'Time Traveler' Spotted in 1928 Chaplin Film

'Time Traveler' Spotted in 1928 Chaplin Film

By Peter Farquhar



Of course, it could just be another crazy old wino talking into a shoe...



Could 'time traveller' caught on film in The Circus mean Future Day has arrived?

Chaplins Time Traveler

http://www.youtube.com/user/yellowfeverbelfast

Scene at movie premiere in 1928

Found in extras on Chaplin DVD

Is it a time traveller?

MAYBE Future Day has arrived after all.

This week, the makers of Back To The Future kicked off celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the release of the original movie starring Michael J Fox.


In the same week, an Irish independent filmmaker has gone public with what he says is footage of a time traveller caught walking through a scene on a recent DVD release of Charlie Chaplin's 1928 film, The Circus.

"I believe I'm the first person to find something quite unusual from a bit of film footage from 1928," Mr Clarke says.

The scene can be found in the extras menu in Documents, under The Hollywood Premiere.
It's not in the movie - it's real footage and it features real members of the public in 1928.
Or does it, asks Mr Clarke, who spotted a mysteriously dressed stranger walking past the camera talking into what he says can only be a mobile phone.

"The only conclusion I can come to - which sounds absolutely ridiculous I'm sure, to some people - is it's a time traveller," he says.

"When you're looking at a bit of 1928 footage with an old woman ... on a mobile phone, it's kind of strange. You can't explain it."

Now the YouTube footage has passed the half-a-million mark, plenty have tried.

YouTube user "Barnwash" claims Australian police tested the first true two-way radio in 1928 and that maybe the woman was security in disguise.

Others claim it was a type of hearing aid.

Most of the naysayers hang their arguments on the fact that there were no phone towers or satellites in 1928, but they are quickly shot down by the believers who say those who possess time travel tech surely could circumvent this.

There's also plenty of speculation about the mysterious figure herself ... if it is indeed a woman.
"Did anyone notice how odd his feet looked," midwestwoman asked. "Thick ankles and then super thin feet?

They don't look right. Also her/his hand seemed abnormally large."

"Who is to say that time travel is not an 'interesting vacation' that people commonly take in the future to live/experience favorite time periods."

Who indeed? Certainly not Doc Brown, who some say bears a spooky resemblance to the "woman" in the footage...

Son of Jam Master Jay Follows in Dad's Footsteps

by Tom Llamas

NBCNewYork gets inside look into unsolved murder of pioneering rapper



It's "Tricky," but if you find yourself swaying your head to a familiar beat from a DJ with a familiar look, we suggest you do a double take.  

The son of Jam Master Jay is now spinning throughout New York City and he goes by the name DJ Jam Master J'son.

Jam Master Jay was the one-man band for RUN DMC -- a DJ with scratches and beats that kept the party going while the Rev. Run and DMC unloaded rhymes. Yet the pioneering rapper encountered the same fate as the greats after him like Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G.

Jam Master Jay was murdered eight years ago and his killer remains at large. He was gunned down in his Queens studio off Merrick Boulevard.

"To the world, Jam Master Jay was lost. To me, I lost my Dad," says Jason Mizell Jr.

"Witnesses were very afraid of the bat, some didn't want to cooperate, some did, but they were very afraid to cooperate," says former NYPD Detective Derrick Parker of the investigation into the still unsolved murder.

Parker wrote a book about the murder from his time working with Hip-Hop related crimes. He took NBCNewYork back to the scene of the crime: the second floor studio of 90-10 Merrick Boulevard.

"Apparently who ever was up there that buzzed those people in knew who they were letting in," said Parker, who like other investigators believes Jay knew his killer.

Jay's studio has been converted into the Hall of Fame studio owned by a new company that has kept Jay's legacy alive with painted murals and several RUN DMC memorabilia that decorate the walls.

Jay was playing video games with a friend when the killer walked into the studio with an accomplice and shot Jay point blank.

Police sources tell NBCNewYork witnesses have not come forward out of fear for their own lives. At least two people in the studio at the time of the murder saw the killer's face, yet no one will point a finger. The motive is still unknown, but investigators have discounted an early theory that the killing was based on a hip-hop dispute.

"It messed me up for a long time, actually," says Mizell Jr., who now doesn't dwell on his father's death.

He says if he had five minutes with his Dad he would ask him about music, not murder.

"How much (sic) hours did you literally spend staring at a turntable? My father didn't mess up ever -- that's pretty strange he was like a computer with the turntable."

Vladimir Putin's drug czar gets heated over California's Weed Legalization and Afghan poppies.

Interview: Viktor Ivanov

Putin's drug czar gets heated over California pot and Afghan poppies.

BY JOSHUA E. KEATING

Russia's top drug official warned in an interview with Foreign Policy on Friday of what he called the "catastrophic" consequences of marijuana legalization measures like California's upcoming ballot initiative, saying darkly that widespread legal drug use would produce "psychiatric deviations" and will only encourage drug addiction.

Viktor Ivanov, a former KGB officer and prominent member of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's inner circle, even took the unusual step of going to Los Angeles earlier this week to "conduct a campaign against legalizing marijuana in California," as he said in the interview. He also came to Washington this week to meet with U.S. drug czar Gil Kerlikowske and U.S. Afghan envoy Richard Holbrooke to discuss anti-poppy measures in Afghanistan and call for an intensified program of aerial eradication.

