Sunday, August 25, 2013

Sun Aug 25th Todays News

Today the Liberals launched their official election campaign. They will soon announce the rest of their policies which is interesting because the Government won't announce theirs, or launch their campaign until the week before the election. There are just under two weeks to go. PM Rudd has admitted it was a mistake to launch a carbon tax without announcing it prior to the last election. Which is another lie .. in fact, the ALP categorically ruled out a carbon tax. Abbott is playing a tricky game by being kind and generous with his time with all he meets. Meanwhile, the friendly Rudd seems to be completely isolated from any who like him. Miranda Devine has written an article excoriating Rudd. So has Akerman, but Miranda's is better written. 
Some Liberals seem to like Green. Which is only fair as most ALP aren't campaigning in their colours. IPA are prospering without industry support because they oppose AGW alarmism. 
In world news, Rudd stopped campaigning to address the Syria situation yesterday. We know this because he said so. He then flew from Canberra to Brisbane to film himself in a meet and greet cooking show with a journalist before attending a security briefing because Australia is involved in the UN security committee. California fires are seriously big. Some churches are changing bylaws in response to gay marriage legislation. RIP to broadway star Julie Harris. Her life's work is an achievement for which the 87 yo could be proud. Maria Tran's Hit Girls won "Breakout action star" category and "Best Villain Short" at Pasadena Hilton
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Happy birthday and many happy returns Philippe van Lansberge (1561), Marie-Eugénie de Jésus (1817), Sean Connery (1930), Elvis Costello (1954), Tim Burton (1958) and Billy Ray Cyrus (1961). Born on the same day, across the years. On your day, Independence Day in Uruguay (1825)
1537 – The Honourable Artillery Company, currently the oldest surviving regiment in the British Army, was formed by Royal Charter from King Henry VIII.
1609 – Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei demonstrated his first telescope, a device that became known as a terrestrial or spyglass refracting telescope, to Venetian lawmakers.
1950 – Althea Gibson entered into the U.S. Tennis Championships, becoming the first African-American woman to be a competitor on the world tennis tour.
1989 – The Voyager 2 spacecraft made its closest approach to Neptune and provided definitive proof of the existence of the planet's rings.
2001 – American singer Aaliyah and various members of her record company were killed when their overloaded airplane crashed shortly after takeoff from Marsh Harbour Airport in Marsh Harbour, The Bahamas.
Keep the powder dry. Look before you leap. Be competitive. Remember, to discover, you should first observe. If you have everything, try not to put it all on a light aircraft.
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Rudd’s class war leave is hogwash

Piers Akerman – Saturday, August 24, 2013 (11:01pm)

KEVIN Rudd is struggling to connect to Labor’s traditional blue-collar base with a blatant appeal to hate-filled class warfare not seen in Australia since the pre-Whitlam days and laid to rest under Bob Hawke.

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Character is destiny, Mr Rudd

Miranda Devine – Saturday, August 24, 2013 (11:04pm)

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SOMETIMES, the most trivial event can have the most volcanic impact in an election campaign. So it was with the encounter between the Prime Minister and the make-up artist last week.
Kevin Rudd was late to the Broncos Leagues Club in Brisbane on Wednesday night. Late, and anxious, despite the cheesy grin he flashed to demonstrators as his car swung into the driveway.
It was 6.15pm, just 15 minutes until showtime for the People’s Forum, where both leaders were to face unscripted questions from an audience of swinging voters.
David Speers was already on stage and the audience were in their seats. Tony Abbott had been in the building for almost an hour.
The Opposition Leader had a room on the lower ground floor, while the PM and his entourage were assigned quarters one level above the ground floor auditorium where the leaders would face off in a contest Rudd had been reluctantly conscripted into.
Lily Fontana was the freelance make-up artist hired by Sky to ensure both men were camera-ready.
Highly regarded, and reportedly apolitical, the mother of a young son told staffers she was excited to be back, three years after working on the debate between Abbott and Julia Gillard.
Abbott remembered her and they chatted companionably as she powdered his nose. She was finished on schedule at 5.45pm.
But there was no sign of Rudd. As she waited for the PM to arrive, Abbott’s staffers offered her coffee.
It is not known what state Rudd was in when he burst through the door at 6.15pm, but he appeared jumpy and soon began sculling bottles of Mt Franklin water.
Whatever happened next in that first-floor make-up room is now a matter of debate.
But one thing is clear. The PM made such a bad impression on Lily Fontana that, three hours later, at 9.25pm, she opened up Facebook and vented.
“Just finished doing Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott’s makeup ... One of them was absolutely lovely, engaged in genuine conversation with me, acknowledged that I had a job to do and was very appreciative. The other did the exact opposite! Oh boy, I have never had anyone treat me so badly.
“Political opinions aside ... from one human being to another … Mr Abbott you win hands down.’’
It was a bombshell comment, devastating because it was so believable. It crystallised underlying character assessments of both men that have slowly been forming in the electorate.
Despite his genial, cheery persona, here was a glimpse of the other Rudd we have heard about, a nasty, volatile man.
Before Fontana was harassed into deleting her Facebook post on Thursday, fellow Brisbane make-up artist Abigael Johnston added a comment: “I second this Lily. I have had a very similar experience! Must run in the family as Mr Howard and Mr Costello were gentlemen with a capital G. Mr Abbott is following in their footsteps.
“The other, I could not even Facebook how he treated the crew. Just abhorrent!’’
We have enough circumstantial evidence to say that Rudd treats people he regards as lower status as insignificant and unworthy of courtesy.
This is why Fontana’s observations were significant. Kevin Rudd has form. The RAAF flight attendant reduced to tears when she brought him sandwiches instead of the vegetarian meal he requested.
The persistent story of the tantrum over a hairdryer in Afghanistan, which he denies.
The high-five with a limelight-hogging preschooler that ended with a squeeze that made the child say “Ouch’’. The chip snatched from a reluctant stranger’s plate.
And there are untold stories which also go to character.
A former soldier, Arthur, on duty at Kabul International Airport one wintry day in 2007, remembers Rudd’s first visit to Afghanistan as PM.
It still hurts to recall the bags of eagerly anticipated Christmas mail due on the plane.
Before Rudd landed, a senior officer warned the troops there would be no mail. Rudd had “insisted his entire entourage fly with him on the same aircraft so they offloaded all the mail’’, says Arthur.
One of the Diggers broke the silence: ``Johnny would have brought the mail.’’ As in Howard.
When Rudd arrived, he shook hands with Arthur, who was wearing an eye patch because an allergic reaction to a vaccine meant he couldn’t close his left eye when firing his weapon.
“What’s up with you?’’ asked Rudd.
Arthur explained.
“So you aren’t celebrating International Pirate Day then?’’ quipped Rudd.
Arthur didn’t see the humour.
Three years later, Arthur was on his way out on leave when his plane was diverted to Tarin Kowt to pick up a VIP whose plane had broken down.
It was Tony Abbott. Once airborne, the Opposition Leader walked to the back of the plane and told the troops: “I just want to apologise for stealing your aircraft and holding you up. I know you all have somewhere you would rather be.’’
Arthur remembers Abbott took time to speak to each person in the cargo hold.
Reputations are built up bit by bit, through chance encounters, small connections, word of mouth. But once they jell, it is impossible for even the cleverest spin doctor to supplant them.
Character is destiny.

