This is a two-part interview by CNN’s Wolf Blitzer with Michael Moore. Part one aired on July 9th, 2007, while part two aired the following night, on July 10th. Both part one and part two were filmed on July 9th and were broadcast, at Moore's insistence, unedited. While the major portion of this interview deals with Michael Moore's new movie, "Sicko", Moore repeatedly accused CNN and other major media networks of not doing their jobs as journalists. In part one, Moore had this to say:

"Just apologize to the American people and to the families of the troops for not doing your job four years ago. We wouldn't be in this war if you had done your job. Come on. Just admit it. Just apologize to the American people."

For Moore's rebuttals to the information CNN aired about his new movie, "Sicko", go here.

For Michael Moore's rebuttal on Dr. Gupta's CNN report, go here.

For Dr. Gupta's perspective on his conversation with Moore on Larry King Live, go here.

From the July 6, 2007 Nightline Report:

"It's an age-old question: Are we alone in the universe? As the documentary 'Out of the Blue' rightly points out, brilliant and reputable scientists believe that the conditions for intelligent life exist on thousands of planets. But then there's that other question that separates the scientists from the believers, the witnesses from the skeptics: if aliens are out there, have they come to visit?"

Watch Nightline's Report On NHNE (14 Minutes, 20 Seconds):

Large QuickTime Movie File (31.2 MB)

Small QuickTime Movie File (10.8 MB)

Watch Nightline's Report On ABC's Website

Watch "Out Of The Blue" On NHNE's Community Website

Watch "Out Of The Blue" On Google Video

Watch CNN's Interview With Fife Symington On The Phoenix Lights

NHNE UFOs & Extraterrestrials Resource Page

Five Year Anniversary Edition of "Out of the Blue"

The Real News Network is building the world's first global independent news network -- without funding from governments, corporations or advertising.

For those of you who are interested in the Dalai Lama, Buddhism, and all things Tibetan, there is a new website up now that describes "The Tibetan Oracle"...

THE TIBETAN ORACLE

http://www.tibetanoracle.org/

Offering the indigenous spiritual wisdom of Tibet on pressing challenges to the earth's environment.

An unprecedented event between the peoples and cultures of Tibet and the United States is on the horizon: The Medium of Tibet's Chief State Oracle, Venerable Thupten Ngodup ("Nechung Kuten"), with the blessings of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and with special permission from the Tibetan Government in Exile's Office of Religious and Cultural Affairs, has recently announced his first public visit to the United States this summer to offer insights and directions on individual responsibility in the world.

Traveling from Nechung Monastary in Dharamsala, the foothills of the Himalayas -- "the rooftop of the world" -- Nechung Kuten will discuss and exchange ideas on the critical issues of our times, delivering lectures and conducting open dialogues with audiences across the US from June 15 to August 8, 2007.

The threefold purpose of this visit is to:

- Offer the indigenous spiritual wisdom of Tibet on many pressing challenges to the earth, its peoples, and our collective well-being, including global warming.

- Fund the building of Deyang Monastery, which is closely associated with the lineage of the Nechung Oracle and Nechung Monastery. The Tibetan culture and religion are severely threatened in Tibet and must be maintained outside that region for its survival. Nechung Kuten is seeking financial support to build a Monastery in Southern India that will enrich and increase the potential of the invaluable lineage of Tibet's Chief State Oracle. The Monastery will be consecrated in January, 2008, with the blessing of H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama.

- Offer "Long Life" Initiations and Blessings as well as celebrate and provide support for the Tibetan culture, the Tibetan language and other aspects of the culture, including the promotion of compassion and peace.


ABOUT TIBET'S STATE ORACLE

"Nechung" refers to the Dharma Protector and the Chief Tibetan Oracle, as well as the monastery. Tibet's State Oracle, Dorje Drakden ("Nechung"), is the chief protector for Tibet, its government, and people. The Oracle's energy enhances the positive aspects of human activity in the world, while helping overcome obstacles and the forces of negativity. It was on the advice and assistance of the Nechung Oracle that H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama accomplished a safe passage out of Tibet in 1959. The State Oracle is often consulted on significant matters by H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama, the Tibetan Government, and High Lamas.

