The Mighty Snow Giants have arrived and Moose Pass Valley now has its awesome covering of white, slippery and wet sloppy SNOW. For two days we had moderate snowfalls, leaving us with about 4 inches- two inches shy of the heralding call for our heroic and often frozen snow-plower. I mention frozen because over the last couple of years he has come out on his tractor, with no front window and takes on the elements to get our driveways cleared. After he does our we try to get him inside for a warm-up of hot chocolate and some of my homemade cookies. Last year he had the snow piled so high, my driveway had begun to resemble a tunnel and his tractor's blade, which could reach 12-feet, could go no higher. One more major snow fall and I'd have to hire a truck to come in and remove some of the snow. But that was the end of major snow storms. Still, it did take awhile for all that snow to melt away. It looked like a lot of snow, but then I remembered Whittier, where we were hit with 30 feet of snow and the kids were jumping out of third story windows into the snow and tunneling their way out to the driveway. I was always worried we'd have to rescue one of these kids who would get lost, with 10 feet of snow about him or more, but they always made it. Of course they were all soaked by the time they got out and then it was back up for a second try. Now I know, 4 inches is not too much, but it's a start and at least we will have our white Christmas.
Right now as I type, I have 3 and occasionally 5 ladies in my kitchen, repainting the ceiling and preparing the floor for new tiles. In the mean time between folding clothes and other chores, the older women are watching the little kids, and keeping them out of the paint. Me, I feel it is safe up here in my bedroom, where I have my computer desk and even the four hounds have decided I am better company than what's happening in the kitchen. Over the years I've learned to stay out of the way, its safer and I can get some work done- like clean the cat box, which is under my desk. Reminds me of a perfume my first wife used to wear...sorry, actually the cat box smells better.
I have quite a few news bites, but before we start I'd like to say something about minimum wages. My first job was as a dishwasher in a Chinese restaurant- so many dishes per customer and I quickly learned to dislike how so much food was wasted ( I could've fed a small country with what I had to throw away), or those people who put out their cigarettes smack in the middle of their unfinished dinner. I was paid $1.15 an hour, which was then minimum wage, but it was amazing what you could buy back then. My next job was as a stock boy at a slaughter house/market and my wage went to $1.35. I hadn't noticed it back then, but thinking back I recall how the things I used to buy when I was paid $1.15 an hour now cost more with the lifting of the minimum wage. However, I did notice it when I went to work for McDonald's and then an Ice Cream Parlor called Betsy Ross. This was my last job before I entered the Air Force. Eventually I had two sons, while in the service and feeding a family of four was difficult. But I saw that as the military pay went up the items in the Base Exchange and our Commissary were also raised. The numbers changed, but it was always us, the user, who paid for those raises. The manufacturers and companies who sold the goods always passed those government minimum raises right back onto the shoulders of the consumers and often took this opportunity to put an additional raise of 25 cents to even a dollar on an item. With these new minimum raises being passed in the states, far above the US minimum wage increases, can you imagine what the price increases will be. It will always fall on our shoulders to pay. Oh it may sound good to be making $13.50 an hour, but when your food basket totals out to $500 instead of what used to be $200, that pay increase doesn't look so great. BUT for us who live in a fox retirement and we do not see these raises, that $500 basket is a killer, or we just can't do it. This is why This is why some of the older people living on federal funds consume dog food 4 out 7 days to break even, only turn the heat on when the temperature reaches 10 degrees in the house and have the thermostat set at 45 degrees. As a police officer I've gone into these homes, where they only use one light at a time, have no TV and use a lot of old blankets to keep warm. Usually I was called out to conduct a security check, meaning they wanted me to see if the couple was still alive.
