What Happened at Fatima? Today in History

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Today in 1917 was the first of six appearances of the Holy Mother Mary to three children in Fatima, Portugal. It is the most famous and well documented of all the appearances of the Holy Mother.





It was during these apparitions that she shared prophecy, taught prayer and at the last visit gave them a miracle all 55,000 people attending witnessed. Later her prophecies would shake the world.





This article shows you the actual newspaper accounts and pictures taken at the site during the miracle of the sun.





Newspaper Report of Fatima Miracle on October 13, 1917





The following newspaper account appeared in the newspaper O Século. In the prologue to this article, the author distances himself from the apparitions, which he presents as a consequence of “the great tribulations that society was going through. The times of great tribulations have always favored the rebirth of religious ideas and the war adds to their expansion creating a fertile environment.”



Are we in the midst of a similar, or worse, great tribulation?



...In the astonished eyes of these people, whose attitude takes us back to Biblical times, and who, white faced with shock, with their heads uncovered, face the blue sky: the sun has trembled, the sun has made sudden movements that were outside all cosmic laws—the sun has “danced”, according to the typical expression of the country people.



Covered with dust on the running board of the bus from Torres Novas, an old man recites the Creed, from beginning to end. I ask who it is and they tell me it is João Maria Amado de Melo Ramalho da Cunha Vasconcelo. I see him later talking to those around him, who still have their hats on, begging them, strongly, to take them off in the presence of such an extraordinary demonstration of the existence of God. Identical scenes are repeated in other places and a woman shouts, bathed in tears and almost suffocated:

--What a shame! There are still men who don’t take off their hats in the presence of such a miracle!



And next they ask each other if they have seen or not seen. Most confess that they have seen the dancing of the sun; others, however, declare they have seen the smiling face of the Virgin herself. They swear that the sun spun about itself like a ring of fireworks, that it came down almost to the point of burning the Earth with its rays.

Some say that they saw it change color.



It is about three in the afternoon.



The sky is covered with clouds and the sun follows its path with its normal brightness and no one dares to look at it directly. And what about the little shepherds? Lucia, "she who speaks with the Virgin," tells everyone, with theatrical gestures, being held by a man who carries her from group to group, the war will end and that our soldiers will come back.



This news, however, does not increase the joy of those who are listening. The heavenly sign was everything. There is an intense curiosity to see the two little girls with their garlands of flowers. There are some who try to kiss the hands of the “little saints”, one of whom, Jacinta, looks more like she is going to faint than to dance. That which they were all looking for—the sign from Heaven—has been enough to satisfy them and make them convinced of their faith.



The people start to leave quickly. Without problems, without any disorder, without the need of any police. The pilgrims who leave more quickly are those who arrived earlier. They walk barefoot with their shoes on their heads or hanging on sticks. They are leaving with their soul satisfied to spread the good news to the villages they left. And what about the priests? Some came to this place, smiling, spending more time with the curious spectators than with the pilgrims who were anxious to see a miracle. Maybe one or another couldn’t hide the satisfaction which is so hard to hide on the faces of those who triumph.

Now it is up to those who are qualified to give their opinion on the strange dancing of the sun that today, in Fátima, caused hosannas to explode from the hearts of the faithful and caused astonishment —according to reliable sources—even in free thinkers and other people without religious beliefs who came to this now famous place.



Avelino de Almeida

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Leftist Liberals Better Stop Slamming Arizona Immigration Laws

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While the liberal elitists of the nation, including President Obama, have been quick to jump on the new Arizona Immigration Law making all kinds of crazy claims about how bad it is and calling for it's suspension and court challenges, perhaps they should not be so quick to judge.

First of all, Arizona only acted because they have waited years for the inept Congress to address the issue and in spite of the promise of the President, there has been no effort by Obama or the Democrats controlling Congress to bring it up for debate. We are going on 18 months since the agents of change took office and still nothing.



So Arizona, the place where most illegal immigrants come to America, is left holding the bag while Congress twiddles it's collective thumbs. Any action that might force Congress and the President to take action is a good thing.

Perhaps more important, in spite of the screams of the liberals, a new poll today shows 64% of Americans support the Arizona law getting tough on illegal immigrants. If nothing else at least Arizona has shown us courage where it is missing in Congress.



There are supposed to be over 12 million illegal immigrants, and some claim there are over 20 million. That means millions of jobs are being lost to them. It also means millions in tax revenue is lost. Yet in many states including Maryland the illegal immigrants get state and federal benefits including health insurance coverage, education, housing and food.

