Saturday, August 30, 2008

"We want everybody to play by the same rules."

“We don’t have any special rules of our own by which we are going to play. We want everybody to play by the same rules. These are called international law. But we don’t want anyone manipulating them - playing it one way in one region, and another way in another region, to suit their own interests. We want to have the same rules for everyone, which would take into account the interests of all members of the international community”. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin

Countdown to Midnight : Time To Move The Clock Forward?


The number of minutes before midnight, measuring the degree of nuclear, environmental, and technological threats to mankind, is periodically corrected; currently, the clock reads: five minutes to midnight, having advanced two minutes on 17 January 2007.


07-08-2008 Iran Has Technology for a Nuclear Warhead to Fit Shehab-3 Missile

07-16-2008 Mossad Chief Empowered to Prepare Groundwork for Iran Strike

08-07-2008 Fighting between Russia and Georgia began after the Georgian military tried to retake South Ossetia by force.

08-11-2008 President Bush demanded an immediate cease-fire, the withdrawal of Russian troops from the conflict zone and a return to the status quo as of Aug. 6.

08-12-2008Russians move 2 SS-21 Medium Range Ballistic Missile Launchers into South OssetiaCol. Sam Gardiner notes, in an interview with Amy Goodman on Democracy Now, Russia has deployed tactical nuclear weapons to South Ossetia.

08-19-2008 Russia
Commandeers US Humvees sensitive equipment awaiting shipment out of Georgia, says it will leave Georgia when it's military objectives have been met.

8-25-2008 Russian Lawmakers Urged the Kremlin to recognize the independence of two separatist Goergian regions heightening tensions with Georgia where the government said hundreds of Russians Soldiers remained.

Bush called on the Russian leadership to meet its commitment and not recognize these separatist regions, "Georgia territotial integrity and borders must command the same respect as every other nation's including Russia's,"he said.

Medvedec signaled the criticism was of little concern to the Kremlin Mr Medvedev said relations with the West were deteriorating sharply.

The BBC's Humphrey Hawksley, in Moscow, says the recognition is bound to dramatically heighten tensions in Russia's already fragile relationship with the West.




He says this and a series of other announcements indicate that Russia is preparing itself for a showdown. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is making a strong statement. She is going to Warsaw on Wednesday and will sign an agreement under which 10 US anti-missile missiles will be stationed in Poland.

Russia's deputy chief of General Staff Col.-Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn told reporters Friday that Poland risks a military attack, possible nuclear, for agreeing to allow a U.S. anti-missile defense system to be based in Poland.

08-26-2008 US aid warship will defy Russian control of Georgian port of Poti
Russian forces announced they would search all incoming cargoes.

The Russians are clearly marking out their control of the Black Sea in the face of the USS McFaul guided missile destroyer’s arrival with aid for Georgia. Our sources report that the McFaul carries 50 Tomahawk cruise missiles capable of striking land and sea targets.

The Black Sea confrontation between Russia and the US-led NATO forces predicted by DEBKAfile last week is building up inexorably to a climax.

Military sources report that a clash is becoming inevitable, whether among these hostile fleets or over Russian troops’ demand to search the cargoes of the two US warships when they dock at Poti Wednesday: the US Coast Guard cutter Dallas and the command and control USS Mount Whitney

The Georgian conflict over South Ossetia is spiraling into a contest between the US and Russia over control of the Black Sea region and the eastern Mediterranean.

The Russian Navy chief, Adm. Vladimir Vysotsky announced that its warships in the Mediterranean region have been placed under the command of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.

The American aircraft carrier, the Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group, heading a six-vessel contingent, sets sail Tuesday for the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf, with 6,000 sailors and marines aboard.Boosting the US naval buildup in the region, Tuesday, Aug. 26, the USS Iwo Jima leaves Norfolk for the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf at the head of a large group which includes the USS San Antonio amphibious transport dock ship.

Meanwhile, Russia - seen by the West as flouting international law - today demanded NATO abide by an obscure agreement signed before the Second World War limiting its warships in the Black Sea.

NATO has said it is undertaking pre-arranged exercises in the Black Sea

They will be joined Friday by the amphibious dock landing ship USS Carter Hall , the guided missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf and the guided missile destroyer USS Ramage . Another guided missile destroyer. the USS Roosevelt and the fast attack submarine USS Hartford will be part of the group.

“The US Navy destroyer USS McFaul, which is currently docked in the Georgian port of Batumi, carries about 50 Tomahawk cruise missiles on board. They are outfitted with nuclear warheads and are meant to hit ground targets.

