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Over time, we will only get better at being the guardian gods of Earth.
Better to Be Potent Than Not
Ronald Bailey is the science correspondent for Reason magazine.
Updated May 23, 2011, 5:10 PM
Is humanity's ascent to global potency is a bad thing? No, especially if the alternative is returning to relative impotence.
Even in as sophisticated a society as ancient Rome, average life expectancy was about 20 years. Since the Industrial Revolution, average global life expectancy has risen to nearly 70 years. Why? Because humans have become better at mobilizing resources to produce better health and more wealth.
The economist Angus Maddison calculated that the annual per capita income in real dollars averaged $425 in ancient Rome. Today, the citizens of Western Europe enjoy income averaging $22,000 per year. These trends are resulting in ever lower total fertility rates. Only in poor countries, with low life expectancies, and low literacy rates for women, are high fertility rates still the norm. Educating women in those countries would help reverse poverty and high fertility rates, thus benefiting both people and the natural world.
The 21st century will likely see the "Great Restoration of Nature." Inventors and entrepreneurs will enable humanity to wring more value out of less resources over time, dematerializing more and more of the human economy. Much of humanity will withdraw from the landscape into cities. More efficient farming will allow more land to revert to nature. Increasing wealth and technological progress will help humanity to adapt to climate change in the short run while developing low-carbon energy economies in the long run. Environmental visionary Stewart Brand declared in 1968: "We are as gods and might as well get good at it." Over time, we will only get better at being the guardian gods of Earth.
Join Opinion on Facebook and follow updates on twitter.com/roomfordebate.


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Linda's Psychic Road
My many experiences so farFor the last 4 years I have been on a strange and sometimes wonderful journey. A journey that has taken me places that I would have never dreamed about going to until after I started on my psychic journey. I have also met many helpful people along the way who by some reason unknown to me have had our journeys coincide and now we are going on a parallel road together. Many of my experiences so far with the paranormal and psychic side of life has been very educating and has led me to several paranormal groups on different social media outlets such as Facebook or Twitter.
My experiences first started as seeng 'shadow people' or what others call energy manifestations (ghosts). I never really believed at first that was what I was witnessing and usually rationalized it as maybe my eyes were tired or I was imagining it. Until early one morning I had a startling encounter with one of these 'shadow people' seemingly attacking me. At first it looked like some kind of animal maybe a bear standing in the doorway but suddenly it stood up and I could make out a shape of large man. It then lunged for me and was trying to 'choke' me! It then backed off of me and went vanished into the wall. I didn't want to tell anyone what had happened since most (I thought) would have made me out to be crazy. But this one incident kept gnawing at my brain. I was trying to rationalize or think this out by myself but the more that I thought about it, the more it ate at me. So finally, I did confide in someone that had similiar interests in ghosts and she told me that many people do believe in spirits/ghosts existence and I wasn't crazy.
From then on, I have been on my long journey to seek answers to all of the experiences that I have had since this first one. After feeling that most would not make fun of me or tell me it was just my imagination I started to ask around much more and online. Online is where I really got my education on the paranormal and that I may have psychic abilities. I've never really considered myself psychic or for that matter I was more like the majority of people out there that don't really believe in people who can 'talk' to the dead or foretell your future by looking at your palm. I did however believe in some of the tv psychics like John Edwards who was the first psychic that I had seen on tv on a regular basis (weekly tv show) that did impress me with his abilities. He kept getting the facts right on the people he was reading. But for me to believe that I could do that very same thing that John Edwards has been doing all his life? No way! I what I would tell myself until I found the Chip Coffey message boards. I still had issues with the shadow man that apparently 'attacked' me so I went there because it was advertising that was the place for all of your questions on the paranormal and you could even get a reading from Chip Coffey himself it that is what you wanted. But I was more looking for answers to what was eating me at the time, shadow people.
This is where I learned that I may have psychic abilities myself. They used to have photo reading games on there and when I tried one, I actually did get many of the info right on. I was surprised at myself. This psychometry (photo reading through the eyes) was fairly easy to do for me. I was in shock actually. Ever since I have been photo reading others online and enjoying myself doing this. I think the best part is when I do get something right the reaction from the person asking for the reading is priceless.
Well, now it's 4 years later and I have experienced many other things with the paranormal. I have been lately using a digital camera to try to 'catch' an image of spirit or something out of the ordinary and I may have. I have taken several photos that are questionable whether they are spirits or not.
I really don't know when or where my psychic road will end but I know that I have had a most enjoyable time with this. Meeting new people who have similiar interests and experiencing many of the paranormal events that I have in the past 4 years have both made this journey well worth it.

subset: commoncrawl


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First I apologize for the absence from my blog. I had a period of illness that left me unable to do much of anything. I'm hoping that I'm on the mend enough to keep on top of things.
Another note is that the craft fair tent has arrived. Haven't done the trial set up yet but will be doing that soon to see how difficult and how long it actually takes to set up.
But this entry is actually about envelopes. Now I make and sell mostly cards as my business and it is something I really love. Now along with all the supplies needed to make the actual cards themselves I need to have envelopes.
So I have been making lots of cards and putting them up for sale on etsy and artfire and also making lots of cards for my upcoming craft fairs. I wasn't worried about envelopes because I had an unopened box of 250 sitting up on my shelf.
Today I decided I needed to start packaging some of my craft fair cards so I wasn't doing them all at the last minute. So I took the box of envelopes down from the shelf and opened it up only to find that there were no envelopes in the box at all. The horror of it all. So instead of packaging up my cards I had to spend time searching for a supplier to buy envelopes because my last one went out of business.
So I ordered 1000 envelopes today and that should last me quite some time. I guess the only real plus that came out of this was that I did decide to try to do this early and did discover the problem in enough time to get some shipped to me but it looks like I will be packaging everything at the last minute because I ran out. I will however be marking the boxes when they are empty so I know in advance if I have envelopes left in the future.


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Good Afternoon Everybody,
Wow, we had a great time last night with my "Let My Light Shine On" webinar. Thank you everyone for the "rave" reviews. The presentation went a little longer than the scheduled 90 minutes - almost two hours - but heck, just that much more "bang for the buck."
We had about 95 people in the audience and ton's of questions from the participants. What I loved about the presentation was the fact that I had Nicholas standing by fielding all the questions and answering ALL Of THEM with the exception of the one's he passed on to me.
If you missed it and would still like to get in on all the information I covered, you can head on over to the Digital Resource Center [link] and download your own personal copy. It's a great resource for anyone wanting to take their outdoor photography to the next level.
Because the presentation is in "real" time it certainly brings a sense of spontaneity to the the presentation for all, including me. I've got a few things up my sleeve for the next presentation so stay tuned to DigitalProTalk for details.
Hey gang, I've still have a busy day on my plate and need to pack for the wedding celebration this weekend so let's get right to this week's Business Day Thursday episode. Here we go...
Wal-mart vs. Nordstrom Customers - Who's Your Market?
A few weeks ago while on my training shoot with my two assistants we were just discussing "customers" over lunch. We have a new Nordstrom's - one of my favorite stores - opening up in Cincinnati in just a few weeks. In fact, I'm shooting the grand opening for them.
Anyway, the topic of customers and customer service came up. One of my assistants made a remark about the state of mind of two different customers - the Nordstrom customer and the Wal-Mart customer.
He put it something like this. "You know, when you observe the Wal-Mart customer, they are always in a hurry - they just want to get in and get out and be on their way. The whole shopping experience is just that - rushed. Add to that, a few hungry kids in tow and more errands to run, the shopping experience may even be a hassle."
He continued, " But now consider the Nordstrom customer. They are generally upscale with a few more disposable dollars to spend. When they visit Nordstrom's it is truly a pleasant shopping experience. Nordstrom's helps make it a pleasant experience with impeccably kept stores, very knowledgeable personnel, and a customer is always right policy. People are generally relaxed and happy when they shop Nordstrom's."
You know his comments jolted me to a realization of what kind of experience do we want our customers to have - a Wal-Mart experience or a Nordstrom experience. I like to think we provide the Nordstrom experience at my studio.
What kind of experience do you provide at your studio - is it classy, warm, friendly, upscale? It needs to be if we want to sell our products and services to a client who is willing to spend more for the Nordstrom experience.
Sure, each of us is in a different place in our careers and in growing our businesses. But regardless of where we are, the Nordstrom "road map" is a good road map to follow. I found this wonderful piece on the "Nordstrom Experience" right here. It's in PDF form so I suggest you download it, print it, tape it up in your work place, read it every day, and point yourself and your studio employees in that direction.
Hey gang, that's it for me today. I've got bags to pack, batteries to charge, and flash cards to clear. I'll see you from 30,000 feet tomorrow. Adios, David


