the Centrist

Dear friends and family;

two of our youngest

Will the Twelfth come on the Eleventh?

The President of Iran, Mahmound Ahmadinejad, is an Islamic Shiite leader described as a ‘twelver’ by the west.
What is a twelve you ask, according to La Guardia 1/14/06 Barebart TV via Drudge Report: “The most remarkable aspect of Mr Ahmadinejad’s piety is his devotion to the Hidden Imam, the Messiah-like figure of Shia Islam, and the president’s belief that his government must prepare the country for his return…All streams of Islam believe in a divine saviour, known as the Mahdi, who will appear at the End of Days. A common rumour – denied by the government but widely believed – is that Mr Ahmadinejad and his cabinet have signed a “contract” pledging themselves to work for the return of the Mahdi and sent it to Jamkaran.
Iran’s dominant “Twelver” sect believes this will be Mohammed ibn Hasan, regarded as the 12th Imam, or righteous descendant of the Prophet Mohammad. He is said to have gone into “occlusion” in the ninth century, at the age of five. His return will be preceded by cosmic chaos, war and bloodshed. After a cataclysmic confrontation with evil and darkness, the Mahdi will lead the world to an era of universal peace… might he be trying to provoke chaos in the hope of hastening his reappearance?”

That belief coupled with his announcement on Sunday (Fox News) that he is taking his uranium from a low purity to a new level of 20% makes this a very interesting week for the Middle East. According to the Christian Science Monitor 2/8/10: “Iran announced its intentions Monday to begin processing its uranium stockpile to a higher level of enrichment. Nuclear energy experts say the country is taking yet another step toward producing a nuclear weapon”. While it takes 90% purity to make a nuclear weapons experts agree that this is a significant step forward in Iran’s relentless march toward nuclear weapons.

The reason this week is very important to the Iranians is that Thursday, 2/11/10, is the 31st anniversary of Iran’s Islamic Revolution and (Breitbart TV via Drudge Report): “Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Monday that Iran is set to deliver a “punch” that will stun world powers during this week’s 31st anniversary of the Islamic revolution.
“The Iranian nation, with its unity and God’s grace, will punch the arrogance (Western powers) on the 22nd of Bahman (February 11) in a way that will leave them stunned,” Khamenei, who is also Iran’s commander-in-chief, told a gathering of air force personnel.
The country’s top cleric was marking the occasion when Iran’s air force gave its support to revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, a key event which led to the toppling of the US-backed shah on February 11, 1979.”
Wow a punch, no less. Can you remember how America got into this situation? It stemmed from what most would call the low point in the disappointing Carter Administration. Along with 18% inflation and record joblessness, Carter’s foreign policy was that of appeasement (sound familiar?). He favored an Islamic state over that of the pro-American Shah of Iran and was rewarded with the infamous hostage situation (takeover of the American Embassy) which eventually swept Ronald Reagan into office.

Make no mistake Khomeini’s rise to power was a populace movement and brought new hope for greater freedoms for the citizens of Iran. But rather than new freedoms the Ayatollah imposed Sharia law and subjugated them to a far greater extent than did their former government. That is where they stand today. While there have been recent anti-government demonstrations against this form of government they have been met with a barbaric response, including public hangings of dissidents. The Obama Administration to date has all but been silence about Irans’ grass roots movement for freedom.
To complicate things further, according to the above source: “Mousavi (leader of the dissidents) renewed his call for demonstrations on the February 11 anniversary… The 22nd of Bahman is upon us, truly it should be called the day of gathering,” Mousavi said on his Kaleme.org website Monday. “I feel we have to participate while maintaining the collective spirit as well as our identity and leave an impression,” Mousavi said. “Anger and bitterness should not take our control away. The clerics should know that since imprisonment, beatings, and other confrontational methods are done in the name of Islam and the Islamic regime, it is hurting Islam and we all should try to stop,” he added.
Anti-government protests were first triggered after the June 12 presidential election won by Ahmadinejad. Over the past eight months, several thousand people were arrested. Some were released and others were given hefty prison terms, among them politicians, journalists and human rights activists. Two protesters were tried, convicted and hanged in the aftermath of the election.
On the anniversary of the revolution we will have the radical leadership set to ‘punch’ the west, and the dissidents in Iran set to punch their regime. That should be a very interesting, albeit potentially tragic formula, but the question remains for the radicals in Iran remains: will the 12th come on the 11th?

