Monday, September 02, 2013

Mon Sep 2nd Todays News

Obama drew the red line, now he dithers. The master ditherer is thinking about asking Congress for direction. If he decides to Do Something, We will keep You informed. Hundreds of thousands of people have left Syria. About a hundred thousand have been estimated dead from the civil war in the last few years. Obama has done nothing to date about the atrocities. A related observation is the terrorist rocket activity into Israel. Obama has demanded Israel release terrorists and killers back into the community as incentive for other terrorists to sign a peace treaty. So we know Obama doesn't merely dither, he can act too, if not wisely. 
In Australia, the polls, which favoured the LNP yesterday 53 to 47, favour the LNP today 54 to 46. At that rate, the actual poll on Saturday will be 59 to 41. This raises the question of why it is that 41% of the nation don't understand how to vote. Rudd is dithering over flying out to the G20 for the last two days and giving the ALP a possible lift in the polls through his absence. It would be Rudd's last junket. Many of his supporters might be feeling he has earned it, and hope he goes soon. 
Maybe by repeating the name "Abbott" Rudd will hit upon a magic formula suggesting the Australian voting population should vote for Rudd. It hasn't happened yet. It didn't work for Gillard, but keep trying Kev. Rudd could copy Wikileaks founder Julian Assange's attempt to acquire office. But it hasn't worked for the incompetent penis either. Sending Rudd to the G20, is like sending Rudd to get a mosquito candle, muses Therese. Tim Blair shows Rudd channeling Nixon badly. Rudd has had some good policies lately .. they involve rejecting previous ALP policies he made. There are many hyper critical commentators taking Abbott to task for calling terrorists bad people. Unlike Rudd, who called people, who spoke Chinese Mandarin, Ratfuckers.
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Happy birthday and many happy returns Deborah AppannaJonathan Leeand Pru Goward. Born on the same day, across the years, along with Georg Böhm (1661), Lucretia Hale (1820), Albert Spalding (1850), Graeme Langlands (1941), Christa McAuliffe (1948), Jimmy Connors (1952), Salma Hayek (1966) and Nikki Taylor Melton (1997). On your day, Paryushana begins (Svetambar Jains, 2013); Labour Day in Canada and Labor Day in the United States (2013); National Day in Vietnam (1945)
47 BC – Caesarion, possibly the son of Julius Caesar, became the last king of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt, ruling jointly with his mother Cleopatra.
1649 – Forces loyal to Pope Innocent X destroyed the ancient Italian city of Castro, ending the Wars of Castro.
1807 – The British Royal Navy began their bombardment of Copenhagen to capture the Dano-Norwegian navy.
1945 – On the deck of the United States Navy battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay, representatives from the Empire of Japan and several Allied Powers signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, formally ending World War II.
1998 – Swissair Flight 111, en route from New York City to Geneva, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 229 people on board.
Now that the son is co-king, and innocent forces have won. Now the Navy has asserted herself, and the mighty have been brought to heel. Now, when things are up in the air .. now is the time to have fun. Enjoy the day.
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60 mentions of the man who would be king

Miranda Devine – Sunday, September 01, 2013 (10:44pm)

IN keeping with the “Me Factor” theme of his campaign, Labor’s low-key launch in Brisbane was supposed to be all about Kevin Rudd, showcasing his “great depth of character”, as one campaign operative put it. But it really was all about Tony Abbott.
The Opposition leader was “small”,"dull", “lazy, “mired in pessimism and stuck in the past”, is “no John Howard”, wants to impose “massive cuts” which would “tear the future to ribbons” and “doesn’t like the public”.
In contrast, Rudd’s wife Therese Rein and deputy Anthony Albanese introduced the PM by emphasising his “steady” temperament and their long knowledge of him, to reassure voters about the character of the man dubbed Captain Chaos.
“My best friend, the love of my life, my companion for over 35 years,” said Rein in a soft voice.
It was a sweet speech, although it’s not clear what to make of a husband who, “when sent to Bunnings for a mozzie candle, comes back with Roman flares, Blue Tac, an extension cord, potting mix, a step ladder, secateurs-but no mozzie candle.”
On time, and without fanfare, at 12.05 pm, a grinning Rudd strode into the Plaza Ballroom at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, pausing to shake hands with Labor icons Bob Hawke and Paul Keating.
He stood alone at a dais surrounded by 500 subdued Labor faithful to pitch himself as the “comeback kid” in the fight of his life, and to question the “temperament” of Tony Abbott. He named the Opposition Leader adversely 25 times, while Albanese attacked harder, with 35 mentions.
“To those who say that Mr Abbott has already won this election I say this - never, ever, ever underestimate my fighting spirit as your Prime Minister. I have been in tougher spots before and come back from behind… I believe we can and will prevail”.
He avoided being pegged a copycat after the Abbott girls’ starring role last week, leaving daughter Jessica to a non-speaking part at the end, when she joined him on stage with husband Albert, baby Josephine, brothers Nicholas and Marcus, and Therese.
The ghost of Julia Gillard made a brief appearance, when Rudd praised her on the NDIS and someone whistled in appreciation.
The launch capped off “a week from hell” for Rudd’s campaign, when broken-down buses, malfunctioning air conditioning, dimmed lights, falling microphones and fainting girls made it seem as if the gods were conspiring against him.
While Rudd’s performance was no game-changer, it was plucky, punctual, and coherently stated a choice, without a mention of Rupert Murdoch.
It seemed to satisfy the Labor faithful as they filed out quietly past the signs to Circus Quirkus, a show downstairs that bore no resemblance to Labor, yesterday, at least.

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ALL IN GOOD TIME

Tim Blair – Monday, September 02, 2013 (5:19am)

Five days remain, but right now Tony Abbott is walking it home
Tony Abbott has overtaken Kevin Rudd as the nation’s preferred prime minister for the first time in their four-year rivalry as support for Labor fell to its lowest since Julia Gillard was removed.
Going into the last week of the election campaign, Labor’s primary vote support has slumped to 33 per cent – the lowest ever under Mr Rudd as Prime Minister – after Treasury and Finance repudiated the government’s claims on the cost of Coalition promises.
On a two-party-preferred basis, Labor is facing a swing against it of four percentage points since the 2010 election and now trails the Coalition 46 per cent to 54 per cent. 
All the big hitting is done. Singles and safe calls until Saturday.

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WIKIWRECKS

Tim Blair – Monday, September 02, 2013 (5:03am)

Besides putting their hands out for your taxes, there is nothing that left-wing organisations enjoy more than ripping themselves apart.
This destructive pathology is more intense relative to the size of the group. It’s an inverse deal. The smaller the group, the greater the hate. Labor, Australia’s largest left-leaning assembly, copes with its tendency towards self-harm by arranging members into various formal factions. That way, internal rivalries can at least be sorted out by vote, or the occasional beating.
But move down the order to some of our leftist micro-collectives and the divisions become more extreme at every step.

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CAN’T STOP SKEETERS, CAN’T STOP BOATS, CAN’T STOP LOSING

Tim Blair – Monday, September 02, 2013 (4:25am)

Focus, Kevin, focus: 
In her heartfelt and humanising speech introducing her husband, Therese Rein told the story of the day she sent her husband to the hardware store to buy a mosquito candle. He came home with a visionary swag of home improvements items – everything from secateurs to a stepladder, Blu Tack and Roman flares. And no mozzie candle. 

A cynic might say this wee tale was an unintentional insight into Kevin the Visionary. You task him with something simple like buying a mozzie candle, and he comes back with equipment and plans for a modern working family that is striving to meet the challenges of a clean energy future. You can’t say he doesn’t think big. It’s just that sometimes, all you really want is a mozzie candle. 
Or a competent Prime Minister. 

