April 3rd, 2009; Well, we are finally getting some spring like weather after that cold spell we had last week. Today we can expect rather light rain, then rain and freezing rain with tempatures hovering around the +1°C mark, heading up to 2°C by afternoon, then dropping back down to 1°C. This is a lot cooler weather than what we had yesterday which was sunny and warm. At least this rain will break-down and get rid of all that snow we have. I see in the news that G20 leaders the world's biggest economies opened up their coffers from taxpayers money with a pledge to give a trillion dollars in emergency aid for struggling countries in a bid to restore global trade. Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the G20 leaders have come up with a strong plan to fix the economy, making what he described as an "unprecedented" effort to work together. The summit's host, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, said in a statement, "This is the day that the world came together to fight back against the global recession, not with words but with a plan for global recovery and for reform and with a clear timetable for its delivery. The leaders also agreed on a "global approach" to dealing with impaired or toxic assets. According to Bloomberg News, Global leaders took their biggest steps yet toward a new world order that's less U.S. centric with a more heavily regulated financial industry and a greater role for international institutions and emerging markets. At the end of a summit in London, policy makers from the Group of 20 yesterday delivered a regulatory blueprint that French President Nicholas Sarkozy said turned the page on the free markets by placing stricter limits on hedge funds and other financiers. The leaders also pledged to triple the resources of the International Monetary Fund and to hand China and other developing economies a greater say in the management of the world economy. "It's the passing of an era," said Robert Hormats, vice chairman of Goldman Sachs International, who helped prepare summits for presidents Gerald R. Ford, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. "The U.S. is becoming less dominant while other nations are gaining influence." In a bid to avoid another mistake of the depression era, G-20 leaders repeated an earlier pledge to avoid trade protectionism that could aggravate the decline of the global economy. The Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development predicted this week that global trade will shrink 13 percent this year as loss-ridden banks cut back on credit to exporters and importers. To help combat that, the G-20 said they will make at least $250 billion available in the next two years to support the finance of trade through export credit agencies and development banks such as the World Bank. Canada's contribution to the IMF trillion dollar fund for 2009-10 now totals US$22 billion. However, there are additional new funds of US$10 billion and another $200 million to the IMF, coming from Canada's taxpayers money. This additional new funds will be in the form of a loan and are considered both an asset and a liability, to be used in emergency aid to rescue eastern European countries that are struggling with enormous debt problems. The G-20 members are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the U.S., the U.K. and the European Union. Officials from Spain and the Netherlands were also present. Well, these G20 leaders have figured a way to fix the economy all right. They will simply use taxpayers money to buy up all the impaired and toxic assets from mortgage-related securities in order to bail out the financial institutions and banks that are in trouble. It seem's like Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other governments don't mind at all to spend billions of taxpayers dollars to bail out multi-national companies, buy up bad mortgage-related securities and other devalued assets held by troubled banks to fix a problem for the financial institutions and banks which had caused this serious global recession. Not a bad deal for those financial institutions and banks, while the Canadian Government, or better said, Canadian taxpayers are left holding the bag of having to pay for the intrest on the loans for many years to come. Money that was given to all those business bail-out loans and financial institutions bail-out programs. What a financial scam to play on the Canadian taxpayers! I wonder what the average Canadian must be thinking by now, when they see their government just give that much of taxpayers money away, in a blink of an eye? Money that will eventually have to come from the pocketbooks of every taxpayer in Canada. Personally, I find it hard to believe that this "global" financial mess was accidental. The next thing these G20 leaders will be pushing for all taxpayers to pay, is that dreaded "Carbon Tax". In essence, to pay a tax for the very air we breathe. When Sovereign and Freedom Loving people hear talk about Globalization, New World Order, and a new world currency mentioned by these G20 leaders, Canadians have a very good cause to be nervous. But then again, I have noticed that the vast majority of Canadians are indifferent to the threat of Globalization. They are either totally for it, or lack the will to wrestle against the powers that be. Because of this, Canadians will end up loosing their freedom, autonomy and sovereignty, and give it up to the New World Order. Tonight, the barometer fell from 105 to 980 mb within a short time. It is raining hard, no wind and the tempature is around 3°C. Though the forecast is calling for a drop in tempature to -3°C with snow for most of the week. It appears that winter is reluctant to give up its stranglehold upon us, at least here in Northeastern Ontario.

April 8th, 2009; Today we had light snow with tempatures around the -5°C mark. So much for April showers, we get April snow. I know by now that most people have heard about the massive earthquake which struck Italy, leaving hundreds of people dead, and thousands homeless. Lately, strong aftershock shook central Italy late Tuesday, sending rescue crews and residents running from fragile, quake-damaged buildings. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the aftershock measured a magnitude of 5.6. One of the tremors sent chunks of concrete falling from buildings in the already ravaged city of L'Aquila. The ANSA news agency reported the aftershock further damaged the Chiesa delle Anime Sante, one of the town's many historic buildings. In Onna, Italy, a small town of 300 people, all of the homes had been damaged by the earthquake. One in 10 people in the town had not survive the devastating earthquake. 1,000 people were injured by the earthquake and at least 100 of them are in serious condition. Thousands of people are living at tent camps as Italian rescue efforts continue. We have many Italian Canadians living in Canada. They must be worried about the families and friends who were effected by that devastating earthquake. Prime Minister Stephen Harper released a written statement expressing condolences to residents of the affected communities. While the full impact of the earthquake continues to be assessed, Prime Minister Stephen Harper stated that Canada stands ready to support the government of Italy should it request international assistance.

