WertBlog

Best AI Models for OpenClaw: Paid vs. Free

noreply@blogger.com (The Wert) — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 10:59:00 +0000

OpenClaw is a versatile, open-source AI agent platform that allows users to connect various large language models (LLMs) to automate a wide range of tasks. The choice of model is a critical decision that impacts the agent's performance, cost, and overall effectiveness. This document provides a comprehensive overview of the best paid and free models available for OpenClaw, based on recent community discussions and official documentation.

Model Tiers and Performance

The OpenClaw community has developed a practical rubric for classifying models into tiers based on their reliability for agentic tasks, particularly those involving tool-use and automation. The tiers are defined as follows:

•S-Tier (Agent Default): These models exhibit highly reliable tool-calling capabilities, with excellent JSON/schema correctness and the ability to recover from failures. They are ideal for complex automation and multi-step tasks.

•A-Tier: Models in this tier are mostly reliable for tool-use but may have occasional formatting slips. They are great for general chat, coding, and less critical automation.

•B-Tier: These models are suitable for chat and isolated coding tasks but can be flaky with more complex agentic workflows. They may require more supervision.

•C-Tier: C-Tier models are the most affordable (or free) and are best suited for simple, non-critical tasks like heartbeats or basic chat.

Paid Models

Paid models generally offer the highest performance and reliability, making them the preferred choice for production environments and critical tasks. They are typically accessed via API keys from their respective providers.

Model Provider	Model Name	Tier	Pricing (per 1M tokens)	Notes
Anthropic	Claude Opus 4.6	S	Varies	The top choice for tool-heavy agent work .
OpenAI	GPT-5.3 Codex	S	Varies	Optimized for code generation and complex reasoning.
Google	Gemini 3 Pro	A	Varies	A strong contender for general-purpose tasks.
DeepSeek	DeepSeek V3.2	B	~$0.25 (input) / ~$0.38 (output)	A budget-friendly option with good performance.
Google	Gemini Flash-Lite	C	~$0.10 (input) / ~$0.40 (output)	A cost-effective choice for simpler tasks.

Free Models

Free models have become increasingly powerful, with some now rivaling the performance of paid alternatives. These models are an excellent choice for developers, hobbyists, and those on a budget.

Model Provider	Model Name	Tier	Access Method	Notes
Moonshot AI	Kimi K2.5	S	OpenClaw Platform	The first open-source model to reach top-tier status, offered for free on OpenClaw .
Qwen	Qwen Coder/Vision	A	Qwen Portal OAuth	Provides a generous free tier with 2,000 requests per day .
MiniMax	MiniMax M2.1	B	MiniMax OAuth	Offers a free 7-day coding plan for OpenClaw users .
Local Models	Various	B/C	Ollama, vLLM, etc.	Self-hosted models that offer privacy and control, with performance varying by model and hardware.

Recommendations

For most users, a two-model strategy is recommended :

1.Primary Model: A reliable S-Tier or A-Tier model for complex tasks, browser automation, and coding.

2.Secondary Model: A cheaper B-Tier or C-Tier model for simple chat, heartbeats, and less critical tasks.

This approach provides a balance of performance and cost-effectiveness. As the AI landscape is constantly evolving, it is recommended to stay updated with the latest community discussions and model releases.

References

[1] Tier List of OpenClaw Models - Friends of the Crustacean

[2] DeepSeek V3.2 API Pricing 2026

[3] Gemini 2.5 Flash Lite Preview 09 2025 API Pricing 2026

[4] Kimi K2.5 Free on OpenClaw | Top-Tier AI Model vs. Claude & Gemini

[5] Qwen - OpenClaw

[6] Lets go folk! use MiniMax M2.1 for free in Openclaw.

Comparison of Investment Options for KES 10,000 per Month in Kenya (2024-2025)

noreply@blogger.com (The Wert) — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 23:00:00 +0000

When investing KES 10,000 per month, the choice between a private pension scheme and other popular Kenyan investment vehicles depends on your goals for liquidity, tax efficiency, and long-term returns.

Investment Option	Typical Annual Returns (2024/25)	Liquidity (Access to Cash)	Tax Implications	Best For...
Private Pension	12% - 15%	Low (Locked until 50, or tax penalties for early exit)	High Efficiency: Up to KES 30,000/mo tax-deductible .	Retirement, long-term wealth, and immediate PAYE tax relief.
Money Market Fund (MMF)	14% - 16.5%	Very High: Withdraw within 24-48 hours.	15% Withholding Tax on interest earned.	Emergency funds and short-term goals.
Sacco Savings/Shares	10% - 20% (Dividends)	Moderate: Requires 60-day notice to withdraw deposits.	10% - 15% Withholding Tax on dividends.	Accessing low-interest loans (3x your savings) and high dividends.
Treasury Bonds	13% - 16.5%	Moderate: Can be sold in secondary market (NSE).	10% - 15% Withholding Tax (Tax-free for Infrastructure Bonds).	Passive income via semi-annual interest (coupons).

1. Private Pension vs. Money Market Funds (MMFs)

MMFs like Gulfcap (16.3%) or Cytonn (16.1%) currently offer slightly higher nominal returns than many pension schemes . However, the Pension Scheme's true return is higher for salaried individuals because the KES 10,000 is deducted before tax.

•Example: If you are in the 30% tax bracket, investing KES 10,000 in a pension only "costs" you KES 7,000 in take-home pay. An MMF requires KES 10,000 from your after-tax income.

•Verdict: Use MMFs for your emergency fund and Pensions for retirement.

2. Private Pension vs. Saccos

Saccos like Tower Sacco or Stima Sacco have historically paid dividends as high as 15-20% on share capital .

•The Loan Factor: Saccos are unique because they allow you to borrow up to 3 times your savings at low interest rates (typically 12% p.a.).

•Verdict: If you plan to take a loan for a project (e.g., land or business), a Sacco is superior. If you want a hands-off retirement plan with tax benefits, stick to a Pension.

3. Private Pension vs. Treasury Bonds

Government bonds (especially Infrastructure Bonds/IFBs) are popular for being tax-free and offering high yields (up to 18% in recent auctions) .

•Entry Barrier: Most bonds require a minimum of KES 50,000 (Infrastructure) or KES 100,000 (Fixed), which makes them harder to "drip-feed" KES 10,000 monthly unless you use a broker or an MMF that invests in bonds.

•Verdict: Bonds are excellent for lump-sum investments, whereas Pensions are designed for the monthly KES 10,000 "drip" strategy.

Strategic Recommendation for KES 10,000/Month

For a balanced portfolio, consider the 70/30 Split:

1.KES 7,000 to Private Pension: To maximize your tax relief and build a secure retirement base.

2.KES 3,000 to a Money Market Fund (MMF): To ensure you have liquid cash available for emergencies without touching your retirement savings.

References

[1] Kenyan Pension Report (Zimele 15%, Sanlam 15%, Britam 13%).

[2] Old Mutual: Tax Laws (Amendment) Act 2024 Analysis.

[3] Nupath Advisory: Kenya's Top 10 MMFs (Feb 2025).

[4] SaccoShares.co.ke: Tower Sacco 20% Dividend Yield (2024).

[5] Central Bank of Kenya: Treasury Bills & Bonds Rates (2025/26).

Comprehensive Analysis of Private Pension Scheme Providers in Kenya (2024-2025)

noreply@blogger.com (The Wert) — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 09:51:00 +0000

This report provides a detailed overview and comparative analysis of leading private pension scheme providers in Kenya, focusing on their costs, value propositions, guaranteed minimum interest rates, and overall performance. The analysis aims to inform individuals seeking to invest approximately KES 10,000 per month for their retirement planning.

Overview of Key Providers

The Kenyan private pension landscape features several prominent providers, each offering distinct advantages. Based on recent performance and product offerings for 2024-2025, the following schemes are notable:

Provider	2024 Declared Return	Guaranteed Minimum Rate	Management/Admin Costs	Key Value Proposition
Zimele	15.0%	Market-linked / Guaranteed Fund	2.5% p.a. management fee; No entry/exit fees .	Offers a low entry barrier (KES 100), high flexibility in contributions, and has consistently delivered competitive returns .
Sanlam Kenya	15.0%	5.0% (typically)	Competitive (approximately 2% p.a.)	Demonstrated strong historical performance in 2024, supported by professional fund management .
Britam	13.0%	5.0%	1.5% admin fee on contributions (waived for the first year); 0.2% RBA levy .	Provides flexibility with a choice between Pension and Provident Fund options, and allows up to 60% of accumulated funds to be used as mortgage collateral .
ICEA LION	12.0%	4.0%	Approximately 1.5% - 2.0% p.a.	Known for stable long-term growth, a reputable insurer, and offers easy digital onboarding .
Jubilee	12.0%	4.0%	Minimum contribution of KES 4,000 per month in the first year .	As one of the largest insurers in East Africa, it offers high security and stability for investments .
Old Mutual	Market-linked	Varies by fund	No withdrawal penalties .	Emphasizes high flexibility, the option for mortgage collateral, and leverages global investment expertise .

Tax Benefits and Regulatory Framework (2024-2025)

The Kenyan government provides significant tax incentives to encourage retirement savings. As per the latest regulations:

Contributions to registered pension schemes are tax-deductible up to a maximum of KES 30,000 per month or KES 360,000 annually. This represents an increase from the previous limit of KES 20,000 per month . This provision effectively reduces an individual's taxable income, leading to immediate tax savings.

Upon retirement, the first KES 600,000 withdrawn as a lump sum from a registered pension fund is tax-free . Furthermore, the first KES 25,000 of monthly pension payments after retirement is also tax-exempt . These exemptions are crucial for preserving retirement savings.

An additional benefit is the ability for members to assign up to 60% of their accumulated pension fund as collateral for a mortgage loan, facilitating homeownership .

Analysis for a KES 10,000 Monthly Investment

For an individual consistently investing KES 10,000 per month (amounting to KES 120,000 annually), several factors become paramount in selecting a pension scheme:

Firstly, the tax deductibility of the entire KES 10,000 monthly contribution provides an immediate financial advantage by reducing the investor's current tax liability. This effectively acts as an upfront return on investment.

Secondly, the impact of compound growth is substantial over the long term. Even a small difference in the declared annual return can lead to a significant disparity in the final retirement pot. For instance, the difference between a 12% and a 15% annual return, as seen among providers, would result in a considerably larger sum over a typical 20-30 year investment horizon.