So, when you vote for a minimum wage, think about who is going to pay for the increase. All that money will come from us- the consumers, as the store prices and Burger King Whoppers, have increased. Some of you oldsters might recall how you could get a hamburger, regular fries and a small Coke for under a $1...oh those were the days. But back then a dollar was still something. Now another thing to think about, the US and state government stays quiet about it, but with that increase in wages...taxes go up and unless you've got loop holes or a new grandmother to care fore, maybe you're supporting a nonprofit group, your taxes just increased and Uncle Sam is doing his best to hide his smirk.
I really hate paying $5.99 for a loaf of bread and $4.99 or higher for a gallon of milk. I once paid $.19 for a gallon of gas in Missouri. We never thought it would ever break a dollar.
NEWS BRIEFS:
China: Foundation stone laid for new China-Pakistan Economic Corridor's Motorway. China also delivered a new-type of off-shore patrol vessel to Nigeria, the first such patrol ship given to the African nation. Chinese general says to the United States, "Stay out of it." Remark was made in reference to the US urging China to halt land reclamation activities in South China Seas. China and Serbia upping their military cooperation.
India: India and China to work on a feasibility study in building a 1,750 km high speed rail between Delhi and Chennai.
China: Denies it is attempting to build a military base in Walvis Bay, Namibia- the country's only deep water port.
Israel: Stabbing attacks continue in Jerusalem with two Jewish men and 1 Palestinian youth being attacked amid spiking tensions. 4 Hamas members arrested for suspicion of planning to assassinate Foreign Minister Lieberman of Israel with an anti-tank rocket.
Austria: Arrest was made of 13 suspected Jihadists in a major operation.
France: Announces it will officially recognize Palestine as a state in the event peace talks fail. ( All these different countries want to step in and publicly recognize Palestine, but not a one of them offers them a single acre of land. Their fellow Muslim countries, where they have vast deserts and waterways, seemly ignore Palestine about the land issue. They just want Israel to give up their land to the pre-1967 war. This would be like the US giving California, New Mexico, Arizona and a part of Texas back to Mexico, which was taken after we defeated them. How would we feel? Israel took on armies five and six time their size and with God's help defeated them all in 6-days and we and others ask them to give back what God has granted them. I feel we lose favor with our Lord simply for asking such a thing as a country and Obama looked really foolish when he did and they said no right on television. If anyone noticed, our President started going downhill after that moment.)
Russia: President Putin says, "The use of ultamatums and sanctions in talks with Russia are unacceptable and futile." Russia also considers Ukraine's potential NATO membership as a threat to global stability . Russia-China military drills being planned in 2015 for Mediterranean Sea and Pacific Ocean.
Greece: 24-hour nation-wide general strike hit the country over government bailout deals with international lenders. ( The people want a say before the government begins taking out mega loans from China or EU. They have seen what has happened to their neighboring countries and the debt the US is in.)
Russia: HIV epidemic rapidly spreading throughout the country, with Russia's Federal HIV/AIDS Center warning how the registered number of HIV cases could reach 1 million by late 2015.
NATO: Warning that Russia's "militarization" of the annexed Crimea Region could be used by Moscow to exert control across the whole Black Sea Region.
Russia: President Putin annouynces the creation of a new Arctic Strategic Military Command, to cover all operations in their arctic waters. Their Command Center went into operation on Dec 1, 2014.
North Korea: has made allegations of Human Rights violations against the United States for how authorities handled the Ferguson, Missouri protests and riots. North Korea reported abuse, racial discrimination and human rights violations.
Cambodia: 57-Country Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Cambodia, which is primarily Buddhists and some Muslims, to begin talks on cooperation.
NATO: United States to hike the number of troops it is keeping in Afghanistan in 2015 to fill the gap not being filled by other NATO countries. ( With over 3,000 troops now in Iraq and our forces building in Afghanistan, I might mention it appears our President has our troops, "Back in the Saddle-Again." We spent 10 years in Vietnam and when we left- we left. There was no residual force, this was not Germany or Italy, or Japan. Coming back is only going to kill and wound more Americans. Afghanistan government is corrupt and overly friendly with the enemy. In Iraq a recent investigation showed the US was paying out a fortune to pay for "ghost soldiers"- men who were never there, except as names. In this case I feel like one of those anti-war protestors of the 1960's, shouting "Bring our boys home!" If we need to be anywhere, it should be to reinforce Israel's borders. )
Earthquakes: last 24 hours we endured 21 quakes around the globe of 4.0 or higher. Largest quake was a 5.6 in Indonesia. This area has been extremely active and on December 1, a 6.3 was produced in this area.