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GREEN MALCOLM

Tim Blair – Sunday, August 25, 2013 (5:11am)

Usually it’s Labor candidates who seek to conceal their party affiliation, but check out this Malcolm Turnbull campaign poster:

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(Via Nic P. who reports: “Turnbull has two election posters up. One uses a blue theme with the Liberal logo. The other one – well, see if you can work out which party Malcolm represents. The poster in the picture is the one being used at the pre-polling station in Bondi Junction, so I assume it’s Malcom’s preferred design.")

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KITCHEN KEVNI

Tim Blair – Sunday, August 25, 2013 (5:06am)

From the Syrian crisis to cooking with Annabel on the ABC, Kevin Rudd can do it all: 
He started the day with the sombre announcement that the campaign had been suspended so he could focus on urgent talks about the Syria crisis.
What the Prime Minister didn’t say was that he had his taxpayer funded VIP jet waiting so he could fly home to Brisbane for the afternoon to appear on a cooking show, Kitchen Cabinet, billed as an opportunity to watch politicians cook dinner in exchange for “a bring-a-plate dessert and a cheeky glass of wine” …
Amid international reports the United States may launch a missile strike against Syria, a sombre-faced Prime Minister declared yesterday it was a matter of “grave concern” and he would seek urgent briefings in Canberra.
Asked twice during a press conference if he was suspending his campaign to deal with the crisis in Syria, Mr Rudd said the next practical step was to ensure he was fully briefed by officials.
“My first responsibility, as Prime Minister of this country, is to make sure these matters are attended to thoroughly and carefully,” he said.
“These are troubling times and we need to focus carefully and squarely on unfolding events and as they affect Australia’s core national interests.
“The next practical step is for formal national security briefings to myself and other relevant Ministers which will occur in Canberra later today.”
But immediately after Sydney press conference, Mr Rudd boarded a taxpayer-funded RAAF jet to fly 728 kilometres to Brisbane to film an episode of the cooking show … 
The piece now carries this 8.21pm editor’s note: 
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has released a statement accusing the Sunday Telegraph of reporting he ‘delayed’ security briefings on Syria. Mr Rudd is wrong. The Sunday Telegraph’s report – which is being published now in our print edition – merely says Mr Rudd suspended campaigning to deal with Syria, but then flew to Brisbane to shoot Kitchen Cabinet. 
Let’s hope Barack Obama was kept in the loop.

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KEVNI, IN WHOM NOT EVEN LABOR TRUSTS

Tim Blair – Sunday, August 25, 2013 (4:23am)

Channel Ten’s Canberra chief Stephen Spencer, usually friendly to Labor, slams Kevin Rudd: 
The man undermined every single Labor leader he ever served under from the day he was elected. Used to be a game in the office. How soon after shadow cabinet before he leaked it. 10 minutes was the record. 
Rudd sounds like exactly the sort of calm and controlled fellow we need in top-level talks about Syria. 

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LADIES’ MAN

Tim Blair – Sunday, August 25, 2013 (4:16am)

When a female journalist displeases him, Labor speechwriter Bob Ellis threatens to break her nose.
When a male journalist displeases him, Labor speechwriter Bob Ellis urges other people to “spit on him, and then walk away.”

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SHE BRINGS YOU LOVE

Tim Blair – Sunday, August 25, 2013 (4:01am)

Sarah Hanson-Young hearts us all:

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THE INTERNET WAS INVENTED FOR THIS

Tim Blair – Sunday, August 25, 2013 (3:28am)

A dancing hillbilly, a fat raccoon and the Queen of Soul:


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Tony Abbott on The Bolt Report today

Andrew Bolt August 25 2013 (9:24am)

On The Bolt Report on Channel 10:




The twitter feed.
The place the videos appear.
UPDATE

THE BOLT REPORT
25 AUGUST 2013
INTERVIEW WITH TONY ABBOTT
ANDREW BOLT, PRESENTER: Today – polls say Tony Abbott will be Prime Minister in a fortnight. What kind of leader does he want to be? How Kevin Rudd’s comeback hit the wall. Former treasurer Peter Costello and Belinda Neal on Labor’s big scare campaign. And did this minister just say the dumbest thing in this campaign? I’m Andrew Bolt, and that this is the Bolt Report.
ANDREW BOLT: The polls say Tony Abbott will in two weeks become our next Prime Minister. Now, if you believed Labor, this man is – and I quote – a thug. He’s sexist, a bully, and a misogynist – all quotes from Labor politicians. Well, it seems a lot of voters have seen through Labor’s abuse, and are going to give Abbott a go. One poll yesterday said the Coalition is now well in front. Kevin Rudd could even lose his own seat. Tony Abbott joins me from Brisbane, where he will today formally launch the Liberal campaign. Thanks for joining me.
TONY ABBOTT: Thanks, Andrew.
ANDREW BOLT: You’ve campaigned for four long years as leader to get to this day. It’s been a hell of a marathon. In that time, what was your lowest point?
TONY ABBOTT: Andrew, there’ve been some good times, some not-so-good times. I guess probably the most frustrating times were one or two not so great interviews that I gave, but thankfully they were mostly before the 2010 election.
ANDREW BOLT: It was interesting, you were talking about two interviews on ‘7:30’ on the ABC, where it seemed you were in a confessional mood, etc. I got the impression then that you didn’t feel quite worthy yet of the responsibility – that you hadn’t quite grown into the job. Is that how you felt at the time?
TONY ABBOTT: Andrew, no-one is perfect in this world, and there’s a sense in which no-one is really worthy of the great honour of the Prime Ministership of our country – but I am certainly very conscious of the fact that I have grown over the last few years. I am ready, and more importantly – just as importantly – my team is ready. So I’m ready, we’re ready, to do the right thing by the people of Australia.
ANDREW BOLT: But at what stage did you really think “I can do this. I really can do this. I own the job”?
TONY ABBOTT: I was confident that I could do it from the moment I became the Leader of the Opposition, but I guess the level of confidence, and the level of conviction, grows over time. The fact that I saw off Kevin Rudd in June of 2010, and then, eight weeks ago or so, saw off Julia Gillard, is an indication to me that I am more than capable of doing this job. In the end the question is: do you have a vision for Australia? And my vision for Australia, after three years of a Coalition government, should we win – the boats will be stopped, the Budget will be back under
control, our country will be stronger and more confident, we will feel that we are closer to being our best selves, and very importantly, there’ll be bulldozers on the ground and cranes in our skies – because I’d like to be known as an infrastructure Prime Minister.
ANDREW BOLT: Now it’s interesting, one of the things that has changed, obviously – early on you were prepared to go through questions like that, more self-reflective, and now obviously you feel this is an area that you can’t do. You have to not project any sense of doubt or anything – any introspection. Do you feel that leadership makes you lose the ability to be freer with people?
TONY ABBOTT: If you’re a leader, Andrew, you have got to radiate confidence and competence. The last thing –
ANDREW BOLT: Even if you don’t feel it?
TONY ABBOTT: Well look, the people of Australia expect their leaders to know what they’re doing. The last thing they want to see in their leaders is some kind of meltdown in public. That is the last thing anyone wants from a leader, and I’m determined not to give it to people.
ANDREW BOLT: Well, can you just tell us this, though – I mean, you’ve had a fair bit of character assassination, and knowing you personally, a lot of it I thought was just outrageous. But has there been some aspect of your character you thought “Well, they have got me on something, and I need to change it.”
TONY ABBOTT: I suppose all of us sometimes think we can do better. There’ve certainly been times in the past, Andrew, when I probably could have thought more before I spoke. There have been times in the past where I’ve said things which I believe, but I haven’t said them as clearly or in as sensitive a way as I might have. And when you’re a major party leader, when you’re a national leader, you don’t have the luxury of a loose comment. You don’t have the luxury of being able to think out loud. Everything has got to be right when it’s said. Now, no-one gets it right 100 per cent of the time, but you’ve got to be constantly trying to approach more closely that ideal.
ANDREW BOLT: Alright. After the break, John Howard once said he hoped to make Australians feel “comfortable and relaxed”. What is Tony Abbott’s vision?
AD BREAK
ANDREW BOLT: John Howard was asked just before he became Prime Minister in 1996 what legacy he hoped he’d leave for Australians.
JOHN HOWARD: I would like to see them comfortable and relaxed about their history. I’d like to see them comfortable and relaxed about, about the present. And I’d also like to see them comfortable and relaxed about the future.
ANDREW BOLT: Many journalists made fun of such seemingly humble ambitions, but Howard probably achieved them, and one of his ministers was Tony Abbott. How
would you answer that question – how would you like Australia to be, after three years of an Abbott government?