While some have social security cards most have US driver's licenses, drive cars and trucks registered in the US, and some even pay federal taxes. Even in those cases there are many who substantially under-report their income to limit the amount of taxes paid.



California, home to many left liberals, is taking action at the state and city level to punish Arizona for passing the law. Do they forget that Arizona is the source of over 23% of all the electricity consumed in California and over 5 million acre feet of water to Southern California per year. Arizona could initiate action to drop the water supply to 550,000 acre feet per year leaving Southern California high and dry.

Liberals beware, the groups you attack like Arizona could make your life very miserable if they applied your tactics to the electricity and water you depend on from them. Right now Arizona is showing a lot more moxie and class than the liberals by demonstrating they will do what the Congress can't by passing immigration reform, and by not making hollow threats like California did over the far more important water and electric rights that benefit the liberals.



Finally, state law enforcement costs to fight the illegal immigration and crime from the illegal drug trade from Mexico which impacts on all America is huge because Obama and the Congress do not have the guts to act on these national and federal priorities. Failure to act by the federal government is costing Arizona lives, giving Arizona one of the highest kidnapping rates in the world, and creating an unfair burden on one of the most patriotic and beautiful states in the nation.

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Memo to Internet Spammers and TV Advertisers - No More Prescription Addiction

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Older Americans now take over 8 prescription drugs a day to sustain their lives. All health care reform is going to do it make it easier and cheaper to take more prescriptions. But after spending a lifetime taking vaccines, booster shots, antibiotics, and maintenance drugs, all which contributed to poor health and higher insurance premiums, what can we do? I say stop taking prescription drugs. The only reason you have to is because you spent your life doing what they told you to do.



It is time we said enough is enough and started getting well rather than getting treated. But before we make such a dramatic step forward in survival you need to take The I Don't Need Creed. It goes something like this.



The I Don't Need Creed!

I don't need drugs for depression because I'm not depressed.

I don't need drugs to relax because I'm already relaxed.



I don't need drugs to sleep because I don't feel like sleeping.

I don't need drugs to wake up because I didn't take drugs to sleep.



I don't need drugs to have sex because, well, it's none of your business.

I don't need drugs for sore legs because I earned the pain.

I don't need drugs for aching joints because I played hard as a kid.

I don't need drugs for cancer because I just might not have it.



I don't need drugs to eat because I'm not hungry.

I don't need drugs to run the marathon because it's a stupid thing to do.

I don't need drugs for being tired because I'm not tired.

I don't need drugs for plastic surgery because I like who I am.

I don't need drugs just because I'm eligible for AARP.



I don't need drugs to stop smoking because I stopped.

I don't need drugs for brittle bones because they aren't brittle.

I don't need drugs for my teeth and gums because they don't hurt.



I don't need drugs for wrinkles because I laughed enough to earn them.

I don't need drugs for soft or brittle nails because they look just fine.

I don't need drugs for smooth skin because smooth is not me.



I don't need drugs for gray hair because I should be getting gray.

I don't need drugs for being left handed because ass backward is okay by me.

I don't need drugs for nightmares because I might learn a lesson.



I don't need drugs for headaches for glasses because I can see just fine.

I don't need drugs for moles or warts because they don't bother me.

I don't need drugs to think better because I think just enough.

I don't need drugs to be happy because my eyes are open.



I don't need drugs for self esteem because I'm not ashamed of who I am.

I don't need drugs for doing stupid things because I might need them all the time.

I don't need drugs to eat better because I'm already big enough.

I don't need drugs to diet because I can stop eating junk.



I don't need drugs for a cold because I was out in the rain.

I don't need drugs to feel well because I want to keep feeling well.

I don't need drugs for thin blood because I already bleed too much.



I don't need drugs for a stroke because I don't have one.

I don't need drugs for mosquito bites because they are supposed to bite.

I don't need drugs for tick or flea bites because I don't walk in the woods.

I don't need drugs for clean water to drink because all the water is dirty.



I don't need drugs to stop heartburn because I don't have it yet.

I don't need drugs to stop headaches because I can turn off the TV.

I don't need drugs for Alzheimer's because I don't remember having it.

THE END

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Janey Cutler New Susan Boyle of Britain

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As if Susan Boyle, the 49 year old sensation introduced to the world on Britain's Got Talent last year is not enough, yet another more senior talent has been discovered from the pubs of Golly Old England.