Venerable Thupten Ngodup ("Nechung Kuten"), the Medium of Tibet's State Oracle, serves as a cabinet-level member of the Tibetan Government in Exile. The Nechung Medium has not visited the United States for almost a decade. His duties and schedule as the Medium for the State Oracle needs to correspond with H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama's itinerary and other occasions as deemed necessary by Nechung Monastery and the Tibetan Government. He has served in this capacity for the last twenty years. This is a small window of time that we have the good fortune to be able to see him. It is a rare occasion to meet such an individual who has dedicated his life for the benefit of the world and others.

For more general information.

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YOUTUBE VIDEOS:

Tibetan Oracle Speaks with U.S. on Premiere Public Visit

Tibetan Oracle Speaks on Healing, Peace and Environment

The State Oracle of Tibet

Spirituality and Clairvoyance

Enigma: The Oracle

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TO BECOME NECHUNG'S MEDIUM IS NOT AN ORDINARY DUTY
The Government of Tibet In Excile
November 10, 1997

The following interview with the Nechung Kuten, Venerable Thupten Ngodup (Medium of the State Oracle), took place at Nechung monastery in Dharamsala on August 14, and was jointly done by Lotsawa Tsepak Rinzin and Tsering Tashi.

...............

Q: Would you tell us something about your background and childhood?

NK: I was born in Tibet on July 13, 1958 in Phari bordering Bhutan. My parents come from a peasant's family. In 1959, following Chinese occupation of Tibet, my parents having lost their freedom also experienced the same kind of hardship under the Chinese rule. Then in 1966, during the so-called Cultural Revolution, my parents escaped Tibet with me to Bhutan. I am the only child in the family but have a half-brother who is now living in Dharamsala. In Bhutan, we were temporarily resettled in a Tibetan refugee camp.

My father was a descendant of a well known Ngagpa (tantric practitioner) family which belonged to the Khon lineage of the Sakya tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. My mother comes from the Nanying district of Gyantse, and later got settled in Phari, where I was born. Unfortunately, both of them have passed away.

My father was a good Chod (Cut-ritual) practitioner, and after our arrival in Bhutan, he always told us about his personal interest to go to India to receive His Holiness the Dalai Lama's blessings and then leave this worldly life to become a hermit. Later, along with other Tibetan refugees, we left Bhutan for India to seek our second asylum in exile and arrived in Dharamsala in early 1969. My family found a home near the Tibetan Children's Village (TCV School). As the previous batches of Tibetan refugees had already reached Dharamsala since 1959, we were like the present-day new arrivals from Tibet. The Tibetan government in exile, therefore, organised a new camp for our group and we worked as road construction labourers to earn our living. The road, above TCV, leading to the Indian village was constructed by us. Our camp leader was Gyagpon Tachoe-la. During the summer we moved to Kulu-Manali and Rohtang to construct roads. I also worked. At that time I was around l0-years-old. Actually, education opportunity was given to all Tibetan refugee children, but TCV accepted only orphans and my parents were reluctant to send me to a far away place. So for two years I worked as a coolie with my parents.

Q: "What about your early education and monastic training?

NK: As a child I had a natural inclination to do anything religious. 1 even told my parents of my desire to become a monk. They too said it would be worthwhile to lead a life to be a monk. So in 1969, after our return to Dharamsala from Kulu, I was initially admitted to Gadong monastery and remained there for a year. At that time, I knew nothing about Nechung monastery which was then temporarily located at Nazara Kothi (1 km below Gangchen Kyishong, the seat of the Tibetan government in exile). Everyday I had to go to Nechung for pujas and study, and return to Gadong the same evening. This is how I spent about a year at Gadong.

But to be frank, deep down in my heart I started feeling closer to Nechung, and my father knowing the trouble of my having to daily walk between Gadong and Nechung, suggested that it would be better for me to join Nechung as there is technically no difference between the two monasteries. So this is how I joined Nechung in 1971.

Since 1971 Nechung admitted more boys and I received all the basic religious training at the monastery. After completion of the basic training at Nechung, a monk could chose either of the two lines Sung-Zang (the chant master's line) or Chod-Zheng Ba (the ritual master's line). Since I had a natural interest in the skills of creative arts and crafts, I joined the second group, and gradually was upgraded to the highest rank. Since 1981, I became Cho-pon (the ritual leader).

