GENE BARRY: THE DEATH OF "BAT MASTERSON"

Gene Barry, who portrayed debonair lawmen on television but whose career of more than 60 years ranged from song and dance on Broadway to science fiction, died Wednesday in Woodland Hills, Calif. He was 90 and lived in Beverly Hills until about a year ago.

Mr. Barry mixed musical comedy and show-business memories in a show at the Oak Room at the Algonquin Hotel in 1999.
His death, at an assisted-living facility, was confirmed by his daughter, Elizabeth.
As the dapper star of “Bat Masterson” from 1958 to 1961, Mr. Barry sported a derby hat, gilt-tipped cane and spangled vest in the days, as the theme song said, “when the West was very young.” (The real Bat, whose full name was William Barclay Masterson, was a gambler, gunslinger and marshal who spent his later years as a New York newspaperman and died in 1921.)
In “Burke’s Law” (1963-66), Mr. Barry played the equally insouciant Los Angeles police captain, Amos Burke, an independently wealthy crime fighter with a mansion, a chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce and a stream of beautiful women. In its third and final season, Burke changed professions and the show was renamed “Amos Burke, Secret Agent.” A generation later, in the 1994-95 season, Mr. Barry reprised the role, this time as chief of detectives.
Mr. Barry starred as a magazine tycoon in “The Name of the Game” (1968-71), in which he rotated starring roles with Anthony Franciosa and Robert Stack. He also starred as a wealthy movie celebrity and secret government agent in “The Adventurer” in 1972-73.
He won a Tony nomination in 1984 for his performance as Georges, the less flamboyant half of a gay couple, in “La Cage Aux Folles,” the first Broadway musical in which the principal lovers were gay men. Mr. Barry “proves a most sensitive foil — far more sensitive than you’d ever guess from his starring roles on such television series as ‘Bat Masterson’ and ‘The Name of the Game,’ ” Frank Rich wrote in The New York Times, adding that Mr. Barry sang his love songs “with tender directness.”
Mr. Barry said at the time, “I’m not playing a homosexual — I’m playing a person who cares deeply about another person.”
In 1999, Mr. Barry combined musical comedy with show business reminiscences in the Oak Room at the Algonquin Hotel in Manhattan, in a show that included among other things a Maurice Chevalier impersonation. He had made his nightclub debut in the Latin Quarter in 1962.
Gene Barry was born Eugene Klass on June 14, 1919, in New York to Martin Klass, a jeweler, and Eva Klass. He was attending New Utrecht High School in Brooklyn when he won a singing contest and a scholarship to the Chatham Square School of Music. While studying there, he began singing on the New York radio station WHN.
He soon went from the Catskills to Manhattan bistros to Broadway productions, making his debut in the labor musical “Pins and Needles.” He also performed in a series of operettas at Carnegie Hall and in Broadway productions of “Rosalinda,” “The Merry Widow” and “The Would-Be Gentleman.”
The impresario Mike Todd hired him to play opposite Mae West in “Catherine Was Great” (1944). Mr. Barry met his wife, Betty, who acted under the name Julie Carson, during rehearsals.
He left “Catherine” for the musical “Glad to See You” and then moved on to straight acting roles, winning a Critic’s Circle Award for his leading role in an Equity Library production of “Idiot’s Delight.”
Mr. Barry signed a Hollywood contract in 1951. Two years later he starred in perhaps his most famous movie role, the scientist Dr. Clayton Forrester, in the George Pal production of “War of the Worlds,” based on the H. G. Wells novel. He also had a role in 2005 as Tom Cruise’s ex-father-in-law in the Steven Spielberg remake. His more than 20 movies also included “Soldier of Fortune” (1955), with Clark Gable and Susan Hayward, and “Thunder Road” (1958), with Robert Mitchum.
From the 1950s through the 1980s, Mr. Barry appeared in scores of television specials and series, including “Playhouse 90,” “General Electric Theater,” “The Twilight Zone,” “Fantasy Island,” “The Love Boat,” “Charlie’s Angels” and “Murder, She Wrote.”
His wife of 58 years died in 2003. Besides his daughter, Elizabeth, of Los Angeles, he is survived by two sons, Michael L. and Frederick J., both of Topanga, Calif., three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
In an interview with Nan Jarrett for an Internet fan site in 2000, Mr. Barry recalled that he was appearing in the final season of the television comedy “Our Miss Brooks” when a producer asked him to play Bat Masterson.
“The idea of playing a saddle-type cowboy was repulsive to me,” he said. “Then he told me about the derby hat and cane, and I went by the costume department and saw the outfit that Masterson would wear, and I couldn’t resist.”

IT WAS TERRORISM! MR OBAMA!

In his nationally televised remarks following the horrendous killings at Ft. Hood, President Obama never mentioned the T word. The attack was an act “of violence.” No mention of terrorism.
In fact, the Ft. Hood shooting is the first terror attack on American soil since 9-11. But Obama, reluctant to take the rap for inadequate protections against such attacks, is doing everything he can to make it look like an adult version of the Columbine school shootings. We are treated to stories about the killer’s dread of being sent back to Afghanistan and his deformed personality.
But, the fact is that Major Nidal Malik Hasan jumped on a table, yelled “Alah Hu Akhbar” and began the shooting rampage that killed 13 people and wounded 30 more.
Ilana Freedman, CEO and Senior Analyst for the Gerard Group International, which provides intelligence analysis for business and homeland security, describes Hasan as a “lone wolf terrorist” who acts without apparent coordination with any other person or organization. But that does not make him any less of a terrorist.
The dividing line, of course, between a terrorist and a psychopathic killer is political motivation. His statements right before opening fire would indicate that Hasan was motivated by fanaticism and a commitment to Islamic fascism, even though President Obama bends over backwards to avoid saying so.
Obama’s refusal to call the attack terrorism, and to heed the warning signs about the porous nature of our security system that allowed it to happen on a military base, recalls President Clinton’s deliberate decision to downplay the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center. He did not visit the site of the attack and treated it as a crime, promising to find those guilty and punish them, rather than to attack the international groups that funded and enabled them.
There may be no groups behind Major Hasan’s attack, but the fact that he was an officer in the Army, with full access to a military base and its arsenal of weapons, while holding the views he did, is the first indication of a laxity in security under President Obama. This attack did not take place in a shopping mall or a school, where security procedures are, understandably, relaxed. It happened on the highest security place of all – a military base! That the military failed to spot the possibility of an attack and had no measures in place to prevent it must be laid at the feet of the commander-in-chief of that military: President Barack Obama.
Many commentators have warned that the diminution of security and the weakening of our anti-terrorist protections would leave us vulnerable to be hit again. Now it has happened. And the president is doing everything he can to blur the distinction between murder and terrorism.
It was his failure to understand the difference between an act of war and a crime that undermined President Clinton’s administration’s anti-terror efforts and led directly to 9-11. It would appear that President Obama is going down the same road of denial and minimization of political harm. There may be casualties at Ft. Hood, but Obama is determined that his popularity will not be among them.

Two Graves for Svan Valley

One of my Fave Shows

"Revelation Song" - Gateway Worship, Song led by Kari Jobe

HE WILL NEVER LET YOU GO!

Some years ago, on a hot summer day in south Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore.His father, working in the yard, saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, he ran toward the water, yelling to his son as loudly as he could.Hearing his voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his father. It was too late. Just as he reached his father, the alligator reached him.From the dock, the father grabbed his little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs.That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the father, but the father was much too passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard his screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator.Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches where his father's fingernails dug into his flesh in his effort to hang on to the son he loved. The newspaper reporter, who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter,"But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Dad wouldn't let go."You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too.No, not from an alligator, but the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret. But some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let you go. In the midst of your struggle, He's been there holding on to you.The Scripture teaches that God loves you.You are a child of God.He wants to protect you and provide for you in every way.But sometimes we foolishly wade into dangerous situations, not knowing what lies ahead. The swimming hole of life is filled with peril - and we forget that the enemy is waiting to attack.That's when the tug-of-war begins - and if you have the scars of His love on your arms, be very, very grateful.He did not and will not ever let you go.