The United States has largely abandoned eradicating the poppy crop in favor of a narrower strategy focusing on cutting off funding to the Taliban and cracking down on traffickers. Ivanov says that isn't enough to counter the flow of heroin into Russia, which kills tens of thousands of users every year. 

But California's laxity, it seems, was particularly startling to him. "I hadn't known about it before and I was absolutely shocked when I was in the city and saw these posters saying that you can get marijuana for medical purposes," he said. He met with Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Sheriff Leroy Baca to voice Russia's opposition to the measure. Noting that U.S. President Barack Obama has also expressed his opposition to legalization, Ivanov described it as "one of the cases where Russia and the U.S. agree completely."

He continued: "I'm afraid that the consequences of [legalization] will be catastrophic. Even the Netherlands, where they sell marijuana legally in coffee shops, they are now reversing on this. Because there, and everywhere, drug addiction is becoming stronger and the people who are addicted develop psychiatric deviations. They say, 'What does God do when he wants to punish a person? He deprives him of his mind.'"

Ivanov, who served in Afghanistan with the KGB during the Soviet Union's war in the 1980s expressed skepticism about the war effort in Afghanistan. "During the last five years the perception of the foreign powers by the local population has changed," he said. "Now they take it as a military occupation of their country."  

This was Ivanov's sixth meeting with his U.S. counterpart, Kerlikowske. In this meeting, Ivanov sought to push the United States to resume aerial eradication campaigns against poppy growing in Afghanistan. He thinks the United States should use "methods of defoliation similar to what's used in Colombia."

According to Russian figures, heroin, nearly all of it from Afghanistan, kills 30,000 Russians every year, Ivanov said. He also believes that the Central Asian states between Russia and Afghanistan are being "destroyed from the inside" by the violence and crime associated with the drug trade.

While Ivanov stressed that coordination with the U.S. side is improving, he also noted "American officials are quite disciplined and they always stick with the strategy as it's been laid out."

That seems to apply in particular to the State Department. After a meeting last year with Holbrooke -- an outspoken skeptic of the utility of poppy eradication -- Ivanov said that the envoy had "confirmed our fears that they are not prepared to destroy the production of drugs in Afghanistan." This time, Ivanov noted that, as "[Holbrooke] was a bit short of time, we started the meeting with him; then he handed us to his deputy." He said the two still don't completely see eye to eye.

"The argument that now NATO and Holbrooke are using is that if we destroy poppy crops it will deprive peasants of their livelihood. It sounds so touching that they're taking care of the peasants, but it's not to be taken seriously," he says. "Those peasants do not profit from poppy. They make at most $70 per year.
Those who profit from it are the landlords living in Europe and American and the Gulf countries. If we could give the land back to the Afghan government and provide these peasants with wheat, they could easily make their $70 a year growing wheat, not poppy."

Ivanov also said reports of progress on shutting down opium laboratories have been exaggerated.

"One of the results we discussed is a 92 percent increase in the number of laboratories destroyed. From the point of view of arithmetic, this is the case. In reality it looks a little bit different." According to Ivanov, the number of identified drug laboratories operating in Afghanistan has actually increased from 175 in 2008 to 425 today. The real number is likely much higher. He described the efforts to crack down on laboratories so far as a "drop in the ocean."

According to Ivanov, Russian authorities have passed on the location -- including GPS coordinates -- of several known Afghan drug laboratories to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. But because resources for drug eradication are controlled by NATO forces, no steps have been taken to eradicate them, he claims.

Ivanov said he also has doubts about the very premise of the war in Afghanistan. "[In 2001] it was explained that the Taliban was a terrorist organization and that's why [the invasion] was necessary. Now many years later, it turns out that there's a so-called moderate Taliban -- moderate terrorists -- who can be reintegrated back into power. Does that mean we made a mistake nine years ago and all this time we have been correcting it?"

Ivanov suggested that the invasion of Afghanistan might have been partly motivated Western companies seeking to exploit Central Asian energy resources. "If we look back before the invasion, starting in 1997, a number of American companies were negotiating with the Taliban about putting in a pipeline in Afghanistan ... bringing gas from Turkmenistan south toward India. There were negotiations in Kabul and Houston and Washington. In 2001, those negotiations ended in a deadlock because the American side wanted a bigger pipeline, while the Taliban wanted smaller pipes in order to provide smaller towns and villages with gas. From the American side, the negotiator was Unocal and the negotiator from that company was the employee of that company, Hamid Karzai."

It has been suggested several times, notably in Michael Moore's documentary Fahrenheit 9/11, that Karzai may have once worked as a consultant for Unocal, but both the company and the Afghan president deny any connection. 

Despite his staunch support for anti-drug measures, Ivanov also said that efforts so far have not borne much fruit and might in fact be making the problem worse. 

"In this one single location, 95 percent of global heroin production is taking place," he told FP. "Ironically, it's the same place where the efforts of the global community are concentrated. It's like a surgeon who has decided to treat one organ but as a result has cut up all the organs around it."

