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The other day, my workoholic beau private messaged me on Facebook with: "I'd like to try golden milk. I haven't looked up the recipe online, but it's supposed to be good for you and give you energy". At first, I figured his carnivorous self couldn't possibly have come up with this himself, which instantly made me think that surely he heard it from that cute little barista at his nearby Starbucks. However, since I'm not entirely "Sybil"-like, I quickly suppressed my recessive jealous gene by channeling my non-PMS'ing brain cells, and explained his request as someone who wants to get healthier… and possibly be around me for a long time to come. I'm blessed.
So.. challenge accepted, mister. Turns out, golden milk is a staple in Ayurvedic medicine. It's official name, Haldi ka Doodh, calls for milk to be warmed and steeped with fresh turmeric, fresh ginger and a pinch of black pepper, the latter reportedly boasting your body's ability to digest turmeric by 2000%. TWO THOUSAND! Whoa. There are a ton of variations available online. As a matter of fact,
while I slept comfortably under my rock, it seems 'golden milk' rose to frenzied fame on the wellness web. I mean, Gwyneth Paltrow swears by it. Do I need to say more? DO I?!
The star players in the various renditions you can find online are always a milky foundation and yellow turmeric. You are free to milk your own cow or goat, but many seem to use coconut milk or almond milk. Since dairy tends to not always agree with the mister, I used coconut milk. Some recipes call for tablespoons versus teaspoons, some tell you to bring the mixture to a boil whereas others warn you not to let the mixture boil to avoid losing the natural benefits of its ingredients. Some creatively hint towards a blend of mulling spices, a good number of them have discrepancies in cup measurements and there is a wild debate between fresh turmeric & fresh ginger versus their powdered cousins. Add in the sheer schizophrenia in its namesake (turmeric tea, turmeric latte, golden milk, golden latte, Haldi ka Doodh…) and you've got a recipe that is more confused than a gender-fluid teenager.
Firstly, let's talk turmeric… This 'spice-du-jour' is what gives your milky concoction its golden hue. Be forewarned, in its fresh root or 'paste'-variety, it's an instant dye for your milk, cutting board or whatever new item of clothing you happen to be wearing. Turmeric's health benefits come from its plant compound named 'curcumin' ("kurkuma" in Dutch, because my Flemish-speaking mom will surely ask me what the heck turmeric is. You're welcome, mom!). Reportedly, curcumin boasts a wide range of digestive, respiratory and…
boom chika chika wow wow… reproductive-health improvements. It's reportedly also good to prevent cancer and seems to aide liver function. Disclaimer: none of these health benefits are actually backed by scientific research, but then again, free natural stuff impedes on a pharmaceutical exec's vacation on Bora Bora. I'd say, check it out for yourself and see if you feel better. At the very least, you will have discovered a delicious new drink.
Personally, turmeric & I have long been embroiled in a hot affair, as almost all Indian spice blends include turmeric and typically give curry its yellow color as well. Since Scott & I have a thing with warm Indian flavorings, I figured golden milk could very well be good for you and tasty at the same time. I ventured out to Whole Foods, purveyor of all things
extraordinary expensive natural & organic, but wasn't able to find fresh turmeric. I settled on dried, ground spices instead. I used coconut milk from the dairy aisle and added in a small can of coconut cream, because I like things creamy.
Pouring everything into a big cast iron pot and letting the mixture warm through, the aroma grabbed me by the nose almost right away. It's earthy and so warmly spiced, it's truly a cozy cup of Fall deliciousness. I haven't tried drinking it cold, but it was very tasty whilst hot and I can assure you I'll be making overnight oats with this concoction… If you don't like Indian food, this is likely not going to be your cup of tea. However, if you're like us and you like warm spices, then this will surely become one of your favorites too.
(A pleasant Americanized good-for-you beverage)
– 8 cups of coconut milk (or almond milk, soy milk, cow's milk or any other kind of milk)
– 6 oz of coconut cream (optional) (*)
– 3 Tbsp ground turmeric
– 2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
– 2 Tbsp ground ginger
– 0.5 tsp ground cardamom
– 3 Tbsp of honey (or a sweetener of your choice)
– 4 cloves
– a splash of hot water
– a pinch of saffron (optional, garnish)
– a pinch of black pepper (**)
(*) fat aides in the absorption of curcumin, if not using cream, make a spice paste with a bit of coconut oil instead of water. You can also use regular dairy whipping cream.
(**) black pepper boasts your body's ability to absorb the beneficial curcumin (Turmeric) by an impressive 2000%.
In a small bowl, mix all ground spices (except saffron & pepper) and make a paste with a splash of hot water. Set aside.
In a heavy pot (I used a cast iron Dutch oven), combine milk with cream, spice paste, and cloves. Bring to a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil, until frothy. Turn heat off and let steep for an additional 15-20 min and add a pinch of black pepper. Strain mixture to remove cloves.
Finnish with honey (for sweetness) and a pinch of saffron. Serve hot or cold.
Recipe above makes approx. 8-9 cups


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It took me a while to jump on board the Arduino bandwagon but, I found myself hooked on how easy it was to learn, the many libraries available and the subset of the C/C++ programming language that it uses. What I do not like about the Arduino is its limited flash memory. I'd like to have something with more flash memory and the same ease of use.
Along comes the Teensy 3.0 that just wrapped up a very successful Kickstarter campaign. The Teensy 3.0 is a small breadboard friendly development board designed by Paul Stoffregen and PJRC. The design uses a low-cost 32 bit ARM Cortex-M4 chip and is compatible with the Arduino programming environment as well as the C/C++ programming language.
Technical Specifications:
- 32 bit ARM Cortex-M4 48 MHz CPU (M4 = DSP extensions)
- 128K Flash Memory, 16K RAM, 2K EEPROM
- 14* High Resolution Analog Inputs (13 bits usable, 16 bit hardware)
- 34* Digital I/O Pins (10 shared with analog)
- 10 PWM outputs
- 8 Timers for intervals/delays, separate from PWM
- USB with dedicated DMA memory transfers
- 3 UARTs (serial ports)
- SPI, I2C, I2S, IR modulator
- I2S (for high quality audio interface)
- Real Time Clock (with user-added 32.768 crystal and battery)
- 4 general purpose DMA channels (separate from USB)
- Touch Sensor Inputs
- All pins have interrupt capability
- 14 Digital-only and 10 Analog/Digital pins are accessible around the exterior of Teensy 3.0, and available when used on a breadboard. 10 more Digital-only pins, and 4 more Analog-only pins are accessible at interior and bottom-side pads.
Checkout the Kickstarter and project website for further details and to purchase. Check out the Teensy forum for support and updates.

subset: commoncrawl


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East Don Trail Open House: Wednesday, February 13, 2013
As part of the planned work on the East Don portion of the Toronto Trails Plan, the City of Toronto and Toronto and Region Conservation are hosting an open house from 6:00-8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at Blessed John 23rd Catholic School (175 Grenoble Drive, near Don Mills Rd. & Overlea Blvd.). The proposed East Don Trail will run from near the Forks of the Don in E.T. Seton Park to the Gatineau Hydro Corridor near Victoria Park and Eglinton Aves. This is an important link in Toronto's trail system that will fill the biggest gap in an off-road bike route that connects downtown to northeast Scarborough. The city wants your feedback for the Environmental Assessment and we encourage all area cyclists to attend the open house.


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Today's News: Our Take - Devious Maids Star Dania Ramirez Expecting Twins
Devious Maids star Dania Ramirez doesn't just have one bun in the oven! She has two!
"I am proud 2 Announce our 2 NEW BUNDLES OF JOY! Yes, I'm having TWINS! & No They Do not Belong 2 Mr.Spence," Ramirez wrote on Instagram when she shared a photo of her sonogram. Mr. Spence was a reference to the Devious Maids character who is the employer of Rosie Falta, Ramirez's alter ego.
The craziest celebrity baby names
These will be the first children for Ramirez and her husband, director Bev Land, who married in February.
In addition to her role on Devious Maids, Ramirez is known for her work on Heroes,Entourage and The Sopranos.
View original Devious Maids Star Dania Ramirez Expecting Twins at TVGuide.com
Related Articles on TVGuide.com
Other Links From TVGuide.com


