Germany gives green light to bicycle highways

Yahoo – AFP, Pauline Houede,  December 29, 2015

Fans hail the smooth new velo routes as the answer to urban traffic jams and air
pollution, and a way to safely get nine-to-fivers outdoors (AFP Photo/Patrik Stollarz)

Berlin (AFP) - It's every cyclist's dream: no red lights, no trucks, just a clear, smooth lane to zoom down with the wind in your face. Welcome to Germany's first bicycle Autobahn.

Fans hail the smooth new velo routes as the answer to urban traffic jams and air pollution, and a way to safely get nine-to-fivers outdoors.

As a glimpse of a greener urban transport future, Germany has just opened the first five-kilometre (three-mile) stretch of a bicycle highway that is set to span over 100 kilometres.

It will connect 10 western cities including Duisburg, Bochum and Hamm and four universities, running largely along disused railroad tracks in the crumbling Ruhr industrial region.

Almost two million people live within two kilometres of the route and will be able to use sections for their daily commutes, said Martin Toennes of regional development group RVR.

A cyclist enjoys the first five-kilometre (three-mile) stretch of a bicycle highway 

in Mulheim an der Ruhr, which will connect 10 western cities including Duisburg,

Bochum and Hamm and four universities (AFP Photo/Patrik Stollarz)

Aided by booming demand for electric bikes, which take the sting out of uphill sections, the new track should take 50,000 cars off the roads every day, an RVR study predicts.

The idea, pioneered in the Netherlands and Denmark, is gaining traction elsewhere in Germany too.

The banking centre of Frankfurt is planning a 30-kilometre path south to Darmstadt, the Bavarian capital of Munich is plotting a 15-kilometre route into its northern suburbs, and Nuremberg has launched a feasibility study into a track linking it with four cities.

In the capital Berlin, the city administration in early December gave the green light to a feasibility study on connecting the city centre with the leafy southwestern suburb of Zehlendorf.

Rapid track

The new velo routes are a luxury upgrade from the ageing single-lane bike paths common in many German cities, where tree roots below can create irregular speed bumps and a mellow cycling lane can suddenly end or, more alarmingly, merge into a bus lane.

The new velo routes are a luxury upgrade from the ageing single-lane bike

paths common in many German cities (AFP Photo/Patrik Stollarz)

The new type of bike routes are around four metres (13 feet) wide, have overtaking lanes and usually cross roads via overpasses and underpasses. The paths are lit and cleared of snow in winter.

Like most infrastructure projects, the bicycle Autobahn is facing headwinds, however, especially when it comes to financing.

In Germany, the situation is complicated because while the federal government generally builds and maintains motor-, rail- and waterways, cycling infrastructure is the responsibility of local authorities.

For the Ruhr region's initial five-kilometre rapid track, the cost was shared, with the European Union funding half, North Rhine-Westphalia state coughing up 30 percent, and the RVR investing 20 percent.

Toennes said talks are ongoing to rustle up 180 million euros ($196 million) for the entire 100-kilometre route, with the state government, run by centre-left Social Democrats and the Greens party, planning legislation to take the burden off municipalities.

The German Bicycle Club ADFC argues that, since about 10 percent of trips in 

the country are now done by bicycle, cycling infrastructure should get at least

10 percent of federal transport funding (AFP Photo/Patrik Stollarz)

"Without (state) support, the project would have no chance," said Toennes, pointing to the financial difficulties many local governments would have in paying for maintenance, lighting and snow clearance.

In Berlin, a heavily indebted city-state, the conservative CDU party has proposed a private financing model based in part on advertising along the route.

"The bike highways are new in Germany," said Birgit Kastrup, in charge of the Munich project. "We must find a new concept for funding them."

The German Bicycle Club ADFC argues that, since about 10 percent of trips in the country are now done by bicycle, cycling infrastructure should get at least 10 percent of federal transport funding.

"Building highways in cities is a life-threatening recipe from the 1960s," said its manager Burkhard Stork. "No one wants more cars in cities."

Indonesia's Muslim women hail female-only motorbike taxis

Yahoo – AFP, Olivia Rondonuwu, December 30, 2015

Several motorbike taxi services with women drivers entered the Indonesian
 market in 2015 after years of growing piety in the country (AFP Photo/Bay Ismoyo)

Female motorbike taxi drivers in headscarves zig-zag through heavy traffic in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, the latest two-wheeled transport service for women making a dent in the male-dominated world of ride-hailing apps in the Muslim nation.

A flurry of new motorbike taxi options have in the past year appeared in the metropolis of 10 million, led by popular service Go-Jek, giving Indonesia's growing middle class a greater choice of transport to get through some of the world's worst traffic jams.