Ginuwine - What Could've Been

Ginuwine - "What Could've Been"

http://www.ginuwine.com/

http://www.vladtv.com/video/30278/ginuwine--what-couldve-been/

LaShae' Boone - Fall In Love

LaShae' Boone - Fall In Love

Fall In Love FREE Download Link

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=S7GDDTYW

LaShae Website (s)

http://www.twitter.com/LaShaeMusic
http://www.facebook.com/pages/LaShae-Boone/114336568601512
http://www.youtube.com/LaShaeMusic
http://www.myspace.com/perfectnote
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001048764627

Best known for her soulful, yet sweet voice and eclectic style, R&B/Pop Newcomer LaShae' Boone is a force to be reckoned with. These days with the supply of R&B and Pop greats including veterans waiting for an opportunity to shine in the industry, LaShae's singing, songwriting, and performing abilities have made her a favorite among fans. Her stage presence demands your attention, which gives her an edge among the industry artists with infinite potential. Native of St. Louis, MO, LaShae' got her start in a church choir in her hometown and later went on to become the lead singer of a Gospel trio called "Faith". Earning finalist positions on hit shows such as American Idol and Star Search, LaShae' continued to pursue her music as a young adult. LaShae has been blessed to work with music producers such as B-Banga of Headbangaz Entertainment, the infamous K-Fam of Atlanta,GA, Sounds, an up and coming producer who produced "Love in this Club" Remix by Usher featuring Beyonce' and Lil' Wayne and none other than the great Bryan Micheal Cox. LaShae also considers herself lucky to have worked with talented writers such as Adonis Shropshire, City Spud of the St. Lunatics, The Network, and The Dean's List. LaShae' is currently working on her debut album titled, "Lost N Found." She has hopes of being signed to a major record label and touring, providing full attention to her burgeoning solo career.

Contact Brea' CelebrityBooking Reliford for press inquiries, booking, modeling, or collaborations:

513-497-8433
BlackRoyalEnt@gmail.com
http://www.twitter.com/missjtheagent

Cock-A-Doodle-Doo: Gamecocks UPSET #1 Alabama

Sunrise In South Carolina

After all the pain, the Gamecocks gave fate another shot and beat No. 1 Alabama.

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- After watching his South Carolina football team fumble away a big lead in a 35-27 loss at Auburn two weeks ago, Steve Spurrier asked his players to put their faith in something that has never been very kind to the Gamecocks.

"Let's give fate a chance," Spurrier told his team, during a meeting a couple of days after the Gamecocks squandered a 20-7 lead against the Tigers.

"If fate is going to smile on South Carolina, then we have to give it a chance. Who knows? If you give fate a chance, something big may happen."

In front of a sold-out crowd of 92,993 fans, the No. 19 Gamecocks stunned No. 1 Alabama 35-21 on Saturday, ending the Crimson Tide's winning streaks of 29 consecutive regular-season games and 18 straight SEC contests.

"It was nice to beat the No. 1 team, there's no question about that," Spurrier said. "It has to be one of the best days for our university ever, I would have to guess."

For more than a century, fate has often stricken the Gamecocks in the worst ways. After all, there's only one conference championship commemorated on the walls of Williams-Brice Stadium -- the 1969 ACC title.

In more than 100 years of playing football, South Carolina has won only four bowl games and it has never played in a lucrative BCS bowl game in the modern era. For much of the past two decades, the Gamecocks have been also-rans in the SEC East, chasing programs like Florida, Georgia and Tennessee.

Finally, fate shined on the Gamecocks on Saturday, just like it used to shine on Spurrier's pass-happy teams at Florida, where he led his alma mater to six SEC titles and the 1996 national championship.

It was the third time South Carolina defeated a No. 1-ranked team in a men's sport this year. The Gamecocks' basketball team upset No. 1 Kentucky, and their baseball team defeated No. 1 Arizona State in the College World Series on the way to winning the school's first national title in any men's sport.

"I think that this game was meant to be," Spurrier said. "I used a line this week that I've never used in my life. Since our basketball team had beat No. 1 and our baseball team had done it, I said, 'Fellas, if fate means for us to win this game Saturday then let's give it a chance.'"

And beating the Crimson Tide in front of a packed house and national TV audience meant so much more for South Carolina's starved fans.

"It was an unbelievable feeling," South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia said. "I'm not really sure how to describe the feeling right now, but it's unbelievable."

During the last six seasons, Spurrier has tried to make the Gamecocks relevant in the SEC East. He surprised nearly everyone by coming out of retirement to take over a mediocre South Carolina program in 2005 and didn't win more than eight games in each of his first five seasons.

After the loss at Auburn, the Gamecocks again seemed to be in danger of falling back into mediocrity. Garcia fumbled twice in the second half at Auburn and was benched in the fourth quarter. Freshman Connor Shaw threw two interceptions late in the game, and Spurrier was questioned for shuffling his quarterbacks once again.

"We had a big pow-wow talk and said if we were going to have a big year, we couldn't play like we did at Auburn," Spurrier said.

The Gamecocks played like they were the best team on the field against Alabama. Garcia looked like the best quarterback on the field, better than Alabama's Greg McElroy, who had never lost as a starting QB in high school or college.

South Carolina freshman Marcus Lattimore looked like the most dangerous runner on the field, even better than Alabama's two-headed monster of reigning Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson. Gamecocks receiver Alshon Jeffery made big play after big play, outshining Alabama All-America candidate Julio Jones.

Spurrier even looked like the best coach on the sideline again. He kept Alabama's defense guessing, and the Gamecocks were able to hold the Crimson Tide to only 36 rushing yards on 29 carries.

"I think our guys got together and said, 'Let's give it a little more effort and see what happens," Spurrier said. "That was our rallying cry."

The Gamecocks stunned Alabama early and often. After the Crimson Tide kicked a field goal to take a 3-0 lead on its first possession, South Carolina scored three consecutive touchdowns to make the score 21-3.
Garcia, who has been maligned throughout his three-year career, was a perfect 9-for-9 passing for 94 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. The Gamecocks had a 21-9 lead at the half.