DREAM

The Bible is full of images that help us to understand the Christian life: we are part of the army of God, engaged in battle; we are part of the body of Christ; we are Christ's ambassadors, his envoys, representing him in this world; we are a building, being built up into Christlikeness; we are branches, Christ is the vine; we are the bride of Christ; we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. All of these analogies are rich and useful.

My favorite analogy, however, compares the Christian life to running a race. This analogy is not common throughout the Bible, but Paul loves it, as he uses the running and racing image at least nine times in his epistles. In addition, the author of Hebrews uses the analogy once.

The analogy is particularly rich for me because I am a creature of the running boom. I grew up during a period when mile world records would make the front page of the Sports section; when an American set two of those world records; when 100,000 fans filled a stadium to witness a track meet between the US and the Soviet Union. In 1972 as a 16 year old who had been running competitively for less than two years, I watched Jim Ryun, my boyhood hero, fall in an Olympic games heat; I watched Steve Prefontaine, an American runner only five years my senior, make a game effort to win Olympic gold in the 5k; and, most importantly, I watched Frank Shorter demolish the field to win the Olympic marathon. After those Olympics, millions of Americans began running, many hoping to run a marathon. Every teenage boy in the country who was already running competitively began to dream of mile world records and marathon victories. I was no exception.

I remember at that time searching the Bible for references to running, and especially recall encountering 1 Timothy 6:12, which I underlined in my Good News New Testament:

Run your best in the race of faith, and win eternal life for yourself.

This morning I would like to elaborate on this running image, supplementing the scriptural material with analogies I have drawn while training for marathons and road races. I apologize up front for the personal nature of this sermon -- uncharacteristically, I will range rather far from the day's text. I believe, however, that the image of running is not only a personal favorite but also is full of vivid parallels with our Christian walk. So I encourage you to think deeply about this image, and search the Scriptures to see if these things are true.

Recall that we have reached the third verse of 2 Timothy chapter 2. Paul has been exhorting Timothy to fan his gift into flame, to suffer hardship together with Paul. He has mentioned those who have fallen away, who were unwilling to suffer hardship for the gospel; he has mentioned his own endurance through suffering; and he has mentioned the good example of Onesiphorus, who evidently died in the service of the gospel. Let us begin reading in verse one of chapter two:

1 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. 3 Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs-- he wants to please his commanding officer. 5 Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. 7 Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God's word is not chained. 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. 11 Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will disow us. If we arefaithless, he remains faithful, for he canot disown himself.

So how is competitive training and racing comparable to living the Christian life? What insights can we gain into living the Christian life from my own experience of running, and from the Scriptures that develop this image? In this sermon, I will draw seven parallels, four from training and three from racing. Since we must always train before we race if we hope to have any success

football motivational video 2009

THE GALA FOUNDATION- A GOOD CAUSE!

Fly Like An Eagle Steve Miller Band

THEY ARE SHRNKING THE DOLLAR ON PURPOSE!

Cue The Helicopters, Dollar Devaluation Is HereFrank Beck, 03.24.09, 06:45 PM EST
The world's financial powers seem to understand that the U.S. needs to print its way out of this mess.
Maybe the government consider an overnight devaluation of the dollar as a fix to sagging asset prices. The response was about equally weighted by those who wanted to know more about how it might work or be accomplished, those who thought it was brilliant and the "I am 100% cash" group, who suggested I might be the most ignorant, if not stupidest, person on earth. At this time, I'd like to offer a little more in the way of explanation, or perhaps aggravation.
I still contend that we are headed for a massive dollar devaluation, regardless of the means--whether it is planned and accomplished by central banks, or by the markets reacting to huge government money printing that force the devaluation. Unlike during the Great Depression, we are no longer on the gold standard. Currencies are free to float and can be manipulated by central banks or politicians and moved by markets. In fact, I believe that one or both has already begun.
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In early December, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson traveled to Beijing to encourage the Chinese to strengthen their currency (devalue the dollar versus the Chinese renminbi). Our Federal Reserve chairman, Ben Bernanke, then surprised most everyone by effectively moving the Fed funds rate to 0%, another move to devalue the dollar. Coming next, a new Bretton Woods?
The G-20 met in November, scheduled another meeting for April and in the weeks following the November meeting, physical gold all but disappeared. Are central banks buying gold in preparation?
ignite
In normal times, you might expect a global financial meltdown to cause a tidal wave of foreign currency exchanged for dollars. But this time, the dollar has rallied less than 20% against the highs of the euro and has actually lost more than 20% against the yen while staying flat against the Chinese renminbi. If that is the best the dollar can do at the height of panic, I expect that you will see it gradually lose its luster until either the central bankers, or the markets, push it off the cliff.
Perhaps you've already given me the benefit of doubt that the markets might react this way, but are you wondering why central bankers would want the dollar to devalue? Wouldn't that be bad for export countries like China or Japan? In a way it would. Certainly it makes their products more expensive for U.S. consumers (so you might want to stay away from foreign exporter stocks).

On the other hand, if you want to sell some of your exports, it might be reasonable to keep your best customers alive, even if it means selling to them at somewhat thinner margins. China is still building its domestic market, but it is growing quickly, so they can take a small lump or two on exports. A stronger renminbi will allow China to buy oil and other necessary commodities at a relatively cheaper price, offsetting some of the price reduction. And with another billion people to incorporate, they will still be the cheapest manufacturer of many products for many years to come.
If that were not enough, consider China's good fortune. For years, China has invested heavily in U.S. Treasury bonds while its currency and global inflation have grown at a much higher pace than the interest rate they received. It was simply a cost of doing business while growing an economy. In the last couple of months, that "cost of doing business" has turned into a huge profit opportunity, at the handiest of times. As worldwide panic set in, the money that flowed into the dollar was concentrated in Treasuries. By mid-November, the 30-year was priced at more than 40% over par value--a $1,000 bond was selling for over $1,400! If you wanted some money for your own stimulus plan, and you wanted to keep your customer on life support by devaluing the dollar, you simply could not ask for a more fortunate event.