Sweden: A department store in Western Sweden is to clean up its toy section after customers complained of finding over a number of miniature toy soldiers, painted in WWII black SS troops colors, with Nazi symbols added on. Also, a photo of a till receipt with Nazi slogan "Seig Heil" printed on it went viral over the Internet. The supermarket, "Coop" launched an internal investigation. Added to this event was a Swedish democrat election candidate who resigned after a photo emerged of her wearing a Nazi armband.
Russia: Ruble crashes past historic 50 Rubles to US Dollar, but within days it went down to 54 Rubles to the US Dollar. Russia now threatened with recession, but still plans on a massive productivity and wage hike for space industry workforce.
Russia lawmakers have drafted a bill allowing the country to deny entry to foreigners who have "offended" the State, or its citizens, to shut its borders to critics of the Kremlin.
NATO: Russia denied to conduct military exercises in the English Channel. Russian military vessels were sighted in the Channel, but they were waiting out an Atlantic Storm. Any exercises being conducted were crew on-board exercises; survival techniques for flooding or fire in their vessels.
China: Chinese authorities say Indian media reports of it setting up overseas military bases in the Indian Ocean are untrue. This includes the report involving China building a military base in Sri Lanka. BUT- Satellite photos (which I've seen), show China's military is constructing an island in the South China Sea, which is big enough for military installations and runways. Unfortunately, the island being built with the use of dozens of large earth carrying vessels, lies in the disputed waters of South China Sea.
UN: 592 Ebola health care workers infected by the virus. Of that number, 340 have died. This is a much higher percentage then the civilian stats.
WHO: Portugal's Legionnaires Disease Outbreak was officially declared ended on November 27th. (Finding news about the outbreak was tough). 396 people were hospitalized and 10 died. The crew of experts sent in by WHO located the offender as being a refrigerator tower in the town of Vila Franca de Xira, a suburb of Lisbon, Portugal.
NATO: Norway's Air Force reports Russia's Air Force as becoming more "aggressive" in their actions as they approach Norway's shoreline. Norway's F-16's responded and found themselves in near collissions with Russian MiG-31s, flying with their transponders off and taking off without filing flight plans from civilian airports in Russia. Kremlin also constructing a new war room to handle entire country in the event of war, calling it a "major upgrade", and built to mirror the Pentagon's capabilities. This war room, which is actually several larger rooms, a super computer, underground bomb shelter, focuses on ballistic missile launches and deployment of strategic nuclear weapons.
NATO: Announces military assistance to Ukraine in the form of trust funds for logistics, cyber defense, rehabilitation of wound soldiers and other uses.
IRAN: One week after nuclear talks had failed, Iran unveiled their new missiles, torpedoes and warships. ( It could appear that Iran wishes to become involved in the naval action around the Mediterranean Sea and its many tributaries.)
Russia: Hopes to pass a new bill which will make internet providers censor their content before delivering onto their users, which is a very costly procedure. A lot of Russian upset with the planned censorship.
More Quakes for today: 17 more quakes of 4.0 or higher. (5) small quakes in Alaska, (1-4.7) in New Guinea, (5) in Oklahoma, (1-4.8) in Chile, (2- 4.3/4.3) in Mexico, (1-6.3) in Philippines, (2) in Calif, (2-4.8/4.9) in Indonesia, (1-4.6) in Greece (1-4.5) in Fiji.