"I guess it couldn't have come at a better time, playing against the No. 1 team," said Garcia, who finished with 201 passing yards, three touchdowns and one interception on 17-for-20 passing. "Coach Spurrier said, 'Let's give fate a chance,' and we did."

But in the opening minutes of the second half, it looked like fate would rear its ugly head again. On the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter, center T.J. Johnson snapped the ball over Garcia's head. Garcia picked up the fumble at South Carolina's 4-yard line. Instead of falling down or scrambling to escape, Garcia threw the football through the back of his team's end zone for a safety.

Alabama got the ball back and kicked a 39-yard field goal to cut South Carolina's lead to 21-14 with 9:37 to play.

"They said it was my first incompletion of the game," Garcia said. "Oh, well."

Instead of collapsing like they've done so many times in the past, the Gamecocks stood tall.

"We played some ball today," Spurrier said. "We didn't get a bunch of fumble returns or blocked punts. We didn't do any of that stuff. We had to play ball today, we played until the end and looked up and had beaten No. 1 by a couple of touchdowns."

With its victory, South Carolina becomes a major player in the SEC East race with key remaining games against No. 11 Arkansas on Nov. 6 and at No. 14 Florida on Nov. 13.

The Crimson Tide, who played in each of the last two SEC championship games, now find themselves in a dogfight in the SEC West. Alabama was playing its third straight difficult game, after coming from behind to win at Arkansas 24-20 on Sept. 25 and blowing out Florida 31-6 at home last week.

"It hurts a lot," McElroy said. "It's not a good feeling. There are a lot of guys on this team who have never experienced a loss."

During South Carolina's postgame celebration in its locker room, one of Spurrier's players suggested the team award a game ball to fate.

"I'll accept it for fate," Spurrier told his team.

Indeed, fate finally shined on the Gamecocks and now almost anything seems possible.



Mark Schlabach covers college sports for ESPN.com. He co-authored Bobby Bowden's memoir, "Called To Coach," which was published by Simon & Schuster. The book is available in stores and can be ordered here. You can contact him at schlabachma@yahoo.com.

Perry Stone: Life In the 8th Millennium

Perry Stone: Life In the 8th Millennium

Perry Stone ministers on location from Bet Shean, Israel on the subject of Life in the 8th Millennium.

John Stossel On Huge Debt Facing America

John Stossel On Huge Debt Facing America

U.S. debt surges by $1.6 trillion in 12 months. John Stossel discusses.

WRAPUP 3-IMF, World Bank call for cooler heads on currencies

WRAPUP 3-IMF, World Bank call for cooler heads on currencies...

* IMF seeks to restore global economic unity

* Currencies strain recovery effort, values must adjust

* World Bank chief: Currency tensions can end badly

* Hot money wreaks havoc on emerging markets (Adds topic of G20 discussion, paragraph 7)

By Lesley Wroughton and Walter Brandimarte



WASHINGTON, Oct 7 (Reuters) - World leaders must defuse currency tensions before they worsen to avoid repeating the mistakes of the Great Depression, the head of the World Bank said on Thursday.

The spirit of global economic cooperation, first forged in 2008 during the darkest days of the financial crisis,

was weakening as the recession gives way to an uneven and shaky recovery, the head of the International Monetary Fund warned.

Fears of a global currency war as nations look to export their way to economic health have jumped to the top of the agenda at IMF and World Bank meetings this weekend.

The push among nations for a trading edge, reminiscent of the strains that exacerbated the Great Depression, are also expected to be a primary topic of discussion when Group of Seven finance leaders hold a closed-door dinner on Friday.

Finance ministers from the larger G20 group of rich and emerging economies scheduled a working breakfast on Friday as they prepare for next month's leaders summit in Seoul.

The meetings provide a forum for intense discussions about efforts to persuade China to let its currency rise, the weakening in the U.S. dollar and the strengthening of emerging market currencies as investors chase higher yields.

"If one lets this slide into conflict, or forms of protectionism, then we run the risks of repeating the mistakes of the 1930s," World Bank President Robert Zoellick told reporters at a briefing.

The IMF trimmed its 2011 growth forecast for advanced economies on Wednesday and warned the task of reducing heavy government debt burdens, while essential, would act as a significant drag on growth.

Slow growth at home leaves countries unusually reliant on exports, and this has heightened concerns they will intentionally weaken their currencies to boost trade.

Zoellick said history shows "beggar thy neighbor" policies don't work, and suggested international agencies such as the IMF and World Trade Organization could help manage currency tensions before they erupt into something more damaging.

Japan intervened to weaken the yen last month for the first time in six years, and several emerging markets have taken steps to prevent their currencies from rising too rapidly.

CHINA AT THE CENTER

The IMF's managing director, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, said fading global cooperation was regrettable.

"I think it's fair to say that momentum is not vanishing but decreasing and that's a real threat," he warned at a separate news conference. "Everybody has to keep in mind this mantra that there is no domestic solution to a global crisis."

Strauss-Kahn said he disliked the notion that a currency war was brewing because the term was "too military," but conceded "it's fair to say that many do consider their currency as a weapon and that's certainly not for the good of the global economy."

In an interview published by French newspaper Le Monde earlier on Thursday, Strauss-Kahn pointed at China's policy on its yuan currency as a primary sticking point in efforts to rebalance the global economy.

"The undervaluation of the yuan is the source of tensions in the world economy which are in the process of becoming a threat," he told the newspaper. "If we want to avoid creating the conditions for a new crisis, China will need to accelerate the appreciation process."

