The M+G+R Foundation
Current News Commentary (1)All of August 2012
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August 31st, 2012
News Report No. 1
[our highlights]
Pope explains how doubt was created in Judas. (1)
On Sunday, August 26th, pilgrims gathered in the town square of Castel Gandolfo in order to hear
the pope pray the Angelus.
Benedict XVI : "The problem is that Judas did not go away, and his most serious fault was falsehood, which is the mark of the devil."
Benedict XVI : "The problem is that Judas did not go away, and his most serious fault was falsehood, which is the mark of the devil."
Jesus Christ comments: [4] Or how sayest thou to thy brother: Let me cast the mote out of thy eye; and behold a beam is in thy own eye? [5] Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam in thy own eye, and then shalt thou see to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. [Matthew 7]
miguel de Portugal comments: It looks like Ratzinger continues to be informed of what we published since we see another "coincidence" - He is precisely speaking about Virtual Snares. In the case of Judas, satan created in Judas "doubt".
Think of it: How could anyone doubt Jesus and His Power and Wisdom after having lived with Him for over three years? Only a Virtual Doubt planted by satan could have done it.
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(1) News Report
August 30th, 2012
News Report No. 1
[our highlights]
Deadly anthrax outbreak in Russia. (1)
One person is reported dead and ten people have been taken to hospital after an outbreak of
anthrax in Russia.
Officials have declared a state of emergency in the village of Druzhba in the remote Altai territory.
Roads around the village have been closed off and the deputy governor of the region says the outbreak is under control and localised.
The population of the village is just 740 and officials say 32 people in the Altai territory have come into contact with infected animals and are all under supervision.... Veterinary officials killed several infected cattle and vaccinated over 200 more animals in the area.
Officials have declared a state of emergency in the village of Druzhba in the remote Altai territory.
Roads around the village have been closed off and the deputy governor of the region says the outbreak is under control and localised.
The population of the village is just 740 and officials say 32 people in the Altai territory have come into contact with infected animals and are all under supervision.... Veterinary officials killed several infected cattle and vaccinated over 200 more animals in the area.
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(1) Euronews Reports
[our highlights]
Japanese officials report concerns about gamma rays being emitted from Fukushima plant debris. (1)
Japanese officials reporting on the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster say that
gamma rays from the rubble left by the accident are now
a greater concern than radioactive cesium still being emitted from the crippled nuclear
plant.
A report to an International Atomic Energy Agency meeting presented Monday says that cesium being released from the plant is at approximately 0.01 becquerels per hour, well below the health-hazard level. Shinichi Kuroki, who presented the report, says the greater challenge is to reduce relatively high gamma ray radiation from the plant debris.
A report to an International Atomic Energy Agency meeting presented Monday says that cesium being released from the plant is at approximately 0.01 becquerels per hour, well below the health-hazard level. Shinichi Kuroki, who presented the report, says the greater challenge is to reduce relatively high gamma ray radiation from the plant debris.
miguel de Portugal comments: An ounce of prevention is worth tons of remedies. But read News Report No. 3 and you will have confirmed that most humans are simply unable to learn what they must. [Actually, satan does not allow them and, since they have no protection, they have no choice. ]
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(1) News Report
News Report No. 3
[our highlights]
Siemens software which controls power plants vulnerable to hackers. (1)
Justin Clarke, an expert in securing industrial control
systems, two weeks ago disclosed that he had
found a flaw in software from Siemens' RuggedCom division, a flaw
which allows hackers to spy on traffic moving through
networking equipment manufactured by Siemens.
The Chicago Tribune reports that DHS asked RuggedCom on Tuesday to confirm Clarke's claims that the flaws could enable hackers to attack power plants and other critical systems. RuggedCom is a Canadian subsidiary of Siemens which sells networking equipment for use in harsh environments. The company has said that it was investigating Clarke's claims but declined to elaborate.
Clarke said hackers who can spy on communication of infrastructure operators could gain credentials to access computer systems which control power plants as well as other critical systems.
"If you can get to the inside, there is almost no authentication, there are almost no checks and balances to stop you," Clarke told the Chicago Tribune.
This is the second time that Clarke has found a bug in RuggedCom's products, which are used by power companies for communication to remote power stations.
The Tribune notes that the report on the RuggedCom vulnerability is among ninety released so far this year by ICS-CERT about possible risks to critical infrastructure operators. That is up from about sixty in the same period a year earlier.
The Chicago Tribune reports that DHS asked RuggedCom on Tuesday to confirm Clarke's claims that the flaws could enable hackers to attack power plants and other critical systems. RuggedCom is a Canadian subsidiary of Siemens which sells networking equipment for use in harsh environments. The company has said that it was investigating Clarke's claims but declined to elaborate.
Clarke said hackers who can spy on communication of infrastructure operators could gain credentials to access computer systems which control power plants as well as other critical systems.
"If you can get to the inside, there is almost no authentication, there are almost no checks and balances to stop you," Clarke told the Chicago Tribune.
This is the second time that Clarke has found a bug in RuggedCom's products, which are used by power companies for communication to remote power stations.
The Tribune notes that the report on the RuggedCom vulnerability is among ninety released so far this year by ICS-CERT about possible risks to critical infrastructure operators. That is up from about sixty in the same period a year earlier.
miguel de Portugal comments: Any way you look at it, we fully deserve what is coming upon us.
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(1) Homeland Security News Wire Reports
August 29th, 2012
News Report No. 1
[our highlights]
San Francisco's archbishop-elect apologizes for drunken driving. (1)
miguel de Portugal comments: They are so soiled already that another stain is hardly noticeable.
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(1) News Report
News Report No. 2
[our highlights]
[our highlights]
San Francisco's archbishop-elect apologizes for drunken driving. (1)
The Roman Catholic bishop newly chosen by the Vatican to lead the archdiocese of San Francisco and
two other Bay Area counties publicly apologized on Monday after he was arrested and
held behind bars over the weekend on suspicion of
drunken driving.
Salvatore Cordileone, 56, appointed in July by Pope Benedict XVI to preside over more than 500,000 Catholics as metropolitan archbishop of San Francisco, was taken into custody on Saturday near San Diego State University, according to the San Diego Police Department.
He acknowledged that his blood-alcohol level was found to be over the legal limit, apologized for his "error in judgment" and said he felt "shame for the disgrace I have brought upon the church and myself."
"I will repay my debt to society, and I ask forgiveness from my family and my friends and co-workers at the Diocese of Oakland and the Archdiocese of San Francisco," the statement said. "I pray that God, in His inscrutable wisdom, will bring some good out of this."
An arraignment in the case has been scheduled for Oct. 9. Cordileone is due to be installed at a special mass on Oct. 4 as head of an archdiocese encompassing 91 parishes in San Francisco and the neighboring counties of San Mateo and Marin.
Salvatore Cordileone, 56, appointed in July by Pope Benedict XVI to preside over more than 500,000 Catholics as metropolitan archbishop of San Francisco, was taken into custody on Saturday near San Diego State University, according to the San Diego Police Department.
He acknowledged that his blood-alcohol level was found to be over the legal limit, apologized for his "error in judgment" and said he felt "shame for the disgrace I have brought upon the church and myself."
"I will repay my debt to society, and I ask forgiveness from my family and my friends and co-workers at the Diocese of Oakland and the Archdiocese of San Francisco," the statement said. "I pray that God, in His inscrutable wisdom, will bring some good out of this."
An arraignment in the case has been scheduled for Oct. 9. Cordileone is due to be installed at a special mass on Oct. 4 as head of an archdiocese encompassing 91 parishes in San Francisco and the neighboring counties of San Mateo and Marin.
miguel de Portugal comments: They are so soiled already that another stain is hardly noticeable.
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(1) News Report
News Report No. 2
[our highlights]
Confessions of an Ex-Priest: How Catholic
Seminary Forms Victims and Forces False Forgiveness.
(1)
On Sunday night around midnight, in the small town of Woodburn, Ore.,
a 12-year-old boy ran down a street screaming for
help. A man dressed only in his underwear pursued him. The boy saw a group of people
standing in a driveway and screamed, "Help me, a guy is
chasing me." The bystanders drove the boy to his sister's home, where he explained, "Father Angel
touched me in my privates."
This sounds like a scene out of a film, but this is not fiction. This is information taken from the Woodburn police department's probable cause statement.
On Monday, Rev. Angel Armando Perez was arrested. He faces allegations of first-degree sexual abuse, furnishing alcohol to a minor, using a child in display of sexually explicit conduct, and driving under the influence.
Like me, Father Perez was ordained in 2002, when the Catholic hierarchy's cover-up of sexual abuse was on the front page of nearly every U.S. publication. We received the same seminary "formation," which is the word used to describe the intellectual, psychological and spiritual overhaul that men undergo as they are "formed" into healthy, celibate and obedient priests.
When we were ordained 10 years ago, new priests were under a great deal of pressure. The people in the pews needed hope that our generation would change the duplicitous and corrupt clerical culture that had been unmasked. We had been "formed" to say all the right things.
This sounds like a scene out of a film, but this is not fiction. This is information taken from the Woodburn police department's probable cause statement.
On Monday, Rev. Angel Armando Perez was arrested. He faces allegations of first-degree sexual abuse, furnishing alcohol to a minor, using a child in display of sexually explicit conduct, and driving under the influence.
Like me, Father Perez was ordained in 2002, when the Catholic hierarchy's cover-up of sexual abuse was on the front page of nearly every U.S. publication. We received the same seminary "formation," which is the word used to describe the intellectual, psychological and spiritual overhaul that men undergo as they are "formed" into healthy, celibate and obedient priests.
When we were ordained 10 years ago, new priests were under a great deal of pressure. The people in the pews needed hope that our generation would change the duplicitous and corrupt clerical culture that had been unmasked. We had been "formed" to say all the right things.
August 28th, 2012
News Report No. 1
[our highlights]
Baghdad's embattled residents can finally get their milkshakes, chili-cheese dogs and buckets of crispy fried chicken. (1)
[our highlights]
Baghdad's embattled residents can finally get their milkshakes, chili-cheese dogs and buckets of crispy fried chicken. (1)
A wave of new American-style restaurants is spreading across the Iraqi capital, enticing customers
hungry for alternatives to traditional offerings like lamb kebabs and fire-roasted carp.
The fad is a sign that Iraqis, saddled with violence for years and still experiencing almost daily bombings and shootings, are prepared to move on and embrace ordinary pleasures - like stuffing their faces with pizza.
Iraqi entrepreneurs and investors from nearby countries, not big multinational chains, are driving the food craze. They see Iraq as an untapped market of increasingly adventurous eaters where competition is low and the potential returns are high.
Among the latest additions is a sit-down restaurant called Chili House. Its glossy menu touts Caesar salads and hot wing appetizers along with all-American entrees like three-way chili, Philly cheesesteaks and a nearly half-pound "Big Mouth Chizzila" burger.
The fad is a sign that Iraqis, saddled with violence for years and still experiencing almost daily bombings and shootings, are prepared to move on and embrace ordinary pleasures - like stuffing their faces with pizza.
Iraqi entrepreneurs and investors from nearby countries, not big multinational chains, are driving the food craze. They see Iraq as an untapped market of increasingly adventurous eaters where competition is low and the potential returns are high.
Among the latest additions is a sit-down restaurant called Chili House. Its glossy menu touts Caesar salads and hot wing appetizers along with all-American entrees like three-way chili, Philly cheesesteaks and a nearly half-pound "Big Mouth Chizzila" burger.
miguel de Portugal comments: This, brethren, is the reason for which we spent trillions of dollars, sent our children to be slaughtered and turned a millenary country into a parking lot.
Will our leaders learn? No, they will not. If they have not learned during the 6,000 years of "officially" recorded history, why would they now? This is why God will step in and will practically turn our "civilization" into a parking lot; no, correction.... turn it into a pasture.
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(1) News Report
News Report No. 2
[our highlights]
The Top Three Myths about Myths. (1)
Myths used to be about ancient Greeks. They taught us about greed (King Midas and gold) or hubris
(Icarus flying too close to the sun). But when authors
write about myths today, they mean something more prosaic: a misconception, a statement that
almost everyone thinks is true but really isn't.
As we approach Election Day, the number of such myths appears to be skyrocketing. Myth-busting articles from the past month include "Five Myths About Obama's Stimulus," "Five Myths About the U.S.-Iran Conflict," "Top Three Myths About Medicare," "Top Six Myths About Medicare" and, not to be outdone, "Ten Medicare Myths." We all love to see supposed myths debunked, but these opinion articles and blog posts are not as straightforward as they seem.
The format can give the impression that the author is merely replacing mistaken beliefs with impartial, politically neutral information. But most writers use myth-busting as a way to argue one side of an issue. In "Top Six Myths About Medicare," Mark Miller, a Reuters columnist, assembles mostly conservative complaints about Medicare and argues from a liberal perspective that each is false. And the same can be done from the opposing side.
There's nothing wrong with making a political argument - that's what commentators do. Myth-busting, however, encourages readers to think that the author is simply providing a public service.
As we approach Election Day, the number of such myths appears to be skyrocketing. Myth-busting articles from the past month include "Five Myths About Obama's Stimulus," "Five Myths About the U.S.-Iran Conflict," "Top Three Myths About Medicare," "Top Six Myths About Medicare" and, not to be outdone, "Ten Medicare Myths." We all love to see supposed myths debunked, but these opinion articles and blog posts are not as straightforward as they seem.
The format can give the impression that the author is merely replacing mistaken beliefs with impartial, politically neutral information. But most writers use myth-busting as a way to argue one side of an issue. In "Top Six Myths About Medicare," Mark Miller, a Reuters columnist, assembles mostly conservative complaints about Medicare and argues from a liberal perspective that each is false. And the same can be done from the opposing side.
There's nothing wrong with making a political argument - that's what commentators do. Myth-busting, however, encourages readers to think that the author is simply providing a public service.
miguel de Portugal comments: Another example of how the term "myth" is being used today: That the world's financial recovery is just around the corner is just a myth.... because there will not be a recovery and not much of a world, as we know it, left.
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(1) News Report
News Report No. 3
[our highlights]
Pope Pius XII Was Framed by KGB. (1)
When former Romanian intelligence chief General Ion Mihai Pacepa made sensational claims in 2007
that Pope Pius XII was the victim of a Soviet plot to frame him as a Nazi sympathizer, historians
and even even some of Pius' defenders were skeptical.
Yet as new evidence has come to light, Pacepa's claims are gaining wider support. The former spy chief, who defected to the United States in 1978, has just completed a new book called "Disinformation" in which, together with Ronald Rychlak, an expert on Pius XII and the Holocaust, he explains how the intricate framing operation was carried out.
The book promises to paint an intricate picture of the nefarious methods and labyrinthine plots used by the KGB to frame anti-communists such as the wartime Pope. CIA director James Woolsey writes in the book's introduction that it “will change the way you look at intelligence, foreign affairs, the press and much else.”
Its authors hope to show the extent to which the Kremlin's disinformation campaign thwarted the truth becoming known about Pius XII - a Pope who, according to recently discovered historical evidence, saved more Jewish lives during World War II than any other religious and political leader combined.
Yet as new evidence has come to light, Pacepa's claims are gaining wider support. The former spy chief, who defected to the United States in 1978, has just completed a new book called "Disinformation" in which, together with Ronald Rychlak, an expert on Pius XII and the Holocaust, he explains how the intricate framing operation was carried out.
The book promises to paint an intricate picture of the nefarious methods and labyrinthine plots used by the KGB to frame anti-communists such as the wartime Pope. CIA director James Woolsey writes in the book's introduction that it “will change the way you look at intelligence, foreign affairs, the press and much else.”
Its authors hope to show the extent to which the Kremlin's disinformation campaign thwarted the truth becoming known about Pius XII - a Pope who, according to recently discovered historical evidence, saved more Jewish lives during World War II than any other religious and political leader combined.
miguel de Portugal comments: We take anything reported by News Max with the proverbial grain of salt but, in this case it is different since we know - not believe, but know - that the central conclusion is true. Enough said.
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(1) News Report
August 27th, 2012
Contributed News Report No.
1
[our highlights]
It seems that we hear, on a regular basis, about a "Humanitarian Crisis" somewhere in the world where millions die of hunger and disease. We also hear about the promised donations and.... eventually hear that very little actual help reached those in need... since they have already died.
Are we witnessing another version of the "Hunger Plan"?
The Hunger Plan
During W.W.II, the Nazis implemented the "Hunger Plan" (1), as a way to eliminate both their military enemies and those deemed 'undesirable' in civilian populations. (2):
[our highlights]
It seems that we hear, on a regular basis, about a "Humanitarian Crisis" somewhere in the world where millions die of hunger and disease. We also hear about the promised donations and.... eventually hear that very little actual help reached those in need... since they have already died.
Are we witnessing another version of the "Hunger Plan"?
The Hunger Plan
During W.W.II, the Nazis implemented the "Hunger Plan" (1), as a way to eliminate both their military enemies and those deemed 'undesirable' in civilian populations. (2):
"The Hunger Plan caused the deaths of many, primarily Jews in the Soviet Union whom the Nazis
had forced into ghettos, and Soviet prisoners of war, which were most easily controlled by the
Germans and thus easily cut off from food supplies. Jews for example were barred from purchasing
eggs, butter, milk, meat or fruit. The so-called "ration" for Jews in Minsk and other cities
within the control of Army Group Center was no more than 420 calories per day. Tens of thousands
of Jews died of hunger and hunger-related causes over the winter of 1941-1942...
...By mid 1941, the German minority in Poland received 2613 calories per day while Poles
received 699 and Jews in the ghetto 184. The Jewish ration fulfilled 7.5 percent of their daily
needs; Polish rations only 26 percent. Only the ration allocated to Germans fulfilled the full
needs of their daily calorie intake...."
The point of this plan was ensure that the 'holy ones' (Germans) were fed, while 'the unholy ones' (everybody else) were intentionally starved. The Nazi collaborators in the various puppet states in Europe were well fed, just as the Germans.
Comment: "And I heard as it were a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying: Two pounds of wheat for a penny, and thrice two pounds of barley for a penny, and see thou hurt not the wine and the oil." (Revelations 6:6)
Let he who has Ears, hear....
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(1) The Hunger_Plan
(2) "Undesirables" can also include those who refuse to obey a state religion, as many former empires stand in testimony thereof.
Contributed News Report No. 2
[our highlights]
Bishop Tod D. Brown, Diocese of Orange, Celebrates Opening Mass for Knights of Columbus Convention. (1)
More than 80 archbishops and bishops - including 12 cardinals - and scores of clergy join more
than 2,000 Knights of Columbus and their family members for the convention at the Hilton Hotel in
Anaheim Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 7-9.
The Knights of Columbus 130th International Convention is the largest gathering of Catholic bishops and cardinals in America outside of the annual U.S. Bishops Conference meetings. Members and bishops will come from throughout North America, the Caribbean, the Philippines and Poland.
The convention open follows a very successful Guadalupe Celebration Sunday - in which tens of thousands of the faithful flocked to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for a celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe organized by the Knights of Columbus and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
The meeting is a mixture of business, recognition and fellowship, highlighted by the annual report of Supreme Knight Carl Anderson. Activities began Tuesday with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Tod D. Brown, Diocese of Orange, the host diocese for the event.
The Knights of Columbus 130th International Convention is the largest gathering of Catholic bishops and cardinals in America outside of the annual U.S. Bishops Conference meetings. Members and bishops will come from throughout North America, the Caribbean, the Philippines and Poland.
The convention open follows a very successful Guadalupe Celebration Sunday - in which tens of thousands of the faithful flocked to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for a celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe organized by the Knights of Columbus and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
The meeting is a mixture of business, recognition and fellowship, highlighted by the annual report of Supreme Knight Carl Anderson. Activities began Tuesday with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Tod D. Brown, Diocese of Orange, the host diocese for the event.
miguel de Portugal comments: Tod Brown is the motor behind the acquisition of the Crystal Cathedral (from Robert Schuller's bankrupt organization).