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Barney made it onto the beds over the weekend. The first time was a fluke, I think. It took him a while to figure out how to do it again. Now Macon is going to really be having trouble with him when they play in the evenings. Macon will start it, Standing on the bed and just wrestling with Barney, who's on the floor and giving as much as he was getting. But then, Macon would sit back and rest while Barney would bark at him.. Now that Barney can jump on the bed, Macon is not going to be getting that little rest.
Oh boy. Barney is a high energy dog, when he's awake, Luckly he wears out rather quickly right now. Within 10 minutes, he's ready to sleep a couiple of hours. This morning, I had to clean both kennels and while I had the bottom of one in the tub, Barne was curled up, asleep, behind the top, in a dark corner. Now that the kennel is back together, He's on Jerry's bed, sleeping with Rocky. The last couple of days, Rocky hasn't been acting just himself. Panting and shivering at the same time. Very Clingy to me, and well, just not his normal. He's fine now and back to being his usual. I'm guessing he may have had a dog's version of a cold.
We bought yet another alarm clock.. Jerry was looking up front and I found one for less, that I liked more, and is smaller ( and cute-er) This one changes colors. (makes it easy to find in the dark) plays music when it goes off, Reverly (??) and tells the temp as well as the time. I saw something I might get Jerry for Christams for $35 in the same area. I asked him if he wanted it, but he said there isn't any room for it. Well, after Christmas there will be room on his side of the couch. It's a system that plays CD'S and can plug into a MP3 player, which I hope also means it will plug into his computer.
Outside my door ... (8am) The Sun is just now up and starting to top the trees at the other end of the row we are in. Not much warmth coming in, yet. Suppose to be in the lower 60's today. I'll need a light jacket when I walk the dogs here in a few minutes. Momma D is suppose to get me a new key for the post box, but don't know if it will be today or not. She said she has to go that direction anyway. She did give me the phone number for the local propane company so when we get low, we don't have to drive all the way to Dickson to refill our tanks.
The Dogs ... Are still sleeping, but I know, as soon as I rattle the leads they will be more than ready for that first walk of the day.. A real walk, not just a quick visit to the woods at the back of the camper.
The Cats ... Have been quiet, since I put them back in the camper to take the trash out and to fix up my Halloween decorations outside, I had to have the door open so I put them up before I even started. I do know they will want to find sunshine to sleep in, when I do let them out.
From the kitchen... Salad, meatloaf, mashed potatoes, (might even make some gravy) not sure of Dessert, just yet.
Slow Cooker Meatloaf
2 lbs Ground Beef
2 eggs
2/3 cup quick oats
1 pkg dry onion soup mix
1/2-1 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp ground mustard
1/2 cup ketchup, divided
1.Combine ground beef, eggs, dry oats, onion soup mix, liquid smoke,
ground mustard and all but 2 Tbsp of ketchup. Shape into loaf and
place in slow cooker.
2. Top with remaining ketchup.
3. Cover. Cook on low 8-10 hours or on high 4-6 hours.
I am hearing... Morning News, The heater cooling off.
I am wearing... Black Sweat Pants, my Pooh tshirt and shoes.
I am reading... emails and some notes I wrote myself.
I am hoping... That Jerry gets two days in a row off this week. There are just a few things we would like to do, that doing laundry or shopping seem to get in the way of. Looking for a house to rent is one. We passed a couple of signs and I just couldn't get him to turn around and go back and at least look.
I am creating... Well.. I have my pumpkins outside, and the rat I put some ribbons on is on top of them.. and the door wreath is hanging off one of the candle stands.. I'll take a picture.
One of my favorite things... watching the pets get along with each other. Barney is learning that Cats need their space. The Cats are learning that Barney does indeed chase them when they run down the hallway.
A few plans for the rest of the week... Cleaning the camper, work on a few crafts, take care of Jerry. cooking.


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In The News...
Clarksville Man Charged with Child Abuse Over Whipping of 11-year-old - Tennessee
A Clarksville man was arrested Monday and charged with whipping a minor with a belt and causing injuries. Robert Charles Small, 33, was charged with one count of child abuse and neglect. His bond was set at $1,000.According to his arrest warrant filed by Detective Larry Boren, Small struck an 11-year-old child with a belt several times, causing visible injury to the child's face, arm, legs and back.
DHR takes Custody of small child at Hotel, Arrests Grandmother - Alabama
Hetty Rebecca Kilgore, 48, was arrested Tuesday afternoon at an extended stay in Huntsville and the Department of Human Resources took the child into protective custody. On Tuesday afternoon, officers were called to a room at Value Place off University Drive. They were asked to check on the welfare of a child who had been crying for a long period of time. Police said they found a 2-year-old's grandmother intoxicated and the room was "determined to be an unhealthy and unsanitary environment."
School Bus Driver Charged in Boy's Death - Georgia
The school bus driver who struck and killed a 5 year old boy is now charged in the death. 39-year-old Sharon Dale is charged with 2nd degree vehicular homicide in connection with the incident. It happened Tuesday at Hobart Drive and Vanderbilt Court, as the boy was getting off the bus to go home. Students who witnessed the crash, say five year-old Everette Johnson had gotten off the bus when he dropped his book bag. When he bent down to pick it up, he was hit.
* Please Submit your nanny Sighting now at firstname.lastname@example.com or anonymously by using MEEBO. Thank you!
3 comments:
The guy who hit a child in the face with a belt needs to be kept away from society entirely, for a long period of time, because it takes a special combination of rage/ignorance/lack of self control to get to the place where a human being could do something like that. He's a danger to society.
I feel really sorry for the poor baby taken form the drunken grandma. Obviously baby is surrounded by an entire family of crappy people..because somebody also saw fit to leave the baby with alcohol addled granny in an unsafe/unhealthful hovel. And nobody else who may have known about it cared enough to put a stop to it. These are the cases where the child would be best adopted out before she gets to old to be a desirable candidate. Why wait until the family has been "rehabilitated" five or six times and take her away only after her psyche has been destroyed, she is too old to be adopted, and/or a tragedy occurs?
The bus driver case...I don't see enough facts to have an opinion...other than I am sick thinking about the poor child and his family.
- Sep 17, 2009, 12:14:00 PM
Agreed mom. Sickening excuses for humans who have no business being responsible for a snail, let alone a child.
Completely unrelated to these stories is an interesting and relevant news article:
- Sep 18, 2009, 1:25:00 AM
- jennifer lecarlo said...
Great article Mom. And these stories make me sick. I can only skim them, can't really read them. It hurts.
- Sep 18, 2009, 2:11:00 AM


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Bouchercon Memories- An ode to 1981
Today's guest is Max Allan Collins. What can one say of this man that hasn't been said. Having just finished STRIP FOR MURDER I felt this was a great time to put his memory up. You see, he did it to me again. I finished an entirely satisfying mystery and then had to go and google the protagonists in a quest for the parallels between the actual history and the fictional. As a result I now know more about the Joe Palooza strip than I ever intended. My question for Al as he stumbles upon this intro is what happened to the real Moe after he left the strip, I'm not finding anything. Okay so this intro was really an unnecessary tangent.
Collins memory is an example of just what can happen at Bouchercon... How life long friendships are formed and can last beyond the grave. So enjoy and remember you don't want to miss this year's event. See you next time,
Max Allan Collins
Here, predictably, is my biggest Bouchercon memory:
In 1981, because of my longtime defense of Mickey Spillane in mystery fandom, I was asked to be the con's liaison between it and Mickey when he was a special guest there, his very first appearance not just at a Bouchercon but at any mystery-fan event. I was very nervous, because Mickey had only answered one of my many, many letters to him, starting back in my junior high days. The one time he responded was when I sent him BAIT MONEY and BLOOD MONEY, in 1973 -- my first two novels (published simultaneously); he dropped me a warm letter welcoming me into the business as a fellow pro.
I'd heard some stories about Mickey being a handful, including turning on an interviewer who asked him something on a touchy subject, and also shooting up first editions sent to him for autographs and sending them back instead pocked with .45 slugs. The night before I barely slept -- if my idol had feet of clay, like the rest of us, I would be crushed.
So I was taken by Con organizers to Mickey's hotel room, where Mickey came out -- looking shorter than I'd expected but broad-shouldered and an intimidating figure -- and the con rep said, "Mickey, this is Max Collins." And Mickey said, "I know Max -- we've been corresponding for years!" To which I said, "That's right, Mickey -- one hundred letters from me, one letter from you." He roared with laughter and our great friendship began.


