Harold Camping, an Oakland radio minister, predicted that life as we know it will end today, May 21, 2011, and most people passed him off as a religious zealot.  That’s why many might be surprised and worried about the Iceland volcano that erupted today and has already produced more than 50 earthquakes and will be causing major flooding as a major glacier melts. Many are asking themselves: Does this signal the end of the world?

Camping predicted the devastation would originate in New Zealand and that it would happen by 6:00 p.m.  The distance between Iceland and New Zealand is more than 10,000 miles. Still, many of Camping’s followers will no doubt call him a prophet after learning of the devastation in Iceland.

Camping, who was unavailable for comment, also predicted that all Christians would be removed from this Earth, leaving the rest to deal with the traumatic events.  He prophesied that the end of the world will then take place on October 21st.

The 89-year-old seemed certain that today would be Judgment Day and that all Christians would be saved by the Rapture.  Over $140,000 was spent on spreading the message on billboards and other advertising in public places to warn people of this “Judgment Day” and the end of the world.

Stephen Baldwin, an evangelical Christian, tweeted earlier that he knew the world would not end today and the reason could be explained in two words:  Oprah Finale.  Baldwin declared that God would never allow the world to end before everyone had a chance to see the Oprah Finale.

The major television news stations CNN and Fox News have both announced that Osama bin Laden is dead.  This was announced while they were waiting for President Obama to address the nation as announced.  He was to make an announcement at 10:30 pm Eastern Standard Time.  (The time zone for this blog is Central Daylight Time, which is one hour behind EST.)

When George Bush was President, he tried to find Osama bin Laden but could not.  The details have not been released, but news has just been released that the U.S. has the body of Osama bin Laden.  T

Update at 11:40 EST: Bin Laden was killed today in Pakistan.  President Obama announced Osama bin Laden was killed today at his direction and the U.S. military took control of bin Laden’s body.

President Obama announced late Sunday he would address the nation at 10:30 P.M.  He said it is an important announcement and no one knows what it is!  But at 10:35 P.M. the world is waiting for him to make a statement as announced.

Update: Fox News has just announced that Osama Bin Laden is dead, and the U.S. has his body.  He was killed a week ago and the U.S. was awaiting DNA testing results for confirmation before making the official announcement. Still waiting to hear from President Obama.  If he had been on time and made his announcement at exactly 10:30 pm as promised, we would have heard it from him first.

Donald Trump for President? He is currently leading in the Republican polls.  Is he leading in the Republican polls because that many people think he would be a great president?  Or is he leading in the Republican polls because many people will vote for anyone who runs against Barack Obama?

Donald Trump has been very successful with his businesses, and he’s proven himself to be a great leader among his own.  But whether he would be a great president for this country is up for debate.  For one thing, his opinions about how to deal with the Libyan crisis has raised more than a few eyebrows.  He seems to think America should swoop in and take over Libya’s oil.  In fact, he intimidated in a recent interview that in the old days when you win a war you take over that country and its assets.  I hope most Americans don’t agree with Donald Trump’s heavy handed approach.

It seems that Donald Trump has come out on top so many times, that he just doesn’t realize there can be dire consequences to some actions.  He’s so used to winning that it’s gone to his head.  Some of his ideas are good, and many of his statements are true.  His idea that the United States is not the country it once was is very true.  But the kind of leader we need to bring this country back to greatness is definitely not someone whose ideas lean towards Imperialism.

Earlier today a huge 8.8 earthquake hit Chile in the area of Santiago, causing devastating damage to that area and spawning tsunamis.  A huge tsunami will be hitting Hawaii within a short time and with all the world watching.  All webcams in Hawaii are being inundated with many servers going down.

The wave headed towards Hawaii is said to be traveling at 500 miles per hour.  Sirens are blaring warning tourists and residents alike to move to higher ground.  Gas stations are jammed with people scrambling to get gas quickly and get on their way.