OBAMA AND THE NATION'S STUDENTS

The President: Hello everyone – how’s everybody doing today? I’m here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we’ve got students tuning in from all across America, kindergarten through twelfth grade. I’m glad you all could join us today.
I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it’s your first day in a new school, so it’s understandable if you’re a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now, with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade you’re in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer, and you could’ve stayed in bed just a little longer this morning.
I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didn’t have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday – at 4:30 in the morning.
Now I wasn’t too happy about getting up that early. A lot of times, I’d fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But whenever I’d complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and say, "This is no picnic for me either, buster."
So I know some of you are still adjusting to being back at school. But I’m here today because I have something important to discuss with you. I’m here because I want to talk with you about your education and what’s expected of all of you in this new school year.
Now I’ve given a lot of speeches about education. And I’ve talked a lot about responsibility.
I’ve talked about your teachers’ responsibility for inspiring you, and pushing you to learn.
I’ve talked about your parents’ responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and don’t spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with that Xbox.
I’ve talked a lot about your government’s responsibility for setting high standards, supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren’t working where students aren’t getting the opportunities they deserve.
But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world – and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.
And that’s what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.
Every single one of you has something you’re good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That’s the opportunity an education can provide.
Maybe you could be a good writer – maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper – but you might not know it until you write a paper for your English class. Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor – maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or a new medicine or vaccine – but you might not know it until you do a project for your science class. Maybe you could be a mayor or a Senator or a Supreme Court Justice, but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.
And no matter what you want to do with your life – I guarantee that you’ll need an education to do it. You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You’re going to need a good education for every single one of those careers. You can’t drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You’ve got to work for it and train for it and learn for it.
And this isn’t just important for your own life and your own future. What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. What you’re learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.
You’ll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. You’ll need the insights and critical thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free. You’ll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.
We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you don’t do that – if you quit on school – you’re not just quitting on yourself, you’re quitting on your country.
Now I know it’s not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.
I get it. I know what that’s like. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mother who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn’t always able to give us things the other kids had. There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and felt like I didn’t fit in.
So I wasn’t always as focused as I should have been. I did some things I’m not proud of, and got in more trouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse.
But I was fortunate. I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to college, and law school, and follow my dreams. My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, has a similar story. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn’t have much. But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.
Some of you might not have those advantages. Maybe you don’t have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and there’s not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don’t feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren’t right.
But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life – what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you’ve got going on at home – that’s no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That’s no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That’s no excuse for not trying.
Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one’s written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.
That’s what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.
Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas. Jazmin didn’t speak English when she first started school. Hardly anyone in her hometown went to college, and neither of her parents had gone either. But she worked hard, earned good grades, got a scholarship to Brown University, and is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to being Dr. Jazmin Perez.
I’m thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who’s fought brain cancer since he was three. He’s endured all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer – hundreds of extra hours – to do his schoolwork. But he never fell behind, and he’s headed to college this fall.
And then there’s Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods, she managed to get a job at a local health center; start a program to keep young people out of gangs; and she’s on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.
Jazmin, Andoni and Shantell aren’t any different from any of you. They faced challenges in their lives just like you do. But they refused to give up. They chose to take responsibility for their education and set goals for themselves. And I expect all of you to do the same.
That’s why today, I’m calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education – and to do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending time each day reading a book. Maybe you’ll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. Maybe you’ll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all kids deserve a safe environment to study and learn. Maybe you’ll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn. And along those lines, I hope you’ll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don’t feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.
Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it.
I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work -- that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are, you’re not going to be any of those things.
But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won’t love every subject you study. You won’t click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you won’t necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.
That’s OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who’ve had the most failures. JK Rowling’s first Harry Potter book was rejected twelve times before it was finally published. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, "I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
These people succeeded because they understand that you can’t let your failures define you – you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time. If you get in trouble, that doesn’t mean you’re a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to behave. If you get a bad grade, that doesn’t mean you’re stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.
No one’s born being good at things, you become good at things through hard work. You’re not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport. You don’t hit every note the first time you sing a song. You’ve got to practice. It’s the same with your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it, or do a few drafts of a paper before it’s good enough to hand in.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don’t know something, and to learn something new. So find an adult you trust – a parent, grandparent or teacher; a coach or counselor – and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.
And even when you’re struggling, even when you’re discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you – don’t ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.
The story of America isn’t about people who quit when things got tough. It’s about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.
It’s the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and found this nation. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google, Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.
So today, I want to ask you, what’s your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country?
Your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. I’m working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn. But you’ve got to do your part too. So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don’t let us down – don’t let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it.
Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.

Sen Ted Kennedy funeral burial Saturday Arlington National Cemetery grandson crying lightening

HOLD FAST IN THE RAGING STORM!

2 Corinthians 4: 8 to 9 (NIV)We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.
We are preserved not pickled!
The Message translation of the Bible says this ” We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us in trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us our lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus’ sake, which makes Jesus’ life all the more evident in us. While we’re going through the worst, you’re getting in on the best!”
When the sailors of old faced the worst of the storms, they would call out to encourage one another with this statement of faith, “Hold fast”. When the wave buffeted against them and the winds howled and the storm raged, and it seemed like everything was against them, they would call out, “hold fast”. The Bible says in Ephesians 6:13 to 14 (NIV) “and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then”.
My friend, at times we may feel like we are going through the mill, and we are having a hard time. That is the time you need to hear these words “Hold fast! For the storm will not last forever.”
Notice if you will, that no matter what life throws at you, no matter the circumstance, there is a “But not” from God, but not crushed, but not in despair, but not forsaken, but not destroyed! -Because God is an awesome God. We are preserved not pickled!
Remember the words of the Apostle Paul from 2 Corinthians 4: 8 to 9 (NIV)We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.
No matter what we face, not matter how difficult the storms of life, it will not last forever, we will be preserved not pickled. Because if God be for us who can stand against us? Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.

A HISTORIC DAY FOR NOEL WILSON SERRANO

Noel W. Serrano graduates from USF and receives his BS Degree

HILDA RECEIVES THE GALA AWARD IN 1990

Hilda Bosch, the beloved Bosch Matriarch receives the Gala Award for 1990. She is seen here with her son ,Joaquin Maldonado and her husband Octavio Bosch. Rick Cortijo prays for her. Noel Serrano presented the Award. Nivia Torres and Oswaldo "Tato" Bosch are seen at the end of this very movng tribute to one of our families' Legendary Icons.

THE CRISIS THAT IS GLOBAL

The nation's fast-darkening circumstances define the essential dilemma of Barack Obama's presidency. His instinct is to govern by consensus, in the moderate middle ground of politics. Yet dire events are pushing the new president toward solutions more fundamental than those he had intended. The longer he resists taking more forceful action, the more likely it is that he will be overwhelmed by the gathering adversities.
Congress should step up its investigations of the roots of the financial crisis and slow down the rush to weak solutions--especially the empowerment of the Federal Reserve. Three large obstacles are blocking Obama's path. The first is one of scale: his nearly $800 billion recovery package sounds huge, but it is perhaps two or three times too small to produce a turnaround. The second is that the financial system--still dysfunctional despite the bailouts--requires much more than fiscal stimulus and bailout: the government must nationalize and supervise the banks to ensure that they carry out the lending and investing needed for recovery. This means liquidating some famous nameplates--led by Citigroup--that are spiraling toward insolvency. The third is that the crisis is global: the US economy cannot return to normal unless the unbalanced world trading system is simultaneously reformed. Globalization has vastly undermined US productive strength, as trade deficits have led the nation into deepening debtor dependence.
While Washington debates the terms of Obama's stimulus package, others see disappointment ahead. The Levy Economics Institute of Bard College, an outpost of Keynesian thinking, expresses its doubts in emotional language that professional economists seldom use. "The prospects for the US economy have become uniquely dreadful, if not frightening," Levy analysts reported. The institute's updated strategic analysis warns that the magnitude of negative forces--the virtual collapse of bank lending, private spending, consumer incomes and demand--"will make it impossible for US authorities to apply a fiscal and monetary stimulus large enough to return output and unemployment to tolerable levels within the next two years." Instead, the unemployment rate is likely to rise to 10 percent by 2010. Obama's package amounts only to around 3 percent, annually, of GDP in a $13 trillion economy. Levy's analysis calculates that it would require federal deficits of 8 to 10 percent of GDP--$2 trillion or more--to reverse the economic contraction. And yet, the institute observed, it is inconceivable that this level "could be tolerated for purely political reasons" or that the United States could sustain the rising indebtedness without terrifying our leading creditors, like China.
Stimulus alone by a single nation will not work, in other words, given the distorted economic system that Obama has inherited. The stern warning from the Levy analysts and other skeptical experts is that the United States has no choice but to undertake deeper systemic reforms right now, rather than wait for recovery. Will Obama have the nerve to tackle these fundamentals? To do so he would have to abandon some orthodox assumptions about free trade and private finance that he shares with his economic advisers.
The most obvious and immediate obstacle to systemic change is the dysfunctional financial system. It remains inert and hunkered down in self-protection, despite the vast billions in public money distributed so freely, no strings attached, in the last days of the Bush administration. We will learn soon enough whether Obama intends to start over with a more forceful approach. Obama and his advisers are eager to get another $350 billion in bailout funds, but they have remained silent on whether this will finance a government takeover of the system. Without such a move, the taxpayers will essentially be financing the slow death of failed institutions while getting nothing in return.
The most complex barrier to recovery is globalization and its negative impact on the economy. Given our grossly unbalanced trade, we have kept the system going by playing buyer of last resort--absorbing mountainous trade deficits and accumulating more than $5 trillion in capital debt to pay for swollen imports, while our domestic economy steadily loses jobs and production to other nations. Renewed consumer demand at home will automatically "leak" to rival economies and trading partners by boosting their exports to the US market--which subtracts directly from our GDP. This is the trap the lopsided trading system has created for recovery plans, and it cannot be escaped without fundamental reform.
To put it crudely, Obama's stimulus program might restart factories in China while leaving US unemployment painfully high. In fact, some leakage may occur via the very banks or industrial corporations that taxpayers have generously assisted. What prevents Citigroup and General Motors from using their fresh capital to enhance overseas operations rather than investing at home? The new administration will therefore have to rethink the terms of globalization before its domestic initiatives can succeed.
A global recovery compact would require extremely difficult diplomacy but could be possible because it is in everyone's self-interest. The United States could propose the outlines with one crucial condition: if the trading partners are unwilling to act jointly, Washington will have to proceed unilaterally. A grand bargain could start with US agreement to serve once again as the main engine that pulls the global economy out of the ditch. That is, the United States will have to continue as the buyer of last resort for the next few years, and China and other nations will have to bail us out with still more lending. In the short run, this would dig us into a deeper hole, but the United States could insist on a genuinely reformed system and mutually agreed return to balanced trade, once global recovery is under way.
Congress can enact the terms now--a ceiling on US trade deficits that will decline steadily to tolerable levels, as well as new rules for US multinational enterprises that redefine their obligations to the home economy. Unlike in other advanced nations, US companies get a free ride from their home government when they relocate production abroad. That has to change if the United States is to reverse its weakening world position. Tax penalties plus national economic policy can drive US multinationals to keep more of their value-added production at home. These measures can be enforced through the tax code and, if necessary, a general tariff that puts a cap on imports. Formulating these provisions now for application later, once the worst of the crisis is over, would give every player the time to adjust investment strategies gradually.
President Obama and his team may at first scorn the notion of saving the world while negotiating a bailout for the United States. They will be reluctant to talk about reforming the global system by threatening to invoke emergency tariffs. But we are in uncharted waters. Impossible ideas abruptly begin to seem plausible. Six months from now, if the Obama recovery does not materialize, the president may discover he has to reinvent himself.