NASA: New information came in via probe and satellite on the mysterious Van Allen Radiation Belts, first discovered by Explorer One in 1958. Though invisible, these two doughnut shaped belts of seething radiation surround earth and have been found to contain a nearly impenetrable barrier that prevents the fastest, most energetic electrons from reaching earth. The first belt remains above the earth 4,000 to 6,000 miles, while the outer belt remains at 8,400 miles to 36,000 miles above the planet. The two belts can merge together and even produce a third belt. There is still so much unknown about the belts, but with additional probes and satellites, NASA scientists hope to learn more.
Taiwan: Military unveils its new Hsiung Feng 3 (Brave Wind 3) and Tien Kung 3 (Sky Bow 3) Missile Systoms. The Hsiung Feng 3 is said to be among the most advanced anti-ship missiles in the world and touted as an "aircraft carrier killer". This missile can travel at Mach 2.5 to Mach 3 and travel a distance of 150km. These missiles are now deployed on Taiwanese frigates and patrol ships.
India: Successfully test fired its nuclear capable strategic missile- AGNI-4 from a mobile launcher. This was the second test firing of the missile this year, the first was on Jan 20, 2014.
Japan: A joint force of Japanese and Chinese officials traveled to Northwest China to safely destroy chemical weapons abandoned there at the end of WWII.
China: 3 gas fields in South China Seas start production, owned by China National Offshore Corporation. (Such an active oil field may lead to attacks by other countries who still dispute these waters as not belonging to China. Three such countries are Vietnam, Japan, and the Philippines. But there are others.)
China: Islamic banking growing quickly in core markets, but they appear to be missing opportunities to build a "global footprint". Muslim bankers and a good share of the investors prefer not to do business with non-Muslim corporations or persons. ( China appears to be watching this bank and it seems they are also watching the people who do business with them on day to day operation. China has had a hard time dealing with upsurge of Christians and realize they are losing ground, but now to see Islam spreading...it is unknown how long they will allow the Muslims to remain. They are not the type to roll over, they've been waiting decades for their chance to move on the world and they will not let the Muslims take away this chance.)
South Korea: Yuan/Won direct trading between South Korea and China has been launched. Their country's currencies for direct trading began, with traders and government officials in Seoul transactions were more active than expected.
WHO: New Ebola statistics report lists 16,169 patients of Ebola Disease, with 6,928 fatality count.
India: France and India have reportedly agreed to bury all their old differences and past problems, so they may finalize a $15 million US Dollar deal for France to sell India 125 combat jets. (That is a lot of fighters. But what kind was not in the report.)
Islands being built to hold fighters and moor new ships under construction and military hardware being bought up, while roadways are under construction and high rail railways growing faster. The world is modernizing for the next war and it's a sad state of affairs, but as Christmas approaches how many people in Ferguson, or St.Louis and Los Angeles are thinking about the reason behind the season. Will honoring their fellow man replace the hate they have burning in their hearts. And please, do not give me a Happy Holidays to be politically correct when I come through a register line. I am weary of seeing my Lord's name being thrown out of schools, courts and any government building. I really dislike an anti-Christian/anti-Jew agency of one clerk typist, one lawyer and one office manager taking on the whole east side of the US, while a similar agency, same in size, takes on the whole west, only to win out by using our written laws, but not understanding the meaning behind what is written. We spend all of our time looking two or three laws and totally ignore the 10 laws these were built upon. This only saddens me, but it does tell me we are ever growing closer. But maybe not in my lifetime. I believe the Lord's wristwatch works on a whole different time table. Still, that's okay for I know where I am going, as long as I don't foul things up. Christians need to be ever vigilant, for the enemy is always out there to trip us up.