The services -- many inspired by ride-sharing app Uber and accessible on smartphones -- are a challenge to traditional motorbike taxis in Indonesia, known as "ojeks", which are ubiquitous but have drawn criticism with their dishevelled, dangerous drivers and unpredictable pricing.

Several services with women drivers entered the market in 2015 after years of growing piety in Indonesia, which has the world's biggest Muslim population, and amid heightened safety concerns following reports of attacks on women by male motorbike taxi drivers.

They are in part designed with religious sensitivities in mind, as an increasing number of Muslim women wear headscarves and follow strict interpretations of Islam that forbid close contact with the opposite sex, except between married couples.

"The need for transportation for women is huge, especially in big cities where rates of crime and sexual harassment are very high," Evilita Adriani, co-founder of motorbike taxi company Ojek Syari, told AFP.

Only Muslim drivers

Popularly known by its nickname "Ojesy", it is the service that aims most clearly at devout female passengers, requiring its drivers to be Muslim women wearing headscarves and loose-fitting clothes.

Ojesy drivers can currently only be hailed by a phone call or through mobile messaging service WhatsApp, but the service is also developing an app that was being tested out this month.

The service, which began in Indonesia's second-biggest city Surabaya in March before expanding across the main island of Java, only accepts female passengers or children.

"I feel more comfortable sharing a ride with a fellow Muslim woman," said Nurlaila, a Surabaya housewife who goes by one name.

She uses the service to take her children to school -- a common practice in the country where whole families often travel squashed together on a motorbike.

"Thank God for Ojesy."

The company says business is booming -- after starting in March with Adriani as its only driver, it now has 350 drivers.

Other motorbike taxi companies vying for a stake in the female market include app-based service LadyJek, whose drivers dress in pink jackets and helmets, and Sister-Ojek, a start-up that began operations earlier this year with capital of just $100.

Indonesia stands out for the number of motorbike taxi services aimed at women that it boasts, with female drivers relatively rare in many developing nations where the mode of transport is popular.

But they do exist in some other countries, including in Liberia where a group of female drivers, sick of being robbed, took to the wheel, reportedly donning pink helmets and jackets and calling themselves "The Pink Panthers".

The trend for motorbike taxi-hailing services started in earnest last year with Go-Jek in Jakarta, a general service for anyone wishing to order a motorbike ride, which was quickly followed by others such as GrabBike and Blu-jek.

Tough security measures

The women-only services are slightly more expensive than others, but insist they have better security measures.

Calls have been growing for heightened security after reports of women being stalked and harassed by male motorbike taxi drivers, while the rape of a young woman in India by an Uber driver last year also added to safety concerns about ride-hailing services.

LadyJek drivers can activate a loud alarm if they are attacked or feel threatened, while Ojesy and Sister-Ojek only operate between sunrise and sunset.

However the services are unlikely to overtake major competitors like Go-Jek as many women in Indonesia, where the majority practise a moderate form of Islam, have few qualms about taking a motorbike taxi driven by a man.

The services also try to make themselves attractive to drivers, with Ojesy allowing Muslim housewives and university students to work part-time.

SpaceX rocket landing opens 'new door' to space travel

Yahoo – AFP, Kerry Sheridan, December 22, 2015

This 9-minute time exposure shows the launch, re-entry, and landing burns
 of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which successfully landed in an upright position
on December 21, 2015 at Cape Canaveral in Florida (AFP Photo)

Miami (AFP) - SpaceX successfully landed its powerful Falcon 9 rocket for the first time, a major milestone in the drive to cut costs and waste by making rockets as reusable as airplanes.

Its engines burning bright orange against the dark night sky, the Falcon 9 made a graceful arc back to Earth and touched down upright at Cape Canaveral, Florida, minutes after launching a payload of satellites to orbit, video images showed.

"The Falcon has landed," a commentator said above the screams and cheers of people gathered at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California.

SpaceX, headed by Internet tycoon Elon Musk, is striving to revolutionize the rocket industry, which currently loses many millions of dollars in jettisoned machinery and sophisticated rocket components after each launch.

"I still can't quite believe it," Musk said in a teleconference after the landing.

"I think this is a revolutionary moment. No one has ever brought an orbital class booster back intact."

Previous attempts to land the Falcon 9's first stage on a floating ocean platform have failed -- with the rocket either colliding with the autonomous drone ship or tipping over.

But this time, video images on SpaceX's live webcast showed the tall, white portion of the rocket -- known as the first stage -- appearing to settle down firmly and stick the landing.

The rocket reached a height of 125 miles (200 kilometers) before heading back to Earth and touching down at a former US Air Force rocket and missile testing range that was last used in 1978.