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Back-to-school lists aren't just for children. They're for wine lovers, too.
As Labor Day approaches, we'll spend the next two weeks reviewing wines that retail for $15 or less, wines you can enjoy guilt-free with barbecues and late summer outings.
Remember that to get an even better deal on these wines, buying by the case often will gain an additional 10 percent discount, depending on the retailer (and it doesn't have to be a case of the same wine, either). If you're buying directly from the winery, joining the wine club usually will get you another break.
Here are some red wines that won't hit your wallet too hard. Age them on the way home from the store and call it good.
Next week, we'll take a look at the white wines.
Snoqualmie Vineyards 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $13: Joy Andersen's winemaking team refers to this product of organic grapes as its "ECO Cab," and these wines are made in a USDA-certified organic facility. The intense nose of ripe purple fruit includes notes of black currant, blackberry, dark chocolate, espresso and white pepper. Inside is a gorgeous entry of black currant and cordial cherry. (14 percent)
Waterbrook Winery 2011 Merlot, Columbia Valley, $13: This Walla Walla winery has long been known for producing delicious wines at modest prices. This Merlot opens with attractive aromas of blackberry, dusty cherry, horehound, lavender, lilac and dark spices. Cherries and boysenberries lead into chewy tannins, bright acidity and dash of white pepper in the finish. (13.5 percent)
BBQ Wine Co. NV Oink! Red Table Wine, American, $13: Doug Charles, owner of Compass Wines in Anacortes, and winemaker Charlie Hoppes of Fidelitas are collaborating on this value-minded label. This blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec offers aromas and flavors of blackberry jam, black cherry and chocolate. (14 percent)
Jones of Washington 2009 Estate Vineyard Merlot, Wahluke Slope, $15: Aromas of cordial cherry, cola, black pepper, Beech-Nut chewing tobacco and baking spices lead to flavors of cherries and boysenberry with long-lived tannins, backed by notes of cherry wood. (14.8 percent)
Grantwood Winery 2010 Heritage, Walla Walla Valley, $14: It's rare to come across a bargain of this quality in the Walla Walla Valley, but we've begun to count on Grantwood for such finds. This Cab-leading blend is loaded with aromas and flavors of blackberry, pie cherry filling, cola and hazelnut coffee. (15.4 percent)
House Wine 2012 Steak House Cabernet Sauvignon, American, $10: This Cab is perfect for Tuesday nights. Aromas of red currant, raspberry and Van cherry include a pinch of oregano, tobacco leaf and clove. Those carry onto the palate, which is nicely balanced and built in a lighter style, backed by black licorice and toast. (12.5 percent)
Daven Lore Winery NV Recovery Red, Washington, $15: Yakima Valley winemaker Gordon Taylor and his wife, soil scientist Joan Davenport, created this label at the start of the "Great Recession." The aromas offer hints of blackberry, blueberry, pie cherry, vanilla and cigar tobacco, along with a whiff of Syrah gaminess. There's a match on the darkly textured palate, backed by spice, pomegranate acidity and managed tannins. (14.5 percent)
Claar Cellars 2011 White Bluffs Cab-Merlot, Columbia Valley, $15: This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from Claar's vineyard north of Pasco opens with aromas of cinnamon bark, dark chocolate and black licorice followed by fruity tones of black currant, dark plum and blueberry. The palate builds with bold flavors of plum, black cherry and vanilla, which is tracked by a structure of Western serviceberry skin tannin and pomegranate acidity. (13.8 percent)
Ste. Chapelle 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, Snake River Valley, $12: Idaho's largest winery offers this bright, tasty Cab with aromas and flavors of raspberry, cherry cola, red licorice and milk chocolate. (13.7 percent)
Eric Degerman and Andy Perdue run Great Northwest Wine, a news and information company. Listen to their weekly podcast on iTunes or at www.greatnorthwestwine.com.
Talk to us
- You can tell us about news and ask us about our journalism by emailing email@example.com or by calling 425-339-3428.
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- More contact information is here.


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A Custom Chair Back Cushion 2 Inch made to your desired comfort and style with options for indoor or outdoor use. Choose from our quality cushion fills and a great selection of indoor/outdoor fabrics from Sunbrella and Outdura. View fabrics in our Furniture Fabric Gallery.
1 – Fabric
Outdoor Living cushions are made with beautiful, long-lasting indoor/outdoor fabrics by Sunbrella and Outdura. The beauty, texture, and style of these fabrics make them the perfect complement to any indoor or outdoor décor. With such a diverse selection of fabrics to choose from you're sure to find the color, design, pattern, and texture perfect for you. To view fabric, please click on the Furniture Fabric Gallery link then select the fabric from the "Cushion Fabric" drop-down list on the cushion building page.
2 – Cushion Style
We offer a Banded cut or a Standard-cut which refers to how the finished cushion will look.
Banded, also referred to as box cut, is made with a layer of fabric on top, a layer of fabric on the bottom, then a band of fabric around the edge or thickness of the cushion connected by two seams creating a box look. Specialty-shaped cushions require banding.
Standard, also known as knife-edge, consists of a piece of fabric on top and a piece of fabric on the bottom of the cushion with one seam connecting the two pieces of fabric. This single seam falls in the center of the thickness of the cushion.
3 – Cording
Cording, also known as welting or piping is a decorative trim sewn into the edge seams of the cushion. Cording is optional on OutdoorLivingYourWay.com custom cushions & pillows. We offer single cording or double cording depending on your style choice of a Standard or Banded cut. A Standard style cushion can only accommodate Single Cording as there is only one seam. The Double Cording option will apply to the Banded cut cushion as there are two seams. After choosing the single or double cording option, choose your desired cording fabric from the Cording Fabric drop-down list. The cording can be of the same fabric as your cushion or a different fabric. If you do not want to cord, simply leave that option blank.
4 – Measurements
5 – Ties
We offer 12-14″ long matching fabric ties that match your cushion fabric or velcro ties that loop around and fasten back to themselves also with fabric that matches your cushion.
6 – Buttons
Choice of the following button patterns: (1) center, (2) off-center, (3) evenly spaced centered line, (4) square pattern, (4) diamond pattern, (5) once center, 4 square pattern, (6) 2 lines of 3 evenly spaced. Note: All buttons pattern have additional costs.
7 – Cushion Fill Selection
When choosing your cushion filling, first consider where you plan to use the cushion. Will it be indoors out of the rain or outdoors where it will be exposed to the elements? After considering the location, you can move on to your desired comfort level and style.
For Outdoor Use: We suggest Cumulus Fiber – available in cushions 2 inches thick or thicker – or Cumulus Fiber Wrapped with Batting – available in cushions 3 inches thick or thicker. These two fillings options allow water to drain through the cushion. Either of these two fillings is great for indoor use as well. The cumulus fiber by itself is boxy in appearance and firmer than foam. Batting wrapped around the cumulus fiber gives the cushion a softer feel, a fluffier look, and will add a slight rise toward the center of the cushion.
For Indoor Use: We offer Foam – available in cushions 2 inches thick or thicker, Foam Wrapped with Batting, and Memory Foam – both available in cushions 3 inches thick or thicker. These fillings are recommended for indoor use because they will retain water. The foam by itself offers a box shape while adding batting to the foam will provide a softer, fluffier look & feel, and will add a slight rise toward the center of the cushion. Another indoor option we offer is luxury memory foam. It consists of a foam core, a layer of memory foam on top and on the bottom, and is wrapped with a layer of batting.
Contact Us: If you need your cushions with another type of fabric, buttons, tufting, rounded corners, custom shaping, or any other option not listed in our options, please contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com or call 919-975-7414 & ask for a customer service representative.
See the videos below explaining our cushion fill selections and cushion options


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Mr Cook is claiming that SEC filings, legal documents, corporate statements, internal documents, IRS tax records, etc. don't count as 'physical evidence.' He also wants you to believe this evidence would not stand up in court so, therefore, climate change isn't real. Among these documents is a detailed plans to "recruit, train, and pay willing scientists to sow doubt about climate change among the media and the public. Cook would have you believe this isn't evidence.
I'm sorry, Russell, your logic is a major failure. But, that's not new. That's what happens when you're paid to lie about climate change. And, yes, he's paid to lie about climate change. By his own admission, he has been receiving yearly grants from the Heartland Institute. Heartland is an anti-science organization funded, in part, by the fossil fuel and tobacco industries to undermine science to prevent legislative actions that would harm their clients. Heartland, and it's subordinates such as Russell Cook, have never been able to produce any scientific evidence to support their claims or to produce any science that can credibly undermine the accepted science concerning manmade climate change.
What he did in his blog was to make a full confession and publish it as a public statement that he is funded by an anti-science organization, which is itself funded by the fossil fuel and tobacco industries to undermine science for the sake of their clients. What he accomplished was to confess that he is a paid shill to undermine climate science. In his parlance, this is admissible in court and I screen grabbed his confession before he had a chance to remove it. And, the 'poor, old, pitiful me' ploy does not change anything. He cannot go into court and claim he is not a paid shill because he got paid a "meager" amount. And, the 'no-strings' claim won't fly either. He has, by his own admission, received the funding for a number of years. This also shows a pattern of behavior and indicates the funding was given to him on a quid pro quo basis. In other words, the funding was provided as a reward for his efforts in regards to Heartland's mission. Again, this is admissible in court. So, yes, he confessed to being a paid shill.
|Source: Russell Cook
What I really like is the last paragraph on his post (italics original):
With this notice, the reader is informed he/she will have no defense of "innocent mistake" made because of lack of knowledge and may have legal liability for defamation.The reason I like this is because Mr. Cook tried to intimidate me with the threat of a lawsuit. When I stood up to him he quickly backed down and claimed he wasn't threatening me. And yet, here he is making a blanket threat of legal actions against anyone that says something he doesn't like. There is a definite pattern of behavior. As before, he is trying to intimidate people by threatening to take legal action. This is what is known as evidence of behavior and, in his parlance, is admissible in court. I've been on record for a long time on this issue and I renew my statement - I look forward to any of the anti-science people, including Russell Cook, taking me to court. I would really like to get them on the witness stand. What fun that would be.
An editorial by Tom Harris has a number of interesting comments by this troll. What is interesting is to see how I got a shout-out from Cook. The editorial is Climate change in presidential debates and here's a screen shot of Cook's comments.
Cook's statements are very much alike. If he doesn't like it, he merely says it doesn't count and he continues on his way. He's kind of like Danae in the comic strip Non Sequitur.
|Source: Non Sequitur
Hey, if he says it's true, it must be true. Right? Except for one thing, he never provides any scientific evidence to support his claims, even though he has frequently been invited to do so. Cook's method is to merely mince words without adding any meaning or value to them. This is the definition of being a troll. Then, he flags comments which go counter to his claims and gets them removed. This results in the need for people to take screen shots to catch him at it.
So, the record is there. Russell Cook has confessed to being a paid shill. He's also shown he's a troll with no credibility. So, why am I even bothering with him? Because, people like Cook and Tom Harris go around saying we have a 'moral obligation' to help people affected by climate change, but then work to convince people there is no climate change and we shouldn't do anything about it. They take payment to block action on this serious issue and allow the human suffering to continue. People are free to believe what they want, but they also have a right to know about the messengers and what their motivations are. Deniers frequently complain that scientists only produce results that will get their funding renewed. This is not only a false claim (there are plenty of organizations that would fund any effort that could show climate change is not real), but they will also turn around and claim the fact they are paid by the fossil fuel industry is not relevant. That is why I bother with people like Russell Cook.
But, he's not all bad. He likes my blog.