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Age shocked: IPA refuses to be mouthpiece for business

Andrew Bolt August 25 2013 (5:41am)

The Age set out to establish the IPA is a mouthpiece for Big Business donors, only to find that what the IPA argues has cost it the support of Big Business:

Some of the world’s largest companies have dropped financial support and membership of free-market think tank the Institute of Public Affairs amid concern at its vociferous campaign against action on climate change.
That actually suggests the IPA says what it thinks, rather than what it’s paid to, right? And that what should be examined is the real source of its influence - not its donors but its arguments, whether on global warming or free speech.
But no. The fact that the IPA has lost some Big Business support (yet more than compensated for it by grass roots backing) is presented as a sign of weakness and shame:

But corporate sources said it was hard for multinationals and big companies to keep supporting the IPA due to its hardline positions on many issues. One senior source called its position on climate change ‘’nuts’’ and ‘’lunacy’’ and embracing ‘’fringe’’ elements.
Pathetic. 

No wonder the IPA is doing so well. And The Age not.
To back the IPA, go here. Show the courage that risk-averse Big Business lacks. 

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Rudd’s goose is cooked

Andrew Bolt August 25 2013 (5:09am)

This will finish him off completely.  Kevin Rudd cooks up a story about being too busy dealing with Syria to go campaigning:
HE started the day with the sombre announcement that the campaign had been suspended so he could focus on urgent talks about the Syria crisis.
What the Prime Minister didn’t say was that he had his taxpayer funded VIP jet waiting so he could fly home to Brisbane for the afternoon to appear on a cooking show, Kitchen Cabinet, , billed as an opportunity to watch politicians cook dinner in exchange for “a bring-a-plate dessert and a cheeky glass of wine” …
Mr Rudd made no reference today to his afternoon-long commitment with the ABC when he announced he would not be campaigning all day…
Amid international reports the United States may launch a missile strike against Syria, a sombre-faced Prime Minister declared yesterday it was a matter of ``grave concern’’ and he would seek urgent briefings in Canberra. Asked twice during a press conference if he was suspending his campaign to deal with the crisis in Syria, Mr Rudd said the next practical step was to ensure he was fully briefed by officials
``My first responsibility, as Prime Minister of this country, is to make sure these matters are attended to thoroughly and carefully,’’ he said…
``The next practical step is for formal national security briefings to myself and other relevant Ministers which will occur in Canberra later today.”
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But immediately after Sydney press conference, Mr Rudd boarded a taxpayer-funded RAAF jet to fly 728 kilometres to Brisbane to film an episode of the cooking show…
He then flew back to Canberra arriving at 6pm last night.
Rudd throws sand in the eyes:

Editor’s note 8.21pm: Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has released a statement accusing the Sunday Telegraph of reporting he ‘delayed’ security briefings on Syria. Mr Rudd is wrong. The Sunday Telegraph’s report ... merely says Mr Rudd suspended campaigning to deal with Syria, but then flew to Brisbane to shoot Kitchen Cabinet.
Here’s how a grim-faced Rudd told journalists yesterday about the day ahead of him - and note the absence of the words “cooking show”:
On Saturday morning Mr Rudd told Sydney journalists that he thought it was appropriate to halt campaigning temporarily, given the deadly situation in Syria.
When asked whether he regarded it as a “temporary suspension of your campaign”, he replied: “I regard it as a necessary practical step to make sure that we are fully briefed on developments. I have sought, during the course of the last 24 hours, to remain across these things. But, given these matters involve highly sensitive reports, it’s the advice of the secretary of my department that I travel to Canberra to be more fully briefed and I intend to do that.”
He also told reporters, “As Prime Minister of the country, I have a responsibility to draw to the attention of the Australian people to major events of an international nature which affect our national interests. I formed the judgment that this represents one such event.
“We are in consultation with our friends and allies around the world as we speak, and, as I said, having spoken about this now at some length with the secretary of the Prime Minister’s Department, and with the US ambassador, the next practical step is for formal national security briefings to myself and other relevant ministers which will occur in Canberra later today.
“Calm, sober, response means taking the information available at hand first, analysing precisely and carefully what has happened here, and then carefully considering appropriate responses, not to be rushed in any of this, but to be properly considered in all of this.”
Rudd has made himself a laughing stock. This will be devastating.
(Thanks to a whole bunch of readers.) 

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John Key's daughter Stephanie poses nude. Photo: Stephanie Key

NEW Zealand Prime Minister John Key says he is "very proud" of his daughter Stephanie's nude photos.
Ms Key, who is studying at the Paris College of Art, will next month debut a series of provocative self-portraits at Paris Design Week.
The images include one of the 20-year-old covering her breasts with hamburgers and another with her body covered in pieces of sushi and octopus. In one more, Stephanie poses topless with a cherry in her mouth, brandishing a fake handgun.
We presume there is some sort of deep meaning behind the pictures. To us, they just seem a bit strange.
"The photographs were part of her curriculum work, and we are very proud of the work she is doing," Mr Key said.
Britain's Sunday Times said Ms Key was "not exactly a chip off the old block".
In 2011, Mr Key's son Max, then 15, brought attention to the family when a photo emerged of Max lying plank-like across the sofa in the prime ministerial residence.