In my book, A Coming Storm, I centered on Alaska and I had our part of the Battle of Armageddon fought at an abandoned US Army Post- Fort Greeley. Only 300,000 or a bit less, survived to make the stand there, but they did plant their two feet and awaited the enemy's advance. Over 1 million strong, they came, but in those final moments more than 2/3 our force stood with God and didn't run. A lot of prayer went up and some pretty great singing. Then, when all seemed lost, the enemy breaking through the lines and Christians falling mixed in with non-believers and thousands of enemy troops, the proverbial Trumpet blew. Those musical notes we have waited for over 2,000 years rang out over just one of many battlefields. This one was Alaska and the year was 2017.
Yes, this is a long one, but it kept me out of bothering the ladies downstairs. As far as my new novel Apache Snow, publish date has not been agreed on. But I'll let everyone know when its about to hit Amazon.
Thanks for listening to me wander about. God Bless, BILL
Right now as I type, I have 3 and occasionally 5 ladies in my kitchen, repainting the ceiling and preparing the floor for new tiles. In the mean time between folding clothes and other chores, the older women are watching the little kids, and keeping them out of the paint. Me, I feel it is safe up here in my bedroom, where I have my computer desk and even the four hounds have decided I am better company than what's happening in the kitchen. Over the years I've learned to stay out of the way, its safer and I can get some work done- like clean the cat box, which is under my desk. Reminds me of a perfume my first wife used to wear...sorry, actually the cat box smells better.
I have quite a few news bites, but before we start I'd like to say something about minimum wages. My first job was as a dishwasher in a Chinese restaurant- so many dishes per customer and I quickly learned to dislike how so much food was wasted ( I could've fed a small country with what I had to throw away), or those people who put out their cigarettes smack in the middle of their unfinished dinner. I was paid $1.15 an hour, which was then minimum wage, but it was amazing what you could buy back then. My next job was as a stock boy at a slaughter house/market and my wage went to $1.35. I hadn't noticed it back then, but thinking back I recall how the things I used to buy when I was paid $1.15 an hour now cost more with the lifting of the minimum wage. However, I did notice it when I went to work for McDonald's and then an Ice Cream Parlor called Betsy Ross. This was my last job before I entered the Air Force. Eventually I had two sons, while in the service and feeding a family of four was difficult. But I saw that as the military pay went up the items in the Base Exchange and our Commissary were also raised. The numbers changed, but it was always us, the user, who paid for those raises. The manufacturers and companies who sold the goods always passed those government minimum raises right back onto the shoulders of the consumers and often took this opportunity to put an additional raise of 25 cents to even a dollar on an item. With these new minimum raises being passed in the states, far above the US minimum wage increases, can you imagine what the price increases will be. It will always fall on our shoulders to pay. Oh it may sound good to be making $13.50 an hour, but when your food basket totals out to $500 instead of what used to be $200, that pay increase doesn't look so great. BUT for us who live in a fox retirement and we do not see these raises, that $500 basket is a killer, or we just can't do it. This is why This is why some of the older people living on federal funds consume dog food 4 out 7 days to break even, only turn the heat on when the temperature reaches 10 degrees in the house and have the thermostat set at 45 degrees. As a police officer I've gone into these homes, where they only use one light at a time, have no TV and use a lot of old blankets to keep warm. Usually I was called out to conduct a security check, meaning they wanted me to see if the couple was still alive.
So, when you vote for a minimum wage, think about who is going to pay for the increase. All that money will come from us- the consumers, as the store prices and Burger King Whoppers, have increased. Some of you oldsters might recall how you could get a hamburger, regular fries and a small Coke for under a $1...oh those were the days. But back then a dollar was still something. Now another thing to think about, the US and state government stays quiet about it, but with that increase in wages...taxes go up and unless you've got loop holes or a new grandmother to care fore, maybe you're supporting a nonprofit group, your taxes just increased and Uncle Sam is doing his best to hide his smirk.
I really hate paying $5.99 for a loaf of bread and $4.99 or higher for a gallon of milk. I once paid $.19 for a gallon of gas in Missouri. We never thought it would ever break a dollar.