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Apple Fire, armed protesters, Australia, Bible prophecy, blood moon tetrad, blood moons, California pedophiles, Canberra, Canberra fireball, Central Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Central Mid-Atlantic Ridge earthquake, Chad, Chad floods, Chile, Chile earthquake, China, COVID-19 pandemic, CZU Lightning Complex Fire, earthquake stats, earthquakes, end times, end times prophecy, Extreme Weather Reports, fireballs, Fires in the West prophecy, Fires Will Continue prophecy, forced medication, India floods, Kentucky, Kentucky Derby Day, Lake Fire, last days Bible prophecy, Lightning Complex Fire, LNU Lightning Complex Fire, lockdown, Louisville, Louisville protests, major earthquake stats, major earthquakes, Mindanao, Mindanao earthquake, Molucca Sea, Molucca Sea earthquake, natural disasters, Nepal floods, New York, NFAC, Northern Molucca Sea, Northern Molucca Sea earthquake, Now Prophecy, Now Prophecy Wordpress, Oregon, Philippines, Philippines earthquake, Portland, Portland protesters, prophecy, prophetic news, record breaking rains prophecy, Record Fires prophecy, Rochester, Rochester riots, SCU Lightning Complex Fire, Sheep Fire, signs in the earth, Star of Bethlehem, swarms of lightning prophecy, The Watchers, USGS, Vanuatu Islands, Vanuatu Islands earthquake, Virgo and Leo lineup
Please be advised that WordPress includes advertisements on this site; they are not selected by the publisher
**Including Severe Weather Report**
and Prophetic News
California allows gay men to have sex with minors to avoid sex registry if judge agrees
California's Liberal Luciferian Lunatic Democrats have finally gone clear over the edge, berserk, crazy, insane, deranged!
If you want to give your children up to pedophiles, vote for LLL Democrat Joe Biden; he is all for it!
*This child-like bracelet means something among Luciferian pedophiles.
If you want to stop pedophilia in America, vote for President Donald Trump. He wants to execute them and so does Jesus!
"And He (Jesus) took a child and set him in the midst of them, and when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them…Whoever offends one of these little ones who believe in Me, it is better for him that a millstone be hanged about his neck and cast into the sea" Mark 9:36, 42
What is worse than a millstone around the neck and drowned in the sea?
This is worse than being drowned in the sea!
California Fires Update:
SCU Lightning Complex Fire started 8/18/20 burned 396,624 acres (86 percent contained)
LNU Lightning Comples Fire started 8/17/20 burned 375,209 acres (89 percent contained)
CZU Lightning Complex Fire started 8/16/20 burned 86,509 acres (61 percent contained)
Lightning Comples Fire started 8/19/20 burned 65,559 acres (47 percent contained)
Apple Fire started 7/31/20 burned 33,424 acres (95 percent contained)
Lake Fire started 8/12/20 burned 31,089 acres (90 percent contained)
Sheep Fire started 8/22/20 burned 29,570 acres (80 percent contained)
These are a fulfillment of four prophecies (see the Fires in the West prophecy: https://signswonders.home.blog/2019/07/19/7-19-19-update-fire-in-the-west/ ; the Record Fires prophecy: https://signswonders.home.blog/2019/07/01/7-1-19-update/ ; Fires Will Continue prophecy [dated 12/3/18]: https://nowprophecy.wordpress.com/signs-and-wonders-in-heaven-and-earth/; and the Swarms of Lightning prophecy: https://signswonders.home.blog/2019/04/04/4-4-19-update/)
Statement from Cal Fire:
August Lightning Siege of 2020
On August 17th, lightning strikes started hundreds of fires across Northern California. In the days since, over 1 million acres have burned. California is under a state of Emergency and all CAL FIRE resources are fully committed to battling these fires.
The major problem you have, California, is the Liberal Luciferian Lunatics you have voted into office, who create laws enabling murderers to kill babies before and after they are born = infanticide.
Now you intend to openly rape and mutilate the minds and bodies of children – "legally!"
You haven't seen anything yet in the way of destruction to your state until you stop defying Almighty God and stop MURDERING BABIES and RAPING CHILDREN!
The Word of God says this about an evil country:
"Your country is desolate; your cities are burned with fire; strangers devour your land in your presence and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers" Isaiah 1:7
"The Lord will cause His glorious voice to be heard and show the descent of His arm, with the indignation of His anger and the flame of devouring fire, with scattering tempest and hailstones" Isaiah 30:30 NKJV
"The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; the lightnings lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook" Psalm 77:18
26 closed Catholic schools will not reopen in wake of pandemic
God always answers my prayers!
No child should ever be allowed to enter a Catholic school, or Catholic orphanage, because of the rampant pedophiles in that abominable "church" (see just some of the child sex abuse cases: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_sexual_abuse_cases). When parents refuse to open their eyes and see the spiritual, emotional and physical danger surrounding their children, God Himself will step in – as long as someone is praying!
Please visit the Home Education page for more information and alternatives for your child's educational needs
Fake mainstream news media lies about Trump making statements against Veterans and deceased Vets. The Liberal Luciferian Lunatic pedophiles will do anything to hand the election over to Joe Biden!
Nearly 700 US Army Vets Slam Fake Media Attacks: https://www.infowars.com/nearly-700-us-army-veterans-slam-baseless-media-attacks-on-trump-amid-claims-he-called-war-dead-suckers/
Veterans also praised Trump's "tireless efforts" to bolster the US military community, which they said are "part of his indisputable record," reported Infowars
Super Typhoon Haishen landfall expected in South Korea and North Korea on 9/7/20
Mass evacuation as Japan braces for typhoon
Dozens killed in Nepal's biggest disaster of the year
Record-breaking rains affect nearly 200,000 in Chad
This is a fulfillment of prophecy (see the Record-breaking Rains prophecy: https://signswonders.home.blog/2019/03/27/3-27-19-update/)
Heavily armed black militia NFAC (Not F—ing Around Coalition) protesters gather in Louisville on Kentucky Derby Day – calling for justice in shooting death of Breonna Taylor
Portland rioters erupt in new round of violence, marks 100 straight days
Rochester, NY, rocked by another night of Daniel Prude protests
Wealthy NYC woman arrested in Manhattan, NY, BLM rampage
Police kill black man, Elijah McClain, with ketamine injection, who had already been knocked out by chokehold
This is a fulfillment of last days Bible prophecy
"Nation will rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom (original Greek transliteration – ethnos eppa ethnos – ethnic groups against ethnic groups, as in whites against blacks; basileia eppa basileia – religion against religion, as in Muslims against Christians), and there will be famines, pestilences (like coronavirus) and earthquakes in diverse places" Matthew 24:7 (ET – Elim אֵילִם Translation)
Turkey demolishes another historic Christian church
This is a fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Jesus said to His disciples,
"They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service" John 16:2
Scientists can't explain lack of coronavirus outbreaks in Africa
Really? Don't they know helicopters are more conspicuous in Africa?
Bright fireball streaks across sky over Canberra, Australia
We have seen a lot of these throughout the world this year. I see them on a regular basis. Fireballs are a fulfillment of last days Bible prophecy:
"And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences, and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven" Luke 21:11 NKJV
Jesus also admonished us (also in Luke 21) concerning the last days:
"Be watchful then, praying that you are counted worthy to escape all these things that are about to come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man" Luke 21:36 (ET – Elim אֵילִם Translation)
Screen shot: USGS
A major 6.0 magnitude earthquake hit the Northern Molucca Sea on September 6, 2020, at 00:21:14 UTC, at a depth of 67 km, reported Geoscience Australia (not finalized).
Screen shot: Geoscience Australia
Screen shot: USGS
A major 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit near the Coast of Central Chile on September 6, 2020, at 01:16:57 UTC, at a depth of 17 km, reported Geoscience Australia (not finalized).
Screen shot: Geoscience Australia (not finalized)
Screen shot: USGS
A major 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit Vanuatu Islands on September 6, 2020, at 02:59:20 UTC, reported LDEO.
The NWS PTWC issued a Tsunami Information Statement on September 6, 2020, at 0307 UTC.
Screen shot: LDEO
Screen shot: USGS
A major 6.8 magnitude quake hit the Central Mid-Atlantic Ridge on September 6, 2020, at 06:51:20 UTC, reported LDEO.
The NWS PTWC issued a Tsunami Information Statement on September 6, 2020, 0703 UTC, 13 minutes after this major quake event.
Screen shot: LDEO
Screen shot: USGS
A major 6.6 magnitude quake hit Mindanao, Philippines, on September 6, 2020, at 1524 UTC, at a depth of 115 km / 71 mi, reported the NWS PTWC.
The NWS PTWC issued a Tsunami Information Statement on September 6, 2020, at 1532 UTC.
Screen shot: NWS PTWC
1,344 major (6.0+) to super (8.0+) earthquakes hit various places worldwide over the last 2,741 days. Among these were 138 7.0+ and 14 8.0+ magnitude quakes. (Sources: CSEM-EMSC; Geoscience Australia; USGS; National Weather Service [NWS]; NWS National Tsunami Warning Service; Pacific Tsunami Warning Center [PTWC]; NOAA/United States Tsunami Warning System [NOAA/USTWS]; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; China Earthquake Networks Center; GEOFON; Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory [LDEO] of Columbia University; BMKG [Indonesia]; Japan Meteorological Agency [JMA])
Jesus said these signs would appear before He returns,
"Nation will rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines, pestilences and earthquakes in diverse places" Matthew 24:7
"Great earthquakes shall be in diverse places and famines and pestilences, and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven" Luke 21:11
Jesus also said,
"There shall be signs in the sun, in the moon and the stars (we have seen this with the blood moon tetrad in 2014-15 on Israel's feast days, with a solar eclipse; the Star of Bethlehem and the Virgo and Leo lineup of stars over Jerusalem on September 23, 2017) and upon the earth distress of nations with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring (tsunamis)" Luke 21:25
"Blessed are those servants whom the Master, when He comes, will find watching" Luke 12:37
Hundreds of Bible prophecies have been fulfilled and those remaining shall surely come to pass. Are you prepared to stand before God and give an account of the life you have lived on this earth (Revelation 20:12-15)? If not, salvation is only a prayer away. Please visit the How Can I Be Saved page – your eternal destiny depends on it. God bless you.
All written publications on this site may be copied and shared for evangelistic and educational purposes.
God bless you with the Light of the world.
* Please provide attribution to this site via link. *