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<Although I undermined and backstabbed her at every turn, leaked on my party and was an all round prick the past 3 years, I hold no hard feelings against Julia and respect her decision. Gotta zip folks! >
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4 her
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Maria Tran
Hit Girls | Winner of the "Breakout Action Star" Category; Maria Tran & JuJu Chan | Best Villain Short; Thien Nguyen @ 2013 Action On Film Festival. Thanks to everyone who worked on this action short film!
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4 her
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Larry Pickering
ABBOTT’S PPL SHOULD GO... at least for now

Company tax reduction from 30% to 28.5% does not represent a 1.5% saving, particularly for multi-nationals, simply because companies have never paid 30%.

BHP Billiton in a good year pays around 17% and has paid as little as 8%. Other major companies pay as little as 3% and a growing sector pays no tax at all.

Telstra has 20 registered “subsidiaries” in tax havens... in the British Virgin Islands, Jersey, Bermuda, Mauritius and the Cayman Islands. Meanwhile it passes on to customers its $25 million carbon tax bill.

For the argument’s sake let’s say the average company tax paid is one third of the set rate (it is actually much lower than that).

Digital creative accounting with a raft of deductions, research and investment breaks, offshore phantom subsidiaries and transfer pricing mean if a government wants another 1% of company profits it needs to lift the rate by 3%.

Works the same in reverse... therefore Abbott’s 1.5% reduction in company tax to compensate for his PPL has a mere 0.5% nett benefit, yet the nett cost of his PPL remains the same.

Thus his belated admission that this overly generous scheme is only partly funded.

Labor’s claimed loss to shareholders of franked credits is a furphy because any increase in company profits due to a decrease in company tax, no matter how small, is directly reflected in increased shareholders’ franked dividends.

Apologies if that appears complicated but the fact is that all taxes are eventually paid by the people.

The burden can be shifted and the goal posts shifted but eventually, no matter how a government dresses it up, we must pay for what we get... and we must pay for the disadvantaged plus the bludgers.

Abbott’s costings will add up. He won’t release them if they don’t but it will all come down to savings and there are tens of billions available just within the Public Service.

One example is the proliferation of over 5,000 QUANGOs that suck the life out of the Federal budget. They can be halved.

Among the many duplicitous and incompetent Government departments due for pruning is Treasury that spends most of its budget on private sector advice.

The CSIRO has become a Green infested ghetto and five separate security agencies, none of which knows what the other is up to, can also be combined and halved.

There are hundreds of must-cuts but one that should be cut, or at least deferred for years, is the Paid Parental Leave scheme. There are a few seats in that decision.

As for buying Indonesian boats, that’s a thought bubble best permanently forgotten.

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Craig Kelly.

<YOUR PAYING FOR IT …………….

Despite continuing to run up deficit after deficit, over the last 3 years, the Labor government has given $416.4 million to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

And last week it was announced that the same Socialist Republic of Vietnam purchased 12 Sukhoi Su-30MK2 fighter aircraft from Russia for $450 million.

Perhaps we should just cut out the middleman, and use money from Australian taxpayers to buy advanced fighter jets from Russia, and give them directly to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam - and Vietnam could fund their own roads & bridges.

And remember, we are giving away this money, at a time when Labor has cut Australia’s defence spending to the lowest levels of GDP since 1938.

And lets not forget that these 12 advanced Sukhoi fighter aircraft will add to the 20 Socialist Republic of Vietnam have purchased since 2009. And that in recent years Vietnam has also ordered from Russia 6 new Russian Kilo Class submarines costing approx US $3 billion and 4 new Russian built Gepard Class Stealth Frigates costing $350 million each.

If foreign countries can afford to buy expensive military weaponry, at a time when Labor needs to borrow billions from overseas, and Labor have slashed our military spending to the lowest levels of GDP since 1938 - does the Socialist Republic of Vietnam really need Australian taxpayers to pay for their roads and bridges etc?>

Russia to Deliver 12 Su-30 Fighter Jets to Vietnam – Source
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Long-time liberal commentator Margaret Carlson said Friday, “We’ve gone from Martin Luther King to the Reverend Al Sharpton, and as a leader, as he is trying to be this weekend, it’s very dispiriting.”
Bloomberg News’ Carlson was appearing on PBS’s Inside Washington to discuss the 50th anniversary of MLK’s epic “I have a dream speech.”
Sharpton, on the other hand, was busy insisting that the murder off 22-year-old Christopher Lane by two black teens [one of which tweeted hours before the killing how he hated "nasty white people."] was not “racial.” A third teen, who was white, was charged as an accessory to murder – after the fact.
Yeah, I’m sure Martin Luther King would be proud.

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The Greens don't understand that families can’t afford constant tax increases on necessities. Help stop them before they tax us back into the dark ages http://ow.ly/nCMYg
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I can't sleep .. ? ed
Can this 10 second trick prevent your impending heart attack? http://bestbrandsstore.com/i/805
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Though black unemployment, at the end of the Bush administration, had broken a long-held pattern of being twice that of white unemployment, it has returned to its former trend under President Barack Obama. 

According to a Pew Research report, the unemployment rate among African-Americans is now at 13.4 percent.
The report is released as the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech is about to be celebrated.
According to Pew:
Much has changed for African-Americans since the 1963 March on Washington (which, recall, was a march for ‘Jobs and Freedom’), but one thing hasn’t: The unemployment rate among blacks is about double that among whites, as it has been for most of the past six decades.
As Paul Bedard of the Washington Examiner reports:
The trend broke at the end of former President George W. Bush’s administration as the recession hit whites more, temporarily boosting their unemployment rate.
But as the recession has eased, whites have picked up more jobs. Currently, Pew said white unemployment is 6.7 percent, exactly half the black rate.
As Breitbart News reported Wednesday, Gallup showed a jump from a 7.7 percent overall unemployment rate on July 21st to 8.9 percent on August 21st. This increase represents an 18-month high.
In addition, Gallup showed a sharp increase in the number of underemployed. During the same period, the number of those with some work who are seeking more has jumped from 17.1 percent to 17.9 percent.

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Political Values
David Daniel Ball
Radicalism 33.5
Socialism 0
Tenderness 78.125

These scores indicate that you are a tender-minded moderate conservative; this is the political profile one might associate with a sincere clergyman. It appears that you are trusting of religion, and have a compassionately humanistic attitude towards humanity in general.

Your attitudes towards economics appear laissez-faire capitalist, and combined with your social attitudes this creates the picture of someone who would generally be described as right-wing.

To round out the picture you appear to be, political preference aside, an idealist with few strong opinions.