You may recall that Susan Boyle had the best selling album in the world in 2009, with 8.3 million worldwide sales, almost four times as many sales as country star Taylor Swift.

This year's competition features Janey Cutler, an 81 year old pub singer, mother of 7 and grandmother of 4, who wowed the judges. Check her out yourself on this Youtube video.

Janey Cutler - Britain's Got Talent 2010 - Auditions Week 4 @ Yahoo! Video

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Zombie Satellite Causes Astronomical Buzz

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I have been warning you of the dangers from increased solar activity. So far we have discussed the potential for auto malfunctions, cell phone disruptions, television signal jamming and even a failure of the power grid. Here is a story about more evidence of the power of the sun to change our lives.



by Claudine Zap

Don't be alarmed. High above your heads, a zombie satellite is on the loose. OK, actually, it won't really be a bother to us earthlings. Or at least to most of us. (More on that later.) But the rogue communications satellite is wreaking havoc in Earth's orbit and does threaten to interfere with signals coming from other satellites. Here's the backstory...

The communications satellite named Galaxy 15 lost contact with ground control after a solar flare probably fried its brain. As a story from the Christian Science Monitor reports, attempts from Earth to contact the satellite have been unsuccessful. But instead of just dying and drifting off, the satellite has continued to orbit the Earth, even though it refuses to receive instructions from its owner, Intelsat.

For the science nerds out there: The satellite is still on, with its "C-band telecommunications payload still functioning even as it has left its assigned orbital slot of 133 degrees west longitude 36,000 kilometers over the equator." Translation: Not good.

What's confounding scientists is that even though the satellite is toast, it continues to operate at full power, but with nobody telling it what to do. Why on earth we should care: The "zombiesat" (as its known in space talk) could steal a working sat signal, and interrupt programming for its customers. Yes, that means our television programs. The horror. As the blog Boing Boing points out, Galaxy 15 was one of the satellites that carried the Syfy channel's signal. And now it's met an end good enough to be its own Syfy show.

The Galaxy 15 is on course to mess with an SES satellite that transmits to Luxembourg. If it's any consolation to the good people of Luxembourg, officials are calling the situation "unprecedented."

The undead satellite has caused searches for "galaxy 15 satellite" to rise an astronomical 10,300% in the last week. Searches were also out of this world for "nasa satellite imagery," "satellite photo," and "nasa satellites." It's also caused people to wonder "how many satellites are in space." Not enough to bump into each other. Yet.

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Where has the News Media been? - Of course Incumbents are Threatened this Year!

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After what seemed like a stunning defeat of Republican conservative Senator Bob Bennett in the Utah caucus to determine primary candidates the national media suddenly realized that all incumbent members of Congress could be an endangered species this fall.

What kind of idiots write for the news media? These are the same people who declared the national Tea Party movement dead at first, and then decided it was overrun by right wing radicals. Of course one of those right wing radicals was beaten up by left wing SEIU thugs but the media tends to overlook those kinds of facts.



But the fact of the matter is the news media, in particular the left leaning media, was dead wrong in doing a post mortem on the Tea Party just as they were dead wrong in believing the Tea Party was some kind of Republican plot. The Tea Party are Americans, Independents, Republicans and Democrats, who believe Washington, DC has lost touch.

They are the little people who know the corruption in our nation's capitol is so deep that the conflict of interest running rampant between politicians and special interests cannot be controlled, it must be eradicated. No politician is above the law and the people are fed up with the lame excuses from politicians, the conflicts of interest, the favoritism and the partisanship.



The Tea Party is sick of politicians who have excuses for what is not being done and who keep piling up greater and greater national debt, now projected at about $20 trillion under Obama and the Democrats. Bailouts, deficit spending, reckless bureaucracies and growing government are the enemies of the Tea Party people because politicians have demonstrated they do not have the decency, honesty or fortitude to fight for the people.

All incumbents are threatened in spite of the ignorance of the news media. What the media have accomplished with their constant efforts to manipulate the news and cover up for the crooks is to alienate themselves from the public as well as the politicians. No one believes in the integrity of the media nor should they.



News in America is advertiser based. We get the best news money can buy and quite frankly, their best is simply not good enough. All polls show that as politicians continue to lose credibility so do the news media who cover the politicians.