China held the yuan stable during the financial crisis but in June promised to let it respond more freely to market forces. Since then it has risen only about 2 percent against the U.S. dollar.

Strauss-Kahn said having a bigger say at the IMF, as requested by big emerging economies like China, comes with greater responsibility in the global economy.

"If you want to be at the center of the system ... it goes with having more responsibility in the system," he said.

DOWNWARD SPIRAL

Financial leaders from emerging market countries expressed some frustration with the rich world's policies, too.

The G24, composed of emerging and developing economies, said a simultaneous budget clamp-down "presently under way in many advanced economies poses considerable risks of a downward spiral in global demand."

The G24 also said low interest rates in advanced economies were sending investment money flooding into faster-growing emerging markets, driving up asset prices and inflation.

The European Central Bank and the Bank of England both kept interest rates at record lows in meetings on Thursday, while the Bank of Japan cut its benchmark rate to zero this week.

The U.S. Federal Reserve is considering printing more money to buy assets in the hope of speeding up the pace of U.S. growth to bring down high unemployment. The side effect is a weaker dollar that is fueling global tensions.

Since mid-June, the U.S. dollar has fallen nearly 13 percent against a basket of major currencies, erasing most of the gains it racked up earlier in the year when European sovereign debt worries sent investors scrambling for safety.

ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet said volatile exchange rate moves had "adverse implications" for economic and financial stability and that he shared the view of U.S. authorities that a strong dollar was in Washington's best interest. U.S. officials, however, have been silent on the greenback's fall.

(Additional reporting by Reuters IMF team; Writing by Emily Kaiser and Glenn Somerville; Editing by Andrea Ricci and Leslie Adler)

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The War of the World: 20th Century Conflict and the Descent of the West"

The War of the World: 20th Century Conflict and the Descent of the West"

The War of the World: Twentieth-Century Conflict and the Descent of the West, examines why the 20th century proved to be the most violent, frightening and brutalized century in history with fanatical, often genocidal warfare engulfing most societies between the outbreak of World War I and the end of the Cold War. The War of the World explores what went wrong with the century and how society was responsible.

Niall Ferguson

http://www.niallferguson.com/

http://twitter.com/NFergus

Niall Ferguson, MA, D.Phil., is Laurence A. Tisch Professor of History at Harvard University and William Ziegler Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. He is also a Senior Research Fellow at Jesus College, Oxford University, and a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University.

http://www.niallferguson.com/site/FERG/Templates/General2.aspx?pageid=5

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Israel on war alert: Jewish state fears Iran ally will attack

Israel on war alert

Jewish state fears Iran ally will attack

By Aaron Klein

JERUSALEM – Israel is on heightened alert for possible attacks by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah organization in Lebanon, according to a senior Israeli defense official speaking to WND.

The official said the Jewish state is concerned Hezbollah might try to spark a conflict to deflect attention from an international tribunal investigating the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, who died in a car bomb explosion in 2005.

The probe is reportedly set to indict members of Hezbollah for the murder. The indictments may come as soon as the next few weeks, reports have claimed.

Hezbollah is deeply concerned about the political fallout within Lebanon if its members are accused of murdering Hariri, the defense official said.

As such, Hezbollah may try to carry out attacks against Israel similar to those that prompted the 2006 Lebanon War. During that conflict, Hezbollah fired constant rocket barrages into Israel, killing 43 Israelis and wounding more than 4,200.

Hezbollah and Syria have attempted to discredit the U.N. probe. Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah has delivered television addresses claiming Israel was behind Hariri's killing and that spies working for Israel planted "false evidence" blaming Hezbollah.

Earlier this week, Syria issued arrest warrants against 33 people for allegedly misleading the U.N. investigation. The targets include figures close to Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri – Rafiq Hariri's son – including his media adviser, senior security officers and journalists working in Hariri-owned media outlets.

Awarding Staff Sergeant Robert J. Miller the Medal of Honor

Awarding Staff Sergeant Robert J. Miller the Medal of Honor

Posted by Jesse Lee on October 06, 2010



The Vice President and the First Lady were also present as the President awarded Robert J. Miller, Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry. Staff Sergeant Miller received the Medal of Honor posthumously for his heroic actions in combat on January 25, 2008 in Afghanistan.  As is always the case, his story -- recounted by the President -- truly makes one proud to be An American:

It has been said that courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.  For Rob Miller, the testing point came nearly three years ago, deep in a snowy Afghan valley.  But the courage he displayed that day reflects every virtue that defined his life.

Rob was wise beyond his years.  Growing up in Wheaton, Illinois, outside of Chicago, he was the boy in school who penned a poem about American GI’s in World War II, men -- like the soldier Rob would become himself —- who he said fought day and night, fighting for what they thought was right.

Rob was born to lead -— the high school gymnast who trained so hard his coach had to kick him out at night so they could close the gym.  He was the Army recruit who pushed himself to his limits -— both physically and mentally -— to earn the title Green Beret.  He was the Special Forces soldier who, on his first tour in Afghanistan, earned two Army Commendation Medals for his valor.    

Devotion to duty.  An abiding sense of honor.  A profound love of country.  These were the virtues that found their ultimate expression when Rob -— just 24 years old and on his second tour -— met his testing point on January 25, 2008.

Rob and his team were in the remote northwest of Afghanistan.  Their mission:  clear a valley of insurgents who had been attacking Afghan forces and terrorizing villagers.  So when they came across an insurgent compound, Rob and his men made their move, unleashing their fire and calling in airstrikes.