Talk about thinking outside of the box. General Motors and Segway had unveiled a tiny two-wheeled, two-seat electric car (Pod) designed to drive on its own and automatically avoid collisions. The troubled Detroit carmaker, in spite of its financial problems, has really came out with a new innovation. This tiny two-wheeled, two-seat electric car, or Pod, is based upon the Segway technology, but unlike the upright Segways now in use, the vehicle would be enclosed from the elements, carry two or more passengers and have a top speed of 35 miles an hour. This little car or transporter Pod could well change the way people drive around in cities. It's technology will enable the "Puma" to negotiate traffic and park without hitting other vehicles. Unfortunately, makers of pint-sized electric vehicles like the ZENN car and Nemo electric urban truck that are manufactured in Quebec, which is trying to revolutionize transport in Canada, but are stopped in their tracks by Government regulatory issues, have prevented these vehicles from gaining access to our Canadian roads. Premier Dalton McGuinty had announced that Ontario is electric-car friendly, but they are still studying the matter. They have been doing that for the past ten years. No electric cars which are battery-powered are allowed on Ontario roads. Electric vehicles companies end up into receivership or had to move to other countries because Government officials were reluctant to let electric vehicles on our Canadian roads. Only in Quebec, electric vehicles had been given the green light from authorities. Quebec's electric car manufacturers say they can't produce their product fast enough to meet demands and have put their clients names on waiting lists. Thanks to Transport Minister Julie Boulet's announcement that low-speed electric vehicles (SMV) would be allowed on some of Quebec's roads. Many countries, including the USA, have allowed slow moving vehicles like the electric cars and trucks on their roads. I wonder how long it will take for GM's Puma, the tiny two-wheeled, two-seat electric car (Pod), to be allowed on Ontario roads? Don't hold your breath! Ontario is still studying to allow the ZENN car and the Nemo electric urban truck to run on Ontario roads. Many countries, including the USA, have allowed slow moving vehicles like the electric cars and trucks on their roads. By May 2009, the Ontario government will release a study which will look at ways to speed up the introduction of electric vehicles in Ontario. Better late than never, Huh?

April 10th, 2009. Winter weather seems to be hanging on with tempatures around the -2°C mark, though it feels more like: -8°C with the wind blowing from the NW at 24km/h. Somalian pirates had held a U.S. cargo ship on the Indian Ocean for several hours, but were forced to abandon their takeover when they were overpowered by the 20 crew members on board the ship. Capt. Richard Phillips, the commander of the cargo ship, had been taken as a hostage in one of the cargo ship lifeboat. After days of drifting, during a standoff with a U.S. destroyer which had closed in on their position, Capt. Richard Phillips attempted an escape from the lifeboat by diving overboard and swim towards the U.S. destroyer Bainbridge. The Somalian pirates began to shoot at Capt. Richard, as one of the Somali pirate dove into the water after him. Capt. R. Phillips was recaptured while attempting to swim to freedom. US officials say the situation is growing tenser as other U.S. warships and pirate vessels are sailing into the area. In have to ask the question, What the heck were the people on board that U.S. destroyer doing while Capt. Richard Phillips made his attempt to freedom? Were they just standing there looking and picking their nose, while all this was going on? Why had not that U.S. destroyer open fire and blown that lifeboat to smithereens as Capt. Richard Phillips was making his getaway? What a bunch of idiots, those on board the U.S. destroyer Bainbridge were, for having failed to take the situation in hand, and offer firepower to cover Capt. R. Phillips as he attempted his getaway. Capt. Richard Phillips must be thinking the same thing by now, while he is sitting in the lifeboat being held hostage once again. US Officials do not believe the 53-year-old Phillips, a sea captain from Underhill, Vt., was harmed in the incident.

April 13th, 2009. While the weather forcast calls for tempatures around the 8°C mark, we actualy got tempatures hovering around the 0°C mark. Well, its better than -40°C tempatures, but I would really like to see it get warmer now. So what is in the news? After a five-day standoff during which a small U.S. flotilla tailed the pirated lifeboat which Capt. Richard Phillips was being held hostage, Captain Richard Phillips had attempted his daring escape from the lifeboat, but was recaptured after the crew of the U.S. destroyer Bainbridge had failed to take the situation in hand, by firing at the pirates and blow that lifeboat to smithereens. Now it seems that Capt. Richard Phillips was finally rescued from his captors aboard the pirated lifeboat. Navy Seal snipers on board a destroyer shot and killed three pirates and plucked the unharmed Phillips to safety. A fourth Somalia pirate had surrendered. At least those on that destroyer had redeemed themselves from that earlier blunder. French navy commandos had stormed a pirate-held sailboat, in the Indian Ocean off Somalia. They killed two pirates and freed four French hostages. The French owner of the vessel was unfortunately killed in the assault.