Tod D. Brown is also included in the Dallas Daily News list (2) of US hierarchy involved in the sexual abuse scandal. We quote:
=========================
 |
In late March, after a lengthy review of personnel files, he proclaimed his diocese a "safe haven"
- a place free of priests with molestation records. The review,
required under a $5.2 million settlement reached
last year with the victim of a former priest in the diocese, had
led to removal of at least two clerics who'd been
working for years after admitting abuse. Then in April, local media reported that the
Rev. Denis Lyons had been accused of sexual misconduct for the third time and
suspended. Bishop Brown's predecessor had sent Father Lyons into treatment after both previous
allegations arose, in 1993 and 1994. The bishop hadn't fired the priest during the review,
officials said, because one allegation involved misconduct with two adults and the other,
involving two boys, could not be substantiated. The priests removed because of the review included
the Rev. Michael Pecharich, who admitted six years ago that he molested a teenage
boy in the early 1980s; and the Rev. John Lenihan, who admitted more than a
decade ago that he had sexually abused a teenage girl. The diocese paid one settlement then and
another this year to a woman who said Father Lenihan abused her when she was a teen in the 1970s
and paid for her abortion
|
=========================
But not to worry - Brown has said that he will make his new cathedral the second most significant Roman Catholic religious site after the Vatican....
Translation:Business as usual.
Interpretation:Do everything and deny everything.... just don't get caught.
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(1) News Report
(2) Catholic Bishops and Sex Abuse
August 26th, 2012
News Report No. 1
[our highlights]
As fighting in neighboring Syria rages on, Pope Benedict XVI has confirmed that he will proceed with his trip to Lebanon as planned.(1)
[our highlights]
As fighting in neighboring Syria rages on, Pope Benedict XVI has confirmed that he will proceed with his trip to Lebanon as planned.(1)
"The Christians in Lebanon are looking forward to the Holy Father's visit with great joy,"
Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Boutros Rai told Aid to the Church in Need Aug. 22. Escalating
violence in Syria and increased tensions in Lebanon gave rise to speculation that the Pope would
postpone or cancel his Sept. 14-16 trip.
"Of course the visit will go ahead," Cardinal Rai confirmed. Just last week an assassination plot against Cardinal Rai, who is the highest ranking dignitary in the Maronite Church, was prevented when one of the conspirators informed Lebanon's domestic secret service of the plan.
Large quantities of explosives were intended to detonate along the route of Cardinal Rai's visit to Sunni parliament member Khaled Daher's home in northern Lebanon. Michel Samaha, a former minister and current supporter of Hezbollah, was involved in the plot and has been arrested and admitted to the plan.
"Of course the visit will go ahead," Cardinal Rai confirmed. Just last week an assassination plot against Cardinal Rai, who is the highest ranking dignitary in the Maronite Church, was prevented when one of the conspirators informed Lebanon's domestic secret service of the plan.
Large quantities of explosives were intended to detonate along the route of Cardinal Rai's visit to Sunni parliament member Khaled Daher's home in northern Lebanon. Michel Samaha, a former minister and current supporter of Hezbollah, was involved in the plot and has been arrested and admitted to the plan.
Contributor's comments: You have said in previous years that a future September 14th (Solemnity of The Triumph of the Cross) would prove to be eschatologically significant ("a date of even greater eschatological importance in the future".) It seems that Benedict is - with this trip and its timing - trying to make this come true.
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(1) News Report
News Report No. 2
[our highlights]
Airlines give many reasons for refusing to let you board, but none stir as much debate as this: How you're dressed. (1)
A woman flying from Las Vegas on Southwest this spring
says she was confronted by an airline employee for showing too much cleavage. In another
recent case, an American Airlines pilot lectured a passenger because her T-shirt bore a
four-letter expletive. She was allowed to keep flying after draping a shawl over the shirt.
It's not always clear what's appropriate. Airlines don't publish dress codes. There are no rules that spell out the highest hemline or the lowest neckline allowed. That can leave passengers guessing how far to push fashion boundaries. Every once in a while the airline says: Not that far.
"It's like any service business. If you run a family restaurant and somebody is swearing, you kindly ask them to leave," says Kenneth Quinn, an aviation lawyer and former chief counsel at the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.
The American Airlines passenger, who declined to be interviewed by The Associated Press, works for an abortion provider. Supporters suggested that she was singled out because her T-shirt had a pro-choice slogan.
A spokesman for American says the passenger was asked to cover up "because of the F-word on the T-shirt." He says that the airline isn't taking sides in the abortion debate.
It's not always clear what's appropriate. Airlines don't publish dress codes. There are no rules that spell out the highest hemline or the lowest neckline allowed. That can leave passengers guessing how far to push fashion boundaries. Every once in a while the airline says: Not that far.
"It's like any service business. If you run a family restaurant and somebody is swearing, you kindly ask them to leave," says Kenneth Quinn, an aviation lawyer and former chief counsel at the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.
The American Airlines passenger, who declined to be interviewed by The Associated Press, works for an abortion provider. Supporters suggested that she was singled out because her T-shirt had a pro-choice slogan.
A spokesman for American says the passenger was asked to cover up "because of the F-word on the T-shirt." He says that the airline isn't taking sides in the abortion debate.
miguel de Portugal comments: Frankly, we welcome the idea.
"Freedom" has been stretched to the point where there are grevious infringement on the freedom of others. Right now - even in a small town - in a country where one keeps tripping over cathedrals, nuns, etc. - the younger women are dressing in a manner which reminds me of the TV news reports when there is a raid in a house of ill repute. Actually - if they were all mixed together and placed in a line up, it would practically impossible to determine who are the prostitutes and who are "the girls next door".
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(1) News Report
August 25th, 2012
News Report No. 1
[our highlights]
Peru to build new airport near Machu Picchu. (1)
miguel de Portugal comments: Peru, a country which has a Gross National Product which only is 0.56 % of that of the US, will spend at least 0.63 % of their own Gross National Product to build an airport near the mythical (and allegedly mystical) citadel of Machu Picchu for tourist purposes?
Anyone who believes that to be the real reason, even if the inflated figure of 3,000 tourists a day traffic was true, needs to pray much because their awareness of the times we are living through is not where it should be by now.
My God!, we would not even spend that kind of money in the US for such a trickle of tourists.
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(1) News Report
(2) Source
News Report No. 2
[our highlights]
Romney uses secretive data-mining to raise funds. (1)
miguel de Portugal comments: Actually, the point we are trying to make is NOT what Mr. Romney is up to or, for that matter, Mr. Obama. Let us not forget that Mr. Bush used subliminal TV messages in his first campaign, got caught and exposed.... and kept on using them. They are politicians who are for sale to the highest bidder.
The point that we want to make is to confirm the existence, and the day to day usage, of a secretive data-mining project that sifts through Americans' personal information - including their purchasing history and church attendance - and that is used to influence the way we shop and think.
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(1) News Report
News Report No. 3
[our highlights]
How to handle Space Weather upheavals?
August 24th, 2012
[our highlights]
Peru to build new airport near Machu Picchu. (1)
Peruvian President Ollanta Humala announced plans Wednesday to build an international airport near
the southern city of Cusco to boost tourism to the legendary Inca citadel of Machu Picchu.
The current Cusco airport, long unable to handle major flights from abroad, only operates with limited daytime flights and is limited by its location in a city, surrounded by hills. Large aircraft cannot fly into the facility.
"We need a new airport in Cusco, because the current one is not sufficient," Humala said, after enacting a law allowing the expropriation of land in the town of Chinchero near Cusco to construct the new airport.
Humala said the government will invest $460 million in the project, not including compensation to the farming communities whose land will be seized.
An average of 3,000 tourists each day come from all over the world to visit Cusco, the former capital of the Inca empire, and the nearby citadel of Machu Picchu, according to local authorities.
The current Cusco airport, long unable to handle major flights from abroad, only operates with limited daytime flights and is limited by its location in a city, surrounded by hills. Large aircraft cannot fly into the facility.
"We need a new airport in Cusco, because the current one is not sufficient," Humala said, after enacting a law allowing the expropriation of land in the town of Chinchero near Cusco to construct the new airport.
Humala said the government will invest $460 million in the project, not including compensation to the farming communities whose land will be seized.
An average of 3,000 tourists each day come from all over the world to visit Cusco, the former capital of the Inca empire, and the nearby citadel of Machu Picchu, according to local authorities.
miguel de Portugal comments: Peru, a country which has a Gross National Product which only is 0.56 % of that of the US, will spend at least 0.63 % of their own Gross National Product to build an airport near the mythical (and allegedly mystical) citadel of Machu Picchu for tourist purposes?
Anyone who believes that to be the real reason, even if the inflated figure of 3,000 tourists a day traffic was true, needs to pray much because their awareness of the times we are living through is not where it should be by now.
My God!, we would not even spend that kind of money in the US for such a trickle of tourists.
________________
(1) News Report
(2) Source
News Report No. 2
[our highlights]
Romney uses secretive data-mining to raise funds. (1)
Mitt Romney's success in raising hundreds of millions of dollars in the costliest presidential
race ever can be traced in part to a secretive
data-mining project that sifts through Americans' personal information - including their
purchasing history and church attendance - to identify new and likely, wealthy donors.
For the data-mining project, the Republican candidate has quietly employed since at least June a little-known but successful analytics firm that previously performed marketing work for a colleague tied to Bain & Co., the management-consulting firm that Romney once led.
The head of Buxton Co. of Fort Worth, Texas, chief executive Tom Buxton, confirmed to the AP his company's efforts to help Romney identify rich and previously untapped Republican donors across the country.
The project shows that the same strategies corporations use to influence the way we shop and think..... The same personal information that we give away, often unwittingly when we swipe our credit cards or log into Facebook, is now being collected by the people who might one day occupy the White House.
For the data-mining project, the Republican candidate has quietly employed since at least June a little-known but successful analytics firm that previously performed marketing work for a colleague tied to Bain & Co., the management-consulting firm that Romney once led.
The head of Buxton Co. of Fort Worth, Texas, chief executive Tom Buxton, confirmed to the AP his company's efforts to help Romney identify rich and previously untapped Republican donors across the country.
The project shows that the same strategies corporations use to influence the way we shop and think..... The same personal information that we give away, often unwittingly when we swipe our credit cards or log into Facebook, is now being collected by the people who might one day occupy the White House.
miguel de Portugal comments: Actually, the point we are trying to make is NOT what Mr. Romney is up to or, for that matter, Mr. Obama. Let us not forget that Mr. Bush used subliminal TV messages in his first campaign, got caught and exposed.... and kept on using them. They are politicians who are for sale to the highest bidder.
The point that we want to make is to confirm the existence, and the day to day usage, of a secretive data-mining project that sifts through Americans' personal information - including their purchasing history and church attendance - and that is used to influence the way we shop and think.
____________________
(1) News Report
News Report No. 3
[our highlights]
How to handle Space Weather upheavals?
It is better to learn about it now than wait
until it is too late.
Remember, God is our only security but He expects us to do our part too.
Remember, God is our only security but He expects us to do our part too.
August 24th, 2012
News Report No. 1
[our highlights]
A new book about Opus Dei has been published (1), and it seems that the author may have read our pages on Opus Dei, although it is claimed that it "was written many years ago", yet we find nothing to substantiate such claim.
[our highlights]
A new book about Opus Dei has been published (1), and it seems that the author may have read our pages on Opus Dei, although it is claimed that it "was written many years ago", yet we find nothing to substantiate such claim.
This novel predicts the vital flash-point that plunges Israel into war and embroils the West in
mayhem. Written many years before the present build-up of tensions in the Middle East,
before the world economy showed signs of collapse, and well prior to the threatened food
shortages; it encapsulates all those elements and more.
Opus Dei is a book that challenges the status quo. Who and what is behind the build-up of world events? Are Israel, USA and NATO to blame for the current tensions in the Middle East, or is another power at work?
What makes Jerusalem the focal-point of the coming conflict and what role is played by Egypt and Babylon? Expect Opus Dei to uncap the mysteries. The sacred Egyptian texts hint at a hidden chamber or chambers beneath the Giza Pyramid and the Sphinx. If the Great Pyramid is a masterpiece in understated engineering perfection, what can we expect from the secret places beneath its foundation? What part do these mysteries play in a soon-to-be-formed World Government?
Is the coming world leader a benign dictator or a religious leader, a king, priest, or emperor? Is he the Christ, or Osiris reborn? Does his assumption of power herald a time of peace – or mayhem such as our planet has never before experienced?
Dan Brown, in his popular novel, The Da Vinci Code, familiarised his readership with the Catholic movement, Opus Dei and the secretive Priory de Sion . Opus Dei explores Dan Brown’s theme and reveals the real purpose behind these, and other, arcane organisations. Read of the conspiracy behind the War on Terror....
Opus Dei is a book that challenges the status quo. Who and what is behind the build-up of world events? Are Israel, USA and NATO to blame for the current tensions in the Middle East, or is another power at work?
What makes Jerusalem the focal-point of the coming conflict and what role is played by Egypt and Babylon? Expect Opus Dei to uncap the mysteries. The sacred Egyptian texts hint at a hidden chamber or chambers beneath the Giza Pyramid and the Sphinx. If the Great Pyramid is a masterpiece in understated engineering perfection, what can we expect from the secret places beneath its foundation? What part do these mysteries play in a soon-to-be-formed World Government?
Is the coming world leader a benign dictator or a religious leader, a king, priest, or emperor? Is he the Christ, or Osiris reborn? Does his assumption of power herald a time of peace – or mayhem such as our planet has never before experienced?
Dan Brown, in his popular novel, The Da Vinci Code, familiarised his readership with the Catholic movement, Opus Dei and the secretive Priory de Sion . Opus Dei explores Dan Brown’s theme and reveals the real purpose behind these, and other, arcane organisations. Read of the conspiracy behind the War on Terror....
miguel de Portugal comments: One thing is for sure: From the description, the story seems to be much closer to reality than Dan Brown's bok was.
_________________
(1) Source of quotes
News Report No. 2
[contributor's highlights]
Another "Tweet" from God?
RYAN (or RYaN) is an acronym for
Raketno-Yadernoe Napadenie (Russian:
Ракетно-ядерное нападение,
"Nuclear Missile Attack").
Purpose
The purpose of the operation was to collect intelligence on potential contingency plans of the Reagan administration to launch a nuclear first strike against the Soviet Union." It was initiated in May 1981 by Yuri Andropov, then chairman of KGB.
RYAN took on a new significance after the announcement of plans to deploy Pershing II nuclear-capable missiles to West Germany. These missiles were designed to be launched from road-mobile vehicles, making the launch sites very hard to find. The flight time from West Germany to European Russia was only four to six minutes (approximate flying time from six to eight minutes from West Germany to Moscow), giving the Soviets little or no warning.
On 23 March 1983 Ronald Reagan publicly announced development of the SDI program. Soviet leadership felt that the use of SDI technology was to render America invulnerable to Soviet attack, thereby allowing the US to launch missiles against the USSR with no fear of retaliation. This concern about a surprise attack prompted sudden expansion of the RYAN program. The level of concern reached its peak after the Soviets shot down KAL 007 near Moneron Island on 1 September 1983, and during the NATO Exercise Able Archer 83. The Soviet Union believed that a United States first strike on the Soviet Union was imminent.
Operation RYAN was downscaled in 1984, after the deaths of its main proponents, Yuri Andropov and defense minister Dmitriy Ustinov. (1)
Purpose
The purpose of the operation was to collect intelligence on potential contingency plans of the Reagan administration to launch a nuclear first strike against the Soviet Union." It was initiated in May 1981 by Yuri Andropov, then chairman of KGB.
RYAN took on a new significance after the announcement of plans to deploy Pershing II nuclear-capable missiles to West Germany. These missiles were designed to be launched from road-mobile vehicles, making the launch sites very hard to find. The flight time from West Germany to European Russia was only four to six minutes (approximate flying time from six to eight minutes from West Germany to Moscow), giving the Soviets little or no warning.
On 23 March 1983 Ronald Reagan publicly announced development of the SDI program. Soviet leadership felt that the use of SDI technology was to render America invulnerable to Soviet attack, thereby allowing the US to launch missiles against the USSR with no fear of retaliation. This concern about a surprise attack prompted sudden expansion of the RYAN program. The level of concern reached its peak after the Soviets shot down KAL 007 near Moneron Island on 1 September 1983, and during the NATO Exercise Able Archer 83. The Soviet Union believed that a United States first strike on the Soviet Union was imminent.
Operation RYAN was downscaled in 1984, after the deaths of its main proponents, Yuri Andropov and defense minister Dmitriy Ustinov. (1)
Contributor's comments: As I understand it, there was substantial Opus Dei influence during the Reagan administration, and there would be at least as much under Romney/Ryan.
Will Vice President (or President) Ryan preside over a real-life nuclear missile attack?
miguel de Portugal comments: As we have said before - we do not foretell the future. That is Fortune Telling and you all should know what God thinks about that. (2) We only - prompted and instructed by God - move "pieces on the board" via revealed information. When this started, around 1991, I was totally unaware of it. Eventually the "action-reaction" record was overwhelming. It was then that I realized how God was using me in this particular area.
This modality of operation applies, more than ever, to the the time up to the Republican and Democratic Conventions and the Election itself (assuming that we get that far). What we must say, however, is that, like in any kind of sport, as we approach The End, the excitement, the drama, and the interest increase significantly. You have been Blessed to occupy a front row seat through our pages. May God Be Praised and Glorified!
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(1) RYAN - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(2) About Divination
August 23rd, 2012
News Report No. 1
[highlights by contributor]
Introductory Note by miguel de Portugal: As recently as January (1) and February (2) 2012, we have spoken about the Holy Pope and Holy King expectation by the Catholic tradition; an expectation fueled by a number of alleged visions and messages throughout the centuries.
Being that "the schedule is being met" we should not be surprised that a mainstream and respected Catholic publication - The National Catholic Register : America's most complete Catholic News source : A Service of EWTN (exactly as their mast reads) - is beginning to talk about this matter extensively. Following are a few choice quotes from the article in question (3), but we encourage our reader to read the entire article - Catholic Prophecy, Europe, And The Return Of The King :
[highlights by contributor]
Introductory Note by miguel de Portugal: As recently as January (1) and February (2) 2012, we have spoken about the Holy Pope and Holy King expectation by the Catholic tradition; an expectation fueled by a number of alleged visions and messages throughout the centuries.
Being that "the schedule is being met" we should not be surprised that a mainstream and respected Catholic publication - The National Catholic Register : America's most complete Catholic News source : A Service of EWTN (exactly as their mast reads) - is beginning to talk about this matter extensively. Following are a few choice quotes from the article in question (3), but we encourage our reader to read the entire article - Catholic Prophecy, Europe, And The Return Of The King :
"Is this the
time..."
What time? The time when Europe leads the world into the conflagration. A time of crisis the likes of which has never been seen before. Boy, after all we have seen before, that should make one shudder.
"...they were talking about?"
What they? Catholic prophets. Yes, we do have those believe it or not. We just don't like to talk about it lest someone think that we are like those wild-eyed folks, bless their hearts, with the "in case of rapture this car will be unmanned" bumper stickers.
No, we are not like them but we do have prophets (Yes, even the future telling kind.) And while there is no shortage of "catholic" quacks and charlatans out there, there are dozens and dozens of quotes from Approved Catholic sources, saints, sages, Fathers and Doctors of the Church who have gone out of their way to let us know what may befall mankind before the end of the world.
What many prophecies agree upon is that the great Chastisement begins with civil unrest and anarchy in Europe (likely economic) that grows into all out civil war and general war. The focus of such prophecy is Europe, but the unrest is likely not limited to there. At some point, the Church and the faithful become a particular target of the hate-filled upon whom some of the worst ravages are unleashed.
Amidst the chaos and war, the Pope reluctantly flees Rome and goes into hiding. He is eventually found and killed by his enemies who boast of destroying the Church. Surprisingly, amidst the chaos, a new and great Pope is miraculously chosen. This Pope crowns a king (yes, a king) for France to help end the chaos there.
This king goes on to defeat the enemies of the Church across world and becomes the Great Monarch, Emperor to a restored Holy Roman Empire and de facto leader of the world. In this capacity, he restores order, peace, and justice to the world and the Church and the Gospel is spread throughout the world. After some unknown amount of time of peace and prosperity, the world returns to its old ways and prepares the way for the rise of Antichrist.