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Blogger’s corner

From Kaybob

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE
1930′s, 40′s, 50′s,
60′s and 70′s!!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can and didn’t get tested for diabetes.
Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-base paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had baseball caps
not helmets on our heads.

As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, no booster seats, no seat belts, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes no brakes.

Riding in the back of a pick- up truck on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and no one actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes made with Lard, white bread, real butter and bacon. We drank FLAV-OR- AID made with real white sugar. and, we weren’t overweight. WHY?
Because we were always outside playing…..that’s why!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on..
No one was able to reach us all day. And, we were OKAY.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps
and then ride them down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Play stations, Nintendo’s and X-boxes. There were no video games, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD’s,
No surround-sound or CD’s,
No cell phones,
No personal computers,
No Internet and no chat rooms.

Instead, WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We would get spankings with wooden spoons, switches, ping pong paddles, or just a bare hand and no one would call child services to report abuse.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend’s house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them.

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team.
Those who didn’t had to learn to deal with disappointment.

Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

These generations have produced some of the best
Risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever.

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. What can kids today do besides push buttons…

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.

~
The quote of the month is by
Jay Leno:
‘With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?’

Yet another from kaybob… well, kaybabba

Subject: Italian American History
Subject: I am an Italian American

My roots are deep in an ancient soil, drenched by the Mediterranean sun, and
watered by pure streams from snow capped mountains. I am enriched by
thousands of years of culture. My hands are those of the mason, the artist,
the man of the soil. My thoughts have been recounted in the annals of Rome,
the poetry of Virgil, the creations of Dante, and the philosophy of
Benedetto Croce.

I am an Italian-American, and from my ancient world, I first spanned the
seas to the New World – I am Cristoforo Colombo.

I am Giovanni Caboto known in American History as John Cabot, discoverer of
the mainland of North America.

I am Amerigo Vespucci, who gave my name to the New World – America.

First to sail on the Great Lakes in 1679, founder of the territory that
became the State of Illinois , colonizer of Louisiana and Arkansas, I am
Enrico Tonti.

I am Fillippo Mazzei, friend of Thomas Jefferson, and my thesis on the
equality of man was written into the Bill of Rights.

I am William Paca, signer of the Declaration of Independence.

I am an Italian-American. I financed the Northwest Expedition of George
Rogers Clark and accompanied him through the lands that would become Ohio ,
Indiana , Wisconsin and Michigan – I am Colonel Francesco Vigo.

I mapped the Pacific from Mexico to Alaska and to the Philippines , I am
Alessandro Malaspina.

I am Giacomo Belinimi, discoverer of the source of the Mississippi River in
1823.

I created the Dome of the United States Capitol. They call me the
Michelangelo of America – I am Constantino Brumidi.

In 1904, I founded in San Francisco, the Bank of Italy now known as the Bank
of America, the largest financial institution in the world – I am A.P.
Giannini.

I am Enrico Fermi, father of nuclear science in America .

I am Steve Geppi, founder of Diamond Comics, the largest distributorship of
comics on the planet.

I am the first enlisted man to earn the Medal of Honor in World War II – I
am John Basilone of New Jersey .

I am the million strong who served in America’s armies and the tens of
thousands whose names are enshrined in military cemeteries from Guadalcanal
to the Rhine.

I am the steel maker in Pittsburgh, the grower in the Imperial Valley of
California, the textile designer in Manhattan, the movie maker in Hollywood,
the homemaker and the breadwinner in over 10,000 communities.

I am an American without stint or reservation, loving this land as only one
who understands history, its agonies and is triumphs can love and serve it.

I will not be told that my contribution is any less nor my role not as
worthy as that of any other American.

