THERE IS a definite connection between a "500-year flood," now drowning such states as Iowa and Wisconsin and Israel giving away The Land to its most vile enemies. At least that seems to be the thinking of such respected White House correspondents as Bill Koenig, the author of Eye to Eye -- Facing the Consequences of Dividing Israel.
When I heard of the fragile ceasefire deal between Israel and the Hamas earlier this week, the first thought that came to my mind was "what major disaster will occur now?"
As a former Middle East bureau chief based in Jerusalem, I had followed Koenig's list of "major acts of God," which dated back to October 30, 1991 in which a "Perfect Storm" with 100-mph winds struck the New England coast. And on the same day, the Madrid Conference opened "with an initiative for a Middle East peace plan involving Israel's land."
As I've written before the present U.S. president George W. Bush's father was in charge of that conference.
Perhaps, it was a coincidence; but when the Madrid Conference was moved to Washington, D.C. on August 23, 1992, Koenig wrote that on the same day Hurricane Andrew blasted the U.S., causing an estimated $30 billion in damage and leaving 180,000 homeless in Florida.
A coincidence? It made me wonder what was going on. Was the Almighty declaring that Israel was His Chosen Land and no mere man had the right to give it away?
Koenig reinforced his thoughts by offering other "acts" such as on January 16, 1994 when President Bill Clinton met with Syria President Hafez el-Assad in Geneva. The giveaway of the Golan Heights was on the agenda. Less than 24 hours later, the 6.9 Northridge earthquake rocked Southern California.
However, it appeared if no one in the U.S. heirarchy was following these "signs" of impending doom.
Koenig continued by detailing what happened from March 1 to April 1997 when "the conbination of the late PA chairman Yasser Arafat toured America; Clinton rebuking Israel for not giving away her land for peace; and pro-abortion activity coincided with some of the worst tornadoes and flooding in U.S. history. When Arafat left the U.S., the storms stopped.
And still no one was paying attention.
On September 27-28, 1998 -- When former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was working on the final details with Israel giving up 13 per cent of the West Bank, Hurricane Georges slammed into Gulf Coast with 110 mph winds. The next day Arafat was addressing the United Nations about an independent Palestinian state as Georges continued roaring and causing more than a billion dollars damage.
Then on May 3, 1999 when Arafat was about to declare a Palestinian state and Jerusalem as the capital, which was eventually postponed, the most powerful tornado storms ever to hit the U.S. swept across Oklahoma and Kansas.
Since that time Koenig has had additional chapters detailing other major U.S. catastrophes such as 9/11 and the massive Hurricane Katrina, which swamped New Orleans and placed the southern U.S. in peril.
In the Middle East, Arafat died and former Israeli PM Ariel Sharon lapsed into a coma. Of course, there were the heart-breaking episodes of Jewish settlers being dragged out of their homes along the Gaza border while the U.S. pressured the government of Ehud Olmert to give up The Land.
Koenig pointed out that earlier this month when Olmert met with Bush The Younger at the White House concerning a Israeli-Palestinian "peace agreement," a violent storm roared through Washington, D.C. The following day, Bush had to declare the Midwest state of Wisconsin a major disaster area.
While writing this column, World Net Daily's Aaron Klein reported that present U.S. Secretary of State Condi Rice (has) "pledged to study a Palestinian proposal for the U.S. to guarantee eastern sections of Jerusalem will become part of a future Palestinian state." Eastern Jerusalem includes the site of the Temple Mount.
If there, indeed, is a direct connection between Israel giving away portions of the God-given land, including sections of the Jews' "eternal" city of Jerusalem, with the backing of the U.S., then there could be earth-shattering disasters facing both nations in the near future.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
It's really a 'devil' of a subject!
WITH A DRAMATIC SUDDENNESS, the small native woman's timid face became a snarling mask of defiance. And then she began to convulse.
As the preacher prayed: "Come out of her in the Name of Jesus," three large men attempted to hold her flaying arms, however, she flung them aside like pieces of waste paper.
Then guttural sounds came from deep within her and moments later she sank to the floor like a limp rag doll. The preacher continued praying and then the small native woman smiled and her once grotesque features became almost child-like.
It was the mid-1980s and I had just witnessed one of a number of "exorcisms," which I had previously relegated to the movies such as 'The Exorcist' (1973) and 'The Amityville Horror' (1979). And of lines such as "An I'm the Devil. Now kindly undo these straps" and "For God's sake, get out."
Of course, besides the movies there had been TV characters such as the late Flip Wilson (as Geraldine), who always got a laugh with his/her most famous line: "The devil made me do it."
It was repeated countless times throughout the 1970s by anyone who had ever fouled up. I know I've said it on more then one occasion.
And then there was another constant: "(He's or she's) full of the devil." Now, you're really showing your age.
Those familiar and often trite lines, however, were dismissed upon hearing that the world's No. 1 demon hunter -- Rev. Bob Larson -- is going mainstream on British TV on Wednesday, March 19. 'The Real Exorcist' will, undoubtedly, reach across the pond to the U.S. and Canadian markets.
Of course, I'm familiar with Larson, having received his newsletters on an almost daily basis and in the British tabs there's been an avalanche of reports.
There among blurbs about 'Britney might become permanently bald' and 'Keith Richards: I'm a Bible basher' was Rev. Bob's next project of deliverance, troubled singer Amy Winehouse.
Of course, Britney Spears, was not spared Rev. Bob's assessment of possibly being under "the devil's influence."
And just who is this Rev. Bob?
In the blurb about his life, he had planned to pursue a medical career, but after he became a Christian at the age of 20, he felt a call to the ministry. This one-time rock musician would become a motivational speaker, author and radio-TV host.
Along his journey, Rev. Bob became interested in the occult phenomenon, world religions and alternative spirituality and he witnessed demonic possession first hand.
As founding pastor of Spiritual Freedom Churches International Inc., Larson is now about to appear on a regular basis on British TV. It can be a dangerous undertaking, but Rev. Bob has conducted more than 10,000 exorcisms over 30 years, according to a newspaper report.
