Because it’s Springtime and some of us have Spring Fever, or Hay Fever, let’s have an open thread. What’s on your mind? btw, these flowers smell REALLY good!
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We the People of the United States 
The minority non-religious groups (atheists)brought this lawsuit during Pres. Bush’s term. It has just now made its way to this outrageous determination. Another strike against religion for the communists! Since Obama didn’t celebrate this day last year, we can assume that he will issue a statement this year. Nothing more by this supposed Christian usurper. Removing religion, breaking down of families, lessening parental authority, are all tenants that the left fuels. No one says that people must pray on this day but it is an acknowledgement of how the majority of our society believes in religion.
Perhaps if the left tried religion, they might find their moral compass and develop a conscience. Since they are the ones that most often are unable to distinguish between right and wrong, and appear to be morally deficient.
If we look into the background of the judge that gave this ruling we will be amazed if she is a conservative or practices religion.
Federal Judge strikes down National Day of Prayer Statute
April 15
(CNN) — A federal judge on Thursday struck down the federal statute that established the National Day of Prayer, ruling that it violates the constitutional ban on government-backed religion.
“[I]ts sole purpose is to encourage all citizens to engage in prayer, an inherently religious exercise that serves no secular function,”
a Wisconsin judge wrote in the ruling, referring to the 1952 law that created the National Day of Prayer.
“In this instance, the government has taken sides on a matter that must be left to individual conscience,” wrote the judge, Barbara
B. Crabb.
The lawsuit against the Obama administration was brought by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, a group based in Madison,
Wisconsin.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/04/15/wisconsin.court.prayer/
Funny thing about this: I saw a story somewhere yesterday that said Obama cancelled the Day of Prayer because atheists objected to it. Then late last night I started seeing stories about this judge’s ruling. Then this morning, on the radio, some host is giving Obama credit for apparently going ahead with the proclamation, while the appeal is pending, although there will be no official ceremonies.
Another 180 by the pResident? Like his 180 on eliminating NASA programs?
Remember the Martin Short character, Nathan Thurm, the paranoid lawyer?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_Thurm#Nathan_Thurm
“Other times, he would deny an accusation, then immediately reverse his position when the accuser reaffirmed the statement. ‘No, it isn’t!’ (‘Yes it is.’) ‘I know that! Why wouldn’t I know that? I’m well aware of that!'”
So much like Obama. Many a truth is told in jest.
Miri, this article goes along with the duplicity that you are noticing in Obama s behavior and actions.
The Two Obamas
April 16, 2010 Snips
Clearly these are two wholly separate individuals. There’s the one who understands how to tactfully navigate the political realities
commonplace to a highly diverse electorate, and would no doubt make a great president; and then there’s another, who treks the globe, endorsing destructive policies, and promulgating half-witted edicts that would only be entertained in the mind of a man overly concerned with his own personal aggrandizement; a thoroughpaced egomaniac, and a poor excuse for a Commander in Chief.
One would think that the Obama with the most integrity would find it expedient to rid himself of his evil clone, who keeps going around, loose cannon style, virtually contradicting everything the former claims to stand for, and acting contrary to the values the first one claims to believe in. Such disparities in behavior make Obama look, at best, like a double minded man, and at worst, like a liar; but we all know that Obama does not lie.
Therein lies the profound dilemma that the good Obama twin — depending on your personal ideology — finds himself in; which is that given the dual nature of most of the important social and economic challenges that this country is facing, it behooves Obama to have another replica of him catering to one side of the fence, while he tries to assuage the fears of those who are completely opposed to the former. Besides, two is almost always better than one.
But the main reason why Obama does not hastily choose to annihilate his evil twin lies in the fact that both of them do indeed share one thing in common: an unusually deep fondness for one another, which some claim even borders on clinical narcissism.
http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/04/the_two_obamas.html
“borders on clinical narcissism?” Nah. Any truly objective psychiatrist or psychologist would admit that he stepped far across that border long ago.
Communist Objectives
27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with “social” religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity, which does not need a “religious crutch.”
28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of “separation of church and state.”
https://wtpotus.wordpress.com/2010/01/23/communist-goals-for-usa-takeover/#comments
ICE Busts Massive Human Smuggling Ring That Stretches Length of U.S. Snips
More than 800 law enforcement agents swooped down on a massive human smuggling ring in Arizona early Thursday morning, delivering a “stunning blow” to a criminal network that helped shuttled illegal immigrants all around the country.