Video images were cut off within seconds of the landing, and the SpaceX live webcast returned to its commentators, who described the successful deployment of the rocket's payload of 11 satellites for ORBCOMM, a global communications company.

The US space agency NASA applauded the feat.

"Congratulations @SpaceX on your successful vertical landing of the first stage back on Earth!" NASA said in a tweet.

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket pictured on December 16, 2015 (AFP Photo)

High stakes

The stakes were high for SpaceX, which has a $1.6 billion contract with NASA to supply the astronauts living at the International Space Station over numerous back-and-forth trips with its Dragon cargo ship.

Just six months ago, a devastating explosion -- caused by a faulty strut -- destroyed the Falcon 9 about two minutes after launch, along with hundreds of millions of dollars in cargo and equipment bound for the ISS.

The company fixed that problem and also made the newest version of the Falcon 9 about 30 percent more powerful than previous iterations, Musk said.

Adding to the competitive nature of the commercial space industry, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's rocket company Blue Origin announced last month it had successfully landed its New Shepard rocket after a suborbital flight.

"Congrats @SpaceX on landing Falcon's suborbital booster stage. Welcome to the club," Bezos said on Twitter Monday night.

Analysts have pointed out that although New Shepard was first, that SpaceX's feat would be harder to accomplish because the Falcon 9 flies higher in altitude.

"Because SpaceX's vehicle was designed to place a constellation of satellites in orbit, the Falcon 9's first stage flew at significantly greater speeds and more than double the altitude of what New Shepherd reached last month," the Commercial Spaceflight Federation said in a statement.

It called the landing an "incredible achievement" in an industry that is seeking to drive down costs and make spaceflight cheaper and more accessible to tourists and adventurers.

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield added his congratulations.

"That was a hard landing to stick. Opens a brand new door to space travel. I look forward to the details," he wrote on Twitter.

Regular flights to resume between US and Cuba: State Department

Yahoo – AFP, December 17, 2015

The United States announced Thursday the resumption of regular

flights to and from Cuba (AFP Photo)

Washington (AFP) - The United States and Cuba announced Thursday plans to resume flights between the two countries, erasing another vestige of what had been strained ties rooted in the Cold War.

The latest progress as the countries work to build on their restoration of full diplomatic relations this summer was made public a year to the day after Barack Obama and Raul Castro first said they would bury the hatchet.

In a short statement, the US State Department said that on Wednesday Washington and Havana had reached "a bilateral arrangement to establish scheduled air services between the two countries."

An old American car passes by the

 US Embassy in Havana on December 17,

 2015 (AFP Photo/Yamil Lage)

But this does not mean American tourists can now start flocking to communist-run Cuba to lie on beaches, sip rum and fire up cigars.

Such travel is still illegal, as the trade embargo that the Americans slapped on Cuba in 1960 after Fidel Castro came to power in a communist revolution remains in effect.

In a statement marking the anniversary of the start of the reconciliation, Obama renewed his call for the Republican-controlled Congress to lift the embargo, which he termed the "legacy of a failed policy."

Republicans are wary of rewarding Cuba until it improves its human rights record.

Until now only charter flights were allowed. Current US law also allowed for special permits to visit Cuba, and the criteria for getting one of these have been looser since January.

The charter flights will continue under the new agreement, and scheduled flights for non-tourist purposes will also start, according to the US statement.

Although the ban on tourist travel remains in force, the new accord will "facilitate an increase in authorized travel, enhance traveler choices, and promote people-to-people links between the two countries."

It added: "a stronger civil aviation relationship will facilitate growth in authorized travel between our two countries."

The Cuban Embassy in Washington said the two countries had reached preliminary agreement on a memorandum of understanding for the establishment of regular flights.

Its adoption by the two governments will be confirmed in the next few days, the embassy added.

Airlines eager to fly

Under the new arrangement airlines in the two countries can now strike deals in such areas as code-sharing and aircraft leasing, the embassy said.

Ever since the historic thaw began a year ago US airlines have been eager to start flying to Cuba and tap its potential as a new market.

Tourists visit the Old Havana, on December 16, 2015 (AFP Photo/Yamil Lage)

These include American Airlines, which runs 22 weekly charter flights to Cuba from New York and Newark, New Jersey.

JetBlue and United, which also fly charters to Cuba from those two cities, are also chomping at the bit to begin all-out service to the island.

The United States and Cuba formally restored diplomatic relations in July and re-opened embassies in each other's capitals.

Obama said he had made the decision because he had concluded that 50 years of trying to encourage democratic and economic change in Cuba by isolating it had simply failed. It is better to engage Cuba and work with it, he said.