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Windows 7 may just be the most keyboard-friendly operating system yet. Without ever laying a finger on your mouse, you can dock windows, quick-launch your favorite apps, enable external displays, and much more. Sure, you have to memorize a few new key-combos, but once you've integrated them into your daily routine, you'll wonder how you ever got along without them.
Start-Menu Searches: Windows key
This carryover from Vista is arguably one of Windows' must underused and undervalued features. A simple tap of the Windows key activates the Start menu, where you can type the first few letters of a program name, Control Panel setting, Word document, or whatever and then hit Enter to launch it. Why reach for the mouse?
Minimize (Almost) All Windows: Win + Home
This combo lets you send all open windows packing–except the one that's currently active. Sure beats clicking Minimize on a bunch of individual windows. When you tap the shortcut a second time, it restores all previously open windows.
Make Windows Transparent: Win + Space
This is the keyboard equivalent of mousing over the transparency tool in the right corner of the System Tray–great for those times when you need to something on the desktop (like a gadget) but don't want to minimize all your windows. After tapping Win-Space, your windows will stay see-through until you let go of the Windows key.
Quick-Launch Taskbar Apps: Win + (1-9)
As you know, Windows 7 makes it a snap to "pin" frequently used programs to the taskbar. But did you also know that these programs are automatically assigned a number and corresponding Windows-key shortcut? Just press Windows-1 to launch the first pinned program (the one closest to the Start button), Windows-2 to launch the next one, and so on. Fastest app-launching known to man! Except, of course, for this…
Quick-Launch Any App: Hotkey
Like Vista before it, Windows 7 lets you assign a quick-launch hotkey to any installed program. Just right-click the program's icon, choose Properties, and then click the Shortcut tab. Click once in the Shortcut key field, then press the hotkey combo you want to assign (Ctrl-Shift-H, for instance). Click OK and you're done! Assuming you have a good memory, app launching doesn't get any faster than this.
Dock Active Windows: Win + Left or Right Arrow
A great shortcut for users with widescreen monitors, this combo docks the active window to the left or right half of the screen (depending on which arrow you tap), at the same time maximizing it top-to-bottom.
Magnify Your View: Win + (+)
Windows 7's built-in magnifier lets you zoom in wherever you place your cursor. Just tap Win-plus (that's the Windows key and the plus key) to enable the magnifier and set a 200% zoom level. When you mouse to any edge of the screen, your view scrolls accordingly. The more you tap the keys, the higher the zoom. Of course, you can just as easily zoom out again with Win-minus.
Open Presentation Settings: Win + P
Good news for business users constantly struggling to get Windows to cooperate with projectors: A quick tap of Win-P activates a monitor-settings panel. Click Duplicate or Projector only to send your display to the big screen, or Extend if you've connected a second monitor and want extra screen real estate.
Create a New Folder: Ctrl + Shift + N
Forget the old way of creating new folders. In Windows 7, all it takes is a tap of Ctrl-Shift-N. This works in any open Explorer window, but also on the desktop. After the new folder appears, just type in a name as usual and hit Enter.
Bring Gadgets to the Fore: Win + G
Now that Windows' gadgets are no longer relegated to the Sidebar, they're free to sit anywhere on your desktop. Of course, that means they can get obscured by other windows. As you now know, a tap of Win-Space makes those windows temporarily see-through, but what if you want to put the gadgets on top of your windows? No problem: Just tap Win-G.
Okay, shortcut junkies, get tapping! And be sure to check out the Hassle-Free PC Blog, where you'll find more keyboard-driven time-savers and a wealth of other helpful advice.
For more information about Windows 7, sign up for PC World's Windows News and Tips newsletter . And for comprehensive, straightforward advice and tips that can help you get the most out of the new operating system, order PC World's Windows 7 Superguide, on CD-ROM or in a convenient, downloadable PDF file .