Q: How and when were you recognised as the Nechung Kuten or the Medium of the State Oracle?

NK: In 1984, after the passing away of the previous medium Venerable Lobsang Jigme, for about three years there was no medium for the Nechung Oracle. His Holiness the Dalai Lama wrote a prayer for the speedy return of the medium and commissioned Nechung monastery and the Drepung monastery, with whom the oracle has a special relationship, to recite the prayer.

Then on March 31, 1987, corresponding to the second day of the second Tibetan month, Drepung Lhatze (Day of Drepung's Summoning of the Oracle) was requested at Nechung monastery.

In Tibet, Drepung observed this day every month. But in exile, since Drepung is far away in South India, they observed the day by offering an invocation rite in front of Nechung's thanka (scroll painting) at their monastery. But occasionally Drepung would send their representatives to Dharamsala during the annual teaching programme of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the main Theckchen Choeling temple and performed Drepung Lhatse at Nechung monastery when the previous medium of Nechung was alive.

Thus on March 31, 1987, a number of Lamas, Geshes and monks from Drepung came to Dharamsala to receive teachings from His Holiness and later, sought Nechung's blessings at Nechung monastery, as if, there was a trance going on, although there was no medium of the oracle. I was amongst the attendants holding incense pot in the hall. As the monks started reciting the text of the invocation, at an appropriate point and all of a sudden, I happened to be possessed by the spirit. This was the first time I was seized by the spirit of the Nechung.

This incident of the day was immediately brought to the notice of His Holiness the Dalai Lama by the abbots, officials and representatives of Drepung through the Department of Religion and Culture. After two days I was summoned by His Holiness and 1 went to Him with our Lopon (Vajra Acharya Venerable Thupten Phuntsok). His Holiness asked many questions to us and, particularly to me concerning various signs I had, such as in dreams and others. I reported every single incident from the beginning. His Holiness then asked me to carry out a retreat on Hayagriva Khamsum Zilnon, and accordingly, I fulfilled the commitment.

Q: Briefly tell us about the dreams and other signs you experienced before being recognised as Nechung Kuten or the medium of the State Oracle?

NK: I personally consider that to become a medium is definitely a result of one's past karmic connections and prayers. Also, as a child I used to have very strong feeling of closeness with the Dharma protector, and I had a special faith and devotion in him. After the passing away of the previous medium, I dreamt of the Dharma protector in trance on several occasions. In those dreams, the person in trance was not me. It was somewhat like the previous medium and sometimes, it was even not clearly recognisable.

In 1985, during the Kalachakra (Wheel of Life) initiation in Bodhgaya, I bleeded a lot from my nose and mouth. The blood I swallowed was vomitted out. In between, I lost hope of survival, and started thinking that I have no special fear if I die. I also had a very special emotional experience, though I could not understand what it meant at that time. And as I began experiencing more and more unusual signs, I wondered what these emotional feelings could mean to me. But gradually, I recovered from the illness and, luckily, was able to attend the actual Kalachakra ceremony.

Then one night during the same occasion in Bodhgaya, I dreamt of a long staircase where a lot of monkeys accorded a ceremonial welcome. The monkeys were holding fruits in their hands, and one of them held my hand and lead me through the higher steps. Upon reaching a platform, I saw a big tree which had a hole into which I was lead. It is commonly believed that seeing monkeys in one's dream signifies connection to the Dharma protector. But at that time, I did not have such a thought. Nevertheless, when I had this dream, I really experienced a pleasant feeling, so peaceful and gentle, a very unusual feeling. I also had other significant dreams. These dreams, no doubt, gave me a very pleasant and an ecstatic feeling. I felt full of peace and serenity in my heart.

However, a year later and a week or so before I was actually seized (March 31,1987) by the spirit of the Dharma protector, I felt mentally very disturbed. At that time His Holiness the Dalai Lama was giving teachings on lam-rim (Graded Path) text. I involuntarily felt unpleasant to accompany the other Nechung monks to the temple for the teachings and stayed behind to go last and alone. Also I would leave the temple at the very end of all the fellow-monks. So this disturbed the state of my mind and it lingered in me for a few days and the unpleasant state of feeling started growing more intense as days passed by.