Of course, dealing with Satanism and occult practices is not new, for probably the world's most well-known preacher, Billy Graham, was quoted as saying: "A generation ago, when I began as an evangelist, people generally, and intellectuals, in particular, thought of the devil as an anachronistic symbol, a handy expression of profanity, or as a superstition believed in chiefly by religious eccentrics. Today, the devil is getting maximum exposure, precisely as the Bible predicted would happen prior to Christ's return."
At the top of this column I detailed an exorcism I had observed. It occurred in Edmonton while I was working, briefly, for a well-known and globe-hopping evangelist.
***
OPRAH AND MY MOTHER: In January, 1999, I wrote a two-part series for World Net Daily, about that media darling, Oprah Winfrey, and her obsession with New Age "religion." At the time, I received letters questioning my mentality.
As TV's leading personality, she was advocating "remembering your spirit." And millions started to believe what she had to say. Now, almost a decade later, Oprah, who claims she is a Christian despite a strange belief system, is promoting Marianne Williamson's "A Course In Miracles" and also a book by Eckhart Tolle about 'A New Earth.'
But I have a suggestion for you, Ms. O, it's time you put my 92-year-old praying mother on your show and let her explain how a true miracle from Jesus healed her after a long and extremely painful bout with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Of how she abandoned her wheelchair and within a year had a "miracle baby," and then she returned to her schooling -- attending the University of Alberta in Calgary. And of her becoming a beloved teacher for 22 years.
Yes, Oprah, you could talk with her about a real miracle, rather than you living in your putrid New Age with its false beliefs.
As the preacher prayed: "Come out of her in the Name of Jesus," three large men attempted to hold her flaying arms, however, she flung them aside like pieces of waste paper.
Then guttural sounds came from deep within her and moments later she sank to the floor like a limp rag doll. The preacher continued praying and then the small native woman smiled and her once grotesque features became almost child-like.
It was the mid-1980s and I had just witnessed one of a number of "exorcisms," which I had previously relegated to the movies such as 'The Exorcist' (1973) and 'The Amityville Horror' (1979). And of lines such as "An I'm the Devil. Now kindly undo these straps" and "For God's sake, get out."
Of course, besides the movies there had been TV characters such as the late Flip Wilson (as Geraldine), who always got a laugh with his/her most famous line: "The devil made me do it."
It was repeated countless times throughout the 1970s by anyone who had ever fouled up. I know I've said it on more then one occasion.
And then there was another constant: "(He's or she's) full of the devil." Now, you're really showing your age.
Those familiar and often trite lines, however, were dismissed upon hearing that the world's No. 1 demon hunter -- Rev. Bob Larson -- is going mainstream on British TV on Wednesday, March 19. 'The Real Exorcist' will, undoubtedly, reach across the pond to the U.S. and Canadian markets.
Of course, I'm familiar with Larson, having received his newsletters on an almost daily basis and in the British tabs there's been an avalanche of reports.
There among blurbs about 'Britney might become permanently bald' and 'Keith Richards: I'm a Bible basher' was Rev. Bob's next project of deliverance, troubled singer Amy Winehouse.
Of course, Britney Spears, was not spared Rev. Bob's assessment of possibly being under "the devil's influence."
And just who is this Rev. Bob?
In the blurb about his life, he had planned to pursue a medical career, but after he became a Christian at the age of 20, he felt a call to the ministry. This one-time rock musician would become a motivational speaker, author and radio-TV host.
Along his journey, Rev. Bob became interested in the occult phenomenon, world religions and alternative spirituality and he witnessed demonic possession first hand.
As founding pastor of Spiritual Freedom Churches International Inc., Larson is now about to appear on a regular basis on British TV. It can be a dangerous undertaking, but Rev. Bob has conducted more than 10,000 exorcisms over 30 years, according to a newspaper report.
Of course, dealing with Satanism and occult practices is not new, for probably the world's most well-known preacher, Billy Graham, was quoted as saying: "A generation ago, when I began as an evangelist, people generally, and intellectuals, in particular, thought of the devil as an anachronistic symbol, a handy expression of profanity, or as a superstition believed in chiefly by religious eccentrics. Today, the devil is getting maximum exposure, precisely as the Bible predicted would happen prior to Christ's return."
At the top of this column I detailed an exorcism I had observed. It occurred in Edmonton while I was working, briefly, for a well-known and globe-hopping evangelist.
***
OPRAH AND MY MOTHER: In January, 1999, I wrote a two-part series for World Net Daily, about that media darling, Oprah Winfrey, and her obsession with New Age "religion." At the time, I received letters questioning my mentality.
As TV's leading personality, she was advocating "remembering your spirit." And millions started to believe what she had to say. Now, almost a decade later, Oprah, who claims she is a Christian despite a strange belief system, is promoting Marianne Williamson's "A Course In Miracles" and also a book by Eckhart Tolle about 'A New Earth.'
But I have a suggestion for you, Ms. O, it's time you put my 92-year-old praying mother on your show and let her explain how a true miracle from Jesus healed her after a long and extremely painful bout with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Of how she abandoned her wheelchair and within a year had a "miracle baby," and then she returned to her schooling -- attending the University of Alberta in Calgary. And of her becoming a beloved teacher for 22 years.
Yes, Oprah, you could talk with her about a real miracle, rather than you living in your putrid New Age with its false beliefs.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Remembering this most righteous of Gentiles
THE PASTOR spoke the words, Yad Vashem. And without warning, the tears flowed from the eyes of a supposedly hardened newspaperman.
Suddenly, this former Middle East bureau chief for a major news-gathering organization was transported to the streets of Jerusalem. And then traversing the walk along the Avenue and Garden of the Righteous Among the Nations and re-living the agony of millions, who have wept on entering the Holocaust memorial.
When I whispered Yad Vashem, it was in reverence.
Of course, anyone who has ever visited this place will recognize the utter despair of suffering and the ugliness of mankind on the most innocent.
And then, in another surreal moment, I was climbing up into the attic of my "place" and finding a treasure trove of photographs of a Jewish family, somewhere in Europe, before the Nazis scarred their lives forever.