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Web developers are practically ignoring the 10 most common security flaws that put customers at risk.
Web security is at the top of customers' minds after many well-publicized personal data breaches, but the people who actually build Web applications aren't paying much attention to security, experts say.
"They're totally ignoring it," says IT consultant Joel Snyder. "When you go to your Web site design team, what you're looking for is people who are creative and able to build these interesting Web sites… That's No. 1, and No. 9 on the list would be that it's a secure Web site."
The biggest problem is designers aren't building walls within Web applications to partition and validate data moving between parts of the system, he says.
Security is usually something that's considered after a site is built rather than before it is designed, agrees Khalid Kark, senior analyst at Forrester.
"I'd say the majority of Web sites are hackable," Kark says. "The crux of the problem is security isn't thought of at the time of creating the application."
That's a big problem, and it's one the nonprofit Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) is trying to solve. An OWASP report called "The Ten Most Critical Web Application Security Vulnerabilities" was issued this year to raise awareness about the biggest security challenges facing Web developers.
Web vulnerabilitiesExperts say most Web applications can be hacked. Here are the top ten vulnerabilities that could put your Web site at risk.
SOURCE: OWASP (the Open Web Application Security Project)
The first version of the list was released in 2004, but OWASP Chairman Jeff Williams says Web security has barely improved. New technologies such as AJAX and Rich Internet Applications that make Web sites look better also create more attack surfaces, he says. Convincing businesses their Web sites are insecure is no easy task, though.
"It's frustrating to me, because these flaws are so easy to find and so easy to exploit," says Williams, who is also CEO and co-founder of Aspect Security. "It's like missing a wall on a house."
Here is a summary of OWASP's top 10 Web vulnerabilities, including a description of each problem, real-world examples and how to fix the flaws.
1. Cross site scripting (XSS)
The problem: The "most prevalent and pernicious" Web application security vulnerability, XSS flaws happen when an application sends user data to a Web browser without first validating or encoding the content. This lets hackers execute malicious scripts in a browser, letting them hijack user sessions, deface Web sites, insert hostile content and conduct phishing and malware attacks.
Attacks are usually executed with JavaScript, letting hackers manipulate any aspect of a page. In a worst-case scenario, a hacker could steal information and impersonate a user on a bank's Web site, according to Snyder.
Real-world example: PayPal was targeted last year when attackers redirected PayPal visitors to a page warning users their accounts had been compromised. Victims were redirected to a phishing site and prompted to enter PayPal login information, Social Security numbers and credit card details. PayPal said it closed the vulnerability in June 2006.
How to protect users: Use a whitelist to validate all incoming data, which rejects any data that's not specified on the whitelist as being good. This approach is the opposite of blacklisting, which rejects only inputs known to be bad. Additionally, use appropriate encoding of all output data. "Validation allows the detection of attacks, and encoding prevents any successful script injection from running in the browser," OWASP says.
2. Injection flaws
The problem: When user-supplied data is sent to interpreters as part of a command or query, hackers trick the interpreter — which interprets text-based commands — into executing unintended commands. "Injection flaws allow attackers to create, read, update, or delete any arbitrary data available to the application," OWASP writes. "In the worst-case scenario, these flaws allow an attacker to completely compromise the application and the underlying systems, even bypassing deeply nested firewalled environments."
Real-world example: Russian hackers broke into a Rhode Island government Web site to steal credit card data in January 2006. Hackers claimed the SQL injection attack stole 53,000 credit card numbers, while the hosting service provider claims it was only 4,113.
How to protect users: Avoid using interpreters if possible. "If you must invoke an interpreter, the key method to avoid injections is the use of safe APIs, such as strongly typed parameterized queries and object relational mapping libraries," OWASP writes.
3. Malicious file execution
The problem: Hackers can perform remote code execution, remote installation of rootkits, or completely compromise a system. Any type of Web application is vulnerable if it accepts filenames or files from users. The vulnerability may be most common with PHP, a widely used scripting language for Web development.
Real-world example: A teenage programmer discovered in 2002 that Guess.com was vulnerable to attacks that could steal more than 200,000 customer records from the Guess database, including names, credit card numbers and expiration dates. Guess agreed to upgrade its information security the next year after being investigated by the Federal Trade Commission.
How to protect users: Don't use input supplied by users in any filename for server-based resources, such as images and script inclusions. Set firewall rules to prevent new connections to external Web sites and internal systems.
4. Insecure direct object reference
The problem: Attackers manipulate direct object references to gain unauthorized access to other objects. It happens when URLs or form parameters contain references to objects such as files, directories, database records or keys.
Banking Web sites commonly use a customer account number as the primary key, and may expose account numbers in the Web interface.
"References to database keys are frequently exposed," OWASP writes. "An attacker can attack these parameters simply by guessing or searching for another valid key. Often, these are sequential in nature."
Real-world example: An Australian Taxation Office site was hacked in 2000 by a user who changed a tax ID present in a URL to access details on 17,000 companies. The hacker e-mailed the 17,000 businesses to notify them of the security breach.
How to protect users: Use an index, indirect reference map or another indirect method to avoid exposure of direct object references. If you can't avoid direct references, authorize Web site visitors before using them.
5. Cross site request forgery
The problem: "Simple and devastating," this attack takes control of victim's browser when it is logged onto a Web site, and sends malicious requests to the Web application. Web sites are extremely vulnerable, partly because they tend to authorize requests based on session cookies or "remember me" functionality. Banks are potential targets.
"Ninety-nine percent of the applications on the Internet are susceptible to cross site request forgery," Williams says. "Has there been an actual exploit where someone's lost money? Probably the banks don't even know. To the bank, all it looks like is a legitimate transaction from a logged-in user."
Real-world example: A hacker known as Samy gained more than a million "friends" on MySpace.com with a worm in late 2005, automatically including the message "Samy is my hero" in thousands of MySpace pages. The attack itself may not have been that harmful, but it was said to demonstrate the power of combining cross site scripting with cross site request forgery. Another example that came to light one year ago exposed a Google vulnerability allowing outside sites to change a Google user's language preferences.
How to protect users: Don't rely on credentials or tokens automatically submitted by browsers. "The only solution is to use a custom token that the browser will not 'remember,'" OWASP writes.
6. Information leakage and improper error handling
The problem: Error messages that applications generate and display to users are useful to hackers when they violate privacy or unintentionally leak information about the program's configuration and internal workings.
"Web applications will often leak information about their internal state through detailed or debug error messages. Often, this information can be leveraged to launch or even automate more powerful attacks," OWASP says.
Real-world example: Information leakage goes well beyond error handling, applying also to breaches occurring when confidential data is left in plain sight. The ChoicePoint debacle in early 2005 thus falls somewhere in this category. The records of 163,000 consumers were compromised after criminals pretending to be legitimate ChoicePoint customers sought details about individuals listed in the company's database of personal information. ChoicePoint subsequently limited its sales of information products containing sensitive data.
How to protect users: Use a testing tool such as OWASP'S WebScarab Project to see what errors your application generates. "Applications that have not been tested in this way will almost certainly generate unexpected error output," OWASP writes.
Another tip: disable or limit detailed error handling, and don't display debug information to users.
7. Broken authentication and session management
The problem: User and administrative accounts can be hijacked when applications fail to protect credentials and session tokens from beginning to end. Watch out for privacy violations and the undermining of authorization and accountability controls.
"Flaws in the main authentication mechanism are not uncommon, but weaknesses are more often introduced through ancillary authentication functions such as logout, password management, timeout, remember me, secret question and account update," OWASP writes.
Real-world example: Microsoft had to eliminate a vulnerability in Hotmail that could have let malicious JavaScript programmers steal user passwords in 2002. Revealed by a networking products reseller, the flaw was vulnerable to e-mails containing Trojans that altered the Hotmail user interface, forcing users to repeatedly reenter their passwords and unwittingly send them to hackers.
How to protect users: Communication and credential storage has to be secure. The SSL protocol for transmitting private documents should be the only option for authenticated parts of the application, and credentials should be stored in hashed or encrypted form.
Another tip: get rid of custom cookies used for authentication or session management.
8. Insecure cryptographic storage
The problem: Many Web developers fail to encrypt sensitive data in storage, even though cryptography is a key part of most Web applications. Even when encryption is present, it's often poorly designed, using inappropriate ciphers.
"These flaws can lead to disclosure of sensitive data and compliance violations," OWASP writes.
Real-world example: The TJX data breach that exposed 45.7 million credit and debit card numbers. A Canadian government investigation faulted TJX for failing to upgrade its data encryption system before it was targeted by electronic eavesdropping starting in July 2005.
How to protect users: Don't invent your own cryptographic algorithms. "Only use approved public algorithms such as AES, RSA public key cryptography, and SHA-256 or better for hashing," OWASP advises.
Furthermore, generate keys offline, and never transmit private keys over insecure channels.
It's pretty common to store credit card numbers these days, but with a Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard compliance deadline coming next year, OWASP says it's easier to stop storing the numbers altogether.
9. Insecure communications
The problem: Similar to No. 8, this is a failure to encrypt network traffic when it's necessary to protect sensitive communications. Attackers can access unprotected conversations, including transmissions of credentials and sensitive information. For this reason, PCI standards require encryption of credit card information transmitted over the Internet.
Real-world example: TJX again. Investigators believe hackers used a telescope-shaped antenna and laptop computer to steal data exchanged wirelessly between portable price-checking devices, cash registers and store computers, the Wall Street Journal reported.
"The $17.4-billion retailer's wireless network had less security than many people have on their home networks," the Journal wrote. TJX was using the WEP encoding system, rather than the more robust WPA.
How to protect users: Use SSL on any authenticated connection or during the transmission of sensitive data, such as user credentials, credit card details, health records and other private information. SSL or a similar encryption protocol should also be applied to client, partner, staff and administrative access to online systems. Use transport layer security or protocol level encryption to protect communications between parts of your infrastructure, such as Web servers and database systems.
10. Failure to restrict URL access
The problem: Some Web pages are supposed to be restricted to a small subset of privileged users, such as administrators. Yet often there's no real protection of these pages, and hackers can find the URLs by making educated guesses. Say a URL refers to an ID number such as "123456." A hacker might say 'I wonder what's in 123457?' Williams says.
The attacks targeting this vulnerability are called forced browsing, "which encompasses guessing links and brute force techniques to find unprotected pages," OWASP says.
How to protect users: Don't assume users will be unaware of hidden URLs. All URLs and business functions should be protected by an effective access control mechanism that verifies the user's role and privileges. "Make sure this is done … every step of the way, not just once towards the beginning of any multi-step process,' OWASP advises.


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It's that time again. The fifth report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is being rolled out today with the release of a Summary for Policymakers for the climate science portion of the report. (Sections on impacts of climate change and mitigation strategies will be released in the coming months.) Suspense about what the report would include has been somewhat deflated by leaks of early drafts, but the final wording is now available.
The group that prepared the report on the physical science behind climate change consisted of 259 climate scientists from 39 countries. (During a press conference, IPCC Chairman Rajendra Pachauri noted that in total, 831 scientists contributed to the various sections of the report, nearly 60 percent of whom were not involved with past reports.) The purpose of the report is to summarize what scientists have learned about climate change and to convey the level of scientific confidence in each conclusion. It cites 9,200 peer-reviewed papers, two-thirds of which were published after the release of the last IPCC report in 2007.
After being drafted by a number of scientists, the Summary for Policymakers was reviewed line-by-line by representatives of nations from around the world this week. Proposals for clarifying language then had to be approved by the scientists before the final draft was released.
Word on the street
Attention was drawn to a few elements of the leaked drafts of the reports, and we can now see how they appear in the finalized summary. First, the report does indeed express a higher confidence in the human causation of climate change than previous reports. Specifically, it states, "It is extremely likely [a phrase used to represent greater than 95 percent confidence] that more than half of the observed increase in global average surface temperature from 1951 to 2010 was caused by the anthropogenic increase in greenhouse gas concentrations and other anthropogenic forcings together."
Second, the range of best estimates for climate sensitivity (a measure of how much warming results from a given increase in greenhouse gases) did expand a bit, now spanning 1.5 to 4.5 degrees Celsius for a doubling of CO2. The 2007 IPCC report gave a range of 2.0 to 4.5 degrees Celsius.
Also, estimates of sea level rise have increased from those in the last report, which were conservative due to uncertainty about the behavior of Greenland and Antarctica. The middle of the road scenarios for future emissions now project 0.32 to 0.62 meters of sea level rise by the last couple decades of the 21st century. The high emissions scenario would result in an estimated 0.52 to 0.98 meters by the year 2100.
The gist
As expected, the slowdown in atmospheric warming over the past few years was considered, although the cutoff date for including studies unfortunately excluded some recent, relevant ones. The report explains that the 2000s have seen some cooling influence from a slight lull in radiation from the Sun, a number of volcanic eruptions, and natural variability in the ocean (namely, a rash of cool La Niñas). It also offers a reminder that climate models "are not expected to reproduce the timing of internal variability." That is, no climate scientists hazard predictions about when El Niños, La Niñas, and volcanic eruptions will be on tap.
This iteration of the IPCC report used a new, simplified set of scenarios for future emissions. So although the graphs look a little different from past ones, the projections haven't really changed. The middle-of-the-road scenarios would result in about 1 to 3 degrees Celsius of warming by the end of the century, and the high-emissions scenario yields 2.6 to 4.8 degrees Celsius.
In order to keep warming below the oft-referenced target of 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial temperatures, the total amount of carbon humans have emitted cannot exceed about 800 gigatons, the report says. As of 2011, about 531 gigatons had been emitted. The two middle scenarios involve the emission of 595-1250 gigatons between now and the end of the century.
The report also emphasizes the need to consider the long-term ramifications of carbon dioxide emissions. "Depending on the scenario, about 15 to 40 percent of emitted CO2 will remain in the atmosphere longer than 1,000 years."
Same as it ever was
To be clear, we're sweating the details here. There's nothing Earth-shattering in this report. The first IPCC report in 1990 laid out the big picture: our greenhouse gas emissions are changing the climate, and avoiding dangerous amounts of warming requires a rapid transition away from generating those emissions. The science has progressed a great deal since then, but the basic conclusions have not changed.
The IPCC reports are meant to provide governments (and everyone else) the best available information on which to base decisions about how to deal with the problem. Obviously, the reports haven't guaranteed that those decisions get made.
The full text of the report will be released on Monday, after which we'll be able to take a closer look at the (sweaty) details. On Saturday morning, from 7:00-9:00am EDT, a presentation and discussion of the report will be streamed live from Stockholm if you'd like to hear from some of the scientists who led the effort.