Lastly, while pension funds are primarily designed for long-term retirement savings, the liquidity aspect, allowing for the withdrawal of 100% of one's own contributions (subject to tax if before retirement), offers a valuable safety net in unforeseen circumstances.

Recommendation

Considering a monthly investment of KES 10,000, the recommendation is tailored to prioritize growth, stability, and flexibility:

•For Maximum Growth Potential: Zimele and Sanlam Kenya stand out due to their impressive 15% declared returns in 2024. Zimele is particularly attractive for its low entry requirements and user-friendly approach, making it accessible for consistent, smaller contributions. Sanlam also offers robust performance with professional management.

•For Enhanced Stability and Capital Preservation: Britam is a strong contender, offering a guaranteed minimum interest rate of 5%. This provides a crucial safeguard, ensuring consistent growth even during periods of market volatility.

•For Flexibility and Additional Benefits: Old Mutual is recommended for investors who value the option to use their pension fund as mortgage collateral and appreciate the absence of withdrawal penalties, offering greater financial maneuverability.

Ultimately, the choice of a pension provider should align with an individual's risk tolerance, long-term financial goals, and specific needs regarding liquidity and additional benefits. It is advisable to consult with a financial advisor to determine the most suitable scheme.

References

[1] Zimele Guaranteed Personal Pension Plan Annual Report 2024:

[2] Zimele Personal Pension Plan Brochure:

[3] Sanlam Kenya Facebook Post (2024 Returns):

[4] Britam Individual Retirement Plan:

[5] Britam Individual Pension Plan Annual Report:

[6] ICEA LION Life Assurance Instagram Post (2024 Returns):

[7] ICEA LION Personal Retirement Scheme Brochure:

[8] Jubilee Insurance Twitter Post (2024 Returns):

[9] Jubilee Personal Pension Plan Audited Accounts 2024:

[10] Old Mutual Individual Pension Plans:

[11] Tax Laws (Amendment) Act 2024 Analysis by Old Mutual:

[12] Finance Act 2025 Highlights by Grant Thornton Kenya:

[13] Tax-Smart Financial & Retirement Planning by Enwealth:

[14] Britam Individual Retirement Plan Brochure:

Detailed Report: AI Startups in Kenya (January–June 2025)

noreply@blogger.com (The Wert) — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 08:51:00 +0000

Key Developments and Events

1. Google for Startups Accelerator Africa—Kenyan Inclusion

Shamba Records
- Empowering African farmers using an AI-driven platform offering smart credit access, market connectivity, and data-driven agricultural solutions.
- Over 50,000 farmers benefit from this platform, which tackles issues such as access to finance, market data gaps, and climate adaptation.
- Shamba Records’ selection signals Kenya’s contribution to solving agricultural challenges through technology.tech-ish
Apexloads
- Provides a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution for logistics—connecting freight brokers, forwarders, and transporters using AI.
- The platform brings transparency, verification systems, and efficient matching algorithms to address supply chain fragmentation and trust issues.
- Validates Kenya’s capability to innovate in logistics with scalable tech solutions.tech-ish
Program Highlights
- Both startups were among 15 African companies chosen from nearly 1,500 applicants for Google’s three-month accelerator program.
- The program grants up to $350,000 in Google Cloud credits, technical mentorship, and support in AI implementation and business development.
- This marks international recognition and direct investment in Kenyan AI innovation.tech-ish

2. International Partnerships—AI Hub for Sustainable Development

Italy and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) established a pan-African Artificial Intelligence Hub for Sustainable Development in Rome, with Kenya as a central stakeholder.
The hub's purpose includes coordinating private sector investment, capacity-building, and data-sharing, especially benefiting local Kenyan startups.
Kenya’s growing digital infrastructure (e.g., data centres, connectivity) and vibrant startup ecosystem qualify it as a regional leader in AI implementation.
The initiative notably aligns Kenya’s AI efforts with the green economy, sustainability, and the bottom-up economic transformation agenda.kenyanews

3. Kenya’s Ecosystem Support

Local accelerators and incubators (such as iHub and Nailab) offer mentorship, funding avenues, and technical resources, facilitating AI startup growth.
Strong commitment from government through strategic policies (notably, Kenya’s National AI Strategy 2025–2030), ongoing digital infrastructure investments, and funding for local innovation.
Partnerships among universities, NGOs, and international organisations continue to strengthen Kenya’s startup pipeline.kenyanews

Funding & Investment Trends

International investors show increased interest in Kenyan AI startups, focusing on sectors with large addressable markets like agriculture, logistics, and financial inclusion.
Local angel investors and grant programs provide early-stage funds, while larger-scale VC investment depends on startups demonstrating clear market traction and scalability potential.
Pilot programs with corporates, NGOs, and government validate AI solutions and support repeatable business models.

Impact on the Kenyan Digital Landscape

The focus on agricultural and logistics AI startups reflects Kenya’s unique market needs and showcases adaptive technology development for local challenges.
Government policy, ecosystem partnerships, and international initiatives set the foundation for continued AI innovation across 2025 and beyond.
Kenya’s participation in continental and global AI collaborations positions the country as a hub for African AI entrepreneurship and leadership.

Conclusion

Kenya’s AI startup scene in the first half of 2025 is characterised by strong international recognition, substantial local ecosystem support, and innovative solutions addressing regional challenges in agriculture and logistics. Engagements with global accelerator programs and the launch of major international AI initiatives demonstrate the country’s momentum and ambition in digital transformation and AI leadership.kenyanews+1

African AI Startups and Funding Report

noreply@blogger.com (The Wert) — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 08:29:00 +0000

August 2025 - Recent Developments and Investment Trends

Executive Summary

Africa may hold just 2.5 per cent of the global AI market, but startups across the continent are drawing investor attention, with the sector valued at $4.51 billion in 2025 and projected to grow to $16.53 billion within five years. Despite global AI funding reaching record levels, African AI startups face significant challenges in accessing capital, raising only $14 million in Q2 2025 across five deals compared to the global AI funding explosion of $47.3 billion during the same period.

Key Funding Trends and Statistics

Global Context vs. African Reality

Global AI Funding: Over $100 billion raised by AI startups globally in the first half of 2025, nearly triple the $38.5 billion raised in the same period last year
African Share: African AI startups secured over $40 million in 2025, representing less than 0.04% of global AI investment
Recovery Signs: Tech startup investment in Africa is rebounding, with funding rising 78% in H1 2025 compared to the same period last year

Major Investment Categories

Based on recent funding rounds, four major themes are defining the African AI landscape in 2025:

1. Sector-Specific AI Enablers

Open Access Energy (South Africa): $1.8M raised to expand EnergyPro AI platform for electricity wheeling and grid forecasting
KERA Health Platforms (Senegal): Secured proposed $10M from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) for AI-powered healthcare systems
NOSIBLE (South Africa): AI search tool for investors, backed by Atlantica Ventures

2. AI Infrastructure and Developer Tools

Salus Cloud (Cape Town): $3.7M raised for AI-native DevOps platform targeting African SME software sector
Thunder Code (Tunisia): $9M seed round to automate software testing using generative AI - among the largest seed rounds on the continent

3. Language Models and Cultural Intelligence

Widebot (Egypt): $3M pre-Series A for Arabic dialect LLM development
ToumAI (Morocco): Building voice AI for languages like Darija and Wolof

4. AI Co-Pilots for B2B

Darwinz AI (Saudi-Egyptian): $325,000 raised for an AI assistant targeting PR and marketing teams
Focus on lightweight, domain-specific automation tools

Regional Investment Leaders

Egypt Leading the Charge

Egypt, which adopted a national AI strategy in 2021, accounts for three of the eight early-stage African AI companies that have raised at least $1 million this year. The country's updated 2025 strategy aims to support more than 250 successful AI firms by 2030.

Notable Egyptian Developments:

Meta's recent acquisition of Egyptian voice-tech startup PlayAI highlights global potential
Strong government support through national AI strategy implementation

Key Investment Hubs

Egypt - 3 major funding rounds
South Africa - Focus on fintech and energy AI solutions
Tunisia - Major seed funding success with Thunder Code
Morocco - Language-focused AI development
Senegal - Healthcare AI innovations

Venture Capital Landscape

Active VC Firms in African AI

Leading venture capital firms investing in African AI startups include:

54 Collective: 8 AI investments (though facing challenges with Mastercard Foundation exit)
LoftyInc Capital: 6 AI-focused investments
Future Africa: 5 investments in AI startups
Flat6Labs Tunisia: 5 seed-stage investments
Oui Capital: 4 investments focusing on AI integration rather than foundational models
P1 Ventures: Nigeria-based early-stage fund with a pan-Africa mandate investing in AI, ML, and other tech sectors

Investment Criteria and Focus

VCs are showing preference for:

Problem-First Approach: Startups addressing documented, systemic problems
Capital Efficiency: Teams demonstrating traction with minimal funding
Domain Expertise: Founders with deep technical or sector-specific knowledge
Scalability: Clear pathway beyond home markets
Regulatory Alignment: Operations aligned with government priorities

Challenges and Opportunities

Funding Gap Persists

Africa accounts for less than 1% of global VC funding
Between March and June 2025, global AI startups raised $47.3 billion, with Africa receiving just $14 million
Female-led AI ventures face steeper odds, receiving only 2% of VC funding in Africa

Competitive Disadvantages

Technical talent drain to international companies offering better compensation
Infrastructure challenges and regulatory hurdles
Currency volatility is affecting scaling efforts
Limited access to computing resources and cloud infrastructure

Emerging Opportunities

Open-Source Models: Release of open-source AI models such as DeepSeek and OpenAI's open-weight offerings, lowering infrastructure costs
Government Support: National AI strategies in Egypt, Rwanda, and other countries
Corporate Partnerships: Google, Microsoft, and IBM are establishing innovation hubs and partnerships
Diaspora Investment: African investors bringing capital back to the continent

Strategic Investment Themes

Pragmatic Over Speculative

Unlike global AI investment focused on foundational models, African investors are taking a pragmatic approach:

Focus on AI applications rather than fundamental AI research
Integration of AI into existing business models rather than pure-play AI companies
Emphasis on solving local problems with global applicability

Sector Applications

Priority sectors for AI investment include:

Healthcare: Diagnostic tools, claims processing, telemedicine
Agriculture: Crop monitoring, yield prediction, supply chain optimisation
Finance: Credit scoring, fraud detection, automated customer service
Energy: Grid optimisation, renewable energy management
Education: Personalised learning, language localisation

Future Outlook

Market Projections

The African AI market is expected to grow from $4.51 billion (2025) to $16.53 billion by 2030
Increasing corporate acquisitions expected as African AI companies prove global viability
Growing interest from international VCs in African AI opportunities

Success Factors

For African AI startups to attract funding:

Demonstrate Clear ROI: Show measurable impact and revenue generation
Build for Scale: Design solutions that can expand beyond initial markets
Focus on Application: Leverage existing AI models rather than building foundational technology
Regulatory Compliance: Align with local regulations and government initiatives
Talent Retention: Develop strategies to retain technical talent locally

Conclusion

While African AI startups face significant funding challenges compared to global counterparts, there are clear signs of growing investor confidence and strategic focus. The concentration of growth in a handful of markets presents both opportunities and challenges, with the need to ensure funding and technical capacity are spread more evenly across the continent to sustain long-term momentum.