It was then I remembered a young woman coming to my apartment and weeping as she sorted through those crumpled photographs of relatives, who had survived the concentration camps.
However, a "return" to Jerusalem was not all despair; for I began to remember an interview with the late Gustav Scheller, who has often been likened to Oskar Schindler, who was venerated in Steven Spielberg's celebrated movie, "Schlinder's List."
While Schindler rescued 1,200 Polish Jews during the Nazi Holocaust, Scheller, through his organization, the Ebenezer Emergency Fund, had brought more than 60,000 Jews out of abject poverty and misery in the former Soviet Union to Israel by ship.
As I started to re-read the story I had written, tears again flowed; not for any phrasing I might have conjured up, but for life of this most righteous of Gentiles.
Sitting in his comfortable Jerusalem apartment with Elsa, his wise and very supportive wife, Scheller, then a 70-year-old and dying of cancer, spoke in a strong voice when he declared: "I do not compromise, I am not soft on these issues. I speak with clarity and conviction of heart."
The "issues" continue to be a virulent strain of anti-Semitism that still is sweeping the former Soviet Union. He believed one million had left the Land of the North. However, there were an estimated two million remaining in his expert opinion.
At the time of the 1999 interview, Scheller had just completed his 88th sailing from Odessa to Haifa aboard the ship, Dmitri Shostakovich, while trying to cope with lung cancer that had spread throughout his body. His doctors told him that he had less than a year to live. Already he had his left arm amputated.
However, he told me that he intended to be on the 100th sailing from Odessa to Haifa later that year.
Although disappointed that cancer had spread, Scheller told his doctors, "I like you, but I must tell you I have a better doctor, the Great Physician, and if it's His will He is well able to heal me."
Even after the devastating news, Scheller's mission remained the same of rescuing "the old and the young, the sick and the healthy, the lame and the blind."
He then reiterated, "I'm just an ordinary man that serves an extraordinary God."
Scheller, a Swiss-born Briton, then told me of the two fundamental reasons for his mission:
The first was the economic collapse of the former Soviet Union, particularly Russia. "And who are they blaming?" he asked. "Even in the Russian parliament (Duma) they quite openly say it's the Jews that are responsible for this crash.
"Secondly, anti-Semitism is rapidly growing. In certain cities, the Communists are meeting with the nationalists and openly declaring they want to eliminate (kill) the Jews when the time is right.
"However, the Lord is allowing these pressures to convince the Jews that their homeland is not Russia, not the Ukraine, but Eretz Yisrael."
He continued by saying, "The tragedy is that mankind, including the Jews, has learned nothing from history because history repeats itself.
"I personally believe there will be bloodshed in Russia and mainly the Jews will suffer. Now is the time (for them) to go home, there's no doubt about it."
While the Jewish Agency has transported thousands of Jews from the former Soviet Union by air, Scheller's volunteers have "fished" for Jews throughout the far reaches of Siberia with the aim to bring them to Odessa and from there transport them by ship from Odessa to Haifa.
"I have 'fishers' that go out in villages and settlements that often don't have a name and where people live by barter. Wherever we go we find Jews."
Operating on $20,000 a day and with an annual budget of about $7 million, the strictly volunteer organization relies mainly on Gentile donors in Europe and the U.S. that adhere to Isaiah 49:22: "See, I will beckon to the Gentiles, I will lift up My banner to the people; they will bring your sons in their arms and carry your daughters on their shoulders."
His Operation Exodus began while Scheller, a devout Christian, and others were praying in an Israeli hotel as Saddam Hussein's Scud missiles were falling outside in 1991. And the "mission" continued through 1999 with the completion of some 100 sailings and more than 60,000 Jews being rescued.
And then Gustav Scheller, this most righteous of Gentiles, died on Feb. 18, 2000.
(
Suddenly, this former Middle East bureau chief for a major news-gathering organization was transported to the streets of Jerusalem. And then traversing the walk along the Avenue and Garden of the Righteous Among the Nations and re-living the agony of millions, who have wept on entering the Holocaust memorial.
When I whispered Yad Vashem, it was in reverence.
Of course, anyone who has ever visited this place will recognize the utter despair of suffering and the ugliness of mankind on the most innocent.
And then, in another surreal moment, I was climbing up into the attic of my "place" and finding a treasure trove of photographs of a Jewish family, somewhere in Europe, before the Nazis scarred their lives forever.
It was then I remembered a young woman coming to my apartment and weeping as she sorted through those crumpled photographs of relatives, who had survived the concentration camps.
However, a "return" to Jerusalem was not all despair; for I began to remember an interview with the late Gustav Scheller, who has often been likened to Oskar Schindler, who was venerated in Steven Spielberg's celebrated movie, "Schlinder's List."
While Schindler rescued 1,200 Polish Jews during the Nazi Holocaust, Scheller, through his organization, the Ebenezer Emergency Fund, had brought more than 60,000 Jews out of abject poverty and misery in the former Soviet Union to Israel by ship.
As I started to re-read the story I had written, tears again flowed; not for any phrasing I might have conjured up, but for life of this most righteous of Gentiles.
Sitting in his comfortable Jerusalem apartment with Elsa, his wise and very supportive wife, Scheller, then a 70-year-old and dying of cancer, spoke in a strong voice when he declared: "I do not compromise, I am not soft on these issues. I speak with clarity and conviction of heart."
The "issues" continue to be a virulent strain of anti-Semitism that still is sweeping the former Soviet Union. He believed one million had left the Land of the North. However, there were an estimated two million remaining in his expert opinion.
At the time of the 1999 interview, Scheller had just completed his 88th sailing from Odessa to Haifa aboard the ship, Dmitri Shostakovich, while trying to cope with lung cancer that had spread throughout his body. His doctors told him that he had less than a year to live. Already he had his left arm amputated.
However, he told me that he intended to be on the 100th sailing from Odessa to Haifa later that year.
Although disappointed that cancer had spread, Scheller told his doctors, "I like you, but I must tell you I have a better doctor, the Great Physician, and if it's His will He is well able to heal me."