This concludes our analysis; we hope you found your results accurate, useful, and interesting.

Unlike many other political tests found on the Internet which base themselves on untested (and usually ideologically motivated) ideas, this inventory is adapted from Hans Eysenck's own political inventory which was developed after extensive empirical investigations in the 20th Century.

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Craig Kelly.



Australia’s national security substantially depends upon the social & economic stability of nearest neighbours.

Take a minute to watch the alarming attached You-Tube clip, and see how Kevin Rudd’s thought bubble of the “Papua New Guinea Solution” is already dangerously de-stabilising our nearest neighbour.

The evidence is overwhelming – another 3 years of Rudd/Labor is not only a clear & present danger to our nation’s economy, but a clear & present danger to our nation’s security.>


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So, friends...inside scoop into the “Palin World.” This is Todd’s airplane hanger (under ANOTHER autumn double rainbow tonight!) where he parks his bush plane to transport us to our commercial and sport fishing grounds. And as importantly, it houses extra space for our “big kids” and their needy buddies to set up temporary “home” and also houses our FOX camera and equipment that allows convenient FOX hits way up here in the Far North! (Thank you, Roger Ailes and Bill Shine, for making it happen.) Tonight, please catch the re-run of Judge Jeanine's show on FOX. I just listened to her profound commentary and watched her superb guests (you can't argue with Ann Coulter!) educate and inspire us to defend our republic. She re-runs in a few hours, then again tomorrow. Please tune in to “Justice with Judge Jeanine.” Thank you!

- Sarah Palin

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The liberals in Hollywood are at it again. They cast of all people "Hanoi" Jane Fonda in the movie "Butler" to play one of the greatest first ladies ever in Republican Nancy Reagan in that movie.
The Tea Party
Click LIKE if you think Jane Fonda is a traitor to the USA for siding with the Communist North Vietnamese during the war.
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Madu Odiokwu Pastorvin
He Will Make Up the Difference.
For when I am weak [in human strength], then am I [truly] strong (able, powerful in divine strength).(2 Corinthians 12:10)

No matter what weakness you think you may have, no matter what inadequacies or setbacks you’ve encountered, God wants to give you His divine strength. He wants to make up the difference and put you further ahead than you ever thought possible.God can make you seem bigger than you really are. He can make you look more powerful. He knows how to multiply your influence, your strength, your talent and your income. You don’t have to figure it all out; all you have to do is put your trust in Him. If you will trust Him and wake up every day expecting His far and beyond favor, then you’re going to see Him make up the difference in every area of your life.God bless you.

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I saw the one I love. She looked lovely in red. But tell her? Whoa. That is very hard. I realised some years ago how I felt and I thought of what I wanted .. and realised I had to embrace God if I was to have the relationship I wanted with her. So I got myself baptised (invited her, she didn't go). I heard a sermon how a Minister got his children to embrace the faith by sharing each morning a devotional by Charles Spurgeon (Morning and evening) so I read that and posted it online. And I read the bible and posted that on line too .. I am so eager to share these devotionals with her .. but years pass .. and it gets hard to break the ice .. to share when you aren't used to sharing .. and it is a dream, a powerful dream .. but maybe not her dream .. It isn't complicated .. but it isn't easy either. Because I have to accept the rejection, and if I don't bring it to her, then she doesn't reject it, and I can keep the dream. - ed
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Tony Abbott's official campaign launch speech delivered today. Strong. Decisive. Inspirational. Will annoy leftists.

<On day one of an incoming Coalition government, I will instruct the public service to prepare the carbon tax repeal legislation.
I will give the directions needed to commence Operation Sovereign Borders.
The Clean Energy Finance Corporation will cease making non-commercial loans with taxpayers’ money.
And the motor industry will be saved from Mr Rudd’s $1.8 billion tax on company cars.
From day one, it will be obvious that Australia is under new management and once more open for business.>

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If they chose Zach Galifianakis to be Batman instead...
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the little people are itching t
o see me knock up my signature Chicken Kev with Annabel. Barack, the UN and this whole Syria she-bang can wait.>===

Getting ready for another weekend teaching adventure with the Aperture Academy. Looking forward to it! I'll leave you with this image that I took as I was leaving Castle Valley in the early morning on the start of my ten hour trip to Tucson Arizona. Lets just say this picture and a few others made me about an hour late on my schedule.

This is a six photo stitch. I really want this to print BIG and have lots of details.
 — in Castle Valley, UT, United States.
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SCENES FROM A CRIME SPREE: On May 23rd, 1934, Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker were spotted by a group of armed officers driving 80 mph in a stolen Ford vehicle. A police chase ensued, resulting in a fatal shoot out and demise of the outlawed couple. To uncover more unique facts about #BonnieAndClyde, watch the epic movie premiering this fall on HISTORYLifetime and A&E Television Network!
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medievalpoisonring.jpg

Archaeologists in Bulgaria have discovered a medieval ring thought to have been used to to commit multiple political murders.
The bronze ring is more than 600 years old and was found at the excavation site of Cape Kailakra, a place where 14th century Bulgarian aristocrats lived.
More than 30 other pieces of jewelry were also found at the site, including gold rings and pearl earrings but archaeologists say this ring is special.
Drilled into side of the ring is a small cavity, archaeologists say was used to hide poison probably used to murder friends of the aristocrats in the Dobrudja area.
Expertly and exquisitely crafted, the ring is thought to have been imported from Italy or Spain according to dig leader Bonnie Petrunova, deputy director of Bulgaria's National Archaeology Museum.
"I have no doubt that the hole was deliberately set," Petrunova said in a press release. "The hole is made so...the poison can be added at any given moment."
The ring would have been worn on the pinky finger of a man's right hand. The cavity provided an easy way to pour poison into an enemies glass without being detected.
"This explains many of the unexplained deaths among nobles and aristocrats close to Dobrotitsa," the press release reads.
Petronuva believes the discovery of the ring is the oldest proven case of serial murder.

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"How can you condemn this man and spare a murderer?" -Pilate
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Pastor Rick Warren
#Workouts can help you "work out" grief or depression. Intense activity raises serotonin and nor-epinephrine in your brain.