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As of late I've become quite the fan of print. As you may know I currently intern at Motel Rocks in their web editorial department, and Motel are pretty much the queens of print, so I see lots of new designs coming in every week. This has sparked my love for print again and gave me the idea for this post, so here are ten prints in my wardrobe that I'm loving at the moment, I think different variations of each print will stay around forever, so technically they're timeless... technically.
One. Distressed graphic.
I absolutely adore this top from Topshop since I managed to nab it in the sale a little while back. It's made of really soft cotton, and is a distressed blend of black and grey with a white compass print on the front. I love this type of print, well I suppose it's more towards a motif than a print per say but it works really well to add a little grungy edge to an outfit, especially for those of you who like the nautical trend but don't always want to be drowned in blue and white stripes - this one's a winner. I love the 'worn' look of this tee, it's also a box cut top so hangs so beautifully and naturally off your shoulders, meaning it works great with fitted skirts, leggings (with a strappy top underneath to hide your, erm, area) or disco pants.
Two. Aztec.
Again, another box top from Topshop featuring a neutral aztec print. This type of print is great for adding some excitement to your outfit, especially if you're like me and don't tend to stray too far from black on a day to day basis. Aztec prints are very geometric normally, another staple design, but the colours and traingular shapes of aztec make it much more earthy and boho chic. Totally wearable for everyone, my go to for this top is a pair of black skinny jeans and chunky heels.
Three. Artistic.
As I said before, Motel are the dons of print, so naturally I had to include this Addison shirt in pink forest print. Although this print is designed around the forest, and you can make out shapes of birds and trees, it's done in such an artistic way that almost looks like the type of art you used to do as a kid when you put ink on a page and blew it with a straw. This concept for designing makes this type of print much more appealing and interesting to the eye, making you look twice to see what it is you're actually looking at - plus it's a great talking point! Motel currently have quite a few pieces in this print, plus a black version of it, so I'd recommend checking it out.
Four. Monochrome stripe.
Ah monochrome, it's everywhere and I don't think it's going anywhere soon! I'm not one to religiously follow the trends, but with one as strong as monochrome this season, I couldn't really escape it. I just went with it and now I'm in love. It's such a classic combination of black and white that will stay with you through seasons to come. You can dress it up, with a pencil skirt and heels, or down with leggings and chunky boots. Stripes are so flattering on any shape, so combining the two is an obvious win. This shirt is so relaxed and sheer, with lovely attention to detail that makes you feel all fancy. Oh, and it's Motel too, of course!
Five. Detail print.
If you're not a big fan of the all over print, then fear not! You can still get a print fix with detailing such as this bright aztec pocket - this one is on a men's Primark tee for extra comfort and baggy-ness. Pockets are not only a good place for a little print, you can find it on sleeves/shoulders, or hems etc, or you could even add some print with a funky patterned belt. So much choice! I love to pair this oversized men's tee with my disco pants for a Primark overload. Why not eh?! But it could be dressed up by adding a strong tailored black blazer and some killer wedges.
Six. Nature.
To me, this print is just b.e.a.utiful. It sits on a H&M racer back sleeveless top with an exposed zip at the back and is just so pretty! I love the fact that it's not too bright and in your face, but is enough colour to make you look all summery. Up close it actually looks like a painting which I think is great and has so much detail in the design. The top itself has been cut quite triangular so it hangs out from the body, making it perfect with a fitted bottom half and loose, relaxed knit. Because there are a lot of colours in the print, I tend to pair it with neutral tones so that the top really pops, but you could always pick out one or two of the colours in the design for a more striking look. Find a similar style here.
Seven. Monochrome aztec.
More monochrome and even more aztec, but this time, all rolled up into one crazy print. This is another men's Primark tee, I find they seem to have much better prints in the men's department, what's up with that?! Again, I tend to pair this loose tee with the same sort of styling as the last men's tee, leggings and a blazer or chunky knit. Simple, but exciting none the less.
Eight. Feathers.
Believe it or not this is actually a Primark top! So gorgeous right!? I got it a little while back now, but still get compliments on it to this day, so it's not leaving my wardrobe any time soon! Feathers are so delicate, and to me, symbolise freedom and peace, making them such a lovely base for a design. There's so much detailing in a feather, and I really do think Primark have done a great job capturing it here! Plus this burgundy colour is one of my favourite colours ever, so it's a win in my books. I tend to pair this with black, and then pull out the brown/beige in a cardigan to combine it all together.
Nine. Floral.
A print collection wouldn't be complete without a floral now would it? This little beauty is from a 'silk' camisole from Primark - jeez I need to shop somewhere else - and is so feminine and dainty. Admittedly it's a little busy on the eye, but the flowers are so small and delicate that I think it's okay. I like the colour choices, it's not too diverse, but varied enough to be a true floral. Plus I quite like he fact that up close it kind of looks like it was printed with teeny tiny potatoes... You know, like you used to do at school. As this is such an eye-straining print, I tend to keep everything else very plain and simple, most likely black - well there's a surprise!
Ten. Smoke/mottled.
Woohoo you made it to the end! Pat on the back for you. It seems this entire post has been made up of top halves, so here's a bottom for you, so you can feel complete. This print is from a pair of Topshop 'relaxed' leggings. Well that's what I call them because they aren't quite hareem pants, nor joggers or normal leggings. This print is so lovely, it's a little pinker in real life, but is a gorgeous mottled grey/pink/peach mix. I guess if it were blue it would make the perfect back drop to your school portrait photo. This looks great paired with a really white, baggy tee tucked in loosely, but works equally well with black and grey. I guess you could easily DIY this print with some fabric paint and sponges... Hmmm...
So there you go! My favorite ten prints in my wardrobe, what did you think? Do you have a favorite? I must point out, I am in no way trying to dictate what anyone should wear, I'm merely sharing my own thoughts. :)
Have a great day!
Follow me on Bloglovin'
So there you go! My favorite ten prints in my wardrobe, what did you think? Do you have a favorite? I must point out, I am in no way trying to dictate what anyone should wear, I'm merely sharing my own thoughts. :)
Have a great day!
Follow me on Bloglovin'


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Tea TreeShaving Cream.
Normally speaking, I don't use shaving cream to shave. I typically shave in the shower. I used to think this was good. But, for this review, I just had to try Tea Tree Shaving Cream. Now, I have used tea tree shampoo and conditioner, and liked it, so I figured that the shaving cream had to be just as good.
As soon as I opened it, I was greeted by the familiar minty smell that I associate with tea tree anything. Then I applied it to my face. It went on smoothly and easily, and the excess washed right off. Then I went to shave. The razor went through my beard like a hot knife through butter. I was able to shave better, with less nicks and cuts than I normally get. Plus, when it was done and I washed it off, my face was smoother than normal, and I felt a tingling, cooling sensation that I've never felt before.
My wife also noticed an improvement. She commented that my face feels smoother than it ever has. Once again, ShaveMob has changed the way I shave. No more dry shaving, even in the shower. I will be using the Tea Tree Shaving Cream available from ShaveMob.
ShaveMob makes a great stocking stuffer for the man (or woman, as they do women's blades as well), and, for just an extra $6.99, you can add the Tea Tree Shaving Cream to your order. It comes in a perfect TSA travel size, so you'll never be without your amazing shaving cream, and it leaves your face feeling fresh and energized after each shave. Order today to guarantee delivery in time to surprise that special guy or gal on your holiday shopping list. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a great shave!
Get the guy in your life the set this christmas.
Get the guy in your life the set this christmas.


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The US (still) is a car driven society... How do people in different regions address their motorized idols?
The general pattern was that car and auto dominated but were clearly no. 1 and 2, in that order. The other terms were way behind. Let's see the ranking of each term by states:
Car and auto saw little differentiation in regional usage patterns. Car was no. 1 in Florida and the least Google popular in Montana and Kentucky. The no. 1 state for automobile was Arizona while Louisiana came in last. Note that New Mexico was one of the lowest in marked contrast with its neighbor Arizona: odd! Alabama stuck the most with automobile, North Dakota the least. Finally, motor vehicle was most popular in New Jersey very closely followed by Arizona again. The term was least in use in the car maker state par excellence: Michigan.
3 hours ago


text: Although I don't come from or live in Australia, I grew up eating Vegemite, Marmite & Bovril. The 1st 2 are vegetarian, Bovril is beef based. I think most kids in Singapore like it. We eat it in rice porridge/congee. A typical Chinese style lunch is plain rice congee with a variety of stir-fries to accompany. And all the kids would be fighting for that bot of Vegemite or Bovril to stir a heaped teaspoonful of the stuff into their congee. It is, IMO, delicious. And that's the only way I used to eat my congee... I didn't care for the other dishes...haha... Another way is to stir a teaspoon or 2 into a mug of boiling water, sprinkle in some ground black pepper, and get soup!! As for EQUAL which is aspartame, the sweetness is lost when exposed to great heat. Don't bake with it! Use saccharin (SweetNLow) or Stevia for cooking. BTW, there's SweetNLow brown sugar too.. which can be used for the Banana & Blueberry Bread recipe that's going around. Lucky you people in the US, coz we don't have SNL Brown Sugar here in Singapore, and I had lugged back 3 boxes of it from NYC last autumn. Imagine the customs officers' faces when I had a huge bag full of that stuff, plus FF salad dressings, FF muffin/cake/frosting mixes, FF cookies/puddings... u name it... these stuff are so tough to find and SO expensive in S'pore! Karen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Karen Lim Singapore koombana_TheGreat@xxxxxxxxxxx ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ------------------------------


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Photo: Rick Louis
Team BPR had a great time at the event which also included collections from Korto Momolu, Jesus Estrada and Gordana Gehlhausen.
In addition to glamorous metallics, Nicolena featured designs created from humble materials such as jute and burlap.
Click here to see all of the designs from the show.


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Gutted! This morning we went to the net sessions at the school where Ben and Joe practice and I took along my Canon G9 and shot some video footage of Joe bowling. He only bowled 1 over but from that one over he should have got 3 catches - 2 of them absolute dollies, but I can't show you the video because of the paranoia over child protection and the fear of someone suing you. Personally because I am aware of the law I've got no issue over the situation and if it wasn't for the request from the bloke at the cricket club who's in charge of these issues I'd have posted the video clip on the website here.
Now, my understanding of the law is as described in the PDF below and the law is that there is no law about taking images of children in 'Normal' situations such as cricket or on the beach etc. But other laws can be enforced in situations such as cricket practices e.g. tresspass, but tresspass in itself is a very insubstantial law. The situation that is prevalent at the minute in this country fuelled by the likes of the Daily Mail, The Sun and the media in general - attached to paedaphiles, child abuse and the internet, is that clubs, schools, councils and organisations who work with children have all adopted their own codes of practice which are not actually backed up by any real law relating to photography. Their codes of practice mean that they adopt policies of not allowing photography or video unless of course every single parent/guardian of the club/school signs a disclaimer. The fact of the matter is, all this does in essence is gives the club/school/organisation some form of redress if a case is brought against them in court relating to a case of misuse of the images. In instances where the disclaimer has not been signed as in our cricket club the approach is that they would simply ask you not to take pictures/videos and if your were to continue to do so they have the option of following up the tresspass laws and that is their only option. In fact they run very high risks of getting into real trouble if they then start to attempt to do things like man-handle you off the premises or remove the film/card from your camera if they get over zealous on the assumption that they are within the law.
Fortunately the bloke at the club simply pointed out that he wouldn't like the images to be uploaded to the internet because of child protection issues. Having looked through the files that I have created I'm gutted to say that there are other kids in the shots - especially the bowling video. Now I might argue that the quality of the video is so poor that the kids unless you were aware of the clothing that they're wearing are unrecognisable and if case was brought against me I'd be fairly certain the law would be on my side. But the fact is in this day and age with the majority of the population reading newspapers of a certain political persuasion that trade in paranoia and fear that helps to fuel the USA lead sueing culture we now have I just don't want to take the chance and I quite like the club my kids are attending and therefore will comply with the request. So sorry there is no video I can share with you because it has images of other peoples children playing cricket and enjoying themsleves. I don't know about you but in a culture where increasingly kids have no communication with the real tactile world and increasingly relate to the rest of their peers and society through electronic forms mobile phones, computers etc I'd have thought that anything that promotes physical well being and sport would be a good thing?
Have a look at this PDF. Note - The laws currently change so rapidly I may be wrong on this and if I am please let me know.
"The most obsessed leggie I think I have ever come across" Menno Gazendum.
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Saturday, December 06, 2008
UK law photography - children in public places
Posted by Dave Thompson at Saturday, December 06, 2008
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I Am the Way: Stages of Prayer in Saint Bernard
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By Mother Maureen McCabe
As founding abbot of Clairvaux, Bernard's giftedness and good judgment made him an often-sought resource by both church and secular powers, and in that capacity, he was sometimes delightful and sometimes dismaying to those who encountered him. But when it comes to prayer, says Maureen F. McCabe, OCSO, Bernard can only delight. Anyone who gives him a chance will discover teachings full of unction and spiritual discernment. He draws us to continual prayer through an unshakable confidence in the One who believes in our capacity to love without limits no matter what state we're in or stage we're at. He stirs us to continual gratitude for and reflection upon the mercies of the Lord, especially in his passion. Bernard, says Mother Maureen, is truly a father—father of the church and father of souls. In
I Am the Way,
she endeavors above all to allow Bernard's voice to be heard in all its resonance and penetration.


