improving America’s Schools Act (HR 6 under Clinton). Nothing could be further from the truth."]
 Olmert hints Jerusalem division is inevitable reuters.com 1/2/8 [""The world that is friendly to Israel ... that really supports Israel, when it speaks of the the future, it speaks of Israel in terms of the '67 borders. It speaks of the division of Jerusalem," Olmert said in an interview with The Jerusalem Post."]
 Valium Found in Mall Gunman's System ap.google.com 1/2/8 ["authorities sometimes "see people who have abused drugs or alcohol to give them the ability to carry out their misdeed."  "In this case," Kleine said, "it doesn't appear he had abused either." His blood revealed only therapeutic levels of the medication."  Editor: Drugs such as Valium, etc. "turn off your conscience."]
 

 Cyprus, Malta Convert to Euro ap.google.com 1/1/8 ["bringing to fifteen the number of countries using the currency with increasing clout over the slumping U.S. dollar.  ...The euro has risen more than 11 percent against the dollar during the year and nine East European countries are waiting to convert."]
 NAFTA Cementing A North American Union newswithviews.com 1/1/8 [By Devvy Kidd  "The destruction of NAFTA was felt within the first 18 months and has continued to destroy our sovereignty and job bases ever since. In the first few years, over 4,000 factories closed down, small towns became dying towns. To date MILLIONS of jobs have been lost with more all the time because of the evil called out sourcing."]
 Derivatives--The Mystery Man Who'll Break the Global Bank at Monte Carlo survivalblog.com 1/1/8 [By James Wesley, Rawles  "The point everyone misses is buying derivatives is not investing. It is gambling, insurance and high stakes bookmaking. Derivatives create nothing."  ...The scary thing is that the volume of derivatives trades is much larger than their underlying markets."]
 The gilded realm of private equity turns into dross iht.com 1/1/