Now, they were on foot, heading over to that destroyed compound, to assess the damage and gather intelligence.  It was still dark, just before dawn.  It was freezing cold -- and silent, except for the crackle of their radios and the crunch of snow under their boots.  Like so many times before, Rob was up front -- leading a patrol of two dozen Afghans and Americans on a narrow trail along the valley floor, the steep mountains towering over them.

First, it was just a single insurgent, jumping out from behind a boulder.  Then, the whole valley seemed to explode with gunfire.  Within seconds, Rob and his patrol were pinned down, with almost no cover -- bullets and rocket-propelled grenades raining down from every direction.  And when enemy reinforcements poured in, the odds were overwhelming.  Rob’s small patrol of two dozen men was nearly surrounded by almost 150 insurgents. 

With the enemy just feets away -- some so close he could see their faces -- Rob held his ground.  Despite the chaos around him, he radioed back enemy positions.  As the only Pashto speaker on his team, he organized the Afghan soldiers around him.  But the incoming fire, in the words of one soldier, was simply “astounding.”

Rob made a decision.  He called for his team to fall back.  And then he did something extraordinary.  Rob moved in the other direction -- toward the enemy, drawing their guns away from his team and bringing the fire of all those insurgents down upon himself.

The fighting was ferocious.  Rob seemed to disappear into clouds of dust and debris, but his team could hear him on the radio, still calling out the enemy’s position.  And they could hear his weapon still firing as he provided cover for his men.  And then, over the radio, they heard his voice.  He had been hit.  But still, he kept calling out enemy positions.  Still, he kept firing.  Still, he kept throwing his grenades.  And then they heard it -- Rob’s weapon fell silent.

This is the story of what one American soldier did for his team, but it’s also a story of what they did for him.  Two of his teammates braved the bullets and rushed to Rob’s aid.  In those final moments, they were there at his side -- American soldiers there for each other. 

The relentless fire forced them back, but they refused to leave their fallen comrade.  When reinforcements arrived, these Americans went in again -- risking their lives, taking more casualties -- determined to bring Rob Miller out of that valley.  And finally, after fighting that raged for hours, they did.

When the dust settled and the smoke cleared, there was no doubt Rob Miller and his team had struck a major blow against the local insurgency.  Five members of his patrol had been wounded, but his team had survived.  And one of his teammates surely spoke for all of them when he said of Rob, “I would not be alive today if not for his ultimate sacrifice.”

This is the valor that America honors today.  To Rob’s family and friends, I know that no words can ease the ache in your hearts.  But I also know this -- Rob’s life and legacy endures.

Rob endures in the pride of his parents.  Phil and Maureen, you raised a remarkable son.  Today and in the years to come, may you find some comfort in knowing that Rob gave his life doing what he loved -- protecting his friends and defending his country.  You gave your oldest son to America, and America is forever in your debt. 

Rob endures in the love of his brothers and sisters, all seven of whom join us today.  Your brothers laid down his life so you could live yours in security and freedom.  You honor him by living your lives to the fullest, and I suspect Rob would be especially proud of his younger brother Tom, who, inspired by his big brother, is now training to be a Green Beret himself.

Rob endures in the Afghans that he trained and he befriended.  In valleys and villages half a world away, they remember him -- the American who spoke their language, who respected their culture and who helped them defend their country.  They welcomed him into their homes and invited him to their weddings.  And in a sign of their lasting gratitude, they presented Rob’s parents with a beautiful Afghan flag -- Afghan rug, which hangs today in the Miller home, a symbol of the partnership between the people of America and Afghanistan.

Rob Miller endures in the service of his teammates -- his brothers in arms who served with him, bled with him and fought to bring him home.  These soldiers embody the spirit that guides our troops in Afghanistan every day -- the courage, the resolve, the relentless focus on their mission:  to break the momentum of the Taliban insurgency, and to build the capacity of Afghans to defend themselves, and to make sure that Afghanistan is never again a safe haven for terrorists who would attack our country.  That is their mission, that is our mission, and that is what we will do.  And I would ask Rob’s team, who were with him that day, to please stand and be recognized.  (Applause.) 

Finally, Rob Miller -- and all those who give their lives in our name -- endure in each of us.  Every American is safer because of their service.  And every American has a duty to remember and honor their sacrifice. 

If we do -- if we keep their legacy alive, if we keep faith with the freedoms they died to defend -- then we can imagine a day, decades from now, when another child sits down at his desk, ponders the true meaning of heroism and finds inspiration in the story of a soldier -- Staff Sergeant Robert J. Miller and a generation that “fought day and night, fighting for what they thought was right.”

That is the meaning of this medal.  And that is our summons today, as a proud and grateful nation.  So please join me in welcoming Phil and Maureen Miller for the reading of the citation.  (Applause.) 





First Lady Michelle Obama, right, and the entire audience, applaud the members of Staff Sergeant Robert J. Miller's team who were with him in Afghanistan, during the presentation of the Medal of Honor posthumously to his parents during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, October 6, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)



President Barack Obama stands with Phil and Maureen Miller, parents of Staff Sergeant Robert J. Miller, as the citation is read as the Medal of Honor is awarded posthumously to their son for his heroic actions in Afghanistan on January 25, 2008, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House October 6, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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IMF warns global recovery might not be sustained

By Agence France-Presse, Updated: 10/6/2010

Rich and emerging economies must dramatically change the way they trade with each other or risk throttling the global economic recovery, the International Monetary Fund warned on Wednesday.