JFK - We choose to go to the Moon, full length

"We choose to go to the Moon"

As we sit at the precipice of a new era of exploration, I thought it appropriate to revisit the original inspiration and rationale for the first lunar exploration program as so eloquently stated by John F. Kennedy. The original speech by JFK was held in Houston, TX at the Rice Stadium in the fall of 1962.

"Many years ago the great British explorer George Mallory, who was to die on Mount Everest, was asked why did he want to climb it. He said, 'Because it is there.' Well, space is there, and we're going to climb it, and the moon and the planets are there, and new hopes for knowledge and peace are there. And, therefore, as we set sail we ask God's blessing on the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked."

-John F. Kennedy, Rice University, Sept. 12, 1962

The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Take Five (1961)

a little Classic Jazz

Walter Cronkite announces death of JFK

WALTER CRONKITE,LEGENDARY JOURNALIST 1916-2009 DIES AT 92

SONGS OF THE SURROUNDED MUSIC VIDEO

THEY WERE SURROUNDED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT AS THE ECHOES OF LIFE INSPIRED A GENERATION IN SONG!




There are groups and quartets. There are trios and also the endless list of grand Primadonnas that grace the halls ans sanctuaries with splendid song and melody, but there is a Choir that holds a true sentimental place in the heart of our family. This true sentiment has been strengthened through the years, with the loving echoes of songs and praise and worship to a faithful God.



These were songs that were filled with power and great blessings. They were songs of conviction and devotion. The singers were not just engaging in an empty tune and that is what distinguishes the beloved Choir; "Echos De Vida"! The very name of this Choir serves as a legendary metaphor for what they have become. The Choir that we have chosen to honor in this feature is the official choral body of the beloved "Sinagoga" located in Harlem, New York. This grand Choir was formed in the late 1940s, by a group of devoted people that were filled with the Holy Spirit.During the early 1950s, a tan, majestic woman directed the Choir in its infancy. Her name was Sister Valdez. Sister Valdez and her assistant,by the name of Pio Gautier casually led a group of God-fearing singers and slowly began to form the Choir that would go on to edify the lives of many generations. These early members gathered to rehearse the sermon in song for the Sunday services. The Choir; "Ecos de Vida" was formed in the late 1940s and was first directed by Sister Valdez. The Choir was very close to this short and tanned servant of God.. She was very stern and serene, at the same tie. Many described her as the type of person that could get things done with a heavenly ease. Sister Valdez was deeply committed to the choir. There were times when Choir members began to talk and giggle at rehearsals and this Woman of Prayer, lowered her head in solemn meditation. she would not say much, for this action was sufficient for the choir to get at attention and back into business. a tear would come down her cheek if there was any mumbling. The Choir had so much respect for this woman, that they would follow her instructions to the letter. sister Valdez led the choir for many wonderful years. she set the stage for the ongoing tradition of the Choir that she loved. the Choir was then, directed for a brief time by sister Gloria Pena. Sister Valdez had completed her long tenure and the Choir recognized her long service and devotion to the musical ministry. Sister Valdez had an Assistant in Brother Pepe Gauthier, who helped her with the Tenors and the Basses.The Choir; "Ecos of Life" of the 1950s sang with deep fervor and reflected their devoted lives in song, for the choir prepared long and hard in the message and harmony of the musical numbers. The Choir prayed before every song and it became an enduing custom. This procedure led to place the Choir and the congregation in true communion for the delivery and preparation of a blessing. This Noble Choir has shown the consistency, through the long, turbulent years.The early years set the stage for an enduring age of musical triumph. The Holy Spirit surrounded the early singers and the congregation would be swept up in thunderous adoration and praise. The choir sang just moments before the Sunday sermon and cleared a path between the devotion and the evangelical message of the evening. The choir would come marching down the long corridors, with the ladies wearing their well-pressed black skirts and glossy white blouses.They wore black tie ribbon-laces around their collar. The men wore black suits and ties.The Choir; "Echos of Life" formed a now-familiar circle in front of the original Sinagoga in 109Th in New York. Among the early choir members of the 1950s were Felicita M. Serrano, Nieves Bosch and a very young Joaquin Maldonado. There was a young man that was preparing himself in the academic and the musical world. He was quickly becoming involved in the church and he was destined to direct the choir. In the early 1960s, Raul Gonzalez led the choir to new heights and God blessed the musical ministry with a string of triumphant deliveries, for they were surrounded by the spirit of the Lord The majestic echoes reverberated throughout the large new Temple on 125Th St. each Sunday Evening. The Tall man came up to the piano and directed the Choir to stand. The familiar scene was spectacular and certain children could recall the choir, moving and resembling a long-winding "train" as they positioned to the platform that overlooked the congregation.It was now the early 1960s. The Choir; "Echos of Life" was now singing the introduction to the radio program of the church; "The pentecostal Hour on WBNX in New York. "Estad por Cristo firme" ("Stand up, stand up, for Jesus") God was truly blessing this choir and many new selections were being added to their growing repertior. Raul began to coach the voices with weekly intensity. The late Choir member Felicita M. Serrano, lovingly recalled the many times that Raul would exercise their voices with a continuous scale of La-La-La-. this was a repetitious vocal exercise that as designed to strengthen and refine the vocal range and quality. Deep fervent prayer was never compromised. All of the members were God-fearing people that lived the daily life of true devotion. They also had deep respect for their director. the Choir was now able to sing in other churches. There was an evening where the selected song of the day did not really go according to plan. It was the Latin classic; Propter Magnum Glorium".The Choir had rehearsed this number for many weeks and Raul was certain that they were ready. some choir members recall that night as the choir began to sing this selection. They were overlooking a large Hall with overhead balconys that join in both ends of the auditorium. This was the evening that the sopranos went one way and the Tenors went another way. fortunately the congregation did not notice, for it was sung in Latin. Carmen Ortiz, Raul's sister laughed as she recalls the event. everything was going great, but at the last verses, the four singing sections went in different directions. The Tenors were on left field when they should have been in the right. The Choir survived this evening and went on to see many other moments, some great and others that were memorable.The Choir was now singing with a heart-filled conviction. They had been testedby fire. They had tasted the experience of scorn and ridicule, they hadexperienced the painful realities of life and now the echos of that devoted lifewere resounding in song,The multitude in the grand sanctuary froze in solemn communion as the great man sitting high at the altar, gazed towards the Choir that was now in the front of the pulpit. The Pastor was pleased with this musical ministry. He was very proud of his Choir. Raul, the tall, dignified director began to play the choir introduction for the choral entry The singer's eyes were now on Raul Gonzalez. Raul would direct with his eyes as his fingers were methodically engaged with the powerful piano chords. The sounds of Hallelujah reverberated throughout the great Hall as the choir echoed their rendition of the beloved classic. Rev Abelardo Berrios was so moved, that on the night that the choir sang the Hallelujah chorus. He asked the Choir to come back to the platform and sing it one more time. The Choir stood up and sang. They gave an encore, much to the delight of the Pastor and the congregation.The Choir was well-disciplined and versed in their selections, for they toiled for many hours at long and hard rehearsals every Thursday evening on the 2nd floor of the sanctuary. Raul was a very systematic Director. He was very stern and meticulous. He wanted the chords to be as sharp as is trumpet. There were moments of levity and the young ladies would find something to giggle about. Raul would stop the rehearsal and turn to the ladies and with a stern countenance, declared; "You should all be crying!" ("Debieran de estar llorando!") (TO BE CONTINUED) (An ongoing Series)
Posted by THE FAMILY TIMES INTERNATIONAL at 1:23 PM 0 comments