Sitara Achakzai, a female provincial government official in Afghanistan who worked hard for women's rights was gunned down on Sunday during a weekend of violence. According to Kandahar province's chief of police, the gunmen ambushed Sitara Achakzai outside her home in Kandahar city. Achakzai had spent the years of Taliban rule in Afghanistan living outside the country. She lived in Germany for at least 20 years and was a dual Afghan-German citizen. She had returned to Afghanistan after the Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai was installed, to work for women's rights with the Kandahar Women's Association. It seems like the Afghanistan militants have no problem to kill anyone they want, despite all of the troops fighting in Afghanistan. The killing of Sitara Achakzai punctuated a weekend of violence in southern Afghanistan. Afghan soldiers and police killed 22 militants during an evening gun battle in nearby Zabul province. Guns and rocket-propelled grenades were fired at U.S. soldiers while they were on patrol in Shinkay. The troops returned fire before calling in for air support. 22 militants died in the incident. A would-be suicide bomber was killed when he tried to enter a police station in Helmand province. Police had shot the man, which caused his explosives to detonate, before he entered the police station. No one else was killed in the incident.

Speaking of Afghanistan, a top Afghan cleric, Mohammad Asif Mohseni, contradicts the message from Canada's foreign minister, who said that the Afghan marriage law legislation can not be changed. Afghan justice officials were going to delete contentious clauses in that controversial law that makes it illegal for Shia Muslim women in the country to refuse to have sex with their husbands and restricts their rights outside the home. That women cannot leave the house or seek education without their husbands permission. Mohammad Asif Mohseni told reporters in Kabul on Saturday that the Shia legislation cannot be changed because it had passed by both houses of parliament and was signed by Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai. Women and men are not equal in Afghanistan and shouldn't be treated as equals, arguing that men are the breadwinners and that rural women are illiterate, making it difficult for them to provide financial support to the family. Mohseni defended the legislation, saying a woman can refuse sex with her husband if she is sick, or fasting for Ramadan, preparing for a pilgrimage, menstruating, or has just given birth. According to the Shia Law, it stresses that it is essential for the woman to submit to the man's sexual desire and wants. It is the right of a man to demand for sex and she should make herself ready for it. This is what our Canadian troops are fighting and dying for in Afghanistan? Give me a break!

Mohammad Asif Mohseni suggested that those who support democracy in Afghanistan should allow it to prevail, even if they don't like the new legislation. Westerners claim that they have brought democracy to Afghanistan. What does democracy mean? It means government by the people for the people. They should let the people use these democratic rights.

A California Sunday school teacher, Melissa Huckaby, 28, was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and killing an 8-year-old girl. Huckaby belonged to Clover Road Baptist Church which is just 500 yards from her home, where she taught Sunday school. Sandra was "very close friends with" Huckaby's 5-year-old daughter. The two girls lived on the same street, just five doors from each other. They played frequently at Huckaby's home, according to news reports. The 8-year-old girl, Sandra Cantu of Tracy, Calif., body was found stuffed in a suitcase, in an irrigation pond. Farm workers discovered the suitcase at a dairy farm irrigation pond about 2 1/2 miles north of the girl's home. Inside, investigators found the dead child dressed in the same clothes she was last seen wearing a pink "Hello Kitty" T-shirt, black leggings and "Hannah Montana" flip-flops. Melissa Huckaby had given enough information to the police during the course of their investigation that enough probable cause was there to arrest her. Sandra's mother, Maria Chavez, 41, was grief stricken and in total shock. "How could another mother do this to another child?" she asked. Sandra's three older siblings, two sisters, ages 20 and 11, and a brother, 15 were taking their sister's death very hard. Police declined to disclose how Sandra was killed. There are no other suspects. Huckaby, who is 5 feet 3 and weighs 125 pounds, was being held at the San Joaquin County jail and is not eligible for bail. According to public records, Melissa Huckaby is known to lie and steal and has a rap sheet at a police station. To think that a "Christian" mother, a Baptist, a Sunday school teacher, can kill a child??? She sure fits the bill to a tee, about being a wolf in sheep clothing! She being a fundamental Christian Bible thumper, I suppose she is going to claim that the Devil made her do it! What is this world coming to?

Well, with this kind of news, I think I'm going to the People of the Holy Testament privet web site were I have much work to do there. At least I will find some sanity while I am there. Frankly, I do not think I will be adding any new entry in this Journal very soon.

P/S; I notice that some entry I have written here dealt maimly with "religious" matter. I therefore have moved those text to a more appropriate place in "GOD, Religion and the Bible" web page.