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- Ch 2 "Ain't Born Typical"
- Ch 3 Perinatal Media
- Ch 4 – 21st Century, Its Discontents
- Ch 5 Birth Wars, World Woes
- Ch 6 Healing Crisis
- Ch 12 Through Gaia's Eyes
- Ch 8 Derailing War, Violence
- Ch 9 Regressions in the Service of Society
- Ch 10 Cultural Rebirthing, Where Lies Hope
- Ch 11 Control vs. Surrender
- Ch 12 Atman Projects vs. Surrender Solutions
- Ch 13 Peaceful Warriors, Silly Heroes
- Ch 14 To Move the World
- Afterword: Shamans … Scapegoats
- Wounded Deer and Centaurs – Book 5
- Prologue: For Earth's Sake, Get Real
- Chapter One: We Are a Fever
- Chapter Two: Ain't Born Typical
- Chapter Three: Projecting the Perinatal Zeitgeist
- Chapter Four: 21st Century and Its Discontents
- Chapter Five: Prenatal Imprints of Our Unnatural Self
- Chapter Six: Prenatal Oxygen Hunger and Fire
- Chapter Seven: Civilization and Apocalypse
- Chapter Eight: Return of the Centaur
- Chapter Nine: Prenatal Hunger Games
- Chapter Ten: "Bad Blood"
- Chapter Eleven: Prenatal Irritation-Revulsion
- Chapter Twelve: Toxic Womb ~ Toxic World
- Chapter Thirteen: Perinatal Printouts of Generations
- Chapter Fourteen: Birth Wars ~ World Woes
- Chapter Fifteen: The Unsung Consciousness Revolution
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The Primal Screen: The Doors of Perception Stormed and The Perinatal Rising — A Kaleidoscope of Postmodern Life
The Perinatal Veil: Dangling Above an Abyss and Everyday Rebirthing — The Perinatal Predilections of Everyperson Wounded Deer and Centaurs, Chapter Three: Twenty-First Century and Its Discontents—The Primal Screen Dangling Above an Abyss Beyond the entertainment media, it seems perinatal … Continue reading
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Crushing Populations and Its Relief—Perinatal Pulls of Public Life, Sky Diving, Dancing, Swimming, and "Birth"Day Parties: 21st Century and Its Discontents, Part 3
Kaleidoscope of Postmodern Life, Part Three: The Perinatal Pulls of Population Explosion, Sky Diving, Dancing, Swimming, and "Birth"Day Parties Overpopulation Bring Up in Us Uncomfortable Claustrophobic Feelings From Our Births We have no-exit, claustrophobic BPM II elements … Continue reading
Posted in Activism, anthropology, Environment, globalrevolution, Health and wellness, psychology, Spirituality Tagged birth, birthday, bliss, body consciousness, BPM I, BPM II, break dancing, city, claustrophobia, consciousness, crowd, crushing, dance, dancing, euphoria, explosion, feelings, flesh, floating, freedom and suffering, gravity, grow, gymnastics, heal, hot tub, Jacob's Ladder, mosh pit, mosh pits, movement, overpopulation, parties, perfection, perinatal, pleasure, population, population explosion, precise, psyche, re-experience, rebirthing, religion, rock concert, sky dive, skydiving, space walk, spirituality, suffering, swim, swimming, the rapture, transcendance, transformation, unity, weightlessness, womb, zero gravity 80 Comments


text:
Who would have thought that God and Jerusalem would become controversial issues at this year's Democratic National Convention?
Previous Democratic Party platforms had mentioned God and referred to Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. After both were initially missing from this year's platform, someone apparently realized that this was likely to raise questions about Democrats that they could ill afford to have raised in an election year.
So the convention faced a vote on whether to restore God and Jerusalem to their party's platform. Rather than risk a roll-call vote from the delegates, the chair called for a voice vote. The voice vote sounded too close to call, but the chair called it anyway, ruling that those wanting God and Jerusalem restored had the necessary two-thirds vote.
This added an element of farce to the proceedings, but politicians are usually hardened against any sense of shame.
More was involved than a passing tempest in a teapot. Democrats were already politically vulnerable on the issue of not respecting religious freedom, because of the Obama administration's heavy-handed forcing of Catholic institutions to finance contraception, against their own religious principles.
Jerusalem raised very different questions. In the real world, there is no question that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. That is where their national government is located.
But in the murky world of international politics -- and especially in the never-never land of the mythical "Middle East peace process" -- the Palestinians' demand that Jerusalem be their capital has made liberals in general, and the Obama administration in particular, skittish about recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
Nothing that would call attention to Obama's policies toward Israel is likely to quiet the fears of Jewish voters in America, especially as regards the threat of a nuclear Iran, whose leaders have openly and repeatedly proclaimed their desire to wipe Israel off the face of the earth.
From the beginning, Barack Obama has tried to downplay the threat of a nuclear Iran. At one time he said dismissively that Iran was just "a small country."
In fact, Iran is physically larger than Japan, and its current population is slightly larger than what the population of Japan was when the Japanese dealt a devastating blow to the United States with its attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.
A nuclear Iran can do a lot more damage to Israel than the Japanese did to the United States. Moreover, it is well on its way to being able to produce more than the two bombs that were enough to force Japan to surrender in 1945.
Israel is in a desperate situation -- and there is no way that Barack Obama does not know that.
Of all the authors whose books about Barack Obama have flooded the market, Dinesh D'Souza has shown the best grasp of Obama's strange ideological view of the world. Based on that understanding, D'Souza said two years ago: "I predict that even as Iran develops the full capacity to build nuclear weapons, Obama will do little or nothing to stop it."
As for the possibility that Israel will "launch airstrikes to disable the Iranian nuclear facilities," D'Souza said, "I predict the Obama administration will do its best to prevent Israel from taking any such action."
That is what Obama is doing to this very moment. He has even taken the unconscionable step of revealing to the world Israel's secret arrangements with Azerbaijan to provide a refueling place for its planes going to or returning from an airstrike on Iran.
Dinesh D'Souza has no crystal ball. But you don't need a crystal ball to predict Barack Obama's hostile attitude toward Israel, despite all of Obama's lofty words saying the opposite.
All you need to know is the man's ideological history and the long line of ideologues who have helped him shape that ideology. These include Professor Edward Said, spokesman for Palestinian terrorists, under whom Obama studied at Columbia University.
The question of Jerusalem at the Democrats' convention threatened to open a can of worms that Barack Obama cannot afford to have opened, least of all in an election year.


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As one of the #CMCon18 featured bloggers, I get to grill, um… interview a few of the talented authors who will be hitting the beach for Coastal Magic 2018 in Daytona Beach this coming February. Since we are in the start of a new year, I thought we'd talk about beginnings, firsts, and origins.
The first CMC Featured Author joining me for Coffee and a Chat at the Beach is Tere Michaels.
Tere's specialties are snark, angst, and happily ever afters set in the big city. It might take some time to get there but no worries – she believes in love conquering all!
She has written fifteen books including her popular Faith, Love & Devotion series and the superhero saga, The Vigilante.
Nothing makes her happier than knowing she made a reader laugh or smile or cry – it's the purpose of sharing her work with people. She loves hearing from fans and fellow writers and is always available for speaking engagements, visits, and workshops.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads | DreamSpinner Press | BookBub
Let the grilling commence!
Tamye: What inspired you to become a writer? Did you always want to be a writer or did you come to it later in life?
Tere: I was four or five when I realized that someone's work was writing stories – and I just thought, "That. That right there." I've never wavered from that dream.
Tamye: What was the inspiration for your first book?
Tere: A weird pregnancy dream, which led to a character forming in my head, which led to me asking, "Who is the most complicated person he can fall in love with, after experiencing such a tragedy?" And Matt and Evan (Faith, Love & Devotion series) were born.
Tamye: How many times have you attended Coastal Magic? Tell us about your first time, and what you're looking forward to this time.
Tere: Oh gosh, I've lost count! I love Coastal Magic! When anyone asks me which events to attend, they're the first on my list. I am looking forward to meeting new fans, seeing old friends and just the casual "we are all here to love books" vibe.
Tamye: Do you craft?
Tere: Once upon a time I made jewelry and I love TRYING to craft but my results never look like the pictures. I don't have that ease of creation like I do with words. So envious of those who do!
The Heir Apparent
A bit of a slow start, but well worth reading. Intriguing storyline, that allows for the main characters to grow, both emotionally and socially. The secondary characters are varied and interesting. The intrigue keeps you guessing, and lends life to the story.
Through death, betrayal, and corporate politics Henry and his scrumptious lover, Archie discover where their true priorities lie.
If you like M/M romance with a bit of intrigue, this is the book for you.
Disclosure: I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon | B&N | Apple | Google | Kobo | DreamSpinners | BookBub | Goodreads
The heir apparent to a vast international company, Henry Walker has focused his entire life on pleasing his cold and distant father, a futile effort that's left him no time for life, love, or making his own decisions. He has just one friend—one dirty little secret—Archie Banks. Raised on the Walker estate alongside Henry, Archie is now Henry's driver, bodyguard… and occasional lover. Archie is loyal, but he's about to graduate from college and has plans for his life that don't include living every moment at the beck and call of Henry's father. Not even for Henry.
With no warning, a shocking kidnapping leads to tragedy and chaos, thrusting Henry and Archie into a dramatic struggle that threatens them individually and as a couple. Can they find a way to heal the hurt of the past, save the company that is Henry's birthright, and find a future together?
197 pages
Gay Fiction, Gay Romance
Tere is giving away an ebook of "The Heir Apparent"
to one lucky winner.
To enter, leave a comment (message bubble in the upper right hand corner of blog post).
You can ask a question, address something in the post, or tell us one of your firsts.
This giveaway will close Saturday night at midnight.
The winner will be picked by Mr. Random dot Org
All valid comments will be entered.
Winner will be announced Sunday.
Don't miss your chance to meet over 50 fabulous urban fantasy, paranormal, and romance authors at Coastal Magic this February! This super casual book-lover weekend happens on Daytona Beach, and gives everyone the chance to hang out with fellow readers and amazing storytellers.
REGISTRATION is still open, but going fast. If you haven't been to Coastal Magic yet, you're missing out on a lot of fun. Be sure to keep up with all things Coastal Magic, by following it via your own personal social media drug of choice: Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Pinterest | RSVP at the Facebook Event.