I will stand in support of this nation’s freedoms and protect her against
all foes.

My heritage has dedicated me to this nation. I am proud of my heritage, and
I shall remain worthy of it.

And yes, we still have a sense of humor, that is why we can still be depicted as small men carrying pizzas or eating spaghetti… now, one last thing…. To the sommona gun who stole my cannoli, I gonna breaka u face.

Davenport Richard:

First Communion on the Moon…

The first food and drink consumed on the moon was the reserved sacrament
Of communion. At first, it was kept secret. To mark the 40th
Anniversary of the first Apollo moon landing, Bosco Peters has posted the
Details of this Christian act of worship 235,000 miles from the earth. The
First Communion on the Moon is now one of The Episcopal Church’s
‘lesser feasts and fasts’, he writes.
On Sunday July 20, 1969 the first people landed on the moon.
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were in the lunar lander which touched
Down at 3:17 Eastern Standard Time. Buzz Aldrin had with him the Reserved
Sacrament. He radioed: Houston , this is Eagle. This is the LM pilot speaking.
I would like to request a few moments of silence. I would like to invite each
Person listening in, whoever or wherever he may be, to contemplate for a
Moment the events of the last few hours, and to give thanks in his own
Individual way.

‘Later he wrote: In the radio blackout, I opened the little plastic
Packages which contained the bread and the wine. I poured the
Wine into the chalice our church had given me. In the one-sixth gravity of
The moon, the wine slowly curled and gracefully came up the side of the cup.
Then I read the Scripture, I am the vine, you are the branches.
Whosoever abides in me will bring forth much fruit. I had intended to
Read my communion passage back to earth, but at the last minute Deke Slayton had
Requested that I not do this.
NASA was already embroiled in a legal battle with Madelyn Murray
O’Hare, the celebrated opponent of religion, over the Apollo 8 crew
Reading from Genesis while orbiting the moon at Christmas. I agreed
Reluctantly . I ate the tiny Host and swallowed the wine. I gave thanks for the
Intelligence and spirit that had brought two young pilots to the Sea of
Tranquility It was interesting for me to think: the very first liquid
Ever poured on the moon, and the very first food eaten there, were the
Communion elements.

‘NASA kept this secret for two decades. The memoirs of Buzz Aldrin and
The Tom Hanks Emmy-winning HBO mini-series, From the Earth to
The Moon (1998), made people aware of this act of Christian worship
235,000 miles from Earth.

He will cover you with his feathers,
And under his wings you will find refuge;
His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

Psalm 91:4

Prayer

Tomorrow, 2/11/10 the leadership in Iran promises to send the west a ‘punch’ (see below)… please pray that it is only rhetoric.
The people of Haiti
Norma’s brother (Notes from Norma Melvin S.) had a minor stroke last week and is recovering at home after being released from a Rochester, NY hospital
My Aunt Della sons Tony and Pastor Sam continues to recover from her minor stroke and lung infection.
John B (frequent Blogger) hand surgery … no new word
Scott C was hospitalized with stomach pain… preliminary diagnosis is diverticulitis… keep this young father of 5 in prayer
Safety for troops and relief workers in Haiti
Safety for grandson Scott in Haiti with Marines
Please continue to pray for the Family of Harold Larkin who passed away last week (especially two of my favorite students, his youngest children: Shaughn and Siobhan)
Answered Prayer: Baby Camdyn continues to recover but please keep her in in prayer for strength. As you know she came through her first surgery with flying colors , thanks in no small part to your prayer! But remember she will need even a more serious surgery in about five months.
Cousin Dick (Jamestown Patti’s brother) cancer of prostate… scheduled soon to begin radiation treatment
Close friend Norma W passed away after long illness… please continue to pray for family and husband Chuck
Brother Vince, heart and circulation issues bypass and stint surgery upcoming
Brother Mike, high blood pressure
Krisher family for loss of son John
Betty K is now home from the hospital… please continue to pray for her strength
DK stress
Sue intestinal disease… upcoming surgery healing and salvation
Please pray for our troops and especially the victims of Islamist Terrorism
Jamestown Patti’s special family Steven’s Johnson Syn. little 7 yr. old girl
DG gainful employment
Blogger Clint having problems with liver toxicity… may need transplant, please pray (see above).
Our nation, our President, our Congress, our courts… to put the people before their ideology