The pragmatic approach of African investors - focusing on AI applications rather than foundational models - may prove more sustainable and profitable than the speculative investments dominating global markets. As infrastructure costs decrease and government support increases, Africa's AI ecosystem is positioned for significant growth despite current funding disparities.

Report compiled from news sources dated August 2025, including iAfrica.com, Launch Base Africa, TechCrunch, and various industry publications.

*Some content may be AI-generated.

AI Startup Funding Report: Recent Investment Trends and Major Deals (August 8-15, 2025)

noreply@blogger.com (The Wert) — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 08:05:00 +0000

Executive Summary

The AI startup ecosystem continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience and growth, with significant funding activity across multiple sectors during the past week. Despite broader venture capital market challenges, AI companies are securing substantial investments, with a particular emphasis on healthcare AI, enterprise solutions, and autonomous systems.

Key Market Trends

Overall Investment Climate

AI's Market Dominance: AI startups received 53% of all global venture capital dollars invested in the first half of 2025, jumping to 64% in the U.S. market
Concentration of Capital: AI startups comprise 29% of all globally funded startups and nearly 36% in the U.S.
Valuation Growth: AI companies continue to see valuation step-ups that significantly exceed those of non-AI companies at every funding stage
First Half Performance: AI startups raised $104 billion globally in H1 2025, representing nearly two-thirds of all fundraising deal value

Sector-Specific Growth

Healthcare AI has emerged as a particularly active sector, with multiple companies securing substantial funding rounds for specialized applications including:

Medical imaging and radiology
Dementia care and brain health
Medical coding and revenue cycle management
Precision medicine and diagnostics

Major Funding Rounds (August 8-15, 2025)

Enterprise AI Solutions

Cohere - $500M Series E

Valuation: $6.8 billion (more than triple its valuation from two years ago)
Lead Investors: Radical Ventures and Inovia Capital
Participants: AMD Ventures, Nvidia, Salesforce Ventures
Business Model: Enterprise-focused AI platform serving large clients like Dell and Oracle
Growth: Valuation increased from $2.2 billion (2023) to $5.5 billion (2024) to current $6.8 billion
Significance: Demonstrates continued investor appetite for B2B AI solutions over consumer-facing chatbots

Healthcare AI Sector

Isaac Health - $10.5M Series A

Total Funding: $16.3 million (including previous rounds)
Lead Investor: Flare Capital Partners
Participants: Industry Ventures, Black Opal Ventures, Meridian Street Capital, B Capital, Primetime Partners
Focus: AI-driven dementia care platform addressing the growing Alzheimer's crisis
Market Impact: Platform available in all 50 states, addressing 36-month average wait times for specialist care
Clinical Results: 73% of patients show improved neurocognitive function over six months

Arintra - $21M Series A

Lead Investor: Peak XV Partners
Participants: Endeavor Health Ventures, Y Combinator
Focus: GenAI-native autonomous medical coding with "Revenue Assurance" approach
Performance: Processed over $1 billion in healthcare charges, helping customers recover millions in revenue
Customer Results:
- Mercyhealth: 5.1% revenue increase, 43% reduction in denials
- 50% reduction in work queue aging, 32% lower coding costs

Better Medicine - $6.89M Total Funding

Recent Round: €1M ($1.1M) pre-seed led by Soulmates Ventures
Total Funding: €2.25M private funding + €3.7M in grants (including €2.5M from European Innovation Council)
Focus: AI-powered radiology tools for cancer detection
Regulatory Achievement: First CE-certified, AI-based kidney cancer detection tool
Clinical Performance: 52% time savings for radiologists, 99.2% detection rate
Geographic Expansion: Commercial rollout across Europe, FDA clearance preparation underway

Emerging Sectors

AI Companion Applications

Market Size: On track to generate $120M in revenue for 2025
Growth Driver: Increasing consumer adoption of digital relationship and companionship platforms
Investment Thesis: Growing market for personalized AI interactions beyond traditional chatbots

Geographic Distribution

North American Market

24 US-based AI startups have raised $100M+ rounds in 2025
Strong venture funding environment with multiple mega-rounds
Continued dominance in enterprise AI solutions

European Market

Estonia-based Better Medicine leading EU AI healthcare innovation
Strong regulatory framework with CE certification processes
Significant grant funding from European Innovation Council supporting AI development

Canadian Market

Cohere's Toronto headquarters highlighting Canada as emerging AI hub
Strong venture capital support from domestic investors like Radical Ventures

Sector Analysis

Healthcare AI Leadership

Healthcare AI continues to attract significant investment due to:

Clear ROI Metrics: Demonstrable cost savings and efficiency improvements
Regulatory Clarity: Established approval pathways (FDA, CE marking)
Market Need: Addressing critical staffing shortages and operational inefficiencies
Measurable Outcomes: Clinical validation and patient outcome improvements

Enterprise AI Resilience

B2B AI platforms show strength through:

Sustainable Business Models: Recurring revenue from enterprise clients
Integration Capabilities: Seamless deployment within existing workflows
Scalability: Ability to serve multiple large enterprise customers
Validation: Proven success with Fortune 500 companies

Investment Patterns

Valuation Trends

AI companies consistently achieving higher valuation multiples than non-AI peers
Rapid valuation growth cycles (2-3x increases within 12-24 months)
Premium pricing for companies with proven enterprise traction

Investor Behavior

Strategic Participation: Tech giants (Nvidia, AMD, Salesforce) actively co-investing
Sector Specialization: Healthcare-focused VCs leading domain-specific rounds
Geographic Diversification: Cross-border investment flows increasing

Funding Stage Distribution

Series A rounds dominating healthcare AI sector
Later-stage growth rounds for established enterprise AI platforms
Significant pre-seed and seed activity in emerging AI applications

Market Outlook

Positive Indicators

Strong H1 2025 performance suggesting sustained investor confidence
Healthcare AI showing particular resilience with clear value propositions
Enterprise adoption accelerating across multiple verticals
Regulatory frameworks becoming more supportive of AI innovation

Potential Challenges

Capital concentration in fewer, larger deals
Increasing competition for top-tier AI talent
Regulatory compliance costs for healthcare AI companies
Market saturation concerns in some AI application areas

Future Growth Areas

Autonomous Systems: Continued investment in AI-powered automation
Specialized Healthcare AI: Niche medical applications with clear clinical benefits
Enterprise Process Automation: AI solutions for specific business workflows
Regulatory Technology: AI tools for compliance and risk management

Conclusion

The AI startup funding landscape in August 2025 demonstrates continued strength and maturation. While overall venture capital markets face headwinds, AI companies maintain premium valuations and strong investor interest, particularly in healthcare applications and enterprise solutions. The sector's ability to demonstrate clear ROI and measurable outcomes positions it well for continued growth, though increasing selectivity among investors suggests that only the strongest companies with proven traction will secure top-tier funding.

The concentration of funding in healthcare AI reflects both market need and regulatory clarity, while enterprise AI platforms benefit from recurring revenue models and established customer bases. As the market evolves, we expect continued consolidation around companies that can demonstrate sustainable competitive advantages and clear paths to profitability.

Report compiled from industry sources and funding announcements during August 8-15, 2025

*Some of the content may be AI-generated

Huawei IDEOS U8150 Review

noreply@blogger.com (The Wert) — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 10:30:00 +0000

I am a self-confessed Nokia die-hard. I have stuck with them even though the performance of some of their later models of phones, especially the touchscreen ones has been less than stellar. Nokia make great hardware. I am yet to find a manufacturer that makes sturdy long lasting phones Like Nokia does. However, their software seems to leave a lot to be desired. Saying that, I still do believe that the Nokia E71 is one of the best smartphones they may. I still have mine to date and it has served me faithfully.

A friend who couldn’t understand my almost fanatical obsession with Nokia phones dared me to try another smartphone operating system. Try the iPhone or an Android phone and then tell me if you will go back to Nokia. The opportunity came when Safaricom introduced the uber-cheap Huawei IDEOS U8150 in Kenya. Retailing at 8,500 Kenya Shillings with 600MB free data and 1,000 Shillings free airtime, it was a bargain to say the least. The IDEOS had Android 2.2 (Froyo) installed. It comes with a 528 MHz ARM 11 processor, Adreno 200 GPU, Qualcomm MSM7225 chipset and 200 MB storage, 256 MB RAM and 512 MB ROM. These are pretty modest specs compared to the HTC Desire or Samsung Galaxy S. In fact, with 256MB of RAM, Flash 10 is not supported on this phone. You need at least 512MB of RAM to do that.

I convinced my pal to get me one and I got my wife one – in pink of course. If I was going to do a review, I would like to do it from two angles. I am a power user – I customise my phones extensively and push them to the limit. My wife on the other hand, though being a techie, is just beyond an average user, though I must admit at times she surprises me by finding some really advanced features. So began our journey into the Android world.

One month down the line, I guess I am converted. I am still a Nokia fan, but hey, Android rocks! The first day my wife played with the phone she said she isn’t going back to her Nokia E63. That would be the backup phone. She was amazed at the ease with which she could check her email (on gmail), facebook and surf from the phone. The only limitation was the small 2.8 inch screen, but that we soon got used to. The clarity was really good at 240x320 pixels (256K colours). I must say, it was amazing to see a small package behave so well. The capacitive touch screen was very responsive – compared to the resistive one on my Nokia N97. It was fast and pretty accurate. I liked the phone. The cheap plastic build many people have complained about didn’t bother me much since for that price, I wasn’t expecting Nokia quality build.

