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Laura902's Journal
Ants and Atheists Atheist Central -- Ray Comfort's Blog http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6yUNdcXfZlE/TCn-... Ray, Why are so many of the things you speak (write) of, unspeakable?-Craig Think of a colony of ants. By some miracle you are able to go down and speak to them. Your job is to tell them that theres a universe out there, and that life is more than just what they see as their little colony. Your first hurdle is their concept of the word "big." To them, a tennis ball is massive, so how are you going to communicate what you know about the universe? I would say that all you can do it draw on any and every part of your vocabulary, inadequate though that would be. The Christian has the same frustration with the colony of this godless world. They have no concept of anything when it comes to the spiritual world. When I say "God" my mind sees the most incredible, most powerful, most breathtakingly wonderful, awesome, magnificent, unimaginable force that words fall infinitely short of describing. They think of the flying spaghetti monster. The Bible puts it this way: "The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God; neither can he know them; they are foolishness to him because they are spiritually understood." Actually, the ant analogy fell way short. Add to it that they are blind, hungry, aggressive, and swarming fire ants, and you get a little closer to the unspeakable problem we have. Words can't describe the stupidity lmao  http://www.raptureready.com /
Since things are getting worse and worse in the world, is the devil working overtime? The devil knows the Bible, so, he knows that his time is short. As time draws nearer and nearer to the return of Christ, the devil will continue to increase his efforts to keep people from trusting in the Lord. Jesus described these last days for us. "You will hear of wars and rumors of wars ... Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places" (Matt. 24:6-7). Further, we are told to expect things to keep getting worse: "Evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived" (2 Tim. 3:13). Because of Satan’s increased efforts, we must work harder, too. It is the call to every believer to go and preach the Word. We must be witnesses for Christ in these last days, and we must keep ourselves ready to meet the Lord. What is God's favorite color? To answer this question, it is important to bear in mind two things: 1) The basic scientific principle that color is made up of reflected light that our eyes have the ability to sense, and 2) What God, himself, said about light in Genesis 1:1,3 and 4: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. God saw that the light was good.” Since God is the creator of light (and of color as well) and has proclaimed that it is good, meaning that He was completely happy with what He had made, the wonderful answer to the question of God's favorite color is: ALL of THEM, plus many, many more that we are not yet aware of. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (James 1:17). Will the Antichrist be a homosexual? This question arises from the following Scripture about Antichrist: “Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all” (Dan. 11:37). Many Bible scholars believe that the phrase “desire of women” here means that Antichrist, the world’s last and most terrible tyrant, will be homosexual. Other scholars believe that the “desire of women” mentioned here refers to Jesus Christ, the Messiah, as longed for among Jewish women who desire that the prophesied Christ be born to them. Another opinion might be more accurate. That is, this man will be so arrogant that nothing and no one can deter him from loving himself above all else. He will, much like Adolf Hitler, consider himself far too important to give much regard to women –especially to one woman. Why is there no mention of America in prophecy? The United States is mentioned nowhere in Bible prophecy by name. However, as the greatest nation ever to exist --technologically and scientificallyspeaking-- and as a nation that seems to have been designed by God to act as midwife and protector of Israel in its rebirth in 1948, one has to wonder if America is referred to somewhere in God's Word. Some people believe it's mentioned in passages of Jeremiah, but I don't see it, personally. The Babylon spoken of is for a literally reborn Babylon, in my studied view. The only reference we find, even obliquely, is in the Gog-Magog account of Ezekiel 38. The "merchants of Tarshish" is reference to traders that came from the area of "Tarshish" or "land of tin." This is most often said to be the area of present-day England. The Scripture where this is mentioned is as follows: "Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?" (Ezek. 38:13). The "young lions" that follow "merchants of Tarshish" could include America, the offspring of Tarshish, as well as Australia, Canada, and