Just in case you're losing track

I know I’m having a difficult time keeping track of all the countries around the globe that have caught the uprising fever. It seems every time I look to read about one country, there’s another one that pops up. I can guarantee you that there are more than I have listed. It’s just getting harder and harder to find them all. So, in no particular order, here are the countries I can find where there are protesters in the street.

Tunisia-where this all began it seems a lifetime ago. The people ousted the president, now they want the interim Prime Minister removed as well.

Iraq – Kind of disturbing to see what was billed as a liberated country descend into chaos. They’re not protesting to get rid of their government, “Their demands ranged from more electricity and jobs to ending corruption, reflecting dissatisfaction with government that cuts across sectarian and class lines.”
Even worse, insurgents bombed Iraq’s largest oil refinery. “If not fixed swiftly, the shutdown will likely further fuel anger over a lack of public services that led to violent nationwide protests last week.”

Egypt – They’re still rioting in the streets there. The people don’t feel like the military leaders are moving fast enough on reforms.

Bahrain – Protesters still fill the streets for political concessions from the ruling monarch.

Jordan – The opposition leader says patience is running out with the government’s slow steps to reform.

Saudi Arabia – This is a troublesome event for an already taxed petroleum market. People there are calling for the removal of the Prime Minister.

Yemen – Which I found out is the most heavily armed population in the world, with an estimated 3 firearms per person, is rioting for the removal of their president.

Algeria – The government is trying to stay one step ahead of the protesters with reforms being thrown on the table.

Oman – Protests going on there has had their government scrambling.

Lebanon-Hundreds of Lebanese took to the streets on Sunday in Beirut to demand an end to the country's sectarian politics.

Some troubles still rumble in Belgium and Greece.

Vietnam, where political dissent is usually quashed in quick order, has protesting in the streets.

With less information available due to lack of media coverage or government blackouts, there are also these African countries:

Cameroon, Gabon, Uganda, Ghana, Eritrea, Equatorial Guinea, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Morocco, Cote d’ Ivoire, Ethopia and Dijibouti. Madagascar, Mozambique and Senegal may be fighting as well.

Read about the lack of coverage here,

http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/features/2011/02/201122164254698620.html

Dennis has already told us why this is going on, and you just need to look in a paper listen to the news; food and fuel prices are reaching untenable heights and unemployment climbs higher and higher. People are getting hungrier and more concerned about having no resources or jobs to provide money for their families. Exiled leaders and extremist groups are rushing in to fill the void.

The frightening thing to me is when you read about these various Days of Rage, the comments portion at the bottom contain postings from people that believe we need to have this kind of rioting and government overthrow here in the US. Will we be on the international news soon too?

Russia's build-up

With all the information about Russia that Dennis has posted on this blog throughout the years, I found the Breaking News Twitter feed on my phone this morning to be a bit alarming:

“Russia will spend $650 billion to equip its dilapidated military with 600 new warplanes, 100 ships and 1,000 helicopters by 2020, Defense Ministry officials were quoted as saying Thursday.”

So, I turned on my computer and began to dig around. I found several articles about this development. Here’s one of them:

http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2011/02/24/6121328-russian-military-to-purchase-600-planes-100-ships

A couple of lines I found intriguing:

"Russia needs a professional noncommissioned officers core to train specialists who can really put these arms to effective use," said Pavel Felgenhauer, an independent military analyst. "This spending necessitates a whole new kind of military."

This one was even more so:

“The Mistral, which could carry up to 16 helicopters and dozens of armored vehicles, would allow Russia to land hundreds of troops quickly on foreign soil.”

Russia is increasing their military spending to 1.5% of GDP, up from 0.5. I was curious, did they somehow miss the economic abyss the rest of the world seems to be dangling over? Nope.

According to the CIA website, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rs.html

"The Russian economy, however, was one of the hardest hit by the 2008-09 global economic crisis as oil prices plummeted and the foreign credits that Russian banks and firms relied on dried up. The Central Bank of Russia spent one-third of its $600 billion international reserves, the worlds third largest, in late 2008 to slow the devaluation of the ruble. The government also devoted $200 billion in a rescue plan to increase liquidity in the banking sector and aid Russian firms unable to roll over large foreign debts coming due. The economic decline bottomed out in mid-2009 and the economy began to grow in the first quarter of 2010. However, a severe drought and fires in central Russia reduced agricultural output, prompting a ban on grain exports for part of the year, and slowed growth in other sectors such as manufacturing and retail trade. Russia's long-term challenges include a shrinking workforce, a high level of corruption, difficulty in accessing capital for smaller, non-energy companies, and poor infrastructure in need of large investments."