April 13th, 2009. What a beautiful sunny day we had today with the temperature around the 15°C mark. This is more like spring weather I was used to in southern Ontario. This evening, it is 13°C and raining lightly. Unfortunately, the temperature is expected to drop to 4°C by Tuesday morning and rise to around 7°C. Today I had seen some people riding their motorcycles, that is a sure sign of spring. I read in the news that Health Canada says it is considering issuing an advisory against non-essential travel to Mexico following news of the swine flu outbreak there, but so far has not done so. I do not know what Health Canada is waiting for, given that the USA has already issued a travel advisory to Americans, on Monday, suggesting that non-essential travel to Mexico be avoided. All Health Canada is saying that they urged travellers to Mexico take precautionary measures such as getting a flu shot, frequently washing of their hands and covering their coughs and sneezes. In Mexico, at least 149 people were suspected to have died from a new strain of swine flu virus. Authorities in that country say more than 1,900 people have been hospitalised but 1,070 have been released. So far, the spread of the new strain of swine flu virus were found in at least two Canadian provinces, in the United States and Europe, but there have been no deaths in these regions. Canada has confirmed six cases of the swine flu virus, two in British Columbia and four in Nova Scotia. Health officials said the six people infected with the virus, which included some who had recently visited Mexico, had relatively mild symptoms of the H1N1 swine flu virus and have recovered. Canadians could expect to see some severe cases of swine flu, even some deaths from the virus, if people do not take the warning about going to Mexico and the swine flu virus spreads into a major outbreak across Canada. At least the federal government has set up a hotline and a website for information about the swine flu virus. The phone number is 1-800-454-8302, and the website is, voyage.gc.ca for essential information on traveling into Mexico. The Toronto Airport Authority said that they are not screening passengers returning from vacations or business in Mexico at the airports. Meanwhile, at least two countries have issued advisories about travelling to Canada after this country confirmed six cases of swine flu on Sunday. Meanwhile, the UN, World Health Organization (WHO) has boost its pandemic alert level to 4. Frankly, I think that any Canadian who insist on going to Mexico given the amount of people who are infected in Mexico, are being totally brainless and reckless. It is bad enough that they put themselves at great risk in catching the swine flu virus, they will also end up bringing it into Canada and infect untold number of Canadians. Any Canadian who are so unreliable, who have that devil-may-care attitude, should have to be quarantined for at least two weeks, before they are allowed to re-enter Canada. That would give a lot of these reckless Canadians second thoughts about going to Mexico for their vacation. As doctors work around the world to treat emerging cases of the swine flu, research to better detect and diagnose the virus is going on at the Toronto General Research Institute's division of cellular and molecular biology. Ontario residents should have confidence that the best experts are working hard to prepare for a possible pandemic and quickly deliver a diagnostic product to hospitals and people in need. Because Canada has one of the worlds best National Biology Research Institute in Winnipeg, Manatoba, they are helping medical authorities in Mexico by diagnosing samples from infected Mexican patients.