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TRICKY KEVNI

Tim Blair – Monday, September 02, 2013 (4:10am)

Richard Nixon’s television meltdown during a 1960 debate with John F. Kennedy is generally cited as the reason for Nixon’s narrow loss in that year’s US election.
Democrat corruption may have helped a little, but let’s go with history’s verdict. Time magazine described the difference between the two candidates: “Nixon, pale and underweight from a recent hospitalization, appeared sickly and sweaty, while Kennedy appeared calm and confident.”
On the debate topics, Nixon was impressively clear and sharp. But he crucially decided against wearing makeup, which left Nixon sweating like a meth addict beneath the hot studio lighting.
Until Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s Friday press conference in Perth, Nixon’s effort set the benchmark for sweating politicians. Rudd has now pushed things to a new level. The man literally went to water.
Rudd’s dripping face may become a metaphor for his fail-soaked campaign, but, like Nixon, he doesn’t deserve all the criticism. For once, Rudd might correctly call out a staffer for booking that superheated venue.
Or he could blame a makeup lady.

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LABOR AGAINST LABOR

Tim Blair – Monday, September 02, 2013 (3:51am)

Labor protects us from a molten planet, and Labor exposes us to a molten planet: 
Rather than defend the carbon tax as a crucial step towards an emissions trading scheme that will be more effective than Abbott’s ‘’direct action’’, Labor has been silent on the issue. One ALP flyer even cites the ‘’abolition’’ of the carbon tax as a Labor achievement. 
Historically, most of Labor’s achievements involve the removal of Labor’s previous policies.

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DAVID FROST

Tim Blair – Monday, September 02, 2013 (3:32am)

Presidential and deranged hippie interviewer David Frost has died at 74. He’ll mostly be remembered for his post-Watergate discussions with Richard Nixon:


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MIRACLE SOCKS OF PODSMEAD, GLOUCESTER

Tim Blair – Sunday, September 01, 2013 (10:15pm)

UPDATE. The actual socks.
UPDATE II. It’s all happening in Gloucester.

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Rudd gives grooming tips to female candidate

Andrew Bolt September 02 2013 (4:42pm)

Hypocrite:

KEVIN Rudd has been caught out giving grooming advice to a female Labor candidate, despite denying he would ever do so
Four Corners reporter Janine Cohen said ...  “What we wanted to ask him was one, what do you think of Mr Abbott’s sex appeal comment and of course he was very appalled by that.
“But then we asked him would he ever give grooming tips or suggest how his candidates wear their hair and he said that he would never do that, that how his candidates dress and appear is entirely their own business…
“This contradicts an earlier interview I have done with a Brisbane Labor candidate Fiona McNamara,” Ms Cohen says.
“In fact she says that he does give her tips on how to wear her hair. That sometimes she wears her hair how Kevin likes it and sometimes she wears her hair how she likes it…
“We say ‘how does Kevin like it?’ and she says he likes me to pull it up a bit so people can see my face and she goes into quite a bit of detail.”
Ms Cohen says Ms McNamara goes on to explain the fashion advice only came after she had asked Mr Rudd for his opinion on her appearance.

How Kevin likes it:


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How Kevin doesn’t like it:


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Yet again, if Abbott did that… 

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Newspoll: Labor sinks in a Ruddbath

Andrew Bolt September 02 2013 (4:37pm)

Rudd is falling like a stone:
TONY Abbott has overtaken Kevin Rudd as the nation’s preferred prime minister for the first time in their four-year rivalry as support for Labor fell to its lowest since Julia Gillard was removed…
Labor’s primary vote support has slumped to 33 per cent - the lowest ever under Mr Rudd as Prime Minister - after Treasury and Finance repudiated the government’s claims on the cost of Coalition promises.
On a two-party-preferred basis, Labor ... now trails the Coalition 46 per cent to 54 per cent.
Dennis Shanahan:

LABOR won power in 2007 on a Ruddslide, but looks like losing power in 2013 in a Ruddbath.
Henry Ergas:
ACCORDING to Kevin Rudd, we mustn’t put all our eggs in the one basket. Come Saturday, the Australian people will at last have a chance to tell him un oeuf is enough.
Paul Sheehan:
Never in the previous 113 years of Australian federation has a Prime Minister created such a gap between soaring rhetoric, sweeping promises and national interventions and meagre or failed results of so many grandiose plans.
UPDATE
A rather abrupt correction in Essential Media’s figures:

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Have fun with Rowan Dean tonight

Andrew Bolt September 02 2013 (4:32pm)

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Is it smart to act as al Qaeda’s air force?

Andrew Bolt September 02 2013 (7:48am)

ONLY now - more than two years into Syria’s civil war - have the United States and some allies decided to Do Something.
Strangely, we didn’t have to Do Something while 100,000 Syrians were blown up, shot, beheaded or raped to death.
But we apparently do now that 1500 more have been killed in a chemical weapons attack blamed on the Syrian Government.
US President Barack Obama now wants to kill a few Syrians himself to send a message that killing people with gas is bad. 

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AWU scandal gets to court again

Andrew Bolt September 02 2013 (7:40am)

The AWU scandal that so many journalists refused to believe was a story is again in the courts:

EIGHTEEN years after his union accused him of fraud in the AWU slush fund scandal, Julia Gillard’s former boyfriend and client will be represented in court today as he lodges a protest over the seizure of key documents by police.
The documents relate directly to Bruce Wilson’s actions as an Australian Workers Union secretary and the legal advice he received from Slater & Gordon, where Ms Gillard worked at the time.
Victoria Police took the documents from the firm under a search warrant earlier this year as part of the ongoing probe into the slush fund affair which entangled Ms Gillard’s prime ministership last year.
Fraud squad detective Ross Mitchell is investigating allegations of corruption surrounding Mr Wilson and former union official Ralph Blewitt, who has admitted to his involvement in union fraud and a slush fund.

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Another stupid Labor attack

Andrew Bolt September 02 2013 (7:31am)

The party led by a man who called the Chinese “ratf....ers” claims calling mass-murderers and al-Qaeda-liked extremists “baddies” shows Tony Abbott is not fit to lead:
ABC1’s Insiders, yesterday:

TONY Abbott: We’ve got a civil war going on in that benighted country between two pretty unsavoury sides. It’s not goodies versus baddies, it’s baddies versus baddies. And that is why it is very important that we don’t make a very difficult situation worse.
AFP yesterday:


“CAN you imagine him at the G20? ‘Barack, it’s baddies versus baddies’,” said Labor senator Penny Wong. “I’ve yet to see a leader of a federal political party wanting to be PM who would be this embarrassing when it comes to foreign policy.” The Labor campaign said it “speaks volumes about Mr Abbott’s foreign policy capacity” and “summed up in a sentence why he is not fit to represent Australia in any international forum"…
US President Barack Obama, June 7:

THAT’S not to suggest that, you know, you just say, “trust me, we’re doing the right thing, we know who the bad guys are”.
The Andrew Marr Show, BBC TV, July 21:

ANDREW Marr: Bluntly, this is a war in which the bad guys are winning and the good guys, from your perspective, are losing, and there’s no sign of that changing?
David Cameron: Well I think where you’re right is that there are, as it were, you know, you’ve got a lot of bad guys in Syria.
UPDATE
Reader Gab thinks this counter-attack is the Coalition’s best ad yet:

UPDATE
How obsessed is Labor with Tony Abbott? It doubles down on a character assassination that simply hasn’t worked:

IN keeping with the “Me Factor” theme of his campaign, Labor’s low-key launch in Brisbane was supposed to be all about Kevin Rudd, showcasing his “great depth of character”, as one campaign operative put it. But it really was all about Tony Abbott....
(Rudd) named the Opposition Leader adversely 25 times, while Albanese attacked harder, with 35 mentions.