When I knew that in a few days time the Drepung monks were to perform the Drepung Lhatse, I felt so insecure and intense fear gripped me. A day earlier (March 30,1987), before the Drepung Lhatse was to be performed, I had a severe headache but took courage to bear it because His Holiness the Dalai Lama was giving a public teaching on Vipasana (Special Insight) section. It was not the kind of headache I would normally suffer and I felt like walking closer towards His Holiness' presence, near His Holiness' throne. This feeling was so involuntarily overwhelming me. When everyone had a break, I still did not feel like taking a break but knew that I got up and stood in the corridor -almost in a lost thought. That day the emotional currents in me were extremely usual'. I wanted to move towards His Holiness' presence. When friends sitting around me noticed this unusual behaviour, they asked me, "What was the problem." I said, "No, nothing, just a little headache." I sat bending my head down. I simply wanted the teaching session to finish earlier.

As soon as the session was over and His Holiness had left, I went inside the temple and prayed in the presence of Guru Rinpoche and Arya Avalokiteshvara. At that moment I had some doubt in my mind and was thinking if this meant I was going to be the medium of the Dharma protector. Hence, I prayed, "If I was going to be so, this would be a precious opportunity to be able to serve the Buddha Dharma. If it turns to be true, I shall serve the Dharma and Tibet to the best of my ability. May all the obstacles be removed." I was really doubtful at the time and it grew stronger and stronger.

Later I left the main temple behind the rest of the monks. When I reached our monastery, I found that Khamtrul Rinpoche had left a clay stupa for me to fix. The top-knot had fallen apart. So that night I spent quite sometime fixing it to be able to return it to Khamtrul Rinpoche the next day. This done, I felt a bit more comfortable that night.

But the same night in my dream I saw mushrooms everywhere on the lawn around Nechung monastery. It was early in the morning and the monks were about to perform the Drepung Lhatse. I saw myself walling on the roof of the temple from where I could see a rainbow wrapping the temple. I then happen to pluck mush-rooms and collect them in my monastic zan (the maroon shawl worn by monks). This could be an auspicious coincidence connected to the Dharma protector.

Next morning (March 31) when I joined the religious gathering, everyone was busy. I felt extremely Unpleasant, emotionally disturbed and short-tempered. When Vajra Acharya'a Venerable Thupten Phuntsok asked me to prepare a black tea set to be offered to the Dharma protector, I got agitated and replied, "When there is no medium to possess the spirit of the Dharma protector, to whom should we offer black tea?" The Acharya felt it was unnatural of me to respond in such a manner because normally I would never dare to answer him that way. I have always treated my elders with respect. The Acharya, however, told me, "Well, you are right, but let us think that the Dharma protector is in trance and simply imagine we are offering the black-tea, so what." He further advised me to distribute Chag Ne (blessed grains) to the public.

Normally, during Drepung Lhatse, the monks would first perform an ablution ceremony at the corridor of the temple before they entered the temple. So, when they were performing the ablution ceremony, I happened to go nearby and pick up the incense pot, though it was not necessary. I took it inside and left the pot near the Dharma protector's throne. I then turned to move out of the temple through the main door, but found it impossible. I felt as 'if there was some force that was dragging me to stay inside. My legs almost became numb and despite efforts, I felt I could not move. Finally, through the back door, I managed to go out and ran around the temple to join the monks at the corridor. By then the ablution ceremony was already over and the monks had assembled inside the temple for the invocation rite to be led by the Nechung monks.

When the rite began I rushed inside and picked up 'the incense pot. But as soon as I entered with the pot inside the inner chapel of the Dharma protector, I felt a sudden electric current in me. Then instantly my vision went blurred, and my body started trembling wildly. I had no control of my own body. I looked around and saw Vajra Acharya Venerable Thupten Phuntsok. All I could remember was handing over the pot to him. Then, in a flip of a second, I was completely overwhelmed, as if caught in an electric shock. It was so swift that I could not remember anything that must have happened to me.