Many Questions about this H1N1 virus, also known as (swine flu) have been raised. So I looked it up on the Internet. This is what I got; H1N1 influenza refers to influenza caused by any strain of the influenza virus endemic in pigs (swine). Of the three genera of human flu, two are endemic also in swine: Influenza virus A is common and Influenza virus C is rare. Influenza virus B has not been reported in swine. The "new" strain is a H/H1N1 flu virus which has crossed-species to the pig, but some of its other genes come from bird and human flu viruses, a mixture that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls "very unusual". In response to an intensifying outbreak in the United States and internationally caused by a new influenza virus of swine origin, the World Health Organization raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 5 on April 29, 2009. A Phase 5 alert is a strong signal that a pandemic is imminent and that the time to finalize the organization, communication, and implementation of the planned mitigation measures is short. The United States Government has declared a public health emergency in the United States. CDC’s response goals are to reduce transmission and illness severity, and provide information to help health care providers, public health officials and the public address the challenges posed by this emergency. CDC is issuing and updating interim guidance daily in response to the rapidly evolving situation. CDC’s Division of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) continues to send antiviral drugs, personal protective equipment, and respiratory protection devices to all 50 states and U.S. territories to help them respond to the outbreak. The swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is susceptible to the prescription antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir. In addition, the Federal Government and manufacturers have begun the process of developing a vaccine against this new virus. If Influenza virus A/H1N1 is common, while Influenza virus B/H1N1 has not been reported in swine, and Influenza virus C/H1N1 is rare, then my question is, what is this "new" H1N1 Influenza virus strain Health officials keep talking about? I recall some years ago, the military was looking into using a swine flu strain to use as a biological warfare weapon. According to scientist for the United Nations, who has examined the H1N1 ( swine flu virus) have concluded that H1N1 possesses certain transmission "vectors" that suggest that the new flu strain has been genetically-manufactured as a military biological warfare weapon. Can this be a way to bring down the global population without damaging the environment and infrastructure, instead of creating a global nuclear war to achive the same results? It was only recently that the UN was very concerned about the world population getting out of control. According to the UN Agenda for Change; The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, adopted at the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development,-the Earth Summit-expressed concern about the deteriorating status of the environment and established goals for improvement. The Earth Summit's “Agenda 21” publication set forth recommendations for change agreed to by the 179 countries participating. As the following excerpts from “Agenda for Change, the Earth Summit document illustrate (125), the world community has endorsed ambitious and far-reaching goals. It now remains to adopt policies and take actions to reach them. Population and sustainability. The world's growing population, combined with unsustainable production and consumption patterns, is putting increasing stress on air, land, water, energy, and other essential resources. Development strategies will have to deal with the combination of population growth, ecosystem health, technology, and access to resources. Meeting the unmet need for family planning and reproductive curtailment should be part of a national sustainable development strategies. The world needs to do a better job of forecasting the possible outcomes of current human activities, including population trends, per capita resource use, and wealth distribution. Combating deforestation; Forests worldwide are threatened by uncontrolled degradation and conversion to other uses because of increasing human pressure. There is an urgent need to conserve and plant forests in developed and developing countries to maintain or restore the ecological balance and to provide for human needs. Governments need to work with business, scientists, local community groups, indigenous people, and the public to create long-term conservation and management policies for every forest region and watershed. Sustainable agriculture and rural development. Hunger is already a constant threat to over 800 million people, while the world's ability to continue meeting growing demand for food and other agricultural products over the long term is uncertain. Soil erosion, salinization, waterlogging, and loss of soil fertility are increasing in all countries. Conservation of biological diversity. The loss of the world's biological diversity continues, mainly from habitat destruction, over-harvesting, pollution, and the introduction of foreign plants and animals (known as exotics). This decline in bio diversity is largely caused by human activity and represents a serious threat to our development. Global challenge; Feed a growing population. The rapid growth in global population continues to challenge the worlds ability to provide enough food. As one of the most crucial issues for human development, food production must increase to offset hunger and poverty as well as social unrest. To achieve global food security in a sustainable way and without further environmental impact, agricultural productivity has to improve. The food security issue is a major global challenge to feed a growing world population and achieve food security, ensuring availability, accessibility and affordability of sufficient nutritious food for all - at all times. Access to food is universally recognized as a human right, and the United Nations has appointed a Special Rapporteur on the issue. In his 2006 report, the Rapporteur noted it is essential that several stakeholders, “such as international organizations and private transnational companies,” contribute towards this obligation.1 And as the new century began, the goal of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger by 2015 headed the list of Millennium Development Goals adopted by world leaders at the historic UN Millennium Summit in 2000. Progress towards achieving that goal has been uncertain and slow. Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) flagged that the number of hungry people was increasing at the rate of four million a year. In 2008 the issue of food security is higher than ever on the global agenda. Fuelled by surging prices in basic foods, the issue is so acute it represents a risk to political stability in regions around the world. In January 2008 the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Risk Network stated that food security may be emerging as one of the major risks of the 21st century, ranking food security second only to infectious diseases in the developing world. A concern echoed by the UN Secretary-General and the World Bank, which estimated that the sharp increase in food prices could push 100 million people in low-income countries deeper into poverty. The WEF also notes that global food reserves were at their lowest in 25 years, making world food supply vulnerable to an international crisis or natural disaster.

May 1st, 2009. Update on the H1N1 influenza. So far, only one death from the H1N1 influenza has been reported in the United States. In Canada, Health officials have decided to shut down the Beairsto elementary school in Vernon B.C. for the next week after a student had tested positive for the virus. The student, who recently returned from a vacation in Mexico, is experiencing a mild case and is at home recovering well, officials said. The French immersion elementary school has more than 500 pupils from Grades 1 to 7, according to its website. The case was one of five new instances of H1N1 influenza confirmed in B.C. bringing the number of cases in the province to 11. Of all the infections, two are in children - one under age five and the other between 10 and 15 - while the rest are in adults between 20 and 45, officials from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control said. All of the cases have been mild and the patients have either recovered or are recovering. So far, there have been fifteen new cases of confirmed A/H1N1 influenza were reported yesterday in Canada, bringing the total in the country to 34. Among the 15 new cases, four were reported in Alberta and Nova Scotia respectively. British Columbia confirmed five and Ontario and Quebec each confirmed one case.