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End of the forum discussion: overview of case studies on the use of ICTs in SCPI
The online discussion on, "The role of Information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the Sustainable Intensification of Crop Production (SCPI)" has officially ended.
This has been a very fascinating discussion!. The sharp increase in the number of people joining the e-Agriculture platform over the course of the three weeks as well as the remarkable enthusiasm, with which the topic was discussed put in evidence the significant role of ICTs in sustainable intensification of horticulture crop-based systems.
Over the course of the discussion forum (06 March to 03 April 2017), 247 new members registered, in addition to already existing members on the e-Agriculture platform. We received a total number of 75 contributions from participants from the following countries: Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Benin, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Netherlands, Nigeria, Philippines, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago and Vietnam.
To give you an idea of the cases shared during this forum, you can find a short overview below. For full description of the cases, you can find the entire forum discussion in our forum archives.
- Coffee and Climate Initiative: Use of affordable sensors to measure climate change adaptation trials and spreadsheet & mobile enabled simulation for decision-making, development of simple heuristic software for farmers to understand risks (Global - Dr Peter Baker)
- The role of urban agriculture and the use of ICTs: Urban gardens to increase vegetable production and consumption and combat climate change (Bangladesh - Ms Mahfuja Parven)
- Important ICT solutions in India: electronic fencing for banana plot, wild animals voice sound generator for areca nut and banana, weather forecast alert for grapes and mangos, moisture sensors in drip irrigation connected to cloud (IoT), ICTs in green houses, sorting of fruits, sequential timers for irrigation, electronic motor pump burning prevention device with alert, communication with the overseas market for grapes, health-care of plants and soil, post-harvest management and storage (India – Mr. Santosh Ostwal)
- Revofarm: Revofarm provides weather and market information as it relates to project wind speed, rainfall, UV index etc. via SMS text messaging system. This information is provided by their business partner in the USA who analysis this data through their systems. (Caribbean Region - Mr. Ricardo Gowdie)
- Ghana e-agriculture programme: The Ministry of Agriculture (MOFA) Information Communication and Technology Unit has implemented the E-Agriculture Programme which is an ICT initiative through the West African Agriculture Productivity Programme (WAAPP) with funds from the World Bank (Ghana – Yussif Abubakar)
- Signs of Unlimited Love (SOUL) Multi-purpose Cooperative: Social enterprise that uses ICTs to scale up their agricultural activities (Dominican Republic - Mr. Eber Ravariere)
- AGRINETT: Project to produce several applications and crowdsourced mapping tools for farmers and other stakeholders in the agriculture sector (example: Market Watcher, Agri Maps) (Trinidad and Tobago – Mr. Keron BasCombe)
- Five trends in horticulture technology: yield monitoring, precision irrigation, robotics, Internet of Things, Unmaned Aerial Systems (South-Africa – Mr. Wilbert Johnsson)
- YPARD Zimbabwe: Description of possible areas of application for ICTs in horticulture in Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe – Mr. Raymond Erick Zvavanyange)
- USAID funded Agriculture Extension Project in Bangladesh: Implement capacity building and support creation of a farmer's demand-driven agricultural extension system, synergized by the use of ICTs (Examples: Agriculture Knowledge Bank, Farmer Query System (FQS) for remote agro-advisory service, public extension agents (SAAO) digital diary application (Bangladesh – Mr. Hasib Ahsan)
- Sustainable intensification of strawberry production in the West Bank and Gaza Strip using computerized control system (WBGS): In the WBGS, farmers are achieving a threefold increase in yields with only 70 percent of the water use compared to traditional greenhouse production by growing hanging strawberries. The strawberries are grown in soil-less media using a computerized system controlling the quantity and frequency of irrigation and application of fertilizers. (Palestine – Mr. Azzam Saleh Ayasa)
- ICT System for Increasing Efficiency of Apple-Value Chain (research paper): The purpose of this research paper, as such, is to integrate the information platform for various stakeholders and design an ICT enabled apple supply chain that will benefit millions of apple growers, processors, distributors, dealers, exporters of fresh & processed apple products and above all consumers. (India - Mr. Mukesh Pandey)
- Nano Ganesh: remote control of irrigation: Mobile phones are used to control irrigation remotely and data are collected to optimize irrigation (India – Mr. Santosh Ostwal)
- National Smallholders Farmers Association of Malawi (NASFAM) videos on horticulture: Production of videos to promote good agricultural practices and the use of the videos and platform AccessAgriculture.org (Malawi – Mr. Ronald Udedi)
- Big data for improving farm productivity: Big data technologies aimed at improving the efficiency of farming and in supply chain such as drones, sensors, and other IoT technology, and data analytics to provide decision support to farmers and other players in the supply chain (Examples: CropIn, AgRisk, AgNext Skymet, Stellaps and Airwood) (India – Mr. Peter K)
- Hurudza Case Study: Paprika Growers' Scheme: aGrnomiX, the Agricultural Reference Bureau & Value Chain Linkages Management system designed and developed by G-analytiX, is an innovative system, combining technology and business models, that establishes, or re-establishes, trust in ring-fenced farming value chains (Zimbabwe - Mr. Alan Goodrich)
- Deploying Vegtable Seed Kits to Tackle Malnutrition in Cambodia: The project has partnered with Akvo to utlize Akvo Flow as the survey tool of choice to monitor the training, technical assistance and uptake of technologies of agriculture and nutrition concepts by household garden project clients. (Cambodia – Mr. Stuart Brown)
- HORTIVAR: a geo-referenced database on the agronomic performances of horticulture cultivars in different agro-climatic environments. It contains information about the cultivation of vegetables, roots & tubers, fruits, mushrooms, ornamentals and herbs and condiments. (Global - Mr. Wilfried Baudouin)
- IPP Horticultural baskets to feed the city: In the context of promoting good horticultural practices "producing more with less", the CIAAD, supports family gardens (groups of small gardens from households to increase fruit and vegetable consumption). Together, they propose a new mode of marketing directly bringing together the market gardeners and the consumers of the neighborhood and neighboring communes, thus avoiding intermediaries. (Demorcratic Republic of Congo – Mr. Clément Tenge Tenge
- Geodata to control potato late blight in Bangladesh (GEOPOTATO): GEOPOTATO developed to implement a decision support service (DSS) in Bangladesh for an optimal control strategy of late blight in potato. The DSS provides farmers with preventive spray advice, it also evaluates past sprays, which may result in curative spray advice .GEOPOTATO aims at becoming the preferred agricultural advice service for over 750,000 small farmers in Bangladesh that grow potatoes on 450,000 ha in the dry winter season (Bangladesh – Mr. Hasib Ahsan)
Thank you to all the people who made this forum possible and especially to all the members of the e-Agriculture Community of Practice who shared their insights and experiences. We have learned a lot. We hope you did too!