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The next addition to my Wood Elf in spaaaace (and associates) project is these space tree people.
Some basic trooper types were required for the tree people element of this project, so I rustled up these ladies from GW Dryad and Tyranid parts.
I also added a few resin bugs as tech elements on the models, representing bio-manufactured equipment of some sort.
The bugs-as-tech thing is a theme that I want to bring through the force, to tie it in with the the L'Oreal miniature ("Ieuan" from Hasslefree) that inspired the project. That the concept ties in with a slightly obscure but ahead of its time range of 80s action figures adds extra appeal for me.
Being of similar proportion, the spindly Tyranid Termagant/Warrior arms fit onto the Dryad bodies rather well. The fact that tree people tend be be depicted as asymmetrical helps too, making exact matching of limbs less of an issue than it can be when adding arms to more symmetrical humanoid models.
The bugs and some of the Tyranid Biomorph pieces were added to bring sci-fi elements to the dryad models. Using bugs as biotech is possibly a little counter-intuitive, so I tried to add the bug parts in places that I think make them suggestive of equipment like grenades, backpacks and headset mics.
The large-maggot-stuck-to-the-face-as-a-mic concept might be a bit hard to swallow for the less imaginative types out there, but in the broad stroke world of 28mm space tree people I think that its more than appropriate. In addition to being mildly amusing, I also reckon that it makes the models suggestive of Hollywood Spec Ops types or Gears or some other similar sci-fi elites.
My wife think that the bug-mics (Im thinking that "Babelbug" is a good term) make the models look more like a manufactured pop group than badass space soldiers, but its all a matter of perspective I think
The half-skeleton in the branches on one of the dryads is a bit grimdark for my tastes but as it was an easy in-game identifier for that model, I decided to use that component anyway.
There are more space tree people (I need to come up with a name for them – Dryanid is a bit specific) in various states of progress on the workbench. I dont know if I will like any of them more than I like these though. These is something about the simple design of the models plus the straighforward nature of the kitbash that combines into something that I quite like.
Filed under: Miniatures | Tagged: 2014, 40K, 40K Skirmish, Exodite, Foaks, GW, Sci-fi |


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One of the more interesting snippets of information to come out of the minutes of the February meeting of the Reserve Bank Board was an acknowledgement by members of the risks generated by a low-rate environment and, in particular, those "linked to higher leverage and asset prices, particularly in the housing market".
They weren't concerned enough to detour from their stimulus program, but the RBA doesn't consider these issues lightly. By putting this issue on the table, they are implicitly acknowledging the longer-term risks confronting the Australian housing markets beyond the prospect of a short-term bounce, and investors should do the same. That shouldn't necessarily deter future investment, but it does mean that we should keep a weather eye to the following three dynamics:
1. The short-term outlook remains positive
It would appear that even in the midst of a global crisis, Australians love nothing more than getting into a new house. And at this point in time, it makes some sense for a lot of people. Houses may be costly, but credit is cheap. Despite the fact that Australian property ranks amongst the most expensive in the world relative to incomes and rent, household interest payments as a share of income are at their lowest levels since the mid-1980s. When the RBA considers the effect of their rate cuts on the housing market this is precisely the dynamic to which they're referring.
Fiscal stimulus – particularly in the form of JobKeeper payments – and support measures, such as bank payment holidays, have also helped support prices through 2020, but their withdrawal this year should be offset by the broader economic recovery. Bearing in mind that the average household has also more than tripled their rate of savings through the pandemic1, and some proportion of that pent-up demand is likely to continue to find its way through to the housing market.
As a result, we can probably expect Australian house prices to rise by 5-10% through 2021 and by a similar amount next year.
2. Outcomes will be divergent across cities and regions
The top-line figure won't necessarily reflect the state of play across the country, however, with markets affected differently by broader economic conditions and changes to the way we live and work. Units are likely to fare worse than houses, and smaller capital cities will continue to play catch up. Working from home and the 'escape from the city' phenomenon we saw play out in 2020 will likely continue, with lifestyle attracting more of a premium over location.
The Perth and Darwin markets, proof in themselves that house prices don't always go up, are in the process of escaping the slump brought on by the end of the last mining boom, and house prices there still have some way to catch up. The other smaller capital cities should also continue to perform strongly in relation to Sydney and Melbourne, both of which are more exposed to stifled demand from falling immigration.
3. Conditions are ripe for some slowing in the housing market in the mid-to-long term
A key element in a reversal of fortunes is likely to be eventual increases in interest rates. The RBA is fixated on generating inflation in the economy, which could take some time, but by 2023 rate hikes could again be on the table. Even if they remain low by historical standards, any rise will represent a deterioration in current conditions and is likely to affect affordability. If that were to persist the expensiveness of our residential property market might finally start to hit home with potential buyers.
Second, the housing boom of the last 25 years has been fuelled not only by low rates but by a chronic undersupply of housing that developed between 2005 and 2015, when population growth surged ahead of new dwelling construction. This is why our houses and units are so expensive by global standards, despite other countries being subject to the same low rate environment.
Two factors are now working to mitigate this. First, supply has been steadily catching up to demand over the past five years. Second, immigration has stalled in the wake of border closures and may take some years to recover.
The bottom line is that it might not happen imminently, but conditions are likely to line up at some point for some sort of more sustained slowing in the Australian housing market. The good news is that the RBA has acknowledged an excessive heating up of the property market in the near term as a concern, but not a pressing one. Investors should take note nonetheless.
1 ABS (2020), Australian National Accounts: National Income, Expenditure and Product – September quarter 2020, Released 2 December 2020
Subscribe to SMSF News using the form below to receive all of my articlesShane Oliver, Head of Investment Strategy & Chief Economist
Important notes
While every care has been taken in the preparation of this article, AMP Capital Investors Limited (ABN 59 001 777 591, AFSL 232497) and AMP Capital Funds Management Limited (ABN 15 159 557 721, AFSL 426455) (AMP Capital) makes no representations or warranties as to the accuracy or completeness of any statement in it including, without limitation, any forecasts. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. This article has been prepared for the purpose of providing general information, without taking account of any particular investor's objectives, financial situation or needs. An investor should, before making any investment decisions, consider the appropriateness of the information in this article, and seek professional advice, having regard to the investor's objectives, financial situation and needs. This article is solely for the use of the party to whom it is provided and must not be provided to any other person or entity without the express written consent of AMP Capital.
This article is not intended for distribution or use in any jurisdiction where it would be contrary to applicable laws, regulations or directives and does not constitute a recommendation, offer, solicitation or invitation to invest.


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Labourers use a bulldozer to raze a Israeli building in the Western Wall plaza of Jerusalem's Old City with the Dome of the Rock mosque and Al Aqsa mosque compound in the background, on February 6, 2013. According to Al-Aqsa Foundation which campaigns for the defence of Islamic holy sites, the Israeli bulldozers are demolishing the frontages and arches of an historic Islamic building few dozen meters away from the Al-Aqsa mosque compound. The Al-Aqsa foundation said in a statement the demolition paves the way for an Israeli project to build a complex including a synagogue, a reception hall and a police station. AFP PHOTO/AHMAD GHARABLI (Photo credit should read AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP/Getty Images)