In its latest economic outlook, the IMF said growth would slow more than previously expected in 2011, as the United States, Europe and Japan continue to struggle and China remains overly dependent on exports.

The recovery is "neither strong nor balanced and runs the risk of not being sustained," warned Olivier Blanchard, the IMF's chief economist.

Painting a picture of a faltering developed world -- where business is still struggling to pick up where government crisis spending left off -- the IMF predicted global growth would be pared back to 4.2 percent next year.

That is less than the 4.8 percent growth expected this year and 0.2 point below the IMF's July forecast for 2011.

While restocking had helped short-term growth in the United States, Japan and some parts of Europe, the IMF said advanced economies were still reliant on dwindling government spending.

"For the past year or so, inventory accumulation and fiscal stimulus were driving the recovery. The first is coming to an end. The second is slowly being phased out," the IMF said in its twice-yearly World Economic Outlook.

The IMF slashed its US growth forecast for 2011, to 2.3 percent, lopping 0.6 points off its July forecasts.

The growth forecast was also trimmed for this year, down 0.7 points to 2.2 percent, with warnings of "a weak recovery in coming quarters."

The IMF recommended that some central banks, like the US Federal Reserve, continue their ultra-loose monetary policies, but warned the impact of such policies would now be limited.

"Not much more can be done, and one should not expect too much from further quantitative or credit easing."

Increased exports must take up the slack, it added.

"Many advanced economies, most notably the United States, which relied excessively on domestic demand, must now rely more on net exports."

Meanwhile the IMF said that rich countries, many of which are heavily in debt, would have to trim spending and balance their books in the medium term.

"Fiscal stimulus has to eventually give way to fiscal consolidation, and private demand must be strong enough to take the lead and sustain growth."

There was a particular warning for Europe, with "severe external financing constraints" forecast for debt-laden Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain.

The picture could not be more different for emerging markets like India and China, where growth continues, but is limited by an over-dependence on exports to Europe, Japan and the United States that must be addressed.

"Emerging market economies with large current account surpluses must accelerate rebalancing. This is not only in the world economy's interest, but also in their own."

Wading into sensitive political waters, the IMF said China must allow its currency to strengthen to boost domestic demand and reduce its reliance on exports.

"To the extent that a stronger Chinese currency eases this process, other surplus countries in the region could follow suit, which would facilitate the needed shift towards domestic sources of growth," the IMF said.

Emerging markets are expected to expand at a rate of 7.1 percent this year and 6.4 percent in 2011.

Advanced economies are expected to grow more slowly, at 2.7 percent in 2010 and 2.2 percent next year.

The WEO report came ahead of Friday's opening of a two-day annual meeting of the IMF, where its 187 member nations are set to focus on a looming currency war and the dangers of protectionist trading policies.

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60 Minutes: Sunday October 03, 2010 (full episode)

60 Minutes: Sunday October 03, 2010 (full episode)

Lesley Stahl goes to Iraq to report on the sources of conflict that could erupt once the U.S. withdraws; Also, Ken Feinberg and the thousands of claims stemming from the BP oil spill; Plus, philanthropists Bill and Melinda Gates

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China's moon goal right on schedule

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-10-02 09:27

 

China moved closer to its goal of landing on the moon as its second lunar probe, Chang'e-2, blasted off seconds before 7:00 pm on Friday from the southwestern city of Xichang,Gansu province.

Video: CCTV

Holistic Spirituality: Part 21

Holistic Spirituality: Part 21

by Ken Boa

Purpose

Holistic spirituality distinguishes our primary calling to know and love God from our secondary calling to express this relationship in everything we do and with everyone we encounter. If the secondary is not related to the primary, we slip into the error of dichotomizing the “spiritual” and the “secular” when they should really be integrated. When this happens, our relationship with the Lord is disconnected from the everyday activities of our lives.

The opposite error occurs when secondary calling replaces primary calling. When this occurs, work becomes an end in itself by turning into our principal “vocation” (from the Latin word for “calling”). In this way, the visible and horizontal swallows up the invisible and vertical. Or to use Francis Schaeffer’s expression, “nature eats up grace.” When we keep our primary calling first and seek to express it in and through our secondary calling, we become more holistic in our thinking and practice.

Although you cannot fully know or express the fullness of God’s calling on your life, it is still wise to ask the Lord for a clearer vision of His unique purpose for your earthly existence. Prayerful development of a personal purpose statement can give you focus and passion, particularly when you review and rethink it from time to time.

In the film Chariots of Fire, there is a significant scene when Eric Liddell takes his sister Jenny for a walk in the hills of Scotland to explain his commitment to training for the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris. He tells her, “I’ve decided—I’m going back to China. The missionaries said I was accepted.” Jenny rejoices to hear this, since she fears her brother’s calling to be a missionary is being threatened by his interest in running.

However, Eric goes on to say, “But I’ve got a lot of running to do first. Jenny—Jenny, you’ve got to understand. I believe that God made me for a purpose—for China. But He also made me fast, and when I run, I feel His pleasure. To give it up would be to hold Him in contempt. You were right—it’s not just fun. To win is to honor Him.”