Q: How was the official ceremony of your recognition as the medium of the State Oracle conducted?

NK: The ceremony took place in the early hours of September 4, 1987, in Nechung monastery's hall. Tibetan government officials and Nechung monks greeted me with traditional scarves and offered the Three-fold Mandala. Then at 9 a.m., I went to receive blessings and advise from His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Later, I went to Ling Rinpoche's residence, Serkong Rinpoche's residence and the Theckchen Choeling temple

The abbot of Drepung and representatives of Nechung Dorji Drayang Ling Centre in Hawaii also attended the ceremony. Representatives of other monasteries, Tibetan government officials and the general public were also present to greet me.

As soon as I was seated on the throne, the members of the Kashag (Tibetan Cabinet) greeted me first with scarves. They were followed by representatives from Departments of Central Tibetan Administration, Namgyal monastery, Gadong monastery, Institute of Buddhist Dialectics, and organisations.

Q: What feelings did you have on being recognised as the Nechung Kuten and did this change your life?

NK: To become Nechung's medium is not an ordinary duty. It is a responsibility of national importance. I feel that if it is able to render good service, especially to the Buddha dharma and Tibet, then my personal life is insignificant.

After becoming the medium, I had to automatically resign from the post of the ritual master and, in accordance with our tradition, expected to look after the affairs of the monastery as its Head Lama, even though I am not a very learned person as I ought to be. I also have to study more and meet more people and attend official functions and ceremonies. Many people, including journalists, come to ask all sorts of questions regarding the Dharma protector and the medium.

It is a tradition of Nechung monastery that once you become the medium you automatically become the abbot of the monastery as well. Taking this post is not merely a question of receiving the title, but being able to actually preside and lead the ritual ceremonies, many of which are of wrathful nature connected to the Dharma protector's cycle of ritual traditions. These are of extreme significance.

In the past when we had Nechung Rinpoche, he would lead the ceremonies and the medium did not have to shoulder the responsibilities of leading the ceremonies. As I have been trained as a monk of this Sangha community since my childhood, I do not have much difficulties in joining the pujas and ceremonies. I may be lacking some qualifications by virtue of spiritual realisations, however, whenever I am bound to take the responsibility of leading a ritual ceremony, I sincerely pray from the depth of my heart and express the power of the truth or the ultimate reality.

On the other hand, since I became the medium, to some extend, I have lost my personal freedom of movement. When I want to go for a holiday, I should make sure that it coincides with the absence of His Holiness from the town. Also I seek permission from the Office of His Holiness the Dalai and inform the Tibetan government of where I can be contacted. Then, in terms of my diet, I am required to observe certain dietary discipline. For instance, I am not supposed to eat fish, eggs and pork.

But basically, not much has changed. Although many advise me not to do ordinary work, I still do things that have interested me, and sometimes lead young monks in undertaking mundane tasks, like painting the monastery. I believe in dignity of labour.

Q: Before going into a trance, what levels of change do you experience?

NK: It depends on who requests the trance. Sometimes my inner feelings gets disturbed a day or two before the trance and sometimes, only a few hours before. For instance, if His Holiness or the Kashag (cabinet) commissions the trance to take place, then, it comes a day before and gets stronger as the time for the trance draws closer. The following morning and especially after I have worn the costumes and been seated amidst the call for trance by the monks chanting, the inner feeling becomes so intense that sometimes it is hard to imagine.

Q: Is the Nechung medium while in trance only possessed by Dorje Drak-den?

NK: Normally when the invocation prayer is recited, it concerns the five forms of the Dharma King. But primarily, it is of Dorje Drakden. However, it is said that, "The manifestation of the Five Kings is not predetermined." Dorje Drakden manifests as the minister of the Dharma Kings. Hence, he is called Shung-Tan Dra-Lha (Principal State Oracle). So I consider and believe that it is usually Dorje Drak-den who comes through the medium.

Q: The prophesies have so far been given in Tibetan. In future, will Nechung also give prophesies in other languages?

NIC: Until now, Nechung has spoken only in Tibetan. As for the future, I have no comments. Our senior monks say that in the past, the prophesies were extremely poetic and difficult to understand. Gradually, the prophesies became more and more clear, and during my predecessor's time, and now, Nechung's prophesies have become even more clearer. But normally, it is spoken in the form of a poem in stanzas and prose style or a mixture of both. The language, however, is certainly not exactly like the common language. It is spoken with a tune, unique to Nechung.