Ann Margret talks about Elvis

Elton John - Live Like Horses (Live)

Music by Elton John
Lyrics by Bernie Taupin

I can't control this flesh and blood
That's wrapped around my bones
It moves beneath me like a river
Into the great unknown

I stepped onto the moving stairs
Before I could tie my shoes
Pried a harp out the fingers of a renegade
Who lived and died the blues

And his promise made was never clear
It just carved itself in me
All I saw was frost inside my head
On the night he said to me

Someday we'll live like horses
Free rein from your old iron fences
There's more ways than one to regain your senses
Break out the stalls and we'll live like horses

We're the victims of the heartbreak
That kept us short of breath
Trapped above these bloodless streets
Without a safety net

I stood in line to join the trial
One more customer of fate
Claimed a spoke in the wheel of the wagon train
On the road to the golden gate

On the flat cracked desert I jumped ship
It just made sense to me
I've spent too long in the belly of the beast
And now I shall be free


Duet version with Luciano Pavarotti:

I can't control this flesh and blood
That's wrapped around my bones
It moves beneath me like a river
Into the great unknown

I stepped onto the moving stairs
Before I could tie my shoes
Pried a harp out the fingers of a renegade
Who lived and died the blues

La promessa non fu chiara
S'erra solo impressa in me
Vidi solo il gelo dentro me
Quella notte dise a me

Vivrem comme cavalli
Liberi dai recinti di ferro
Che piu non voglio
Rinnegare i sensi
Su dai fuggiam
Vivrem comme cavalli

We're the victims of the heartbreak
That kept us short of breath
Trapped above these bloodless streets
Without a safety net

I stood in line to join the trial
One more customer of fate
Claimed a spoke in the wheel of the wagon train
On the road to the golden gate

Nel deserto la nave abbandonai
Per me aveva senso
Son stato troppo tempo nella bestia
Ed ora saro libero

Someday We'll live like horses
Free reign from your old iron fences
There's more ways than one to regain your senses
Break out the stalls and we'll live like horses
Someday

Liberi dai ricenti di ferro
Che piu non voglio
Rinnegare i sensi
Su dai fuggiam
Vivrem comme cavalli

President Obama on the Fourth of July

The President honors military heroes and their families during a barbecue on the South Lawn of the White House. On this nation's celebration of independence, he also commends the transfer of control of all Iraqi cities and towns in Iraq's government to Iraqi Security Forces. July 4, 2009.

MICHAEL JACKSON DEAD AT 50

Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29, 1958 and died June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene at the age of 11 as a member of The Jackson 5 and began a solo career in 1971 while still a member of the group. Referred to as the "King of Pop" in subsequent years, five of his solo studio albums have become some of the world's best-selling records: Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995).
In the early 1980s, he became a dominant figure in popular music and the first African-American entertainer to amass a strong crossover following on MTV. The popularity of his music videos airing on MTV, such as "Beat It", "Billie Jean" and Thriller—credited for transforming the music video into an art form and a promotional tool—helped bring the relatively new channel to fame. Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made Jackson an enduring staple on MTV in the 1990s. With stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of physically complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style influenced hip hop, pop and contemporary R&B artists.
Jackson donated and raised millions of dollars for beneficial causes through his foundation, charity singles and support of 39 charities. Other aspects of his personal life, including his changing appearance and behavior, generated significant controversy, damaging his public image. Though he was accused of child sexual abuse in 1993, the criminal investigation was closed due to lack of evidence and Jackson was not charged. The singer has experienced health concerns since the early 1990s and conflicting reports regarding the state of his finances since the late 1990s. Jackson married twice and fathered three children, all of which caused further controversy. In 2005, Jackson was tried and acquitted of further sexual abuse allegations and several other charges.
One of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, his other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records—including one for "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time"—13 Grammy Awards, 13 number one singles in his solo career—more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era—and the sales of over 750 million albums worldwide. Cited as one of the world's most famous men, Jackson's highly publicized personal life, coupled with his successful career, has made him a part of popular culture for almost four decades.
After being taken to the hostpital in a coma, Jackson was reportedly pronounced dead on June 25, 2008.[2][3]

WHY OBAMA NEEDS TO BE MORE VOCAL ON IRAN

With Iran suffering a political earthquake, allow me to put in a good word for meddling.
I realize there will always be those Americans who recoil at the idea of U.S. military intervention or economic sanctions -- or, for that matter, even just tersely worded statements from the White House -- because, they insist, the United States should not interfere with the domestic affairs of other countries.
Since when? The United States has, for decades, interfered with the destinies of other nations - in Asia, Africa, Latin America and elsewhere.
In fact, just recently, President Obama took to interfering in the Middle East by scolding Israel for its treatment of Palestinians and its settlements in the West Bank.
Yet now, in a real disappointment to anyone who values freedom, Obama has declared his reluctance to "meddle" in the aftermath of the disputed Iranian presidential election even as hundreds of thousands of protesters put themselves at risk on the streets of Tehran.
Sometimes, the only correct course of action is to meddle. Here you have the brutal repression of political dissent, the suppression of free speech and the beating and gunning down of dissidents. College students are reportedly being beaten in their dormitories by government thugs and threatened with worse if they don't stop protesting.
In the street, armed police officers whale on old ladies and teenagers with clubs, as demonstrators carry unconscious comrades bleeding from head wounds. And -- in what served as my wake-up call -- the government shut down foreign media coverage by revoking the press credentials of foreign correspondents and restricting them to their hotels.
That was an ominous sign of what may be coming. With the curtain drawn, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad must think he can crush his opponents once and for all and the world will be none the wiser.
Luckily for the cause of freedom, the tyrant wasn't prepared for Twitter and other social network tools that protesters are using to get the word out about what they're experiencing. Many demonstrators are also using their own video cell phones to get images out of Iran.
This is some of what White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs seems to be missing. At a White House news conference this week, Gibbs insisted the administration's concerns regarding Iran had not changed since the election.
"Regardless of who emerges from this election," Gibbs said in answer to a question. "there are still two principal national interests that this country has relating to Iran. First is their pursuit of a nuclear weapon, and second is their support and sponsorship of terror."
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Sure, those things are important. But Gibbs must be joking. The dramatic events of the last week haven't had an impact at all on administration policy with Iran? That's mind-boggling.
These freedom fighters in blue jeans are brave heroes to the cause of democracy, and, from the looks of it, they could use a little help. They'd probably settle for an encouraging word from the president of the United States that he is in their corner and prepared to hold Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accountable for what happens to them.
I'm not talking about sending in the 101st Airborne, or the Special Forces. I'm just talking about Obama doing something that, as we all know, he does awfully well: giving a speech.
The president needs to say to the world that we're choosing sides in this conflict and that we're rooting for the protesters against the people who are trying to beat them into submission and suppress the tides of progress.
He needs to abandon his neutrality and express clearly the principles that our country represents, the secret ingredient in our sauce, if you will -- what it is that makes us tick and why we are moved by what we see happening in Iran. He needs to tell the protesters with all the sincerity he can muster: "We are with you!"
Some of this is complicated; analysts are right to point out that Ahmadinejad would probably welcome U.S. intervention in one respect because it would let him deflect the heat he's feeling to the United States, which would become the convenient foil.
But Ahmadinejad is cleverly doing that already, Obama's hands-off approach notwithstanding. So what's the point of staying neutral?
Other parts of this drama are not as complicated as some people are trying to make it. The United States doesn't have the luxury of being neutral at a time of moral crisis. America is -- as former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright used to say -- "the indispensable nation" that "stands tall" and "sees further into the future."
As Americans, what we see coming out of Tehran should outrage and offend us. Our country is not supposed to sit idly by while the little guy is getting the tar knocked out of him by thugs and tyrants.
We've made that mistake before, too many times and to our shame. One of the most notorious examples of staying out of the fray was our reluctance to confront the Holocaust in Europe in the late 1930s, even though Franklin D. Roosevelt and his administration were getting word of what was happening. It was not our finest hour.
Likewise, as we watch the events unfolding in Tehran, many Americans find it easier to look away. But that is not who we are.
Mr. President, you must do better. We don't belong on the sidelines. As the leader of the world's indispensable nation, it's time to stand tall and stand with the people of Iran.