So what’s necessitating this enormous build-up of submarines, helicopters, aircraft carriers and fighter jets when they’re struggling to feed their people? And why the sudden need to land troops on foreign soil in a rapid manner?

Could it be a build up to war?

Costly Quake

I just received an article from a property casualty insurance watch group that said the New Zealand earthquake could turn out to be in the top 10 of costliest world events.

Some estimates of insured losses due to the second earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, in six months put the disaster potentially within the top ten most costly world insurance losses since 1970.

A note to clients from a JP Morgan Chase & Co. analyst estimated insured losses from the Feb. 21 (Feb. 22 local time) earthquake may be as much as $12 billion.

See it here; http://www.propertycasualty360.com/2011/02/23/new-zealand-quake-could-be-among-top-10-costliest

If you have been under your blanket for the past few weeks...it's time to come out and put on your flying shoes and start listening intently for the trumpet.

Where Have All the Men Gone?

We ask this question all the time in churches around the country...but today the Wall Street Journal is asking the same question as they look around the U.S. society. It would appear that we have made a bunch of 20-something men who prefer to live with their moms, play GameBoy all weekend and their excitement of choice is to head with "the guys" down to Vegas and party.

By the time my dad was 22, he had graduated from college, was a 2nd Lt. in the Army and had a wife and kid and a whole bunch of responsibility.

Maybe this is all more signs of another tipping point??

What also makes pre-adulthood something new is its radical reversal of the sexual hierarchy. Among pre-adults, women are the first sex. They graduate from college in greater numbers (among Americans ages 25 to 34, 34% of women now have a bachelor's degree but just 27% of men), and they have higher GPAs. As most professors tell it, they also have more confidence and drive. These strengths carry women through their 20s, when they are more likely than men to be in grad school and making strides in the workplace. In a number of cities, they are even out-earning their brothers and boyfriends.

Still, for these women, one key question won't go away: Where have the good men gone? Their male peers often come across as aging frat boys, maladroit geeks or grubby slackers.

See it here; http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704409004576146321725889448.html

Malachi 3

A reader shared this passage with me today. I liked it so much I just wanted to share it with the rest of you.

The Faithful Remnant

16 Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name.

17 “On the day when I act,” says the LORD Almighty, “they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him. 18 And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.

He who has ears....let him hear.

Messiah Coming

Author Joel Rosenberg sent out his Flash Traffic today. I have linked his blog below, and here is the interesting part;

A number of influential rabbis say unrest in the Arab world signals the coming of the War of Gog and Magog and the soon coming of the Messiah, reported a leading Israeli news service on Wednesday.

The article is consistent with similar reports in recent years suggesting that a growing number of rabbis believe the War of Gog and Magog and the Messiah are coming soon.

Rabbi Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz, for example, described in the Ynet News article as “a prominent rabbi,” is reportedly “certain that God is causing the turmoil in order to put the people in their place.” Said Lefkowitz: ”God goes and humiliates (those feeling) sinful pride. At first there was this little fire here, and a state that thought that it is big and strong suddenly needed help from the entire world. Not a war, nothing special, just a small fire.”

Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, described in the Ynet article as an “unconventional Lithuanian leader who is believed to have mystic powers,” recently spoke of the tumultuous events underway in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Iran and elsewhere in the Middle East. “People have come to me and said that it’s ‘Gog and Magog,’” he said. “We cannot know. But it’s probable that any unrest that God creates shows that the Messiah is coming, and that we must begin to prepare for it and become stronger.”

See it here; http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/

We know that the Jews (Israel) will start looking for the Messiah as their future grows more uncertain. Sadly, since they rejected Jesus when he was on earth, they WILL suffer severely when they mistakenly accept the Antichrist as their Messiah. This won't become obvious to many until the Antichrist sets himself up in the Temple in Jerusalem and declares himself to be God.

Pray for Israel. And pray for any Jews that you know personally who DO NOT know Christ. It's not too late to offer them the Gospel so they could be spared the coming Tribulation. More Jews are now coming to Christ that at any other time....so the harvest is at hand.

Also friends...remember to keep looking up, for you redemption is nigh.