A H1N1 influenza early detection system has been developed in Israel, according to Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu. An Israeli company has developed a system to detect H1N1 influenza and other animal diseases before they spread. Inquiries from around the world are flooding the Tel Aviv offices of CartaSense and its distributor in the wake of the Mexican swine flu disease. A wireless communications system was developed by the three-year old company for herds of cattle and sheep, but it is equally useful for herds of pigs and other animals, according to CartaSense vice president of sales Sharon Soustiel. The system is to be displayed next week at the annual international AgroTech exhibition in Tel Aviv, where the CartaSense innovation is likely to be the center of attention. A similar system called Bee Connect has been developed for bee farmers. The system involves placing an electronic micro-chip into each animal in a herd which then provides real-time physiological readings of the pig's health, including heartbeat, blood pressure and temperature. The information is sent to the mobile phone and computer of the herd manager, and a warning signal flashes if there are any discrepancies from pre-programmed data. Sousteil told Israel National News that the micro-chip includes information of the general location of an animal, allowing a herd manger to pinpoint where a plague has broken out, a critical need when dealing with herds of hundreds of thousands of animals that are spread out in a radius of several miles. Mexico has been the country hardest hit with the H1N1 influenza, and Soustiel related that his wife’s family, who lives in Mexico City, was the last one to vacate their apartment building. They have fled temporarily to Miami. The first to have a confirmed case of the H1N1 influenza was 26-year-old Tomer Vajim, who was hospitalized at Netanya's Laniado Medical Center on Sunday after having high fever following a trip to Mexico. According to Israeli authorities, they have taken strict precautions to prevent an outbreak of the H1N1 influenza virus, ordering two classes in the second and third grades in a school in Ra’anana to stay home, after one girl who had recently returned from Mexico felt ill. Two Israelis who recently returned from Mexico have been confirmed by the Health Ministry as having contracted the H1N1 influenza virus, and being kept in isolation only to prevent them from spreading the new strain of influenza. Another person who had contracted the H1N1 influenza was a 49-year-old man who was admitted to Kfar Saba's Meir Medical Center after suffering from a high temperature and other flu-like symptoms. All the people who have contracted the H1N1 influenza have been given the anti-influenza drug Tamiflu, which prevents complications. At the Israeli Ben Gurion International Airport, all passengers who have visited Mexico recently must pass through an on-site clinic and are being told to stay home until a report is issued on the results of their examination. Mexican authorities reported that the H1N1 influenza epidemic seems to have stabilized.

May 5th, 2009. Last night the sky was clear and cold, with tempatures around the 0°C mark. This morning, 5 AM, we have clear skies with tempatures still hovering around the 0°C, but it is expected to climb to 19°C by afternoon, with winds from the South at 10km/h. I see in the News that China has put people coming from abroad into quarantine after an east Asia person had been diagnosed with the H1N1 flu virus. He was a Mexican traveller who was identified last week in Hong Kong. Two groups of Canadians who entered China are being held in quarantine in hotel rooms as a precaution against the H1N1 flu virus. One group consists of tourists, who are being placed under "preventative medical surveillance" at the Metro Park Hotel in the Wanchia district of Hong Kong. According to Chinese authorities, it was confirmed one of the guests tested positive for the H1N1 influenza virus. The other Canadian group consists of university students who are studying Mandarin and are taking part in a language exchange program for the Centre for Studies in East Asia. They have also been quarantined. The students on the trip said they are being held at a hotel in the northern city of Changchun. While no one in the group has a fever or is showing signs of illness, they were told they would have to be quarantined for seven days. Both groups of Canadians are being well cared for and are free to move around the hotel. They have access to amenities including food and communications, according to local China authorities. Hotel workers are made to wear masks and gloves as a precaution against the H1N1 flu virus, at a hotel that has been sealed-off where travellers are being held under quarantine in Beijing, China. Personally, I don't blame China to take these measures in order to protect their citizens. After all, that is how epedimics spread from one country to another. We experienced that in Canada when we had that Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in Toronto, when a single traveler had returned from Hong Kong in late February of 2002. If I recall, that led to 224 cases of SARS and 38 deaths that was diagnosed in four Toronto hospitals, which caused a resurgence of the intensive precautionary measures throughout the healthcare sector. Lessons should have been learned from that SARS outbreak. China has also stopped imports of Alberta pork after the H1N1 virus was discovered in a herd of pigs in Alberta. China is not taking any chanches with its 1,330,044,544 people. Not after that deadly H5N1 strain of avian flu (SARS) which struck China in Jan/2009.