NEWS BRIEFS:
China: Foundation stone laid for new China-Pakistan Economic Corridor's Motorway. China also delivered a new-type of off-shore patrol vessel to Nigeria, the first such patrol ship given to the African nation. Chinese general says to the United States, "Stay out of it." Remark was made in reference to the US urging China to halt land reclamation activities in South China Seas. China and Serbia upping their military cooperation.
India: India and China to work on a feasibility study in building a 1,750 km high speed rail between Delhi and Chennai.
China: Denies it is attempting to build a military base in Walvis Bay, Namibia- the country's only deep water port.
Israel: Stabbing attacks continue in Jerusalem with two Jewish men and 1 Palestinian youth being attacked amid spiking tensions. 4 Hamas members arrested for suspicion of planning to assassinate Foreign Minister Lieberman of Israel with an anti-tank rocket.
Austria: Arrest was made of 13 suspected Jihadists in a major operation.
France: Announces it will officially recognize Palestine as a state in the event peace talks fail. ( All these different countries want to step in and publicly recognize Palestine, but not a one of them offers them a single acre of land. Their fellow Muslim countries, where they have vast deserts and waterways, seemly ignore Palestine about the land issue. They just want Israel to give up their land to the pre-1967 war. This would be like the US giving California, New Mexico, Arizona and a part of Texas back to Mexico, which was taken after we defeated them. How would we feel? Israel took on armies five and six time their size and with God's help defeated them all in 6-days and we and others ask them to give back what God has granted them. I feel we lose favor with our Lord simply for asking such a thing as a country and Obama looked really foolish when he did and they said no right on television. If anyone noticed, our President started going downhill after that moment.)
Russia: President Putin says, "The use of ultamatums and sanctions in talks with Russia are unacceptable and futile." Russia also considers Ukraine's potential NATO membership as a threat to global stability . Russia-China military drills being planned in 2015 for Mediterranean Sea and Pacific Ocean.
Greece: 24-hour nation-wide general strike hit the country over government bailout deals with international lenders. ( The people want a say before the government begins taking out mega loans from China or EU. They have seen what has happened to their neighboring countries and the debt the US is in.)
Russia: HIV epidemic rapidly spreading throughout the country, with Russia's Federal HIV/AIDS Center warning how the registered number of HIV cases could reach 1 million by late 2015.
NATO: Warning that Russia's "militarization" of the annexed Crimea Region could be used by Moscow to exert control across the whole Black Sea Region.
Russia: President Putin annouynces the creation of a new Arctic Strategic Military Command, to cover all operations in their arctic waters. Their Command Center went into operation on Dec 1, 2014.
North Korea: has made allegations of Human Rights violations against the United States for how authorities handled the Ferguson, Missouri protests and riots. North Korea reported abuse, racial discrimination and human rights violations.
Cambodia: 57-Country Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Cambodia, which is primarily Buddhists and some Muslims, to begin talks on cooperation.
NATO: United States to hike the number of troops it is keeping in Afghanistan in 2015 to fill the gap not being filled by other NATO countries. ( With over 3,000 troops now in Iraq and our forces building in Afghanistan, I might mention it appears our President has our troops, "Back in the Saddle-Again." We spent 10 years in Vietnam and when we left- we left. There was no residual force, this was not Germany or Italy, or Japan. Coming back is only going to kill and wound more Americans. Afghanistan government is corrupt and overly friendly with the enemy. In Iraq a recent investigation showed the US was paying out a fortune to pay for "ghost soldiers"- men who were never there, except as names. In this case I feel like one of those anti-war protestors of the 1960's, shouting "Bring our boys home!" If we need to be anywhere, it should be to reinforce Israel's borders. )
Earthquakes: last 24 hours we endured 21 quakes around the globe of 4.0 or higher. Largest quake was a 5.6 in Indonesia. This area has been extremely active and on December 1, a 6.3 was produced in this area.