a number of others that England spawned. My own view is that when the rapture occurs, the US, which contains the largest numbers of true believers in Christ, will be in considerable disarray and chaos. Out of that might come a determination to join with the European Union in an effort to bring some semblance of order to the world. Thus the US could be absorbed by that growing beast-state, out of which the beast, Antichrist, will come. This last world government is seen in Daniel 7 and more details are given in Daniel 9. More on Antichrist is found in Daniel 8 and in Revelation 13, which also speaks of this beast-state in the first few verses. I don't know whether to laugh that people are serious about this or be very very afraid that so many people take this as fact.........   by Eliza Barclay
for National Geographic News Published June 25, 2010  Can Alaska, with its deep, wide lakes, and sparse population, quench the world’s thirst? An opportunistic American company thinks it can, despite many logistical hurdles and questions about transporting freshwater in bulk across the seas. The town of Sitka in Southeastern Alaska features a distinctive cobalt jewel: the Blue Lake reservoir, a lake fed by abundant rain, snow and glacial runoff, connected by pipeline to the local deepwater port. For nearly a decade, the town has tried to turn this ample, pure freshwater resource into a commodity for thirsty buyers in the lower 48 states—and even overseas. It has offered contracts to sell up to 9.5 billion gallons a year, or about 8 percent of the reservoir’s volume, to interested buyers at a rate of one cent per gallon. Several companies have tried and failed to make the venture profitable. But Terry Trapp, a Colorado businessman who is partnering with San Antonio-based S2C Global Systems, believes he may have a willing market in the Middle East. “There are water shortages and people who need water all over the world,” said Trapp. “But the people in the most dire straits are in the Middle East.” Trapp’s True Alaska Bottling Company already has a water bottling plant in Sitka and now the partnership, Alaska Resource Management, is trying to be the first company in the world to sell bulk water. It currently has an annual contract for 9.1 million gallons per day—about a third of Sitka’s available water—and is developing hubs to receive ocean-going water ships and distribute water to the Persian Gulf States. S2C Global Systems says the first hub will be an Indian port on the Arabian Sea. The cost and logistics of shipping, receiving and distributing bulk water are formidable. Trapp says he is looking to ship water in tankers across the oceans, but is also considering floating it in polyethylene bags. “Anytime you do something that’s never been done before, you’re going to have a lot of challenges,” said Trapp. Though no one has attempted to ship this quantity of bulk water before, the possibility of selling off the freshwater of water-rich northern countries has tantalized many. The Canadian government has been embroiled in debates over bulk water projects for years, and the conservative Fraser Institute of Vancouver released a report this month highlighting the benefits of water exports. But the Council of Canadians, a civic organization promoting progressive policies, has vilified bulk water exports and generated a powerful public awareness campaign around them. Meera Karunananthan, a national water campaigner for the council, says bulk water projects like the one in Sitka will not solve the water crises in India or countries in the Middle East that may be targeted for bulk sales. “There are more sustainable solutions like rainwater harvesting,” Karunananthan said. “This But Garry White, executive director of the Sitka Economic Development Association, argues that removing 8 percent of the watershed flow every year will not harm the environment because much of it is already being lost to the ocean. “This water is falling into the ocean less than a mile from the lake,” said White. “The community sees an opportunity to take this resource that flows out into the ocean and make it a driver for us.” Plus, water is a renewable resource. “Unlike oil, water is replenished,” said Trapp. But even if Sitka’s water is plentiful and the climate continues to feed the reservoir at a steady rate, others doubt that bulk water will ever be a viable business, because of the challenges created by transporting it long distances. “If that water sits in the hold of a tanker for weeks traveling across the ocean, when it arrives it’s not spring water anymore; you’re going to have to clean it up,” said James McNiven, a professor of public administration at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia who has studied the potential of Canada’s bulk water industry. “As a business proposition this gets to be very expensive and chances are the economics don’t work.” Tiger, tiger, burning out: What is killing Russia's critically endangered Amur tigers?