Even after the devastating news, Scheller's mission remained the same of rescuing "the old and the young, the sick and the healthy, the lame and the blind."
He then reiterated, "I'm just an ordinary man that serves an extraordinary God."
Scheller, a Swiss-born Briton, then told me of the two fundamental reasons for his mission:
The first was the economic collapse of the former Soviet Union, particularly Russia. "And who are they blaming?" he asked. "Even in the Russian parliament (Duma) they quite openly say it's the Jews that are responsible for this crash.
"Secondly, anti-Semitism is rapidly growing. In certain cities, the Communists are meeting with the nationalists and openly declaring they want to eliminate (kill) the Jews when the time is right.
"However, the Lord is allowing these pressures to convince the Jews that their homeland is not Russia, not the Ukraine, but Eretz Yisrael."
He continued by saying, "The tragedy is that mankind, including the Jews, has learned nothing from history because history repeats itself.
"I personally believe there will be bloodshed in Russia and mainly the Jews will suffer. Now is the time (for them) to go home, there's no doubt about it."
While the Jewish Agency has transported thousands of Jews from the former Soviet Union by air, Scheller's volunteers have "fished" for Jews throughout the far reaches of Siberia with the aim to bring them to Odessa and from there transport them by ship from Odessa to Haifa.
"I have 'fishers' that go out in villages and settlements that often don't have a name and where people live by barter. Wherever we go we find Jews."
Operating on $20,000 a day and with an annual budget of about $7 million, the strictly volunteer organization relies mainly on Gentile donors in Europe and the U.S. that adhere to Isaiah 49:22: "See, I will beckon to the Gentiles, I will lift up My banner to the people; they will bring your sons in their arms and carry your daughters on their shoulders."
His Operation Exodus began while Scheller, a devout Christian, and others were praying in an Israeli hotel as Saddam Hussein's Scud missiles were falling outside in 1991. And the "mission" continued through 1999 with the completion of some 100 sailings and more than 60,000 Jews being rescued.
And then Gustav Scheller, this most righteous of Gentiles, died on Feb. 18, 2000.
(
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Look up in the sky ... that's another UFO
IT'S THAT TIME of year when every Tom, Dick and Jezebel report on seeing a sky full of UFOs. Or some semblance of flying saucers and even abductions by "little green men" from here to Brazil and every place in between.
However, the Ol' Columnist has been left out of the mix.
Now, the closest I've ever come to actually seeing a flying saucer was when an angry reader once tried to use my noggin for target practice. You'll notice there's still a large welt on the left side of my head.
On Monday, when I suffered one of those frequent brain drains, I decided to go to "The Source."
In case, you don't remember, "The Source," has a name: Brian Doling of B.J.'s Books & Things. And for this scribbler, as I've said before, his book nook is a haven.
Without even consulting him for directions, I knew what I was looking for, for a change. And there staring at me with massive eyes was a column idea in paperback form -- Transformation with the words -- Know this: they are watching and the other was Breakthrough -- The Next Step. Both were written by Whitley Strieber.
Of course, Strieber started off the wave concerning UFOs with something called Communion. And you've read it or, at least, thumbed through it at least once, right?
And so I settled down to re-read his startling adventures and discovered he wasn't alone in his pursuit of unearthly and strange creatures.
Strieber has a website, aptly called Unknown Country, and it opens up another world -- some beyond even my imagination.
Perhaps, they are just hallucinations or as someone wise once, uttered: "You've been sniffing too much glue."
Then some have determined these UFOs, abductions, cattle mutilations, crop circles and other strange occurrences as pure bunk while others put them in the "religious" category, calling it all the works of the devil.
While Strieber has opened up an unknown world, three others have been prominent as veteran "explorers."
* Linda Moulton Howe: A graduate of both Stanford and University of Colorado, is a noted documentary film, TV and radio reporter, particularly in the area of "worldwide animal mutilation" with A Strange Harvest and Strange Harvest 1993.
She has also produced and created Earth Mysteries: Alien Life Forms for Fox. In addition, Howe has written such in-depth books as Mysterious Lights and Crop Circles, An Alien Harvest, along with Glimpses of Other Realities, Volumes I and II.
One of the fascinating items on her website, earthfiles.com, involves a photo of a copper plate discovered in 1967 after an apparent UFO sighting at an Edmonton golf course. It shows a diagram with "writing and ancient sigils (lower elongated combination of symbols)."
Although I lived for some time in Edmonton, I never heard about any UFO landing on any golf course.
* Art Bell. Of course, you've never stayed up late at night, and tuned in to this radio master of the paranormal, UFOs, conspiracy theories, the occult and alien signals? Of course, not. And neither have I. Millions have and they told me about Bell, who's off the airwaves at the moment. Is he temporarily retired and planning another comeback? That's possible. Stay tuned to Coast to Coast AM.
* Brian Vike. This independent UFO investigator/researcher works out of the small town of Houston, B.C. and has a well-run website at hbccufo.org and is the radio host of The Vike Report.
Just this week, his radio program has featured Miriam Delicado, who's written an account with tall alien blonde beings in B.C.
Vike also posts eyewitness sightings such as "an object moving in a very slow circular pattern and blinking/flashing muktiple colors" in the area of North Shuswap Lake on Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 12:31 a.m.
If you believe that was the only isolated incident, then think again, for there were more than 440 "sightings" reported in 2007. That included 137 in B.C.
Now, excuse me, while I finish up reading Breathrough and Transformation. By that time it will definitely be nightfall and time to scan the heavens for those strange flashing lights.
However, the Ol' Columnist has been left out of the mix.
Now, the closest I've ever come to actually seeing a flying saucer was when an angry reader once tried to use my noggin for target practice. You'll notice there's still a large welt on the left side of my head.
On Monday, when I suffered one of those frequent brain drains, I decided to go to "The Source."
In case, you don't remember, "The Source," has a name: Brian Doling of B.J.'s Books & Things. And for this scribbler, as I've said before, his book nook is a haven.