The countries are now attempting the arduous task of achieving fully normal relations, like those of any other countries without a historic bone to pick.

As part of that process the countries set up commissions to address specific issues and accords have been reached in such areas as migration, mail service and cooperation on science and the fight against drug trafficking.

But in April Raul Castro said full normalization would take time.

Cuba wants the embargo lifted, payment of damages for what it calls lost revenue as a result of that embargo, and talks on recovering the land which it leases to the United States and that houses a US naval base and the Guantanamo Bay prison for terror suspects.

Washington for its part is seeking damages for property that Cuba seized from US companies and citizens in the early 1960s, and also wants to see democratic and free-market reforms on the island.

AirAsia final report blames crew, computer fault for crash

Indonesia's National Transport Safety committee has released the details of its investigation into the downing of AirAsia Flight QZ8501. The tragedy was the result of computer and human error, it said.

Deutsche Welle, 1 Dec 2015

The final report on the crash of an AirAsia flight that killed 162 people last year blamed the disaster on a combination of a technical fault and subsequent crew action. The findings were released on Tuesday after a nearly 12-month investigation into the tragedy.

The initial problem was a cracked soldering joint on part of the aircraft's computer system - specifically the Rudder Travel Limited system - which controls the rudder's movement. According to the report, this had caused a series of malfunctions - 23 times in the year leading up to the December 28, 2014, crash and four times during the last flight of the Airbus A320 airplane.

"Subsequent flight crew action resulted in inability to control the aircraft ... causing the aircraft to depart from the normal flight envelope and enter a prolonged stall condition that was beyond the capability of the flight crew to recover," said a statement from Indonesia's National Transport Safety committee.

After the fourth warning signal about the malfunction, the pilots of Flight QZ8501 flipped the circuit breakers on part of the plane's control panel in an attempt to reset the system. Instead, this caused the autopilot to switch off and the aircraft started to roll.

The report also stated that information from the flight data recorders did not enable investigators to determine what role the stormy weather that day played in the downing of the flight.

Flight QZ8501 had taken off from Surabaya, Indonesia, and was bound for Singapore. It crashed less than halfway into the two-hour flight. The disaster helped highlight the problematic traffic volume of flights in Southeast Asia, as air travel in the region increases in affordability and popularity.

es/tj (AFP, dpa, Reuters)

Dutch motor on in driverless car trials

DutchNews, Esther O’Toole, November 24, 2015

Experiments with this French driverless car begin on Dutch roads next year.
Photo: Wepod

The Netherlands is flat and has a lot of straight, overcrowded roads, so it is perhaps hardly surprising that the government has made experimenting with driverless vehicles a central part of its infrastructure policy. Google may plan to eliminate the need for drivers within five years and Tesla has a three year deadline but the Dutch want to play a leading role as well. 

Two years ago, Amsterdam’s A10 ring road was the setting for a test of self-driving cars, developed by the TNO research institute and scientists from Delft University. The aim of the Dutch Automated Vehicle Initiative (Davi), which also involves the transport ministry, is to develop a user-friendly system which can be built into new and existing cars. 

Last year, the TNO research institute started working with DAF, Rotterdam’s port authority and the transport industry lobby group TLN to develop self-driving lorries. 

Then this January, ministers approved the large-scale testing of self-driving cars and trucks on public roads in the Netherlands, arguing the technology could cut jams, improve road safety and reduce pollution. The cabinet wants the Netherlands to take a ‘leading role’ in the development of self-driving cars and systems to allow vehicles to communicate with each other. 

Moving fast 

Since then the transport ministry has been busy looking at the ethical ramifications of automation, registration, liability questions relating to insurance and revisions to the 1968 Treaty of Vienna which governs EU traffic laws.

There is a sense that everything is moving very fast and ‘more tests are planned, though there are no concrete dates yet’, transport ministry spokeswoman Marianne Wuite told DutchNews.nl. 

Delft University professor Riender Happee, who is closely involved with the Davi project, said funding so far is going towards tests on the quality of radar and cameras, human-machine interaction on the road, and work on online platforms for the detection of damage to sensors and bad weather.

‘Very rapid steps are being made towards safe integration, at low speeds, with all kinds of traffic,’ he told DutchNews.nl. ‘In the future, every self-driving car will itself know exactly which roads it is allowed to drive on and at what speed.’ 

Eyes on the road 

Despite the government’s enthusiasm, public scepticism and anxiety around automated vehicles does remains high. When Tesla was given the green light to roll out its autopilot software in the US this October, road safety experts in the Netherlands were quick to test it out for themselves. 