More on 12th Imam

We have written on the 12th Imam a few times over the past years. Once you begin to understand what many in the Muslim world believe about this mythical being who will come in the very last days....it helps one to understand what many in the Muslim world are up to....and what THEIR blessed hope may be.

The more details you understand about this character, the more it seems to fit the characteristics of what the Bible tells us about the coming Antichrist.

So when the President of Iran gets up to give a speech at the United Nations and opens it with a prayer to the 12th Imam, inviting him to hasten his return....I pray our leaders know WHO he is praying to.

We turn on our radios and TV’s everyday, and if you’re like me, you wonder what has happened since I last listened? What has caught the attention of the people of this world and points to a world that is imploding upon itself? It’s all around us. The news of the unrest in theMiddle East. The spreading anarchy and rebellion in the hearts of the Arab nations yearning for what they believe in. They wish for the destruction of the western way of life, the return of their 12^th Imam, known as the Mahdi and the enslavement of all infidels to the sword of their god, called Allah. It’s part of their belief system. Don’t believe it, then read on.

So what is their belief when it comes to this Mahdi, or the return of the 12^th Imam? People are very uninformed if they do not understand what is behind all the chaos involved in the cradle of civilization known as the Middle East surrounding God’s Holy Land, known today as Israel. So who is this missing 12^th Imam they speak of?

Most accounts of the story say that al Mahdi went into hiding as a child around the age of 5 years (about 13th Century). It said he has been ‘in hiding’ in caves ever since but will supernaturally return just before the Day of Judgment. According to the Hadith the criteria for the Hidden Imam are:

• He will be a descendant of Muhammad and the son of Fatima
• Will have a broad forehead and pointed nose
• Will return just before the end of the world
• His appearance will be preceded by a number of prophetic events during 3 years of horrendous world chaos, tyranny and oppression
• Will escape from Madina to Mekkah, (Mecca) thousands will pledge allegiance to him
• Will rule over the Arabs and the world for 7 years
• Will eradicate all tyranny and oppression bringing harmony and total peace
• Will lead a prayer in Mecca which Jesus will be at his side and follow in.

He is believed to be coming back to set up an Islamic Caliphate and rule in the end of time and bring Islamic Sharia law to the world and make Islam supreme in all the land and this Mahdi is considered to be “divine”.

See it here; http://www.raptureready.com/soap/taylor31.html

So when you see Ahmadinejad yesterday telling the world that the current order of the world is soon passing away and he tells his listeners to imagine a day where Israel and the U.S. don't exist because "the one" who is bringing justice is soon coming...we better understand what he believes.

Furthermore we better understand that Ahmadinejad, and other Muslims, believe it is THEIR role to help usher in the chaos necessary to hasten his return.

Lara Logan

Lara Logan is the CBS reporter who got caught in the middle of the Egyptian unrest and was sexually assaulted and generally beat up by a mob of men.

What CBS originally DID NOT report was what the men were saying while they abused her.

New details have emerged in the "brutal and sustained sexual assault and beating" inflicted on CBS Chief Foreign Correspondent Lara Logan in Egypt's Tahrir Square the night President Hosni Mubarak stepped down from power.

During the Feb. 11 attack, Logan was stripped of her clothes, punched and slapped by the crowd, according to the Times of London (via the Daily Mail.) She was beaten with the poles demonstrators used to fly flags during the protests, and red marks on her body initially believed to be bite marks turned out to be the result of pinching.

As she was being abused, the crowd of roughly 200 men chanted "Israeli" and "Jew," apparently believing her to be a spy. Egyptian state media had been reporting that Israeli spies were disguising themselves as television crews.

See it here; http://www.aolnews.com/2011/02/21/lara-logan-was-stripped-punched-slapped-report-says/

Why wouldn't CBS have reported that right away? Maybe it didn't want to tarnish the perception of all these young Muslim men? Maybe it didn't fit their story line of the poor, downtrodden men just looking for a better life by throwing out a dictator?

Maybe CBS should just give us the news and let us decide what we think.

Solar Katrina

Remember what a massive event hurricane Katrina was in New Orleans? It was a "perfect storm" that blew in just at the right angle with massive winds and basically destroyed huge parts of the city....and they will never be rebuilt again.

Scientists continue to issue warnings about the growing solar storms that are coming our way.

I had two readers send me two different articles that talk about a "Global Katrina" that could put power out for months.