Sweden: A department store in Western Sweden is to clean up its toy section after customers complained of finding over a number of miniature toy soldiers, painted in WWII black SS troops colors, with Nazi symbols added on. Also, a photo of a till receipt with Nazi slogan "Seig Heil" printed on it went viral over the Internet. The supermarket, "Coop" launched an internal investigation. Added to this event was a Swedish democrat election candidate who resigned after a photo emerged of her wearing a Nazi armband.
Russia: Ruble crashes past historic 50 Rubles to US Dollar, but within days it went down to 54 Rubles to the US Dollar. Russia now threatened with recession, but still plans on a massive productivity and wage hike for space industry workforce.
Russia lawmakers have drafted a bill allowing the country to deny entry to foreigners who have "offended" the State, or its citizens, to shut its borders to critics of the Kremlin.
NATO: Russia denied to conduct military exercises in the English Channel. Russian military vessels were sighted in the Channel, but they were waiting out an Atlantic Storm. Any exercises being conducted were crew on-board exercises; survival techniques for flooding or fire in their vessels.
China: Chinese authorities say Indian media reports of it setting up overseas military bases in the Indian Ocean are untrue. This includes the report involving China building a military base in Sri Lanka. BUT- Satellite photos (which I've seen), show China's military is constructing an island in the South China Sea, which is big enough for military installations and runways. Unfortunately, the island being built with the use of dozens of large earth carrying vessels, lies in the disputed waters of South China Sea.
UN: 592 Ebola health care workers infected by the virus. Of that number, 340 have died. This is a much higher percentage then the civilian stats.
WHO: Portugal's Legionnaires Disease Outbreak was officially declared ended on November 27th. (Finding news about the outbreak was tough). 396 people were hospitalized and 10 died. The crew of experts sent in by WHO located the offender as being a refrigerator tower in the town of Vila Franca de Xira, a suburb of Lisbon, Portugal.
NATO: Norway's Air Force reports Russia's Air Force as becoming more "aggressive" in their actions as they approach Norway's shoreline. Norway's F-16's responded and found themselves in near collissions with Russian MiG-31s, flying with their transponders off and taking off without filing flight plans from civilian airports in Russia. Kremlin also constructing a new war room to handle entire country in the event of war, calling it a "major upgrade", and built to mirror the Pentagon's capabilities. This war room, which is actually several larger rooms, a super computer, underground bomb shelter, focuses on ballistic missile launches and deployment of strategic nuclear weapons.
NATO: Announces military assistance to Ukraine in the form of trust funds for logistics, cyber defense, rehabilitation of wound soldiers and other uses.
IRAN: One week after nuclear talks had failed, Iran unveiled their new missiles, torpedoes and warships. ( It could appear that Iran wishes to become involved in the naval action around the Mediterranean Sea and its many tributaries.)
Russia: Hopes to pass a new bill which will make internet providers censor their content before delivering onto their users, which is a very costly procedure. A lot of Russian upset with the planned censorship.
More Quakes for today: 17 more quakes of 4.0 or higher. (5) small quakes in Alaska, (1-4.7) in New Guinea, (5) in Oklahoma, (1-4.8) in Chile, (2- 4.3/4.3) in Mexico, (1-6.3) in Philippines, (2) in Calif, (2-4.8/4.9) in Indonesia, (1-4.6) in Greece (1-4.5) in Fiji.
NASA: New information came in via probe and satellite on the mysterious Van Allen Radiation Belts, first discovered by Explorer One in 1958. Though invisible, these two doughnut shaped belts of seething radiation surround earth and have been found to contain a nearly impenetrable barrier that prevents the fastest, most energetic electrons from reaching earth. The first belt remains above the earth 4,000 to 6,000 miles, while the outer belt remains at 8,400 miles to 36,000 miles above the planet. The two belts can merge together and even produce a third belt. There is still so much unknown about the belts, but with additional probes and satellites, NASA scientists hope to learn more.