For over a year the people of America have let their disgust with existing politicians be known. For almost two years we have been writing about the growing discontent in the nation and the shift of Independents as well as conservatives from both parties into an anti-incumbent mood. The shift continues to grow and as it grows all incumbents are becoming targets.



There can be no doubt that high taxes, deficit spending, increased debt and bailouts are the enemy of the people. If incumbents participated in any of these actions there time may be limited. It is a long overdue purge of the partisan, corrupt politicians in Washington. Keep spending money, keep ignoring the growing debt, keep crooked campaign laws in effect and you may very well be seeing the end of you career in politics.



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Elena Kagan - Supreme Court Nominee - Deserves the Nod

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President Obama nominated a third woman to the US Supreme Court and this time he has picked a winner. For whatever reason he ran the risk of alienating his own liberal base by nominating one of the most personable people possible and perhaps because of her absence of a paper trail, meaning a load of written judicial decisions, our politicians seem to be concerned about her lack of litigation and judicial background.

However, such background is not required to be nominated and Kagan has demonstrated throughout her life that she is a highly intellectual, well grounded and broadly experienced woman well deserving of being the youngest to currently serve on the Supreme Court. You try graduating from Princeton, Oxford and Harvard Law school with honors.

She was the first female Dean of Harvard Law School breaking down the barriers to one of the most male dominated bastions in America. Her outstanding record there included being accused of balancing the philosophical bias of Harvard professors, she actually recruited conservatives to bring about balance.



She was a teacher and comes from a family of teachers including two brothers and her mother. There are already underground rumors about her which has no place in the nomination process. Her record as a Dean, teacher, White House counsel, domestic affairs specialist and Solicitor General give her a broad range of experience not normally found on the Supreme Court.

More than anything else she brings a ready smile and a wit, something missing in most federal appointments, along with a dedication to protecting the Constitution. Obama did her no favors in saying she would be an advocate against corporate bad guys, totally uncalled for and even the Washington Post blasted him for his poor choice of words. A good Supreme Court justice will set aside their own bias in ruling in support of the Constitution. Obama is supposed to be a Constitutional lawyers though his comments have got him in trouble before.

There is no indication Kagan will do anything but defend the Constitution and there is nothing more we can ask of a Supreme Court justice. We believe she is an excellent choice.



We also encourage the Republicans on the committee that must confirm her to avoid the partisan politics that often undermine the nomination process and not let the process revolve around ideological issues but be based on her ability to stick to the Constitutional interpretation role expected of the Supreme Court.

Give her a chance to help balance the court with reason and make history with the third current woman to be appointed to the court. Maybe with three women Justices facing him at the next State of the Union Obama can be more presidential and not take cheap shots at the independent court.

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UK Election Winner David Cameron Can't Get No Satisfaction Either

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Now we know where the sometimes confusing results of the elections in America come from, the UK. Only in America can you win the popular vote and lose the election (Bush-Gore 2000). So much of America is influenced by the old British Empire it is only appropriate our elections are as well.



Yesterday, on the 45th anniversary of the writing of the rock anthem I Can't Get No Satisfaction" by the legendary British invaders the Rolling Stones, the UK election ended with winner David Cameron singing I Can't Get No Satisfaction. Just like the Bush victory in 2000, this election ended in titillating controversy, what the British call a hung Parliament.



The 2000 election ended November 7 with Florida being a contested state and three rulings later by the US Supreme Court on December 12, Bush was officially declared the winner. Gore won the popular vote but Bush won the electoral vote and presidency.



In the UK the Conservatives knocked Prime Minister Brown out of the top spot by capturing around 306 seats in parliament to 258 for Brown's party but they were short of the 326 needed to take control of the government. Now the Conservatives have to cut a deal with the third place Liberal Democrat party, 57 seats, to share the victory or Brown, the loser, might just remain as Prime Minister under his government.

Sound complicated? Try explaining the US electoral college to the British.

The UK Conservative Unionist party is the center-right leaning party, the successor to the Tory party. You won't find many unions in America leaning center-right. The Labour party of Brown and previously Blair is center-left leaning, more like the American democrats and unions. But the Liberal Democrat party is the center left socialist liberal party, more like the far left in America.



Since Cameron and the Conservatives did not get a majority they have to cut a deal with the Liberal Democrats in order for Cameron to become Prime Minister. That would be like Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck forming a coalition with Keith Obermann and Chris Matthews. Sounds more like a nuclear reaction.