08-27-2008 U.S. Navy comes within seconds of opening fire on Iranian boats the Iranian boats turned away literally at the very moment that U.S. forces were preparing to open fire in self defense.

NATO’s navy delivers weapons to Georgia under the guise of humanitarian aid Mr Putin's spokesman said: 'Certainly some measures of precaution are being taken. It's not a common practice to deliver humanitarian aid using battleships.'

08-27-2008 Military help for Georgia is a 'declaration of war', says Moscow in extraordinary warning to the West




08-28-2007 E.U. Warns Russia of sanctions

08-29-2008 Russia Warns E.U. If EU introduces sanctions against Russia, Europe will have severe problems with fuel

08-30-2008 Teheran: New strides in enrichment Iran has increased the number of operating centrifuges at its uranium enrichment plant to 4,000, a top official said Friday, pushing ahead with the nuclear program despite threats of new UN sanctions.

08-30-2008
Jerusalem has begun preparing for a separate, independent military strike.

08-30-2008 'Attack on Iran would cause WWIII'

Russia Issues War Warning To NATO: A top Russian military figure, the President of the Academy of Geopolitical Studies (in Moscow) Colonel General Leonid Ivashov said "We are close to a serious conflict". The British publication, 'This is London', calls the Russian position, as articulated by Ambassador Rogozin, an "extraordinary warning to the West".

Russia: We'll react militarily to US Russia successfully tests ICBM designed to beat anti-missile systems spokesman for Russia’s strategic nuclear forces said the Topol RS-12M was tested to “develop equipment for potential combat and use against ground-based missiles.”

Another leading London newspaper, 'The Mail', said "Tensions between Russia and the West were ratcheted even higher today after Moscow warned that the American naval build-up in the Black Sea could be seen as a 'declaration of war'."

8-31-08 Third US ship due in Black Sea next week The USS Mount Whitney, flagship of the US 6th Fleet

9-01-08 BRUSSELS, Belgium — Russia warned the West on Monday against supporting Georgia's leadership, suggesting that the United States carried weapons as well as aid to the ex-Soviet republic and calling for an arms embargo until the Georgian government falls."If instead of choosing their national interests and the interests of the Georgian people, the United States and its allies choose the Saakashvili regime, this will be a mistake of truly historic proportions," Lavrov said.

9-05-08 Georgia will be in our Nato alliance, Cheney warns Moscow Mr Cheney's warm words for Georgia's Nato aspirations are likely to cause consternation in several European capitals, particularly Berlin and Paris.As the Vice-President spoke, the USS Mount Whitney, the flagship of the Navy's 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean, was steaming through the Dardanelles, heading for the Georgian port of Batumi with a cargo of humanitarian aid. Mr Cheney's comments are likely to fan tensions in the volatile region, a week after Dimitri Medvedev, the Russian President, warned the West that he was ready for a renewed Cold War.

Russia: We'll react militarily to US Russia successfully tests ICBM designed to beat anti-missile systems spokesman for Russia’s strategic nuclear forces said the Topol RS-12M was tested to “develop equipment for potential combat and use against ground-based missiles.”

Brigadier General Masoud Jazayeri, said in a statement. "The unrestrained greed of the US leadership and global Zionism... is gradually leading the world to the edge of a precipice."

Mikhail Gorbachev compared the showdown to the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, when the world teetered on the brink of nuclear war. Mr Gorbachev urged political leaders in the Kremlin and the West to act now to stop matters running out of control.

"A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them;the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences." - Proverbs 22:3

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The role of an Elder Blogger is to raise consciousness as to the issues that affect us all, it is our sincere desire that Elder Protection Laws that are said to be 20 years behind child protection laws can be reformed before world events eclipse this important need.

We will always push elder reform but when world events warrant we will shift gears into survival mode as it is no longer a question of if! but rather a question of when? This guide out lines steps you can should take to protect your family ! See here=>>




You Will Survive Doomsday

By Bruce Beach

Our purpose in publishing this document is to ameliorate the effects of a nuclear holocaust for as many people as we can reach, and to locate as many people as we can who are willing and able to join our nuclear survival group. Read entire Article here=>>

Who is Playing Poker and Who Is Playing Chess?


Former Russian Black Sea Fleet commander, Adm. Eduard Baltin was quoted by Moscow media as saying Friday, Aug. 29: “Despite the apparent strength of the NATO naval group in the Black Sea… a single salvo from the Moskva missile cruiser and two or three missile boats would be enough to annihilate the entire group. Within 20 minutes, the waters would be clear.”
Adm. Baltin added: "We will not strike first, and they do not look like people with suicidal tendencies."