Taiwan: Military unveils its new Hsiung Feng 3 (Brave Wind 3) and Tien Kung 3 (Sky Bow 3) Missile Systoms. The Hsiung Feng 3 is said to be among the most advanced anti-ship missiles in the world and touted as an "aircraft carrier killer". This missile can travel at Mach 2.5 to Mach 3 and travel a distance of 150km. These missiles are now deployed on Taiwanese frigates and patrol ships.
India: Successfully test fired its nuclear capable strategic missile- AGNI-4 from a mobile launcher. This was the second test firing of the missile this year, the first was on Jan 20, 2014.
Japan: A joint force of Japanese and Chinese officials traveled to Northwest China to safely destroy chemical weapons abandoned there at the end of WWII.
China: 3 gas fields in South China Seas start production, owned by China National Offshore Corporation. (Such an active oil field may lead to attacks by other countries who still dispute these waters as not belonging to China. Three such countries are Vietnam, Japan, and the Philippines. But there are others.)
China: Islamic banking growing quickly in core markets, but they appear to be missing opportunities to build a "global footprint". Muslim bankers and a good share of the investors prefer not to do business with non-Muslim corporations or persons. ( China appears to be watching this bank and it seems they are also watching the people who do business with them on day to day operation. China has had a hard time dealing with upsurge of Christians and realize they are losing ground, but now to see Islam spreading...it is unknown how long they will allow the Muslims to remain. They are not the type to roll over, they've been waiting decades for their chance to move on the world and they will not let the Muslims take away this chance.)
South Korea: Yuan/Won direct trading between South Korea and China has been launched. Their country's currencies for direct trading began, with traders and government officials in Seoul transactions were more active than expected.
WHO: New Ebola statistics report lists 16,169 patients of Ebola Disease, with 6,928 fatality count.
India: France and India have reportedly agreed to bury all their old differences and past problems, so they may finalize a $15 million US Dollar deal for France to sell India 125 combat jets. (That is a lot of fighters. But what kind was not in the report.)
Islands being built to hold fighters and moor new ships under construction and military hardware being bought up, while roadways are under construction and high rail railways growing faster. The world is modernizing for the next war and it's a sad state of affairs, but as Christmas approaches how many people in Ferguson, or St.Louis and Los Angeles are thinking about the reason behind the season. Will honoring their fellow man replace the hate they have burning in their hearts. And please, do not give me a Happy Holidays to be politically correct when I come through a register line. I am weary of seeing my Lord's name being thrown out of schools, courts and any government building. I really dislike an anti-Christian/anti-Jew agency of one clerk typist, one lawyer and one office manager taking on the whole east side of the US, while a similar agency, same in size, takes on the whole west, only to win out by using our written laws, but not understanding the meaning behind what is written. We spend all of our time looking two or three laws and totally ignore the 10 laws these were built upon. This only saddens me, but it does tell me we are ever growing closer. But maybe not in my lifetime. I believe the Lord's wristwatch works on a whole different time table. Still, that's okay for I know where I am going, as long as I don't foul things up. Christians need to be ever vigilant, for the enemy is always out there to trip us up.
In my book, A Coming Storm, I centered on Alaska and I had our part of the Battle of Armageddon fought at an abandoned US Army Post- Fort Greeley. Only 300,000 or a bit less, survived to make the stand there, but they did plant their two feet and awaited the enemy's advance. Over 1 million strong, they came, but in those final moments more than 2/3 our force stood with God and didn't run. A lot of prayer went up and some pretty great singing. Then, when all seemed lost, the enemy breaking through the lines and Christians falling mixed in with non-believers and thousands of enemy troops, the proverbial Trumpet blew. Those musical notes we have waited for over 2,000 years rang out over just one of many battlefields. This one was Alaska and the year was 2017.
Yes, this is a long one, but it kept me out of bothering the ladies downstairs. As far as my new novel Apache Snow, publish date has not been agreed on. But I'll let everyone know when its about to hit Amazon.
Thanks for listening to me wander about. God Bless, BILL
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