Without even consulting him for directions, I knew what I was looking for, for a change. And there staring at me with massive eyes was a column idea in paperback form -- Transformation with the words -- Know this: they are watching and the other was Breakthrough -- The Next Step. Both were written by Whitley Strieber.
Of course, Strieber started off the wave concerning UFOs with something called Communion. And you've read it or, at least, thumbed through it at least once, right?
And so I settled down to re-read his startling adventures and discovered he wasn't alone in his pursuit of unearthly and strange creatures.
Strieber has a website, aptly called Unknown Country, and it opens up another world -- some beyond even my imagination.
Perhaps, they are just hallucinations or as someone wise once, uttered: "You've been sniffing too much glue."
Then some have determined these UFOs, abductions, cattle mutilations, crop circles and other strange occurrences as pure bunk while others put them in the "religious" category, calling it all the works of the devil.
While Strieber has opened up an unknown world, three others have been prominent as veteran "explorers."
* Linda Moulton Howe: A graduate of both Stanford and University of Colorado, is a noted documentary film, TV and radio reporter, particularly in the area of "worldwide animal mutilation" with A Strange Harvest and Strange Harvest 1993.
She has also produced and created Earth Mysteries: Alien Life Forms for Fox. In addition, Howe has written such in-depth books as Mysterious Lights and Crop Circles, An Alien Harvest, along with Glimpses of Other Realities, Volumes I and II.
One of the fascinating items on her website, earthfiles.com, involves a photo of a copper plate discovered in 1967 after an apparent UFO sighting at an Edmonton golf course. It shows a diagram with "writing and ancient sigils (lower elongated combination of symbols)."
Although I lived for some time in Edmonton, I never heard about any UFO landing on any golf course.
* Art Bell. Of course, you've never stayed up late at night, and tuned in to this radio master of the paranormal, UFOs, conspiracy theories, the occult and alien signals? Of course, not. And neither have I. Millions have and they told me about Bell, who's off the airwaves at the moment. Is he temporarily retired and planning another comeback? That's possible. Stay tuned to Coast to Coast AM.
* Brian Vike. This independent UFO investigator/researcher works out of the small town of Houston, B.C. and has a well-run website at hbccufo.org and is the radio host of The Vike Report.
Just this week, his radio program has featured Miriam Delicado, who's written an account with tall alien blonde beings in B.C.
Vike also posts eyewitness sightings such as "an object moving in a very slow circular pattern and blinking/flashing muktiple colors" in the area of North Shuswap Lake on Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 12:31 a.m.
If you believe that was the only isolated incident, then think again, for there were more than 440 "sightings" reported in 2007. That included 137 in B.C.
Now, excuse me, while I finish up reading Breathrough and Transformation. By that time it will definitely be nightfall and time to scan the heavens for those strange flashing lights.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Of meteors, lunar eclipses and sea creatures
IT WAS SOMETHING straight out of science fiction. It started with a strange meteor flashing across our skies; the total eclipse of the moon; a dying U.S. spy satellite being shot down; earthquakes in such diverse places as off the coast of Norway and even in Nevada plus strange sea creatures discovered in Antarctica.
And what's more those National Blabber-type stories were all true. At least I think they were.
Some days, this scribbler usually spends his time scratching what little hair I have on my noggin, contemplating something to fill this space. But not today.
Actually I could fill a hundred or so pages. No, Mr. Editor, I won't attempt to do that.
So where do I begin: Oh, yes, that meteor , which I didn't see. Of course, someone over in Kamloops did. And then I went searching with the question upper-most in my mind: What happened to it?
In an AP story out of Spokane, some egghead profs said it probably burned up some 19 miles up over the Blue Mountains, near LaGrande, Oregon.
So that's one issue solved.
Next in line came the total eclipse of the moon, which I missed. Of course there was a reason for that, although I was looking into the sky for an answer. It seems most of us in B.C. missed the start, middle and end of it, for as the AP story goes, "it occurred before the moon rises."
Aw, shucks, now I'll have to wait until Dec. 20, 2010 for the next one.
One news story I did catch was a TV tape of the U.S. Navy shooting down that dying spy satellite somewhere west of Hawaii. That missile apparently hit the satellite and smashed the potentially toxic fuel tank into pieces no larger than a football. I'm still checking the skies over the Ol' Homestead for some errant "pigskin" whizzing through the air at a zillion miles an hour.
The next story which caught my eye was earthquakes in diverse places, as the Good Book says. It seems a 6.2 rumbled in the Norwegian terrority, known as the Arctic Svalbard islands. It's an isolated area so it's fortunate there were no casualties reported.
Another rattling experince occurred in what's known as the sparsely-populated Nevada gold country. It was measured at 6.0 and caused fires in grocery and truck stores in a little place called Wells, which has an historic street dating back to the late 1800s.
And then in my final tour of the newswires, I came across the headline:"Scientists capture giant Antarctic sea creatures."
After meteors, lunar eclipses, spy satellites and earthquakes there came creepy-crawly things such as sea spiders plus worms the size of dinner plates.
After absorbing the latest news from the heavens and earth, I started mulling over some recent newsletters I received from my old Jerusalem friend, Ernie Mauch (aka Elijah the Prophet).
In a number of them he "prophesized" about the sudden appearance of a gigantic Planet X heading towards Earth.
And then he followed this up that the monarchy was somehow involved and of a giant submarine.
And what's the name of this massive sub?
Well, it could be the Royal Navy's HMS Astute, which weighs in at 7,400 tons and can carry 38 Tomahawk missiles along with an 98-man crew. What's more, it will be operational in 2009 and based in Farlane on the Clyde in Scotland.
Whether one should put stock in such "prophecy," about a "hidden" planet and monarchy in a giant sub is highly questionable.
Then again I would have never believed in worms the size of dinner plates.