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My most enduring images of California are fictional ones: Maria compulsively driving the freeways in Play It as It Lays; the snakes on the highway or coiled in the blanket of dead newlyweds or the rattlesnake in the playpen in the same novel.
Joan Didion's 1970 Hollywood novel captured, for me, the angst and despair that I always associate with the sunny carefree surface California tries – still tries – to project despite the earthquakes, landslides, droughts, floods, and fire seasons that are the inevitable nightmare of the West Coast dream. Didion, with her detached style, digs to the core.
On my first and only trip to California – to L.A. for some auditions – it took over three hours for my hired car to get me from LAX to my Burbank hotel.
Beyond the auditions, the only thing I particularly cared to do was visit the Getty Center in Brentwood. I was more interested in the Richard Meier architecture and the Central Garden designed by Richard Irwin than the art, but it was nice to see Van Gogh's "Irises."
The beautiful, marble-clad buildings of the complex are stately and dignified. Even though they contain art, they feel barren in their context. There are hazy views of the city and the mountains and a vista of the Pacific to the west. Sounds of water over rocks, down runnels, splashing in fountains are ubiquitous. After living in the desert of southwestern Utah, I learned to understand the Southwest's obsession with water and fountains and found it magnified in L.A.
My lunch at the Getty Center restaurant included one of the best Cobb salads I've ever had. It was my birthday so I had a dessert.
Throughout that Los Angeles trip, thoughts of images of travel forged in the wrought texts of Joan Didion were constantly evoked. The city was a reminder of Didion's prose and of how that prose elicits a certain morbid fascination with California, even though the place holds no allure for me.
Didion's essay, "In Bed," about dealing with migraines, has for some reason stuck with me ever since I first read it in The White Album in 1990.
Then the pain comes, and I concentrate only on that. Right there is the usefulness of migraine, there in that imposed yoga, the concentration on the pain. For when the pain recedes, ten or twelve hours later, everything goes with it, all the hidden resentments, all the vain anxieties.
I have occasional migraines. Because Didion wrote that passage, I associate migraines with California, too.
The Year of Magical Thinking (2005), Didion's most celebrated book of the 21st century, explores the nature of mourning and grief. It chronicles the year after Didion's husband, John Gregory Dunne, dies unexpectedly. Before that book was published, Didion and Dunne's daughter, Quintana Roo, died after an extended illness. Didion's follow-up book, Blue Nights, focuses on Quintana's death and expands on the themes of Magical Thinking.
A couple of years after The Year of Magical Thinking was published, a friend notified me of the death of her husband in an email. In the subject line, she wrote "Magical Thinking." I thought Has Didion now defined grief, too?
Students tell me they plan to go to California after graduation. I say supportive things but I'm always thinking Why?
Didion would say Why not?
I never once planned to go to California.
Despite spending much of her adult life in New York, Didion always identifies and is identified with the West and California. She attempts to define her California identity in 2003's Where I Was From, a collection of essays which explores the dichotomies and complexities of the place.
The first time anyone ever referred to me as an "Easterner" was on a trip to New Mexico in the 1980s. Prior to that I had only been called a "Southerner." I remember that I was intrigued by the label and maybe a little pleased. Since then, I have realized that I am always most at home east of the Mississippi River.
I will read anything Joan Didion writes. That point is driven home by the fact that I just finished her latest "book," South and West: From a Notebook (Alfred A. Knopf, 2017), which is a very compact compilation of some Didion journal notes from the 1970s.
South and West contains notes for stories that never quite came to fruition. "Notes on the South" is a document of a road trip Didion and Dunne took through Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama in 1970. "California Notes" is notes for a magazine piece about the Patricia Hearst trial but Patty Hearst is barely mentioned in that brief entry for a Rolling Stone article that never happened.
Still, the notes in themselves, with that contemplative Didion style, make for intriguing reading. The impetus for publishing the book of recycled notes at just this moment in time seems to be in response to the recent election cycle. In the "Notes on the South" section, Didion writes, about her decision to explore the South:
I had only some dim and unformed sense …that for some years the South and particularly the Gulf Coast had been for America what people were still saying California was, and what California seemed to me not to be: the future, the secret source of benevolent and malevolent energy, the psychic center.
Starting in New Orleans, Didion meanders, stops over in small towns, spends time in larger cities, doesn't do what she planned to do, and doesn't meet with people she planned to meet.
She observes beauticians, good ol' boys, women at laundromats, men at diners watching soap operas, women at conventions talking about soap operas, ER doctors, men watching her swim in a bikini at a motel pool, Walker Percy, and snakes – lots of snakes. At dinner in Birmingham with Ivy League-educated locals, she muses on her dinner partners' "rococo denial of their own sophistication, which I found dizzying to contemplate."
For some reason, she couldn't find William Faulkner's grave in the Oxford cemetery where he's buried. That perplexes me since I have visited that grave many times and it's not that hard to find; I wish she had asked somebody for directions.
Her incisive observational eye provides details into the psyches of her subjects and, most effectively, sensory impressions. She finds that "everyone in Mississippi begins on the defensive."
In Meridian, Mississippi, after a driving tour of the town with the white owner of the black radio station, she observes,
A few black women were on the streets, and they carried umbrellas against the sun. It was almost five o'clock. In the middle of 22nd Avenue, the main street of Meridian, there was a man holding a shotgun. He had on a pink shirt and a golfing cap, and in one ear there was a hearing aid. He raised the shotgun and shot toward the roof of a building several times.
The man is shooting at pigeons. "In this one demented afternoon," Didion writes, "Mississippi lost much of its power to astonish me."
The book presents "Notes on the South" as if the Zeitgeist-finding trip was never useful in producing a piece but it is surprising how much of that trip found its way – occasionally verbatim – into Didion's 1977 novel, A Book of Common Prayer. That novel focuses on political upheaval in a Central American country, in the fictional Boca Grande, but much of the story of Charlotte involves semi-comatose road tripping through the American South and frequent references to an event that transpired at Birmingham's Mountain Brook Country Club. In retrospect, "Notes on the South" is very present in A Book of Common Prayer.
107 pages of South and West are devoted to "Notes on the South." The final section, "California Notes," is a scant thirteen pages which mention Patricia Hearst but focus on Didion's reflections and impressions of growing up and her family and cultural history there. Some of the material found its way into Where I Was From thirty years later.
"In the South," she writes, "they are convinced that they have bloodied their place with history. In the West we do not believe that anything we do can bloody the land, or change it, or touch it."
Ultimately in "Notes on California," there is a search for what "home" means.
I am at home in the West. The hills of the coastal ranges look "right" to me, the particular flat expanse of the Central Valley comforts my eye. The place names have the ring of real places to me. I can pronounce the names of the rivers, and recognize the common trees and snakes. I am easy here in a way that I am not easy in other places.
Through Didion's precise, distant, dry, and often bleak prose, every place she observes becomes Didionland.


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It takes a while. All the headwaters that feed into the creek have been slowly dropping, like my own muddy Lemon Fair River, and so the Otter Creek is rising. How fast? The football team, at Middlebury for pre-season practice, skipped the weight lifting today and went to fill and stack sandbags at Jackson's on the River (the old Tully and Marie's to you alumni) ( The old Woodie's to you older alumni). (Great little article here).
Another stream feeding the deluge is the North Branch River, the one that falls along Route 125, heading up to Breadloaf and the Snow Bowl. Last I heard, the road is still closed (picture here), although Breadloaf is still accessible by back roads.
As I write, the Otter Creek in Middlebury is at 6.9′, within the top 20 crests of all time, and is thought to reach peak tonight around midnight. Not wanting to wait that long, I took some pictures downtown to try and capture the feel of a simply amazing amount of water, brown and muddy, crashing through town. One of our seasonal landscapers was a dairy farmer in Orwell for 30+ years, and in his experience he's never seen water so muddy. Another guy in our shop is at home, an island experience, surrounded by water on all sides unable to come to work.


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Herman Cain Backs Israel With Glenn Beck in Jerusalem
Herman Cain was the only Republican presidential candidate at the former Fox News host Glenn Beck's "Restoring Courage" rally in Israel this week, demonstrating his "courage" as well as resilience after a poor showing at the recent Ames Straw Poll.
The straw poll may have given Herman Cain the fifth rank, but his supporters are all praises for him for his presence at Wednesday's event in Jerusalem's Old City where Beck, a Mormon, urged Israelis and their allies to courageously face a world "adrift."
"What a pleasure to see you standing for Israel in Jerusalem!" Beth Jones, a supporter, said on Herman Cain's Facebook page where the former CEO of Godfather's Pizza posted pictures from Israel Thursday. "Our White House does not seem to fully understand the importance of having a friend in Israel, nice to see that you 'get it,'" wrote another fan, Adam Dincher.
Unlike former Minn. Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who withdrew from the presidential campaign after finishing third in the Ames poll, Cain, a Christian minister, carries on, banking not only on his reputation as a businessman but also showcasing his commitment to a cause held dear by many conservative Christians.
Perhaps Cain needed to attend Beck's event more than any other Republican candidate did. After his remarks in March that he would not appoint a Muslim to his cabinet if he became president because he doubted their commitment to the U.S. Constitution, Cain met with Muslim leaders and apologized. Some saw the apology as "embarrassingly abject," such as conservative blogger Pamela Geller. She said in a column in WorldNetDaily it was "his lack of spine and political will and conviction."
However, Cain's support of Israel now portrays him as a tough man. While Cain did not speak at Beck's event, his mere presence was a strong statement.
Four presidential candidates, a few senators and many congressmen were expected to attend the event but only Cain showed up.
Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) said the House Ethics Committee had asked members not to attend Beck's event due to its political affiliation, according to CBS News. This prompted Beck to accuse House Speaker John Boehner of "playing politics" with Israel "in their hour of need."
Cain had earlier told Israel's Haaretz newspaper that he wanted to attend the event to commend that country's people for their courage. "What Israel had to endure in that part of the world is nothing short of courageous... As a citizen and as a president of the U.S., I will provide our support for Israel because they are our best friends in that part of the world, and I don't want these relations to get weaker. I want them to get stronger."
Cain also claimed that he had been "more direct about my support of Israel than any of the candidates," referring to his statement, "If any other country messes with Israel, they are messing with the U.S."
"That's not politically correct language, it's just the common sense language. I feel very strongly about my relationship with Israel. I listened to some of the Muslim leaders, but it didn't change my perspective."
Cain also told Haaretz that unlike President Barack Obama he was not going to "pander to the Muslim world."
"I am not going to try to pacify Muslim countries in belief that it's somehow going to change their attitude towards the U.S."
It seems Cain is determined to remain in the media at least until the Feb. 6 Iowa Caucuses.


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There are many variables when planning for taxes, here are some tips! Remember every tax situation is different and you should contact us or your tax professional for more information.
- Our first tip deals with income. If you are in a higher income tax bracket this year than you expect to be in next year, or vice versa, you can either defer or accelerate income into this year or next year to lower your overall tax rate.
- If you are in the 15% tax rate or lower, you can recognize capital gains at a 0% tax rate.
- Another way to offset your capital gains, if you have them, is to recognize capital losses to offset those capital gains at a 0% tax rate.
Every taxpayer is allowed to deduct either itemized deductions or the standard deduction, whichever is higher.
- If your itemized deductions tend to be the same as your standard deduction each year, you may want to double up on your itemized deductions every other year. For example: Paying your real estate taxes for one year in January and then paying again in December of the same year to double up.
- Double up on charitable contributions in one year; that way you can deduct your itemized deductions every other year and deduct your standard deduction in the remaining years.
I hope this helps!
© 2015 Matthew D. Brehmer and Crummey Estate Plan.