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Tuolumne Twilight. Taken after hiking back to my car from Cathedral Lake on the first day of my trip this month. I wish I had the nerve to stay at the high mountain lake but there was bear scat all over the place and paw marks, and I was alone without even a single can of bear mace. I decided to do the 3-1/2 mile trek back before dark, and just made it for this sight. — at Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite National Park.
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Academy Award winning actor Jon Voight Says it how it is!! WATCH THIS STAR fight for his land and his people RIGHT HERE: http://www.israelvideonetwork.com/jon-voight-god-gave-this-land-to-the-jewish-people
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12tribefilmstv_logo
Second-Lebanon-War-300x153 -Red Icon
Click here to watch:Scorched Summer: The Second Lebanon War 
Watch this 52 minute film about an all-out war that Israel fought on it's northern border - just 7 years ago! 1.5 million Israelis were under missile barrage. This personal account of a few of their stories combined with powerful footage serves as a stark reminder of Israel's need to be constantly on guard on it's borders.
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A 12+ minute film about the Jewish People, an eternal nation. The spiritual revival of the nation is happening today in Israel. This is one of Ari and Jeremy's best videos this year.
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FULL MOVIE: Against All Odds: In The Search of Miracles

In this 1:41 minute film, experience the modern miracles of Israel through the eyes of a seasoned journalist, Michael Greenspan, and explore the question: Why has Israel survived against all the odds? The reenactments are top-quality and the riveting stories will have you glued to your seat as you watch miracles occurring in the Holy Land of the State of Israel!
Battlefield Detectives - Six day War
Battlefield Detectives – Israel’s Six Day War

This 45 minute film will blow you away! At 7:45 a.m. on June 5, 1967, Israel launched the most successful preemptive air strike in military history. How did this tiny state manage to overcome an Arab enemy that had twice as many soldiers, three times as many tanks, and four times as many airplanes? With firsthand testimony from combatants and military planners plus access to key figures in the intelligence world, gain insights into the meticulous preparations that the Israeli military undertook in the 1960s.
The Joy of the Soul
On April 2, 2009, an Arab terrorist with an axe killed Shlomo Nativ, a 13-year old boy in a small Jewish community in Gush Etzion. This film, made by the Nativ family, highlights one of the most unique and mysterious capacities of the Jewish Soul -- the capacity to turn the most awful tragedies into powerful wellsprings of vitality and joy. 
This film helps us experience a mystery beyond words that resides deep inside each one of us.
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Watch this fabulous 50+ minute movie that follows celebrity Kosher chef Jamie Geller of JoyofKosher.com as she takes her family from New York City to live in Israel!
If you love Israel you will love watching this touching movie.
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SAY YES TO REAL CHANGE!

Your donation will go a long way in making
a difference at the most important election of a generation.

DONATE!
Authorised by Mark Neeham, Liberal Party of Australia NSW Division 100 William Street, East Sydney. You are receiving this email because you have contacted the Liberal Party of Australia (NSW Division) in the past, opted in at the Liberal Party of Australia (NSW Division) website or are a current, pending or former member of the Liberal Party of Australia (NSW Division).

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Earlier today, I launched the Coalition’s campaign to make our great country even better.

We are a great country and a great people but we can’t afford another three years like the last six.

This election is the most important in a generation.

It pits the Liberal and National parties’ positive plans for the future against more of the same from a confused and chaotic Labor Party, that is reliant on the Greens.

If elected, this is what a Liberal and National Party government will do:
  • We’ll build a stronger, more diversified economy so everyone can get ahead;
  • We’ll scrap the carbon tax so the average family will be $550 better off next year alone;
  • We’ll get the budget back under control by ending Labor’s waste;
  • We’ll create two million new jobs within a decade, and
  • We’ll stop the boats with proven policies.
And we’ll build the roads of the 21st century because I hope to be an infrastructure prime minister who puts bulldozers on the ground and cranes into our skies.

We have the plan, we have the team and we are ready.

At this election, I am asking you to choose change – and to vote for your local Liberal and National candidate.

That’s the choice I urge you to make.

For your family’s sake, for our country; Join us.

Regards,

Tony Abbott
Authorised by Brian Loughnane, Cnr Blackall and Macquarie Streets, Barton  ACT 2604.
 
Copyright © Liberal Party of Australia.

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Galileo Galilei

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“I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.” Psalm 116:1-2 NIV
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Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon

Morning

"The breaker is come up before them."
Micah 2:13
Inasmuch as Jesus has gone before us, things remain not as they would have been had he never passed that way. He has conquered every foe that obstructed the way. Cheer up now thou faint-hearted warrior. Not only has Christ travelled the road, but he has slain thine enemies. Dost thou dread sin? He has nailed it to his cross. Dost thou fear death? He has been the death of Death. Art thou afraid of hell? He has barred it against the advent of any of his children; they shall never see the gulf of perdition. Whatever foes may be before the Christian, they are all overcome. There are lions, but their teeth are broken; there are serpents, but their fangs are extracted; there are rivers, but they are bridged or fordable; there are flames, but we wear that matchless garment which renders us invulnerable to fire. The sword that has been forged against us is already blunted; the instruments of war which the enemy is preparing have already lost their point. God has taken away in the person of Christ all the power that anything can have to hurt us. Well then, the army may safely march on, and you may go joyously along your journey, for all your enemies are conquered beforehand. What shall you do but march on to take the prey? They are beaten, they are vanquished; all you have to do is to divide the spoil. You shall, it is true, often engage in combat; but your fight shall be with a vanquished foe. His head is broken; he may attempt to injure you, but his strength shall not be sufficient for his malicious design. Your victory shall be easy, and your treasure shall be beyond all count.
"Proclaim aloud the Saviour's fame,
Who bears the Breaker's wond'rous name;
Sweet name; and it becomes him well,
Who breaks down earth, sin, death, and hell."

Evening

"If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field, be consumed therewith; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution."
Exodus 22:6
But what restitution can he make who casts abroad the fire-brands of error, or the coals of lasciviousness, and sets men's souls on a blaze with the fire of hell? The guilt is beyond estimate, and the result is irretrievable. If such an offender be forgiven, what grief it will cause him in the retrospect, since he cannot undo the mischief which he has done! An ill example may kindle a flame which years of amended character cannot quench. To burn the food of man is bad enough, but how much worse to destroy the soul! It may be useful to us to reflect how far we may have been guilty in the past, and to enquire whether, even in the present, there may not be evil in us which has a tendency to bring damage to the souls of our relatives, friends, or neighbours.
The fire of strife is a terrible evil when it breaks out in a Christian church. Where converts were multiplied, and God was glorified, jealousy and envy do the devil's work most effectually. Where the golden grain was being housed, to reward the toil of the great Boaz, the fire of enmity comes in and leaves little else but smoke and a heap of blackness. Woe unto those by whom offences come. May they never come through us, for although we cannot make restitution, we shall certainly be the chief sufferers if we are the chief offenders. Those who feed the fire deserve just censure, but he who first kindles it is most to blame. Discord usually takes first hold upon the thorns; it is nurtured among the hypocrites and base professors in the church, and away it goes among the righteous, blown by the winds of hell, and no one knows where it may end. O thou Lord and giver of peace, make us peacemakers, and never let us aid and abet the men of strife, or even unintentionally cause the least division among thy people.
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Today's reading: Psalm 116-118, 1 Corinthians 7:1-19 (NIV)

View today's reading on Bible Gateway

Today's Old Testament reading: Psalm 116-118

I love the LORD, for he heard my voice;
he heard my cry for mercy.
2 Because he turned his ear to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The cords of death entangled me,
the anguish of the grave came over me;
I was overcome by distress and sorrow.
4 Then I called on the name of the LORD:
"LORD, save me!"
5 The LORD is gracious and righteous;
our God is full of compassion.
6 The LORD protects the unwary;
when I was brought low, he saved me....