WHY IS HONORING YOUR FATHER IMPORTANT

Although the Bible says the ten commandments were written on two tablets of stone (Exodus 24:12; 34:1) it does not tell us how these ten commandments were arranged on those tablets. Five on one and five on the other would seem natural, but is an unnatural division when you consider the themes of the commandments. From ancient times biblical scholars have noticed that the first four commandments concern our relationship with God and the last six, our relationship with others.
It doesn't really matter how the commandments were arranged on the stone tablets, but it is important to note the twin themes. Judaism was the first world religion to combine worship (responsibilities toward God) with ethics (responsibilities toward humankind). The gods on Mt. Olympus were neither ethical in their own behavior nor did they make ethical demands of their worshipers. That cheap faith still has its fans. Neo-pagans have all the comfort and excitement of their religion with none of the inconvenience of a God who gets in their way when they want to do something.
In biblical religion, however, God is the Law-Giver. Ethics is theology at work; the ten commandments are worship in overalls. The commandments speak to both theology (our relationship with God) and ethics (our relationship with others).
The fifth commandment begins the second "table of the law": our responsibility toward one another. In this section God tells us how to become more human by controlling certain physical impulses we share with lower animals — such as anger, hunger and lust. Those activities are certainly natural. In fact, they are essential to our survival. But God calls us to something higher and nobler. He commands us to control what comes naturally so that we do not kill and steal and fornicate just because it appears to our immediate advantage. Anger, hunger and sex are powerful urges within all of us. Like fire, they are good gifts of God. Also, like fire, they become bad when they get out of control. Thus we have the ten commandments to tell us how control our natural inclinations so nobody gets hurt.
What inclination do you think is controlled by the fifth commandment? Most animals instinctively care for their young. Bears and robins will attack you if you assault their babies. Although most species care for their young, none cares for its old — except humans. The fifth commandment calls us to rise above our animal nature. God expects more of you and me than he does of cats and dogs. He commands children to provide for their parents just as parents instinctively provide for their children. "Honor your father and your mother." By honoring the aged we rise above the rest of nature and become our true human selves.
We need to hear again the fifth commandment. Our modern age does not give the elderly the place of honor they had in earlier times and so richly deserve today. Bertrand Russell complained, "I was born in the wrong generation. When I was a young man, no one had any respect for youth. Now I am an old man and no one has any respect for age."
Nearly everyone, from Madison Avenue to the local church, honors youth. Now that's not a bad idea, but remember young age is not the age to which the Bible gives the greatest honor. Moses said, "Show respect for old people and honor them" (Leviticus 19:32). And Peter added, "You younger men must submit yourselves to the older men" (1 Peter 5:5).
I resent the fact that calling someone old sounds insulting. Our culture has twisted the traditional value of old age making something honorable appear disgraceful. In the Bible old age is not a problem, it's a blessing (Isaiah 65:20; Zechariah 8:4-5). For thousands of years to be called an "old man" or "old woman" was a high honor. Nowadays it's an insult. What on earth has happened to our values?
A youth-centered culture is a backward-facing culture. It is a society in which people honor what they used to be instead of what they are going to be.
Age is like money. It isn't how much we have spent, but how much we have left. If we truly believe what we say we believe about eternal life, what we have left is forever. Every birthday takes us one year further from our birthdate and one year closer to our Father's house.
The root of the Hebrew word for honor means to "weigh heavy." The people who weigh me heavy are those who contribute most to my weight: my parents, my wife and my children — to them I owe great respect and honor.
The fifth commandment is addressed primarily to adults. It is not a biblical billy club that frustrated parents can use to beat their rebellious children into submission. Parents who try to get respect from their children by quoting this scripture will be as successful as trying to steer their car by honking their horn.
The fifth commandment has more to do with medical care, old-age pensions, and retirement homes than with disobedient minors. It means quite simply when your Mom and Dad have to depend on you, don't let them down. Honor your father and mother.
Although Social Security, Medicare, and old-age pensions have largely taken over the kind of responsibilities enjoined by this commandment, no system can honor your parents for you. Many systems are terribly impersonal and even insultingly dehumanizing.
When parents are no longer productive members of society, they need more than ever to be honored and reassured of their worth.
The fifth commandment commands honor for your parents but does not limit honor to them alone. It doesn't say, "Honor only your father and mother. That's just the beginning. The apostle Peter said, "Respect everyone" (1 Peter 2:17). Not only should children honor their parents, but parents should honor their children. The rich should honor the poor, and the poor should honor the rich. The weak should honor the strong, and the strong should honor the weak.
Jesus gave this commandment its highest application when he declared "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me" (Matthew 25:40). You honor others by treating them with the same high respect you owe to the person of Jesus Christ. If you treat others the way you treat Jesus, you will honor not only your parents but every living soul.
Honor takes many different forms. It is much more than greeting cards, candy and flowers on Mother's Day. The way in which parents honor their children, for instance, differs from the way children honor their parents. It is a dishonor to treat everyone alike without respect to differing needs and responsibilities. True honor takes into account the age and situation of the people involved and the nature of the relationship. You're young only once, but you can stay immature the rest of your life.
One of the reasons the generation gap is such a problem is that it is not wide enough. Too many adults try to act as though they were teenagers, and too many teenagers try to act as though they were adults. With all the actors reading the lines of someone else, it is no wonder the play gets confusing. Children cannot honor their parents while refusing to accept the role of dependents. And parents cannot honor their children while evading their parental responsibilities.
To make matters even more complicated, the roles keep changing. By the time we realize our parents may have been right, we usually have children who think we're wrong. As children grow older, parental honor takes into account their growing competency, responsibility, and independence.
Children, likewise, honor their parents in different ways. To a small child, honor means obedience. To an adolescent, it means respect. To an adult child, it means kindness, thoughtfulness, and care of parents.
A boy will never become a man and a girl will never become a woman if they must always obey their parents. Though children eventually outgrow their need to obey their parents, they never outgrow their duty to honor their parents. The time may come when aged parents must obey their children. But even then, and especially then, children must find ways to honor their parents, to affirm their dignity and worth.
The apostle Paul reminds us that the fifth commandment is the first commandment with a promise: "so that all may go well with you, and you may live a long time in the land" (Ephesians 6:3). When a Sunday School teacher asked a kid what that meant his interpretation was, "I better do what my parents say or they'll kill me." Though there may be some parents who would not dispute that understanding, I don't think that's what Moses or Paul had in mind. "That… you may live a long time in the land" is not a guarantee of extra years of life to individuals who honor their parents. It is a promise to preserve the social order that respects preceding generations. Remember the commandments were given after Israel left Egypt and before they entered and occupied the Promised Land. They were a brand new nation. So God gave them laws and a covenant to show them how to make it work. Good individuals may die young, but cultures in which people honor the aged endure with stability.
One of the reasons that Chinese culture has survived thousands of years through many political and social revolutions is that through it all, they obeyed the fifth commandment — not because it was spoken by God through Moses, but because it was wise. "[That] you may live a long time in the land" is not a tempting bribe to good conduct, but a statement of fact about nations and tribes and families in which honor is found.
Remember, the Bible doesn't tell who is to honor you, but whom you are to honor — your parents, your children and everyone else. You obey the fifth commandment, not by demanding that others honor you but by taking the initiative to honor them.