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 Rudd can’t be trusted even to buy a mozzie candle

Andrew Bolt September 02 2013 (7:31am)

Politics - federal
THERESE Rein meant her speech at the Labor launch to show us a human side of her husband. 

Sweet, but the Kevin Rudd she described yesterday sounded just like the Prime Minister who’s blown billions of our money on trash.
Rein told the sad crowd: “I want to introduce a husband who was sent to Bunnings for a mozzie candle - one mozzie candle.
“He comes back with Roman flares, Blu-Tack, an extension cord, potting mix, a step ladder, secateurs, but no mozzie candle.”
How we laughed.
Not.
Remember how we sent this same bloke out in 2007 to end “this kind of reckless spending”, only to have him come back with school halls we didn’t need, roof insulation we didn’t ask for, a thousand Indonesian boats we didn’t invite - and not one mozzie candle?

Sure, Rudd yesterday admitted he might have mucked up some of the national handyman jobs we’d set him. 

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Why was this refugee allowed to stay?

Andrew Bolt September 02 2013 (7:22am)

Our refugee program should not import danger - to say the bleeding obvious:

A REFUGEE who was jailed for sexually assaulting two women, raped a Melbourne woman after being given a visa to stay here. 

Federal Immigration Minister Tony Burke has refused to be drawn on why Alfons Pirimapun’s visa was not cancelled after he was convicted of the earlier offending.

[The] West Papuan refugee ...  was jailed for three years in 2009 for sexually assaulting two women in far north Queensland.
It is believed that after serving an 18-month jail term, Pirimapun was released on parole, granted a visa and relocated to Victoria.
He struck here, shortly after completing his parole, raping a woman in almost identical circumstances to his earlier sexual assaults.
Astonishing. I want Burke to explain why Australian women must risk rape to “save” a refugee. Why was Pirimapun not thrown out? 

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Bolt Report yesterday

Andrew Bolt September 02 2013 (7:00am)





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Big success: “only” 1500 boat people a month

Andrew Bolt September 02 2013 (6:28am)

Boat people policy
The Rudd Government claims its boat policies work because “only” 1500 people now come in a month:

The Rudd government is claiming victory over the people smugglers with its hardline policy to stop the boats, following the lowest number of boat arrivals in six months.
‘’I have absolutely no doubt now that the policy is having the impact that we hoped,’’ Immigration Minister Tony Burke has said…
After 4236 asylum seekers arrived on 48 boats in July, the number for August dropped to 1585 on 25 boats. The number of arrivals in the last week of August was 71, the lowest weekly figure since February, according to a department official.

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Obama decides not to decide on Syria, after all

Andrew Bolt September 02 2013 (5:59am)

President Barack Obama could have shown strong leadership by announcing he would punish Syria.
That seemed his first instinct last week:

President Barack Obama said in an afternoon statement Friday that he is considering a “limited, narrow act” of military response in Syria, and said that its government’s chemical-weapons attack is a “challenge to the world”....
“We cannot accept a world where women and children and innocent civilians are gassed on a terrible scale,” Obama said.
Or Obama could have shown a desire for consensus by asking Congress to decide a move with such profound consequences. That would have been weaker but principled - and now seems to be his second thought:

President Barack Obama said Saturday he will ask Congress to approve military strikes against Syria’s government, a risky step likely to delay action for at least 10 days that could signal broad popular support but also could end in rejection by the legislative branch…
“I’m also mindful that I’m the President of the world’s oldest constitutional democracy.”
But Obama cannot do both - first say he’s made a decision to strike, and then ask Congress if he’s allowed to. That just looks indecisive:
President Obama’s decision to seek Congressional approval for a military strike in response to reports of a chemical weapons attack in Syria drew a range of reactions from Syrians on Sunday, with rebel leaders expressing disappointment and goverment leaders questioning Mr. Obama’s leadership.
UPDATE
Charles Krauthammer says Obama has made it seem he’s boxed himself into a corner and is looking for a way out:

UPDATE
Kevin Rudd is left on his own, says reader Baldrick:
Last week Kevin Rudd interrupted his election campaign and said, regarding Syria: “I, like the president of the United States, (am) driven by a core imperative here, which is not allowing a message to be conveyed to the international community that the use of chemical weapons against anybody in the year 2013 is acceptable under any circumstances,” and urged for ‘strong and swift action’.
Unfortunately for Mr. I (Rudd), Obama has chosen to wait on a decision from the U.S. Congress on September 9, before taking any action. So much for Rudd’s grandstanding and ‘strong and swift action’.  

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Rudd gives good speech, if you hate Liberals and believe lies

Andrew Bolt September 02 2013 (5:41am)

Former Rudd speechwriter Troy Bramston, like many commentators, say Kevin Rudd’s campaign launch speech was his best:
Rudd wrote most of the speech himself… The overarching theme of the speech was to set up a choice between Labor’s plans to create and protect jobs and the Coalition’s plans to slash jobs and cut spending on health and education services. Rudd wants voters to see Labor as the builders and the Coalition as the wreckers.
But it’s a good speech only if, for instance, you really think people are dumb enough to believe the Liberals’ great purpose in office is to smash things and put people out of work - rather than to make the economy stronger so more people have jobs.
It’s a good speech only if, as Judith Sloan notes, you overlook what Labor has actually done with those jobs it says it will protect:
KEVIN Rudd’s big pitch is that “the core of Labor’s vision for the Australia of the 21st century is one where every Australian should have the right to a job"…
What he doesn’t mention is that ... unemployment has gone from 4 per cent when Labor assumed office to 5.6 per cent now… On the government’s own economic statement released just over a month ago, the rate of unemployment is assumed to rise to 6.25 per cent by mid-2014.
It’s a great speech only of you ignore that it’s built on another lie about the Opposition, as Paul Kelly notes:

While the $70 billion Coalition “black hole” figure is known by everybody to be false, Rudd used it to allege that Abbott’s “massive cuts risk throwing the entire economy into recession”.
Recycling Keating from an earlier campaign, Rudd said: “If you don’t understand how Mr Abbott’s $70bn of cuts will affect your job, your school, your hospital - then don’t vote for him.”

It’s a great speech only if you ignore that some of what Rudd claims will increase jobs could actually kill them:

The launch initiatives - a grab bag of sensible policy, electoral fixes and futile slide to economic nationalism - were tied to jobs and training…
For big business, Rudd ... would extend Gillard’s laws by lowering from $500m to $300m the threshold above which it is mandatory for projects to give Australian business improved access to supply contracts.
This will further entrench government intervention in business decisions… The plans will be administered by the new Australian Industry Participation Authority.
The documents say this regulatory incursion will increase the work going to Australian industry by something in the range of $156m-$624m every year.
There is nothing on how much damage it will cause. Enough said.

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Labor boasts it rid us of Labor policies

Andrew Bolt September 02 2013 (5:15am)

Michael Gordon:

Rather than defend the carbon tax as a crucial step towards an emissions trading scheme that will be more effective than Abbott’s ‘’direct action’’, Labor has been silent on the issue. One ALP flyer even cites the ‘’abolition’’ of the carbon tax as a Labor achievement.
Tim Blair:
Historically, most of Labor’s achievements involve the removal of Labor’s previous policies. 

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Fairfax joins the wicked Murdoch conspiracy

Andrew Bolt September 02 2013 (5:12am)

Labor thought Murdoch editors must be part of a conspiracy to conclude Labor was unfit to lead. Are the editors of Fairfax’s Sunday Sun-Herald and Sunday Age part of that conspiracy, too - or are the facts of Labor failure too obvious even for them?