As a Europe with a very fratricidal history is on the brink of economic disaster, a Catholic conversant with these prophecies should keep his eyes open. For sure, Europe has been there time and again and the rest hasn't happened. But if those saints, sages, Fathers and Doctors are right, it will.
What time? The time when Europe leads the world into the conflagration. A time of crisis the likes of which has never been seen before. Boy, after all we have seen before, that should make one shudder.
"...they were talking about?"
What they? Catholic prophets. Yes, we do have those believe it or not. We just don't like to talk about it lest someone think that we are like those wild-eyed folks, bless their hearts, with the "in case of rapture this car will be unmanned" bumper stickers.
No, we are not like them but we do have prophets (Yes, even the future telling kind.) And while there is no shortage of "catholic" quacks and charlatans out there, there are dozens and dozens of quotes from Approved Catholic sources, saints, sages, Fathers and Doctors of the Church who have gone out of their way to let us know what may befall mankind before the end of the world.
What many prophecies agree upon is that the great Chastisement begins with civil unrest and anarchy in Europe (likely economic) that grows into all out civil war and general war. The focus of such prophecy is Europe, but the unrest is likely not limited to there. At some point, the Church and the faithful become a particular target of the hate-filled upon whom some of the worst ravages are unleashed.
Amidst the chaos and war, the Pope reluctantly flees Rome and goes into hiding. He is eventually found and killed by his enemies who boast of destroying the Church. Surprisingly, amidst the chaos, a new and great Pope is miraculously chosen. This Pope crowns a king (yes, a king) for France to help end the chaos there.
This king goes on to defeat the enemies of the Church across world and becomes the Great Monarch, Emperor to a restored Holy Roman Empire and de facto leader of the world. In this capacity, he restores order, peace, and justice to the world and the Church and the Gospel is spread throughout the world. After some unknown amount of time of peace and prosperity, the world returns to its old ways and prepares the way for the rise of Antichrist.
As a Europe with a very fratricidal history is on the brink of economic disaster, a Catholic conversant with these prophecies should keep his eyes open. For sure, Europe has been there time and again and the rest hasn't happened. But if those saints, sages, Fathers and Doctors are right, it will.
miguel de Portugal comments: We assure you - Those who believe such un-Biblical fantasies will never know what hit them. We have done our part to Warn the World (4) - them included, of course - thus my conscience, and that of those who have assisted us in this prophetic journey, are clear. I am ready for the manifestation of what we have announced - including the fact that, speaking in percentages, the Roman Catholics who are blindly obedient to Rome, will constitute the greatest percentage of those who will be tricked by the False Christ, thus, lost.
_________________
(1) The Catholic King Syndrome - Part I
(2) The Catholic King Syndrome - Part II
(3) Catholic Prophecy, Europe, And The Return Of The King
(4) Warned World
August 22nd, 2012
News Report No. 1
[our highlights]
The NSA is building in Utah the country's biggest Spy Center. (1)
The heavily fortified $2 billion center should be up and running in September 2013. Flowing through its servers and routers and stored in near-bottomless databases will be all forms of communication, including the complete contents of private emails, cell phone calls, and Google searches, as well as all sorts of personal data trails - parking receipts, travel itineraries, bookstore purchases, and other digital "pocket litter".
miguel de Portugal comments: Frankly, considering what we have revealed regarding our elusive National security, this information means little to us: No more security and more opportunity to make mistakes.
However, considering the events associated with the End of These Times, what Red Flagged the whole operation for us is the fact that the ultimate State Surveillance Center is being built in "Mormon Country" and that the US now has a Mormon-Opus Dei team as the Republican candidate for the next US Presidential Elections (assuming, of course, that we get there).
Coincidence? Hardly!
_________________
(1) Comprehensive News Report
and as if in cue we also read today that...[our highlights]
The NSA is building in Utah the country's biggest Spy Center. (1)
Bluffdale sits in a bowl-shaped valley in the shadow of
Utah's Wasatch Range to the east and the Oquirrh Mountains to the west.
It's the heart of Mormon country, where religious
pioneers first arrived more than 160 years ago. They came to escape the rest of the world, to
understand the mysterious words sent down from their god as revealed on buried golden
plates,...
Under construction by contractors with top-secret clearances, the blandly named Utah Data Center is being built for the National Security Agency. A project of immense secrecy, it is the final piece in a complex puzzle assembled over the past decade. Its purpose: to intercept, decipher, analyze, and store vast swaths of the world's communications as they zap down from satellites and zip through the underground and undersea cables of international, foreign, and domestic networks.
Under construction by contractors with top-secret clearances, the blandly named Utah Data Center is being built for the National Security Agency. A project of immense secrecy, it is the final piece in a complex puzzle assembled over the past decade. Its purpose: to intercept, decipher, analyze, and store vast swaths of the world's communications as they zap down from satellites and zip through the underground and undersea cables of international, foreign, and domestic networks.
The heavily fortified $2 billion center should be up and running in September 2013. Flowing through its servers and routers and stored in near-bottomless databases will be all forms of communication, including the complete contents of private emails, cell phone calls, and Google searches, as well as all sorts of personal data trails - parking receipts, travel itineraries, bookstore purchases, and other digital "pocket litter".
miguel de Portugal comments: Frankly, considering what we have revealed regarding our elusive National security, this information means little to us: No more security and more opportunity to make mistakes.
However, considering the events associated with the End of These Times, what Red Flagged the whole operation for us is the fact that the ultimate State Surveillance Center is being built in "Mormon Country" and that the US now has a Mormon-Opus Dei team as the Republican candidate for the next US Presidential Elections (assuming, of course, that we get there).
Coincidence? Hardly!
_________________
(1) Comprehensive News Report
News Report No. 2
[our highlights]
Romney opening up - a little - about his religion. (1)
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is starting to open up a bit more about his lifelong
commitment to Mormonism.
He invited reporters to Mormon chapel services with his family. And he has asked a fellow Mormon to give an invocation before he speaks at the Republican National Convention next week. He recently rolled out an ad on religious values, although he didn't identify himself as Mormon.
Romney is the first Mormon presidential nominee of a major political party. But highlighting his faith carries risks. Americans know little about Mormonism, and what they do know often comes from critics.
He invited reporters to Mormon chapel services with his family. And he has asked a fellow Mormon to give an invocation before he speaks at the Republican National Convention next week. He recently rolled out an ad on religious values, although he didn't identify himself as Mormon.
Romney is the first Mormon presidential nominee of a major political party. But highlighting his faith carries risks. Americans know little about Mormonism, and what they do know often comes from critics.
miguel de Portugal comments: It will be very interesting to see how this election campaign develops since this is the last chance Opus Dei will have to get into the Oval Office. As the song goes: "It's now or never...." Never a dull moment around here!
_________________
(1) News Report
August 21st, 2012
News Report No. 1
[our highlights]
Iraqis are helping Iran skirt sanctions. (1)
miguel de Portugal comments: Who can take us seriously? We lose every war (after WW II), are mocked by insignificant countries worldwide and are taken advantage of everywhere.... and we think that we are a Super Power? Oh, yes.... we forgot.... we can place an unmanned vehicle on Mars.....
_________________
(1) News Report
News Report No. 2
[our highlights]
China has secretly built a major underground nuclear submarine base that could threaten Asian countries and challenge American power in the region. (1)
miguel de Portugal comments: Why should we worry? Russia has tactical nuclear missiles in Cuba since May and Cuba is only 90 miles away from US shores.
And besides.... we can place an unmanned vehicle on Mars.....
_________________
(1) News Report
[our highlights]
Iraqis are helping Iran skirt sanctions. (1)
Iraq has been helping Iran skirt economic sanctions
imposed because of its nuclear program, using a network of financial institutions and
oil-smuggling operations that are providing Tehran with a crucial flow of dollars, the New
York Times said on Saturday.
In some case, Iraqi government officials are turning a blind eye to trade with Iran, while other officials in Baghdad are directly profiting from the activities -- with several of them having close ties to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, the Times said.
U.S. President Barack Obama acknowledged the problem last month.... At the time, the president said that the bank had "facilitated transactions worth millions of dollars on behalf of Iranian banks that are subject to sanctions for their links to Iran's illicit proliferation activities."
And yet Iraqi banking experts told the Times that Elaf Islamic Bank was still participating in the Iraq Central Bank's daily auction at which commercial banks can sell Iraqi dinars and buy dollars.
In some case, Iraqi government officials are turning a blind eye to trade with Iran, while other officials in Baghdad are directly profiting from the activities -- with several of them having close ties to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, the Times said.
U.S. President Barack Obama acknowledged the problem last month.... At the time, the president said that the bank had "facilitated transactions worth millions of dollars on behalf of Iranian banks that are subject to sanctions for their links to Iran's illicit proliferation activities."
And yet Iraqi banking experts told the Times that Elaf Islamic Bank was still participating in the Iraq Central Bank's daily auction at which commercial banks can sell Iraqi dinars and buy dollars.
miguel de Portugal comments: Who can take us seriously? We lose every war (after WW II), are mocked by insignificant countries worldwide and are taken advantage of everywhere.... and we think that we are a Super Power? Oh, yes.... we forgot.... we can place an unmanned vehicle on Mars.....
_________________
(1) News Report
News Report No. 2
[our highlights]
China has secretly built a major underground nuclear submarine base that could threaten Asian countries and challenge American power in the region. (1)
In what will be a significant challenge to US Navy dominance and to countries ringing the South
China Sea, one photograph shows China’s latest 094
nuclear submarine at the base just a few hundred miles from its neighbours.
Other images show numerous warships moored to long jettys and a network of underground tunnels at the Sanya base on the southern tip of Hainan island.
Of even greater concern to the Pentagon are massive tunnel entrances, estimated to be 60ft high, built into hillsides around the base. Sources fear they could lead to caverns capable of hiding up to 20 nuclear submarines from spy satellites.
The US Department of Defence has estimated that China will have five 094 nuclear submarines operational by 2010 with each capable of carrying 12 JL-2 nuclear missiles.
Other images show numerous warships moored to long jettys and a network of underground tunnels at the Sanya base on the southern tip of Hainan island.
Of even greater concern to the Pentagon are massive tunnel entrances, estimated to be 60ft high, built into hillsides around the base. Sources fear they could lead to caverns capable of hiding up to 20 nuclear submarines from spy satellites.
The US Department of Defence has estimated that China will have five 094 nuclear submarines operational by 2010 with each capable of carrying 12 JL-2 nuclear missiles.
miguel de Portugal comments: Why should we worry? Russia has tactical nuclear missiles in Cuba since May and Cuba is only 90 miles away from US shores.
And besides.... we can place an unmanned vehicle on Mars.....
_________________
(1) News Report
....but don't you worry your pretty little heads with these threats, after all we have spy and military satellites watching over us, don't we?. Sure we do... So what? Read on....
Report No. 3
[our highlights]
Anti-satellite weapons (ASAT) are designed to incapacitate or destroy satellites for strategic military purposes. Currently, only the United States, the former Soviet Union, and the People's Republic of China are known to have developed these weapons.
miguel de Portugal comments: We just learned that it is in precisely the new subterranean nuclear submarine base in the island of Hainan (see Report No. 2 above) where the PRC keep the submarines equipped with such ASAT.
_________________
(1) Details
Anti-satellite weapons (ASAT) are designed to incapacitate or destroy satellites for strategic military purposes. Currently, only the United States, the former Soviet Union, and the People's Republic of China are known to have developed these weapons.
On September 13, 1985, the United States destroyed US satellite P78-1 using an ASM-135 ASAT
anti-satellite missile.
On January 11, 2007, China destroyed an old Chinese orbiting weather satellite.
A year later on February 21, 2008, USA destroyed a malfunctioning US spy satellite USA-193 using a RIM-161 Standard Missile 3.
On January 11, 2007, China destroyed an old Chinese orbiting weather satellite.
A year later on February 21, 2008, USA destroyed a malfunctioning US spy satellite USA-193 using a RIM-161 Standard Missile 3.
miguel de Portugal comments: We just learned that it is in precisely the new subterranean nuclear submarine base in the island of Hainan (see Report No. 2 above) where the PRC keep the submarines equipped with such ASAT.
_________________
(1) Details
Final comments from miguel de
Portugal: It seems that the reasons to augment our prayer life are increasing
exponentially. We wonder how many are taking this seriously?
August 20th, 2012
[our highlights]
Intrusion embarrasses 'Fort Knox of uranium'. (1)
Officials like to refer to the Y-12 National Security Complex as the Fort Knox for highly enriched
uranium, which is why an unprecedented incursion by an
82-year-old nun and two fellow protesters has critics mocking the notion that the weapons plant is
secure.
Y-12 makes uranium parts for every warhead in the U.S. nuclear arsenal, dismantles old weapons and is the nation's primary storehouse for bomb-grade uranium..... "We were lucky in that regard that it was the nun and her cohorts, rather than a serious terrorist outfit," Stockton said.
Other than striking out in the pre-dawn darkness, the three protesters did little to conceal their nearly half-mile trek into the restricted area where signs warn intruders they could be shot.
According to court documents, they used bolt cutters to get through three fences, tripping alarms in the process. ....they spent more than two hours inside the restricted area. The action culminated in the protesters spray-painting and throwing blood on the walls of the white fortress-like HEUMF structure.
"Despite receiving numerous alarms from the multi-layered sensor system in the fence line, the protective force failed to react to the protesters as they cut through the three fences," according to letter.
"You get through the fences, you get to the building, and if you have special forces guys - dedicated guys who are suicidal and heavily armed - all you do is blow the door off or blow a hole in the side of the building," he said.
Previous protests around the plant - including one less than three months after 9/11 - have led to millions of dollars of security upgrades.
"We're paying all that money for an illusion of security - and you really can't secure the plant," Hutchison said.
But security lapses have persisted.
Y-12 makes uranium parts for every warhead in the U.S. nuclear arsenal, dismantles old weapons and is the nation's primary storehouse for bomb-grade uranium..... "We were lucky in that regard that it was the nun and her cohorts, rather than a serious terrorist outfit," Stockton said.
Other than striking out in the pre-dawn darkness, the three protesters did little to conceal their nearly half-mile trek into the restricted area where signs warn intruders they could be shot.
According to court documents, they used bolt cutters to get through three fences, tripping alarms in the process. ....they spent more than two hours inside the restricted area. The action culminated in the protesters spray-painting and throwing blood on the walls of the white fortress-like HEUMF structure.
"Despite receiving numerous alarms from the multi-layered sensor system in the fence line, the protective force failed to react to the protesters as they cut through the three fences," according to letter.
"You get through the fences, you get to the building, and if you have special forces guys - dedicated guys who are suicidal and heavily armed - all you do is blow the door off or blow a hole in the side of the building," he said.
Previous protests around the plant - including one less than three months after 9/11 - have led to millions of dollars of security upgrades.
"We're paying all that money for an illusion of security - and you really can't secure the plant," Hutchison said.
But security lapses have persisted.
miguel de Portugal comments: If you are a regular reader you know what would be our first comment, so we will not repeat it.
The second, echoes similar ones of the past: That is how stupid those in charge of our security really are! Who cares if we can land a craft in Mars if we cannot even protect our own backyard? They could land it in a nearby Galaxy for all we should care! We need real homeland security and not an agency with its name.
Once again, drawing from my experience in the Petrochemical world - back then intruders in our complexes would not have gotten to first base, as the saying goes, without being caught.... and we did not have any of the, Oh, so sophisticated!, security devices we now have.
Allow us to "draw you a picture" of security issues in a petrochemical complex. In one complex I was associated with very closely we had several tanks of liquefied hydrogen cyanide (yes, the gas used in the death penalty Gas Chambers). We may have had somewhere between 100,000 and 250,000 pounds of it. This small tank farm was easily accessible to anyone already inside the Petrochemical complex. It was not an out of the way location; as a matter of fact, I walked past it every single day.
I lived no more than one mile from said petrochemical complex with my family and slept like a baby. Why? Because I knew that we really had a practically impenetrable security system plus reliable back ups. Of course, in those days we did not have the smart phone toting "scientists" and "engineers" that fill the ranks of our industry today and who could not find their way to the coffee pot or the rest room without a GPS!
_________________
(1) News Report
(2) Hydrogen Cyanide
A report from Lake Placid, NY, from a long time resident (1).
We're a village of 3,000 people, but can accommodate up to 60,000 on a busy weekend, with all the
hotels and other infrastructure. We're at just under 2,000 feet in elevation, in a basin
surrounded by heavily wooded mountains 4,000-5,000 feet high. Our geology is Precambrian,
with rock akin to Canadian Shield, rather than the newer Appalachian rock all around us.
There are only three roads going in or out. All in all, a secure location. One that can easily be "locked down", if need arises. Just a year or two ago, we learned that a NATO meeting was held here, unbeknownst to most until after the fact. It's easy for them to do this, especially in off season, when the resorts are empty.
About 10 years ago, they resumed some train activity here, but only to nearby Saranac Lake. It was an alleged tourist train ride, a very un-interesting trip with no views, a rarity here. It loses money hand over foot. But from Saranac Lake, lines exist that can link, through a very rural linkage, down to New York City.
Next item: Since we've lived here, it's been a constant struggle to get our winter ravaged roads repaired. To spare you a long story, repairs for limited stretches, have always been done only when the potholes could proverbially swallow small children.
However, this summer, out of the blue, they're not only re-paving everything, they're fixing more expensive problems like roads with steep hills and a turn at the bottom, or a bridge in the middle of a sharp curve. All at once.
It's so that getting around town is nearly impossible, with so many roads closed simultaneously. It even crimped this summer's Ironman Triathlon, one of the biggest economic activities all year. This is not how you plan road construction, unless you're in a HUGE hurry to get it all done.
Another clue: Lake Placid airport is right in town, but can only land small planes, and you need to bank before descent, to avoid the mountain behind the runway. But in Lake Clear, just outside Saranac Lake, there is an airport built for the 1980 Olympics, that is little-used, but has a long runway that can land big jets. If you draw a line between the two airports, the line passes just north of my window where I'm sitting now.
I've noted a very large increase in helicopter traffic along that line in the last year or so. Okay, a rich man flies into Lake Clear, then takes the chopper to Lake Placid airport. That can give only you so much traffic. But it seems constant lately.
Something seems afoot...
There are only three roads going in or out. All in all, a secure location. One that can easily be "locked down", if need arises. Just a year or two ago, we learned that a NATO meeting was held here, unbeknownst to most until after the fact. It's easy for them to do this, especially in off season, when the resorts are empty.
About 10 years ago, they resumed some train activity here, but only to nearby Saranac Lake. It was an alleged tourist train ride, a very un-interesting trip with no views, a rarity here. It loses money hand over foot. But from Saranac Lake, lines exist that can link, through a very rural linkage, down to New York City.
Next item: Since we've lived here, it's been a constant struggle to get our winter ravaged roads repaired. To spare you a long story, repairs for limited stretches, have always been done only when the potholes could proverbially swallow small children.
However, this summer, out of the blue, they're not only re-paving everything, they're fixing more expensive problems like roads with steep hills and a turn at the bottom, or a bridge in the middle of a sharp curve. All at once.
It's so that getting around town is nearly impossible, with so many roads closed simultaneously. It even crimped this summer's Ironman Triathlon, one of the biggest economic activities all year. This is not how you plan road construction, unless you're in a HUGE hurry to get it all done.
Another clue: Lake Placid airport is right in town, but can only land small planes, and you need to bank before descent, to avoid the mountain behind the runway. But in Lake Clear, just outside Saranac Lake, there is an airport built for the 1980 Olympics, that is little-used, but has a long runway that can land big jets. If you draw a line between the two airports, the line passes just north of my window where I'm sitting now.
I've noted a very large increase in helicopter traffic along that line in the last year or so. Okay, a rich man flies into Lake Clear, then takes the chopper to Lake Placid airport. That can give only you so much traffic. But it seems constant lately.
Something seems afoot...
miguel de Portugal comments: Indeed, indeed!
_________________
(1) A level headed regular visitor to our pages who does not need a GPS to get to the coffee pot nor the rest room.