I went about installing apps on it like TweetDeck, Fancy Widget, Andoku (Android Sudoku), Bible Reader, Dolphin Browser (I heard it is better than the native browser), Lookout Mobile Security and a couple of games. Most apps worked fine. Initially I couldn’t get Angry Birds to install from the Android Market but somewhere later in March something must have changed because I managed to install it on both my phone and my wife’s phone. She became an instant addict.

I didn’t get to use all the features on the phone like the camera – I prefer a real camera for such things. I also used the GPS very little.

So, after a month, the strong points I picked up are:

Lots of free apps – Nokia Ovi Store has quite a number but those on the Android Market are so much more. Stuff I had to buy on Ovi Store I could get for free on the Android OS.
The OTA application installation. This is what impressed my wife and I the most. I could visit the Market on my computer, choose the application, click Install and in a few minutes it would be installed on the phone. Wish Nokia had that instead of just sending the link via SMS. That was about the coolest thing I saw on the platform.
Ease in connecting to email. I used my Nokia N97 to connect to my many email accounts using Nokia Messaging. It worked very well, but had no HTML emails. On the other hand the Email app on Android supports HTML email. I know on the Symbian^3 phones you can get HTML email and I think on the Nokia E72 as well, but I don’t have that experience yet. I was even able to configure the IDEOS to connect to read my work email. It was awesome. I didn’t configure all the accounts I have on the Nokia as it was just a test phone.
Web browsing. This was also really good. It was smooth and fast (when Safaricom didn’t have hiccups) and with HTML5 support, it worked really well on some websites. I definitely prefer the browsing experience on the IDEOS to Nokia. Dolphin Web Browser also made the experience better. I wish we had one on the S60 platform.

What I didn’t like about either the IDEOS:

When receiving a call, there is no built in application for speaking out the callers name like on the Nokia. I was so used to this from Nokia I missed it on the Android. I managed to get an app called SayMyName but I must say the quality doesn’t compare to Nokia. The voice is tinny and I think Nokia’s version does better with Kenyan/African names.
As I mentioned earlier, I am a power user, so I tend to push the phone hard. The slow processor began to show. The phone would drag and sometimes completely freeze. I thought this was because of all the apps I had installed but my wife’s phone would experience the same issues some time. It would lose all network connectivity or become totally unresponsive requiring a restart. I also noticed if the memory went below the 70MB mark, the phone would struggle to load web pages and even take time to refresh the screen – it would go blank at times. But that is what you get for a budget smartphone. I had a bit of trouble with MPESA and the IDEOS because of this. In some cases it would hang after using MPESA or if you hadn’t used MPESA for a while, you needed to restart the phone before it could properly access the SIM applications like MPESA. One other thing was that it was slow to switch between applications.
The phone had lots of issues with USSD. I tried it on all the networks in Kenya, and with each network it threw back MMI errors. Trying the same command on a Nokia would bring no errors. This was both for operator USSD – recharges, data balances etc as well as for Mobile Banking. Seems that the IDEOS has issues with USSD. This is a major drawback as some of the services are billable and if it throws you an error in the middle of a USSD transaction, you have to start all over again which is an extra cost. That is a huge downside.
Screen size of the IDEOS. At 2.8 inches, the screen is rather small. At times the keyboard covers a lot of the screen real-estate yet it is still quite small so typing messages on the keyboard is rather difficult if you have fat fingers. Otherwise at $100, it isn’t bad.
Inability to receive or send vCard files via Text message or MMS. This is one feature that I really enjoy on Nokia Phones. I don’t have to copy and paste numbers to send to someone. I just sent them a business card via text message and voila, they have the number they need. Android doesn’t support this so if the person is not close by then you just have to do a copy and paste. Thankfully this isn’t hard on Android. It does support vCard via Bluetooth but that means the two of you have to be in close proximity. I managed to sort this out (thanks to Skunkworks) by installing an application on the phone. Share Contacts from the Android Market adds this feaure to your IDEOS. Interestingly, HTC and Samsung SMS apps already support this feature without requiring any add on.
Battery Life. The IDEOS has very poor battery life especially on 3G. The best way to improve battery life is to switch to 2G or install an application like GreenPower which turns off the data connection when not in use and fires it up when you need it. The only problem is that at times it seems to hang and so switching to airplane mode solves it at times. At other times, the phone has to be rebooted. Seems there are a lot of reboot requirements for this phone. The phone has a tendency to heat up quite a bit. This is normal with 3G but on EDGE I was surprised.
Accelerometer response is slow at times. This can be a source of irritation waiting for the screen to change orientation.
One thing I found difficult and which I think I am so used to on Nokia phones is the ability to shut down an application. On Nokia, one holds down the End-Call button for long while in the application and it shuts down. This is very useful when you want to free up memory. On the IDEOS, I was unable to do it no matter how I tried. {ED - Advanced Task Killer can do this but do we have to install an app for everything?}
Calendar and Alerts: I love the way Nokia handles this. Even if the screen is locked, the phone will bring up a notification you can acknowledge. On the IDEOS, this was not possible. When notifying you of a calendar alert, the screen remains blank if locked and there is only an audio notification. This means you have to go and unlock the screen and then acknowledge or view the alert. I find that time wasting and utterly boring.
One more thing. When you connect via Wifi, it is not possible to use a proxy to browse the net. I know application like Android Market and push mail may not work, but simple web browsing doesn't work either since you cannot set up Proxy Settings. I tried various applications from the Android Market and none worked. I gave up completely. Searching on the net, I found it is an issue faced with a couple of Android phones. Some manufacturers have managed to solve it by adding settings for Wifi Proxy but interestingly, this feature is completely absent from the IDEOS.

Conclusion

In summary, for the price, the IDEOS is a great phone. Android is a great operating system. A few quirks here and there but it provides a better user experience than Nokia’s Symbian. The ease of use and intuitiveness make it easy even for a new user. So with this phone, Safaricom is sure to create lots of data addicts and ensure a good amount of revenue for itself in the data realm, given that voice prices have dropped to all time lows.

Prepaid Mobile Data Tariffs in Kenya

noreply@blogger.com (The Wert) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 09:29:00 +0000

Hi,

I decided to do a simple comparison of data prices from the 4 mobile operators. I just took the data they had posted on their respective websites and put it in a table for comparison.

From the data, some of which was a bit confusing to interpret, I found that the only common data bundle is the 1GB or 1000MB bundle. I decided to use the 1GB as 1000MB so as to standardize the values. So from the analysis, Safaricom data is the most expensive, and yu data is the cheapest. However it must be noted that yu's information is easily misunderstood. The one point to note is that only Safaricom has a 3G network and all the other 3 - yu, Orange and Airtel are on EDGE.

On a side note, interestingly, in some places I find that Orange and yu only have plain old GPRS within Nairobi environs. With Airtel and Safaricom, I haven't encountered that yet. Their signals have always been good enough to get at least EDGE coverage.

Data is below:

Price Comparisons

Sources: Safaricom, Airtel, yu, Orange

Katiba Debate

noreply@blogger.com (The Wert) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 05:46:00 +0000

Got this from Facebook where a very interesting discussion is going on. For more info, visit the Soma Katiba group on Facebook - link here .

Otherwise some content on merits and demerits of the proposed constitution:

by Kimathi Kamencu

Merits

Chapter 1
1. The introduction of a Preamble is a step forward. You will remember (from yesterday’s discussion) that we had noted the lack of “local ownership” of our independence constitution. The preamble sets us out as a distinct people with a distinct history.

Chapter 2
2. The recognition of the Devolved Government structure is also a positive provision in the PNC. You may have heard it said that some people groups in Kenya regard a journey to Nairobi as a visit to Kenya. It is hoped that the devolved structure will provide a framework that is real and equitable. More comments on this when we discuss the relevant chapter.

3. Recognition of Kiswahili as a national language is like music to my soul! I recall having recently read a poem entitled “English is a stupid language”. Well, whereas I wouldn’t go this far, I do think that Kiswahili is a language that is just as good (if not better) than English. To add to this, is the fact that it is our own, one of the jewels of our heritage. Like one of the 8 – 4 -4 text books one would wish to say “Kiswahili kitukuzwe!”

4. The inclusion of national values in the constitution is an important step in setting out for government what we, as citizens, expect whenever governmental power is being exercised. My heart is greatly pained whenever corruption is uncovered or when I see the dishonorable treatment of people in what are commonly called “operations”. Will this provision really bring these things to a halt? Your bet is as good as mine.

5. Culture (and particularly intellectual property/innovations) has been included and this is good. To quote the Final COE report to the National Assembly:

“…in an age when there have been external attempts to alienate, privatize and patent the indigenous knowledge, intellectual property rights and innovations of Kenyan communities such as the ciondo and kikoi, it is important to provide for the protection of intellectual property.”

Chapter 3
6. The chapter on citizenship has made ground in leveling the plain amongst genders. First of all, it provides no limitation to the right of a child acquiring citizenship by birth so long as either one of his parents is a Kenyan by birth. Secondly, men who are married to Kenyan women are entitled to apply for Kenyan citizenship.

7. In a world that now is being referred to as a “global village”, dual citizenship is a timely provision. Who knows, perhaps this may lure President Obama to retire to K’Ogello rather than Illinois!

Demerits

Chapter 1
1. Article 2 (6) is a worrisome provision. It seems to give automatic constitutional status to international agreements that Kenya has agreed to. It is not clear why this provision was included by the COE in this final draft given that all previous drafts did not contain it. Further, all the other COE drafts required treaties to be considered and approved by Parliament. This provision has been deleted and no explanation is given in the final COE report.

Given this state of affairs, it is possible for the State President to enter into international agreements that may be inconsistent with the will of the Kenyan people. These provisions would be on an equal footing with other provisions of the Constitution.

2. Article 3 provides for defense of the constitution. To defend the constitution, one should know what is says. As such, it would have been good if an additional provision were included to provide for dissemination and education on the Constitution.

Chapter 2
3. There has been much debate on Article 8 which provides that “there shall be no state religion”.