ICE agents targeted shuttle van services they believe have ferried thousands of illegal immigrants from southern Arizona to Phoenix, providing passengers fake $30 ride receipts and even coaching them on how to answer law enforcement agents if the buses were stopped at immigration checkpoints along the highway. From there the illegal immigrants were left at drop-houses or brought to shuttle services that offer rides to destinations all over the West Coast.
ICE dubbed the investigation “Operation In Plain Sight” because of the “brazen” nature of the alleged smuggling scheme, which helped immigrants from Mexico, Central America and even China escape the watchful eye of border agents.
“This isn’t a mom and pop enterprise. It’s major international crime operating across borders with profits literally into the billions,” Morton said. “The smugglers care about only one thing: money. They aren’t concerned about the human cost or the toll smuggling takes on our quality of life, the integrity of our borders or our nation’s security.”
Thursday’s actions involved agents from nine law enforcement agencies: ICE, FBI, DEA, ATF, Customs and Border Protection, Arizona’s Department of Public Safety, Pima County Sheriff’s Department, Tuscon Police Department and Phoenix Police Department.
Officials said they seized $10 million in assets, including real estate, vehicles used for the smuggling and other property.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/04/15/ice-busts-massive-human-smuggling-ring-stretches-length/?test=latestnews
Hey, Bridgette! Thanks for the great links. This is good news for a change.
How about the news that Obama’s administration believes they ought to be able to read all our emails stored in the “cloud” servers, without a warrant? Where’s the ACLU?
Did you see the Fox story about the CIA?
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/04/15/white-house-cia-lawyers-angry-tape-destruction/
So the CIA, acting on their own and against WH orders, destroyed evidence that they, on their own and against WH orders, waterboarded suspected terrorist? Gee, doesn’t that put the lie to all the leftist claims against GWB, Cheney, Rumsfeld, et al? The CIA. A rogue agency?
Oh, and I do SO believe that this raid has nothing to do with that rancher’s murder OR with legislation pending in AZ that will allow their cops to arrest illegal aliens.
Bad publicity for the WH when they’re getting ready to push for amnesty? That has nothing whatsoever to do with this crackdown, either.
I’m SUCH a cynic. What’s wrong with me, anyway?
From what I’ve read, this has been in the works for over two years…I guess that means it was started during George Bush’s time. It also probably helps that Sheriff in AZ considerably! You know the one …that makes the men wear pink underware and has the ladies riding stationery bikes as a workout!
Forty seven people were arrested so far and it is still ongoing. The unemployment numbers are going to go up..with all of those dumping houses and van drivers being put out of business.
At least these humans were not in the back of non-airconditioned trucks praying for air!
Imagine 800 law officials involved…and so far only 47 arrests…more must be coming. How many illegals were captured. More questions!
The WH will take all of the kudos for this..rather than give them to the investigators. Will Harry be beside himself today.
Oh, for sure, the WH will be front and center, taking credit. Although, if it has been in the works since GWB, it’s probably been on hold since 1/20/09.
He lifted the hold now, only because this is the most opportune moment for HIM and his Marxist policies.
He’s willing to give up a few illegal aliens in order to be able to say, “See, I’m enforcing the border. Now give me amnesty for the MILLIONS that I didn’t catch and send home.”
It’s ALL Kabuki theater. The lamestream media have been covering for him, hiding all this violent activity along the border until they couldn’t hide it anymore.
So, let’s go ahead with that raid now. I’m getting bad publicity. Especially with AZ trying to pass laws to enforce their own borders.
Don’t you think? I’m sorry. I’m too cynical to believe there is no politics involved in this.
Did you read about the 90-year-old man who had his eyes gouged out by a Mexican drug gang, in the US, because he and his family wouldn’t turn his grandson over to them? It’s out of control.
I’m sure Obama has made a pact with La Raza: Just look the other way on this one. Let me pretend to be a tough enforcer of the border. (I’ll let them all go later on. Don’t worry.) Then, I’ll shove that amnesty through ASAP. Preferably before November.
Like I said, I’m such a cynic.