News Report No. 3
[our highlights]
Israel tells Obama he must make clear to Iran by September 25 that US will attack if they don't cease nuclear program. (1)
Israel has delivered an ultimatum to Obama saying that he must make clear to Iran that America
will take military action to stop their nuclear program if they don't do it themselves, or Israel
may be forced to attack Iran.
Israel doesn't want a half-hearted statement noting that the military option is on the table. They want a clear and unmistakable threat to Iran that it must acknowledge. This is an existential matter for them and they say time is rapidly running out.
Israel doesn't want a half-hearted statement noting that the military option is on the table. They want a clear and unmistakable threat to Iran that it must acknowledge. This is an existential matter for them and they say time is rapidly running out.
miguel de Portugal comments: On September 25th, at sundown, Yom Kippur - Jewish Day of Atonement - begins.
Yom Kippur is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance.
There is a precedent for a Yom Kippur war: The Yom Kippur War, also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria.
Do we need to call on Daniel so that he may read the "handwriting on the wall"?
_________________
(1) News Video
August 19th, 2012
News Report and Commentary
[our highlights]
Mr. IW, who contributed this news report, saw in this article (1) a story that confirms Netanyahu is thinking exactly as the King of Israel in our recent posting - A Hidden Prophecy (2) .
Summarizing: Netanyahu is planning a "shock and awe" attack on Iran. It would involve
missile attacks just prior to the scheduled pass of a spy satellite. Planes would already be
in the air for a follow-up, and would strike any target the satellite suggests needs it.
He assumes easy success to incapacitate Iran's ability
to respond. There is no thought given to possible retaliation. The proposal is
supposedly being kicked around in top circles, to build support.
There is not a focus on Syria, but I'm sure that
would be rolled in if Washington gave permission to proceed.
miguel de Portugal comments: After reviewing the text it appears legitimate since it has an obvious, but hidden to their eyes, flaw. They are counting on Iran and its allies rolling over and allowing themselves to be overrun without putting up a fight; a fight so fierce that not even Saddam Hussein could have dreamed up.
_________________
(1) News Report
(2) A Hidden Prophecy
[our highlights]
Would you believe that a web page has ben created to imply/justify/indicate/prove that Jesus Christ endorsed homosexuality?
For 1,900 years, Christian scholars didn't know that
Jesus' teachings were based on a well-established group of commandments that didn't include the
prohibition on homosexuality.
miguel de Portugal comments: We just glanced at it and it is interesting to see how facts are twisted and re-created to prove a point. Imagine that technique being applied to current news reports as well as any historical event. Sadly enough it is done today more often than not.
As we said at the end of our document A Biblical Perspective on Homosexuality (2), homosexuality is not the real problem. The real problem is its promotion, the "hard sell", so to speak, at all levels and using all imaginable methods.
We just viewed a History Channel video about books and documents left out of the Bible in which they spoke about a Hidden Gospel of Mark wherein a certain young man, having a linen cloth covering his naked body, visited with Jesus for one whole night. Without coming out and saying it, they implied some sort of "contact" between Jesus and this young man. This mysterious individual is also mentioned in the Gospel of Mark which appears in all New Testaments, "giving credibility" to the story found in the alleged Hidden Gospel of Mark.
[51] And a certain young man followed him, having a linen cloth
cast about his naked body; and they laid hold on him. [52] But he, casting off the linen cloth,
fled from them
naked.
[Mark 14]
No. I will not say nor try to imagine: "What next?" During the End of These Times anything is possible.
_________________
(1) Web Site
(2) A Biblical Perspective on Homosexuality
August 18th, 2012
News Report No. 1
[our highlights]
How to find out if a social media account is from the U.S. government.
miguel de Portugal comments: In this age of fakery and falsification we thought it appropriate to pass on the above information that we received from U.S. Government
News Report No. 2
[contributor's highlights]
The Washington, DC headquarters of the Family Research Council (1) was the scene of a recent shooting incident. (2)
Contributor's comments: Many people may be unaware that - as with the Witherspoon Institute (3), and the National Organization for Marriage (4) - the Family Research Council is actually an Opus Dei front operation.
None of the entities describe themselves as having any overt link to OD. One must "read between the lines" of their agendas, and the identity of their board members. Agenda? All of these are ultra-conservative think tanks, engaged in similar agendas. Why have these multiple organizations - some seeming to be Protestant/Evangelical in orientation?
The 'x factor' linking these organizations together (and with OD) may be found in the example of a certain Robert P. George. He is known to be an OD member. He is on the board of the Witherspoon Institute (chaired by OD numerary Luis Tellez). Both George and Tellez were founding board members of the National Organization for Marriage (an OD operation). (5)
The list of groups which these two men are part of and their agendas is long. Even more complex is the web of high powered donors to these organizations. (6)(7)
These organizations all came from the same "nest": the Opus Dei center at Princeton University. Major donors to the affiliated programs have included Wall Street publisher Steve Forbes (8)
The response of the head of the Family Research Council to the shooting incident is interesting; he blames a third party.... If someone who knows me throws a rock at me, my first question should be: "Did I do something to offend my brother?".
miguel de Portugal comments: Imagine what these people would have accomplished if they had dedicated their time and resources to prayer and reparation - as Heaven has been clamoring for since early in the 19th century - instead of amassing political and financial power using the Name of God as an excuse.
Just yesterday we read in a major Spanish daily (our translation): Barcelona (second major city in Spain) ....will fine with up to 3,000 Euros (~ 3,700 US Dollars) those who engage in sex with prostitutes in public such as arcades, alleys or just anywhere public. This behavior has been expressly forbidden since the year 2006 but the law has not been strictly enforced.
We find it totally incomprehensible that even within the last two centuries - let alone the 21st century - in a major European city, one could engage in sexual activity - up to an including intercourse - with a prostitute in view of the general public.
Since the law refers to sex with a prostitute in a public place, are we to prseume that it is OK if there is no charge? Or that the partner is the male's wife?
Lord have Mercy! How far gone is Escrivaland!
Now, try to sell or publish a book, anywhere in Spain, critical of the Opus Dei and you will be shut down through economic coercion.
_________________
(1) Family_Research_Council
(2) Source
(3) Source
(4) Source
(5) National_Organization_for_Marriage
(6) Source
(7) Source
(8) Source
[our highlights]
How to find out if a social media account is from the U.S. government.
Every day, the government uses social media services like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube to communicate with you and provide easy access to government benefits and services.
But unlike most government websites, which are hosted on a .mil or a .gov domain, social media sites are hosted on commercial domains. Without the .gov or the .mil, it can be difficult to determine which social media accounts are official government sources of information and which are impersonators.
To help solve that problem, the U.S. government recently launched a social media registry in English and Spanish, where you can confirm the validity of a variety of government social media accounts. Learn more about the social media registry.
miguel de Portugal comments: In this age of fakery and falsification we thought it appropriate to pass on the above information that we received from U.S. Government
News Report No. 2
[contributor's highlights]
The Washington, DC headquarters of the Family Research Council (1) was the scene of a recent shooting incident. (2)
Contributor's comments: Many people may be unaware that - as with the Witherspoon Institute (3), and the National Organization for Marriage (4) - the Family Research Council is actually an Opus Dei front operation.
None of the entities describe themselves as having any overt link to OD. One must "read between the lines" of their agendas, and the identity of their board members. Agenda? All of these are ultra-conservative think tanks, engaged in similar agendas. Why have these multiple organizations - some seeming to be Protestant/Evangelical in orientation?
An ancient military strategy is to attack from more then one front. Sometimes using different
national flags or uniforms to confuse the enemy....It is also hard to shoot back when you have no
clue where the bullets are coming from.
The 'x factor' linking these organizations together (and with OD) may be found in the example of a certain Robert P. George. He is known to be an OD member. He is on the board of the Witherspoon Institute (chaired by OD numerary Luis Tellez). Both George and Tellez were founding board members of the National Organization for Marriage (an OD operation). (5)
The list of groups which these two men are part of and their agendas is long. Even more complex is the web of high powered donors to these organizations. (6)(7)
These organizations all came from the same "nest": the Opus Dei center at Princeton University. Major donors to the affiliated programs have included Wall Street publisher Steve Forbes (8)
The response of the head of the Family Research Council to the shooting incident is interesting; he blames a third party.... If someone who knows me throws a rock at me, my first question should be: "Did I do something to offend my brother?".
miguel de Portugal comments: Imagine what these people would have accomplished if they had dedicated their time and resources to prayer and reparation - as Heaven has been clamoring for since early in the 19th century - instead of amassing political and financial power using the Name of God as an excuse.
Just yesterday we read in a major Spanish daily (our translation): Barcelona (second major city in Spain) ....will fine with up to 3,000 Euros (~ 3,700 US Dollars) those who engage in sex with prostitutes in public such as arcades, alleys or just anywhere public. This behavior has been expressly forbidden since the year 2006 but the law has not been strictly enforced.
We find it totally incomprehensible that even within the last two centuries - let alone the 21st century - in a major European city, one could engage in sexual activity - up to an including intercourse - with a prostitute in view of the general public.
Since the law refers to sex with a prostitute in a public place, are we to prseume that it is OK if there is no charge? Or that the partner is the male's wife?
Lord have Mercy! How far gone is Escrivaland!
Now, try to sell or publish a book, anywhere in Spain, critical of the Opus Dei and you will be shut down through economic coercion.
_________________
(1) Family_Research_Council
(2) Source
(3) Source
(4) Source
(5) National_Organization_for_Marriage
(6) Source
(7) Source
(8) Source
August 17th, 2012
News Report No. 1
[our highlights]
Ecuador grants political asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. (1)
[our highlights]
Ecuador grants political asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. (1)
A stern warning from Britain on the eve of Ecuador's much-anticipated decision on Julian Assange's
asylum request led its foreign minister to accuse
Britain Wednesday of threatening to storm his nation's London embassy to arrest the WikiLeaks
founder.
Foreign Minister Ricard Patino said Britain had earlier in the day issued "a written threat that it could assault our embassy" if Assange is not handed over.
As news broke of the warning, a number of police officers were seen reinforcing Scotland Yard's presence outside the embassy....
Britain's Foreign Office issued a statement later Wednesday citing a 1987 British law it says permits the revocation of diplomatic status of a building if the foreign power occupying it "ceases to use land for the purposes of its mission or exclusively for the purposes of a consular post."
Under international law, diplomatic posts are considered the territory of the foreign nation.
Foreign Minister Ricard Patino said Britain had earlier in the day issued "a written threat that it could assault our embassy" if Assange is not handed over.
As news broke of the warning, a number of police officers were seen reinforcing Scotland Yard's presence outside the embassy....
Britain's Foreign Office issued a statement later Wednesday citing a 1987 British law it says permits the revocation of diplomatic status of a building if the foreign power occupying it "ceases to use land for the purposes of its mission or exclusively for the purposes of a consular post."
Under international law, diplomatic posts are considered the territory of the foreign nation.
miguel de Portugal comments (and strongly suggest that our NSA "Guardian Angels" pay close attention): First of all, understand that we are nor an "Assange fan" and do not approve in any form or fashion of his behavior and/or activities. With that said, let us understand the trap that the "Masters of the World" are setting for us and the UK.
It is hard to find two countries which are more hated throughout the world than the US and the UK. Appearances are deceiving since the "friendliness" and "smiling" towards them has only one objective: See how much they can get out of the US and the UK.
A case in point. Our "great friend and ally", Turkey, charges US citizens ten times what they charge the European Union citizens for an entry visa. With friends like that, who needs enemies as the saying goes.
An attack by UK forces on the Ecuadorian Embassy in London may unleash a "get even mood" latent in all the enemies the UK has worldwide. It does not take a professional agitator to get the UK Embassies, on a worldwide scale, in flames in very short notice. The US Embassies may follow.
Now we all puff up our chests and say: Yeah, let them try it. We'll give them a good whipping!
May we remind one and all (and that certainly includes our NSA "Guardian Angels") that Iran stormed our Embassy in Teheran many years ago, captured our personnel and we did little more than "squat"?
May we remind one and all that the last war we won was World War II and since then it has been reverse after reverse, humiliation after humiliation?
Do not count on a nationwide reaction like the one that took place after we were hit in Pearl Harbor. As we reminded Former President Carter, (2) that was then, but it is vastly different today. We have become soft; very soft and distracted. Anyone takes away our Smart Phones and probably we will not be able to find our way home.
Also keep in mind that the country which has the most to lose in a nuclear attack is the US, and.... if your missed our News Commentary of August 4th (3), know that 'With the full consent of the Cuban leadership, on May 11 of this year, Russia has not only resumed work in the electronic center of Lourdes, but also placed the latest mobile strategic nuclear missiles "Oak" on the island.' This time is for real and not like the Cuban Crisis fraud (4).
Therefore, boys and girls amongst our NSA "Guardian Angels", make sure that your superiors think very carefully before they act. Their track record is lousy and we have more to lose than anyone else in the world. Capito?
____________
(1) News Report
(2) Letter to Former President Carter
(3) News Commentary for August
(4) The Cuban Missile fraud
(1) News Report
(2) Letter to Former President Carter
(3) News Commentary for August
(4) The Cuban Missile fraud
News Report No. 2
[our highlights]
Army suicides doubled last month from June's total. (1)
Suicides among active-duty soldiers in July more than doubled from June, accelerating a trend
throughout the military this year that has prompted Pentagon leaders to redouble efforts to solve
a puzzling problem.
The Army, which is the only branch of the military that issues monthly press statements on suicides, said 26 active-duty soldiers killed themselves in July, compared to 12 in June. The July total was the highest for any month since the Army began keeping such statistics, according to Lt. Col. Lisa Garcia, an Army spokeswoman.
The Marine Corps had eight suicides in July, up from six in June. The July figure was its highest monthly total of 2012 and pushed its total for the year so far to 32 - equal to the Marines' total for all of 2011. The Marines' July figure is being posted on its website but was provided first to The Associated Press.
The Air Force said it had six in July, compared to two in June. The Navy had four in July but its June figure was not immediately available.
The Army, which is the only branch of the military that issues monthly press statements on suicides, said 26 active-duty soldiers killed themselves in July, compared to 12 in June. The July total was the highest for any month since the Army began keeping such statistics, according to Lt. Col. Lisa Garcia, an Army spokeswoman.
The Marine Corps had eight suicides in July, up from six in June. The July figure was its highest monthly total of 2012 and pushed its total for the year so far to 32 - equal to the Marines' total for all of 2011. The Marines' July figure is being posted on its website but was provided first to The Associated Press.
The Air Force said it had six in July, compared to two in June. The Navy had four in July but its June figure was not immediately available.
miguel de Portugal comments: Poor kids! And what for? (read the comments at News Report No. 1 above)
Eternal rest, grant them, O Lord, and may Perpetual Light shine upon them. May they Rest in Peace. Amen!
Now then - let us give prayerful support to those who still are with us so that they do not despair as the ones, who are no longer with us, did. A whole Rosary per week and the intentions of a Mass per month would be a good place to start.
_______________
(1) News Report
August 16th, 2012
[our highlights]
Radiology technician David Kwiatkowski was a few weeks into a temporary job at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center-Presbyterian in 2008 when a co-worker accused him of lifting a syringe containing an addictive painkiller from an operating room and sticking it down his pants. (1)
More syringes were found in his pockets and locker. A drug test showed he had fentanyl and other
opiates in his system.
....authorities say that when he swiped the fentanyl syringe, he left another one in its place, filled with a dummy fluid, ready to be used on a patient.
But Kwiatkowski did not go to jail. No one in Pittsburgh even called the police. Neither the hospital nor the medical staffing agency that placed him in the job informed the national accreditation organization for radiological technicians.
So just days after being fired, he was able to start a new job at a Baltimore hospital.
(and on, and on, and on.... eventually...)....authorities say that when he swiped the fentanyl syringe, he left another one in its place, filled with a dummy fluid, ready to be used on a patient.
But Kwiatkowski did not go to jail. No one in Pittsburgh even called the police. Neither the hospital nor the medical staffing agency that placed him in the job informed the national accreditation organization for radiological technicians.
So just days after being fired, he was able to start a new job at a Baltimore hospital.
.....three doctors simultaneously reported that patients recently treated in the catheterization lab had tested positive for hepatitis C. Within days, Kwiatkowski was also identified as having hepatitis C, and he was suspended as the state began investigating.
In July, police in Massachusetts said they found him intoxicated in a hotel room with a suicide note. He was arrested soon after.
Laboratory testing found that 31 patients had a strain of the hepatitis C virus matching the one Kwiatkowski carried, health authorities said.
....the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center said it sent letters to about 2,000 patients who may have been exposed to hepatitis C by the former medical worker.
miguel de Portugal comments: Besides what we often say, and believe! - that God IS the only security that we truly have - we will like to add the following:
Based on experience, the only way that the Health Care system will make sure that this will not happen again is with a lawsuit against all responsible parties that would practically bankrupt the insurance companies that cover their malpractice liabilities.
_________________
(1) News Report
News Report No. 2
[our highlights]
Drug charges dropped because of too much evidence. (1)
A fugitive doctor charged in the nation's largest prosecution of Internet pharmacies is getting
off in part because there's just too much evidence in his case:
more than 400,000 documents and two terabytes of
electronic data that federal authorities say is expensive to maintain.
"Continued storage of these materials is difficult and expensive," wrote Stephanie Rose, the U.S. attorney for northern Iowa. She called the task "an economic and practical hardship" for the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The case started in 2003 with a raid of a small Iowa drugstore and eventually secured the conviction of 26 defendants, including 19 doctors. The investigation dismantled two Internet pharmacies that illegally sold 30 million pills to customers. Investigators also recovered $7 million, most of which went to Iowa police agencies that helped with the case.
"Continued storage of these materials is difficult and expensive," wrote Stephanie Rose, the U.S. attorney for northern Iowa. She called the task "an economic and practical hardship" for the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The case started in 2003 with a raid of a small Iowa drugstore and eventually secured the conviction of 26 defendants, including 19 doctors. The investigation dismantled two Internet pharmacies that illegally sold 30 million pills to customers. Investigators also recovered $7 million, most of which went to Iowa police agencies that helped with the case.
miguel de Portugal comments: Well, maybe the suggestion we made for the News Report No. 1 is no longer possible in today's world. May this be a reminder that the world is "beyond all" and only God can correct what we have done to Creation.... in a more comprehensive manner than He did at the time we identify as Noah's Flood.
_________________
(1) News Report
News Report No. 1
[our highlights]
Reverse-Engineered Irises Look So Real, They Fool Eye-Scanners. (1)
miguel de Portugal comments: As you may see, God does not cease to remind us that He IS the only security that we truly have.
_________________
(1) News Report
[our highlights]
Reverse-Engineered Irises Look So Real, They Fool Eye-Scanners. (1)
The academics have found a way to recreate iris images
that match digital iris codes that are stored in databases and used by iris-recognition systems to
identify people. The replica images, they say, can trick commercial iris-recognition
systems into believing they're real images and could help someone thwart identification at border
crossings or gain entry to secure facilities protected by biometric systems.
The work goes a step beyond previous work on iris-recognition systems. Previously, researchers have been able to create wholly synthetic iris images that had all of the characteristics of real iris images - but weren't connected to real people. The images were able to trick iris-recognition systems into thinking they were real irises, though they couldn't be used to impersonate a real person. But this is the first time anyone has essentially reverse-engineered iris codes to create iris images that closely match the eye images of real subjects, creating the possibility of stealing someone's identity through their iris.
The work goes a step beyond previous work on iris-recognition systems. Previously, researchers have been able to create wholly synthetic iris images that had all of the characteristics of real iris images - but weren't connected to real people. The images were able to trick iris-recognition systems into thinking they were real irises, though they couldn't be used to impersonate a real person. But this is the first time anyone has essentially reverse-engineered iris codes to create iris images that closely match the eye images of real subjects, creating the possibility of stealing someone's identity through their iris.
miguel de Portugal comments: As you may see, God does not cease to remind us that He IS the only security that we truly have.
_________________
(1) News Report
August 14th, 2012
News Report No. 1
[our highlights]
Egypt military shows no sign of opposing president. (1)
[our highlights]
Egypt military shows no sign of opposing president. (1)
Egypt's military has shown no sign of opposing the
president's surprise decision to retire the defense minister and chief of staff
and seize back the powers the military grabbed from his
office. Nearly a full day after the order, no unusual military movements were
reported anywhere across the nation.