Remember folks, if the power goes out for months in Minneapolis....you sure better hope you have some food tucked away in your closet, because you won't find a biscuit for 30 miles.

If the storm is powerful enough it could even crash stock markets and cause power cuts that last weeks or months, experts told the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1359136/Global-Katrina-Biggest-solar-storm-cause-power-cuts-MONTHS.html#ixzz1EjyO2rHs

OR;

Worsening solar storms could shut down telecommunications, ground airline service and even lead to global blackouts, scientists and government officials warned in Washington, D.C.

People need to be aware of the dire consequences a massive solar storm could have on the global infrastructure, Helena Lindberg of the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency said at a panel discussion on solar storms at the American Association for the Advancement of Science's annual meeting

"I'm not talking about days or weeks, but several months without electric power, blackouts, across large regions of Europe and the U.S.," she said.

Scientists have been warning for several years that the Earth is entering a new solar cycle characterized by more intense and frequent solar storms, where the sun releases large bursts of electrified gasses. Those storms can disrupt satellites, including the Global Positioning System; fry electronic devices; and even disrupt the electricity grid.

See it here; http://www.aolnews.com/2011/02/21/scientists-a-solar-storm-could-have-the-power-of-katrina/

Seriously folks...with all this news of collapsing countries, collapsing bee colonies, earthquakes, volcanoes, solar storms, planet killing meteors, raping, pillaging and plundering...how would anyone keep their head sane UNLESS they had Jesus Christ?

If you happen to be reading this blog and DON'T know Jesus...feel free to send me a comment (that I won't publish) and I would be blessed to tell you about Him.

Hat tip to Kevin W. and Becky M.

Fires for Decades

So how long might it be before we have a functioning government in Egypt, Yemen, Tunisia, Bahrain, Sudan, etc.... Are the people of those countries even CAPABLE of forming a somewhat moral democracy that truly cares about doing what's best for the people who elected them?

I wouldn't hold my breath that we will EVER see that happen. I believe the Lord may return before that day comes.

The President of Russia does not have a Biblical world view, but he came out today and said that the current uprising in the Arab world will burn fires for decades.

MOSCOW – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday predicted decades of instability in the Arab world if protesters whom he called fanatics come to power, adding no such scenario will be permitted at home.

Medvedev's words fall in sharp contrast with the European Union, which said in a statement on Monday that it "deplores the violence" and "repression" against the pro-democracy protesters by authorities in one of the troublespots, Libya.

Speaking at a security meeting in the Caucasus city of Vladikavkaz, Medvedev didn't name countries, but he was referring to the crisis in the Middle East and North Africa — which has brought down governments in Tunisia and Egypt and sparked protests in Libya, Yemen, Bahrain, Iran, Morocco and Jordan.

"These states are difficult, and it is quite probable that hard times are ahead, including the arrival at power of fanatics. This will mean fires for decades and the spread of extremism," Medvedev said in televised comments.

Any attempts to repeat the unrest in Russia would be quashed, he said.

See it here; http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110222/ap_on_re_eu/eu_russia_medvedev

Of course it is interesting to see what the leader of Russia has to say about some of these Muslim nations...because the Bible tells us in Ezekiel 38, that Russia will lead a coalition of Muslim nations in an attempt to wipe out Israel and take what they have.

World's Oil Supply "Alarming"

We haven't liked to see gasoline go from $2.50 per gallon this summer to $3.15 today. But $3.15 could be the lowest price we see for gasoline in a VERY long time.

Of course the main reason for oil prices shooting up is all the unrest happening all around, and in, the oil producing countries.

"This is potentially worse for oil than the Iran crisis in 1979," said Paul Horsnell, head of oil research at Barclays Capital. "That was a revolution in one country, here there are so many countries at once. The world has only 4.5m barrels-per-day (bpd) of spare capacity, which is not comfortable."

Global oil inventories are higher than before the 2008 price spike, and OPEC can raise output if needed. It has refused to act so far despite pleas from the International Energy Agency (IEA) that the supply picture is already "alarming".

See it here; http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/oilprices/8339440/Oil-shock-fears-as-Libya-erupts.html

Ask yourselves how high gas prices would need to get over the next few months before UNREST started happening in the USA. Diesel is already at $3.60 gallon and we all know that EVERYTHING we buy in Walmart, Target and Cub was brought to the story using a diesel truck. How much would the prices go up on EVERYTHING we buy if diesel went to $8 per gallon?