Yeah, you are a cynic along with the rest of us… but you are very astute and a very correct one! That AZ sheriff has been pushing it back in their faces too…and it was the Justice Department that is doing the investigation of him and how he enforces the law in his state!
What a terrible story about the old man. These gangs are as barbaric as the terrorists…I guess we should be calling them terrorists too, since they are running drugs and trying to take over their own country while contributing negatively to our nation.
What we are calling illegals are probably now what should be considered refugees who are fleeing for their lives from a nation overrun with corruption and now brutality.
My local newspaper (aka leftist rag) finally reported on the border violence today. Also the recent incursions of thousands of illegals, which are basically whole new cities of aliens.
Wanna guess how they spun it? The illegals are VICTIMS of the violence on the Mexican side. They have to come here to escape. They’re political refugees.
Yeah. That’s the ticket.
The Usurper dismissed patriotic Americans once again…! Will he and his fellow democrats be amused in November? I guess he isn’t seeing his poll numbers..will they be even lower after his snide, arrogant remarks? Obama is “amused” by people petitioning for redress of grievances?
Obama ‘amused’ by Tea Party rallies
04/15/10 Snips
President Barack Obama struck a hyperpartisan note Thursday, telling Democrats that he was “amused” by the Tax Day Tea Party rallies.
Obama, addressing a Democratic National Committee (DNC) fundraiser in Miami, did little to endear himself to the Tea Party groups protesting around the country, saying “they should be saying thank you” because of the tax cuts he has signed into law.
Obama continued to dare Republicans to run on a platform of repealing healthcare reform, telling the audience “they won’t be very successful.”
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/92625-obama-amused-by-tea-party-rallies
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/92625-obama-amused-by-tea-party-rallies
Obama ‘amused’ by massive nationwide protests against him
Rick George April 16, 2010
Addressing a DNC fundraiser in Florida, President Obama said that Tea partiers should be “grateful” to him for lowering their taxes. And AP reports that the president says, “he’s been a little amused over the past couple of days when people at the rallies complained about taxes.”
Amused? Amused at trillion dollar deficits? Amused that his health care plan is one of the most unpopular pieces of major legislation in American history? Amused that our enemies in Iran and North Korea continually mock and laugh at the United States under his leadership? Amused at the utter, complete, and total failure of his economic policies to create jobs.
Yes, those unemployed Americans are laughing right along with you Mr. President. So are the tea partiers and other Americans who look at what you are doing to the country and see a wasteland where before there was a garden.
You keep laughing, Barry. Come November, the smirk will be wiped off your face.
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2010/04/obama_amused_by_massive_nation.html
I don’t know what to make of his attitude. It’s either laughable or it’s freakin’ scary. Reminds me of that time he was laughing while being interviewed and the reporter asked him if he was “punch drunk,” because he laughed about other people’s suffering.
No, not punch drunk, he has ASPD and NPD. That’s all.
DemoRat says Tea Party people only lack Robes and Hoods!
Steve Cohen, D Tennessee on April 3rd
Listen to the visciousness of this Congressman…unbelievable. This is what the left thinks of the American people who make up the Tea Party. What a fine upstanding citizen he is…Would you want him representing you? His mouth is as bad as Grayson’s from Florida!
http://jkshaws.wordpress.com/2010/04/03/video-dem-says-tea-party-people-only-lack-sheets-and-hoods/
What’s in a name ??
Gateway Pundit has a story about infiltrators at MO Tea Parties; one even wore Nazi insignia on his shirt. GP has a funny photo of a Tea Partier holding a sign over the guy’s head, saying that he’s a communist infiltrator. So funny!
This same fake Tea Partier was at Democrat Russ Carnahan’s townhall, supporting Obamacare–the same townhall where Kenneth Gladney got beaten up by SEIU thugs.
There’s a long history of this kind of astroturfing, infiltrating, false flag trickery in MO politics, always perpetrated by Democrats, similar to the Obama trickery that got his opponents thrown off ballots, to ensure his victory.
http://gatewaypundit.firstthings.com/2010/04/racist-leftist-infiltrators-driven-from-tea-party-rallies-video/
About Cohen’s lies: They WILL keep on lying so long as the lamestream media keep reporting their LIES as truth. And they will report the lies as truth and so the Dems will keep lying about honest, freedom-loving Americans because they CAN.