This recent earthquake in Chile is being compared to the 2004 earthquake that hit the Indian Ocean and spawned the catastrophic tsunami where more than 100,000 people were killed.

President Barack Obama gave his State of the Union Address tonight.  His main points were the importance of creating new jobs, reducing government spending, and health care.  There was really nothing new in this speech, and it was typical of Obama’s past speeches.

President Obama can’t seem to resist the urge to slash the past administration and tonight was no different.  I think the American people are tired of hearing our President play this blame game.  It’s getting really, really old.  He’s been President of the United States a full year now and still continues to blame former President Bush for just about everything.

One spectator said President Obama is a great conservationist because he keeps recycling his campaign promises over and over!

What is our current state of affairs going into 2010?  Considering that someone tried to bomb a passenger plane while flying to America, it seems pretty clear that security is one of the most pressing problems today.

President Obama was quick to speak out about this incident, and he was clearly not happy with the events.  The guy bought a one way ticket, paid with cash, and had no luggage.  Helllllooooo!  No one thought to question this guy?  Obviously the “seasoned” employees weren’t working on Christmas Day.

President Obama is back doing what he does best — campaigning.  He recently took to the campaign trail to offer support for New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine.  During Obama’s speech to an enthusiastic and adoring audience, he offered supportive reasons by Corzine should be re-elected as New Jersey’s governor.  Then he brought out the ever-ready hatchet for the former administration with criticism for our current economic crisis.  Obama complained the current economic crisis “didn’t start under Jon’s watch. It wasn’t a consequence of Obama policies or Corzine policies that we went into this hole.”  Obama went on to complain, “This crisis came about because of the same sort of lax regulation, the same sort of trickle-down economics that the other guy’s party had been peddling for years.”

I wonder how President Obama will feel when his own policies and “lax regulations” get criticized just as much by the next administration as he feels it nececessary to criticize the Bush Administration.

What our country needs is positive leadership, not mud slinging and constant criticism aimed at the former administration.  What our country doesn’t need is a leader who throws mud and constantly blames the former administration’s policies while his own are as bad or worse.

President Obama wants to speak to the children of America.  Why is there such an uproar over this?  I think it’s a great idea for the President of America to speak up and say something important to American children.  There are too many bad influences in the lives of young people, and often parents are too busy doing their own thing to really give their kids the attention they need.  So many kids are doing what’s cool rather than what’s right.  Parents should be thankful to have a President who wants to say something positive to children and give them something to work towards.

Many parents are upset over this Obama’s speech to kids because they feel it is a bipartisan move to indoctrinate the children.  Some say it’s socialistic.  And of course the media is all over this and making matters worse as usual.  The media loves to get things stirred up and start controversy so they can get more people to watch their news stories.

I think it’s about time one of our leaders takes an interest in the children and tries to do his part to inspire them to work hard and believe in themselves.  What’s wrong with that?  Would it be better to have leaders who just stay out of things and keep their mouths shut because they might offend someone if they speak up?  President Obama should continue to speak to the children of this country, and other leaders should take an interest in them as well.  Parents who disagree with what they say can speak up themselves — to their children.

Jaycee Lee Dugard was abducted when she was 11 years old as she walked to catch the school bus.  Her stepfather watched in horror as a car stopped beside her, and a woman grabbed her into the car.  He called 911 immediately, but the kidnappers were not found.

This week, 18 years after her kidnapping, Jaycee Lee Dugard has been found.  Her abductors kept her in the backyard, and Phillip Garrido, a sexual offender, fathered two children with her, ages 11 and 15.

This is an unbelievable story and so sad that this child was robbed of her childhood, her education, and of having any freedom or power over her own life for 18 years.  Phillip Garrido and his wife are in jail on kidnapping and rape charges.

Sadly, Jaycee’s parents separated due to pressures and emotions surrounding the ordeal.  Hopefully they can all find peace and start healing.

This is a horrible story of injustice against a young girl, and I hope they throw the book at the sick pervert who kidnapped her and basically made her his sex slave for 18 years.