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The China Threat by Bill Gertz (2000)
Excerpts-Part I
November 13, 2000
Beijing's spies gain access to secrets
'Panda huggers' tilt U.S. policy
Missteps and appeasement by the U.S. government helped China develop into a dangerous global power, according to "The China Threat: How the People's Republic Targets America" (Regnery), a new book by Bill Gertz, national security reporter for The Washington Times. In the first of three excerpts, he details the hunt for Chinese spies burrowed deep inside the U.S. government.
fall like a thunderbolt.
-- Sun Tzu
Ancient Chinese strategist
In the early 1990s, the FBI came across evidence that amounted to a counterspy's worst nightmare: Classified reports showed communist China was running several ``assets'' - spies, in the vernacular - who operated clandestinely inside the U.S. government.
One spy, however, was different from the others. He didn't work for just any agency. He had burrowed deep inside the U.S. intelligence community, meaning that the People's Republic of China had access to vital secrets.
The information was revealed to FBI counterintelligence agents in highly sensitive communications intercepts between the Chinese Embassy in Washington and Chinese intelligence officers in Beijing. The intercepts suggested the agent was supplying the Chinese with classified defense information.
The spy's code name was ``Ma'' - Chinese for ``horse.''
A Chinese government official who defected to the United States
after the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989 also told U.S. intelligence that China had successfully developed five to 10 clandestine sources of information here.
The defector said these agents were known as ``Dear Friends'' of
China. And one had access to the most sensitive U.S. intelligence data, known as Top Secret-Sensitive Compartmented Information, or SCI.
FBI counterintelligence agents' search for this Chinese ``mole'' led to the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the Pentagon's intelligence arm. A key suspect emerged: Ronald Montaperto.
At the time, Mr. Montaperto was a senior DIA analyst specializing in ``estimates,'' or analyses, of matters related to China and East Asia.
His job required making official contacts with Chinese government and military officials. In Washington, that meant defense attaches posted to the Chinese Embassy.
Chinese defense attaches are officers who work for the military
intelligence department of the People's Liberation Army's General Staff. One was PLA Maj. Gen. Yu Zhenghe, the air attache, who had developed a close relationship with Mr. Montaperto - close enough to be invited to his wedding in 1990.
This hunt for a Chinese mole was rare for the FBI. Most of the
other moles uncovered inside the U.S. government during the 1980s, in what became known as the ``Decade of the Spy,'' were spies for the Soviet Union. There was one exception: A Chinese intelligence officer who defected to the United States in 1985 identified a Chinese language specialist for the U.S. government as a spy.
The defector was Yu Qiangsheng, a senior intelligence officer in the Ministry of State Security. Mr. Yu had extensive access to information
about Chinese intelligence operations and agents. It was Mr. Yu who first
put a CIA counterspy on to Larry Wu-Tai Chin, the Chinese language
specialist, who worked for the CIA's Foreign Broadcast Information Service. The service publishes translations of foreign news publications and broadcasts.
Mr. Yu, who was resettled in the United States, remains under
federal protection. He fears for his life because of Beijing agents.
Mr. Chin eventually was unmasked. He had burrowed within the CIA for about 30 years, passing valuable political intelligence to Beijing. He was a rare catch, but before he could be interrogated thoroughly for ``damage assessment,'' he committed suicide in his jail cell.
After the bloody military crackdown on protesters in Beijing's
Tiananmen Square, several other Chinese intelligence officers defected, determined to help the United States defeat the Communist government. Two had worked inside the Chinese Embassy in Washington.
The defectors' information helped to confirm and update what Mr. Yu had provided years earlier. They explained the care with which Chinese intelligence contacted and serviced its clandestine agents. For instance, intelligence officers never met their agents inside the United States
Because the FBI was considered too good at catching spies. It was safer to meet abroad, preferably in China.
These defectors had access to intelligence reports - sent from the
embassy to Ministry of State Security headquarters in China - that revealed that Chinese intelligence had recruited several agents who were referred to as ``Dear Friends.'' The Dear Friends were rewarded for valuable intelligence with paid trips to China, business opportunities there and prestige-building access to senior Chinese officials.
From their knowledge of the Chinese Embassy's intelligence cables, the defectors were able to tell U.S. intelligence debriefers about details China obtained from the Dear Friends. The U.S. counterspies were troubled that large amounts of extremely sensitive military intelligence was being provided to China.
Based on the defectors' testimony, the FBI began a major espionage probe.
The bureau came up with a list of 12 suspects that fit the profile of the
Dear Friend with access to U.S. military secrets.
During systematic ``interviews'' of each suspect, FBI agents met
with Mr. Montaperto in late 1991 or early 1992. At the time, he was chief of DIA's estimates branch for China, a job he held from September 1989 until his departure in February 1992. He had joined DIA as an analyst in October 1981 and worked his way up.
Intelligence intercepts of Chinese government communications
gathered by the National Security Agency and supplied to the FBI later revealed that one of the most important agents being run by Chinese intelligence was code-named Ma.
FBI agents eventually confronted Mr. Montaperto during what the bureau called ``hostile interrogations'' over the course of three meetings. They asked bluntly whether he had passed classified intelligence information to China's intelligence service.
No, Mr. Montaperto replied. He said any contacts with Chinese
intelligence were authorized. He did conceded to the DIA that he knew Gen. Yu, the Chinese intelligence officer.
The FBI cleared Mr. Montaperto, though some counterintelligence officials still suspected he was Ma but couldn't prove it. The matter was put to rest conclusively, Mr. Montaperto said.
``I can honestly say they looked me in the eye and said, `We don't think you're a spy,' '' he said of the meetings with FBI agents.
But soon after the investigation, Mr. Montaperto left the DIA. In an interview with this reporter, he said the FBI probe had nothing to do with his departure. As for his friendship with Gen. Yu, he said: ``One does not have friends with Chinese officials'' - meaning his contacts were strictly
``Did General Yu attend your wedding?'' this reporter asked.
``Yes,'' Mr. Montaperto said.
It was a relatively small wedding, he said, because it was his
second marriage. He said he invited Gen. Yu and other Chinese officials because he thought it would be a good experience for them.
Hanging on the wall inside Mr. Montaperto's office was a large
scroll of Chinese calligraphy. It contained the characters ``horse dragon virtue,'' which when spoken in Mandarin sound like ``Montaperto.'' A second set of characters on the scroll are Chinese for ``war horse.''
The scroll is signed by a Chinese intelligence officer, who, like Yu Zhenghe, was an attache at the Chinese Embassy in Washington when Mr. Montaperto received the scroll as a gift. Mr. Montaperto says a student in Shanghai gave it to him.
The FBI never found the clandestine spy known as Ma. The bureau did uncover several Dear Friends, but did not seek prosecution. The FBI was hamstrung by the limited details provided by the former Chinese intelligence officers, who had seen the cables but did not have hard copies.
One Chinese agent was a Chinese-American employee at a U.S. defense contractor in Northern Virginia. Although he was not prosecuted, his access to classified information was cut off.
Mr. Montaperto next went to work at the Pentagon's National Defense University at Fort McNair, a scenic base overlooking the Potomac River in Southwest Washington. He became a ``social science analyst'' with the university's Institute for National Strategic Studies, a think tank for
security issues.
Mr. Montaperto's biography as posted on the university's Internet site contains only four sentences and makes no mention of his DIA experience. It states only that he is a China affairs specialist: ``Currently he is defining strategies and policies for managing future U.S. interests in the Asia-Pacific region.''
Because the FBI could not prove its suspicions, Mr. Montaperto was allowed to retain his top-secret security clearance. But he does not have the same access to intelligence information as he had at DIA.
Gen. Yu, meanwhile, remains one of China's most important
intelligence officers. He works for Gen. Xiong Guangkai, the PLA's deputy chief of staff for intelligence.
According to one U.S. national security official, Gen. Xiong
returned to the United States in 1996 during the Taiwan Strait crisis and tried to meet Mr. Montaperto. The crisis was prompted by test firings of Chinese missiles near Taiwan; the United States dispatched two aircraft carrier battle groups to the region.
Mr. Montaperto's primary job at the government's National Defense University is to oversee the China portion of an annual ``Strategic
Assessment,'' to speak on China policy around the world and to organize an
occasional conference on China. His pronounced pro-China view plays down that nation's military capabilities, specifically its development of
strategic and conventional forces.
But Mr. Montaperto says he is no ``panda hugger,'' using the
derogatory term China specialists at the Pentagon employ for soft-liners.
``For some people, I will always be considered a panda hugger,'' he added.
When Congress ordered creation of a National Defense University clearinghouse for intelligence on the People's Liberation Army, Mr. Montaperto presented the plan to the Pentagon. It called for hiring 33
specialists, opening a large office in Southwest and spending $4.5 million a
At first the Pentagon rejected the plan because it appeared to
promote military-to-military contacts with the PLA rather than provide useful information about the strategy and direction of the Chinese military.
The Clinton administration already had dramatically increased
meetings and exchanges with Chinese military leaders, which the Chinese exploited to develop intelligence. Many in the Pentagon had had enough of that, and senior officials objected to Mr. Montaperto's appointment as director of the new center. But the university named him director anyway.
The importance of the center was highlighted when Mr. Clinton
opposed the requirement to set it up.
By mandating the center and reports on China's military buildup,
Congress assumes ``an outcome that is far from foreordained - that China is bent on becoming a military threat to the United States,'' the president said in signing a $289 billion defense bill in October 1999. ``I believe we should
not make it more likely that China will choose this path by acting as if the
decision has already been made.''
Yet the president's policies and those of the soft-liners who
refused to recognize the nature of the People's Republic of China had done more to increase the danger from China than any of the skeptics in Congress who believed more should be done to learn about the Communist regime's military intentions.
Mr. Montaperto's minimizing of the threat is at one with Chinese
military policy, which involves deception - preventing the U.S. ``hegemon'' from recognizing China's emerging power until it is greater, at least regionally, than that of the United States.