The initial Harmonized Draft by the COE contained three provisions: (a) State and religion shall be separate; (b) There shall be no state religion; and (c) The state shall treat all religions equally. Provisions (a) & (c) were removed by the Parliamentary Select Committee.

In the absence of the provision “the state shall treat all religions equally” there is concern that favoritism may be shown to some religion(s) over others.

Chapter 3
4. The provision on “foundlings” (Article 14) is also of concern. Given the fact that Kenya has numerous porous borders and a significantly more robust economy than many of its neighbors, it is possible that this provision may be misused. Where the country receives a huge influx of such foundlings (who will be presumed to be citizens), this could have negative effects in the long run.

The COE was requested to amend this provision so that such children would be required to apply for citizenship. However, they declined on the basis that it would be hard for the children to apply. In the alternative, they introduced a provision (Article 17) that would allow for nullification where the child is shown to be a citizen of another country.

Constitution Must Treat All Religions Equally

noreply@blogger.com (The Wert) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 09:55:00 +0000

A Commentary by Pete Ondeng and Peter Waiyaki

The public discourse on whether or not the Kadhi Courts should be included in the constitution has been wrongly interpreted by many to be a Christian vs Muslim affair. The often uninformed rhetoric by hard liners on both sides of the argument adds an unnecessary and potentially explosive element to the already charged political atmosphere.

The issue here is not about religion, but about the constitution. The move to change the current constitution springs from an acknowledgement by most people that there are wrongs in the document that need to be made right. There are some basic rights, for instance, that the original constitution did not address, and which need to be enshrined in the new document. Similarly, there were some provisions that were included by those who negotiated the Lancaster House document that no longer hold water and need to be scrapped.

The Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) retreat in Naivasha, which was expected by many to degenerate into an ODM vs PNU muscle-flexing contest, pleasantly surprised the nation by reaching consensus on almost all of the so-called contentious issues.

In regard to the Kadhi Courts, however, the PSC missed the point and actually went astray. Curiously, the draft constitution that emerged from that retreat omitted a simple but critical phrase that had appeared in all the many draft constitutions that have been produced since the first one in 2002. All previous versions of the Draft Constitution have consistently stated categorically that “State and religion will be separate, there will be no state religion and that all religions will be treated equally. These provisions have now been removed, leaving only that There Will Be No State Religion. Most people are not aware that this small but significant change was made in Naivasha.

Why was this phrase removed, and what would be the significance of its absence in the constitution? The only logical conclusion would be that the new constitution does not acknowledge all religions as equal.

The Constitution enunciates equality for all citizens. Further it provides that nobody shall be discriminated against by reason of their religion, among other things. Unfortunately, the Kadhi courts are themselves an institutionalization of inequality. They seek to favour one religion over others by creating and protecting and providing for state funding of a purely religious system of dispute resolution.

One of the central arguments from those who advocate for Kadhi courts to be included in the constitution is that the courts have been in the constitution since independence. This is very true. The courts did not accidentally end up in the constitution but were a part of the negotiations between Jomo Kenyatta and the Sultan of Zanzibar which led to the 10 mile coastal strip being incorporated into the Republic of Kenya at independence. However, these historical reasons and context no longer apply. What was then a concession to a small part of the country and a very small part of the population has now become a demand and a right applicable to the whole country.

Excluding the Kadhi courts from the new constitution would not in any way hinder the rights of Muslims to worship Allah or to establish courts and other mechanism of dispute resolution. The role of the Kadhi as a religious office will remain intact, organized and funded by the Muslim community, in the same way as other religions will be required to fund their own activities.

The only effect of not including the courts in the constitution would be that, like for all other religions, there would be no funding using tax payers money, and the offices for Kadhis would be recognized rightly as religious offices, and not government office. Most importantly, the draft constitution that will soon be presented to Kenyans for a referendum must include the important clause removed by the PSC: that all religions will be treated equally.

Pete Ondeng is a development economist & author of Africa’s Moment; Peter Waiyaki is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya

Reaching out to the world

noreply@blogger.com (The Wert) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:21:00 +0000

President Obama says He Prays "all the time now"

noreply@blogger.com (The Wert) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 07:00:00 +0000

Aimee Herd (July 29, 2009)

"This is something where you just hope that you are aligning your work with His purposes, and that you're attuned to the needs of the people you're there to serve."

In a recent Nightline interview, President Obama told ABC News' Terry Moran that his prayer habits have intensified since taking office, and that he prays "all the time now."

"I've got a lot of stuff on my plate and I need guidance all the time," Obama said in the interview.

He told Moran that before he was elected, he used to pray each night. Obama reportedly receives a devotional and prayer sent to his BlackBerry every morning from Pastor Joshua DuBois, the director of the president's Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Initiative. (Photo: LATimes)

Obama candidly added, "I think that every president who's had [this job] is constantly humbled by the degree to which there are a lot of issues out there and the notion that one person alone can solve all these problems—I think you're cured of that illusion very quickly."

Read more of this Christian Post article at the source link provided.

Source: Eric Young – Christian Post

BULLY! PULPIT NEWS WORLD EXCLUSIVE: MICHAEL JACKSON

noreply@blogger.com (The Wert) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:18:00 +0000

FACING A MASSIVE TOUR HE WAS ILL-PREPARED FOR, A DESPERATE MICHAEL JACKSON REACHED OUT TO GOSPEL SUPERSTAR ANDRAE CROUCH AND HIS MINISTER SISTER SANDRA FOR SOLACE IN HIS LAST DAYS

Los Angeles, California, (Bully! Pulpit News)---Facing a grueling concert schedule, Michael Jackson, the self-proclaimed King of Pop reached out to two old friends-legendary Gospel singer Andrae Crouch and his twin sister, singer and minister, Sandra, desperately seeking inspiration for a tour he was ill-prepared for, a few weeks before his tragic death.

But news of the meeting spiraled out of control as a series of blogs and emails raced around the world proclaiming that Jackson had converted to Christianity at the end of one of their meetings, raising hopes, especially among Jackson’s African-American fans that Jackson, a onetime member of the Jehovah’s Witness sect, who had reportedly converted to Islam in 2008, had become a Christian.

The news was first widely circulated on her website by Erica Campbell, a member of the Grammy-award winning duo Mary-Mary who, under the banner headline “Good News-RIP Michael Jackson,” wrote: “Last night we received some good news from Terri McFaddin-Solomon who is good friends with Sandra Crouch. Three weeks ago Sandra and Andrae spent some time with their close friend, Michael Jackson. Michael asked Andrae to play, "It Won't Be Long And We'll Be Leaving Here." Michael then prayed with Sandra and Andre and accepted Christ into his heart. Now he's singing in the heavenly choir! Our hearts rejoice!”

But according to Sandra Crouch, that may not quite be the full story. On a posting on her Facebook page Crouch wrote: “Not sure where that came from. We loved and respected Michael and will continue to pray for his family. All the extra is not from us.”

For his part, through a spokesman, Andrae Crouch attempted to further clarify the story:

“Andrae and Sandra did in fact visit with Michael Jackson two times, once at the recording studio, and once at his home in the last two months, as recently as three weeks ago, asking for prayer concerning the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and how he could make his music more ‘spiritual,’" noted Crouch’s Facebook administrator. “So Andrae and Sandra explained to him about the anointing and about Jesus. He wanted to know what makes your hands go up, and makes you ‘come out of yourself,’ and what gives a ‘spirituality’ to the music? He then requested to hear his favorite song that he loves and wanted then to sing to him, so they...joined hands and sang together, and he said, ‘it was beautiful.’ He first heard it in New York, and loved it and wanted it on tape. He had the engineer tape the song sang to him by Andrae and Sandra. He definitely had an encounter with them.”

As to whether or not the legendary singer had prayed to receive Christ, through his spokesman Crouch responded: “He did NOT reject Jesus or the prayer when (we) prayed, and gladly joined in prayer.”

“He usually doesn’t touch anybody, but he touched them, and held their hands in a circle as they sang and prayed,” continued Andrae Crouch’s spokesman. “There was NO actual ‘sinners prayer’ however, but they did talk and pray about Jesus and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. They also told him, ‘Michael, we consider you as our son,’ and he said, “yes, yes, yes” and gave him his latest music on a CD, and he told him, ‘Andrae I trust you with this,’ and gave him CD’s of 2 songs......unpublished, beautiful music.”

The Crouch’s reported one peculiarity about Jackson’s rented home: forbidden as a child from celebrating Christmas because of his Jehovah’s Witness faith which precludes such celebration, Jackson was still celebrating Christmas in June: “

“He still had his Christmas decorations up at home,” noted Crouch’s spokesman.

Gay Pride Month????

noreply@blogger.com (The Wert) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 05:32:00 +0000

Ok, to me that was a serious shock, but just in case you are wondering, that is straight from the White House website - www.whitehouse.gov. I will post an excerpt and links and leave the conclusion up to you.

http://www.queerty.com/shock-obama-proclaims-june-gay-pride-month-20090601/

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Presidential-Proclamation-LGBT-Pride-Month/

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary

___________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release June 1, 2009

LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER PRIDE MONTH, 2009
- - - - - - -
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION

Forty years ago, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn in New York City resisted police harassment that had become all too common for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Out of this resistance, the LGBT rights movement in America was born. During LGBT Pride Month, we commemorate the events of June 1969 and commit to achieving equal justice under law for LGBT Americans.

LGBT Americans have made, and continue to make, great and lasting contributions that continue to strengthen the fabric of American society. There are many well-respected LGBT leaders in all professional fields, including the arts and business communities. LGBT Americans also mobilized the Nation to respond to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic and have played a vital role in broadening this country's response to the HIV pandemic.

Due in no small part to the determination and dedication of the LGBT rights movement, more LGBT Americans are living their lives openly today than ever before. I am proud to be the first President to appoint openly LGBT candidates to Senate-confirmed positions in the first 100 days of an Administration. These individuals embody the best qualities we seek in public servants, and across my Administration -- in both the White House and the Federal agencies -- openly LGBT employees are doing their jobs with distinction and professionalism.

The LGBT rights movement has achieved great progress, but there is more work to be done. LGBT youth should feel safe to learn without the fear of harassment, and LGBT families and seniors should be allowed to live their lives with dignity and respect.