Liddell was a man of focus and passion because he pursued a growing sense of God’s purpose for his life. When I run, I feel His pleasure—what do you do that makes you feel God’s pleasure? Frederick Buechner put it this way in Wishful Thinking: A Theological ABC: “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet.” As you become a person of ure? Frederick Buechner put it this way in Wishful Thinking: A Theological ABC: “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet.” As you become a person of calling and purpose, you come to realize that God’s good pleasure is also your good pleasure. Seek satisfaction apart from Him, and you will never find it; seek to please Him first, and you discover that satisfaction is a byproduct of the pursuit of God.

A developing awareness of your divinely-ordained purpose should impinge on every facet of your life and spiritualize the whole of your existence. Your calling and purpose are expressed and reinforced in an intentional rule of life. To embrace a rule of living is to seek positive guidelines of behavior that will assist you in fulfilling God’s purposes. This is training, not legalism; it is discipline, not drudgery. A holistic rule of life assists you in integrating the various components of daily experience—from devotions to work—under the lordship of Christ. Rule is never an end in itself, but a means to the end of expressing your primary and secondary callings. Therefore it is prudent to revisit and revise the ways in which you order your time and resources.

My friend Gayle Jackson has been a great help to me in the area of discerning and expressing biblical purpose, and I have adapted his approach to formulating global and role purposes, goals, and objectives. I will illustrate a part of this process with my personal purpose statement and three global purposes that emerge from this statement:

My life purpose is to be a lover and servant of God and others.

• Global Purpose 1 (loving God completely): To know God and His character and grow into conformity with His Son in faith, hope, and love.
• Global Purpose 2 (loving self correctly): To see myself in the light of God’s character and grow in humility and obedience.
• Global Purpose 3 (loving others compassionately): To see others in the light of God’s character and grow in love and service.

Prayerfully reflect on your own global and role purposes. Then consider what specific goals and objectives would assist you in fulfilling these purposes for your life.

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Sources: New England Patriots near deal to trade WR Randy Moss to Minnesota Vikings

Sources: Vikes close in on Randy Moss

Randy Moss' improbable return to Minnesota is about to become reality.
 
The Vikings and the Patriots are planning to complete the blockbuster trade that will send the Pro Bowl wide receiver back to Minnesota on Wednesday, multiple league sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.


NFL sources told Schefter the deal moved closer to completion Tuesday night. Two well-placed league sources predicted the trade will be consummated Wednesday.

"I'd be shocked if it doesn't happen," said one source close to the situation.

 
FoxSports.com first reported the trade talks, but did not specify what the Patriots would get for giving up their primary deep threat.

 
"I don't know if there have been any discussions, but I can confirm that we haven't traded Randy Moss," Patriots vice president of media relations Stacey James told ESPNBoston.com's Mike Reiss.

 
The seven-time Pro Bowl receiver is in the final year of his four-year deal with New England and has voiced his displeasure at his limbo status.

 
"When you have done so much and put so much work in, it kind of feels like I am not wanted," Moss said before the season began on Sept. 6. "I am taking that in stride and playing my final year out and whatever the future holds is what it holds, but it is kind of a bad feeling -- feeling not wanted. It is not like my production has gone down."

 
A few days later he apologized for the timing of his comments and said he loves playing in New England.

 
But the Boston Herald, citing an unnamed source, reported on Tuesday that Moss wanted out of New England after a Week 1 win on Sept. 12, telling his agent to ask the Patriots to trade him.

 
Although the Patriots crushed the Dolphins on Monday night, Moss did not have a catch -- the first time that's happened for him in a New England uniform.


Moss and Patriots coach Bill Belichick did not speak or even see each other on Tuesday, a league source told Schefter.
 
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has been an unabashed fan of Moss since the receiver arrived in New England prior to the 2007 season. The two hooked up for 23 of Brady's record 50 touchdown passes that season. Last season, Brady came to Moss' defense when a Carolina Panthers defensive back questioned Moss' effort. And after Moss said he didn't feel wanted by the Patriots a few weeks ago, Brady again came out strong in support of Moss.

 
"Randy is important, was important, will be important, especially from my standpoint as a quarterback," Brady said during an interview on Boston sports radio station WEEI. "I love Randy and I'd love to play with him for a long time."

 
Moss, 33, has only nine catches for 139 yards and three TDs through four games this season. That comes after hauling in 83 passes for 1,264 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. His career year came in his first with the Pats, when he caught 98 passes for 1,493 yards and 23 TDs, an NFL record.

 
The Vikings have been looking for help at receiver for quarterback Brett Favre, but they were unable to work out a deal for the Chargers' Vincent Jackson.

 
Pro Bowl receiver Sidney Rice will miss at least the first six weeks of the season because of a hip injury and Percy Harvin has struggled all season with migraine headaches.

 
Without the deep threat that he had in Rice, Favre's production has dropped dramatically. The Vikings have lost two of their first three games and their receiving group lacks the prototypical big-play receiver who can out-jump smaller cornerbacks for passes down the field.

 
That's Moss in a nutshell.

 
Moss immediately energized a lagging franchise when he was chosen in the first round in 1998. He averaged 19.0 yards per catch and hauled in 17 TDs as a rookie to help the team reach the NFC title game. His first season coincided with a string of sellouts at the drab Metrodome that remains going to this day.

 
The move would no doubt delight Favre, who will turn 41 later this month. He openly campaigned for the Packers to acquire Moss toward the end of his time in Green Bay. But the Patriots ultimately ended up parting with just a fourth-round pick to pry Moss away from the Raiders, and Favre privately fumed at the swing and miss by the Green Bay front office.

 
Favre was traded to the Jets a year later and signed a two-year deal with the Vikings last season.



Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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