A NATION IN CRISIS

The Apostle Paul wrote of just such a time as exists in this nation today, a time when the people would be lovers of themselves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, false accusers, uncontrollable, despisers of those that are good, traitors, and lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. In view of the fact that fifty million innocent babies have been murdered intentionally, which of course only highlights Paul’s offering of “being without natural affection.”
There does not exist a more apt description than this of the nature of the United States today, it is a nation that consists, collectively, of a people led away from God by divers lusts, it's an ever-learning acculturation of those who are never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. It is in fact a nation of people who resist the truth, an irreverent fellowship of men of corrupt mind and reprobate faith.

A Warning to Parents
An inimical indoctrination of the people of this nation begins in the public schools where the ungodly elements of communism, sexual perversion, deviancy, false doctrines and a rejection of Biblical tenants are instilled in young minds and taught as gospel by an autocracy of Marxist persuasion. An open-minded and healthy examination of social issues is disallowed and a narrow subjective and politically correct curriculum is rigidly enforced. The National Education Association (NEA) a radical, revolutionary, and powerful labor union, using the political clout that they purchase with the dues of their members, has eliminated the traditional approach to the training of young minds in the basics of education and concentrated on a radical program of mind control and brainwashing to shape the values - I should say lack of values - of America’s children.
Parents, if you think that you have any input in the way that public schools educate your children you need to put that thought out of your mind quickly. The majority of public school systems view your children as property of the state and therefore beyond your control. Moral relativism is promoted and ethical codes and morality based upon absolute standards is not a part of their satanic bible. If it feels good do it is their motto and their creed. You need to get your children out of the public schools and you need to do it now before anymore of our children are corrupted and led down criminal paths to the point that many additional millions of dollars have to be spent on correctional facilities to incarcerate the emotional cripples turned into the streets by the public schools.
America in Decline
The United States has crossed a great divide and is now on a dizzying slide downward through an ever-quickening succession of events, both of the cosmos and of man-made induction, which are driving this nation toward a now inevitable time of a complete and climactic destruction. Prayers from an apostate people for deliverance from catastrophic events current and future will not be heard, in the parlance of the Bible it is a time for sackcloth and ashes.
Those who believe that there is hope for a secular deliverance of this country from an increasingly inescapable terminal destiny at the hand of Almighty God or that the government or its leaders possess the answers to the nearly total social and spiritual unraveling of this commonwealth are barking up a wrong tree. Nowhere in the population of this nation or in the government or the institutions thereof exists a savior. Our Savior has come to this earth and gone and will return again, it is He that we should look to for deliverance. It is He who is the true Savior, and if the readers of this message have not accepted Him as such and taken advantage of His work upon the cross for the expiation of their sins past, present and future they most surely would do well to do so now.
My recent articles have been increasingly apocalyptic; I reject any thought that there is any hope that this country will be turned around by mortal men or by our terribly corrupt and fallible politicians. People, and those who extol their virtues, will do nothing other than hasten our fall.
I am grateful to those who carry my articles on their websites and pray for God’s blessings upon them. But, I know that there will come a time, and very soon, when my words will be blocked and censored. The prophets of old who were sent to deliver hard messages unto God’s people and to their kings and religious leaders were censored and imprisoned, and those who speak the truth today can expect the same circumstances as even now we see an unrighteous abridgement - by a seemingly fascistic government - of individual rights and liberties.
“When I say unto the wicked, Thou shall surely die; and thou gives him not warning, nor speaks to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at your hand.” (Ezekiel 3:18)
Clearly those in the ministry today who tickle the ears with new age doctrines - such as the goodness of man, a lack of evil, that man is divine and therefore can create his own spiritual destiny, or that Satan is an imaginary being and there are many roads to salvation - have not read the above scripture. And if they have and have rejected it, or any other of God’s truths, they will stand and give an account for every lost soul that was in their charge.

YOU LEARN TO TRUST GOD WHEN YOU HAVE TO TRUST GOD

Are you worried about something? Maybe it’s not one thing, but five. One of our first responses to a hectic schedule or a troubled economy is to worry. Worry can creep into every area of our lives, but God doesn’t want us to worry. He wants us to trust him. It’s easy to say that we trust God. But often our actions don’t match that statement.
The truth is that God reigns. No matter what your situation is, Jesus reigns over all things — your cancer, your job loss, the painful situation you’re facing. When it feels like life is falling apart, we can trust him. The question is, do we?

1. You learn to trust God by trusting God.
You will never learn to trust God by watching someone else do it or by reading about it in a book, or even this article. You only trust God by actually doing it.
2. You never trust God until you have to.
I know my human nature: If I’m in a difficult circumstance I will do anything to get out of that circumstance. My first thought when things are uncomfortable is to find a way out of the situation. We never trust God until we have to. So...
3. God will make sure that you have to trust him.
God is going to allow circumstances in our lives that we have no human way of wiggling out of. He does that because he needs to teach us some things. He wants us to trust him, but the only way we learn that is by doing it. So he loves us enough to put us in situations where we have to trust him.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1: 2-4)
Scripture teaches us that sometimes God allows trials in our lives. He does it to teach us to trust him and to mature us and make us more like Jesus. He has to shatter the misconceptions we have of him. He has to remove the lies we believed about him, ourselves and others. He wants us to trust him.

WILL THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS PRECEDE THE RETURN OF CHRIST?