They get away with it because there’s not one remaining honest reporter in the lamestream media, apparently. Guys like Cohen have no honor. They’re pigs. Sorry, but it’s true, imho.
btw, Gateway Pundit also has a story about the ever-changing lies told by the Black Caucus and other Dems about Tea Partiers shouting the n-word or the f-word during that rally in DC.
ALL LIES. FROM LIARS.
Someone posted on the other thread a URL that showed 50 posters that were misspelled or otherwise..found by the Left at Tea Parties…as if the Left were really present at the tea parties. They might have gone with their planted signs just to manufacture a group of pictures to make the Tea Partiers look ignorant. It appears most were planted signs.
Having gone to several and one that had 37,000 people in Dallas, I never saw signs like the ones that the Left says they saw and photographed. I thought the signs were usually quite creative and people did pay attention to the signs…at least we did.
Exactly what I thought too.
The 0bot minions who were sent as plants to Tea Parties were specifically instructed to carry signs with misspelled words and racist slogans. However, mainstream polls show that not only are Tea Partiers mainstream, they’re even MORE educated than those who don’t support Tea Party ideals. MORE educated, not less. Who were less educated? Why, Tea Party opponents.
Obama’s Tangled Web Snips Read for full affect.
Oh alas, the fair Obama in his ivory tower has once again fumbled, bungled and blundered his Birther situation.
I will reveal though a Truth in this, in Barack Hussein Obama has so overplayed his hand in this, that he will be brought down, as Lt. Col. Terry Lakin has every right now TO DEMAND A COURT MARTIAL to clear his good name being smeared by news outlets terming him a coward and the Pentagon on behalf of enabling the cover up of Barack Hussein Obama has had his career ruined.
Be it known, that Lt. Col. Terry Lakin is within his rights to file counter charges in a case, Lt. Col. Terry Lakin and America vs. Barack Hussein Obama etal. (etal meaning other co conspirators unnamed in assaulting Lt. Col Terry Lakin.
Lt. Col. Terry Lakin must now demand a court martial which is in his rights to clear his name, and have fellow officers of the United States military judge this military court of law, demanding all documentation Mr. Obama is hiding, for the fair trial of Lt. Col. Lakin.
Obama and his spiderettes are caught in the web they set for this American Hero. It is time Lt. Col. Lakin take the legal battle to them and have the military protect and defend this Officer of the United States from this foreign and domestic threat in undocumented Barack Hussein Obama and his cohorts in the Pentagon.
God's blessing Lt. Col.
http://lamecherry.blogspot.com/2010/04/obamas-tangled-web.html
Another earthquake?? 6.3 Papua, New Guinea
Seems the earth and the heavens are shaking!
Hmmmm…….
Hi Peach,
The large quakes, the eruption of a volcano dormant for 200 years–just the beginning of the disturbances caused by the anti-Christ– obama..
I live in TN and Steve Cohen used to be a State Senator from the Memphis area. He is indeed a nasty piece of work, sort of like Dennis Kucinich from Cleveland OH. The seat Cohen now holds in Congress used to be “owned” by Harold Ford, Jr., who ran for US Senator a couple of years ago and was barely beaten by Bob Corker, a Republican and former mayor of Chattanooga. Ford then ditched TN for the bright lights of New York City and a fancy job at an i-bank and a high-powered marriage. I like Corker because he is a real businessman and understands economic realities and can explain them to the media in words of two syllables or less. Guys like Cohen and Ford generally are lawyers and there are way too many of them in Congress, passing more and more useless laws. Barack and Michelle are both lawyers, both affirmative action “babies”, coddled thru their lifetimes and advanced according to an agenda. Cohen’s district in Memphis is almost entirely Af-American. I think it’s odd that they couldn’t find another Ford to run there. The family got its start in the funeral parlor business. They are thoroughly corrupt and a number of their members are in jail at this time. Sort of like the John Conyers crowd in Michigan.
Yankee, I am working on Sandcastles on them now.Will you post there too ? Thanks-good info.
Am I the only one who thinks this SEC case against Goldman Sachs is more trumped up Kabuki theater designed to, once again, inflame the populace against the evil bankers (instead of thisee Bunny Fwank subprime loan policies) so that Obama and his minions can ram through his MARXIST takeover of the entire finanacial industry?
Nothing is coincidence. Not in the ObamaNation.
Exactly, Mary!