President Mohammed Morsi's shake-up of the military took the nation by surprise. It has transformed his image overnight from a weak leader to a savvy politician who carefully timed his move against generals who stripped him of significant powers days before he took office on June 30.
President Mohammed Morsi's shake-up of the military took the nation by surprise. It has transformed his image overnight from a weak leader to a savvy politician who carefully timed his move against generals who stripped him of significant powers days before he took office on June 30.
miguel de Portugal comments: As we have said in the past when witnessing a "simply unbelievable and unexpected behavior" in the geopolitical arena: The Egyptian Military have just received a visit from a representative of the true Masters of the World who explained to them "The (New) Facts of Life".
Based on multiple past experiences, when a world leader or world power receives one of those visits and told to "Squat!" the answer is always the same: "Where, sir?"
The schedule is being met.
_________________
(1) News Report
News Report No. 2
[our highlights]
Jet Skier Breaks Through JFK Airport's $100 Million Security System. (1)
A man whose jet ski failed him in New York's Jamaica Bay swam to John F. Kennedy airport, where he
was easily able to penetrate the airport $100 million, state-of-the art security system.
Daniel Casillo, 31, was able to swim up to and enter the airport grounds on Friday night, past an intricate system of motion sensors and closed-circuit cameras designed to to safeguard against terrorists, authorities said.
"I think he should be given dinner and a bottle of champagne for showing us our faults," said Nicholas Casale, an NYPD veteran and former MTA deputy security director for counterterrorism.
When he was eventually spotted by a Delta employee, police charged Casillo with criminal trespassing.
"It's outrageous," Casale said. "Why in 2012 do we not have a security system throughout our airports?" This is not the first time an airport's security systems failed.
Daniel Casillo, 31, was able to swim up to and enter the airport grounds on Friday night, past an intricate system of motion sensors and closed-circuit cameras designed to to safeguard against terrorists, authorities said.
"I think he should be given dinner and a bottle of champagne for showing us our faults," said Nicholas Casale, an NYPD veteran and former MTA deputy security director for counterterrorism.
When he was eventually spotted by a Delta employee, police charged Casillo with criminal trespassing.
"It's outrageous," Casale said. "Why in 2012 do we not have a security system throughout our airports?" This is not the first time an airport's security systems failed.
miguel de Portugal comments: When will pathetic humans realize that it IS God Who IS in charge and that the world has not gone Kaboom! yet because we have not reached that part of the Divine schedule (2) and that there is no one on Earth, including the above mentioned "Masters of the World", who can stop it?
It seems that capacity for human stupidity needs to be reevaluated and augmented every day.
_________________
(1) News Report
(2) The Schedule
August 13th, 2012
News Report No.
1 [from a frequent reader]
Regarding your news mailing (1) about Paul Ryan, I have the following to add:
_________________
(1) News Mailing
News Report No. 2
[our highlights]
Ryan selection shrouded in secrecy. (1)
miguel de Portugal comments: A typical behavior for a situation like this. It was the day after the announcement that we saw for the first time Mr. Ryan's face in photos and TV news. Knowing nothing him, if I had encountered him in a business environment I would not have conducted any business with him. This impact/situation reminds me of when I "saw" what Opus Dei was really all about before even knowing anything about them. The impact was so great then that I still remember where I was in Fatima when I had such realization.
Poor Mr. Romney, he does not know what he is doing.
_________________
(1) News Report
Regarding your news mailing (1) about Paul Ryan, I have the following to add:
Paul Ryan is the darling of EWTN. He has appeared more then a few times on Raymond Arroyo's (Opus
Dei) news program, "The World Over". His budget proposals was given national exposure thus by
EWTN, the virtual Opus Dei TV network.
Other guests (OD related) have subsequently lauded Ryan and his budget plan - as if it were official Catholic teaching!
As the news mail out has indicated, his budget plan would be warmongering in the extreme. And is a very thinly veiled attempt to cut off food, housing, and money to the poorest Americans. All under the flag-waving banner of 'morality'.
That Paul Ryan is Opus Dei is a given. Further, he is the replacement for Rick Santorum as ODs 'fail-safe'. Assuming Romney wins, and if he does not perform up to OD's expectations, as the Vice President, he would be ready to step in.... should Romney "gets thrown under the bus" (literally, if needed).
Other guests (OD related) have subsequently lauded Ryan and his budget plan - as if it were official Catholic teaching!
As the news mail out has indicated, his budget plan would be warmongering in the extreme. And is a very thinly veiled attempt to cut off food, housing, and money to the poorest Americans. All under the flag-waving banner of 'morality'.
That Paul Ryan is Opus Dei is a given. Further, he is the replacement for Rick Santorum as ODs 'fail-safe'. Assuming Romney wins, and if he does not perform up to OD's expectations, as the Vice President, he would be ready to step in.... should Romney "gets thrown under the bus" (literally, if needed).
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(1) News Mailing
News Report No. 2
[our highlights]
Ryan selection shrouded in secrecy. (1)
After Mitt Romney decided on a running mate, Paul Ryan's carefully planned transition from
congressman to vice presidential candidate began - in deep secret.
Almost a week ago, Ryan snuck through Chicago's O'Hare airport in a baseball cap and sunglasses and flew to New England. A Romney adviser's 19-year-old son picked up Ryan and drove him to a private meeting in his parents' dining room where the deal was sealed.
By Friday afternoon, Ryan was cutting through the Wisconsin woods behind his home to evade a reporter on the street out front, and heading to North Carolina. By night, he was eating Applebee's takeout at a nondescript chain hotel in that state and preparing for his big debut speech, according to a top Romney campaign aide who described the furtive maneuvering to reporters late Saturday.
All this, so that no one would see it coming: A Saturday morning unveiling of the GOP ticket in Norfolk outside the USS Wisconsin, the battleship named for Ryan's home state, as the sweeping theme from the movie "Air Force One" played.
This was the culmination of a methodical, highly secretive process that involved 10 top Romney staffers, a volunteer team of attorneys, a secret secure room in Romney's Boston headquarters, and reams of paper on a long and then a short list of potential candidates.
Romney, himself, decided the chance (of chosing Mr. Ryan) was worth taking.
"This was Mitt's decision," said Beth Myers, the senior adviser who led the vice presidential search. "He kept his own counsel."
In picking Ryan, Romney bypassed Republicans including Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
Almost a week ago, Ryan snuck through Chicago's O'Hare airport in a baseball cap and sunglasses and flew to New England. A Romney adviser's 19-year-old son picked up Ryan and drove him to a private meeting in his parents' dining room where the deal was sealed.
By Friday afternoon, Ryan was cutting through the Wisconsin woods behind his home to evade a reporter on the street out front, and heading to North Carolina. By night, he was eating Applebee's takeout at a nondescript chain hotel in that state and preparing for his big debut speech, according to a top Romney campaign aide who described the furtive maneuvering to reporters late Saturday.
All this, so that no one would see it coming: A Saturday morning unveiling of the GOP ticket in Norfolk outside the USS Wisconsin, the battleship named for Ryan's home state, as the sweeping theme from the movie "Air Force One" played.
This was the culmination of a methodical, highly secretive process that involved 10 top Romney staffers, a volunteer team of attorneys, a secret secure room in Romney's Boston headquarters, and reams of paper on a long and then a short list of potential candidates.
Romney, himself, decided the chance (of chosing Mr. Ryan) was worth taking.
"This was Mitt's decision," said Beth Myers, the senior adviser who led the vice presidential search. "He kept his own counsel."
In picking Ryan, Romney bypassed Republicans including Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
Officials said he had called all five to notify them of his decision.
Pawlenty received a call Monday evening, the day after
Ryan accepted, while the other four were all notified on Friday, just hours before the
announcement.
miguel de Portugal comments: A typical behavior for a situation like this. It was the day after the announcement that we saw for the first time Mr. Ryan's face in photos and TV news. Knowing nothing him, if I had encountered him in a business environment I would not have conducted any business with him. This impact/situation reminds me of when I "saw" what Opus Dei was really all about before even knowing anything about them. The impact was so great then that I still remember where I was in Fatima when I had such realization.
Poor Mr. Romney, he does not know what he is doing.
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(1) News Report
and then we read....
News Report No. 3
[our highlights]
Romney: Ryan is 'next president of the United States' (1)
Perhaps channeling the fervent wishes of conservatives, Mitt Romney on Saturday introduced running
mate Paul Ryan as "the next president of the United States." This may actually be a very, very
good omen for the Republican ticket.
"I would like you to join me in welcoming the next president of the United States, Paul Ryan!" Romney told a fired-up crowd in Norfolk, Virginia.
"I would like you to join me in welcoming the next president of the United States, Paul Ryan!" Romney told a fired-up crowd in Norfolk, Virginia.
miguel de Portugal comments: Another "tweet" from God?
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(1) News Report
August 12th, 2012
[our highlights]
Most people do not like to think about "What If" scenarios which may result in great harm; possible or unexpected, and potentially deadly, scenarios.
In industry - at least where and when m de P practiced Chemical and Environmental Engineering - the most important part of any project were the "Potential Problem Analysis" sessions. Professionals of different backgrounds would sit around a table "dreaming up" the most unimaginable equipment and human failures, so that they could design for their "prevention" as well as for "post catastrophe" safety procedures.
As the result of such on-going practice, when something unexpected happened, they could, "on the run", adjust and apply procedures that they may have developed for other incidents, to contain the unexpected damage.
A cooperator found the following information which may come in handy to some in the future. With the "Potential Problem Analysis" concept in mind, we want to share such information with our readership now:
The link given below (1) is a scientific
analysis of the effects and scope of:
Its effects are based on the following assumptions:
"A 150 kiloton bomb constructed by terrorists is detonated in the heart of Manhattan, at the
foot of the Empire State Building. The bomb goes off without warning at noon time. It's a clear
spring day with a breeze to the east."
Its effects are based on the following assumptions:
- There is no warning. The population has not been evacuated nor sought shelter. Both measures could reduce casualties.
- There is clear weather, with visibility of 9 miles (16 km).
- This is an isolated attack, leaving the rest of the country free to respond.
- A large percentage of the day time population is outside - 25%.
- The daytime population density is roughly uniform and about 125,000 per square mile.
- The shock wave will spread out uniformly in all directions, being minimally affected by structures.
Obviously, this is all hypothetical, based upon a single device of the specified size. Based on
this premise, the projected effects, human and property loss are interesting. It becomes clear
that the losses would be great. That many if not most 'survivors' would not survive, due to
lack of medical care - and the likelihood that outside rescue would be greatly hampered by
the loss of certain bridges and tunnels which link NYC to the mainland of the US.
The only Borough of New York City (NYC) which is actually on the mainland is the Bronx. Assuming
you could walk there, you could escape from the city to the north. The 7.5 million residents of
Long Island - while largely outside (due East) of the blast damage radius given - are cut off from
the rest of the US, as access to it is only via the bridges and tunnels through NYC. Even if their
homes are undamaged, their food and other supplies are trucked in through New York City.
The 2 or 3 ferry services which link the eastern portion of Long Island to Connecticut carry very
little vehicular traffic. They would be trapped, with the very real possibility of major portions
of their water supply being contaminated.
Anyone familiar with the general NYC area would know that a general evacuation is a virtual
impossibility - even given advance warning.
The scenarios given in the same web site for Detroit and San Francisco are also of interest.
(1) Source
August 11th, 2012
News Report No. 1
[our highlights]
Delaware pediatrician accused of 'waterboarding' daughter. (1)
miguel de Portugal comments: We wonder what is Dr. Morse's position on "What's so bad about a boy who wants to wear a dress?" [See our post and commentaries about this issue on August 10th.]
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(1) News Report
News Report No. 2
[our highlights]
Yesterday we stated "we have opted, unless it is a highly unusual event, not to mention them in this page." and it seems that God is testing the fidelity of our resolution since today we ran right into....
Bizarre rock 'ice shelf' found in Pacific. (1)
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(1) News Report
August 10th, 2012
General News Commentary
There are so many mega disaster everywhere in the world that we have opted, unless it is a highly unusual event, not to mention them in this page.
Once again we encourage our readers to regularly visit the RSOE EDIS - Emergency and Disaster Information Service page to stay informed of the (reported) disasters, natural and man made, which are striking the globe.
Those of our readers who have family and/or friends in any of the disaster areas may be assured of our prayers on their behalf.
[our highlights]
Delaware pediatrician accused of 'waterboarding' daughter. (1)
The daughter of a Delaware pediatrician who has appeared
on national TV for his research on near-death experiences told investigators he
"waterboarded" her several times by holding her face under a running faucet.
An attorney for Dr. Melvin Morse described the waterboarding description as an "attention-getter" by authorities, based on an allegation from an 11-year-old who had made a false abuse claim against a family member before.
Morse and his wife, Pauline, were charged with several felony counts Tuesday based on the daughter's claims.
Waterboarding simulates drowning and it has been used in the past by U.S. interrogators on terrorism suspects. M
Morse, who has authored several books and articles on paranormal science and near-death experiences, has appeared on shows such as "Larry King Live" and the "The Oprah Winfrey Show" to discuss his research, which also has been featured on an episode of "Unsolved Mysteries" and in an article in "Rolling Stone" magazine.
Morse's Web site is strewn with commentary about God, love, family and death.
An attorney for Dr. Melvin Morse described the waterboarding description as an "attention-getter" by authorities, based on an allegation from an 11-year-old who had made a false abuse claim against a family member before.
Morse and his wife, Pauline, were charged with several felony counts Tuesday based on the daughter's claims.
Waterboarding simulates drowning and it has been used in the past by U.S. interrogators on terrorism suspects. M
Morse, who has authored several books and articles on paranormal science and near-death experiences, has appeared on shows such as "Larry King Live" and the "The Oprah Winfrey Show" to discuss his research, which also has been featured on an episode of "Unsolved Mysteries" and in an article in "Rolling Stone" magazine.
Morse's Web site is strewn with commentary about God, love, family and death.
miguel de Portugal comments: We wonder what is Dr. Morse's position on "What's so bad about a boy who wants to wear a dress?" [See our post and commentaries about this issue on August 10th.]
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(1) News Report
News Report No. 2
[our highlights]
Yesterday we stated "we have opted, unless it is a highly unusual event, not to mention them in this page." and it seems that God is testing the fidelity of our resolution since today we ran right into....
Bizarre rock 'ice shelf' found in Pacific. (1)
A huge cluster of floating volcanic rocks covering
almost 26,000 square kilometres (10,000 square miles) has been found
drifting in the Pacific, the New Zealand navy
said Friday.
The strange phenomenon, which witnesses said resembled a polar ice shelf, was made up of lightweight pumice expelled from an underwater volcano, the navy said. An air force plane spotted the rocks on Thursday about 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) offshore from New Zealand and warned a navy warship that it was heading towards them.
Lieutenant Tim Oscar said that while he knew his ship the HMNZS Canterbury was in no danger from the pumice, which is solidified lava filled with air bubbles, it was still "the weirdest thing I've seen in 18 years at sea". "As far ahead as I could observe was a raft of pumice moving up and down with the swell," he said.
"The rock looked to be sitting two foot (half a metre) above the surface of the waves and lit up a brilliant while colour in the spotlight. It looked exactly like the edge of an ice shelf."
The strange phenomenon, which witnesses said resembled a polar ice shelf, was made up of lightweight pumice expelled from an underwater volcano, the navy said. An air force plane spotted the rocks on Thursday about 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) offshore from New Zealand and warned a navy warship that it was heading towards them.
Lieutenant Tim Oscar said that while he knew his ship the HMNZS Canterbury was in no danger from the pumice, which is solidified lava filled with air bubbles, it was still "the weirdest thing I've seen in 18 years at sea". "As far ahead as I could observe was a raft of pumice moving up and down with the swell," he said.
"The rock looked to be sitting two foot (half a metre) above the surface of the waves and lit up a brilliant while colour in the spotlight. It looked exactly like the edge of an ice shelf."
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(1) News Report
August 10th, 2012
General News Commentary
There are so many mega disaster everywhere in the world that we have opted, unless it is a highly unusual event, not to mention them in this page.
Once again we encourage our readers to regularly visit the RSOE EDIS - Emergency and Disaster Information Service page to stay informed of the (reported) disasters, natural and man made, which are striking the globe.
Those of our readers who have family and/or friends in any of the disaster areas may be assured of our prayers on their behalf.
News Report No. 1
[our highlights]
What’s so bad about a boy who wants to wear a dress? (1)
miguel de Portugal comments: First of all, when we hear the "not-to-worry" evaluations of their pediatrician, a psychologist and parents of other gender-nonconforming children, what comes to mind is the often quoted "wisdom" of Dr. Spock, et al, of the 60's and 70's and its later consequences.
From this child's behavioral symptoms, his condition does not appear to be hormonal nor another case of hermaphroditism. The answer may be found when one fully understands how the "Filters", that we mentioned in one of our documents, work.
Were that poor boy to reach adulthood in the world as it is, his future would hold a miserable life.
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(1) News Report
News Report No. 2
[our highlights]
Top 5 Viewed Features on NYTimes.com between August 1, 2012 - August 7, 2012
miguel de Portugal comments: The priorities of the First World....
News Report No. 3
[our highlights]
A signature of cosmic-ray increase in 774–775 AD has been found in tree rings in Japan. (1)
miguel de Portugal comments: A very technical article but the event helps us to realize how little we know about all that can seriously affect our planet, thus humanity. The "64,000 dollar" questions are "What could have (and still can) caused such cosmic ray increase that would be sustained for so long?" and "How did it impact the path of civilization?"
Granted, it is a moot point now but we wanted to share this with our readership.
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(1) Nature - Journal of Science
[our highlights]
What’s so bad about a boy who wants to wear a dress? (1)
The night before Susan and Rob allowed their son to go to preschool in a dress, they sent an
e-mail to parents of his classmates.
Alex, they wrote, "has been gender-fluid for as long as we can remember, and at the moment he is equally passionate about and identified with soccer players and princesses, superheroes and ballerinas (not to mention lava and unicorns, dinosaurs and glitter rainbows)."
They explained that Alex had recently become inconsolable about his parents’ ban on wearing dresses beyond dress-up time. After consulting their pediatrician, a psychologist and parents of other gender-nonconforming children, they concluded that "the important thing was to teach him not to be ashamed of who he feels he is."
When Alex was 4, he pronounced himself "a boy and a girl," but in the two years since, he has been fairly clear that he is simply a boy who sometimes likes to dress and play in conventionally feminine ways.
Some days at home he wears dresses, paints his fingernails and plays with dolls; other days, he roughhouses, rams his toys together or pretends to be Spider-Man. Even his movements ricochet between parodies of gender: on days he puts on a dress, he is graceful, almost dancerlike, and his sentences rise in pitch at the end.
On days he opts for only "boy" wear, he heads off with a little swagger.
There have always been people who defy gender norms. By the mid-20th century, doctors were trying "corrective therapy" to extinguish atypical gender behaviors. The goal was preventing children from becoming gay or transgender, a term for those who feel they were born in the wrong body.
Alex, they wrote, "has been gender-fluid for as long as we can remember, and at the moment he is equally passionate about and identified with soccer players and princesses, superheroes and ballerinas (not to mention lava and unicorns, dinosaurs and glitter rainbows)."
They explained that Alex had recently become inconsolable about his parents’ ban on wearing dresses beyond dress-up time. After consulting their pediatrician, a psychologist and parents of other gender-nonconforming children, they concluded that "the important thing was to teach him not to be ashamed of who he feels he is."
When Alex was 4, he pronounced himself "a boy and a girl," but in the two years since, he has been fairly clear that he is simply a boy who sometimes likes to dress and play in conventionally feminine ways.
Some days at home he wears dresses, paints his fingernails and plays with dolls; other days, he roughhouses, rams his toys together or pretends to be Spider-Man. Even his movements ricochet between parodies of gender: on days he puts on a dress, he is graceful, almost dancerlike, and his sentences rise in pitch at the end.
On days he opts for only "boy" wear, he heads off with a little swagger.