Changes in the world's economy, now shaken by a major downturn, significantly threaten your personal lifestyle. As Time magazine expressed it, the recent events are "the most dangerous shock in mature financial markets since the 1930s" (Oct. 20, 2008). Faced with a problem of this magnitude, we should seriously consider these economic trends in the light of biblical prophecy!
Revelation, the last book of the Bible, is devoted to prophecy. John says that it's literally "the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly [or quickly] take place"—especially in the last days (Revelation 1:1).
The book's 18th chapter describes a dominant system of international trade supported by corrupt political and religious allies whose combined sins "have reached to heaven" (verse 5). The Bible also shows that the return of Jesus Christ will bring about the collapse and destruction of that global system.
Before that happens, though, it will exercise for a short time immense control over the lives of the earth's inhabitants so that "no one may buy or sell" without its permission (Revelation 13:17). It will stringently regulate all international commerce.
Prior to the recent economic crisis it would have seemed almost absurd to predict such a drastic global change in economic outlook and practice. After all, our society greatly values individual freedom. What could possibly induce the citizens of civilized nations to accept such intrusive controls over their right to buy and sell as they please?
An earlier time of economic turmoil
On a regional level this scenario has already been played out once in the last century. The collapse of the world's free economies, trade wars and the economic turmoil of the Great Depression of the 1930s helped catapult Adolf Hitler to power. Hitler's solutions restored Germany to world power and made him a hero among most of his own people until the military defeat of his Nazi regime in 1945.
Today those who were adults during the Great Depression are rapidly passing from the scene. Their accounts of plummeting wages, loss of homes and jobs, and pervasive hunger seem long ago and far away. At one point in the 1930s, unemployment reached more than 25 percent in America.
The stock markets went crazy, and corporate shares fell in value overnight. As wages fell, debt repayment became more and more difficult.
Mortgage defaults skyrocketed. Business earnings dropped. Large corporations went bankrupt. People became aimless and idle. Hunger and fear became their constant companions. It was a downward spiral into economic oblivion. Little wonder that our parents and grandparents referred to the financial disaster they experienced as the Great Depression.
Could history repeat?
Today few people in the industrialized world have any concept of what happens when severe deflation—an economically crippling drop in prices and wages—sets in. The possibility of out-of-control deflation is already a threat as a direct result of the current economic crisis.
A recent leading headline, "Deflation Threat Grows Worldwide," in the International Herald Tribune (Nov. 2, 2008) bears this out. The article, by national economic writer Peter Goodman, went on to say: "As dozens of countries slip deeper into financial distress in alarming unison, a new threat may be gathering force: the prospect that goods will pile up without buyers and prices will steadily fall, suffocating fresh investment and worsening joblessness for many months or even years.
"The word for this syndrome is deflation, or falling prices, a term that generates chills among professional economists. Deflation accompanied the Great Depression of the 1930s. Persistently falling prices were at the heart of Japan's so-called lost decade following the catastrophic collapse of its real estate bubble at the end of the 1980s, a period in which some experts now find parallels to the U.S. predicament" (emphasis added throughout).
Only a few short months ago inflation—rising prices—was the dominant economic problem as skyrocketing costs of oil and food battered the world economy. But, as the article notes, "that now seems like another era. As the U.S. economy has weakened, and as much of the globe has followed, demand for oil, iron ore, grains and other commodities has swiftly diminished, bringing prices down sharply.
"The new worry is that the end of inflation may be the beginning of something more malevolent: a long, broad retrenchment in which consumers and businesses worldwide lose their ability to buy and prices for many goods fall.
"That would prompt businesses to slow production and accelerate layoffs, taking more paychecks out of the economy and further weakening demand for many products and services."
Worldwide recession on the horizon?
In contrast to inflation, Goodman notes, deflation is a far more difficult economic malady to cure. "Policy makers can generally choke off inflation by raising interest rates and dampening economic activity and reducing demand for goods.
"But as Japan discovered in the 1990s, an economy might remain ensnared by deflation for many years, even when interest rates are dropped to zero. Falling prices reduce opportunities for profit, making companies reluctant to invest even when they can borrow money for free."
This is what happened in Japan in the 1990s, with devastating results. Property prices fell, along with the prices of many goods. Businesses had no incentive to invest, so they laid off employees. For lack of buyers, goods piled up—sending prices even lower in a downward spiral.
Do we see similar dangers today? "Some fear the U.S. economy could be sinking toward a similar experience as consumers lose their wherewithal to purchase just as much of Europe, Asia and Latin America succumb to a slowdown," Goodman cautions.
The recent economic crises show that such a problem likely would not be limited to just the United States.
"Not since the Great Depression have so many countries been required to tackle so many interlocking afflictions at once," Goodman notes. "A financial crisis born in the United States has gone global, like a virus mutating in the face of every experimental cure. From South Korea to Pakistan to the Baltics to Turkey to Brazil, the pandemic has spread, bringing with it a tightening of credit that has starved even relatively healthy companies of the ability to finance operations, prompting job losses and diminishing demand for goods."
Goodman quotes former International Monetary Fund economist Kenneth Rogoff as saying: "We're entering a really fierce global recession. A significant financial crisis has been allowed to morph into a full-fledged global panic. It's a very dangerous situation."
Will history be repeated?
During times of such economic deprivation, history has shown that people respond favorably to strong leaders who show promise of quickly bringing order out of chaos.
But drastic problems can lead to drastic solutions. People want immediate action, not principles and platitudes. The leaders most likely to act decisively are those who have no objection to trampling on the rights of others to accomplish their agendas. They get things done, but at a high cost to the freedom and rights of others.
In the end they reward those who provide the support they need to keep themselves in power. They call themselves benefactors and statesmen. History sees them as despots and tyrants.
This is what happened in Central Europe between 1929 and 1945 as rulers assumed dictatorial powers and plunged the world into a global conflagration.
Bible prophecy indicates that a similar scenario will unfold just before Jesus Christ returns. It reveals that 10 "kings"—heads of state—will throw their power, authority and support behind a superleader whom the Bible compares to a clever and powerful animal, a "beast" (Revelation 17:12-13). The political entity this leader will create is likewise characterized as a beast—a cunning and dominant animal that preys on the very ones it purports to protect.
The Bible indicates that managing the global economy—by controlling what can be bought or sold, and by whom—may be a major reason for this system's initial appeal. For this to happen the international community may have to enter an economic crisis so enormous, so threatening, that nations will find themselves desperate for a solution.
If history repeats itself, a bold and daring new plan may be presented and adopted. And as before, the loss of individual rights and freedoms built into this new socio-economic and political system may well be presented as only temporary. But the Bible shows that what ultimately follows will become so appalling that only the return of Jesus Christ can stop it.
Let's now consider an unseen power destined to bring about this global change.
Ancient origins of an end-time system
In committing to writing the revelation that Jesus Christ gave him concerning this coming political and commercial system, the apostle John first connects us with this evil system's spiritual roots. According to the Bible, an unseen spirit being, a fallen angel called Satan the devil, rules the earth behind the scenes. This malevolent spirit is increasingly angry as he sees the approaching end of his influence.
John speaks of that "great dragon . . . , that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world" (Revelation 12:9; see also 1 John 5:19). This enraged adversary of God and His people has committed himself to make war against those who "keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" (verse 17). He and his army of unseen demonic spirits are the unrealized driving force behind these events. (To understand further, request or download our free booklet Is There Really a Devil?)
The apostle John next refers to the physical and cultural origins of this ungodly system that is yet to arise from deep in the reservoir of ancient human tradition: "I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion" (Revelation 13:1-2).
These are the exact characteristics the book of Daniel ascribed to the ancient kingdoms of Greece, Persia and Babylon. John is telling us that there is a direct link between some of the dominant characteristics of those kingdoms and the socio-political system that Jesus Christ will destroy at His coming.
Ancient Babylon, in particular, destroyed the temple of God in Jerusalem, conquered the kingdom of Judah and took its people into captivity. As such, it symbolically became the ultimate adversary of God's people.
Notice who will manipulate the world's final superdictator from behind the scenes: "The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority" (verse 2). Satan is never far from the action. It is his agenda that will really shape this new power that will emerge.
The important religious connection
At present the nations of Europe appear to be growing more and more secular. But this era will end. The new system described above will embody much more than socio-political aspects. It will also have enormous religious support. To convey this point the apostle John introduces "another beast" that, in some ways, resembles a lamb but speaks "like a dragon" (verse 11).
This beast performs miracles and "deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast" (verses 13-14). These verses describe a great religious deceiver who is referred to as "the false prophet" in Revelation 19:20. His miracles will abruptly bring the present secular era to an end.
His influence will be enormous. "He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name" (Revelation 13:16-17). Also he "causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast" (verse 12).
By throwing the full force of his deceptive religious power behind the socioeconomic and political schemes of the first beast, this false prophet will play a leading role in persuading humanity to accept and support the coming transformation of the world's economic and political structures. All who consent will unwittingly enslave themselves to the state.
The masters of commerce
In the end it will be the merchants and traders who will make this Babylon-like system function (Revelation 17:5). Their global trade will include "merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet . . . every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble . . . fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots [transport vehicles—cars in our day], and [even] bodies and souls of men" (Revelation 18:12-13).
Today, as we experience a major credit crisis in the world's financial system, it is appropriate that we reflect on how greed and the manipulation of human needs will dramatically affect the future of mankind. We can't know exactly when it will happen, but based on Bible prophecies it seems a likely scenario that at some point a general breakdown of the world's economy will trigger a massive rethinking of man's social, political and economic assumptions.
The chaos of that time will set the stage for the next event. The Bible reveals that a powerful, appealing political "beast" will emerge with vast military and economic powers. For a short time his economic policies will lead some to revel in their regained prosperity, wealth and power. But his system will succeed only because all opposition will be smashed. Those who refuse to submit to his economic system will be excluded or killed (Revelation 13:15-18).
Dawn of a new era
The book of Revelation also reveals that God the Father will finally send Jesus Christ back to the earth to end and replace all ungodly governing systems: "After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, ‘Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her'" (Revelation 19:1-2).
At the return of Christ the oppressive political and economic system springing from ancient Babylon will be permanently destroyed. At that time "the merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! For in one hour such great riches came to nothing'" (Revelation 18:15-17).
Also "the kings of the earth"—the world's leaders and power brokers—"who committed fornication [here symbolizing illicit political relations] and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come'" (verses 9-10).
Then the world's final experiment with the political, religious and economic systems patterned after the dictatorial Babylonian model will end, and Jesus Christ's righteous rule on earth will begin!