When we grew up our family had one car. My dad rode the bus downtown for 30 years. My mom stayed home and cooked, cleaned and cared for our family. There were many days where our car DID NOT leave the garage. Even though church was only 4 miles away from our home, our parents carpooled us to confirmation every Wednesday night so they only had to take that 4 mile trip ONCE per month.

Can you imagine anyone calling you today and asking to set up a car pool to drive someplace 4 miles away? People would think you were insane!! Today we run around in our cars and trucks and think nothing of putting 100 miles per day on our vehicles. Many of us today will just "run down" to Maple Grove from Buffalo simply to have a bite to eat. The round trip has to be 60 miles and depending on your truck might take 4-6 gallons of gas.

This cheap fuel WILL be coming to an end. Our economy was built on cheap fuel and now that it is collapsing...will we be able to innovate fast enough to keep our lifestyles going? Or will we come to a grinding halt as people RE-LEARN how to stay home, play with their next door neighbors, walk to bridge club across the street, have their kids play hockey in the street instead of driving them to Bloomington, and entertain friends in their dining rooms instead of everyone driving 60 miles and laying out $65 for a few ribs and $50 for a movie and a bucket of popcorn?

Are we capable of re-learning how simple our lives USED to be?

World Unraveling

Let's see...can we even count the countries where unrest is happening?? Libya, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Morocco, China, Tunisia, Sudan, Mexico, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria....and how about Wisconsin??

What kind of new world order is in the process of being birthed?

As we ponder that, I came across an article today quoting ex-Soviet leader Gorbachev. He was the dude in charge of bringing in democratic reforms to Russia and allowed the Berlin Wall to fall. He also won a Nobel Peace Prize.

Remember also that Russia will be the country leading a coalition of Muslim countries during the very last days, who will attempt to overthrow Israel and take all their stuff. (Ezekiel 38-39)

In a wide-ranging news conference to announce nominees for his new Gorbachev Awards for "world changers," Gorbachev weighed in on protests rattling the Middle East and criticized the Libyan regime for brutally repressing its own people.

"People are trying to get of out poverty, and they've got nothing to lose. I think it's now very important that Europe and the United States respond to this situation very responsibly," he said.

The former Soviet leader had blunt criticism for leaders in his own country as well.

Gorbachev blamed both President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin for the state of Russian democracy, calling its institutions "fake." He added that both are showing incredible arrogance and disrespect for voters when suggesting that they would discuss between the two of them who should run for president in 2012.

Gorbachev has been ever more outspoken in recent weeks in criticizing Russian leaders, saying he sees the country becoming increasingly entrenched in a dangerous, authoritarian system.

See it here; http://news.findtarget.com/world/gorbachev_gadhafi_risks_being_run_out_of_libya/

So even the Nobel Peace winner sees his own country becoming entrenched in a dangerous, authoritarian system. Sounds exactly like the type of leadership needed to head up a coalition of Muslim nations....an authoritarian system. It doesn't sound like Russia is heading in a peaceful direction.

Things could go two ways people. On the one hand, we could have all these countries continue to unravel and be replaced by wonderful, peace loving, people loving, democratic regimes...in which case the world could be on the verge of a huge outbreak of peace and prosperity. We could trade our swords for plows!!

OR....

these countries could all be taken over by regimes who are hungry for power, hate Israel, hate America and have the perception that The West has been king of the hill for far too long. In which case WWIII will be the result.

Which scenario, in your heart of hearts do you truly believe is coming?

"There will be wars and rumors of wars.....but don't be alarmed. These thing MUST happen....", says Jesus as he speaks of the Last Days.

Food Storage

Since mankind first started walking the earth one of his first goals was to try and put away enough food to survive the winter. My grandparents on the farm in South Dakota had enough food canned in the basement to live a few years.

But not today. We are the very first generation of humans who practice "just in time" shopping. We stop at Cub just in time to get some food to make dinner. Or we stop at Applebees and do the take out menu and bring it home just in time for the kids to eat it before they run off to ball practice.

So what happens if there is a blizzard or ice storm or earthquake on the New Madrid or a solar storm that disrupts some part of our "just in time" society? (remember that the food shows up at Cub just in time for you to buy it too) I will tell you what...millions of people will have ABSOLUTELY nothing to eat in their homes. They will then venture out to Cub and find that the Cub is empty. Then what? You become part of the problem.

So when is the best time to stockpile a little food? Answer: when you think you won't ever need to.