My Administration has partnered with the LGBT community to advance a wide range of initiatives. At the international level, I have joined efforts at the United Nations to decriminalize homosexuality around the world. Here at home, I continue to support measures to bring the full spectrum of equal rights to LGBT Americans. These measures include enhancing hate crimes laws, supporting civil unions and Federal rights for LGBT couples, outlawing discrimination in the workplace, ensuring adoption rights, and ending the existing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in a way that strengthens our Armed Forces and our national security. We must also commit ourselves to fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic by both reducing the number of HIV infections and providing care and support services to people living with HIV/AIDS across the United States.

These issues affect not only the LGBT community, but also our entire Nation. As long as the promise of equality for all remains unfulfilled, all Americans are affected. If we can work together to advance the principles upon which our Nation was founded, every American will benefit. During LGBT Pride Month, I call upon the LGBT community, the Congress, and the American people to work together to promote equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2009 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to turn back discrimination and prejudice everywhere it exists.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

BARACK OBAMA

One Amazing Miracle in Manitoba

noreply@blogger.com (The Wert) — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:14:00 +0000

Aimee Herd/David Henry (May 12, 2009)

"What happened that day at the intersection of the Perimeter Highway and Saskatchewan Avenue was an authentic miracle… The laws of thermodynamics were momentarily superseded by a higher law. It had much more to do with the faith and prayers of a few ordinary people inviting God's intervening hand, in Jesus' name, to protect him on the road in a way that no one else can do…"

(Winnipeg, Manitoba)—If you think miracles documented in the New Testament don't really happen anymore, you'll want to read the following story. Phillip may not have been the only one to be "transported" by the Holy Spirit, as Minnesotan trucker Roger Henry can testify. Read this remarkable account—written by his brother David—of what happened as Roger approached an icy intersection in Winnipeg one wintery day, just months ago.

[January, 2009] Roger Henry, a seasoned trucker based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota has many years of driving experience on the icy roads of Minnesota and Canada. He works for a large international trucking firm. This particular day he was driving a B-Train. It's a seven-axle, twenty-six wheel, two-trailer monster weighing in at over 56,000 kg. (80,000 pounds) when fully loaded. (Photo: Roger Henry)

Roger had just driven his rig north from the Twin Cities and was now headed back home with a large return load. The pavement was dry that day, so he set his speed at the 100 km per hour limit and prepared to make the familiar trip down to the North Dakota border and on south to home.

Roger and his wife Joyce are Christians. As a matter of habit and conviction, they pray in the name of Jesus and simply ask God to protect him as he travels a route that in a split second can turn deadly. In fact, Sandy Atkinson, a Jewish Christian friend of the Henry's, prays every day specifically for Roger to be kept safe as he plies his potentially dangerous trade. This day he would cash in those prayers; he would need all the help he could get.

Manitoba 101, The Perimeter Highway, is well-engineered for safety. On some of its crossings it has yellow blinking lights that forewarn drivers of their safe passage through the next traffic light. It's either, a yellow blinking, 'no'—you must prepare to stop at the next light, or the switched off light indicating 'yes'—you are safe to proceed.

Roger had his rig humming in high gear and relaxed as much as is reasonable into the familiar routine. He was headed south on the west side of Winnipeg, when he approached the next intersection at Perimeter Highway and Saskatchewan Avenue. He observed the yellow light was 'off', giving him the right-of-way through the intersection. He stayed in the right lane. Ominously, off to his right, his eyes locked on to a black four-door sedan traveling from the west at a high rate of speed that indicated someone wasn't paying attention. Roger quickly calculated that the driver could not possibly stop in time for the red light controlling the east-west traffic flow.

The sedan driver finally skidded to a stop, dead center in the middle of the right hand, southbound lane. Roger's loaded B-Train was hurtling through the intersection into the broadside of the black sedan at 100 km miles per hour. Roger had no time to maneuver his big rig into the left lane. He couldn't steer it into that lane without flipping it over or jack-knifing. (Photo: Intersection from satellite view)

There was no time to stop. Air brakes on a big rig are slower to respond than car brakes. It takes a moment of time to develop sufficient air pressure to even begin to slow the giant down. Roger did not have the luxury of those few seconds. Do the math. Study the physics. That sedan driver had to die.

Roger describes what happened as entering briefly into a state of suspended consciousness. He did not faint or pass out. In Roger's words, "My screen went blank." His hands were on the steering wheel but someone had control of his truck for about two seconds. He did not steer into the left lane. He couldn't. He could not veer to the right. It would have been like playing 'crack-the-whip' with a huge load of steel and freight. He could neither change directions nor vary his speed. It was impossible. The distance between his truck's front bumper and the side of the car was roughly twenty five yards. While the front tires were aligned straight ahead, the whole 82.5 feet of the truck were instantly moved sideways into the left lane. To get into the left lane by means of the steering wheel would have meant a flipped truck.

An engineer was asked to calculate the foot pounds of energy contained in the mass and velocity of that truck. He wrote:

"The linear or translational momentum of a particle (mass = truck here) is defined as the product of its mass x velocity (100 km/hr). That is 5,650 tons momentum, in metric tons. Since one metric ton is 1,000 kilogram, and 1 kg is 2.205 lbs, the same momentum is 12,458,000 lbs." -Joe Horvath, PhD.

So much energy going straight forward would not allow the truck to swerve into the left land if Roger had attempted it. He would have taken out the black sedan plus several other vehicles with the flipped tractor and two trailers. While Roger's screen went blank, the only explanation left us is that God moved the whole truck in its north/south alignment 7 meters over into the left lane. When Roger's 'screen came back on' he found himself 100 meters through the intersection in the left land and gradually heading for the right shoulder. But, he did not so much as touch the black sedan. No screeching sound of steel exploding on steel and glass. No fire. No smoke. Nothing. He came back to his normal senses on the south side of Saskatchewan Avenue. Most unusual of all, Roger had no sense of fear, no panic, no adrenaline rush, no rapid beating of his heart. He was aware of a profound sense of peace all about him; and in him.

Roger quickly down shifted and pulled off to the right shoulder of the highway and got out of his truck. He stood there and looked back north at the crossing from 150 meters away. The black sedan was still there. It was parked right where Roger should have blown through it. All traffic had stopped. It takes something unusual to change the routine of drivers hurrying to work in bone-chilling weather. What they saw motivated them. About twenty witnesses were stopped. Three or four drivers got out of their cars and began to gather around the car to inspect it. The witnesses to this event were trying to make sense of what they had just seen.

As Roger watched, the light changed and the driver in the black car drove slowly away to the east toward the city. After assessing what he had just lived through without any damage to either vehicle, Roger made his way back into the truck and sat there for a while collecting his thoughts. He is a down-to-earth, laid back, professional trucker with a good sense of humor. But that day, he saw the curtain pulled back for just a few seconds; he saw into another dimension.

Roger has searched for a word to explain what happened to him. He said that the best he can explain it is he was, "transported" in the sense of Phillip the Evangelist in the eighth chapter verses 39 and 40, of the Book of Acts in the Bible. Phillip was ministering to the Ethiopian Eunuch who had just been baptized in Gaza. At the completion of that ministry, he found himself the next moment transported to a location eighteen miles to the north along the Mediterranean shore and a new ministry assignment. Phillip was 'seized' or 'caught away' from Gaza and 'found himself' in Azotus. Roger was seized from the right lane where death was, and found himself in the left lane and a good distance ahead where safety was. The Greek New Testament verb is "Harpadzo", the same verb that is employed in the English concept of rapture or a 'catching away'. Roger experienced what we might call a mini-rapture. He and the other driver were in imminent danger. Roger was covered in prayer. He was caught away from or seized out of danger. To redirect, or reposition that much rolling energy in a such surgically precise fashion required a greater amount of power than the force in the vehicle's mass and velocity.

Webster's Dictionary defines a miracle as, "1. ...an event or effect that contradicts known scientific laws and is hence thought to be due to supernatural causes, especially to an act of God." What happened that day at the intersection of the Perimeter Highway and Saskatchewan Avenue was an authentic miracle. Roger is a good truck driver; a very good one. He has amassed over three million miles of truck driving without an accident. That is testimony to consistently good judgment in all kinds of situations. But what happened on that patch of pavement had nothing to do with his skill or ability. The laws of thermodynamics were momentarily superseded by a higher law. It had much more to do with the faith and prayers of a few ordinary people inviting God's intervening hand, in Jesus' name, to protect him on the road in a way that no one else can do. Some old-timers call it, 'being prayed up'. Their months and years of prayers had gone ahead of him.

A lot of things pass for news that are no real news. And some things that are so astounding as to defy explanation go by and no one records it; no one tells the story. This true story is being told. There was a miracle in Winnipeg that day, on the Perimeter Highway. God did intervene; something holy, powerful and good happened on a cold Canadian winter's day. There is a person or persons who are alive right now who should not be. But they are. They might consider humbly giving thanks to Someone who, when asked in faith, does the impossible.

Man Adopts Wife's Two Aborted Children

noreply@blogger.com (The Wert) — Mon, 11 May 2009 06:11:00 +0000

Dan Wooding (May 9, 2009)

"I love Lisa, and what better way to show it? It's easy to say I love you. What better way to show you love someone than to prove it by actions. It never came to my mind that this had not been done before. These babies are a part of Lisa, so they are a part of me as well."

(Costa Mesa, California)—A California couple signed adoption papers last month, so the husband could adopt his wife's two previously aborted children and give them his last name. It may be the first such posthumous adoption of an aborted child. The documents were executed live on Rich Buhler's radio program Talk From the Heart on KBRT AM-740, which broadcasts to all of Southern California.

Stan Musil said he wanted to adopt his wife Lisa's children as a part of his love and support for her, as a part of her healing from the pain of the abortions, and to give them his last name for a memorial that is being constructed in Riverside, California to honor children whose lives have been lost to abortion.

Joining them for the signing was attorney Ron Stoddart of Nightlight Christian Adoptions who drew up the adoption papers. He is also a pioneer in the field of embryo adoptions.

Lisa, who is now 45 years old, said that at the age of 19 she was a hairdresser and living with her boyfriend in Southern California when she discovered she was pregnant. She said she was terrified. She felt she had no one to talk with about her pregnancy and was too frightened to admit it to anyone. When she was almost three months into her pregnancy she went to an abortion clinic in Inglewood, California and arranged for her baby's life to be ended. But instead of bringing the crisis to a close, it only opened the door to years of further and deeper difficulty. "I felt such agonizing pain in my heart that I tried to cover it by becoming involved in drugs, alcohol, partying, and a promiscuous lifestyle," Lisa told the radio audience.