There have always been people who defy gender norms. By the mid-20th century, doctors were trying "corrective therapy" to extinguish atypical gender behaviors. The goal was preventing children from becoming gay or transgender, a term for those who feel they were born in the wrong body.
miguel de Portugal comments: First of all, when we hear the "not-to-worry" evaluations of their pediatrician, a psychologist and parents of other gender-nonconforming children, what comes to mind is the often quoted "wisdom" of Dr. Spock, et al, of the 60's and 70's and its later consequences.
From this child's behavioral symptoms, his condition does not appear to be hormonal nor another case of hermaphroditism. The answer may be found when one fully understands how the "Filters", that we mentioned in one of our documents, work.
Were that poor boy to reach adulthood in the world as it is, his future would hold a miserable life.
_________________
(1) News Report
News Report No. 2
[our highlights]
Top 5 Viewed Features on NYTimes.com between August 1, 2012 - August 7, 2012
1. All the Medalists: Men's 100-Meter Sprint
2. Gore Vidal Dies at 86; Prolific, Elegant, Acerbic Writer
3. Raising Successful Children
4. Dieting vs. Exercise for Weight Loss
5. Flood of Errant Trades Is a Black Eye for Wall Street
2. Gore Vidal Dies at 86; Prolific, Elegant, Acerbic Writer
3. Raising Successful Children
4. Dieting vs. Exercise for Weight Loss
5. Flood of Errant Trades Is a Black Eye for Wall Street
miguel de Portugal comments: The priorities of the First World....
News Report No. 3
[our highlights]
A signature of cosmic-ray increase in 774–775 AD has been found in tree rings in Japan. (1)
Increases in 14C concentrations in tree rings could be attributed to cosmic-ray events. We argue
that neither a solar flare nor a local supernova is
likely to have been responsible.
miguel de Portugal comments: A very technical article but the event helps us to realize how little we know about all that can seriously affect our planet, thus humanity. The "64,000 dollar" questions are "What could have (and still can) caused such cosmic ray increase that would be sustained for so long?" and "How did it impact the path of civilization?"
Granted, it is a moot point now but we wanted to share this with our readership.
_________________
(1) Nature - Journal of Science
August 9th, 2012
News Report No. 1
[our highlights]
July in US was hottest ever in history books. (1)
Federal scientists say July was the hottest month ever recorded in the contiguous United States.
The average temperature for the Lower 48 last month was 77.6 degrees. That breaks the old record
from July 1936, during the Dust Bowl, by two-tenths of a degree. Records go back to 1895.
Last month also was 3.3 degrees warmer than the 20th century average for July. The first seven months of 2012 were the warmest on record for the nation. And August 2011 through July this year was the warmest 12-month period on record.
Climate scientist Jake Crouch of the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C., said the U.S. is getting a double whammy of both localized heat and drought along with effects of global warming.
Last month also was 3.3 degrees warmer than the 20th century average for July. The first seven months of 2012 were the warmest on record for the nation. And August 2011 through July this year was the warmest 12-month period on record.
Climate scientist Jake Crouch of the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C., said the U.S. is getting a double whammy of both localized heat and drought along with effects of global warming.
miguel de Portugal comments: We must be getting closer to hell..... Read on...
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(1) News Report
News Report No. 2
[our highlights]
New Zealand volcano erupts after 100 years. (1)
A volcano quiet for more than a century erupted in a New Zealand national park, spreading thick
ash for several miles and causing some residents to evacuate their homes.
Some domestic flights were cancelled Aug. 7.
Some domestic flights were cancelled Aug. 7.
miguel de Portugal comments: As we were saying....
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(1) Slide Show
[our highlights]
A Step Forward for the Mobile Wallet (1)
Cash moved one small step nearer to its deathbed
with the announcement on Wednesday that Square, the mobile payments start-up, would partner with
Starbucks Coffee Company.
This fall, Square will begin processing all credit and debit card transactions at Starbucks stores
in the United States, and customers will eventually be able to charge a grande vanilla latte to
their credit cards simply by saying their names. Though smartphone payments have a long way to go
before they replace wallets altogether, Starbucks's adoption of Square will catapult the
start-up's technology onto street corners nationwide, and is the clearest sign yet that mobile
payments could become mainstream.
Starbucks is also investing $25 million in Square... Square, which was introduced in 2010, is one
of many businesses - like Google, PayPal, Sprint and Microsoft and start-ups like Scvngr and
GoPago - that are trying to offer mobile payments.
Forrester estimates that 30 percent of American mobile
phone owners are interested in using mobile payments, based on a survey polling about 7,600
adults in the United States. It found that younger consumers are the most amenable to using mobile
wallets. Still, it predicts that it will take another three to five years before mobile payments
reach critical mass in the domestic market.
miguel de Portugal comments: Why bother.... it should be obvious by now.
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(1) New York Times Reports
News Report No. 4
[our highlights]
Steve Mann is considered by many to be the world’s first cyborg. (1)
He has been using wearable computers that assist his
vision since the 1970s. Now he wears a display
screen over his right eye and is connected to a computer and the Internet.
In this edited interview, he discusses "mediated
reality"; the coming wearable-computing wars among Apple, Google and RIM; and
the brain-computer interface.
miguel de Portugal comments: Such are the plans... which God will not allow to be fully implemented.
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(1) New York Times Report again
August 8th, 2012
Musing about the recent Syrian and Iranian news
As we have pointed out in the past, coherence is the by-word of the Created Universe, in the physical and supernatural realm. Every "Action" has a "Reaction"; with the "Reaction" manifesting itself as either: an "Invoice" presented by Heaven and delivered by satan or a "Bonus" given by Heaven and delivered by God's Holy Angels.
Divine Laws function just like physical laws and the only way the Action-Reaction of either can be altered is by the intervention of Divine Mercy.
Recently we all have heard the Syrian President rattling his "biological and chemical weapons" saber. We also know that every day that goes by his back gets more pinned to the wall. He also knows than in today's world, a Head of State considered a pariah by the International Community (whatever that is) ends either in jail or in the grave.... and he does not have to look far for examples such as Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi.
The International Community (whatever that is) has allowed Bashar al-Assad to slaughter his people at will for the last twelve months or so, and the most that they have done is use hand cream as they keep wringing their hands.... and nothing else. They claim that China and Russia have their hands tied and then, wring their hands some more, and continue to do nothing.
Now, let's rewind to the end of 2002 and first half of 2003. Because said International Community (whatever that is) was determined to control Iraq, its oil wealth and its out-of-control President, they invented the transparent lie about the biological and chemical weapons of mass destruction which, again, allegedly, Saddam Hussein had in every closet of every palace he owned and which were ready to use at the drop of the proverbial hat.
Once the citizens of the International Community (whatever that is) where whipped up to a frenzy (and let the Chinese and Russian opposition be damned) Iraq was turned into a bloody parking lot and, of course, the chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction turned out to be the salt and pepper shakers in Saddam's palace's kitchens.
Banking on past experiences regarding "...coherence is the by-word of the Created Universe - in the physical and supernatural realm" and that "Every 'Action' has a 'Reaction'; with the 'Reaction', in this case, manifesting itself as an 'Invoice' presented by Heaven and delivered by satan.....", the International Community (whatever that is) may be about to suffer the effects of the biological and chemical weapons that Hussein did not have but al-Assad does. Since Hussein was also accused of hoarding nuclear weapons so that the illegitimate invasion of Iraq be even more justified, the Syria-Iran alliance may just provide that other ingredient - the nuclear one - so that the "Invoice" to be presented is complete.
Just musings.... no prophecies but we suggest that our NSA Guardian Angels pass such musings to the leadership of the International Community (whatever that is) so that they do not get caught with the proverbial pants down.... again!
Musing about the recent Syrian and Iranian news
As we have pointed out in the past, coherence is the by-word of the Created Universe, in the physical and supernatural realm. Every "Action" has a "Reaction"; with the "Reaction" manifesting itself as either: an "Invoice" presented by Heaven and delivered by satan or a "Bonus" given by Heaven and delivered by God's Holy Angels.
Divine Laws function just like physical laws and the only way the Action-Reaction of either can be altered is by the intervention of Divine Mercy.
Recently we all have heard the Syrian President rattling his "biological and chemical weapons" saber. We also know that every day that goes by his back gets more pinned to the wall. He also knows than in today's world, a Head of State considered a pariah by the International Community (whatever that is) ends either in jail or in the grave.... and he does not have to look far for examples such as Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi.
The International Community (whatever that is) has allowed Bashar al-Assad to slaughter his people at will for the last twelve months or so, and the most that they have done is use hand cream as they keep wringing their hands.... and nothing else. They claim that China and Russia have their hands tied and then, wring their hands some more, and continue to do nothing.
Now, let's rewind to the end of 2002 and first half of 2003. Because said International Community (whatever that is) was determined to control Iraq, its oil wealth and its out-of-control President, they invented the transparent lie about the biological and chemical weapons of mass destruction which, again, allegedly, Saddam Hussein had in every closet of every palace he owned and which were ready to use at the drop of the proverbial hat.
Once the citizens of the International Community (whatever that is) where whipped up to a frenzy (and let the Chinese and Russian opposition be damned) Iraq was turned into a bloody parking lot and, of course, the chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction turned out to be the salt and pepper shakers in Saddam's palace's kitchens.
Banking on past experiences regarding "...coherence is the by-word of the Created Universe - in the physical and supernatural realm" and that "Every 'Action' has a 'Reaction'; with the 'Reaction', in this case, manifesting itself as an 'Invoice' presented by Heaven and delivered by satan.....", the International Community (whatever that is) may be about to suffer the effects of the biological and chemical weapons that Hussein did not have but al-Assad does. Since Hussein was also accused of hoarding nuclear weapons so that the illegitimate invasion of Iraq be even more justified, the Syria-Iran alliance may just provide that other ingredient - the nuclear one - so that the "Invoice" to be presented is complete.
Just musings.... no prophecies but we suggest that our NSA Guardian Angels pass such musings to the leadership of the International Community (whatever that is) so that they do not get caught with the proverbial pants down.... again!
August 7th, 2012
News Report No. 1
[our highlights]
Boy Scout files reveal repeat child abuse. (1)
Comments: See letter after News Report No. 2
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(1) News Report
News Report No. 2
[our highlights]
As Eagle Scouts return medals, gay ban still firm. (1)
Comments: See letter that follows.
_________________
(1) News Report
From (Mr.) X @ US
[We received the following letter from Mr. X nine days before the above news broke out.]
(Note: much of the following is based on observation, and the recollections of friends and former associates, all quite familiar with the situations described. Thus it cannot be footnoted with source citations. Writing about such things makes me want to send back my Eagle Scout badge to the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), in utter disgust!)
In reflecting on the Jerry Sandusky/Joe Paterno/Penn State University scandals about child sex abuse, one is reminded of the same in the Church. Or in the Boy Scouts of America.
In both the Church & the BSA the current assertions are that all of their employees and volunteers have had thorough background checks run on them. Ergo "there is no problem'. Oh really?
One has a perfectly clean driving record. One has never been arrested. Does that mean he is sinless? Does it mean that he has never driven in an unsafe manner? Or never been speeding?
No. All a "clean" background check shows is that the person has never been caught for any misdeeds. Yet both the BSA and the Church claim that "all is well'. The BSA has an Orwellian "Youth Protection" program. It is actually designed to reassure parents; but does NOTHING to actually protect the kids. Ditto (or worse) for that of the US Catholic Church.
I am personally aware of a long term professional employee of the BSA who was a notorious pedophile. Yet he was allowed to work at a local scout summer camp for about 40 years, in key positions. Everybody knew about him, including all the boys on the camp staffs. The local council had him running the Webelos Camp (for 10 year old Cub Scouts), and he was in charge of the CITs (Counselors in Training - 14 to 15 year old boys). He had been a camp director, and then was the long time head of Personnel for the camp. Which means that he was in charge of hiring.... Those in charge of hiring tend to hire those they like, or who are like-minded.
His primary year-round job was in the Finance department of the local scout council; hence he was very 'important'. He had been hired right after W.W. II, due to his military service.
The 'rumors' about him were not rumors: I personally witnessed this man 'French kissing' a 15 year old boy, in front of about 20 other staff members. I am also aware of former staff members who were abused by him, who gave me very detailed accounts. Yet nobody did anything about this man; and all knew that to complain was futile. Why?
Working alongside this man, in the camp administration was a priest, very powerful in Scouting, whose links to Opus Dei later became obvious.
The only real answer is: Masonry (Ecclesiastical and regular). The BSA has always been very heavily masonic in orientation & adult membership. This is from very real experience, not mere rumor.
Like the Church, the BSA protects those whom it values. A few abusers are 'thrown to the wolves' (1) now and then, but the worst offenders are untouchable.
This man was not the only long term abuser; there were others. Including one with very close links to Wall Street, the Knights of Columbus, and thus OD. He was allowed to abuse for many years; finally moving to another state to continue his antics. He was awarded the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award (given for exemplary service to Scouting, as a former Eagle Scout). And given formal recognition of his 'service to youth' by the US Congress. He is now on the city council of the town in which he resides.
Their names and pictures are at hand. So are many living eyewitnesses and victims. But these souls, if unrepentant, will have a final accounting of their 'invoice' before God. Ditto for those who enabled them.
Neither of these men were one-time abusers; they were serial abusers. Wearing a mask of respectability. Confident that nobody would dare to try to complain. So secure were their position and 'name' that they were rather brazen in their misdeeds.
As with the Cardinals of the Church, if these men had been exposed and brought to justice, the reputation of the BSA would be destroyed. So they "had" to be protected.
Just like the Church, the BSA is imploding on itself. In the 1960s its total membership was c. 6.2 million. Now it is c. 2.3 million. (2) Public knowledge of their respective hypocrisy has driven many to quit (and many to refuse to join) both entities. (3)
The summer camp where the abuse occurred - like so many churches - is virtually empty. Just like many 'loyal Catholics', the cadre of eager volunteers thinks that 'all is well', as what is left of the famous camp rots around them.
Just as with the priesthood, the BSA claims to be 'excluding gays'. But they are keeping their pedophiles, as long as they maintain the pretense of 'holiness' in outward appearance. Or in the case of the laity/volunteers.... if they are heavy contributors.
Epilogue: the Scout Oath contains the phrase "Morally Straight". In 1910, when the BSA was founded, "straight' had NO sexual connotation, and would not until the 1970s. But it did in the homosexual underground of the 1910s; referring to heterosexuals as 'straight'.
Yet, as originally written, "morally straight" is intended to mean: morally coherent. And obviously the deeds of the BSA in re sex abuse have NOT been "morally straight".
This leads us to a quandary: were the men who formulated the program of the BSA in 1910... 'closet' pedophiles with fascist leanings? The answer to that is a qualified 'yes', but more about that later....(4)
Yet none of the founders/authors of the original BSA program was religious... instead they were interested in "boyology".
NOTES________________
News Report No. 1
[our highlights]
Boy Scout files reveal repeat child abuse. (1)
Boy Scouts of America internal documents reveal more than 125 cases in which
men suspected of molestation allegedly continued to
abuse Scouts, despite a blacklist meant to protect boys from sexual predators.
A Los Angeles Times review of more than 1,200 files from 1970 to 1991 found suspected abusers regularly remained in the organization after officials were first presented with sexual misconduct allegations.
In at least 50 cases, the Scouts expelled suspected abusers, only to discover they had re-entered the program and were accused of molesting again.
A Los Angeles Times review of more than 1,200 files from 1970 to 1991 found suspected abusers regularly remained in the organization after officials were first presented with sexual misconduct allegations.
In at least 50 cases, the Scouts expelled suspected abusers, only to discover they had re-entered the program and were accused of molesting again.
Comments: See letter after News Report No. 2
_________________
(1) News Report
News Report No. 2
[our highlights]
As Eagle Scouts return medals, gay ban still firm. (1)
For the physician in Illinois, the attorney in Kentucky, the arts editor in Oregon,
their Eagle Scout medals were treasured reminders of
youthful achievement. Yet each is parting with his medal out of dismay over the Boy Scouts'
recently reaffirmed policy of excluding gays.
"I can no longer maintain any connection to an organization which actively promotes such a bigoted and misguided policy," Dr. Robert Wise of Chicago wrote to Scout headquarters in Texas. "To that end, I am interested in removing all evidence that I was ever a Scout."
Wise, 59, is among several dozen former Eagle Scouts who have taken such steps following the July 17 announcement that the Boy Scouts of America, after a confidential two-year review, were sticking with the divisive, long-standing policy of excluding openly gay youth and adults as members and leaders.
Another of the protesters is attorney Jackson Cooper, 32, a former senior patrol leader of Troop 342 in his hometown of Louisville, Ky. In an open letter, he said he was unsure if any of his fellow Scouts were gay.
"I can no longer maintain any connection to an organization which actively promotes such a bigoted and misguided policy," Dr. Robert Wise of Chicago wrote to Scout headquarters in Texas. "To that end, I am interested in removing all evidence that I was ever a Scout."
Wise, 59, is among several dozen former Eagle Scouts who have taken such steps following the July 17 announcement that the Boy Scouts of America, after a confidential two-year review, were sticking with the divisive, long-standing policy of excluding openly gay youth and adults as members and leaders.
Another of the protesters is attorney Jackson Cooper, 32, a former senior patrol leader of Troop 342 in his hometown of Louisville, Ky. In an open letter, he said he was unsure if any of his fellow Scouts were gay.
Comments: See letter that follows.
_________________
(1) News Report
From (Mr.) X @ US
[We received the following letter from Mr. X nine days before the above news broke out.]
(Note: much of the following is based on observation, and the recollections of friends and former associates, all quite familiar with the situations described. Thus it cannot be footnoted with source citations. Writing about such things makes me want to send back my Eagle Scout badge to the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), in utter disgust!)
In reflecting on the Jerry Sandusky/Joe Paterno/Penn State University scandals about child sex abuse, one is reminded of the same in the Church. Or in the Boy Scouts of America.
In both the Church & the BSA the current assertions are that all of their employees and volunteers have had thorough background checks run on them. Ergo "there is no problem'. Oh really?
One has a perfectly clean driving record. One has never been arrested. Does that mean he is sinless? Does it mean that he has never driven in an unsafe manner? Or never been speeding?
No. All a "clean" background check shows is that the person has never been caught for any misdeeds. Yet both the BSA and the Church claim that "all is well'. The BSA has an Orwellian "Youth Protection" program. It is actually designed to reassure parents; but does NOTHING to actually protect the kids. Ditto (or worse) for that of the US Catholic Church.
I am personally aware of a long term professional employee of the BSA who was a notorious pedophile. Yet he was allowed to work at a local scout summer camp for about 40 years, in key positions. Everybody knew about him, including all the boys on the camp staffs. The local council had him running the Webelos Camp (for 10 year old Cub Scouts), and he was in charge of the CITs (Counselors in Training - 14 to 15 year old boys). He had been a camp director, and then was the long time head of Personnel for the camp. Which means that he was in charge of hiring.... Those in charge of hiring tend to hire those they like, or who are like-minded.
His primary year-round job was in the Finance department of the local scout council; hence he was very 'important'. He had been hired right after W.W. II, due to his military service.
The 'rumors' about him were not rumors: I personally witnessed this man 'French kissing' a 15 year old boy, in front of about 20 other staff members. I am also aware of former staff members who were abused by him, who gave me very detailed accounts. Yet nobody did anything about this man; and all knew that to complain was futile. Why?
Working alongside this man, in the camp administration was a priest, very powerful in Scouting, whose links to Opus Dei later became obvious.
The only real answer is: Masonry (Ecclesiastical and regular). The BSA has always been very heavily masonic in orientation & adult membership. This is from very real experience, not mere rumor.
Like the Church, the BSA protects those whom it values. A few abusers are 'thrown to the wolves' (1) now and then, but the worst offenders are untouchable.
This man was not the only long term abuser; there were others. Including one with very close links to Wall Street, the Knights of Columbus, and thus OD. He was allowed to abuse for many years; finally moving to another state to continue his antics. He was awarded the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award (given for exemplary service to Scouting, as a former Eagle Scout). And given formal recognition of his 'service to youth' by the US Congress. He is now on the city council of the town in which he resides.
Their names and pictures are at hand. So are many living eyewitnesses and victims. But these souls, if unrepentant, will have a final accounting of their 'invoice' before God. Ditto for those who enabled them.