By John Platt It may not be long before we witness the extinction of one of the world's six species of tigers, the Amur (or Siberian) tiger (Panthera tigris altaica). As we have previously reported, Amur tiger populations have dropped precipitously in recent years to around 250 animals, and the species faces a genetic bottleneck that puts it at risk of inbreeding. Now, a mysterious illness has started spreading through the Amur population, causing the death of four adult tigers and several newborns in the past 10 months. "We may be witnessing an epidemic in the Amur tiger population," Dale Miquelle, director for the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Russia Program, told the Guardian. The as-yet-unidentified disease seems to affect tigers' ability to hunt wild game. Left in a weakened and hungry state, the four infected tigers had started coming into human territory in search of easy food. They had to be shot as potential threats to people. The most recent death was a 10-year-old female named Galya, which had long been tracked and studied by WCS Russia. At her healthiest, Galya was estimated to weigh 140 kilograms. When she was shot, she weighed just 90 kilograms. Galya had recently abandoned her three-week-old cubs, all of whom were found dead with no food in their bellies. The disease was first observed in a male tiger last year. Galya and two other female tigers believed to have carried the disease had been in contact with the male. These may not be the only tigers affected. "We are extremely concerned about the possibility of an epidemic that could be sweeping through this region," Miquelle said. "Animals we have studied extensively, and known well, have demonstrated radically changed behavior, which is extremely disconcerting." Already facing major danger from poachers, who kill an estimated 30 to 50 Amur tigers a year, this disease represents a threat the tigers may not be able to survive. "The addition of disease-related deaths to existing sources of mortality could push this population over a tipping point," Miquelle told the Guardian.   http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/pos... “This rebel had a God-given platform – for decades – which he should have utilized to publish the truth of God,” the WBC declared in a press release. “Instead, he used that platform – for decades – to teach rebellion against God, in the form glorifying atheism, promoting the devil horn hand sign & other such idolatries. Now he has been cut off by an Angry God & cast into hell.” The release also thanked God for “the dead brute Dio.” The Church, which is based in Topeka, Kansas, and in large part consists of single family, is infamous for picketing funerals to protest America’s tolerance of homosexuality. On Saturday, Ronnie James Dio’s wife Wendy responded to the proposed picket with the following statement on her late husband’s website: “Ronnie hates prejudice and violence! We need to turn the other cheek on these people that only know how to hate someone they didn’t know. We only know how to love someone we know!” And who could disagree with that? Well, the Westboro Baptist Church, obviously. At this point, there’s a lot more I could write about an organization who thinks it’s doing the Almighty’s work by turning up to funerals with homophobic signage. But instead I would urge you to check out a documentary about the Church which was made a few years back by British journalist Louis Theroux. The film is a terrific example of giving people enough rope to do you-know-what with. You’ll find the first part after the jump. This makes me sick with rage  http://music-mix.ew.com/2010/05/24/ronnie-...       (This 1 is from the exxon-valdez spill)     (Water pollution from fertilizer)    (desertification)     (The Aye-Aye, one of the many endemic species of Madagascar)    “In the end we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught.” Baba Dioum We have made great strides in the movement to save our planet for the other species who deserve to be here just as much (if not more) than we do. The question is, will we be able to do enough?     The Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus) has earned the dubious honor of being the most endangered rhino of all. Only 60 remain. But the Sumatran rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) is not far behind and black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) are also Critically Endangered.
The Indian one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) is Endangered. In the Near Threatened category, the white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) population stands at 11,300, huge by comparison to the others, but small for a large, slow developing species. Poaching represents the biggest threat in all cases but habitat loss plays a role as well. Threats to Rhinoceros Rhino horn is highly valued in Traditional Chinese Medicine for reducing fever. While there are many substitutes available in the Chinese pharmacy, purists still insist on using it. And in the Middle East, dagger handles made of horn are also highly prized. Rainforests and wetlands, prime rhino habitat, are rapidly disappearing throughout Asia and Africa. Rhinos may weigh a ton but in the competition for food and land they are losing. Javan Rhinoceros: This species, one of the ten most endangered mammals in the world, lives in Indonesia with a remnant population on mainland Vietnam, separated by the Java Sea. Shrinking rainforests are adding to the poaching problems the Javan rhino faces. One of the smaller rhinos, they are most closely related to the Indian rhino which also has just one horn. Sumatran rhinoceros There were once 3 subspecies of Sumatran rhino , one on the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra, one on Borneo and one in Burma and east India. It is not clear whether the Burma/east India population still exists. This species is the only hairy rhino. Its remaining populations also suffer from habitat fragmentation which isolates small groups and contributes to their decline. Read more at Suite101: Five Different Rhinosceros: All Threatened as Poaching and Habitat Loss Reduce Their Numbers http://endangered-species.suite101.com/art...  Fewer than 400 Sumatran rhinos are thought to exist, making it one of the rarest large mammals in the world http://endangered-species.suite101.com/art... WASHINGTON, DC, February 10, 2010 – As many Asian countries prepare to celebrate Year of the Tiger beginning February 14, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) reports that tigers are in crisis around the world, including here in the United States, where more tigers are kept in captivity than are alive in the wild throughout Asia. As few as 3,200 tigers exist in the wild in Asia where they are threatened by poaching, habitat loss, illegal trafficking and the conversion of forests for infrastructure and plantations.