Melbourne and Sydney’s Sunday newspapers are united in their calls for voters to throw Kevin Rudd’s Labor government out of office for the Coalition.
Melbourne’s Fairfax-owned The Sunday Age did so reluctantly....  “Therefore, it is with little enthusiasm that we say the Coalition deserves to win.’’
Melbourne’s News Corporation Australia-owned Sunday Herald Sun was less equivocal.
‘’Australia cannot afford to keep the most dysfunctional and inept government in its history,’’ the paper editorialised…
In Sydney, the Fairfax-owned The Sun-Herald’s editorial ...  described federal Labor as ‘’negative, incoherent, incohesive and – the worst of all – uninspiring’’…
And who could miss the News Corp-owned Sunday Telegraph?… It pointed out, like the Sunday Herald Sun did, that it had backed Labor in the 2007 election.
But no more.
When Murdoch papers foolishly backed Kevin Rudd in 2007, that wasn’t a conspiracy and Labor didn’t complain.
When Murdoch papers wisely dump Kevin Rudd in 2013, that is a conspiracy and Labor complains.
When even Fairfax papers dump Kevin Rudd in 2013, that is ... what?  

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4 her
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Pastor Rick Warren
Josh For President! My son waves to everyone at the National Stadium in Rwanda where I'm speaking. He has the wave!
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Wille Bring's photo.
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Incredible pencil portrait drawn by a fan!
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An Iranian filmmaker, Bahram Sadeghi, uploaded a video Thursday of himself calling the National Security Agency (NSA) hotline in a sarcastic attempt to retrieve an email he told the operator he accidentally deleted.
“A couple of days ago I received an email and by mistake I deleted it, the email… permanently,” Sadeghi can be seen explaining to an NSA employee over the phone.

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Are you looking forward to the new week? 
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"Curtis Sinclair, Co-Chairman of the Ashraf Campaign (ASHCAM) condemned the Iraqi government for caving under Iranian pressure to commit an "obscene abuse of power."

"We’re hearing details of unarmed refugees being bound, gagged and machine-gunned at close quarters; of anti-tank weapons being used on people’s homes; of a massacre supervised by police chiefs and army commanders," claimed Sinclair.
"Not since the days of Saddam [Hussein] have we seen this kind of blatant and obscene abuse of power by an Iraqi leader. Last night’s attack just goes to show the lengths to which [Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-]Maliki will go to assist... [Iranian Supreme Leader] Ali Khameini in [his] quest to stamp out the presence of Iranian dissidents in Iraq."

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What make/model car is this? Oldsmobile? Mercedes Benz?
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"Egyptian officials announced their intention to create a buffer zone around Gaza, 500 meters wide and ten kilometers long. The buffer zone is designed to keep Gazan Arabs, many of whom are sympathetic to the Muslim Brotherhood, out of the Sinai Peninsula, as the Egyptian Army continues its military campaign to root-out Islamist terrorist groups who have taken refuge there, mounting sporadic deadly attacks against security forces and civilians.

On Sunday, the army evicted residents of the 13 homes and demolished them. Egyptian officials said that smuggling tunnels were found under the homes."

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VIDEO: Louisiana Senator, Elbert Guillory asks his fellow black Americans to follow him into the GOP and to leave the "government plantation" of the Democratic Party. 

Watch The Senator! ---> http://bit.ly/18wkIsw
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Warren Truss

The Katter Party is preferencing Labor ahead of the LNP in Wide Bay and also in other seats. 

A vote for Katter is a vote for Labor, a vote for new and increased taxes, a vote for further increases to the cost of living, and a vote for three more years of chaos and dysfunction.

A vote for the Liberal & National Parties is a vote for Real Change for a stronger Australia and a better future for Wide Bay.

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While Israel has said repeatedly it’s not a party to the Syria conflict, Israeli lawmakers and analysts are voicing concern that President Barack Obama’s hesitation in making a decision about a military strike and sticking with it is sending a loud and “dangerous” message to Iran.
Politicians from the right and left in Israel are questioning Obama’s decision-making one day after the president announced that he was deferring to Congress on the question of use of force.
Obama Blinked: Why Israelis Are Concerned Obama’s Change of Heart on Syria Strike Will Embolden Iran and Other Foes

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NFL quarterback Tim Tebow said on Saturday he prays “for nothing but the best” for the Patriots after the team released him early Saturday.
“I would like to thank Mr. Kraft, Coach Belichick, Coach McDaniels and the entire Patriots organization for giving me the opportunity…to be a part of such a classy organization,” Tebow tweeted.
“I pray for nothing but the best for you all. I will remain in relentless pursuit… of continuing my lifelong dream of being an NFL quarterback,” he added.

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Egyptian soldiers in the Sinai Peninsula

Egyptian forces on Saturday arrested the commander of an Al-Qaeda-linked group in the Sinai peninsula, officials told the Bethlehem-based Ma’an news agency.
A senior Egyptian official said that Muhammad Ibrahim, 40, was appointed as the leader of Al-Qaeda in Sinai after escaping from prison following the 2011 Egyptian revolution.
Ibrahim, also known as Adel Habbara, was driving a truck from Rafiah to El-Arish when he was ambushed by Egyptian security forces, according toMa’an.
"He tried to reach for two grenades in his pocket, but an officer jumped at him and bowled him over before other officers controlled him and grabbed the grenades," the official said.
Ibrahim was traveling with two other gunmen at the time of his arrest.
Egyptian authorities accuse Ibrahim of masterminding the 2005 attack on the resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, which killed some 88 people.
He is also accused of planning the August 2012 attack which killed 16 Egyptian soldiers in Rafiah, and is believed to have personally executed soldiers in an attack earlier this month in which 25 soldiers were killed.
The Sinai has become increasingly lawless since the fall of former president Hosni Mubarak in February 2011, and the terror attacks have only increased since the removal of Muslim Brotherhood PresidentMohammed Morsi in July. Egypt's army is currently engaged in an offensive in Sinai to curtail the surge in violence.
Since Morsi was ousted, Muslim Brotherhood-linked Gaza terrorists have been infiltrating the Sinai to attack Egyptian army outposts.
The army has been sealing the smuggling tunnels which are used to transfer goods, weapons and terrorists between the Sinai and Gaza. Hundreds of tunnels, however, remain open and active under the border between Egypt and Gaza.
On Sunday, Egyptian forces destroyed 13 homes next to the border with Gaza, in order to prevent the use of the houses as cover for smugglers into and out of the region.

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Jon Stewart’s classic crushing of President Obama and his “red line” gaffe is definitely worth checking out.

Click the link 
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"You are far too valuable to sell yourself so cheaply." –Kim Keller wrote in a letter to her daughter.
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A lenticular sunset near Mount Diablo tonight. This image doesn't do it the justice of what was seen... all the mini lenticular cloud formations got eaten up by the wide angle lens, but the color came through.
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Pastor Rick Warren
Teaching 6,000 Next Generation young leaders of Rwanda how to be purpose-driven leaders!
Co-sponsored by the government and PEACE Plan churches in Rwanda, this was also broadcast nationally. 4000 churches in Rwanda have adopted the PEACE plan in the past 9 years.
 — inKigali, Rwanda.
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And obama has Marines hold umbrellas for him...
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Rep. Peter King (R-NY) criticized President Obama’s decision to let Congress vote on using military action in Syria. On Fox News Sunday, he stated that under the Constitution, that the president is authorized to use military force without Congress’s approval.