The Russian Fleet deploys 16 warships in the Black Sea compared with 10 NATO vessels – three American, Polish, German and Spanish frigates, and four Turkish warships, soon to be augmented by another six, including the USS Mount Whitney, which is considered one of the most advanced warships in the world.

In Washington, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino rejected Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin’s assertion that US personnel were in the combat zone during the war in Georgia and “someone in the United States” provoked the conflict to help one of the candidates in the American presidential race.

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Military experts doubt the Russian claim that the naval group could be destroyed in 20 minutes, even Pearl Harbor took longer than that . As some play poker and some play chess, they are playing for pawns in this deadly game of oneupmanship? Some of us wonder what will it take, this time to wake up the sleeping giant ?

Gen. Franks Doubts Constitution Will Survive ....

John O. Edwards, NewsMax.com

Gen. Tommy Franks says that if the United States is hit with a weapon of mass destruction that inflicts large casualties, the Constitution will likely be discarded in favor of a military form of government.

In the magazine’s December edition, the former commander of the military’s Central Command warned that if terrorists succeeded in using a weapon of mass destruction (WMD) against the U.S. or one of our allies, it would likely have catastrophic consequences for our cherished republican form of government.

Discussing the hypothetical dangers posed to the U.S. in the wake of Sept. 11, Franks said that “the worst thing that could happen” is if terrorists acquire and then use a biological, chemical or nuclear weapon that inflicts heavy casualties.

If that happens, Franks said, “... the Western world, the free world, loses what it cherishes most, and that is freedom and liberty we’ve seen for a couple of hundred years in this grand experiment that we call democracy.”

Franks then offered “in a practical sense” what he thinks would happen in the aftermath of such an attack.

“It means the potential of a weapon of mass destruction and a terrorist, massive, casualty-producing event somewhere in the Western world – it may be in the United States of America – that causes our population to question our own Constitution and to begin to militarize our country in order to avoid a repeat of another mass, casualty-producing event. Which in fact, then begins to unravel the fabric of our Constitution. Two steps, very, very important.”

Franks didn’t speculate about how soon such an event might take place.

Already, critics of the U.S. Patriot Act, rushed through Congress in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, have argued that the law aims to curtail civil liberties and sets a dangerous precedent.

But Franks’ scenario goes much further. He is the first high-ranking official to openly speculate that the Constitution could be scrapped in favor of a military form of government.

Friday, August 29, 2008

Americans Find Billboard Warnings Offensive


After customer complaints of "scary" ads at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, Republican Party Convention goers will be treated to the usual idyllic lake scenes from the local tourism board, Explore Minnesota, and similarly non-offensive advertising.

Northwest said it made the request in response to customer complaints, which referred to the ad as "scary"

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Florida’s Food Stamp Participation Rate Up by 37.5%

With jobless rates still rising in Florida (we were up .5% from April - May 08 and up 1.6% for the year) and food costs going even higher, more and more working poor are falling in to crises. According to the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) from March 2007-March 2008, the price of milk has risen 13.3%, egg prices rose 30%, cheese increased by 12.5% and bread costs 15% more. Caught in the squeeze many families are for the first time ever needing to reach out for help.

FRAC reports that 1.5 million more people nationwide participated in the USDA’s food stamp program in March 2008 as compared to March 2007. In Florida we saw an increase of 19% for the same time period. That’s an increase of more than a quarter million persons for our state alone. From March 2003 - March 2008 we Florida saw a staggering increase of 37.5% in the number of persons participating in the program. What is even more amazing is that the USDA estimates that approximately 1/3 of all eligible households have not even applied for benefits.

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Besides helping families purchase nutritious food, the food stamp program provides local economic stimulus. According to the USDA, for every $5 in new food stamp benefits, $9.20 is generated in local community spending. (Click here for the story from the USDA) They further estimate that a 5% increase in the national participation rate would create 2.5 billion in new nationwide economic activity.

Navigating the system can be tricky for first time users. If you, or someone you know, wants to find out about eligibility they can either come on down to The Cooperative Feeding Program (we operate a satellite food stamp office on our campus) or check out DCF’s website for eligibility guidelines and other information.


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US Home Foreclosures Increase 55%

More than 272,000 people in the US received a foreclosure notice in July, a rise of 55% on a year earlier, according to analysts Realtytrac.

Florida and California had the highest rate of foreclosures, figures showed.

In a further indication of the severe problems affecting the US housing market, more than 77,000 homes were repossessed in July.

As a result of this increase, 17% of all homes for sale in the US are repossessed properties.