PREDICTIONS FROM 'THE SEER OF THE CENTURY' (From Uncle John's Bathroom Reader): John Watkins, a Philadelphia newspaperman, wrote in the Ladies' Home Journal in 1900, about a future full of subways, air-conditioning and even satellite TV. This is what he wrote about "automobiles being cheaper than horses." Remember this is 1900. "Farmers will own automobile hay-wagons, plows, harrows and hay-rakes. A one-pound motor in one of these vehicles will do the work of a pair of horses or more ... Automobiles will have been substituted for every horse vehicle now known ... The horse in harness will be scarce, if, indeed, not scarcer, then as the yoked ox is today."
And what's more those National Blabber-type stories were all true. At least I think they were.
Some days, this scribbler usually spends his time scratching what little hair I have on my noggin, contemplating something to fill this space. But not today.
Actually I could fill a hundred or so pages. No, Mr. Editor, I won't attempt to do that.
So where do I begin: Oh, yes, that meteor , which I didn't see. Of course, someone over in Kamloops did. And then I went searching with the question upper-most in my mind: What happened to it?
In an AP story out of Spokane, some egghead profs said it probably burned up some 19 miles up over the Blue Mountains, near LaGrande, Oregon.
So that's one issue solved.
Next in line came the total eclipse of the moon, which I missed. Of course there was a reason for that, although I was looking into the sky for an answer. It seems most of us in B.C. missed the start, middle and end of it, for as the AP story goes, "it occurred before the moon rises."
Aw, shucks, now I'll have to wait until Dec. 20, 2010 for the next one.
One news story I did catch was a TV tape of the U.S. Navy shooting down that dying spy satellite somewhere west of Hawaii. That missile apparently hit the satellite and smashed the potentially toxic fuel tank into pieces no larger than a football. I'm still checking the skies over the Ol' Homestead for some errant "pigskin" whizzing through the air at a zillion miles an hour.
The next story which caught my eye was earthquakes in diverse places, as the Good Book says. It seems a 6.2 rumbled in the Norwegian terrority, known as the Arctic Svalbard islands. It's an isolated area so it's fortunate there were no casualties reported.
Another rattling experince occurred in what's known as the sparsely-populated Nevada gold country. It was measured at 6.0 and caused fires in grocery and truck stores in a little place called Wells, which has an historic street dating back to the late 1800s.
And then in my final tour of the newswires, I came across the headline:"Scientists capture giant Antarctic sea creatures."
After meteors, lunar eclipses, spy satellites and earthquakes there came creepy-crawly things such as sea spiders plus worms the size of dinner plates.
After absorbing the latest news from the heavens and earth, I started mulling over some recent newsletters I received from my old Jerusalem friend, Ernie Mauch (aka Elijah the Prophet).
In a number of them he "prophesized" about the sudden appearance of a gigantic Planet X heading towards Earth.
And then he followed this up that the monarchy was somehow involved and of a giant submarine.
And what's the name of this massive sub?
Well, it could be the Royal Navy's HMS Astute, which weighs in at 7,400 tons and can carry 38 Tomahawk missiles along with an 98-man crew. What's more, it will be operational in 2009 and based in Farlane on the Clyde in Scotland.
Whether one should put stock in such "prophecy," about a "hidden" planet and monarchy in a giant sub is highly questionable.
Then again I would have never believed in worms the size of dinner plates.
PREDICTIONS FROM 'THE SEER OF THE CENTURY' (From Uncle John's Bathroom Reader): John Watkins, a Philadelphia newspaperman, wrote in the Ladies' Home Journal in 1900, about a future full of subways, air-conditioning and even satellite TV. This is what he wrote about "automobiles being cheaper than horses." Remember this is 1900. "Farmers will own automobile hay-wagons, plows, harrows and hay-rakes. A one-pound motor in one of these vehicles will do the work of a pair of horses or more ... Automobiles will have been substituted for every horse vehicle now known ... The horse in harness will be scarce, if, indeed, not scarcer, then as the yoked ox is today."
Saturday, February 16, 2008
The truth is, someone is lying!
IT WAS FAR from the Grand Inquisition. In fact, the star witness never showed up and one politician wanted to know what uniform Roger Clemens would wear into the Hall of Fame.
So much for Judgment Day in Washington, D.C. when most of the politicians wimped out and sat there star gazing at the mere presence of the aging pitcher.
And four hours later I was still waiting for some answers and what I got was this empty feeling that someone was lying. Perhaps, that was applicable to others in the packed hearing room.
In the wake of the vaunted Mitchell Report, the Washington bureaucrats wanted to dissect trainer Brian McNamee's accusations that had pinpointed Clemens among others.
Seemingly, America's national passtime was at stake.
But what began with loud declarations dissolved into a dying whimper.
While Clemens vehemently denied using these so-called 'roids of ruin,' trainer McNamee, an unsavory character to some in the room, stuck with his story that he had injected Clemens time and again.
To some politicians, the McNamee's version seemed plausible while others pushed such accusations into the corner like so much waste.
In the past few years, former superstars such as Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and even Barry Bonds have come under suspicion that their achievements were artifically induced. Only time will tell.
While McNamee was the chief accuser against Clemens in the Washington hearing room, the star witness, as we indicated at the beginning, was AWOL.
Clemens' best friend and pitching partner, Andy Pettitte, was given a pass to skip the proceedings as was another star performer, Chuck Knoblauch. Both had admitted to having been injected.
While Clemens licked his lips he tried to push his theory that Pettitte had "misspoke." He would use that phrase a number of times during the four-hour session.
Pettitte, often called a fine Christian man, had left the politicians with a deposition, which was startling in its implications about McNamee injecting him.
"One day I have to give an account to God and not to nobody else of what I've done in my life ... And that's why I've said and shared the stuff with y'all ... that I wouldn't like to share with y'all." Knoblauch was also candid about his involvement.
Since Clemens declared his friendship with Pettitte, the question remains, as others have asked, what would have happened if Andy had actually shown up at the hearing.
Prior to the talkfest on Wednesday, Clemens appeared like a roaming ambassador, checking in with the politicians and their staff; signing autographs and posing.
Meanwhile, McNamee shuffled his feet, knowing his past would catch up with him, and, to his credit he admitted he had been caught in lies on a number of occasions.