Read more: http://foxnewsinsider.com/2013/09/01/rep-peter-king-clear-failure-leadership-obama-ask-congress-authorize-military-action#ixzz2djSYwvBy

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We should never forget how the totalitarian Greens want to restrict our time-honoured freedoms. Make your voice heardhttp://ow.ly/nCMYg
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The next five days are critical. We need to redouble our efforts to stop the Greenshttp://ow.ly/nCMYg
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‘Selfless service’: Patriot and actor Gary Sinise named honorary US Marine ==>http://twitchy.com/2013/09/01/selfless-service-patriot-and-actor-gary-sinise-named-honorary-us-marine/
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I feel the criticism of Abbott hyper. He called terrorists 'bad.' By way of contrast, Rudd called Chinese Ratfuckers for their language. I know which I feel is more diplomatic. ed
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Madu Odiokwu Pastorvin

Month Of September: Be fruitful, Multiply, Replenish, Subdue And Dominate.
Genesis 1: 28. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” NKJV
The new month has just started,May your tomorrow be brighter, May this new month be more successful, It is my wish that this month brings more inspiration and love in your life.No weapon formed or fashioned against you will prosper. Wish you happy New Month.God bless you.
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042113_ff_faith_640.jpg

"We cannot live in a world that is not our own, in a world that is interpreted for us by others. An interpreted world is not a home. Part of the terror is to take back our own listening, to use our own voice, to see our own light."
I was thrown back on my heels when I came across this quote from the 11th Century Christian Saint, Hildegard of Bingen. 
Her warning is timely.
Many of us overly rely on pastors, seminary professors, or our favorite authors to interpret the world for us. 
This isn’t an age specific mistake, but I attend too many conferences at which young people, in particular, appear to uncritically accept everything they hear from celebrity speakers on the stage. 
Just once I’d like to hear a presenter finish a message saying, “But don’t take my word for it, these are my opinions. Take what I’ve said, wrestle with it, then come to your own conclusions.”
Just once I’d like to hear a presenter say, “But don’t take my word for it, these are my opinions. Take what I’ve said, then come to your own conclusions.”
Here are three suggestions for those who want to think more critically about their faith.
1. Trust the Spirit of Truth
Respect the insights of gifted teachers but take responsibility to engage in conversation with scripture, tradition, reason and experience and determine for yourself, what you ultimately believe. Trust the Spirit, “he will guide into all truth.”
2. Accept You Might Not Get It Right
Truth unfolds. You will inevitably look back and decide that your initial beliefs about a faith-related issue weren't right. Accept that what you believe today may not necessarily be what you believe tomorrow. Don't worry, as far as God is concerned it's the right intentioned search for truth that matters.
3. Embrace the Terror  
It’s terrifying “to take back our own listening, to use our own voice, to see our own light." It’s much easier to blindly buy into what "Professional Christians" say we should believe about the world, the Bible, or the way we live. 
Don't outsource your faith! 
Embrace the terror that comes with taking responsibility for your own walk with God and the way you choose to interpret the world.  
Then again, don’t take my word for it; this is only my opinion.
Ian Morgan Cron is the bestselling author "Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and Me…A Memoir…of Sorts." His latest release is "Chasing Francis: A Pilgrim’s Tale."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/09/01/three-ways-to-take-charge-your-faith/?intcmp=HPBucket#ixzz2djVMHbWZ

Embrace the terror .. my marriage counsellor couldn't have said it better ed
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Therese Rein with husband Kevin Rudd at 10 Downing Street

Thérèse Rein, once again Australia's first lady, is facing questions - both in Australia and in Britain - about her company.


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Warfare is a very serious business whose first imperative is to deploy force to win – rather than topunish, make a statement, establish a symbolic point, or preen about one's morality.

Bashar al-Assad, strongman of Syria.
Yet, these latter are precisely what several Western states will accomplish if they respond to the Syrian government's apparent use of chemical weapons against civilians with "limited" strikeslasting one or two days against fewer than fifty sites. Briefly lobbing American, British, and other missiles against the regime without a concomitant readiness todeploy ground troops will neither overthrow the government nor change the course of the war. It will, however, allow Westerners to feel good about themselves.

It will also entail real dangers. Bashar al-Assad's notorious incompetence means his response cannot be anticipated. Western strikes could, among other possibilities, inadvertently lead to increased regime attacks on civilians, violence against Israel, an activation of sleeper cells in Western countries, or heightened dependence on Tehran. Surviving the strikes also permits Assad to boast that he defeated the United States.
In other words, the imminent attack entails few potential benefits but many potential drawbacks. As such, it neatly encapsulates the Obama administration's failed foreign policy. (August 28, 2013)
August 29, 2013 update: A satiric piece by Andy Borowitz in the New Yorker, "Obama Promises Syria Strike Will Have No Objective," nicely captures the absurdity of what's being proposed against the Assad government.
Attempting to quell criticism of his proposal for a limited military mission in Syria, President Obama floated a more modest strategy today, saying that any U.S. action in Syria would have "no objective whatsoever." "Let me be clear," he said in an interview on CNN. "Our goal will not be to effect régime change, or alter the balance of power in Syria, or bring the civil war there to an end. We will simply do something random there for one or two days and then leave."
When U.S. allies responded with howls of protest, saying that two days was too open-ended, White House spokesman Jay Carney responded with assurances
that the President was willing to scale down the U.S. mission to "twenty-four hours, thirty-six tops." "It may take twenty-four hours, but it could also take twelve," Mr. Carney said. "Maybe we get in there, take a look around, and get out right away. But however long it takes, one thing will not change: this mission will have no point. The President is resolute about that."

It is difficult to know how to be proportionate when Obama has turned a blind eye previously ed
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Goudie blew a .341. That's a lot.

SHE tried to run onto the field during a football game, was hauled off to jail and gave an incredibly high blood-alcohol reading. Then she tweeted about her experience.
Samantha Goudie is potentially - "allegedly" - the drunkest girl on the planet. And judging by her Twitter timeline, possibly the funniest.
According to Deadspin , who labelled Goudie an "Idiot on the Field", the 22-year-old student tried to run onto the field during a game between her college, the University of Iowa, and Northern Illinois.
Goudie was "unsteady on her feet" (reads: blind) and taken to jail. Which, as you're about to learn, is an experience she seemed to enjoy.

World's drunkest uni student blows .341
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/technology/world8217s-drunkest-uni-student-blows-341/story-e6frfrnr-1226709012378#ixzz2djXVOPKe


34.1% of her blood stream was alcohol? ed
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Zaya Toma
Im surprised the Christian Democrats are giving their second preference to Labor, the same as the Greens. The Christian Democrats want three more years of the Labor-Greens aliance?
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JERUSALEM, Sept. 1 (UPI) -- Israeli authorities said Sunday they broke up an alleged Hamas plot to launch terrorist attacks inside Israel, including bombing a popular shopping mall.
Two West Bank residents were indicted by the Jerusalem District Attorney's Office on charges that included recruiting maintenance workers at the Mamilla open-air mall to smuggle in a bomb during the busy Jewish High Holidays shopping season.
"During questioning, members of the terror cell mentioned other initial plans to carry out additional attacks, including harming IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) soldiers by booby trapping homes in Ramallah, manufacturing and firing rockets at Israeli communities near Ramallah, and attempts to get hold of handguns to fire on IDF soldiers at the Hezma roadblock, northeast of Jerusalem," the Israeli security service Shin Bet said in a written statement.
The two men who were indicted were allegedly led by another Ramallah resident, Hamdi Romana, 22, who was expected to be indicted separately. The timing of the charges was not indicated, the Jerusalem Post said.
Romana was and the other suspects were arrested in August. A search of his home by Israeli agents turned up bomb-making materials and instructions plus evidence Romana had been in communication with a reputed Hamas explosives expert.
The bomb plot was described as being near its final phases. The goal was to detonate the bomb during the period that includes Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.
Shin Bet said Romana recruited two Arab residents of Jerusalem who worked at the Mamilla mall and carried Israeli identification cards, which Israeli broadcaster Arutz Shiva said would presumably allow them freer movement around town.
The bomb was to be wrapped like a present and stashed in one of the maintenance workers' lockers until the holidays were in full swing. It would then be planted in a restaurant or some other area where large numbers of shoppers would be present.
Shin Bet added that the arrests showed Hamas was still anxious to launch attacks inside Israel and was keen to recruit Arab residents of Israel to help them carry out their plots.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2013/09/01/Israel-thwarts-Hamas-plot-to-bomb-Jerusalem-mall/UPI-75861378044421/#ixzz2djYWn7VL