The H1N1 virus was discovered in a herd of pigs in Alberta. Health officials, say that any pigs which had been infected with the H1N1 virus, which are now cured of it, the pig can be killed and it is safe to eat. Also, when the meat of a pig that is cooked, it would kill off any H1N1 virus that may be found in any of the pig meat. To think that it was human beings that first gave the virus to the pigs. Now the pigs get a bad rap for having the virus. Health authorities said a farm worker who had travelled to Mexico and had fell ill when he returned to Canada last month, had infected the pigs with the H1N1 virus. The herd, which resides on a farm in central Alberta, has been quarantined and many of the pigs have already recovered from the flue. Health officials stated that anyone who may be infected with the virus should avoid pig farms, least they infect more pigs with the virus. Health authorities confirmed the cases of H1N1 total number of infections across the country to 101. Nova Scotia had 33 cases, British Columbia 29, Alberta 18, Ontario 16, Quebec 3, Manitoba 1, and New Brunswick 1 case. The World Health Organization (WHO) is talking about putting its pandemic level for the H1N1 to Phase 6. WHO spokesperson Dick Thompson said that 'pandemic' simply means a global distribution of a disease, and that people have a tendency to misunderstand the meaning of the word. Dr. Neil Rau, who is an infectious disease expert, stated that there is much debate in the scientific community about if the H1N1 swine flu should be considered a pandemic virus or just a new virus. Health officials say this is a very mild form of the H1N1 virus. Personally, my question is that if we how end up having a pandemic that come in waves, that H1N1 virus may mutate into a far more dangerious killer virus. According to Alberta officials, Canada's first severe case of the H1N1 swine flu was recorded on Monday when a young Edmonton-area school girl was taken to hospital. This case underscores a couple of things about influenza, it has few boundaries, and it doesn't respect borders. It often doesn't respect age. Health authorities wouldn't say if the girl's case is potentially life-threatening, she is currently under care and seem's to be doing well. The girl's illness was one of six new cases in the province, where the total is now at 24. Other provinces are now reporting a rise in infections. British Columbia reported 10 new cases, Ontario's total number of infections nearly doubled to 31. Prince Edward Island has reported its first two new cases, New Brunswick confirmed one new case and Nova Scotia added five. Nationwide, the toll of people who have been infected with the H1N1 virus is now 140. It is for this reason we need to keep track of where this H1N1 virus is spreading and if it is changing to a more serious killer virus.

There is talk from economists that the global economy may be stabilizing. Hopeful singhs indicate that the worst may be over in this recession. The economy overall has not contracted any further, from its downward trend only two months ago. That will be good news for people who have been struggling during this recession. Governments, no doubt, are happy about the latest economic report. Monthly sales reports from retailers for April-May should show if signs of stabilization is in this sector. Retailers need to see that traffic numbers for the month of April-May have improved in order to see any signs that things are getting better. Consumers are very watchful about prices rising too quickly, and may draw back from spending.

Since it was cold outside and slight snow was falling on Sunday, I decided to give myself a break from working on my web sites, and give my mind a holiday, and rented out two-for-the-price-of-one movie. The first movie I choose to see was Journey to the Centre of the Earth (2008). The other movie was Day the Earth Stood Still, also reliced in 2008. Both movies are remakes from eariler versions of the same titles. The story of the Journey to the Centre of the Earth was originally a classic 1864 science fiction novel by Jules Verne who was one of the true visionaries of science fiction literature. Originally written in french; (Voyage au centre de la Terre), which was later translated as "A Journey to the Interior of the Earth". It is a story about a man named Liedenbrock. He believed there were volcanic tubes going toward the center of the Earth. He and his team encounter many adventures, including prehistoric animals and natural hazards, eventually coming to the surface again in southern Italy. Journey to the Center of the Earth 2008, is a remake from the movie of the same title in 1959, which was poorly done. I found the 1959 version, its special effects were very work-man-like, the women of an underground undiscovered tribe of natives must have shaved their armpits with some kind of incredibly close shaver. The 2008 version I found to be incredibily well done. The special effects were magnisficant, the script was great, and the actors played their roles that made the whole story believable. I watched the movie in normal mode, because I found that in 3D, I was seeing double vision that I found too distracting. I also liked the movie, Day the Earth Stood Still. I found the 2008 version to be far more superior to the early versions of this movie. The remake of this movie was excellent which made it all that much more believable. The 2008 script was more about humanity harming the enviornment of planet earth, and learning to live peaceable, rather than the destruction of humanity because of the H-bomb threat, which was on people's mind during the cold-war era.

Here is a list of movie remakes; Ocean’s Eleven 2001 is a remake of Ocean’s Eleven 1960. Scarface 1983 is a remake of Scarface 1932. 3:10 to Yuma 2007 is a remake of 3:10 to Yuma 1957. Dawn of the Dead 2004 is a remake of Dawn of the Dead 1978. The Grudge 2004 is a remake of The Grudge 2003. House Of Wax 2005 is a remake of House Of Wax 1953 which is a remake of House Of Wax 1933. The Mummy 1999 is a remake of The Mummy 1932. The Omen 2006 is a remake of The Omen 1976. True Lies 1994 is a remake of La Totale 1991. Village of the Damned 1995 is a remake of Village of the Damned 1960. War of the Worlds 2005 is a remake of War of the Worlds 1953. Lost World (1960) was a reworking of a Jules Verne's story called, "Mysterious Island" in 1925. Another movie that was a remake of Lost World 1960, was Lost World; Jurassic Park 1997.