Neither of these men were one-time abusers; they were serial abusers. Wearing a mask of respectability. Confident that nobody would dare to try to complain. So secure were their position and 'name' that they were rather brazen in their misdeeds.
As with the Cardinals of the Church, if these men had been exposed and brought to justice, the reputation of the BSA would be destroyed. So they "had" to be protected.
Just like the Church, the BSA is imploding on itself. In the 1960s its total membership was c. 6.2 million. Now it is c. 2.3 million. (2) Public knowledge of their respective hypocrisy has driven many to quit (and many to refuse to join) both entities. (3)
The summer camp where the abuse occurred - like so many churches - is virtually empty. Just like many 'loyal Catholics', the cadre of eager volunteers thinks that 'all is well', as what is left of the famous camp rots around them.
Just as with the priesthood, the BSA claims to be 'excluding gays'. But they are keeping their pedophiles, as long as they maintain the pretense of 'holiness' in outward appearance. Or in the case of the laity/volunteers.... if they are heavy contributors.
Epilogue: the Scout Oath contains the phrase "Morally Straight". In 1910, when the BSA was founded, "straight' had NO sexual connotation, and would not until the 1970s. But it did in the homosexual underground of the 1910s; referring to heterosexuals as 'straight'.
Yet, as originally written, "morally straight" is intended to mean: morally coherent. And obviously the deeds of the BSA in re sex abuse have NOT been "morally straight".
This leads us to a quandary: were the men who formulated the program of the BSA in 1910... 'closet' pedophiles with fascist leanings? The answer to that is a qualified 'yes', but more about that later....(4)
Yet none of the founders/authors of the original BSA program was religious... instead they were interested in "boyology".
NOTES________________
(1) As with the Church, the abusers in the BSA who
have been caught are typically 'nobody'. And those whose cases were impossible to hide. But none
of the high level abusers have ever been caught.
(2) In recent years, there have been numerous membership scandals in the BSA, where the rolls have been intentionally inflated by as much as 1/3. This is old news, going back at least to the early 1960s or even the 50s. Membership started to 'nose-dive' post W.W. II. So the numbers were inflated both by the introduction of 'non-traditional Scouting;, and outright lies. The BSA learned that getting annual grants from the United Way and other sources was tied to the number of boys in the program. Just like watching EWTN, if you read their propaganda, one would think the BSA is growing.
(3) Many boys and their parents now want nothing to do with Scouting, as its reputation is now so soiled. And many, many adults leaders and scouts have quit in disgust.
(4) The details of this will shock many, yet are is in plain sight. It should also be noted that 12th point of the Scout Law - Reverent - was NOT part of the original written by Lord Baden-Powell in 1907. It was added by the BSA in 1911, with the intent to lure Mormon and Catholic leaders to sponsor Boy Scout troops. Which they did, starting in 1912.
(2) In recent years, there have been numerous membership scandals in the BSA, where the rolls have been intentionally inflated by as much as 1/3. This is old news, going back at least to the early 1960s or even the 50s. Membership started to 'nose-dive' post W.W. II. So the numbers were inflated both by the introduction of 'non-traditional Scouting;, and outright lies. The BSA learned that getting annual grants from the United Way and other sources was tied to the number of boys in the program. Just like watching EWTN, if you read their propaganda, one would think the BSA is growing.
(3) Many boys and their parents now want nothing to do with Scouting, as its reputation is now so soiled. And many, many adults leaders and scouts have quit in disgust.
(4) The details of this will shock many, yet are is in plain sight. It should also be noted that 12th point of the Scout Law - Reverent - was NOT part of the original written by Lord Baden-Powell in 1907. It was added by the BSA in 1911, with the intent to lure Mormon and Catholic leaders to sponsor Boy Scout troops. Which they did, starting in 1912.
August 6th, 2012
[Transfiguration
of Our Lord, and Anniversary of
the
Nuclear Devastation in Hiroshima, Japan]
News Report No. 1
[our highlights]
Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski is quoted as saying the deal with the US to deploy a missile defence system in Poland was a 'mistake'.
_________________
(1) News Report
News Report No. 2
[our highlights]
Back on May 4th Russia warned that it may launch military strikes against NATO's new missile defence system if Moscow considers it a serious threat to its security. (1)
________________
(1) News Report
and...News Report No. 1
[our highlights]
Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski is quoted as saying the deal with the US to deploy a missile defence system in Poland was a 'mistake'.
President Barack Obama scrapped that project put in place by his predecessor George W. Bush.
However Poland later signed a separate accord to host a
US missile defence base.
_________________
(1) News Report
News Report No. 2
[our highlights]
Back on May 4th Russia warned that it may launch military strikes against NATO's new missile defence system if Moscow considers it a serious threat to its security. (1)
Army Chief-of-Staff General Nikolai Makarov told an
international conference on missile defence in Moscow how Russia would respond by targeting Nato
bases in Poland and Romania:
"The deployment of new attacking weapons in southern and north-western Russia for the destruction
of missile defence complexes, including the deployment of Iskander missiles in the Kaliningrad
region, is one of several possible options for the destruction of European missile defence
infrastructure."
________________
(1) News Report
News Report No. 3
[our highlights]
Back on November 29, 2011, in a move designed to put pressure on the US, Russia has opened a new missile, early-warning radar station.(1)
President Dmitry Medvedev ordered the system to be activated. It comes in response to America's
plans for a European missile shield, which Russia claims would pose a threat to its security.
Referring to the US plans, President Medvedev said: “When we are told this is not against us, I would like to say the following: dear friends, the radar station that has started working today is not against you either.”
The US wants a European anti-missile shield in place by 2020, claiming it is needed to counter a growing threat from Iran. But Moscow thinks it could be used to shoot down the nuclear missiles it has relied on for security since the Cold War.
Russia says the new radar station opened in Kaliningrad, Russia's westernmost point, shows its determination to build up capabilities if the US and NATO push ahead with the plans. President Medvedev has already threatened to deploy missiles in Russia, aimed at US missile defence sites in Europe.
Referring to the US plans, President Medvedev said: “When we are told this is not against us, I would like to say the following: dear friends, the radar station that has started working today is not against you either.”
The US wants a European anti-missile shield in place by 2020, claiming it is needed to counter a growing threat from Iran. But Moscow thinks it could be used to shoot down the nuclear missiles it has relied on for security since the Cold War.
Russia says the new radar station opened in Kaliningrad, Russia's westernmost point, shows its determination to build up capabilities if the US and NATO push ahead with the plans. President Medvedev has already threatened to deploy missiles in Russia, aimed at US missile defence sites in Europe.
miguel de Portugal comments: Not to worry, Mr. IW's friend assures all (2) that Russia was converted and implied that a country which allows crucifixes in classrooms could do no harm.... Just like the inquisitors of The Inquisition, we presume.
We trust that, in case you do not have enough reason to increase your prayer time, we have given you some....
_________________
(1) News Report
(2) August 6h post of FYI&R Page
News Report No. 4
[our highlights]
NASA rover successfully lowered to surface of Mars. (1)
In a technological tour de force, NASA's nuclear-powered Curiosity rover was lowered to the
surface of Mars by a rocket-powered flying crane late Sunday
to kick off a $2.5 billion mission.
miguel de Portugal comments: So?
Today's world misery is worse than yesterday's and less than it will be tomorrow.
We should be worrying about what we are going to do when God presents the "Final Invoice" and quit playing with tinker toys.
___________________________
(1) News Report
August 5th, 2012 [Feast of Our Lady of
Snows - Dedication of St. Mary Major
Basilica - Rome]
News Report No. 1
[our highlights]
Facebook estimates that 4.8 percent are duplicate accounts, 2.4 percent are user-misclassified accounts, and 1.5 percent are undesirable accounts. (1)
_________________
(1) News Report
News Reports No. 2
[our highlights]
Penn State disgraced former President, Graham Spanier, might have been ousted from his post at the helm of Penn State over the sex-abuse scandal that engulfed the university, but it seems he’s found a backup employer: the American taxpayer.(1)
and....News Report No. 1
[our highlights]
Facebook estimates that 4.8 percent are duplicate accounts, 2.4 percent are user-misclassified accounts, and 1.5 percent are undesirable accounts. (1)
Last week, ....Facebook revealed it had 955 million monthly active users and 543 million monthly
active mobile users.
So, how many of these accounts are fake? Facebook estimates 8.7 percent, or 83.09 million accounts.
Facebook also seek to identify "false" accounts, which we divide into two categories: (1) user-misclassified accounts, where users have created personal profiles for a business, organization, or non-human entity such as a pet (such entities are permitted on Facebook using a Page rather than a personal profile under our terms of service); and (2) undesirable accounts, which represent user profiles that we determine are intended to be used for purposes that violate our terms of service, such as spamming.
As of June 30, 2012, we estimate... undesirable accounts may have represented approximately 1.5 percent (14.3 million!) of our worldwide mobile active users.
So, how many of these accounts are fake? Facebook estimates 8.7 percent, or 83.09 million accounts.
Facebook also seek to identify "false" accounts, which we divide into two categories: (1) user-misclassified accounts, where users have created personal profiles for a business, organization, or non-human entity such as a pet (such entities are permitted on Facebook using a Page rather than a personal profile under our terms of service); and (2) undesirable accounts, which represent user profiles that we determine are intended to be used for purposes that violate our terms of service, such as spamming.
As of June 30, 2012, we estimate... undesirable accounts may have represented approximately 1.5 percent (14.3 million!) of our worldwide mobile active users.
_________________
(1) News Report
News Reports No. 2
[our highlights]
Penn State disgraced former President, Graham Spanier, might have been ousted from his post at the helm of Penn State over the sex-abuse scandal that engulfed the university, but it seems he’s found a backup employer: the American taxpayer.(1)
Spanier was faulted in an internal Penn State report after the conviction on child-molestation
charges of former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. The report said he, head coach Joe
Paterno and others helped cover up Sandusky’s abuse.
His lawyer confirms to the Loop that Spanier is working on a part-time consulting basis for a "top-secret" agency on national security issues. But the gig is so hush-hush, he couldn’t even tell his attorneys the name of the agency. In April - months after his ouster as president but before the release of the internal report - he told the Patriot-News of central Pennsylvania that he was working on a "special project for the U.S. government relating [to] national security."
His lawyer confirms to the Loop that Spanier is working on a part-time consulting basis for a "top-secret" agency on national security issues. But the gig is so hush-hush, he couldn’t even tell his attorneys the name of the agency. In April - months after his ouster as president but before the release of the internal report - he told the Patriot-News of central Pennsylvania that he was working on a "special project for the U.S. government relating [to] national security."
A top official at the government agency charged with protecting America from incoming nuclear
missiles recently had to order his employees to keep
their eyes on the sky and off pornographic websites they had accessed on secure computers.
(2)
miguel de Portugal comments: It seems that Mr. Spanier was indeed a coherent choice.... Outside of that, brethren, I am speechless.... which seems to be a recurring condition as things go from bad to worse as the effective IQ of humanity continues to plummet.
_________________
(1) News Report
(2) News Report
As first reported by Bloomberg News, Missile Defense
Agency Executive Director John James Jr. wrote in a July 27 memo that employees and contractors
had potentially put the security of the MDA network at risk by visiting unauthorized websites and
watching, and sharing, sexually explicit content.
"These actions are not only unprofessional, they reflect time taken away from designated duties,
are in clear violation of federal and DoD [Department of Defense] regulations, consume network
resources and can compromise the security of the network
though the introduction of malware or malicious code," he wrote. Those found in violation
could potentially lose their security clearance, be suspended or dismissed from service at the
MDA, the memo said, according to Bloomberg.
MDA spokesperson Rick Lehner told ABC News the agency-wide memo "reflects standard policy used by
both government agencies and private industry" and said that of the 8,000-odd employees of the
MDA, "less than a half-dozen" were involved in the alleged misconduct.
miguel de Portugal comments: It seems that Mr. Spanier was indeed a coherent choice.... Outside of that, brethren, I am speechless.... which seems to be a recurring condition as things go from bad to worse as the effective IQ of humanity continues to plummet.
_________________
(1) News Report
(2) News Report
News Report No. 3
[our highlights]
Missouri Catholic priest pleads guilty in child porn case. (1)
[our highlights]
Missouri Catholic priest pleads guilty in child porn case. (1)
A Kansas City Catholic priest pleaded guilty to federal child pornography charges on Thursday,
admitting to the crimes just weeks before he was scheduled to go on trial for taking sexually
explicit photos of several young girls.
Shawn Ratigan, 46, pleaded guilty to four counts of
producing child pornography and one count of
attempting to produce child pornography using girls as young as 2 years old.
The photos, taken with still cameras and a cell phone,
included close-up pictures of the children's
genitals. He faces 15-30 years in prison on each of the five counts, when sentenced at a
later date.
miguel de Portugal comments: Who and where is Ratigan's Bishop? For how long Ratigan get away with these monstrosities allegedly "undetected"? The moment two or three Bishops are jailed for cover up charges, this deadly charade will come to an end. Since that will not happen, God will take the solution of this and all other moral problems in His Holy Hands.... and frankly, we just cannot wait!
_________________
(1) News Report
August 4th, 2012
[First
Saturday of the Month]
News Report No. 1
[Permanent Link] [Our highlights]
Russia has set their latest mobile strategic nuclear missiles "Oak" in Cuba.
After the meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama, Putin made a sudden harsh statement to the press. (1)
"In 2001 I, as the President of the Russian Federation and the supreme commander, deemed it advantageous to withdraw the radio-electronic center Lourdes from Cuba. In exchange for this, George Bush, the then U.S. president, has assured me that this decision would become the final confirmation that the Cold War was over and both of our states, getting rid of the relics of the Cold War, will start building a new relationship based on cooperation and transparency. In particular, Bush has convinced me that the U.S. missile defense system will never be deployed in Eastern Europe.
The Russian Federation has fulfilled all terms of the agreement. And even more. I shut down not only the Cuban Lourdes but also Kamran in Vietnam. I shut them down because I gave my word of honor. I, like a man, has kept my word. What have the Americans done? The Americans are not responsible for their own words. It is no secret that in recent years, the U.S. created a buffer zone around Russia, involving in this process not only the countries of Central Europe, but also the Baltic states, Ukraine and the Caucasus.
The only response to this could be an asymmetric expansion of the Russian military presence abroad, particularly in Cuba. In Cuba, there are convenient bays for our reconnaissance and warships, a network of the so-called "jump airfields." With the full consent of the Cuban leadership, on May 11 of this year, our country has not only resumed work in the electronic center of Lourdes, but also placed the latest mobile strategic nuclear missiles "Oak" on the island. They (the US) did not want to do it the amicable way, now let them deal with this," Putin said.
miguel de Portugal comments: "The Schedule" (2) continues to fall into place, down to the Cuban angle, since time is running out.
_________________
(1) News Report
(2) Quoting from the Sequence of Events:
News Report No. 2
[our highlights]
Iran has launched a TV Station and news service (1) that broadcasts in Spanish.
miguel de Portugal comments: No, Iran is not giving up their language, Farsi, and taking up Spanish. They are catering to their Latin American allies with Cuba and Venezuela at the head.
_________________
(1) Irani TV Station and News Service in Spanish
News Report No. 3
[our highlights]
Would you believe that the Markets went "through the roof" Friday because the positive U.S. Jobs Data? (1)
News Report No. 1
[Permanent Link] [Our highlights]
Russia has set their latest mobile strategic nuclear missiles "Oak" in Cuba.
After the meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama, Putin made a sudden harsh statement to the press. (1)
"In 2001 I, as the President of the Russian Federation and the supreme commander, deemed it advantageous to withdraw the radio-electronic center Lourdes from Cuba. In exchange for this, George Bush, the then U.S. president, has assured me that this decision would become the final confirmation that the Cold War was over and both of our states, getting rid of the relics of the Cold War, will start building a new relationship based on cooperation and transparency. In particular, Bush has convinced me that the U.S. missile defense system will never be deployed in Eastern Europe.
The Russian Federation has fulfilled all terms of the agreement. And even more. I shut down not only the Cuban Lourdes but also Kamran in Vietnam. I shut them down because I gave my word of honor. I, like a man, has kept my word. What have the Americans done? The Americans are not responsible for their own words. It is no secret that in recent years, the U.S. created a buffer zone around Russia, involving in this process not only the countries of Central Europe, but also the Baltic states, Ukraine and the Caucasus.
The only response to this could be an asymmetric expansion of the Russian military presence abroad, particularly in Cuba. In Cuba, there are convenient bays for our reconnaissance and warships, a network of the so-called "jump airfields." With the full consent of the Cuban leadership, on May 11 of this year, our country has not only resumed work in the electronic center of Lourdes, but also placed the latest mobile strategic nuclear missiles "Oak" on the island. They (the US) did not want to do it the amicable way, now let them deal with this," Putin said.
miguel de Portugal comments: "The Schedule" (2) continues to fall into place, down to the Cuban angle, since time is running out.
_________________
(1) News Report
(2) Quoting from the Sequence of Events:
Step No. 1 As a result of the errors spread by 19th and 20th Century
Russia, a nuclear attack is initiated against the United States of America and other nations of
the Western World. China will play a major role. This will lead to a worldwide, brutal
conflagration. The war will be brief in duration, but of devastating magnitude.
a. Nations will be annihilated, as specifically predicted by the Blessed Virgin Mary in Fátima, Portugal, in 1917.
b. Godlessness [this is a more comprehensive term than Communism] will engulf the world. Christians will be ruthlessly and brutally persecuted, with the objective of destroying them.
[Luke 21:9-10, Joel 1:5-7, 10-12, 19-20, Revelations 18:2-20]
a. Nations will be annihilated, as specifically predicted by the Blessed Virgin Mary in Fátima, Portugal, in 1917.
b. Godlessness [this is a more comprehensive term than Communism] will engulf the world. Christians will be ruthlessly and brutally persecuted, with the objective of destroying them.
[Luke 21:9-10, Joel 1:5-7, 10-12, 19-20, Revelations 18:2-20]
News Report No. 2
[our highlights]
Iran has launched a TV Station and news service (1) that broadcasts in Spanish.
miguel de Portugal comments: No, Iran is not giving up their language, Farsi, and taking up Spanish. They are catering to their Latin American allies with Cuba and Venezuela at the head.
_________________
(1) Irani TV Station and News Service in Spanish
News Report No. 3
[our highlights]
Would you believe that the Markets went "through the roof" Friday because the positive U.S. Jobs Data? (1)
Would you also believe that such data is intrinsically worthless?
(2)
When the Department of Labor releases its monthly payroll report, it will give investors and
individuals an update on the status of the fledgling jobs market. Trading will pause, pundits will
look up from their work, and candidates will cross their fingers, all on the off-chance that the
latest figures will serve up some sort of previously unknown insight.
There's only one problem: the numbers are basically worthless.
"People look at the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) number and treat it with some kind of respect. All it is is a guess," says Charles Biderman, CEO of TrimTabs Investment Research, in the attached video. "I don't understand why people look at it like it means something."
There's only one problem: the numbers are basically worthless.
"People look at the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) number and treat it with some kind of respect. All it is is a guess," says Charles Biderman, CEO of TrimTabs Investment Research, in the attached video. "I don't understand why people look at it like it means something."
miguel de Portugal comments: If the World political and financial scenario cannot be described as pathetic, it is because there is not a worse adjective to describe such state with.
But I must be charitable. The truth is that whatever they do will not work out. "The Schedule" will be met regardless of whatever corrective action man takes.
_________________
(1) Source
(2) Source
News Report No. 4
[our highlights]
But worry not.... it does get worse...
Cybersecurity Bill blocked by G.O.P. filibuster. (1) (2)
A cybersecurity bill that had been one of the Obama administration's top national security
priorities was blocked by a Republican filibuster in the Senate on Thursday, severely limiting its
prospects this year, reports Michael S. Schmidt on Friday in The New York Times.
The Senate voted 52 to 46 to cut off debate, falling short of the 60 needed to force a final vote on the measure, which had bipartisan support but ran into a fight over what amendments to the legislation could be proposed.
The bill would have established optional standards for the computer systems that oversee the country's critical infrastructure, like power grids, dams and transportation.