Part of the Peace Process? ed
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I Can See the Stars – Rosh Hashana
Enjoy this educational video about the Jewish new year, Rosh Hashana!
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A Capella – I Won’t Forget you Jerusalem!
Beautiful! Don't miss this wonderful song!
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IDF Combat Medic Sings an Original Song, “Sunshine”
This guy is talented!
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IDF- The worlds most moral army that everyone loves to hate
Rocks and bombs are being thrown at Israelis and IDF soldiers everyday in Judea and Samaria, yet the IDF is treating the agressors with kid gloves in order not to give Israel bad press. However, sometimes the Israeli army must do what is necessary to protect Israeli citizens and IDF soldiers, even though it might cause bad press. In anycase, this video shows the truth about our brave IDF soldiers!
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This must be one of the best video presentations that clearly explains international law and the legal case for Israel and Israel's presence in Judea and Samaria. Definitely watch this to have a better understanding of international law so you can talk about Israel's situation intelligently with others.
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September 2Paryushana begins (Svetambar Jains, 2013);Labour Day in Canada and Labor Day in the United States (2013); National Day in Vietnam (1945)
Bust of Caesarion

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“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6 NIV
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Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon

Morning

"Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory."
Psalm 73:24
The Psalmist felt his need of divine guidance. He had just been discovering the foolishness of his own heart, and lest he should be constantly led astray by it, he resolved that God's counsel should henceforth guide him. A sense of our own folly is a great step towards being wise, when it leads us to rely on the wisdom of the Lord. The blind man leans on his friend's arm and reaches home in safety, and so would we give ourselves up implicitly to divine guidance, nothing doubting; assured that though we cannot see, it is always safe to trust the all-seeing God. "Thou shalt," is a blessed expression of confidence. He was sure that the Lord would not decline the condescending task. There is a word for thee, O believer; rest thou in it. Be assured that thy God will be thy counsellor and friend; he shall guide thee; he will direct all thy ways. In his written Word thou hast this assurance in part fulfilled, for holy Scripture is his counsel to thee. Happy are we to have God's Word always to guide us! What were the mariner without his compass? And what were the Christian without the Bible? This is the unerring chart, the map in which every shoal is described, and all the channels from the quicksands of destruction to the haven of salvation mapped and marked by one who knows all the way. Blessed be thou, O God, that we may trust thee to guide us now, and guide us even to the end! After this guidance through life, the Psalmist anticipates a divine reception at last--"and afterward receive me to glory." What a thought for thee, believer! God himself will receive thee to glory--thee! Wandering, erring, straying, yet he will bring thee safe at last to glory! This is thy portion; live on it this day, and if perplexities should surround thee, go in the strength of this text straight to the throne.

Evening

"Trust in him at all times."
Psalm 62:8
Faith is as much the rule of temporal as of spiritual life; we ought to have faith in God for our earthly affairs as well as for our heavenly business. It is only as we learn to trust in God for the supply of all our daily need that we shall live above the world. We are not to be idle, that would show we did not trust in God, who worketh hitherto, but in the devil, who is the father of idleness. We are not to be imprudent or rash; that were to trust chance, and not the living God, who is a God of economy and order. Acting in all prudence and uprightness, we are to rely simply and entirely upon the Lord at all times.
Let me commend to you a life of trust in God in temporal things. Trusting in God, you will not be compelled to mourn because you have used sinful means to grow rich. Serve God with integrity, and if you achieve no success, at least no sin will lie upon your conscience. Trusting God, you will not be guilty of self-contradiction. He who trusts in craft, sails this way today, and that way the next, like a vessel tossed about by the fickle wind; but he that trusteth in the Lord is like a vessel propelled by steam, she cuts through the waves, defies the wind, and makes one bright silvery straightforward track to her destined haven. Be you a man with living principles within; never bow to the varying customs of worldly wisdom. Walk in your path of integrity with steadfast steps, and show that you are invincibly strong in the strength which confidence in God alone can confer. Thus you will be delivered from anxious care, you will not be troubled with evil tidings, your heart will be fixed, trusting in the Lord. How pleasant to float along the stream of providence! There is no more blessed way of living than a life of dependence upon a covenant-keeping God. We have no care, for he careth for us; we have no troubles, because we cast our burdens upon the Lord.
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Today's reading: Psalm 135-136, 1 Corinthians 12 (NIV)

View today's reading on Bible Gateway

Today's Old Testament reading: Psalm 125-136

1 Praise the LORD.
Praise the name of the LORD;
praise him, you servants of the LORD,
2 you who minister in the house of the LORD,
in the courts of the house of our God.
3 Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.
4 For the LORD has chosen Jacob to be his own,
Israel to be his treasured possession.
5 I know that the LORD is great,
that our Lord is greater than all gods.
6 The LORD does whatever pleases him,
in the heavens and on the earth,
in the seas and all their depths.
7 He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth;
he sends lightning with the rain
and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

Today's New Testament reading: 1 Corinthians 12

Concerning Spiritual Gifts
1 Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.
4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work....
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Og

[ÅŽg] - long-necked or bread baked in ashesThe giant king of Bashan. This man of huge stature, the last of the Rephaim, was slain at Edrei. The only big things of any note about this massive man, whose conquests lingered long in the imagination of the people (Ps. 135:11; 136:20), were his big body and his big bed (Num. 21:33; 32:33; Deut. 3:1-13).
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The Upper and Lower Story
If you are a pastor or a Christian leader let me ask you a question - "how would you like to follow Max Lucado as senior pastor?" For twenty years Max, yes that #1 best selling inspirational writer, had been the beloved senior pastor of the Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas. But it doesn't stop there. Reader's digest named him America's Pastor? That takes the phrase, 'that is a hard act to follow' to a whole new level...
frazee4
 