The late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping said China must avoid
provoking a conflict with the United States until China has the military, economic and political power to win.
In the words of Mr. Deng: ``Hide brightness; nourish obscurity.''
Or as the official translation in Beijing put it, ``Bide our time and build up our capabilities.''
Chinese military writings predict a ``dangerous decade'' - when that nation faces a strategic checkmate - between 2020 and 2030. By 2020, the United States will not be able to ignore China's growing might. But China's military and strategic planners fear their country will not be powerful enough to take on the United States until 2030.
What China wanted was three more decades of Clinton-style
``engagement,'' a policy that downplays Chinese military capabilities, encourages decreasing U.S. defense spending and gives China major technical and financial boosts.
Chinese officials view certain specialists in the United States as
important outlets for Beijing's views. Many of these China specialists are
current or former government officials.
Unlike the thousands of political scientists who specialize in
European and Russian affairs, the China experts who specialize in international security and foreign affairs could fit in a large conference room. And most of them communicate via Internet discussion groups, a major target of influence exerted by the Chinese government.
Take ``Chinasec.'' Every morning, a group of about 100 high-level U.S. policy-makers and intelligence officials receives e-mail postings as part of this Internet discussion group, whose innocuous-sounding name stands for ``China security.''
The informal electronic gathering includes some of the most
important China policy-makers in the U.S. government, including the Pentagon's desk officer for China matters, Col. John Corbett. The group is decidedly pro-China and often criticizes news articles - in particular this reporter's work for The Washington Times - that explore Chinese weapons sales to rogue states or espionage against the United States.
For instance, when The Times reported on the critical views of China held by Condoleeza Rice, a key foreign policy adviser to Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush, Chinasec swung into action. The e-mail network adopted the standard posture of the Clinton administration: spin. It dismissed the article as exaggerated and the work of a ``nonexpert.''
Chinasec's on-line discussion group is secret, but not in the sense of that term denoted by the U.S. government classification. Most of Chinasec's participants hold high-level security clearances. At least 10 CIA officials are members.
Chinasec is part of an informal but powerful network of current and former officials, academics and other China experts who exert a major influence on U.S. policies toward China.
The ancient Chinese strategist Sun Tzu wrote that ``supreme
excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.''
The view of China presented by these pro-Beijing specialists is not manufactured by the Chinese Communist Politburo, but it serves the
Politburo's strategy. The key theme of the propaganda directed abroad is
simple: China is not a threat.
The theme is central to the Chinese Communist Party's overt and
covert influence efforts. It is the litmus test for those experts that Beijing
labels ``Friends of China.'' And it was a constant refrain of the Clinton
Despite the soft-line approach, a public opinion poll last year showed that Mr. Clinton's policy of engagement had not convinced the majority of the American people that China is a benign power.
The results of the Wall Street Journal-NBC News poll, published in September 1999, indicate that 60 percent to 80 percent consider China to be an ``adversary,'' not a strategic partner.
Excerpts-Part II
November 14, 2000
Clinton critic says he was targeted
Uncovered spying on nukes by China
Missteps and appeasement by the U.S. government helped China develop into a dangerous global power, according to "The China Threat: How the People's Republic Targets America" (Regnery), a new book by Bill Gertz, national security reporter for The Washington Times. In the second of three excerpts, he examines the case of an Energy Department official who was punished for exposing Chinese theft of nuclear secrets.
other men.
--Sun Tzu
ancient Chinese strategist
Two FBI agents confronted Notra Trulock in his Falls Church town
house. The tone of their questioning was hostile. ``Do you have classified
information in the house?'' one agent asked.
For the former counterintelligence chief at the Energy Department, it was the ultimate insult. Mr. Trulock was being accused of disclosing classified information improperly in a manuscript he had submitted to the CIA for publication in its journal, Studies in Intelligence.
Instead of publishing the manuscript, the CIA referred it to the FBI for investigation - which is why the agents were in Mr. Trulock's home on this hot Friday evening on July 14.
When he asked to see a search warrant, the agents said they didn't need one. They said they had the permission of the property owner, Mr. Trulock's
friend Linda Conrad, who worked in the Energy Department's intelligence
One agent went into a bedroom, started up a desktop computer used by
Trulock and downloaded the contents of its hard drive to a disk.
For more than an hour, the agents asked accusatory questions about
classified information. He told them the truth: He had none.
``Screwed, blued and tattooed,'' is how Mr. Trulock later described
incident, which came only days after his abrupt dismissal by defense
contractor TRW Inc. - a move he is convinced was the work of political
``This is what happens to whistle-blowers who speak truth to power
in the
Clinton administration,'' he told this reporter.
In truth, Mr. Trulock had submitted the manuscript - the same one
by the FBI - to the Energy Department for security review. But the
department had declined even to look at it.
The FBI raid on his home was harassment for his role in exposing one
the most damaging espionage cases in American history: He had uncovered
Chinese espionage in the heart of the U.S. nuclear weapons complex.
Chinese spies had scored a major coup; they had walked off with
information on how to build Chinese versions of every warhead in the U.S.
nuclear arsenal. And the spying continues today.
FBI Director Louis Freeh authorized the Trulock investigation in
consultation with Energy Secretary Bill Richardson, one of President
Clinton's closest advisers.
Mr. Trulock suspected that they singled him out because the
journal National Review had just published a shorter version of his
manuscript. The article was highly critical of the Clinton administration's
utter failure to aggressively pursue Chinese spying.
The administration wasn't interested in catching spies. Its highest
priority was repressing critics, especially those in U.S. intelligence who
had exposed the deception and politicization within the national security
community under Mr. Clinton.
Mr. Trulock had been a major target ever since he quit the Energy
Department after being pressured into taking a meaningless job and having
judgment on intelligence questioned by an inspector general's report that
went to great lengths to cover up the entire Chinese espionage debacle.
The story actually began 18 years ago when the telephone rang at the
of Gwo Bao Min, a former nuclear weapons engineer at Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory. It was Dec. 2, 1982.
The caller was Wen Ho Lee, another scientist who designed nuclear
at a second Department of Energy laboratory in Los Alamos, N.M.
The FBI, which was investigating Mr. Min, intercepted the
Mr. Min was in trouble. He had been fired from his job at
under suspicion of passing nuclear weapons secrets to China. Mr. Lee
guessed it must have been someone in China who revealed Mr. Min's identity
to the FBI, and he promised to uncover the informant.
Mr. Min never was prosecuted and today lives in Northern
California. But
the exchange between the two men would be at the heart of the most damaging
espionage case in U.S. history.
China had stolen the keys to unlocking the secrets of America's
arsenal. This was more harmful to national security than the case of Julius
and Ethel Rosenberg, who were convicted of passing nuclear secrets to Moscow
in the early years of the Cold War.
A grand jury indicted Mr. Lee in December on 59 felony counts of
nuclear secrets from Los Alamos computers onto portable tapes. He was
released after nine months in jail when his attorneys reached a deal with
federal prosecutors. In the deal, Mr. Lee pleaded guilty to a single count
of mishandling classified information and agreed to describe under oath why
he downloaded nuclear secrets and what he did with the computer tapes.
The first hints about the extent of the danger came Sept. 25, 1992,
the ground shook beneath a test site for nuclear weapons in China about 120
miles north of Lop Nur, a town in the remote northwestern province of
The explosion was the first successful test of a small, compact
similar in design to the U.S. W-88. The fact that China had succeeded in
building so small a warhead so quickly shocked many officials inside the
intelligence community.
A spy working secretly in China for U.S. intelligence revealed
details about the 1992 test. In short, China had made a quantum leap in the
killing power of its nuclear forces. The spy said the Chinese had set off a
relatively small, 150-kiloton explosion using an oval-shaped core. The shape
of the core was the tip-off to analysts that China had discovered one of the
most important secrets about U.S. nuclear weapons.
And the Chinese had succeeded in doing so through espionage. The
occurred under several administrations. But the magnitude of the problem
kept secret and only became public in the late 1990s.
The official reaction to the espionage - or, really, the lack of a
response - was the result of a pro-China policy that caused serious damage
U.S. national security interests. The inaction sent a signal to any would-
be nuclear power: U.S. nuclear secrets are up for grabs.
Under the so-called ``engagement'' policy of President Clinton, the
administration ignored, minimized and ultimately covered up Chinese spying.
Nothing would be allowed to interfere with the deliberate policy of
pretending China poses no threat to the United States.
The story of how Chinese nuclear spies stole nuclear warhead secrets
about the failure of the U.S. government to protect long-term national
security interests.
China today is engaged in a major buildup of strategic nuclear
targeted at a single nation: the United States.
The buildup includes two new road-mobile intercontinental ballistic
missiles, the Dong Feng-31 and the Dong Feng-41; at least four new strategic
nuclear missile submarines; and a host of exotic, high-technology weapons
such as lasers capable of shooting down or blinding satellites. The buildup
also includes computer-based information warfare designed to launch
attacks on everything from electrical power to the computer networks used to
keep commercial aircraft flying safely.
Intelligence analysts working at the Department of Energy's Los
National Laboratory wrote a classified analysis that said the nuclear device
tested near Lop Nur in 1992 was shaped differently from any other known
Chinese warhead. The device looked like an American warhead, and the
scientists were concerned that the Chinese had obtained strategic secrets.
In April 1995, the Los Alamos analysts sent their classified
memorandum to
Notra Trulock, a political scientist by training who had worked at Los
Alamos and who was director of intelligence for the Department of Energy.
Four years later, Mr. Trulock would be hounded out of the department for
efforts to expose Chinese nuclear spying.
Chinese espionage efforts against the weapons laboratories were not