With that being said, a reader sent me a link to a nifty little Sam's Club, 1 year Food Storage Kit.

Large numbers of Americans all over the country are becoming more aware of their need of emergency food storage. Storing food for your family is one of the most prudent actions you will ever take to protect your loved ones. Many natural and man-made events can cause interruptions in the food supply chain: be prepared!

See it here; http://www.samsclub.com/sams/shop/product.jsp?productId=prod1620354&iid=Category%7CTOPSELLER%7CGrocery%7CAugason%20Farms%20Food%20Storage%20One%20Year%20Kit#desc

Hopefully you will NEVER need to dig into this supply...but if you EVER did, you would sure be happy that you had it.

Also let's remember the distinct possibility that maybe you will NEVER use the food and provisions you set aside because the rapture of the church happens.....well in that case maybe God is putting it on YOUR heart to gather some food because he is going to use your provisions to care for some of the Tribulation Saints? Isn't that a wild thought??

Hat tip to Guy B.

Suez Quake

This story sure seems to be pretty "coincidental".

Earthquake Shakes Up Suez Canal as Iran Warships Approach

An earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale shook up residents at the entrance to the Suez Canal early Monday morning, 48 hours before two Iranian ships, a frigate and a supply vessel, are expected to enter the canal.

The National Institute for Astronomical and Geophysical Research reported that tremors from the 3 a.m. quake lasted for 27 minutes, but caused no damage.

The ships had originally been expected to enter the Suez today (Monday), but Egyptian officials announced the delay this morning, without explanation.

See it here; http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/142433

If you don't know where the Suez canal is (Egypt) or what it is, I would strongly recommend that you Google it and pull up some pictures and a map. It's a canal cut through the desert that connects the tip of the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.

Of course the Iranian warships are coming from the Red Sea and want to pass through the canal and get into the Mediterranean where they hope to be a provocation to Israel....as they will be sailing right past her on their way up to Syria.

So was the quake at the Suez entrance just a coincidence....or is somebody Omnipotent attempting to get our attention and remind us that EVERYTHING is pointing at Israel and the Jews....and when the fullness of the gentiles is upon us (rapture) then God will turn all his attention to the redemption of Israel. He will fight for her as He did in the ancient days.

Pakistan Watch

A few posts back we said that we should be watching for nasty developments between USA and Pakistan.

Today we see this little snippet at the top of Google News;

Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- A U.S. drone strike killed six suspected militants Sunday night in northwest Pakistan, two Pakistani intelligence officials told CNN.

The drone strike targeted an alleged militant hideout in a village in South Waziristan, one of seven districts in Pakistan's tribal region along the Afghan border, the officials said.

The attack was the first in a month in Pakistan, one of the longest stretches without a strike from the unmanned drones over the past two years.

It was also the first since an American official shot and killed two Pakistani men in Lahore on January 27, sparking a diplomatic face-off between Islamabad and Washington.

See it here; http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/02/20/pakistan.drone.strike/

Notice that the article mentions the growing tension that has resulted from the U.S. embassy diplomat killing two Pakistanis.

What's it all mean? I don't know...we will have to watch and wait.

For the details of the shootout that happened in the streets of Pakistan see this detailed article. It's right out of a James Bond movie.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/20/cia-agent-lahore-civilian-deaths

Dead Ducks

Test results are pending to discover what killed 7000 ducks in South Dakota last month.

I have an idea that it's going to be botulism or some other disease that they all got from too many of them hanging out in the same pond...which truly does happen quite frequently.

PIERRE - Wildlife officials are waiting test results from some of the more than 7,000 mallard ducks found dead last month north of Pierre.

Andy Lindbloom in the state Game, Fish and Parks Department tells KCCR radio that the die-off was discovered around Jan. 30. He says dead ducks were found in an open pond in western Sully County and on the ice at Okobojo Creek on the Missouri River.

Lindbloom says a large die-off of waterfowl is not uncommon, but he says officials still want the mallards tested. He says it doesn't appear there's any threat to other wildlife or waterfowl.

See it here; http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/news/article_54933b54-3391-11e0-aad0-001cc4c03286.html

We will try and follow this story as the results come in.

If we hear of a "government official" coming forward and telling us they were all killed by blunt force trauma....and they think the ducks all ran into a power line and died.....then we will know that something REALLY unexplainable is going on.

Hat tip to Karl J.