"My life spiraled out of control and although I didn't realize it at the time, I was on a path toward destruction that would last for years."

Lisa later discovered that she was pregnant for a second time which was complicated by the fact that she also on her way to jail because of a drunk driving conviction.

"I had another, this time at the third month of my pregnancy. Lisa recounted. "This time it was a different man, a different father and I could not even say the word 'abortion.' I preferred to describe the pregnancies as 'terminated.'"

There were times when Lisa felt she could sense God calling her name. Her brother told her once that if she didn't quit the way she was living, she was going to die. "I just shrugged off those words and carried on," she said. "But deep inside—I knew."

Then came an evening in 1988 when Lisa's brother took her to Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. The teacher that night was Greg Laurie who is the pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside. Lisa went forward during the service and dedicated her life to Jesus Christ. That night her destructive path came to an end. In the years that followed, Lisa grew in her faith in Christ and also sought to deal with the pain of her destructive lifestyle, especially her two abortions.

"It wasn't instant and it wasn't easy, but I came to realize how much God loved me and that he also offered me forgiveness for what I had done. I can say that today I feel completely healed and God has allowed me to help many other women who are carrying the searing pain and loss of abortion."

After committing her life to Christ, Lisa was determined to do things right this time and to find a healthy relationship with the right man—a Christian man. He turned out to be Stan, an Elder at Harvest Christian Fellowship who was also the overseer of the singles ministry there. They met at a singles retreat and after a 13 month courtship Stan and Lisa married nearly 7 years ago.

Lisa is a part of a ministry in Riverside called White As Snow that helps women in crisis pregnancies as well as women and men who are dealing with the pain of abortion.

"There is such a huge void after an abortion," explains Lisa. "Once a mother realizes what has happened and that there was a living child in her womb and who would be alive today had it not been for the abortion, the pain is almost too much to bear."

It has become common for women who have experienced abortion or miscarriage to imagine whether their child was a boy or a girl and to give the baby a name. "Some of us have asked God to reveal that information to us so we can further acknowledge the personhood of the child and grieve the loss more concretely," added Lisa.

A cemetery plot at Pierce Brothers Crestlawn Memorial Park in Riverside is to be the site of a memorial to aborted children, a granite monument on which the names of the children will be engraved. "I was trying to decide what last name I should give to my two children," Lisa said, "When Stan told me that he wished he could adopt them so they would have his last name."

"I love Lisa, "Stan said, "And what better way to show it? It's easy to say I love you. What better way to show you love someone than to prove it by actions. It never came to my mind that this had not been done before. These babies are a part of Lisa, so they are a part of me as well."

Lisa mentioned Stan's desire to adopt during an interview on Rich Buhler's radio program on April 2 and that gave Buhler the idea of exploring whether it would be possible.

"I immediately called my friend Ron Stoddart," Buhler explained. "Ron is an expert on adoption and has also been a leader in arranging for the adoption of frozen embryos. Hundred of thousands of embryos have been created as a part of fertility treatments and Ron helps infertile couples to legally adopt them, implant them into the wife's womb, and bring them to birth."

Stoddart said that it wasn't possible to do an adoption in the eyes of the law because there was no birth certificate for the aborted children, no legal acknowledgement that they ever existed. But it would be possible for Stan and Lisa to a ceremonial adoption, to sign paperwork with each other that reflected their desire for the adoption to take place and their desire to honor the personhood of the two children Lisa had briefly parented. Before each other, before God, and before witnesses, they would be embracing the children as a part of their marriage.

So when the intended memorial is erected in Riverside, among the names will be Alicia Anne Musil and Vincent Matthew Musil.

Lisa said that abortion is such a lonely place to be that she feels blessed that her children are acknowledged and love by others, especially by Stan. "He's the man I never prayed for," said Lisa. "I could never have prayed for anyone as wonderful as him."

"We've had other couples express an interest in this ceremonial adoption," Lisa said. "Ron Stoddart has given permission for the adoption form to be freely distributed to anyone at his website at www.nightlight.org."

Source: ASSIST News

'Hand of Hope' Boy Has Passion for Life

noreply@blogger.com (The Wert) — Fri, 08 May 2009 09:50:00 +0000

'Hand of Hope' Boy Has Passion for Life
by Suzanne Hadley on 05/07/2009 at 8:30 AM

Do you remember the famous photograph of the baby reaching out of the womb and grasping the doctor's finger? That baby is now 9-year-old Samuel Armas.

The photo has been spread around the world and even cited during congressional debates on the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, but for Samuel it has personal significance. According to Fox News:

"When I see that picture, the first thing I think of is how special and lucky I am to have God use me that way," Samuel told FOXNews.com. "I feel very thankful that I was in that picture."
On Aug. 19, 1999, photographer Michael Clancy shot the "Fetal Hand Grasp" — his picture of a 21-week-old fetus grasping a doctor's finger during innovative surgery to correct spina bifida. Nearly four months later, on Dec. 2, Samuel Armas was "born famous."

The photo sparked controversy when the photographer claimed he saw the baby reach out and grab the doctor's finger, while the doctor claimed the baby was too anesthetized to do so.

"I don't care, honestly," Julie Armas [Samuel's mother] said. "What I felt the picture showed is that this is a child engaging in some form of interaction. I'm a labor and delivery nurse, so I understand that Samuel was anesthetized to some degree.
"So if he reached out, I don't know. If Dr. Bruner reached out, I don't know. The fact of the matter is it's a child with a hand, with a life, and that's meaningful enough."

And Samuel is glad to be the "poster child" for life:

Samuel, now 9 and living in Villa Rica, Ga., said the photo likely gave countless "babies their right to live" and forced many others to debate their beliefs on abortion, something he's proud of.
"It's very important to me," Samuel said of the photograph. "A lot of babies would've lost their lives if that didn't happen."

Kids like Samuel and Lia encourage me. Children seem to step up instantly to defend other children. They don't even question it. We can learn something from them.

Dolphins to the Rescue…against Pirates?!

noreply@blogger.com (The Wert) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:12:00 +0000

Dolphins to the Rescue…against Pirates?!

Aimee Herd (April 16, 2009)

Since we know God used a donkey to warn Balaam, and a fish to pay taxes, I guess we shouldn't be surprised by the help of dolphins!

Americans breathed a collective sigh of relief this past Sunday, in light of the daring and precise actions by US Navy Seals to rescue Captain Richard Phillips who was being held hostage at gunpoint by Somali pirates.

But the US Navy isn't the only force trying to ward off these terrorist attacks… dolphins are also lending a hand—or a fin, as the case may be.

According to a report by CRI.com, a Chinese merchant ship, which was traveling the same treacherous Gulf of Aden as the Maersk Alabama ship had, appeared to be coming under attack by Somali pirates in small boats.

However, as the pirates drew closer, thousands of dolphins suddenly began leaping out and back into the water—the dolphins were directly in between the pirates and the ship, preventing the terrorists from moving any nearer to the vessel.

The CRI.com report stated: "The suspected pirates' [boats] stopped and then turned away. The pirates could only lament their littleness before the vast number of dolphins. The spectacular scene continued for a while."

Source: News Staff – CRI.com

Over 2 Million Red Envelopes Reach White House Mail Box

noreply@blogger.com (The Wert) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 06:02:00 +0000

Over 2 Million Red Envelopes Reach White House Mail Box

Aimee Herd (April 8, 2009)

"Quite frankly, there was definitely a deluge of mail coming through. I had to handle them all."

(Washington, DC)—Toward the end of February an idea, which originated from C. Otto, began circulating the internet. The Red Envelope Project, as it has come to be known, involved sending an empty red envelope to President Obama at the White House on the last day of March to represent a child killed through abortion.

Each red envelope was to be printed on the back with the words: "This envelope represents one child who died in abortion. It is empty because that life was unable to offer anything to the world. Responsibility begins with conception."

According to a recent update from Chelsea Schilling on WorldNetDaily.com, the White House not only received red envelopes, but they were "deluged" with 2.25 million of them in the massive grass-roots campaign.

The worker at the White House who reportedly has taken care of letters addressed to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. for over 30 years told WND, "Quite frankly, there was definitely a deluge of mail coming through. I had to handle them all."

He added, "I've been here 35 years, so I've seen presidents come and go… This campaign ranks up there with the big ones."

Source: Chelsea Schilling – WorldNetDaily.com

Fargo Couple's "Prophetic" Wedding Invitation

noreply@blogger.com (The Wert) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 05:55:00 +0000

Teresa Neumann (April 2, 2009)

"Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away."

(Fargo, ND)—The AP reports that newlywed couple, Nathan and Brittney Aakre believe their marriage last week was "prophesied" months earlier when they sent out their invitations. The scripture printed on their invitations was from the Song of Solomon: "Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away."

According to the report, they were supposed to be married at Fargo's First Assembly of God Church, but when the Red River flooded, they had to find a local hotel to accomodate their wedding.

The bride's father, Reverend Cal Thompson, who married the couple, is reportedly convinced that their invitations were, indeed, prophetic.

Source: Staff - AP

Botswana to Hold "Queen Esther International Beauty Pageant"

noreply@blogger.com (The Wert) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 04:55:00 +0000

Botswana to Hold "Queen Esther International Beauty Pageant"

Teresa Neumann (March 9, 2009)

"It is a search for the most inwardly and outwardly beautiful and good role model for this generation. Young people need women who display the fear of God and have grown into skilled, educated, articulate and productive members of society."

(Botswana, Africa)—Former beauty queen Vehae Tjiriange believes beauty pageants are rooted in Christian history, noting that Queen Esther participated and won a beauty pageant. (Photo: MmegiOnline)

"Esther was beautiful. People liked her," she said. "She had the Lord's favor on her life. She was an orphan in a foreign country and went on to win the beauty pageant."

With that in mind, Tjiriange has organized a "Queen Esther International Beauty Pageant" to be held September 2, which she says will be a celebration and the ultimate expression of true beauty, intelligence and integrity.

The winner, or queen, of the pageant, would also reportedly be expected to act as an ambassador at national and international forums, drawing attention to issues like HIV/AIDS, poverty, the plight of abused women, orphans, widows and street children.