Today's New Testament reading: 1 Corinthians 7:1-19

Concerning Married Life
1 Now for the matters you wrote about: "It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman." 2 But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband.3The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. 5 Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7 I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that....
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Aaron

[Aâr'on] - a mountain of strength orenlightenedThe son of Amran and of Jochebed his wife, and of the family of Kohath, who was the second son of Levi, who was the third son of Jacob. Miriam was Aaron's elder sister and Moses was his junior brother by some three years. Aaron married Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab and sister of Naashon, and by her had four sons - Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar (Exod. 6:16-23).

The Man Who Was an Excellent Speaker

It is somewhat fitting that Aaron should not only begin the list of men under the letter A - one of the longest lists of all - but also of all the men listed alphabetically in the Bible.
The first glimpse we have of this great Bible saint is that of an eloquent speaker, and because of this fact he was chosen by God to be the prophet and spokesman of his brother Moses in his encounters with Pharaoh. The fame of his oratory was known in heaven, and recognized by God. A great orator has been defined as a good man well-skilled in speaking, and of such capacities was Aaron. When Moses protested against appearing before Pharaoh, pleading that he was not eloquent, but slow of speech and of a slow tongue (Exod. 3:10; 4:11, 12) did he refer to a defect of speech he suffered from? "Not eloquent" means,not a man of words and "slow of speech, and of a slow tongue" means heavy of speech and heavy of tongue.
There are those authorities who suggest that Moses had a stammer or lisp, a physical impediment of speech necessitating a spokesman of Aaron's ability. It would seem as if God's promise that He would be with his mouth and was able to help him overcome any disability as a speaker, bears out the thought of an actual defect of speech. This we do know, Aaron must have spoken with great power when he addressed Pharaoh on the signs and plagues of Exodus four through eleven.
Aaron plays an important part in the inauguration and development of priestly functions, all of which are prescribed in Leviticus. Among the mature males of Israel there were three classes:
From the tribes of Israel came the warriors.
From the tribe of Levi came the workers.
From the family of Aaron came the worshipers.
Aaron became the first high priest of Israel, and in Aaron and his sons we have a fitting type of Christ and His Church. The ministry of Aaron in connection with the Tabernacle with all of its services is referred to by the writer of the Hebrews as a figure of the true ministry of the High Priest who is Jesus.
Yet in spite of his high and holy calling. Aaron suffered from the murmurings of the people (Exod. 16:2; Num. 14:2). He was persuaded by the people to make a golden calf and was reproved by Moses for his action (Exod. 32 ). Aaron's penitence, however, was complete, and his service faithful. Perhaps Aaron could be placed at the head of all Old Testament penitents, for his own sins as well as for the sins of others. While Aaron was Jesus Christ in type and by imputation, he yet remains Aaron all the time, Aaron of the molten image and of many untold transgressions besides. With Moses, Aaron was excluded from the Promised Land (Num. 20:12). He died at the age of 123 years on Mount Hor, in the land of Edom, and was buried there (Num. 20).
A profitable meditation on "The Priestly Calling" could be developed along the line of the following suggestions.
I. Aaron was a type of Christ, the Great High Priest.
A. Both were chosen of God. Christ is the only mediator between God and man.
B. Both had to be clean, seeing they bore the vessels of the Lord. Aaron was a sinner and needed cleansing - Christ was sinless.
C. Both are clothed - Aaron with his coat, robe and ephod; Christ robed in garments of glory and beauty.
D. Both are crowned - Aaron with his mitre, or holy crown, Christ with His many diadems.
E. Both are consecrated or set apart - Aaron was blood sprinkled and had his hands filled for the Lord (Lev. 8:24-27); Christ is sanctified forever (John 17:16, 17).
F. Both feed on the bread of consecration (cf. Lev. 22:21, 22with John 4:32).
G. Both are blameless. No man with a blemish could come nigh to offer a sacrifice unto the Lord. Christ was holy, harmless, undefiled.
II. Aaron's sons were types of the Christian. What a precious truth the priesthood of all true believers is.
A. They had names closely associated. "Aaron and his sons" appears ten times. Aaron's sons were called in him. We were chosen in Christ from the eternal past. Priests because sons, is true in both cases.
B. They had the same calling. Aaron and his sons were priests. Christ and ourselves are priests unto God.
C. They had the same anointing. Aaron and his sons were accepted by the same blood and anointed with the same oil. Christ entered the veil by His own blood, and we enter by the same blood. Head and members alike are anointed with the same blessed Spirit.
D. They had their hands filled with the same offering, ate the same food, were under the same authority. How these aspects are likewise applicable to Christ and His own!
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The Suffering Servant: Who is this mysterious figure?

Today's reading: Isaiah 52
Isaiah 52:13 See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.
Isaiah's four songs about a "suffering servant" are among the richest and most closely studied passages in the Old Testament (see Isaiah 42:1-949:1-1350:4-952:13-53:12). This chapter illustrates why the servant songs sparked fierce debates among the rabbis seeking to understand them. The first part stirs anticipation for a glorious time when God will restore the holy city and people will shout to Jerusalem, "Your God reigns!" It looks as if Israel will gain revenge on its enemies at last.
But the author goes on to explain how God will redeem Jerusalem by introducing the mysterious figure of the suffering servant, whose appearance is "disfigured beyond that of any human being" (Isaiah 52:14). Who is this suffering servant? And how will such a weakened person achieve a great victory, even bringing light to all nations?
Jewish scholars puzzled over these passages for centuries. Many considered them the most significant part of the entire Hebrew Scriptures, yet they could not agree on exactly what the prophet meant.
A Nation or a Person?
Sometimes the verses speak of the servant as the nation of Israel as a whole: "You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor" (Isaiah 49:3). In other places, the servant seems to refer to a specific individual, a great leader who suffers terribly.
Isaiah presents the servant as the deliverer of all humankind. Yet it portrays him as more of a tragic figure than a hero: "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter" (Isaiah 53:7).
An Answer From the New Testament
The idea of the suffering servant did not really catch on among the Jewish nation. They longed for a victorious Messiah, not a suffering one. The image of the suffering servant went underground, as it were, lying dormant for centuries.
In a very dramatic scene early in his ministry, Jesus quoted from one of the servant passages in Isaiah: "Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, 'Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing' " (Luke 4:20-21).
At last, a link snapped into place for some, but not for all, of Jesus' listeners. The Messiah had come at last-not as a conquering general, but as a carpenter's son from Nazareth.