And Miri, have you seen this?
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2010/04/letter-from-a-liar.html
Haven’t seen it yet. Thanks for the link.
I could tell he was up to something when I read side-by-side stories in the local newspaper today. The first story was all about the evil bankers and how taxpayers will be outraged about this, because our money bailed them out (of course, no mention of the many Goldman Sachs-connected minions within the Obama administration or the FACT that they designed these bailouts or that Obama supported and voted for them). The second story was about how Obama says we can’t wait another day to reign in these guys. It’s another CRISIS that MUST be addressed NOW. We can’t delay and we must implement every one of HIS policies. Otherwise, we’re just obstructionists who want the taxpayers to be robbed by these evil bankers.
Miri, Do not forget the threats to the banks to take the toxic loans…are these bankers going to let this be blamed on them ? I bet not…I bet they start talking….loud….
Renee, I hope they start singing like canaries. They’d better, if they care to stay out of jail and keep their careers. They let the Dems frame them in the course of participating in those secret meetings and also the public displays, where they “testified” before Congress. It’s almost as if they’re getting what they asked for. If you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas. Somebody better start standing up. Are they just going to let him take the entire country down the road to a communist dictatorship?
Rosemary, I forgot to mention: I saw a full-page ad in the paper today, saying that we MUST reform banking and the financial industries. Who placed this ad? AARP!!!!! Isn’t that special? It was bad enough when they supported Obamacare. Now, they’re behind his Marxist, communist takeover of the entire financial sector. WTF???!!!!! And we’re supposed to believe there’s NO collusion? Right.
Miri, Can you get the info on who is running them these days ? They sound scary…It is none of their business. They need to get back to what they are supposed to do..Help our elderly…not hurt them…Who is there now and what is in this for them ? Will you do a post please ?
Will try to look into it.
Debka and the summer war
The “New Hizballah” built by Syria sparks ME summer war fear
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report April 18, 2010, 5:24 PM (GMT+02:00)
Tags: Hizballah New missiles Syria
Syrian M-600 missile converted from Fateh-110
debkafile’s military sources disclose that Syria has expanded the flow of smuggled Syrian and Iranian weaponry across the Lebanese border to Hizballah in line with a master-plan charted in Tehran and Damascus for transforming the 25,000-strong Hizballah terrorist militia into an organized, mobile army with a whole range of sophisticated missiles and other weapons. The new Hizballah is being trained to carry out such offensive operations as capturing parts of Israel’s Galilee and equipped with the hardware for knocking out warplanes, warships and armored strength.
One of their missions will be to defend the Syrian capital, Damascus. Tehran and Damascus calculate that the next time a war erupts on Israel’s borders, its army will try and outflank Syrian forces on the Golan and drive past the units defending Damascus. That is where Hizballah is expected to come in.
Even after the Kuwaiti Al Rai claim that Syria had smuggled Scud ground missiles into Lebanon proved inaccurate and was denied in Washington, regional war tensions remained high – although not for the reason ascribed by Jordan’s King Abdullah during his current visit to Washington.
The king forecast an outbreak of Middle East hostilities in the coming summer because of the Israel-Palestinian diplomatic stalemate. What’s the connection? Our sources ask. Rather than admit he is nervously watching his aggressive Arab neighbor to the north, the Jordanian ruler is pinning the region’s troubles on Israel because it is the right tune to sing in Barack Obama’s Washington.
In actual fact, a Middle East war this summer depends on two actions which have nothing to do with the Palestinians: a decision by the US and/or Israel to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities together or separately, and a decision in Tehran to unleash its allies against Israel – spearheaded by Hizballah – to preempt such an attack.
Ready to step into its new shoes, Hizballah is being armed with five major military capabilities, debkafile reports:
1. Surface-to-surface missiles able to reach as far as the Dimona reactor in southern Israel: They include Fajr-5, which has a range of 33 km, and the M-600, developed by Syria from the Fateh-110, whose range is 250 km. Both are precise, propelled by solid fuel and carry 500-kilo warheads of conventional explosives, as well as being able to deliver chemical, biological and radioactive materials.
This dangerous new arsenal which tops up the 40,000 rockets Hizballah was allowed to pile up since the 2006 Lebanon war.