According to an All Africa News report, decent attire will be used for all the segments; there will be no swimsuit competition and the contestants will be expected to behave uprightly.

Source: Ephraim Keoreng - All Africa News

12-Year-Old Makes Impact With Pro-Life Speech

noreply@blogger.com (The Wert) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 10:03:00 +0000

by Suzanne Hadley

As a children's magazine editor, I love a great kid story. And today I read one. According to WorldNetDaily:

Despite facing threats of disqualification, a 12-year-old girl took first place in a speech contest when she eloquently argued for the rights of unborn children – after an offended judge quit.
"What if I told you that right now, someone was choosing if you were going to live or die?" the seventh-grader begins in a video recording of her speech on YouTube. "What if I told you that this choice wasn't based on what you could or couldn't do, what you'd done in the past or what you would do in the future? And what if I told you, you could do nothing about it?"
The girl, a student at a Toronto school identified only as "Lia," continued:
"Fellow students and teachers, thousands of children are right now in that very situation. Someone is choosing without even knowing them whether they are going to live or die.
"That someone is their mother. And that choice is abortion."

Though Lia's teacher strongly encouraged her student to choose a different topic or she would not be allowed to continue on in the speech competition, the 12-year-old persisted. "She forfeited her chance to compete in order to speak on something she was passionate about," Lia's mother says.

But Lia's speech was so good that her teacher allowed her to advance as the winner. She gave her speech in front of the entire school. The next day she was suddenly disqualified because of the content of her speech. However, the decision was reversed and Lia was declared the winner.

Now Lia plans to take her message of life to a regional speech competition, and more than 130,000 visitors have viewed her presentation online.
"Why do we think that just because a fetus can't talk or do what we do, it isn't a human being yet?" She asks in the video. "Some babies are born after only five months. Is this baby not human?
"We would never say that. Yet abortions are performed on 5-month-old fetuses all the time. Or do we only call them humans if they're wanted?"
She continues, "No, fetuses are definitely humans – knit together in their mother's womb by their wonderful Creator who knows them all by name."

Out of the mouth of babes. Good job, Lia.

HT: Tim Challies

Heartbreak in Australia

noreply@blogger.com (The Wert) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 06:34:00 +0000

Heartbreak in Australia

by Ted Slater

Everyone experiences suffering. As I type this, individuals in Colorado Springs and Toronto and London and Makati and Auckland are hurting.

And folks throughout Australia -- with its bushfires and flooding -- are suffering in heartbreaking ways.

This morning I received the following e-mail from Cate:

Hi there,

My family (Mum, Dad, myself and my three little sisters) lived in the small town in Victoria. There were warnings that bushfires were 5 kilometres away and we were getting ready to evacuate. We had grabbed the family photos, important documents, blankets for the night in the evacution centre and some extra clothes but just as we were about to leave the fire came surging over the hill north of our property. We all scrambled for the car and sped off along the south road from our property. My two youngest sisters were crying and screaming about the pets my dad forced them to leave behind. Mum and I were trying to calm them down and praying God would spare our house. But just as we turned around the next corner we saw fire coming up on the south of our property. We were being closed in on both sides. We all began to panic but Dad said nothing and turned the car around and started heading towards the dam, there wasn't enough time to take any other route out.

We got to the dam, by this time we were coughing really badly and sky was black with smoke. Dad made us all get in the water, he grabbed the blankets and wet them and we all started to swim out to the raft ancored in the middle of the dam. We could see the fire coming and started to feel the heat. My parents and I dragged my sisters through the water because they were too distraught to swim properly. Finally we climbed on the raft, we lay there with the wet blankets on top of us. The plan was that when the fire came we would all slide off the raft into the water with the blankets over our heads and tread water until it passed around the dam. My dad kept looking out the side of blanket to see how close it was. He could see headlights in the distance through the smoke and realised that our neighbours were also driving to our dam.

He said he had to go and help despite our pleas. He said he'd be back in a few minutes and jumped off the raft swam to the edge and got into the truck and started out towards the lights. That is the last we ever saw of him. We don't know what happened ... we know they didn't make it. Him and our neighbouring family of 5 were caught in the fire 1/2 a km from the dam.

The fire came and we slid off the raft into the water, the smoke and heat were incredible and but the wet blankets were amazing in keeping the air breathable and the heat manageable. While we tread water we all cried, we all knew Dad hadn't made it, there was no way. In all honesty I didn't feel like treading water, this was a nightmare and I could have easily just let myself slip away. I know that sounds selfish because I was there with my mum and sisters but that's the way it was.

The fire passed. We survived and climbed back onto the raft, we didn't know what to do next we couldn't go back to shore because the ground was too hot. So we just sat in silence, holding each other. After a while my youngest sister started to ask questions 'Do you think the dog is alright? Do you think our house is ok?' all my mum said was 'Sweethearts, it is well with our souls and that's all that matters' I'm sure she was saying that to herself as much as she was saying it to us. We were rescued half an hour later by the Fire Service and taken to a shelter. That night at the shelter is a story in itself. The death toll stands at 181 and still climbing.

We are now staying at my Aunt's house 3 hours away. The amount of support is incredible but nothing replaces the horrific memories and my sisters have nightmares every night. We are left wondering what is next. What is the point of rebuilding if my Dad is gone and can't farm and support us? Where do we go? Most of our friends are dead, half our church is dead, what life do we have left? Do we sell? and if so will we make enough money to pay out our mortgage, who wants to buy black burnt piece of land?

Everyday is a battle to see God's faithfulness and righteousness above the loss we have experienced. I'm not quite there yet, I'm angry, confused and bitter. We all miss Dad, he was quiet but strong man who loved the Lord. He put his family first and lead us with incredible wisdom, he saved or lives that night and died trying to save more. There should be some comfort in that but I haven't found it yet, I wish he was selfish and had of just stayed with us. If he were here to lead us now things would feel that much more secure but he's not and I feel abandonned, everything secure and familiar is gone. I am immensely thankful for my family but even that feel different right now.

I am reminded of the Gaither song Because He Lives.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives

- Cate

Cate's father was a very brave man, a man who brought honor to Christ by sacrificially serving his family and giving his life in an effort to save others. I've never met Cate's father, but am provoked by the way he modeled a godly life, a life putting others' well-being over his own. I've never met Cate or her family, and yet I'm moved to tears by the agony they are experiencing right now.

I've prayed for Cate and her family, for their comfort, for their provision. Please consider doing the same.

* * *

We do lift up your concerns to the Lord in prayer. If there is anything we can do for you, please do not hesitate to contact us right now. When you complete the form on that page, the information you provide is hand-delivered to my co-workers and me. When we receive your prayer request, we push away from our computers, close our eyes from things that distract us, and we talk with the Lord about what is on your heart.

Please also feel free to e-mail us at editor@boundless.org or leave a comment below. It's our privilege to share your burdens.

Former President George W. Bush Honored for "Keeping the Faith"

noreply@blogger.com (The Wert) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 05:19:00 +0000

Teresa Neumann (January 22, 2009)

"Mr. Bush often told his staff that a president's job is not to chase popularity, but to do what is right. His insistence in following this philosophy is why he has low approval ratings, and why he has been a great president."

(Midland, Texas)—While the American media focused on Tuesday's historic inauguration, little attention was paid to the outgoing ceremonies for now former-president George W. Bush. A handful of newspapers featured articles thanking the president for keeping America safe during his eight-year tenure, for promoting a culture of life, for his commitment to fighting AIDS, etc.

One reporter, Marc A. Thiessen, in a January 19, opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal, wrote: "I will make this prediction: The verdict of history on the Bush presidency will not be the same as the verdict of contemporary critics. As Mr. Bush leaves office, Iraq is a unified and free country, and our enemies there have suffered a devastating defeat...In his final months, Mr. Bush confronted a challenge Truman never faced—a massive financial crisis. It is hard for many Americans to appreciate the magnitude of the economic collapse the president averted. But history will show that Mr. Bush's actions in the fall of 2008 rescued our economy and saved our financial system...Mr. Bush often told his staff that a president's job is not to chase popularity, but to do what is right. His insistence in following this philosophy is why he has low approval ratings, and why he has been a great president." (Photo: Townnews.com)

Therefore, the 59 million Americans who were not awarded the president they voted for in this election may appreciate the fact that 20,000 people in Midland, Texas, were prepared to greet George W. Bush on his return home.

According to a report in My West Texas News, White House advancewoman, Georgia Godfrey was quoted as saying Bush will speak for 15-20 minutes and then leave for Waco and his 1,600 acre Prairie Chapel Ranch northwest of Crawford.

"The president said at the White House Christmas party that he left from Midland and was coming home to Midland because we're the ones who are his friends and great supporters and he wanted to be with us when he left Washington," said County Republican Chair Sue Brannon. "It shows what a fine gentleman he is. He has faced a lot and kept the faith."

"Not every city gets to say it is the home of a president and in our case, we're fortunate to say it twice," said County Judge Mike Bradford. "I have certainly enjoyed his friendship. You have to admire anybody who steps in and takes on the task of leading this country. You don't take the presidency to win friends, in my opinion. You take it to look after the country and it's truly a thankless job."

Source: Bob Campbell - My West Texas News

Pray for New President

noreply@blogger.com (The Wert) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 06:58:00 +0000

Pray for New President by Steve Watters The United States has elected a new President--Barack Obama. As a non-profit organization, we haven't been able to talk about candidates in this race ... until now. I'll be the first on this blog to say I'm disappointed and concerned about the days ahead. I realize from blog comments we've had over the past year, however, that some of you are probably excited about this result. Regardless of what you're feeling now -- discouragement or elation -- those of us who are followers of Christ are called to live by 1 Timothy 2:1-4: I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. Whether we voted for them or not, we are to pray for our leaders. Some of you may worry as I do that President-elect Obama is going to move forward on his promise to sign a bill that would roll back all the restrictions that have been placed on abortion over the past 30 years. You may also worry that Joe Biden's prediction of Obama's leadership being tested in the first six months will come true and might even result in the loss of innocent lives. In the face of these and other reasonable concerns, we have to remember that God has demonstrated that He can work through any leader. Regardless of what Obama has said or done up until now, we can still pray that God will direct his steps in such a way that we will be able to "live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." We don't know what kind of presidency Obama will end up having, but we do know that God is sovereign and is still above all powers and authorities and His "dominion endures through all generations" (Psalm 145:13).