U.S. President Barack Obama ended his trip to Muslim Turkey on Tuesday by calling for peace and dialogue with Islam and the creation of a Palestinian state living side by side with Israel. In his first trip as president to the Muslim world, Obama sought to rebuild ties after anger at the invasion of Iraq, and the war in Afghanistan. Obama told the Muslim world on Monday that the United States was not at war with Islam, using his first international tour to try to repair America's damaged image abroad. "Let me say this as clearly as I can: The United States is not, and will never be, at war with Islam. Our partnership with the Muslim world is critical in rolling back a fringe ideology that people of all faiths reject. I came to Turkey because I am deeply committed to rebuilding a relationship between the United States and the people of the Muslim world, one that is grounded in mutual interest and mutual respect", he said in a wide-ranging speech to Turkey's parliament. NATO member Turkey is a transit route for U.S. troops and equipment going to Iraq as well as Afghanistan. As Washington reduces its troops in Iraq, Incirlik air base is expected to play a key role and Obama discussed this with Turkish leaders. Obama's speech to the Muslim world marks a strong shift in US policy after his predecessor George W. Bush branding Iraq and Iran as part of an "axis of evil". How quickly Obama forgets 9/11, the bombing of American Embassies, the killing of none-Muslim people throughout the world. Now we see the true colours of Obama and his connection to the Muslim world as he praises the religion of Islam, and its agenda to conquer the world. How blind and stupid were Americans to have voted for Barack Obama for their President. The question now, will Canada follow Obama's example?

Icould not leave this web site without this good news story. I heard it first from CTV Late Night News. Homeless man saves teen boy from drowning. Risks his own life after he saw the boy jump off a bridge. The homeless Winnipeg man, Faron Hall, 44, who lives on the banks of the Red River in St. Boniface, Winnipeg, said he saw teen appeared to jump from the Provencher Bridge above where he was sitting with his friend Wayne Spence. Hall heard the boy yelling, it's cold, help me! So Hall threw off his backpack and ran down the river and dived in. Hall said he managed to get a grip of the teen about 30 metres from the bank but was afraid both he and the boy would be swept away by the rapid, cold waters. "The boy was fighting Hall, so he told the boy, 'Don't fight me! I'm trying to save you. Otherwise we're both going to drown". Hall said that the boy was pushing him under and he had to punch the boy in the head, even though he hated to do it. The boy went limp and Hall managed to get the boy to shore. Hall said his friend Spence, helped pull the exhausted and freezing Hall and the teen out of the freezing river. Hall is originally from Dakota Tipi First Nation, but had mostly grew up in foster care in Winnipeg. The firefighters who came to the scene told Hall that he was a hero, that he had saved the boy life. Hall replied, "Well, possibly, but can I get a blanket? I'm kind of cold". Hall downplayed the hero stuff. "I don't think I'm a hero. I'm just a human being," he said to the Winnipeg Free Press. Hall, along with the teen, was transported to St. Boniface General Hospital, where Hall warmed up for several hours before being released. Before leaving the hospital, he visited the teen he pulled from the river. "I just asked him, Why? That's all I said to him, the boy just said he was sorry". Hall said he'd like to see the teen and his family in the future. "I'm not ever going to forget what I saw," Hall said of the incident. "That boy's got his whole life ahead of him". According to news reports; A homeless man is being hailed as a hero after diving into the frigid, fast-moving Red River to rescue a teenage boy over the weekend. Faron Hall and his friend, Wayne Spence, were sitting on a bench on the Tache Avenue riverbank just north of the Provencher Bridge when they spotted a teenage boy tumbling over the bridge's guardrail and into the Red River. The boy and his friends were on the bridge's north sidewalk and were trying to race across when the boy pole-vaulted over a railing onto what he thought was the pedestrian bridge. But the two spans aren't connected, and instead of landing on concrete, the boy did a back-flop into the water. The sound he made on impact was remarkable, say witnesses. "I thought, that this isn't going to be a rescue, this is going to be a recovery", said St. Boniface resident Marion Willis, who was walking back from "The Forks" with her family that Sunday afternoon. Hall was able to briefly visit the boy, who was conscious but still shivering. Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service officials had no information on the boy's condition. Hall, 44, has been an alcoholic living under the Provencher Bridge for about seven years. A member of the Dakota Tipi First Nation, he says he grew up in a good foster home in Waverley Heights, finished high school and was working as a teaching assistant at Hugh John Macdonald School while taking education classes at the University of Manitoba. But booze took hold, especially after his mother was murdered on Maryland Street about a decade ago. About three years ago, his sister was stabbed on Main Street. "I had potential," said Hall. "There have been so many pitfalls in my life." Hall's quick-thinking bravery should make people think twice when they encounter the homeless. This is a man that most people would avoid at all costs, who is kind of scary-looking, but he just had both the courage and the humanity to not even think about it and just plunge himself into the water to save a life. "I'm not a hero, just a survivor", says Hall, who sent a child home to his parents, despite the fact that Hall has no home of his own to return to. Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz dropped down to see Faron Hall on Tuesday, and praised Hall for his good deed. When Hall expressed an interest in baseball, Mayor Sam Katz offered Hall and his friend season tickets to the Goldeyes. A real nice story to end this segment of this web page. I will be taking some time off from this web site so that I can do some more work on the People of the Holy Testament web site. I have no idea when I will be back here again.