Life Questions

  • If you had been a Jew in Jesus' day, would you have been disappointed in the Messiah?
  • Why did Jesus choose to come as a suffering servant rather than as, perhaps, a triumphant army general?
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August 24, 2011
A Place to Belong
Today's Truth
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12, NIV).
Friend To Friend
Advertisers are well aware of the need human beings have to belong. They are banking on it. How many times have my eyes filled with tears over a television commercial? A credit card commercial shows a grown daughter taking her elderly mother back to Italy to discover her roots..."The cost? Priceless." (I cry.) A horse-drawn carriage glides through the snow on its way to a cozy cottage nestled in the trees with smoke swirling in the sky..."Home for the holidays." (I cry). A young man dressed in a military uniform drops his duffle bag on his unknowing parent's den floor in the wee hours of the morning and starts the coffee maker. His mother, smelling the aroma, hurries down the stairs and clutches her heart as tears stream down her cheeks at the sight of her soldier home from war. (I cry.)
The tears that form in my eyes prove that the advertisers have tapped into my need to belong. They would have us believe that if we buy their particular product, we will have that warm fuzzy feeling of euphoria or ecstatic joy.
But we know the truth. True joy will not be found on the grocery store shelf, the cars sales lot, or the department store window. It cannot be bought with the swipe of a credit card or cold hard cash. People want to feel they are a part of something bigger than themselves and that there is more to this life than accumulating wealth and accomplishments.
God tells us that when we come to Christ, we become part of His family.
"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12).
"The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God' children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:1617).
"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" (1 John 3:1).
We have lots of brothers and sisters. Not only that, we have girlfriends in God who love each other, care for each other, and sometimes correct each other. I'm so glad that God has given us a place to belong. Aren't you?
Let's Pray
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for bringing me into Your family. I am so thankful that I belong to You. Today, help me to find comfort in the fact that no matter who rejects me or excludes me, You will always love me and accept me just the way I am.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
Now It's Your Turn
Have you ever teared-up at a TV commercial? If so, which one?
What about the commercial touched your heart?
Have you ever teared-up over a Bible passage? If so, which one?
John 17:20-26 is one passage that always touches my heart. Just to think that Jesus was praying for me on the day before He went to the cross makes my heart swell. Read those words and remember that Jesus is praying for you, even today.
More From The Girlfriends
Because God is your Father, He has dreams for His little girl...you. To learn more about the incredible dreams that God has for you, see Dreams of a Woman: God's Plans for Fulfilling Your Dreams by Sharon Jaynes. And hold on to your hats...He's got great plans for your life!
Seeking God?
Click here to find out more about
how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Girlfriends in God
P.O. Box 725
Matthews, NC 28106
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P31Header
Amy Carroll
August 24, 2011
Rebuilt
Amy Carroll
"Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God." 2 Corinthians 3:4-5 (NIV)
"Are you sure you're ready to have a tiger by the tail?" mom asked with a big grin. That was her first response when my then-boyfriend Barry asked my parents if he could marry me.
It still makes me laugh, because I was certainly a strange mix of rule-following, first-child with a wide streak of sassiness and fierce independence. I'm still not sure Barry had any idea what he was getting into when he said, "I do."
That was over twenty years ago, so when Barry asked an unexpected question during our family vacation, it opened my eyes to some of God's difficult work in my life. Barry and I sat on the deck overlooking the ocean talking in low voices about the topics that concern many of us-finances, parenting, plans for the future. Suddenly, he asked his startling question.
"If you could change one thing about me, what would it be?"
My mind went blank except for the thought, Whew! This is a really loaded question. At first I didn't want to answer (why ruin a great evening?), but I finally answered, braced myself and re-asked the question, "What would you change about me?"
I had a pretty good list going in my mind of what I thought he'd say-I wish you weren't so critical. I wish you wouldn't talk so much. I wish you would cook dinner more often.
What he actually said surprised me. "I want you to get your confidence back. When I married you, your favorite phrase was, 'I'll do it myself!' I've watched you lose your confidence over the years, and I want you to have it back," he replied.
A move, a couple of friendships with bad endings and struggling to find a place in my new home town had knocked the stuffing right out of me. I had fought and lost against my own tendency toward comparison, perfectionism and an overdeveloped sense of responsibility. Little by little, I became convinced that I couldn't and that I wasn't. My confidence had been shaken and finally crumbled.
But sometimes things have to be torn down before they can be rebuilt.
Was it God's plan that I would move, fail in some friendships and beat myself up trying to be somebody else? No! He did, however, use this bad place to bring me to a better place. God began rebuilding confidence in me a few years ago, and He capped it off when I got home from Proverbs 31 Ministries' She Speaks conference that year.
There He spoke to me over and over again about trusting my life to His control. The scripture in my Sunday school class the following Sunday was our key verse today, 2 Corinthians 3:4-6: "Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant-not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." (NIV)
For years I walked in my own strength of "I can do it," but God brought me to His strength and the knowledge that "He can do it in me."
He has brought me out of my own power, which is so limited and flawed, to being dependent on the infilling power of His Spirit. Confidence in myself has very limited power, whereas confidence in Him brings limitless possibilities.
I know that I'll still have days of struggle with confidence, but my rebuilt and renewed sense of confidence is now firmly in Christ. It's a beautiful place to be.
Dear Lord, I have depended on myself so many times and fallen short. My confidence has been shaken. Rebuild me by helping me to put my full confidence in You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
Do You Know Him?
Visit Amy's blog for more encouragement on how to trade in wavering self-confidence with lasting God-confidence, and enter to win a copy of Renee Swope's new book, A Confident Heart: How to Stop Doubting Yourself & Live in the Security of God's Promises.
When you purchase resources through Proverbs 31 Ministries, you touch eternity because your purchase supports the many areas of hope-giving ministry we provide at no cost. We wish we could, but we simply can't compete with prices offered by huge online warehouses. Therefore, we are extremely grateful for each and every purchase you make with us. Thank you!
Application Steps:
Journal a prayer thanking God for His limitless power and capabilities. Ask God to fill you with His power while giving up your own.
Reflections:
Am I truly dependent on God, or do I rely primarily on myself?
Where is my focus when I am struggling with confidence?
Power Verses:
Ecclesiastes 3:13, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven...a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build...." (NIV)
Philippians 3:3, "For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh..." (NIV)
© 2011 by Amy Carroll. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.Proverbs31.org
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Prostitute. Murderer. Redeemed
Campus Crusade for Christ International

Dear friend,

Ulya was a prostitute convicted of murder. She was locked away in a prison in the former Soviet Union, sentenced to 9 years. In that hopeless, dark place, Ulya met Jesus.

Watch her amazing story today.

My name is Mike Duggins with Campus Crusade for Christ. We've been working tirelessly to help fulfill the Great Commission since 1951, sharing the message of the gospel on university campuses and around the world.

The video I'm sharing with you highlights the great faith and persistence of one Campus Crusade missionary. Because of one missionary, the prison where Ulya was sent to rot had a vibrant ministry. Women rejected by society were finding eternal hope!

Watch Ulya's story

This incredible video tells Ulya's story. Please take a moment to watch today.

Grateful for you,

Mike Duggins
Director of Ministry Development
Campus Crusade for Christ International®
100 Lake Hart Drive, Orlando, FL 32832 | 1-888-CRUSADE | www.ccci.org
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