Saturday, April 17, Israel’s deputy defense minister Mattan Vilnai, warned that Syria and Hizballah between them had ballistic missiles that could reach every millimeter of Israeli territory.
But he did not explain how the national defense leadership, of which he is a senior member, allowed this to happen.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has said nothing to account for his 14-month old government’s failure to make good on its pledges for change, and first of all to deal with the Iranian nuclear threat. Instead, he follows his predecessors’ same old passive routines on Iran, Syria and Hizballah, an open invitation to aggression and a recipe for armed conflict. Of late, he is hardly to be seen or heard except for the irrelevant comments he makes at state ceremonies.
2. Iran has built for Hizballah five expanded commando brigades whose mission in a future conflict will be to capture and hold key northern Israeli towns and villages, including the town of Nahariya or parts thereof. This tactic would force Israeli forces marching into Lebanon to turn back and recover lost land.
On March 28, debkafile revealed this Iranian-Syrian master plan in detail.
3. Syrian instructors are training Hizballah militiamen at top speed in the operation of ground-to-air weapons, including self-propelled missiles, against warplanes and incoming missiles and cruise missiles. Israel has threatened to destroy these batteries if they cross the border into Lebanon. They are therefore being held back in Syrian bases up against the border until such time as fighting flares. They will then be transferred into the hands of Hizballah units standing by on the Lebanese side of the border.
4. Syria has set up a Hizballah special unit for attacking warships and fighting off Israeli coastal landings. It is equipped with advanced Chinese SS-26 Yakhont marine cruise missiles, which combine assault features with the ability to intercept attacking missiles or cruise missiles.
5. Iranian and Syrian military engineers have constructed fortified anti-tank lines in many parts of Lebanon. They are linked by fast highways, to be closed to all traffic barring Hizballah units in an emergency, and by a military-grade communications network.
What’s on my mind? Let’s see, volcanoes, earthquakes, our soldiers in harms way, corruption, lawbreakers,…but for now, the latest from some of the scientists about the “supervolcanoes–Where are they likely to occur??
~~snip~~
Sydney Morning Herald
“Fireworks on Iceland are small fry”….
The volcanoes have been very quiet over the last half of the 20th century,” Thordarson says.
But in the past 10 years, vulcanologists have noticed increased rumblings from below, suggesting that Iceland might be entering a more active phase again and brewing some really big bangs.
If the vulcanologists are right, we could be in for a bumpy ride.
The last time Iceland had a colossal eruption was in 1783. Laki, a fissure close to the Grimsvotn volcano, burst open and threw up fountains of lava and clouds of ash for eight months.
The poisonous sulphur dioxide gas killed over half of Iceland’s livestock population and led to a famine that wiped out about a quarter of the country’s population.
Meanwhile, as the cloud blew south it wreaked havoc over Europe, too.
“This outpouring of sulphur dioxide during unusual weather conditions caused a thick haze to spread across western Europe, resulting in thousands of deaths throughout 1783 and the winter of 1784,” says Jerram.
The fog was so thick that boats across Europe were forced to stay in port.
Further afield, the effects were also severe.
“There is evidence that Laki may have caused the failure of the rice harvest in Japan that year, and weakened the African and Indian monsoon circulation,” Thordarson says.
On the explosivity index, Laki is judged to have been a six – the kind of volcano that occurs once every century, on average.
So how would we cope if Iceland produced another Laki tomorrow?
“I think modern society is better equipped to deal with the health and environmental effects, but the economic consequences of halting air traffic for five months or so would be very severe,” Thordarson says.
Worse still would be a repeat of an eruption such as that of Oraefajokull, Iceland’s largest active volcano, which last erupted in 1362.
“This eruption was two or three orders of magnitude larger than Laki and the largest eruption in Europe in the past 2000 years,” says Thordarson.
But when it comes to truly big threats, Iceland’s volcanoes are mere distractions. Every 100,000 years or so a catastrophic eruption occurs, known as a “supervolcano”.
More than 1000 cubic kilometres of material are blasted into the air and the ash and gas cloud sends earth into a chill for years.
The last time one erupted was 74,000 years ago, when Toba, on the Indonesian island of Sumatra threw out nearly twice the volume of Mount Everest in magma.
Toba was more than 5000 times as explosive as the eruption of Mount St Helens in 1980 and comes in as an eight on the VEI scale.