The Dutch vehicle licensing authority (RDW) concluded the upgrade – more improved ‘driver assistance’ capability than ‘autopilot’ – should be allowed on roads here, meaning the 2,000 Dutch Tesla S owners will be able to use it immediately. 

‘We have different rules here than in the US and over 60 different safety points that vehicles have to meet,’ said spokesman Hans van Geen Huizen.  ‘Many of these cruise control and automated parking functionalities are already in other brands such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz as well as the earlier version of the Tesla.

‘What is new is that the Tesla can now indicate when you should change lanes or overtake and no other car has that functionality. It is a steering support system not an ‘autopilot’ and you definitely still need to keep your hands on the wheel.’ 

The Driver Experience

Over at Dutch motoring organisation ANWB, they’re watching developments with a keen eye.

‘We are satisfied with the ambitions and the role the Dutch government and Dutch companies are playing within this field. When compared to other European countries, and especially considering our relative size, we’re punching above our weight,’ said spokesman Markus van Tol.

In Gelderland, trials using a French autonomous vehicle known as the EZ10 to run passenger services on public roads are poised to begin in January. The Wepods project is a joint venture between the province, Delft University, the TNO research institute and others. 

Unlike previous tests in Finland, Switzerland and France or similar driverless buses like the Rotterdam Rivium Shuttlebus, the vehicles will be operating on public roads for the very first time, carrying up to six people between Ede and Wageningen.

Top speed 

The Wepods have no steering wheel or brake pedal, a top speed of 25km and can be hailed with a mobile app. Though there will always be someone in charge of the emergency stop mechanism, the idea is to explore the possibilities for passenger vehicles with no driver at all.

‘The Wepods are a whole new ball game for us,’ said RDW spokesman Arjen van Vliet. ‘We need to take interaction with other road users into account. We’re consulting with a traffic psychologist on that. There’s a very rigorous exemption process for such projects. It’s an interesting time.’ 

Delft University’s Happee says the Davi programme is linking together many national and international partners. ‘There are many differing opinions as to when fully autonomous vehicles will become commercially available, but the technology is close,’ he said.

Related Article:

Insurers ask who should pay for a self-driving car crash?

Insurers ask who should pay for a self-driving car crash?

DutchNews, November 23, 2015

The arrival of self-driving cars means everyone will have to have all risk insurance, according to the Dutch insurers association VVV. 

Both drivers and technology will be responsible for ensuring safe driving, giving rise to complex claims and responsibilities, the organisation says. 

Currently, drivers who are deemed to be responsible for traffic accidents have to pay the victims but this will become more complicated when software and technology has a role, said VVV spokesman Rudi Buis.

‘Determining who is responsible will take time and will be longer before payouts are made,’ he told BNR radio. 

Bastiaan Krosse, who heads the automated driving programme at research institute TNO said decisions out insurance need to be taken now, before the self-driving car becomes a reality.

‘If nothing has been sorted out and there is continued uncertainty over responsibility, then there is a major problem,’ he said.

Matthew message (Channelled by Suzanne Ward, November 20, 2015)

Matthew Ward - November 20, 2015

Matthew Ward

With loving greetings from all souls at this station, this is Matthew. As some in the Illuminati ranks are being arrested or ousted from influential positions and others are abandoning ship, the hardliners are digging in their heels where they still have some leverage. Most noticeable is what their international drug trade funds—CIA and Mossad “black ops” activities, which include downing the Russian plane, and ISIS, the source of the recent massacre in Paris.

Because the public at large isn’t aware that the Illuminati even exist, there is no understanding that they act independently of their countries’ governments in planning and carrying out acts of violence. Thus finger-pointing is at the United States, home of the CIA, or Israel, which is thought of as the Zionist homeland. The truth is, a rogue faction of the CIA follows Illuminati orders; and the Zionist movement is the Illuminati’s militant and spy operation that never has served the best interests of Israelis or Jewish people anywhere else. Eventually those distinctions will become widely known, and indeed that is important; however, it cannot ease the sorrow of losing loved ones or other life-changing traumas in any of the tragedies perpetrated by the Illuminati.

The assault on Paris served their aim by causing death, grief and, initially, chaos and fear, but the act was born of growing desperation about fast-waning control and decreasing numbers of minions, and desperate individuals act without thinking rationally about the consequences. They intended to put and keep the world in the grip of fear—they feed on the energy of fear; instead, they united the world in the high vibrations of compassion and resolve to stand strong against terrorism.