new to
security officials.
``But we were beginning to uncover the outlines of a broad and very
successful Chinese intelligence assault against our nuclear weapons
laboratories,'' Mr. Trulock said. ``These labs are the repositories of the
secrets underlying the U.S. nuclear deterrent, accumulated through decades
of U.S. nuclear weapons experience at the cost of billions of dollars.''
Mr. Trulock explained that he had tried to alert U.S. officials,
from his immediate superiors at Energy all the way to White House National
Security Adviser Samuel R. Berger. Their responses were always
``appropriate,'' he said, but their actions never matched their expressions
The Clinton administration viewed Chinese nuclear spying as a mere
inconvenience, since the only strategy was to ``engage'' China's communist
leaders - a policy that was ridiculed by China's communist leaders as the
abject weakness of a decaying Western society.
``If our assessments of their perspective on their deterrent in the
'80s were correct, I think the Chinese now are moving much closer to having
what they consider to be a credible deterrent,'' Mr. Trulock said. ``And if
they think the credibility of their deterrent is solid again, then that to
seems to open up a lot of other options for them, like Taiwan. The whole
behind their deterrent is to keep us from intervening in the achievement of
China's regional objectives.''
Energy Department intelligence analysts learned that China had
U.S. secrets on at least seven of America's most modern thermonuclear
warheads. The damage was known to key officials in the Clinton White House,
the CIA and the Pentagon, but the information was kept hidden from the
to protect the policy of engagement.
It took a select congressional committee, formed in 1998 to
Chinese acquisition of U.S. missile technology, to bring the story into
public view.
The administration fought the committee for five months, trying to
release of classified intelligence information that exposed Chinese
espionage. But in the spring of 1999 the committee's report finally was
``The credentials of the scientists conducting the assessment, the
of the evidence and the quality of the technical judgments made for a
compelling case,'' Mr. Trulock said. ``Some of the nation's most
nuclear scientists participated in this work. Their contributions have
been recognized or acknowledged by their government.''
The CIA, supposedly the nation's premier intelligence service, was
``politicized'' in the debate over Chinese spying. Its analysts tried hard
play down, minimize and ignore the damage. The CIA even insisted that what
the Chinese obtained by espionage could have been obtained in other ways,
such as from leaks of classified information or from public documents.
But Mr. Trulock provided an inside account of the Chinese espionage
that showed otherwise. The real issue was not whether a damaging spy
had occurred, but how the White House managed to contain the political
fallout so that it touched anyone but the administration.
The White House went into its ``war room'' mode of media damage
James Kennedy, the White House lawyer who handled the president's
impeachment, was put on the China spying story.
The spin: Chinese spying was not the Clinton White House's fault; it
happened in the 1980s. To influence news reporters and their coverage, Mr.
Kennedy emphasized that the story was ``old news,'' and if anyone were to
it would be the Republicans who were in power then.
When the select committee's bipartisan report went public, the
administration privately - and falsely - warned the major television
that the report did not reflect the version based on classified
If the media ``went hard'' with the story, the White House promised it had
means to discredit the report.
So there was no story - or, at least, little criticism of the
``As the director of DOE [Department of Energy] intelligence, I was
talking head for the DOE group and bore most of the brunt of these
Mr. Trulock recalled. ``To his credit, Energy Secretary Bill Richardson
present me with a $10,000 bonus, but this didn't offset the fact that I had
been demoted, relegated to a meaningless job and eventually forced out of
department. Routine stuff for whistle-blowers in this administration.
''But I also came under media fire of the type normally reserved for
[independent counsel] Ken Starr or someone involved in the president's
scandals. I read that I was a `dangerous demagogue,' a `great impostor,'
`obsessed,' that my `style' was abrasive and a host of other epithets.
Reporters attributed a variety of motives to explain my involvement in this
case, including imputations of racism and xenophobia. This was pretty heavy
stuff for someone who has spent most of his career trying to stay out of the
public eye.
``Of course, most of these allegations came from the very officials
DOE and the White House responsible for the cover-ups and stonewalling of
Congress, and who had fought so hard to kill any meaningful security reform
at the labs. Many of these were the perpetuators, if not the creators, of
the very security lapses that made Chinese espionage possible in the first
No good deed goes unpunished, as they say.
Notra Trulock had dared to challenge the pro-China policies of Bill
Clinton. He had spoken bluntly about the Chinese strategic nuclear threat
the United States. He had revealed China's decades of nuclear-related
espionage - and that the spying continues today.
Excerpts-Part III
November 15, 2000
China prepares for war with U.S. over Taiwan
Missiles targeted at American cities
By Bill Gertz
Missteps and appeasement by the U.S. government helped China develop into a dangerous global power, according to "The China Threat: How the People's Republic Targets America" (Regnery), a new book by Bill Gertz, national security reporter for The Washington Times. In the third of three excerpts, he examines the growing danger of nuclear war between China and The United States over Taiwan.
time and strike in multiple waves.
-- PLA Col. Wang Benzhi, on missile strikes against Taiwan
``DSP reports five events from known ICBM bases in western China.''
airman's voice was tense but carried an air of nonchalance, a sign of
rigorous training.
The airman was stationed inside a dimly lit command bunker nearly a
beneath Colorado's Cheyenne Mountain, along with 20 other airmen, soldiers
and sailors from the U.S. and Canadian militaries. This is headquarters
the North American Aerospace Defense Command, known as NORAD.
At NORAD, they think about the unthinkable 24 hours a day, seven
days a
Closed to the outside world by huge steel doors designed to
withstand a
nuclear attack, the bunker is where military personnel scan the globe from
computer terminals, looking for signs of missile launches. They depend on
infrared sensors around the world, primarily the constellation of satellites
with the nondescript name of Defense Support Program - or DSP, as the airman
The five ``hot pops'' he reported as picked up by satellite over
China were
the first sign of trouble. Less than a minute later came more bad news:
. . . we have multiple missile launches. Stand by for target report.''
A few seconds later, the intelligence officer on duty broadcast
details: ``Intel indicates probable launch of five ICBMs from China. Intel
assesses this to be combat against North America.''
It was Sept. 3, 1999, and the Chinese missile attack was only an
exercise. But it was a sobering reminder of how the strategic nuclear
against the United States has not gone away with the demise of the Soviet
A nuclear war with China over its dispute with Taiwan is a real
And even though the Clinton administration went to great lengths to ignore
it, that danger is growing.
Shortly after the beginning of the simulated Chinese nuclear combat,
red lines emanating from western China streaked across the computer map in
the command center. Each line represented the flight path of a Chinese
intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, headed directly for the United
China's 24 silo-based missiles are old by American standards. But
can hit targets more than 8,000 miles away and are the backbone of China's
strategic nuclear force. The missiles are based on the design of America's
first generation of missiles, which China obtained from a defecting U.S.
missile engineer.
Each of the CSS-4s carries a huge, 5-megaton warhead with the
of 5 million tons of TNT - enough to blow up an entire city. NORAD's
computerized attack-warning network plotted the targets of the incoming
and they appeared as dots on the giant map: Seattle, Colorado Springs (site
of the Cheyenne Mountain complex), Chicago, New York and Washington.
Air Force Col. Allen Baker, NORAD's director of operations,
that confirmation of Chinese missile launches would be followed by a call to
the White House.
``At this point, I'd be telling the president how many minutes until
Washington, D.C., is gone,'' Col. Baker said.
Flight time from China to the capital: about 35 minutes. Asked
the U.S. military had the means to shoot down the incoming missiles, Col.
Baker said, ``Absolutely nothing.''
A national missile defense system to counter a limited attack such
as this
simulated Chinese strike - or an attack by a single North Korean missile -
is being developed but may not be deployed for several years, Col. Baker
So why track the missiles?
``We're tracking them so we can tell our commanders exactly what is
happening so they can figure out what their response is going to be,'' he
said. ``If they take out Washington, D.C., do we want to take out Beijing?
don't know. That's their decision.''
NORAD's 1999 missile exercise also showed that the U.S. military
not afford to give up its strategic nuclear deterrent, despite efforts by
Clinton administration to pretend it no longer is needed.
Only months earlier, the president had announced that U.S.
nuclear missiles no longer would be targeted on China after the Communist
regime promised to ``detarget'' its missiles and not aim them at American
On June 27, 1998, Chinese President Jiang Zemin appeared at a news
conference after meetings with Mr. Clinton in Beijing. He announced:
``President Clinton and I have decided that China and the United States will
not target the strategic nuclear weapons under their respective control at
each other. This demonstrates to the entire world that China and the United
States are partners, not adversaries.''
As with so many other statements by the Chinese Communist leader,
President Jiang lied. The proof arrived in a form common during the highly
politicized Clinton administration. It was kept hidden from public view as
part of a classified intelligence assessment. On Dec. 2, 1998, the
Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) reported that that the Chinese
People's Liberation Army conducted exercises that included simulated nuclear
missile attacks on Taiwan and U.S. military forces in the region.
The exercises, which ran from late November to early December,
road-mobile CSS-5 medium-range missiles spotted by U.S. spy satellites as
they moved up and down roads along China's coast. The DIA report, based on
sensitive intelligence gathered by U.S. spying systems, also cited
activities by silo-based CSS-2s.
``They were doing mock missile attacks on our troops,'' said one
who saw the report.
Analysts determined that the mock nuclear attacks not only were
against Taiwan, but against about 37,000 U.S. Army troops based in South
Korea and 47,000 Marines in Japan, including 25,000 on the island of
A White House official, confirming the intelligence report, said
weapons systems had ``never been pointed our way before.'' But the official
sought to downplay the threat by noting the age of the weapons (the CSS-2
first was deployed in 1971, the CSS-5 in the 1980s).
The important point missed by the White House - intentionally - was
the missile exercises directly threatened our troops. They also provided
evidence that Mr. Jiang's promise about detargeting was hollow.
Or was it? The Chinese president had referred to ``strategic''