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The Story is helping people everywhere experience Scripture like never before. Carefully selected verses from the Bible are organized chronologically. From Genesis to Revelation, you will come to understand God's story and your story intersect with it.
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September 1, 2011
I Need a Friend
Part 3
Today's Truth
But Ruth replied, 'Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.' When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her (Ruth 1:16-18, NIV).
Friend to Friend
Friendship is the catalyst for every other love and the foundation of every healthy relationship. God created us to need each other. We need friends and we need to be a friend. Over the next few weeks, we will uncover nine keys to healthy friendships.
Key one: Time
Key two: Risk
Key three: Transparency
Key four: Touch
Women are such emotional critters. I can almost see Naomi and Ruth hugging each other or holding hands as their friendship was forged through love, sorrow, pain and loss. The earthly ministry of Jesus constantly demonstrated the power of love poured out through His touch. The touch of Jesus brought healing to the sick, sight to the blind and life to the dead. In Matthew, He stretched out his hand and touched the leper (Matthew 8:3). Mark tells us that Jesus took the children in His arms (Mark 10:16 ). I am always amazed that even though Jesus could have healed the blind and sick with just a word, a breath, a glance or even a thought, He often chose to touch the broken ones in order to make them whole. Physical touch is a powerful communicator of love.
A group of medical students, training in the children's ward of a large metropolitan hospital, learned the power of touch in an unusual way. Day after day, the eager students made their rounds together, all of them visiting the same children, performing the same routine medical procedures. However, it soon became obvious to all that one particular medical student was especially loved by the children. Whenever he walked into the ward, the face of each child lit up. The medical students did not understand why the kids seemed to love this particular student more. Curious, they decided to follow their co-worker, hoping to learn his secret. They did. Every night, when he made his last rounds, this beloved young student kissed each child good-night and tucked them into bed. In Ephesians 2:14, Paul talks about "breaking down the walls that divide us." Many times, the best way to break down emotional walls is to reach out, in God's love, and offer the healing touch of a pat on a weary back, a quick hug for a lonely heart, or an encouraging hand on a burdened and bent shoulder.
Sidebar: Let me also be honest and open at this point. Rarely a week goes by that my husband and I don't hear of a marriage, family and ministry destroyed because of an affair. That affair began with one inappropriate thought that led to one inappropriate touch. Make no mistake, friend. The enemy wants to destroy you, your family, your home and your life. You can be certain he will attempt to do so - any way that he possibly can. When he does manage to derail a man or woman, he dances on the ashes of the fallen ones and the Father weeps. This is where correction comes in. Along with the command to demonstrate the love of God in friendships, comes the responsibility of loving accountability and correction.
Key five: Correction
Naomi told Ruth to return to her home land, but Ruth refused to go. Instead, she confronted and corrected her mother-in-law. A brave woman! The results were dramatic. "When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her." Godly friendships have the element of correction. Correction brings authenticity and health to every relationship in life - especially friendships. A true friend puts your good above the risk of anger or rejection. "Faithful are the wounds of a friend" (Proverbs 27:6 ). The "wound" is the correction or confrontation for the good of a friend.
Silence is agreement and just as dangerous as holding a friend's hand as he or she walks toward the edge of a steep, deadly cliff. When a warning bell goes off in your mind, when you have a question in your spirit about any part of a friend's life, you are called to confront that friend in love. Failure to do so may very well result in their destruction.
When I married into the Southerland family, I didn't know tent camping was part of the deal. I might have reconsidered (just kidding). I decided I could learn to camp and maybe even enjoy it. My first trip to Lake Greason in the foothills of the Ozarks was quite an experience. It did not take me long to learn the routine. Every day, Dan's mom would prepare a huge breakfast. The kids did dishes and cleaned up while mom changed into her swim suit, donned her sun glasses, grabbed a towel and headed for the lake. On the shore, she grabbed an inner tube, positioned her towel in just the right spot, turned around and sat down in the tube. Then she would float blissfully for hours. There was a slight problem with this plan. Lake Greason had a current that carried mom down the lake, around the bend and into the path of ski boats. Several times a day, someone would have to swim after her, pulling her back to the safety of the shore, where she would profusely thank them and go right back to floating. Finally, one of the kids came up with a great idea - a rope! We grabbed a ski rope, tied one end to mom's inner tube and the other end to a wooden stake driven securely into the ground. She could then float until the rope ran out and someone "reeled her in".
Confrontation "reels in" that friend who is flirting with sin and headed straight into the hellish plans of Satan himself. I know confrontation is difficult at best. However, the reality is that anyone who actually enjoys confrontation and correction is probably doing it for the wrong reason and with an ungodly heart attitude, because the eternal, bottom line of God's heart is to restore the broken. A loving touch and Godly correction are powerful friendship keys.
Let's Pray
Father, I confess that I often fail when it comes to being a true friend. Help me to be more aware of the opportunity to reach out and make a friend. Teach me how to nurture that friendship through healthy confrontation and a loving touch. May the friendships in my life honor and please You.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
Now It's Your Turn
  • I encourage you to scrutinize your friendships under the light of Godly love and correction.
  • How do they measure up?
  • Are you quick to be a vessel through which God can pour out His love through an encouraging touch?
  • Have you been silent, refusing to correct a friend because it was the easiest thing to do?
  • I have been guilty of taking the easy way out when it comes to friendship. I want to be a better friend. Join me in a new commitment to friendship - God's way.
More from the Girlfriends
Don't miss the Dollar Days Sale going on in Mary's online store! Looking for a Bible Study that is both practical and powerful? Check out Mary's E-Book Bible Studies. Each one includes a study guide that you can download for your personal use or for a small group study. I Need a Friend is also available in Bible Study format.
Be sure to check out Mary's weekly Online Bible Study: Stress Management 101. Enroll now and have access to all 2011 lessons. Need a friend? Connect with Mary on Facebook or through email.
Seeking God?
Click here to find out more about
how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
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P31Header
Lysa TerKeurst
September 1, 2011
When My Mean Girl Wants to Come Out
Lysa TerKeurst
"I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." John 15:11 (NIV)
Do you ever have days where someone tries to rip the joy right out of your life?
I do.
And it's really hard. It's a battle. The good girl part of my brain says, "Be nice. Honor Jesus with your actions. Your response is your responsibility. Self control, Lysa, self control."
But the mean girl part of my brain says, "How dare they act that way! I'll show you!"
One part of me says fold your hands in prayer.
But another part of me says throw your hands in the air and pitch a good old fashioned hissy fit.
Issues.
I have them. Maybe most of us girls do. Especially that one special week a month.
But God.
I love how those two words interrupt me. Redirect me. Remind me. Comfort me. Battle the mean girl in me. And cause me to pause.
Pause. Just for a minute, pause. And it's in that pause where we give the Holy Spirit room to interrupt the mean girl response just dying to come out and bloody the situation.
The Holy Spirit says, "Lysa stop and think. It might feel good in the minute to scream, retaliate, pitch a fit and flood the situation with scary emotions. But it won't feel good in the long run. It will feel awful in the long run. You'll feel the sting of regret. Come on Lysa... be rare. Be a girl who looks ahead and determines to do what's best in the long run."
Yes, it stinks that this other person is determined to steal our joy.
It really does.
But in reality, my joy can only be stolen if I let it be stolen.
In John 15:10-12 Jesus says, "If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."
Several things struck me as I read this verse. Each interaction I have with others I'm faced with the choice to either remain in God's love or retreat from God's love. I can't control how this other person is acting towards me. But I can control how I act and react. If I chose to remain in God's love and react to this other person kindly, it affects my joy. Jesus interjects His joy right into the heart of a kind person. If I make the choice to be kind, instead of my joy being depleted, it will be completed.
So back off mean girl part of my brain. The Jesus girl in me is taking over. And holding on to every ounce of joy that's rightfully mine. Circumstances can steal stuff from me. But not my joy.
Dear Lord, this sounds so good in this moment. But it will not be easy when I have an interaction today with "that person"... the one who makes my mean girl want to come out. Will You help me remember these truths? Will You help me remember this person can not steal my joy? And help me remember if I react kindly my joy can be completed rather than depleted. And that's what I want. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
Click here to visit Lysa's blog for a list of three practical things we can do to keep our mean girl from coming out today.
Lysa is speaking in over 40 cities this year and she'd love to meet you! To check for a city near you, click here.
Becoming More Than a Good Bible Study Girl by Lysa TerKeurst. This book contains three chapters all about what to do when our mean girl wants to come out. Learn how to conquer your anger, envy, and stress today!
Becoming More Than a Good Bible Study Girl DVD and Participant's Guide - Contains six sessions lasting 15-20 minutes each on one DVD and a Participant's Guide for only $24.99! Perfect for your Bible study group or as a neighborhood Book Club.
Application Steps:
If you know you will be interacting with someone who has a habit of trying to steal your joy, plan how you can remain calm and kind. Also, plan how you can limit the time you spend interacting with them.
Keep these three thoughts in your mind:
This person can only steal my joy if I let them.
I can't control this person, but I can control how I act and react.
If I make the choice to be kind, instead of my joy beingdepleted, it will be completed.
For a list of three practical things we can do to keep our mean girl from coming out today, click here.
Reflections:
What situations in my life might get better if I apply what I'm learning in this devotional today? Do I want frustration or joy to be my reality today? What would it be like to live with Jesus' complete joy in my heart?
Power Verses:
John 15:10, "If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love." (NIV)
John 15:11, "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." (NIV)
John 15:12, "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." (NIV)
© 2011 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
www.Proverbs31.org
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Greetings from Bible Gateway! We've got lots of news today, so let's dive right in.