Military might has been galvanized, police are pursuing instigators and suspects, and the search for potential terrorists extends across national borders, but finding and fighting terrorist groups wherever they are will not stop them. Only eradicating terrorism’s roots can do that. The hatred that underlies terrorism—and has led to millions in refugee populations—is rooted in one or more circumstances that can be linked to Illuminati activities or teachings: self-serving foreign interference, betrayal, economic exploitation, bigotry. Each generation instills in the next that all who generate such circumstances must be eliminated, and none realizes that all of them are merely puppets in a diabolical play scripted by manipulative individuals who are fast losing ground. As vibratory rates keep rising, minds and hearts on both sides of this heart-wrenching divide in your society will be opening so that empathy, mutual respect and kindness can replace hatred, prejudices, vengeance and fear of differences.

Momentum in Earth’s energy field of potential has been moving ever more forcibly toward the end times of dark controllers as their opposition has grown increasingly formidable and widespread. Along with intensifying light on the planet, the expanding strength of parties collaborating to uproot all of the Illuminati’s malicious tentacles assures that their worldwide network is on its way to permanent dismantlement.

Then the society can proceed full tilt to continue what amounts to a global salvage operation after a massive storm swirled around the world. The first steps were taken when some of Earth’s Golden Age planners met with some of your wisest individuals to determine the best ways to hold the Illuminati accountable for their crimes against humanity; recover their vast fortunes that were illegally and immorally amassed and fairly distribute those monies as well as release technologies they have long suppressed; end polluting and remedy environmental damage; and disclose and halt the various forms of mind control. Along with those efforts underway, truths will come forth about the presence and assistance of other civilizations, the laws that govern life in this universe, and the interconnected consciousness of everything in existence. Energy streamers in those areas and all others where change and enlightenment are needed are gathering power to propel Earth to her destiny: Restoration to her original health and beauty and her humankind living peacefully, cooperatively and in harmony with all of Nature.

Beloved family, we understand your impatience for that destiny to reach fruition. You don’t remember that by comparison with other civilizations, the passage of Earth’s peoples out of millennia of dark captivity into the light of freedom is occurring almost in the blink of an eye. How we wish you could see your world from our vantage point! Not only would you marvel at the speed and scope of accomplishments, but you would see how greatly your light is contributing to the progress and upliftment of your society.

Now we shall continue answering your insightful questions about the soul. “When souls were breathed/birthed/created by the Creator, did it all happen at once or has it taken place spasmodically over time and is, perhaps, still happening?” The “ingredient” of every soul, which is pure love-light energy, came into being with Creator’s first expression of Itself in what you call “the big bang.” The “birth” of independent, inviolate, eternal soul-selves, which began after that momentous occasion when their “ingredient” was created, has been happening ever since then in your concept of linear time and, as far as we know, will continue until every soul in the cosmos remembers and returns to its Beginnings in Creator.

“Am I right in thinking that the Creator births us in groups of about 60 souls, about 30 of which become our family soul group? We mostly move through our chosen incarnations playing out different agreed roles within those groups but sharing contracts, occasionally, with souls from other soul groups as the need arises?” There is no rigidity about the numbers of souls within any group, or cluster; but indeed souls from one group may share contracts with those in another as the need arises. However, during this era when the entire universe is in acceleration mode and countless souls are taking advantage of the unique opportunity to choose concentrated karmic lessons so they can complete them in one lifetime rather than several or even many lifetimes in a third density world, another form of cooperation is much more prevalent. In addition to experiencing their own chosen lessons, many souls are assisting others with theirs. Heretofore this was usually within the cumulative soul group—which can number in the thousands—but now strong souls are sharing the karmic burdens of weaker souls in any group anywhere in the universe. The purpose of this extraordinary assistance that exemplifies unconditional love is to strengthen weak links within the Oneness of All.

“Does every soul split into a Twin Soul?” It isn’t that souls “split,” and twin souls, or twin flames, are rare. They are the simultaneously co-created first two personages in a root soul’s long lineage, and because they are endowed with identical qualities, their feelings for each other are the most intense that any soul can feel for another. Twin souls in a physical civilization are irresistibly attracted to each other, and while the sexual aspect is strong, it is their profound feeling of needing to be together that overwhelms all other considerations; often this highly emotional attachment leads to serious disagreements and the souls part ways. In a spirit world, the twins are equally attracted to each other but without physicality’s “smothering” love; and however far apart the two may be in the universe, their bond enables joyous telepathic communication and sublime feelings about a shared beginning in pure love.