weapons. Apologists for Beijing argued that the CSS-2s and CSS-5s
technically may not be in the same category as longer-range ICBMs.
The Air Force's National Air Intelligence Center dispels that
notion. In
its annual report on ``Ballistic and Cruise Missile Threats,'' the center
stated that medium-range missiles ``are strategic systems'' armed with
nonconventional warheads.
One element of the exercises that surprised DIA analysts was the
PLA's use
of ``obscurants'' -smoke and particle-filled clouds dispersed around the
mobile missiles to shield them from U.S. precision-strike weapons.
The Chinese missiles were seen ready for launch on mobile truck
although none was fired. Pentagon officials concluded that the simulated
attacks were a sign that China is prepared to go to war with the United
States over Taiwan.
In August, the Air Force moved several dozen air-launched cruise
to the island of Guam, perhaps in anticipation of a conflict over Taiwan.
The PLA's 40 liquid-fueled CSS-2s, with ranges of about 1,922 miles,
being replaced in most regions of China with the more advanced, solid-
propellant CSS-5s, with a maximum range of 1,333 miles.
Richard Fisher, a specialist on the Chinese military, believes the
may interpret the June 1998 detargeting pledge to exclude shorter-range
nuclear missiles and include only long-range ICBMs.
``Chinese doctrine puts special emphasis on missile forces,
mobile forces for obtaining surprise and using a wide variety of current and
future nuclear and non-nuclear warheads,'' Mr. Fisher said.
Taiwan is a mountainous island about the size of West Virginia.
off the southern coast of China, it has a population of about 22 million.
Unlike its archenemy, Taiwan is a thriving, multiparty democracy. It also
a major international trading power.
Taiwan's military includes about 430,000 soldiers equipped with
obtained primarily from the United States. But U.S. arms sales to Taiwan
were cut back sharply by the Clinton administration.
Meanwhile, China has dramatically increased its military forces over
past decade. In October 1998, a DIA report labeled ``Secret'' outlined a
buildup of short-range ballistic missiles opposite Taiwan.
Until 1998, missile deployment had been modest and limited to a
of CSS-6 missiles at Leping. What the DIA uncovered was a Chinese plan to
accumulate 650 missiles by 2005.
According to the DIA, China had 150 missiles near Taiwan in 1998 and
intended to add about 50 new missiles a year. The report said the new
missiles include two versions of the short-range, ballistic CSS-7 - Mod 1,
with a range of 350 kilometers, and Mod 2, with a range of 530 kilometers.
Last Dec. 5, the DIA issued another secret report updating the
buildup. The conclusion was not good news.
``The DIA believes there are at least 40 CSS-7 missiles in Chinese
bases near Taiwan,'' said one intelligence official familiar with the
``This gives China the ability to target Taiwan with little or no
The report stated that China's goal was to have 500 short-range
within range of Taiwan by 2005, allowing the PLA to target all of the
island's major military bases.
``They will be able to take Taiwan with little or no warning,'' the
said. The report identified a third missile base under construction along
China's coast near the town of Xianyou. Photographs by U.S. spy satellites
showed the layout of buildings and storage sheds was similar to that of the
missile brigade headquarters at Leping, base for CSS-6 missiles.
The report also identified a second CSS-7 base at Yongang, including
storage areas in tunnels. This was a sign that the Chinese were protecting
the systems against U.S. bombers equipped with precision-guided bombs and
Pentagon analysts viewed the buildup as ominous, since it showed
Beijing's intention was not to conduct aircraft or seaborne assaults but to
launch barrages of missiles. A Pentagon report to Congress made public in
June stated that Beijing views ballistic missiles - as well as ground- or
hugging cruise missiles - as ``potent military and political'' weapons
And another, internal Pentagon report obtained by this reporter
that the danger from the short-range missiles was growing.
``A large arsenal of highly accurate and lethal theater missiles
serves as
a `trump card,' a revolutionary departure from the PLA of the past,'' the
internal report said. ``The PLA's theater missiles and a supporting space-
based surveillance network are emerging not only as a tool of psychological
warfare but as a potentially devastating weapon of military utility.''
Even after this reporter wrote an article for The Washington Times
the intelligence on the missile buildup, President Clinton did not demand
that China stop the destabilizing deployments. Mr. Clinton, asked about
them at a news conference Dec. 8, said he had ``grave concerns'' about the
growing threat.
``China is modernizing its military in a lot of ways, but our policy
China is crystal clear. We believe there is one China,'' Mr. Clinton said.
The phrase ``one China'' meant that whatever happens, the
would stand with Beijing.
The dispute between the mainland and Taiwan should be resolved
dialogue and ``we oppose and would view with grave concern any kind of
action,'' the president said.
But Taiwan never has threatened the United States. Communist China
and its threats went almost unchallenged by the Clinton administration.
One of the most alarming statements appeared Feb. 28 in Liberation
Daily, the official organ of the PLA that reflects the views of Central
Military Commission Chairman Jiang Zemin and other senior leaders.
American intervention in a conflict between Taiwan and China would
lead to
``serious damage'' to U.S. national security, the newspaper said. It
in only slightly veiled language that China would resort to long-range
missile attacks against the United States.
``China is . . . a country that has certain abilities of launching
strategic counterattack and the capacity of launching a long-distance
strike,'' the newspaper said. ``It is not a wise move to be at war with a
country such as China, a point which the U.S. policy-makers know fairly
The threatening article was written by PLA Col. Zhu Chenghu, an
influential hard-liner who is deputy director of the Institute of National
Security Studies at the National Defense University in Beijing.
A war with China would force the United States to ``make a complete
withdrawal'' from East Asia similar to the loss in Vietnam, his article
The Pentagon was surprised by the harsh, anti-American tone of what
amounted to an official threat. But instead of criticizing China, Pentagon
spokesman Kenneth Bacon told reporters in a briefing that ``Chinese
does not include ``first-strike'' nuclear attacks.
``And there is nothing new in that article that changes that,'' he
The answer was misleading. The PLA commentary made no reference to
``first-strike'' attack, but to the use of nuclear weapons as a deterrent or
retaliation for intervention by U.S. conventional forces in a war between
Taiwan and China.
The Chinese missile threat to the United States reflected official
as revealed in an internal military document obtained by dissidents in
This reporter received a copy of the report, known as ``Document
65.'' Dated
Aug. 1, 1999, it is signed ``General Political Department of the People's
Liberation Army.''
The DIA and CIA both have copies of Document 65, though the latter
is not
certain whether it is a genuine leak or a deliberate disclosure. Defense
officials say the format is similar to that of secret materials delivered by
defecting Chinese officials. Document 65 declares that ``a most important
task'' of the Communist Party of China is reunification with Taiwan. All
military units must ``be well-prepared for the war based on the rapidly
changing relationships with Taiwan,'' it states.
That was the year Taipei declared it no longer was the government of
of China and thus no longer sought to take back forcibly what was lost
the civil war of the 1940s.
Document 65 discloses for the first time that the issue of Taiwan
not be allowed to ``drag on indefinitely.'' The document says the Chinese
military was given ``solid grounds for achieving reunification using
power'' because of Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui's remarks of July 9, 1999.
On that day, Mr. Lee declared that Taiwan ``has been a sovereign
since it was founded in 1912'' and called for relations with China on a
``special state-to-state'' basis. This was a challenge of Beijing's ``One
China'' policy.
The document also states that the timing of reunification - peaceful
forceful - had been hampered by the United States. It adds that Europe
not join the United States in fighting a war with China.
Document 65 reveals what Pentagon specialist Michael Pillsbury has
``dangerous misperceptions'' by China about the United States. It is just
these kinds of misperceptions that could lead to a war.
For instance, Document 65 contains the following alarming passage:
``Taking into account [the] possible intervention by the U.S., and
based on
the development strategy of our country, it is better to fight now than in
the future - the earlier, the better. The reason being that, if worst [sic]
comes to worst, we will gain control of Taiwan before full deployment of the
U.S. troops.
''In this case, the only thing the U.S. can do is fight a war with
purpose of retaliation, which will be similar to the Gulf war against Iraq
the recent bombing of Yugoslavia as far as its operational objective is
considered, namely, to first attack from the sky and the sea our coastal
military targets, and then attack our vital civil facilities so as to force
us to accept its terms like Iraq and Yugoslavia.
``This is of course wishful thinking,'' the document goes on.
before completely destroying the attacking enemy forces from the sea and
their auxiliary bases which together constitute a threat to us, even if we
successfully carry out interception and control the sky, our military and
civil facilities will still incur some damages.''
Document 65 asserts that the U.S. military has not been tested in a
conflict with a large nation such as China and will become ``exhausted'' by
long-distance warfare.
``It can be safely expected that once the U.S. launches an attack,
front line of the U.S. forces and their supporting bases will be exposed
within the range of our effective strikes. After the first strategic
the U.S. forces will be faced with weaponry and logistic problems,
us with opportunities for major offensives and [to] win large battles.''
As for nuclear war, Document 65 states, the Chinese military ``does
foresee'' a strategic nuclear exchange because the United States has shown
willingness to fight a massive conflict and suffer ``major losses'' over


text:
I tried sending this update out yesterday but it didn't go through for some reason so here it is:
I am very relieved to tell you that the only problem with our car was a dead battery, which has now been replaced! And Paul woke up without the rash so his pediatrician (over the phone) said to just keep watching him for any other symptoms. I am hoping that the rash was just another bug bite that happened to be in the same spot.
After two days of the diuretics being ineffective and Grey putting on water weight each day, the dose he received yesterday actually took some of the excess fluid off! Now we are just waiting to see how it affected the kidneys and if it is the right dose go keep him stable at home. Hopefully we can leave today or tomorrow!
Thanks for continuing to pray!
We are actually home right now! Totally exhausted and a bit overwhelmed, but home! Please pray for us this week as we monitor Greg's symptoms carefully and start catching up on everything we missed over the last couple weeks. Greg still feels wiped out and has extra fluids on board that are making him uncomfortable. Paul's cold that he's had for a week now is lingering (and sounding worse), and I am so tired. Pray for energy to tackle the week!
Thank you so much,