There is much debate about how devastating Toba was for humans, but without a doubt it will have had a very severe impact.
Some scientists argue that it may even have caused a bottleneck in human evolution.
Previous supervolcanic eruptions have been linked to mass extinction events, such as the Permian extinction 250 million years ago – which wiped out more than 90 per cent of marine species and was associated with an eruption at the Siberian Traps.
And unfortunately, there is no way of avoiding the next super-eruption.
“It is not a question of if, it is a question of when,” says McGuire.
Unlike conventional volcanoes, supervolcanoes are not always obvious from the surface, making it difficult for scientists to predict where the next one might be simmering.
Possible contenders for the next eruption include Yellowstone volcano in Wyoming, the Phlegrean fields volcano west of Naples, Italy, and Lake Taupo in New Zealand.
However, there are many other areas where a supervolcano could pop up, including Indonesia, the Philippines, several Central American countries, the Andes, Japan, the Kamchatka peninsula in eastern Russia, and even Europe (the area around Kos and Nisyros in the Aegean Sea might be a supervolcano).
In 2005, a working group (commissioned by the Geological Society of London) investigated the threat of a supervolcano and concluded that “an area the size of North America or Europe could be devastated, and pronounced deterioration of global climate would be expected for a few years following the eruption”.
“Such events could result in the ruin of world agriculture, severe disruption of food supplies, and mass starvation. The effects could be sufficiently severe to threaten the fabric of civilisation.”
This week’s fireworks on Iceland are just sparklers compared to what is to come.
Sorry so long, there’s a bit more here:
http://www.smh.com.au/world/science/volcanoes-be-afraid-be-very-afraid-the-supervolcano-is-coming-20100416-sj01.html
SOUND FAMILIAR, FOLKS ????
********
Europe on path to tyranny, church warns JONATHAN WYNNE-JONES
April 19, 2010
LONDON: The Church of England has accused the European Union of neglecting its Christian heritage and warned that it is at risk of creating ”secular tyranny”.
In a hard-hitting report on the failures of officials in Brussels, the church says Europe has been left ”more uncertain of its future and more mistrusted by its citizens than ever before”.
Commissioned by the church’s bishops, the document argues the European Parliament is suffering from a ”democratic deficit” and expresses concern that the continent faces ”a perfect storm”.
It is critical of the way that politicians have marginalised Christianity and calls on them to build a more united society by promoting values that are influenced by religious principles.
The comments come as church leaders have stepped up their battle to defend the freedom of worshippers, with a former Archbishop of Canterbury last week attacking ”disturbing” and ”dangerous” rulings made by judges in religious discrimination cases in Britain.
Lord Carey was intervening in a case being brought by a Christian relationship counsellor who wants a special panel of five senior judges to hear his appeal against being sacked for refusing to counsel homosexual couples.
The church report says the drive for inclusivity and equality has led to the playing down of key elements of the EU’s history.
”As secular organisations, in the pluralist world of the 21st century, the institutions of the EU can tend to take for granted or avoid aspects of Europe’s Christian inheritance,” it says.
”If the EU is to draw inspiration from its cultural, religious and humanist inheritance with integrity, it needs to be more at ease with its Christian history and to articulate this within a Europe that is spiritually hungry for its values to be substantial and life-giving. Most European politicians are reluctant to give emphasis to the fundamental connections between the Christian faith and the values of the contemporary European Union.”
In 2004 fears were raised the EU was becoming more intolerant of Christians after Rocco Buttiglione, an Italian Catholic, was blocked from becoming European Commissioner because he followed the church’s teaching on homosexuality.
The European Constitution – signed in the same year, although never ratified – excluded all mention of God.
The church document says ”for the majority of citizens Europe is becoming less united and more distant”, pointing to the rapid inclusion of 200 million people as part of the union following the admittance of several eastern European countries.
The report marked the 60th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, the the European Coal and Steel Community accord which evolved into the EU.
http://www.smh.com.au/world/europe-on-path-to-tyranny-church-warns-20100418-smo1.html
At the same time, I bet they’re becoming far more tolerant of Islam.
The European Constitution – signed in the same year, although never ratified – excluded all mention of God.
A Godless society…they need to read history to see where that has taken people before, back in time…
A road to moral and spiritual emptiness makes an empty society…and unhappy, empty people..