“It sounds as if ‘soul contract flexibility’ means that even if people don’t follow their contracts, they still evolve. How is this fair to people who do live according to their contracts?” Flexibility doesn’t pertain to conscious decisions that are contrary to contract provisions, but to the ways whereby provisions may be experienced. Say, for example, that the choice is to leave this lifetime suddenly at age 25 in a vehicle crash. Shortly before reaching that age, the person is skiing and gets buried deeply in snow when an avalanche roars down the mountain; or, a few weeks after celebrating the 25th birthday, the person is hiking in the woods and fatally hit by a hunter’s stray bullet. Either of those possibilities would serve the same purpose as the contract choice. That is a dramatic example, to be sure, but flexibility applies to any provision—perhaps a job, residence location, financial investment or special event—that offers the same karmic lessons and the same growth potential to all souls in the pre-birth agreement.

“Matthew said, ‘a person’s etheric body and lifetime memories enter Nirvana.’ What happens to people with dementia who lost their memory?” Dementia creates layers of forgetfulness around a person’s memory bank, the repository of all memories throughout the lifetime. After personalized healing in Nirvana, where the layers are gently removed, all memory is restored, including the stages of “losing” it.

“When a soul in the tiny orb part of Nirvana accepts the light, is that what Christians call redemption?” No, at least not knowledgeably. Christian teachings about redemption are akin to a person gaining God’s forgiveness by repenting for having lived wickedly according to religious concepts of sin and Judgment Day. A soul that absorbs enough light to embody and start evolution anew is in accordance with universal laws that people steeped in religious dogma most likely don’t know exist.

“I know a child who fits what I’ve heard about souls ‘born bad.’ Why would a soul choose this?” There is no such thing as a soul “ born bad” —the composition of every soul is pure love-light energy. We don’t know about that child’s circumstances, but we can mention possibilities that could apply to any child who may be thought of as “chronically misbehaving.” The family’s pre-birth agreement may include the child’s behavior as opportunities for the parents to learn patience and other parenting skills such as accepting the child’s limited capabilities, nurturing his or her abilities and interests, and equitable treatment of siblings. Discomfort due to an undiagnosed physical condition could underlie a child’s rebelliousness; so could adverse reactions to chemicals in food, water or medications, and toxicity in vaccines may have produced symptoms similar to autism. If there is ongoing tension in the home, a child could be responding to the low vibrations emitted in that kind of atmosphere. A discarnate entity that doesn’t realize its physical life ended could have attached itself to a child during a period of severe physical, mental or emotional stress; if so, an experienced energy worker can help the entity understand its status and help it move on to a spirit world.

If there is no pet in the home, let us offer this suggestion: Let the child choose a companion animal and discuss at the appropriate age level the child’s responsibilities in caring for it. It is immensely heartening that many in your world, including in the medical establishment, are seeing the significant benefits of a close human-animal relationship for people of all ages—this is a significant step in a society’s advancement.

“If souls who are stillborn or die as infants chose that in their contracts, can they remember doing it or anything at all about other lives?” In the case of stillborn infants, souls leave the bodies with full knowledge that this is in accordance with the family’s pre-birth agreements, which are designed for the experiencing needs of all participants. As babies who die in infancy grow older in Nirvana—and they age there much more quickly than your calendar years pass—they remember their choices and purpose, to provide soul growth opportunities to others in the pre-birth agreements. And, like all others in spirit worlds, they become consciously aware of soul-level knowledge to the extent it was remembered or experienced in all other lifetimes. `

Our message about lost souls evoked the following questions . “Is a lost soul still an inseparable part of God?” It is as long as it remains in the basest part of a spirit world in this universe. If it is deemed by Creator to be permanently light-resistant, or “lost”—and only Creator can decide that—the soul’s energy is reabsorbed into Creator’s cosmic essence, where it had its Beginnings.

“Do a lost root soul’s progeny know what happened to them ?” No. The instant their life force is withdrawn, they lose the ability to know anything whatsoever. However, that their energy and the root soul’s energy were reabsorbed by Creator is within cosmic consciousness, therefore within the mass consciousness of this universe; and when the progeny reemerge from Creator’s essence and regain their memory fields, knowledge of what happened to them is available.

“When people in lost root souls’ lineage are ‘redeemed,’ where will they start over? How will they explain to others what happened to them?” They won’t need to explain anything to anyone. When their lives abruptly ended, family and friends who believe in an afterlife assumed that’s where those souls are. And so they will be—they will regain conscious awareness and all memories in their civilization’s spirit realm.

Of course we shall happily answer other questions you may have about the soul, and we hope that the information in this and prior messages has shown the infinite importance of each and every soul and the inseparability of all in the Oneness of All.

Dear brothers and sisters, as you continue your Earth journey, know that light beings throughout this universe honor your steadfastness in the light and embrace you with unconditional love.