In 1994, pro wrestling and its chief promoter Vince McMahon along with his star attraction, Hulk Hogan (Terry Bollea), went to court in Long Island concerning the abuse of steroids. Although McMahon was cleared of all charges, it began to open the window to a previously-closed world.
Since then other sports have revealed 'roids and HGH use has become a growing problem. Some would say even an epidemic. Not only has the tentacles reached into the pro ranks, but it has also affected the younger generation of would-be athletes.
In December 2004, U.S. President George Bush, a former part owner of Texas Rangers, was quoted as saying MLB management and the players' union should take "strong steps" against "illegal performance enhancers."
Although those "strong steps" have been more like a crawl, the long-awaited Mitchell Report gave some hope that dramatic changes would eventually be made. So, I must admit, the Washington hearings were welcome in the continuing effort to try to clean up the grotesque image surrounding pro sports these days.
While Wednesday's followup to the Mitchell Report has shown that Pettitte and Knoblauch were part of that so-called 'roids and HGH culture, others have been added to the list such as Baltimore's Brian Roberts, Dodgers' Gary Bennett, Colorado's Matt Herges and Glenallen Hill, according to the MLB website.
And the list, although slow in developing, goes on and on.
BASEBALL NAMES (From The Best Of Uncle John's Bathroom Reader): Los Angeles Dodgers: Formed in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1890. Brooklyn had hundreds of trolleys zigzagging through its streets, and pedestrians were constantly scurrying out of their way. That's why their baseball team was called the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers (later shortened to Dodgers). The team moved to L.A. in 1958.
So much for Judgment Day in Washington, D.C. when most of the politicians wimped out and sat there star gazing at the mere presence of the aging pitcher.
And four hours later I was still waiting for some answers and what I got was this empty feeling that someone was lying. Perhaps, that was applicable to others in the packed hearing room.
In the wake of the vaunted Mitchell Report, the Washington bureaucrats wanted to dissect trainer Brian McNamee's accusations that had pinpointed Clemens among others.
Seemingly, America's national passtime was at stake.
But what began with loud declarations dissolved into a dying whimper.
While Clemens vehemently denied using these so-called 'roids of ruin,' trainer McNamee, an unsavory character to some in the room, stuck with his story that he had injected Clemens time and again.
To some politicians, the McNamee's version seemed plausible while others pushed such accusations into the corner like so much waste.
In the past few years, former superstars such as Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and even Barry Bonds have come under suspicion that their achievements were artifically induced. Only time will tell.
While McNamee was the chief accuser against Clemens in the Washington hearing room, the star witness, as we indicated at the beginning, was AWOL.
Clemens' best friend and pitching partner, Andy Pettitte, was given a pass to skip the proceedings as was another star performer, Chuck Knoblauch. Both had admitted to having been injected.
While Clemens licked his lips he tried to push his theory that Pettitte had "misspoke." He would use that phrase a number of times during the four-hour session.
Pettitte, often called a fine Christian man, had left the politicians with a deposition, which was startling in its implications about McNamee injecting him.
"One day I have to give an account to God and not to nobody else of what I've done in my life ... And that's why I've said and shared the stuff with y'all ... that I wouldn't like to share with y'all." Knoblauch was also candid about his involvement.
Since Clemens declared his friendship with Pettitte, the question remains, as others have asked, what would have happened if Andy had actually shown up at the hearing.
Prior to the talkfest on Wednesday, Clemens appeared like a roaming ambassador, checking in with the politicians and their staff; signing autographs and posing.
Meanwhile, McNamee shuffled his feet, knowing his past would catch up with him, and, to his credit he admitted he had been caught in lies on a number of occasions.
In 1994, pro wrestling and its chief promoter Vince McMahon along with his star attraction, Hulk Hogan (Terry Bollea), went to court in Long Island concerning the abuse of steroids. Although McMahon was cleared of all charges, it began to open the window to a previously-closed world.
Since then other sports have revealed 'roids and HGH use has become a growing problem. Some would say even an epidemic. Not only has the tentacles reached into the pro ranks, but it has also affected the younger generation of would-be athletes.
In December 2004, U.S. President George Bush, a former part owner of Texas Rangers, was quoted as saying MLB management and the players' union should take "strong steps" against "illegal performance enhancers."
Although those "strong steps" have been more like a crawl, the long-awaited Mitchell Report gave some hope that dramatic changes would eventually be made. So, I must admit, the Washington hearings were welcome in the continuing effort to try to clean up the grotesque image surrounding pro sports these days.
While Wednesday's followup to the Mitchell Report has shown that Pettitte and Knoblauch were part of that so-called 'roids and HGH culture, others have been added to the list such as Baltimore's Brian Roberts, Dodgers' Gary Bennett, Colorado's Matt Herges and Glenallen Hill, according to the MLB website.
And the list, although slow in developing, goes on and on.
BASEBALL NAMES (From The Best Of Uncle John's Bathroom Reader): Los Angeles Dodgers: Formed in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1890. Brooklyn had hundreds of trolleys zigzagging through its streets, and pedestrians were constantly scurrying out of their way. That's why their baseball team was called the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers (later shortened to Dodgers). The team moved to L.A. in 1958.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Even The Other Brother In The Spotlight
YOU'VE SEEN the commercials. The Manning Brothers -- Peyton and Eli -- licking the icing off cookies in an empty stadium. Then there's one where the pair are horsing around in the hallways of ESPN.
And when I saw those commercials it brought home the affinity brothers have for each other. They were kids again. So much for the millions and even the accolades from being Super Bowl champions. Peyton with the Indianapolis Colts and, more recently, Eli with the New York Giants in Sunday's Super Bowl XLII.
It sent my mind deep in my own family memory bank of my hulking kid brother, Garry, and myself walking along a main Calgary street and lifting our much shorter father off the ground and carrying him for half a city block. And laughing all the while. It was one of those incredible memories, which only a brotherhood of brothers would ever understand.
Of course, every time I think of that Calgary street scene a smile creases my face. While our dad has passed away and Dr. Garry is now a noted Winnipeg psychologist, who travels throughout the world, giving lectures, he'll always be just my kid brother.