The report marked the 60th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, the the European Coal and Steel Community accord which evolved into the EU.
Really ? Amazing info..
Miri, Does that mean that the EU is actually a formation by the steel and coal mine owners ?
REALLY ?
That explains why they would want to take over everything huh ?
Nothing has changed much at all…..
EU…This sounds not good at all…
Wanna play Monopoly some more ?
PARKER brothers invented it..
Must keep the money in the family…
Thank you Miri.You just answered alot …amazing..
Peachey is the one who found that story. I just put my usual 2 cents in. 🙂
The Boston Herald-International News-Asia/Pacific is reporting an earthquake in Afghanistan that has killed 7 and injured 30.
Israel warns Syria—-‘secret’….NOT !!
Israel has delivered a secret warning to Syrian President Bashar Assad that it will respond to missile attacks from Hezbollah, the militant Lebanese-based Islamist group, by launching immediate retaliation against Syria itself.
In a message, sent earlier this month, Israel made it clear that it now regards Hezbollah as a division of the Syrian army and that reprisals against Syria will be fast and devastating.
It follows the discovery by Israeli intelligence that Syria has recently supplied long-range ballistic missiles and advanced anti-aircraft systems to Hezbollah.
“We’ll return Syria to the Stone Age by crippling its power stations, ports, fuel storage and every bit of strategic infrastructure if Hezbollah dare to launch ballistic missiles against us,” said an Israeli minister, who who was speaking off-the-record, last week.
more:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article7101106.ece
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Guess the PTB in Syria have never read the Good Book as to how things turn out in their land; if so, they wouldn’t be pushing buttons they shouldn’t push!!!
Has anyone been thinking about how the Supreme Court’s decision regarding privacy issues using government issued equipment affect Obama? He is, after all, using a government issued Blackberry… We the People are the employers and should be able to see what he is texting. Does the FBI or CIA monitor our “Employee’s” blackberry?
“Surely” the head investigate agencies keep a check on what is being said and read on his blackberry….and “surely” they will release it one day and we can sit back and read it!!! There is soooo much going on behind the scenes in DC just as there is in every area of politics in every state that “us common folks” will never know about….but, it is nice to dream that might happen at some point!!
P.S. I really don’t think he thinks of himself as “our employee”!
Remember in November !!!!!
London (UPI) Apr 16, 2010
Russia is increasingly flexing its military muscles by penetrating Western airspace.
European defense officials have been worried about an increasing number of Russian bombers entering Western airspace.
A pair of Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack bombers — the largest jet-powered combat aircraft ever built, capable of carrying nuclear missiles — last month entered British airspace over Northern Scotland, Deutsche Welle reports.
Two Tornado fighter jets from the British air force intercepted the supersonic bombers, accompanying them for four hours until they left British airspace.
Similar incidents have occurred in recent years; London has said Russian planes have penetrated British airspace more than 20 times since the start of 2009.
Stefan Meister, a Russia expert with the German Council on Foreign Relations, said that some penetrations might be accidental. He didn’t rule out that there a Kremlin-authored strategy might be behind them.
“The infiltration into the airspace is one of the ways the Russians try to prove that Russia is still a power that should be treated with the respect,” Meister told United Press International in a telephone interview.
A friend of military muscle-flexing, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in 2007 reactivated long-range patrols by nuclear-capable bombers after they hadn’t been sent out over the world’s oceans for 15 years.
The move came as the Kremlin expanded its grasp into the Arctic, as one of its submarines planted a flag in the seabed in territory it considers its own at the North Pole in 2007.
The Arctic is being transformed by climate change.
Melting ice sheets will leave the oceans in the region possibly ice-free during the summer months. This is opening a new Atlantic-Pacific shipping channel and makes the vast oil and gas resources lying under the seabed more accessible.
***”making vast oil and gas resources…more accessible.” Of course, usual reason!
More:
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Russia_flexes_muscles_in_Western_airspace_999.html
Northern Scotland……
If you haven’t been by AtlasShrugs today, please see this. A Must Read !!
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2010/04/mcveigh-mania.html
Wow Peach ! When I did this guy at TD I found this name connected to Goodyear Tire Family….
I posted the info too there.
http://gatewaypundit.firstthings.com/2010/04/obama-big-sis-call-out-riot-police-on-tea-party-ladies/#comments