LOVE and PEACE

Suzanne Ward

Website: The Matthew Books

Email: suzy@matthewbooks.com

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2015 Kryon Kundalini Tour (Cusco #2, Peru) - Nov, 2015 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - New (Reference to Paris/ISIS/Dark-Old Energy/USA+Warning for Governments around the World !!!)

"Revelations of Darkness" - Oct 1, 2014 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - (Text version)

“ .. Do Not Despair

There's too much information to give you in one channelling, in one sitting, so I refer to past messages for you to better understand and reference the information in order to get the bigger picture. So I wish to remind you of something I also told you in a recent channelling called Do Not Despair. You're winning! It's because you're winning that the dark consciousness on this planet is feeling it, and the humanity that represents darkness is pulling out everything it has to survive.

It Has Always Been There

Let's look at it, because it's all over the news. Are you shocked at the sudden existence of the organization that will remain unnamed [for this channelling]? Where did it come from? How could it be so organized? How could it be so well funded? This organization could have its own country soon! They might as well name it, “The Old Energy Dark Country”, for that's what it will represent.

The barbaric past of humanity comes forward to show its face. It has always been there, hiding under the rocks and between the cracks of civilized humanity. It couldn't show itself until now, but now it has to. It's ugly and it's not for the faint at heart, is it, dear ones? Seeing evil personified in Human action is abhorrent. It is so ugly and so dark that you cannot look upon it with a gentle heart. God is not a part of it and this is obvious.

You're winning! Light is winning! The uprising of dark consciousness would not have shown itself with this strength, or this quickly, if this were not so. This is exactly what I told you to look for, and it is proof that those representing this dark consciousness are in trouble. Dear ones, dark consciousness has always had a tried-and-true system. It lurks in the shadows and influences all the power places of the planet - government, commerce, finance. Suddenly, it can't hide there as well anymore and it's out in the open.

Where is the funding coming from? It is coming from a storehouse that has always been there, dear ones. It uses income that has been generated from low consciousness acts, collected for a very long time. Funding didn't just appear. It has been stored, waiting to be used in order to spread fear and darkness to save what they believe is their way.

Who Will Win?

Dear ones, they haven't got a chance! But it looks like they do, doesn't it? Everything that they are doing is calculated to scare you into submission. Are they winning? Now, that's a question I want you to take from here and examine every day.

Fear is black. If you're in fear, there is no light. You can be the grandest Lightworker, or even be the channeller, but if you're in fear, it doesn't matter how many years you've done light work, or how much light you've accumulated personally. It all goes away with fear, and then they've won the battle for your mind. Do you understand this?

The Strength of the Old Soul - YOU

Old souls, Lightworkers reading this, the experiences you have had over lifetimes and lifetimes are incredible! The old soul knows fear. I don't want to be too graphic, but I want you to understand! What was it like when you put your head in the guillotine because you talked about God in a way that was inappropriate? What was it like to be bound hand and foot when they lit the match at your feet? Old soul, that's fear! You carry those experiences in your Akash.

I want to tell you they haven't got a chance to scare you! You absolutely know what fear is, and they haven't got a chance as long as you cling to that part of you that is the strength of God. You've been through it all. That means you've got the weapons of truth, wisdom and light. Don't forget it. Don't forget who you are!

Do you see how fast they assembled? It seemed like only yesterday that there was no organization at all. Where did they come from? Have you noticed a certain hesitancy to fight them? Why is it that the citizens of the lands that they are invading are hesitant to fight them? Instead, these leaders are calling on others to help. Why is it that the others are also hesitant? I want to show you that there are some anomalies of logic that are not making sense, because this is a battle you have never seen before on this planet. We've expected it, but you haven't. It's about consciousness, not land or resources.

How to Win?

We gave you the secret before of how to defeat them without taking even one life: Simply take away their funding. They cannot exist without their funding. The funding has to be organized, stored, and distributed. It has to be generated in such a way that it must also go through institutions. Did you hear that? All you have to do is stop the system. Winning won't be done with bombing. It's going to be done with intelligence, clever thinking and financial forensics. It's time to get smart on some of these things and not to be afraid to look at this puzzle differently than you have before. Do not apply the energy they are using in order to fight them, because you won't win. Figure it out. It's the last bastion of organized darkness and evil thinking on this planet coming together to try to survive the assault of your light. Don't be afraid to look at the funding trail, no matter where it takes you.

Fear is Their Weapon

I want you to know something as you look at your news. It may appear that you are unable to stop them. In many places, they will gain strength as they create fear. The fear is easily created in those who are not old souls and who don't know fear like you do and who don't have the armor of your spiritual experiences. This puts you in the front line, dear one. Did you realize that? But you don't have to go fight them on their terms. All you have to do is broadcast light. High consciousness will beat fear any day.. .”