 WWF is releasing a new interactive map of the world’s top 10 tiger trouble spots and the main threats against tigers. WWF is also launching a campaign: Tx2: Double or Nothing to support tiger range states in their goal of doubling wild tiger numbers by the next Year of the Tiger in 2022. The issues highlighted in the trouble spots map (www.worldwildlife.org/troublespots ) include: * Pulp, paper, palm oil and rubber companies are devastating the forests of Indonesia and Malaysia, home to two endangered tiger sub-species; * Hundreds of new or proposed dams and roads in the Mekong region will fragment tiger habitat; * Illegal trafficking in tiger bones, skins and meat feeds a continued demand in East and Southeast Asia; * More tigers are kept in captivity in the U.S. than are left in the wild -- and there are few regulations to keep these tigers from ending up on the black market. The largest numbers of captive tigers are in Texas (an estimated 3,000+), but they are also kept in other states; * Poaching of tigers and their prey, along with a major increase in logging is taking a heavy toll on Amur, or Siberian, tigers; * Tigers and humans are increasingly coming into conflict in India as tiger habitats shrink; * Climate change could reduce tiger habitat in Bangladesh’s Sundarbans mangroves by 96 percent. Three tiger sub-species have gone extinct since the 1940s and a fourth one, the South China tiger, has not been seen in the wild in 25 years. Tigers occupy just seven percent of their historic range. But they can thrive if they have strong protection from poaching and habitat loss and enough prey to eat. "Tigers are being persecuted across their range – poisoned, trapped, snared, shot and squeezed out of their homes," said Mike Baltzer, Leader of WWF’s Tiger Initiative. "But there is hope for them in this Year of the Tiger. There has never been such a committed, ambitious, high-level commitment from governments to double wild tiger numbers. They have set the bar high and we hope for the sake of tigers and people that they reach it." In the U.S., the government does not track how many tigers are in captivity within its borders, where they are, who owns them, or what happens to their body parts when they die. In many states, there are no controls on individuals keeping tigers as pets. Current estimates indicate that there are more than 5,000 tigers in captivity in the United States, more than exist in the wild. A registration scheme for all captive tigers and a means to monitor disposal of dead tigers is urgently needed to ensure they aren’t exploited for the illegal trade.  In the lead up to the Vladivostok Summit, all 13 tiger range countries recently committed to the goal of doubling tiger numbers by 2022 at a ministerial meeting in Hua Hin, Thailand. They will be helped in this goal by WWF and other members of the Global Tiger Initiative. The Summit will be co-hosted by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and World Bank President Robert Zoellick.  "We may not get another opportunity like this with so much political will from the tiger range countries and attention from so many institutions and people around the world," said Sybille Klenzendorf, Director of the WWF-US Species Program. "The situation for tigers is a sobering one, but if we seize this moment and maintain it for the long term, the next Year of the Tiger may give us real reason to celebrate." Sign On to Help Protect Tigers from Illegal Trade Help WWF tighten regulations to protect captive tigers in the U.S. and prevent increased demand for tiger products that put wild populations at risk. Sign WWF's petition to Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack asking them to use their authority to close existing loopholes in the permitting and monitoring of captive tigers in the U.S. At present, there is currently no way to determine how many captive tigers are in the U.S., where they are, who owns them, or what happens to them when they die. This makes them an easy target for black market sales, stimulating demand for tiger products and further theatening wild populations by putting them at increased risk of poaching. Join our petition asking the U.S. government to close the existing loopholes and require registration and monitoring of all captive tigers. Tx2 = WWF’s goal to double the number of wild tigers by 2022, the next Year of the Tiger. https://secure2.convio.net/wwf/site/Advoca... Article from World Wildlife Fund http://www.worldwildlife.org/who/media/pre... Pictures from national geographic http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/... Lions are dying off rapidly across Africa. These cats once ranged across the continent and into Syria, Israel, Iraq, Pakistan, Iran, and even northwest India; 2,000 years ago more than a million lions roamed the Earth. Since the 1940s, when lions numbered an estimated 450,000, lion populations have blinked out across the continent. Now they may total as few as 20,000 animals. Scientists connect the drastic decreases in many cases to burgeoning human populations. The Big Cats Initiative aims to halt lion population declines by the year 2015 and to restore populations to sustainable levels. You can be part of this important work by donating to the Big Cats Initiative or by applying for a grant to help big cats. Proposals Encouraged: * Innovative projects with quick results for saving lions * Anti-poaching programs * Projects that test new technology * Educational projects focused on community * Projects that establish economic incentives for local people to ensure long-term survival of lions  Nearly all wild lions live in sub-Saharan Africa, but one small population of Asian lions exists in India's Gir Forest. Asian lions and African lions are subspecies of the same species. Asian lions once prowled from the Middle East to India. Now, only 200 to 260 of these magnificent animals survive in the wild. The Gir Forest's dry teak woods were once a royal hunting ground. Today they are a reserve where the endangered Asian lions are heavily protected. An additional 200 Asian lions live in zoos.  http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/anim... |
Profile Information Laura902
333 posts Member since Wed Nov 25th 2009 Blogroll Latest Threads
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