Then



and now



Anyway, if no one can form a coalition then the Queen is stuck with figuring out who to ask to be the next prime minister and form a new government. She can get along with anyone since she has had 11 PMs from Winston Churchill to Gordon Brown but her 12th might be the toughest task.



By the way, the endorsement of American Idol's Simon Cowell at the last minute of David Cameron did not seem to be enough to get the Conservatives the majority. So now we wait and see if the British have any better luck than we did in 2000 and finally get a new PM.

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The Wall Street Near Melt Down - Was It Greed, Manipulation or Cyber Attacks?

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Yesterday I was watching CNBC when in a six minute span the economic world nearly collapsed and then slowly made it's way back from the precipice of catastrophe to settle at a loss of 347 points. It was amazing how the stock market gurus once again totally lost control of the world financial markets, only this time in just six minutes, and then breathed a sigh of relief that we only lost a half a trillion dollars in value in one day.



Let me put that in a form you might understand. Let's say the foundation of the market is 7062 which is the market low during the recent recession reached in February 2009. That was down from a high of 14,161 in October 2007. That means 7062 is the modern foundation of the market, as low as it goes without a depression. This was after the housing, banking, auto and insurance collapses.

When the market opened yesterday it was at 10,868, a decent recovery from the low a year earlier. About 2:46 pm it was down about 300 points, a rather precipitous drop for the day. In the next six minutes the floor fell out from under the market as the Dow dropped 998.50 for the day, the largest one day drop in history. It happened so fast the trading machines could not keep up with the panic.



That means there was a 26% loss of the increased value of the stock market since it hit bottom in February a year ago. Six minutes and a 26% loss, which equaled over ONE TRILLION DOLLARS! If you were standing in front of your house and instantly over one fourth of your house disappeared, only to have a little over half of the loss reappear during the next 90 minutes, would you feel good about it?

Wall Street thinks we should feel good only part of the house disappeared. They think we are fortunate the loss for the day was only about half a trillion dollars rather than one trillion. I say they are nuts. These are the same people who failed to see the recession coming. The same people who lost over half of the value of our 401k and other retirements funds. The same ones who cost us over $6 trillion in home equity between 2007 and today.



What they aren't telling us is who profited from this market manipulation. It certainly did not just impact on the stock market. Someone, you listening Obama, needs to check the pattern of manipulation in currency and commodities markets as the stock market was having a bout of temporary insanity. Someone made billions if not more money in those few short minutes and the politicians better find out who.

As of today's open, the Australian dollar, the euro and the Canadian dollar are all down 4% over just two trading sessions. The Swiss franc is down 2.5%. The yen is up almost 5%. None of that is close to normal market volatility. In the commodities market gold is up a staggering $40 during the same period. Billions of dollars were made in these transactions, by whom? All the media attention was on the stock market but the big bucks were made in the currency and commodities markets.



Even the drop in oil futures has been breathtaking. Oil futures reached a high for the year just Monday and then dropped $9 a barrel since. Remember, in this day of no morals or ethics in the economy the big boys make just as much profit when commodities lose value as when they increase in value. Goldman Sachs is one of the masters at oil price manipulation. There is absolutely no justification for oil reaching new highs earlier this week as demand is down, inventories are up and the future world recovery is weak.

So far no one on Wall Street or in the Regulatory offices is taking the responsibility or blame. Of course not. Besides, it wasn't their money they were losing, it was ours. However, this is a clear case of the extreme vulnerability of the markets to cyber attacks. When you become dependent on machines and the market trading is driven by machines, and when you require the Internet to make sure the greedy money from all over the world can get into the market instantly, then hacking into such a system with today's lack of cyber security is child's play.



Why no one in the media or Obama administration is discussing the potential for a cyber attack as the cause of the massive market disruption is beyond me. Cyber security is the greatest threat to our financial system, far greater than the greed of Wall Street. Today such security does not exist. Just ask any intelligence agency because all of them including the Department of Defense have had their secure systems hacked.



Wake up Washington, the dangers to our financial system are only just becoming obvious. Did we forget that Osama Bin Laden once said bring down the financial system and you bring down America? Both the criminal networks and terrorists have recruited the best cyber minds in the world, not to mention foreign governments who would love to see American capitalism collapse, and their primary target in the world is the American economy. If we remain asleep at the switch much longer the train wreck they could cause in our economy could be far more powerful than any car bomb or limited nuclear attack.

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