So when I filtered through a bevy of SI photos on the Net, one which stood out was one with father Archie, the one-time New Orleans quarterback, and the three brothers -- Peyton, Eli and Cooper.
Perhaps, the name Cooper might not be a household name, but he's been, nevertheless, an inspiration and a rock to this illustrious sporting family.
While the other members of Football's First Family, including mother Olivia, have been front-page news in the past, this year Cooper has received his due. And it's about time.
In 2004, in the St. Petersburg Times, Dave Scheiber put into perspective both life and football. It bears repeating the essence of that featured article concerning the least-known Manning.
What's so unqiue about Cooper is that despite his promising football career coming to a grinding halt after being diagnosed with "spiral stenosis," his enthuasiasm has been overwhelming for life.
He's moved on to become a successful trader in oil and gas stocks and while he could have become a negative force, he has been the one with the sense of humour, which, seemingly, puts life in perspective for both the "serious" Peyton and the "laid back" modus operandi of Eli Manning.
The Older Brother began learning the football trade at the knee of his father, Archie, the NFL veteran, and that early training certainly caught the interest of his father's alma-mater, Ol' Miss.
Those fatherly skills seemed to be inherited by Cooper, who at 6-4 and 185 pounds with exceptional speed and agility, appeared to be headed for greatness at a tender age.
Although two years younger, Peyton, certainly looked up to his older brother. However, their horse-play must have caused their quiet father to wonder at their sanity. In the wings was the the much younger brother Eli watching their antics.
During recent TV commercials, it appeared as if Peyton and Eli were the real cutups, but, in actuality, The Older Brother, although unseen, held the trump card in the quick-witted department.
During his illustrious high-school career, Cooper Manning, had his father's abilities and even on the basketball court he excelled. Later, he and brother, Peyton, were an astounding pass-and-catch combination.
Then the troubles began -- first slowly -- and then they accelerated.
Father Archie took Cooper to a New Orleans surgeon, who discovered he had "an injured ulnar nerve," which is not uncommon and can cause numbness in the fingers and hands.
However, when he arrived at Mississippi as a freshman those physical troubles continued and his father took him to the Mayo Clinic, according to Scheiber.
It was then the seriousness hit like a ton of bricks and a three-hour operation due to spinal stenosis sent his athletic career careening.
While such news might have destroyed some, Cooper Manning , has turned it into a positive and he has become an anchor to both brothers and one of the reasons both have laid claim to highest prize in pro football -- the Super Bowl.
One of the most telling statements from Scheiber's story was Cooper's attitude. "I'm just a big believer that things happen for a reason ... You can walk around and be a sad guy, but that never appealed to me."
And when I saw those commercials it brought home the affinity brothers have for each other. They were kids again. So much for the millions and even the accolades from being Super Bowl champions. Peyton with the Indianapolis Colts and, more recently, Eli with the New York Giants in Sunday's Super Bowl XLII.
It sent my mind deep in my own family memory bank of my hulking kid brother, Garry, and myself walking along a main Calgary street and lifting our much shorter father off the ground and carrying him for half a city block. And laughing all the while. It was one of those incredible memories, which only a brotherhood of brothers would ever understand.
Of course, every time I think of that Calgary street scene a smile creases my face. While our dad has passed away and Dr. Garry is now a noted Winnipeg psychologist, who travels throughout the world, giving lectures, he'll always be just my kid brother.
So when I filtered through a bevy of SI photos on the Net, one which stood out was one with father Archie, the one-time New Orleans quarterback, and the three brothers -- Peyton, Eli and Cooper.
Perhaps, the name Cooper might not be a household name, but he's been, nevertheless, an inspiration and a rock to this illustrious sporting family.
While the other members of Football's First Family, including mother Olivia, have been front-page news in the past, this year Cooper has received his due. And it's about time.
In 2004, in the St. Petersburg Times, Dave Scheiber put into perspective both life and football. It bears repeating the essence of that featured article concerning the least-known Manning.
What's so unqiue about Cooper is that despite his promising football career coming to a grinding halt after being diagnosed with "spiral stenosis," his enthuasiasm has been overwhelming for life.
He's moved on to become a successful trader in oil and gas stocks and while he could have become a negative force, he has been the one with the sense of humour, which, seemingly, puts life in perspective for both the "serious" Peyton and the "laid back" modus operandi of Eli Manning.
The Older Brother began learning the football trade at the knee of his father, Archie, the NFL veteran, and that early training certainly caught the interest of his father's alma-mater, Ol' Miss.
Those fatherly skills seemed to be inherited by Cooper, who at 6-4 and 185 pounds with exceptional speed and agility, appeared to be headed for greatness at a tender age.
Although two years younger, Peyton, certainly looked up to his older brother. However, their horse-play must have caused their quiet father to wonder at their sanity. In the wings was the the much younger brother Eli watching their antics.
During recent TV commercials, it appeared as if Peyton and Eli were the real cutups, but, in actuality, The Older Brother, although unseen, held the trump card in the quick-witted department.
During his illustrious high-school career, Cooper Manning, had his father's abilities and even on the basketball court he excelled. Later, he and brother, Peyton, were an astounding pass-and-catch combination.
Then the troubles began -- first slowly -- and then they accelerated.
Father Archie took Cooper to a New Orleans surgeon, who discovered he had "an injured ulnar nerve," which is not uncommon and can cause numbness in the fingers and hands.
However, when he arrived at Mississippi as a freshman those physical troubles continued and his father took him to the Mayo Clinic, according to Scheiber.
It was then the seriousness hit like a ton of bricks and a three-hour operation due to spinal stenosis sent his athletic career careening.
While such news might have destroyed some, Cooper Manning , has turned it into a positive and he has become an anchor to both brothers and one of the reasons both have laid claim to highest prize in pro football -- the Super Bowl.
One of the most telling statements from Scheiber's story was Cooper's attitude. "I'm just a big believer that things happen for a reason ... You can walk around and be a sad guy, but that never appealed to me."
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