TD for special intention
From JAZ… Sending this message on to you because I know you to be prayer warriors. Kairos Torch for juveniles is very dear to my heart. This is a Christian outreach to troubled youth. Please pray that Kairos Torch will become reality in NY.
Close family friend Brenda… has been diagnosed with MS and has lost her job.
AE for strength to face his dilemma
TD gainful employment
Prayer for David S… wisdom in working with employee and former owner

Bless and pray for our service men and women as they seem to have fewer and fewer options as they deal with a mortal enemy.
wdb prostate problems continue
Continue to pray for missionary Bergman’s as they lost their wife and mother this past year
Maria – diabetes is critical. She had a skin and muscle biopsy and suspect small nerve neuropathy. Please continue to pray no change in her condition.
Clint: to find his son in Viet Nam and have the opportunity to present salvation to him. Clint is in hospital for esophageal bleeding, please keep him in prayer. Has liver toxicity (see above)
Pastor Neil S. (long time close friend and prayer partner) pray for God’s Will in his ministry. A possible opening in a local church…
Niece Rhonda is still weakened condition, but continues to work… continue to pray for strength and healing.
Brother Les is about the same, but he continues to have a Godly attitude. Yet the burden continues to be heavy on both he and Valarie. She and Les have been down to help take care of kids … her return home from Georgia has been post phoned at least a week due to global warming… ahhh no that was a snow storm wasn’t it! Please keep both Val and Les in prayer… such a faithful couple please keep them in prayer… Camdyn’s grandparents!
Transplants: Good Friend Keith – liver, Brother Pat – liver, Good Friend Jim – kidney … please keep praying for their well being; they all are doing well as of this printing
Sister Jane, Brenda, Cousins Janet, and Karen for strength… all are suffering from MS. Janet is now home from rehab. with cousin Tom caring for her.
Unity for our family
Brenda’s son medical condition- update- normal tests will undergo sleep study, still no diagnosis for seizures
Tom H and Marilyn for RSD
Tolerance, Christ’s Love, and Understanding for our families, friends, and enemies
Bonnie Erbie (author accusing Christians of being knuckle draggers), prayer for salvation.
Pray for wisdom and spiritual guidance in rearing children for our family as well as the renewal of the nuclear family; pray that marriage stays as one man, one woman, but rights are extended to same gender unions.
Pray for truth in education… i.e. AIDS, abortion, evolution, American History, and Man Made Global Warming
Pray for our troops each evening at 9:00 pm. every night … pray that America wakes up to evil before it is too late
Pray for Nephews John and Ryan – Navy and grandson Scott a Marine.
Prayer for healthy and safe births: Kassilyn, Meg, and Melissa
Prayer partners John and Ron and family.
Please continue to pray for health issues for five of our nieces and Marilyn.

Pastors: Dan, John, Tom, Lyell, Steve D, Ben, Estes, Gail, Sam, Whittikers, Neil, and Steve T for their ministries, ease of stress, and courage to spread the gospel; wisdom for all leadership at Yates, Greater Toledo 1st Baptist,
Billnmarilyn here

Billy Graham’s Prayer For Our Nation:
‘Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, ‘Woe to those who call evil good,’ but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics.. We have coveted our neighbor’s possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free. Amen!’

Yates:

Rita H’s stress test was normal but… no diagnosis yet
Tom H is recovering nicely after a minor heart keep praying please
Lynne (not Wilson) from Detroit… back surgery with staph infection complications (MERSA) no update
Marilyn L had a heart attack and is scheduled for surgery on Mon. Feb. 15th (mother of Karen B)
Jacob (5 year old) has psoriasis, and has improved but still an issue, please continue to pray… he is improving
Scott C hospitalized for stomach pain (see above)
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing
Dr B

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