The Senate voted 52 to 46 to cut off debate, falling short of the 60 needed to force a final vote on the measure, which had bipartisan support but ran into a fight over what amendments to the legislation could be proposed.
The bill would have established optional standards for the computer systems that oversee the country's critical infrastructure, like power grids, dams and transportation.
miguel de Portugal comments: Improved cybersecurity would certainly place a burden on meeting "The Schedule" and "they" cannot have that, do "they"?.
_________________
(1) Source
(2) Background
August 3rd, 2012 [First Friday of the Month]
News Report No. 1
[our highlights]
Half of US counties now considered disaster areas. (1)
Nearly 220 counties in a dozen drought-stricken states were added Wednesday to the U.S.
government's list of natural disaster areas as the nation's agriculture chief unveiled new help
for frustrated, cash-strapped farmers and ranchers grappling with extreme dryness and heat.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's addition of the 218 counties means that more than half of all U.S. counties - 1,584 in 32 states - have been designated primary disaster areas this growing season, the vast majority of them mired in a drought that's considered the worst in decades.
Counties in Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wyoming were included in Wednesday's announcement. The USDA uses the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor to help decide which counties to deem disaster areas, which makes farmers and ranchers eligible for federal aid, including low-interest emergency loans.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's addition of the 218 counties means that more than half of all U.S. counties - 1,584 in 32 states - have been designated primary disaster areas this growing season, the vast majority of them mired in a drought that's considered the worst in decades.
Counties in Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wyoming were included in Wednesday's announcement. The USDA uses the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor to help decide which counties to deem disaster areas, which makes farmers and ranchers eligible for federal aid, including low-interest emergency loans.
miguel de Portugal comments: Disasters of Apocalyptic scope continue to hit all areas of the globe (2) yet people who have not been hit yet (and who should be praying from their temporary comfort for those already suffering from it) want to ignore that we are living through the End of These Times.
We presume that they (are you one of them?) are waiting for Fox News or CNN to officially announce that we are indeed living though the End of These Times. Maybe if Michael the Archangel was the featured guest at the Oprah Winfrey Show some would take notice of it.
When all of the globe is struck at once, there will be hardly time to even say "Amen!" Why wait until then?
_______________
(1) News Report
(2) Wake up! and, no, do not smell the proverbial roses; just pray the Rosary!
News Report No. 2
[our highlights]
Peruvian university worries Opus Dei behind dispute with Church. (1)
One of Peru's top universities says it thinks maneuvers by the conservative Roman Catholic group
Opus Dei are behind the school's high-profile falling
out with the Vatican.
In a dispute that could drag Peru and the Vatican into a diplomatic spat, the
Catholic Church ordered the Pontifical Catholic
University of Peru (PUCP) in a July letter to drop the words "pontifical" and "Catholic" from the
official name it has been using for more than 60 years.
The university, which was founded in 1917 and is widely regarded as the country's most progressive institution of higher education, has refused to comply with the order. The Vatican says it will press its case with Peru's foreign ministry.
Efrain Gonzales, vice rector of the university, claims the archbishop of Lima, Cardinal Luis Cipriani, has tried to meddle in the university's affairs.
"Monsignor Cipriani ... is the most well-known cardinal of Opus Dei, and obviously everyone knows Opus Dei has a political agenda," Gonzales said.
"We think this is part of the plan they have. So of course the archbishop uses all of his influence to take control of this very good university."
The university, which was founded in 1917 and is widely regarded as the country's most progressive institution of higher education, has refused to comply with the order. The Vatican says it will press its case with Peru's foreign ministry.
Efrain Gonzales, vice rector of the university, claims the archbishop of Lima, Cardinal Luis Cipriani, has tried to meddle in the university's affairs.
"Monsignor Cipriani ... is the most well-known cardinal of Opus Dei, and obviously everyone knows Opus Dei has a political agenda," Gonzales said.
"We think this is part of the plan they have. So of course the archbishop uses all of his influence to take control of this very good university."
miguel de Portugal comments: Would you believe that we fully agree with the Vatican on this?
Unless the University official position is coherent with the fundamentals teachings of the Catholic Faith it should not be called "Catholic" and, if, on top of that, it defies the curia it should not be called "Pontifical" either.
Of course, based on the same reasoning, the Roman Catholic Church Administration should not call itself Christian either.
Maybe we should strike out the word "coherence" from the world's languages; after all, most do not understand, nor practice, its fundamental meaning.
_______________
(1) News Report
News Report No. 3
[our highlights]
Under pressure to 'Save the euro' the European Central Bank is gearing up to buy Italian and Spanish government bonds on the open market - but not yet. (1)
ECB President Mario Draghi said it will only act after eurozone governments activate EU bailout
funds to also buy bonds.
There will be no ECB intervention before September and countries being helped will have to accept strict conditions and supervision.
Draghi also outlined more moves that may be taken to support the euro: "The governing council will consider further non-standard monetary policy measures according to what is required to repair monetary policy transmission. In the coming weeks we will design the appropriate modalities for such policy measures"
There will be no ECB intervention before September and countries being helped will have to accept strict conditions and supervision.
Draghi also outlined more moves that may be taken to support the euro: "The governing council will consider further non-standard monetary policy measures according to what is required to repair monetary policy transmission. In the coming weeks we will design the appropriate modalities for such policy measures"
miguel de Portugal comments: ...and the show goes on.
The Markets went wild last week based on Mr. Draghi's implied imminent solution. "They" got to unload stock at ever increasing prices. When "they" had had their fill, Mr. Draghi spoke of only "gearing up" but "not yet" and the markets dropped like a rock.
The fools who ran up the Market on Mr. Draghi's word ended up holding the proverbial bag, and "the boys" made off like bandits.
What is really noteworthy, but not surprising since we have seen the results of similar "crystal ball gazing" before, is that the Asian Markets started "responding" to Mr. Draghi's "no immediate solution" speech, many, many hours before he spoke. Such vision! Such vision!
______________
(1) News Report
August 2nd, 2012
News Report No. 1
[our highlights]
Would you believe that now...
IMF's Lagarde endorses and praises Spain economic reforms?
....and it was not a couple of days ago that the IMF (but not necessarily Ms. Lagarde) issued the most somber and depressing "Financial State of Spain" .
Who knows? She may be one of our "closet" readers.... but certainly not in touch with the reality in Spain.
[And these people get paid for this?]
_______________
(1) News Report
News Report No. 2
[our highlights]
Official of TEPCO subcontractor: Dosimeter ruse was one-time act. (1)
miguel de Portugal comments: Speaking as an experienced Chemical and Environmental Engineer I can assert that "subcontractors" are many times the source of very serious problems. The selection and training of the subcontracted personnel are two levels removed from the standards of the company who hired the contractor in the first place, resulting in problems ranging from ill safety training to outright industrial espionage and sabotage.
Moral of the story: As we have said many times - God is our only security - period!
___________________
(1) Japanese News Report
News Report No. 3
[our highlights]
Government panel blasts lack of 'safety culture' in nuclear accident. (1)
miguel de Portugal comments: Tragically safety measures are the first to go when organizations are trying to lower project costs.
Blessedly, in the multinational petrochemical company I was associated with for many years, the plant's motto was "Safety First" and, believe me, it was not just a motto, it was a way of industrial life. It was, to such an extent, that it spilled over into our home lives. That was one very welcomed brainwashing program!
__________________
(1) Japanese News Report
News Report No. 1
[our highlights]
Would you believe that now...
IMF's Lagarde endorses and praises Spain economic reforms?
Spain is already doing what the International Monetary Fund would demand in return for a bailout,
said Christine Lagarde, IMF managing director, in an endorsement of the country’s economic
policy.
Her comments both argue that Spain should not need an IMF rescue but also suggest that it might obtain one without much change to its domestic economic policies.
“When we look at what Spain has already done and is committing to do, there is not much more that we would be asking from Spain if it was in a programme with the IMF,” Ms Lagarde told reporters.
She said Spain had undertaken a large deficit reduction and made progress on reform of its labour market, healthcare and education systems. “They have done an awful lot in the last few months,” she said.
A rise in yields on its sovereign debt has led to fears that Spain will need lending support from the IMF and the EU beyond a bailout specifically for its banks. (1)
Her comments both argue that Spain should not need an IMF rescue but also suggest that it might obtain one without much change to its domestic economic policies.
“When we look at what Spain has already done and is committing to do, there is not much more that we would be asking from Spain if it was in a programme with the IMF,” Ms Lagarde told reporters.
She said Spain had undertaken a large deficit reduction and made progress on reform of its labour market, healthcare and education systems. “They have done an awful lot in the last few months,” she said.
A rise in yields on its sovereign debt has led to fears that Spain will need lending support from the IMF and the EU beyond a bailout specifically for its banks. (1)
....and it was not a couple of days ago that the IMF (but not necessarily Ms. Lagarde) issued the most somber and depressing "Financial State of Spain" .
Who knows? She may be one of our "closet" readers.... but certainly not in touch with the reality in Spain.
[And these people get paid for this?]
_______________
(1) News Report
News Report No. 2
[our highlights]
Official of TEPCO subcontractor: Dosimeter ruse was one-time act. (1)
A senior official of a construction company has admitted that
he and four workers used lead plates to shield their
dosimeters to lower radiation readings inside the embattled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power
plant in December.
The 54-year-old official with Build-Up, a subcontractor in Fukushima Prefecture, told The Asahi Shimbun on July 22 that they used the shields for 30-40 minutes.
He also admitted that he had concocted a lie for the workers beforehand if they were asked why their protective suits were taped where their pocket-sized dosimeters are carried.
While his account gave some details, the whole extent of the company's actions have yet to be revealed, including the motive and whether it was involved in similar deceptions in the past.
In addition, some of the official's accounts contradicted what other workers told The Asahi Shimbun before it carried the report on the subterfuge on July 21.
The 54-year-old official with Build-Up, a subcontractor in Fukushima Prefecture, told The Asahi Shimbun on July 22 that they used the shields for 30-40 minutes.
He also admitted that he had concocted a lie for the workers beforehand if they were asked why their protective suits were taped where their pocket-sized dosimeters are carried.
While his account gave some details, the whole extent of the company's actions have yet to be revealed, including the motive and whether it was involved in similar deceptions in the past.
In addition, some of the official's accounts contradicted what other workers told The Asahi Shimbun before it carried the report on the subterfuge on July 21.
miguel de Portugal comments: Speaking as an experienced Chemical and Environmental Engineer I can assert that "subcontractors" are many times the source of very serious problems. The selection and training of the subcontracted personnel are two levels removed from the standards of the company who hired the contractor in the first place, resulting in problems ranging from ill safety training to outright industrial espionage and sabotage.
Moral of the story: As we have said many times - God is our only security - period!
___________________
(1) Japanese News Report
News Report No. 3
[our highlights]
Government panel blasts lack of 'safety culture' in nuclear accident. (1)
The government panel looking into last year's accident at the Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant
pointed to a lack of a "safety culture" at both
Tokyo Electric Power Co. and the central government.
The Investigation Committee on the Accident at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Stations issued its final report July 23.
The report stated that adequate countermeasures were not implemented because TEPCO, the operator of the Fukushima No. 1 plant, and central government agencies believed a severe accident could never occur.
This lack of a safety culture also meant that there was an inability to assess the big picture when dealing with the accident that actually did arise.
The Investigation Committee on the Accident at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Stations issued its final report July 23.
The report stated that adequate countermeasures were not implemented because TEPCO, the operator of the Fukushima No. 1 plant, and central government agencies believed a severe accident could never occur.
This lack of a safety culture also meant that there was an inability to assess the big picture when dealing with the accident that actually did arise.
miguel de Portugal comments: Tragically safety measures are the first to go when organizations are trying to lower project costs.
Blessedly, in the multinational petrochemical company I was associated with for many years, the plant's motto was "Safety First" and, believe me, it was not just a motto, it was a way of industrial life. It was, to such an extent, that it spilled over into our home lives. That was one very welcomed brainwashing program!
__________________
(1) Japanese News Report
News Report No. 4
[our highlights]
Opus Dei adds to their real estate holdings in Murray Hill. (1)
Two years ago an unknown buyer to the neighborhood bought 31 East 38th street. The building
was purchased for $7,900,000.00 in 2009.
After extensive renovations, from adding an elevator to repaving the sidewalk, the all women group
has moved in.
This group also owns a 17 story building at the NE corner of 34th Street and Lexington Avenue.
No sign is posted on the outside of the building so I presume they would like to keep this building under the radar.
This group also owns a 17 story building at the NE corner of 34th Street and Lexington Avenue.
No sign is posted on the outside of the building so I presume they would like to keep this building under the radar.
miguel de Portugal comments: "Standard Operating Procedure" for them.
__________________
(1) The Murray Hill Neighborhood Reports
August 1st, 2012
News Report No. 1
[our highlights]
Catholic schools use marketing miracles to survive. (1)
After 97 years, Our Lady of Lourdes School was closing - enrollment had dwindled to just 35
children at the East Los Angeles school.
But with a new principal who knocked on doors, offered X Box video game consoles to kids who brought in a friend, and recruited families who lost their bid in a charter school lottery, the school stayed open - 132 pupils are registered for this fall.
Call it educational evangelism. Faced with declines in enrollment, Catholic schools got savvier about how to get kids into classrooms. Now, several key dioceses, including Los Angeles, Boston and Chicago, have seen students trickle back to their schools over the past year, thanks in part to marketing tactics that offer hope of turning around a four-decade-long exodus across the nation.
But with a new principal who knocked on doors, offered X Box video game consoles to kids who brought in a friend, and recruited families who lost their bid in a charter school lottery, the school stayed open - 132 pupils are registered for this fall.
Call it educational evangelism. Faced with declines in enrollment, Catholic schools got savvier about how to get kids into classrooms. Now, several key dioceses, including Los Angeles, Boston and Chicago, have seen students trickle back to their schools over the past year, thanks in part to marketing tactics that offer hope of turning around a four-decade-long exodus across the nation.
miguel de Portugal comments: Revolting!
What next? Live Sex Education during Sunday School to increase sagging Mass attendance?
How about a live "show and tell", free of charge, camping trip with the local parish priest showing the boys where touching is acceptable and where it is considered sexual abuse?
It seems that "the Church" manages to bring to mind, on a daily basis, the following words from John's Apocalypse...
[1] And there came one of the seven angels, who had the seven
vials, and spoke with me, saying: Come, I will shew thee the condemnation of the great harlot, who
sitteth upon many waters, [2] With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication; and
they who inhabit the earth, have been made drunk with the wine of her whoredom. [3] And he took me
away in spirit into the desert. And I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of
names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. [4] And the woman was clothed round about
with purple and scarlet, and gilt with gold, and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup
in her hand, full of the abomination and filthiness of her fornication. [5] And on her forehead a
name was written: A mystery; Babylon the great, the mother of the fornications, and the
abominations of the earth. [Rev
17]
Let me tell them how the "marketing of God" is to be done.
When I taught confirmation classes many, many years ago, the kids would voluntarily skip the recess so that we could continue talking about God and His "Everything!" They would run out to the soft drink machine, get a soda pop and come right back so that we may continue our two-way discussion of the Marvels and Wonders of God.
In Portugal and Spain - 20 years ago: Young boys/men and young girls/women would see me visiting the local Discotheques, enjoying myself with a dance or two, having one drink, behaving as properly as I would behave at any place (remember: God is EVERYWHERE), providing a shoulder for them to cry on (because they could not find that solace in their parishes) and going back to my quarters at a very reasonable time.... then seeing me hours on end before the Blessed Sacrament and not missing a week day or Sunday Mass.... then.... soon, they started going on to Mass every Sunday and the Discotheques became such nice places of fun for the young (and not so young) crowd that when I left the area the parents were very disappointed.
I still run into some of those "kids", who are now almost 40, and it is always a joy!
All we need to do is GIVE the EXAMPLE - by word and deed..... but Babylon still has not gotten it... and never will!.... and every day that goes by it is one day closer to its fiery end.
_________________
(1) News Report
News Report No. 2
[our highlights]
Power grids across north, east India fail. (1) (2) (3)
India's energy crisis cascaded over half the country Tuesday when three of its regional grids
collapsed, leaving more than 600 million people without
government-supplied electricity in one of the world's biggest-ever blackouts.
Hundreds of trains stalled across the country and traffic lights went out, causing widespread traffic jams in New Delhi. Electric crematoria stopped operating, some with bodies half burnt, power officials said.
The massive failure - a day after a similar, but smaller power failure - has raised serious concerns about India's outdated infrastructure and the government's inability to meet its huge appetite for energy as the country aspires to become a regional economic superpower.
Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde blamed the new collapse on states taking more than their allotted share of electricity.
"Everyone overdraws from the grid. Just this morning I held a meeting with power officials from the states and I gave directions that states that overdraw should be punished. We have given instructions that their power supply could be cut," he told reporters.
Hundreds of trains stalled across the country and traffic lights went out, causing widespread traffic jams in New Delhi. Electric crematoria stopped operating, some with bodies half burnt, power officials said.
The massive failure - a day after a similar, but smaller power failure - has raised serious concerns about India's outdated infrastructure and the government's inability to meet its huge appetite for energy as the country aspires to become a regional economic superpower.
Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde blamed the new collapse on states taking more than their allotted share of electricity.
"Everyone overdraws from the grid. Just this morning I held a meeting with power officials from the states and I gave directions that states that overdraw should be punished. We have given instructions that their power supply could be cut," he told reporters.
Popular wisdom tells us: When you see your neighbor's beard on fire, put your whiskers to soak.
_________________
(1) News Source
(2) Recent Mega Power Failures
(3) Associated Map
News Report No. 3
[our highlights]
New Bible translation has screenplay format. (1)
A new Bible translation tackles the challenge of turning ancient Greek and Hebrew texts into
modern American English and then adds a twist: It's written like a screenplay.
Take the passage from Genesis in which God gets angry at Adam for eating the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil:
That's pure Hollywood, but the team behind "The Voice" says it isn't a gimmick. They hope this new version will help readers understand the meaning behind the sometimes archaic language of the Bible and enjoy the story enough to stick with it.
The idea was a longtime dream of Chris Seay, pastor of Houston's Ecclesia Church. Seay had had success in helping church members relate to the Bible by dividing out the parts of the various speakers and assigning roles to church members who read them aloud.
The idea struck a nerve with Frank Couch, the vice president of translation development for Nashville-based religious publisher Thomas Nelson, who had performed Bible-inspired sketches on the streets of Berkeley, Calif., in his youth.
Take the passage from Genesis in which God gets angry at Adam for eating the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil:
"Adam (pointing at the woman): It was she! The woman You gave me as a companion put the fruit in
my hands, and I ate it.
"God (to the woman): What have you done?
"Eve: It was the serpent! He tricked me, and I ate."
Later, Eve bears her first son, Cain.
"Eve (excited): Look, I have created a new human, a male child, with the help of the Eternal."
"God (to the woman): What have you done?
"Eve: It was the serpent! He tricked me, and I ate."
Later, Eve bears her first son, Cain.
"Eve (excited): Look, I have created a new human, a male child, with the help of the Eternal."
That's pure Hollywood, but the team behind "The Voice" says it isn't a gimmick. They hope this new version will help readers understand the meaning behind the sometimes archaic language of the Bible and enjoy the story enough to stick with it.
The idea was a longtime dream of Chris Seay, pastor of Houston's Ecclesia Church. Seay had had success in helping church members relate to the Bible by dividing out the parts of the various speakers and assigning roles to church members who read them aloud.
The idea struck a nerve with Frank Couch, the vice president of translation development for Nashville-based religious publisher Thomas Nelson, who had performed Bible-inspired sketches on the streets of Berkeley, Calif., in his youth.
miguel de Portugal comments: Sounds logical, doesn't it? Let's wait when they get to the many, many sex related verses/teachings and see how they act them out.
Babylon lives!.... everywhere!... albeit temporarily.
"Just what we needed".... another version (2) of the Bible.
____________________
(1) News Report
(2) The Judeo-Christian Holy Scriptures have been translated ca. 3,000 times, and in far too many cases altered just to suit very temporal agendas. Temporal agendas change with time, while the Divine Agenda never does.
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