Faithful Through the Ages: Meet the Great People of Church History

God has always used interesting and unlikely people to carry out His will on earth. Preachers, artists, kings, and outcasts; rich and poor; famous and obscure--God has called servants from every walk of life to spread the Gospel and preserve the church. Faithful Through the Ages, our new weekly email newsletter, will introduce you to the influential Christians who have served God in the two thousands years since the time of the early church.

You can read more at our blog, or sign up to start receivingFaithful Through the Ages when it starts tomorrow!

How People Share and Read the Bible Online

Did you know that when people share Bible verses on Facebook, they share single verses nearly 3/4 of the time and full chapters almost 1/10 of the time? We took a close look at the numbers, and have posted stats and charts on how people share and read the Bible online. We found interesting differences in behavior between sharing and reading the Bible.

See the results of our Bible usage research on our blog! Do these findings reflect the way that you share and read Scripture on Bible Gateway, Facebook, and Twitter?

Lexham English Bible Now Available on Bible Gateway

We're pleased to announce a new addition to our library of Bibles: the Lexham English Bible (LEB) New Testament!

The LEB is a comparatively literal translation that is especially useful for students, pastors, and anyone who wants to do regular comparisons between the English and original text. You can read more about what distinguishes the LEBfrom other modern English Bibles, or you can start reading it now! Because the LEB was produced with comparison reading in mind, we recommend seeing how it reads alongside the Greek New Testament text.

Bible References in Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Speeches

This week marked the 48th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech. King's groundbreaking work as a civil rights pioneer is what stands out most strongly in history, but he was also a pastor and preacher--and his sermons and speeches were full of Scripture references. In honor of the occasion, here's a look at Bible passages that formed the basis for several of King's most famous speeches:
That's all for now. Thanks, as always, for your continued support of Bible Gateway!

Sincerely,
the Bible Gateway team
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But you can make a life-changing difference to them by sponsoring one now. And it costs just $22 a month, or a mere 75 cents a day - for you to help stop the horrors of poverty for a child. Your monthly support will help us keep these kids safe - and off the streets where danger lurks.
Please don't let these impoverished children continue to get dragged down. Help them have a choice.Sponsor a child now...and end the vicious cycle of poverty. And we have selected a special child just for you - simply use this link to learn more.
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We are proud of our financial accountability and integrity.
Children International has been highly rated by the American Institute of Philanthropy, and Consumers Digest magazine has named Children International a leading U.S. humanitarian relief charity. In fiscal year 2010, 82 percent of expenses went toward programs and services to benefit children and families.
Children International
2000 East Red Bridge Road
P.O. Box 219055
Kansas City, MO 64121
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What Physical Torture Would the Messiah Endure?

Today's reading: Isaiah 50:4-9
Even before Jesus was crucified, he underwent a merciless beating and public mocking that were meant not only to inflict maximum pain but also to humiliate him. Isaiah prophesies this torture and abuse that the Messiah would have to endure.
Isaiah 50:6 foretells that the Savior would offer his back to those who beat him, which prophesies the vicious flogging that Jesus endured. In ancient Roman times, flogging was often administered before crucifixion and was done with a whip made of strips of leather embedded with lead balls and shards of bone to inflict gaping wounds that caused the victim unbelievable agony. The church historian Eusebius described a later Roman flogging by saying, "[The victim's] veins were laid bare, and the inner muscles and sinews, and even the bowels, were exposed." The New Testament confirms that Jesus received the prophesied flogging (see Matthew 27:26John 19:1).
Isaiah also predicts that the Messiah would endure mocking and spitting. Jesus experienced the cruel taunts of the temple guards (see Luke 22:63-65), of the Roman guards (seeMatthew 27:27-31), of the onlookers, of the religious leaders and even of the robbers crucified with him (see Matthew 27:39-44).
Despite his innocence, Jesus did not fight the intense physical and verbal abuse heaped upon him. Instead, he accepted the pain, fulfilling the Messianic prophecies of Isaiah and proving, "Surely he was the Son of God!" (Matthew 27:54).
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Today's reading is from theThe Case for Christ Study Bible
by Zondervan


Investigate the Bible's most compelling claims: the existence of a compassionate God and the promise of eternal life through His Son, Jesus.


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Samuel: The King-Maker

Read 1 Samuel
But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7)
Samuel glanced at the seven men standing in the shade. They were impressive specimens. Any of Jesse's sons could have been God's choice. He was suddenly glad he didn't have to choose. God had just warned him about the danger of judging from appearance. He smiled sadly, remembering how impressed he had been at first by Saul's good looks.
Samuel looked around, puzzled. He'd run out of sons, and God hadn't chosen any of them. What was God's plan in this situation? Turning to Jesse, he inquired, "Are these it? No more sons?"
The old man slowly counted his sons, one by one. He appeared confused for a moment, then said, "Oh, there is one other. Didn't even think of him. My youngest, David, is out in the fields with the sheep." The rest of the sons didn't understand why they had been summoned, but they grumbled over having to wait for the runt to show up. His place was at the bottom of the pecking order. Shepherding was a smelly, outdoors-in-all-weather, protecting-stupid-sheep chore. Each of them had done it only until the next brother was old enough. As the youngest, it was David's permanent role. It didn't bother them to assign him the task; it did bother them that he enjoyed it so much.
Soon David came running in, exuding the pungent scents of field and flock. The brothers looked on with shock as Samuel removed an oil horn from his robe and poured the contents on their little brother's head. They couldn't imagine a higher honor-or a more obvious waste. But even they had to admit that as the oil dripped from David's hair and chin, a certain wild delight and spirit seemed to fill him. Samuel smiled, David laughed, and a chill went up his siblings' spines.
As Samuel walked to Ramah, he remembered another little boy, left in the charge of a priest named Eli. He considered how upbringing shapes a man and how God uses even hardships and pain to prepare his servants. He wondered about David's future. He remembered God's unusual call in his own life, the unexpected voice in the night that Eli had identified for him as the Lord's. The old priest had told him to answer, "Speak, for your servant is listening" (1 Samuel 3:10). Samuel chuckled softly and began to pray, "Lord, I'm still trying to listen. I never thought back then that you would make me a king-maker. So what's next?"

To Take Away

  • In what ways do you think God speaks to you?
  • What have you learned about the dangers of judging people by outward appearances?
  • How would you describe your attitude about God giving you directions?

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New Men's Devotional BibleToday's reading is from theNew Men's Devotional Bible
by Zondervan


The New Men's Devotional Biblehelps apply God's Word to a new generation of Christian men. It includes a full year of all-new devotions by well-known and not-so-well-known men of God.


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