Q: Do you recollect what has been said during a trance?

NK: No, certainly not. Just before the trance, I see and sense what is going around me. But gradually even my senses dissolve and then in a kind of sleep-state I become totally absorbed, and do not correctly remember what has happened and been said. Normally, when I am seated on the throne with my costumes on, I do my meditations while reciting the mantras of Hayagriva. Slowly, I get possessed through a deeper state of absorption, and then gradually feel distant from my own identity and surroundings. It is like having a dream and not remembering it the next morning. The same is the case with me before and after I come out of trance.

Q: How often does the Nechung medium go into a trance, and who can request for it and under what circumstances?

NK: In Tibet the Nechung is summoned to a trance on the tenth day of the first Tibetan month at old Meru monastery, near Tsuglag Khang (Central Cathedral) in Lhasa. This official celebration is presided over by the His Holiness the Dalai Lama and all the government officials. Besides this, a trance is performed occasionally at the request of the Office of His Holiness, the Kashag, the Grand Lama's Estates, and monasteries. In between, a trance is performed for emergency matters.

After coming into exile, though there were trances of Nechung, they were not performed as often as it used to be in Tibet. But later, a schedule was observed. The trance on the 10th day of the first Tibetan month became a regular feature. Then, at times, Nechung monks were invited to Drepung in Mundgod, South India, for a special trance of the Dharma protector. In addition, there is the Summer Trance and the Winter Trance requested by the Kyabje Ling Rinpoche and other institutions.

In the past, except on the 10th of the first Tibetan month and the Drepung Lhatse at Mundgod, Gye-Che (the grand costume) is not worn. Later, on the advice of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, some relaxation was brought. The public could view some of the trance, take photos and interview the medium. However, except for the Kashag, the monastery ensures that other requests for trance are approved by the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Q: A news agency recently reported you as the spiritual adviser to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. What is your reaction to this?

NK: This is a misunderstanding on the part of the press. Perhaps, the reporter must have mentioned this to elevate the position of the Oracle or the medium. But unfortunately, he has made a mistake. I personally have not met any pressmen or others who raised this issue to me.

His Holiness does not need spiritual advice from the protector. If so, what about the interim period. From 1984 until I was recognised, there was no medium. However, His Holiness never failed to lead the Tibetan government and its people. Also it must be understood, and I believe, that Nechung acts as a divine colleague in the conduct of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's spiritual and temporal responsibilities, and not as an adviser.

Q: Are you possessed by Nechung only when you are officially requested to perform a trace?

NK: No, not necessarily. There have been occasions, both in the past and present, when the Nechung medium went into a spontaneous trance. For instance, before I was officially recognized as the medium, I was possessed by the Dharma protector at Theckchen Choeling temple on one or two occasions. In the past, during the reign of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, when the then medium went for a bath to the river blank, he was suddenly possessed by the spirit of the oracle.

Q: What levels of prophesies does Nechung make direct or indirect, definitive or interpretative, secret or open?

NK: I think various levels of prophesies are made in accordance with the weightage of the issues involved and the institution and person who requests for it, and so on. The general prophesies are not so uncommon. We all hear and read about them. But some prophesies of the State Oracle are so poetic and indirect that to understand then' would take quite an effort and investigation by wise and experienced people.

Q: Is the Nechung Oracle there to serve only the Tibetan government headed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama or will the Dharma protector be always available and under all circumstances?

NK: Nechung is known as the Principal State Oracle. If you study the origin of the Dharma protector, he had connections with the Indian Religious King, Kunchok Bhang, an emanation of Arya Avalokiteshvara. Later, in Tibet, during the time of King Tri Song Deu-Tsan in the eighth century, Samye was built with assistance from Guru Padmasambhava and Shanta Rakshita.

At that time Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) bound Nechung to oath to become the protector of Tibet's sovereignty and the Dharma. The rule of the Dalai Lama's began in 1642 during the Great Fifth Dalai Lama. This is the beginning of the formal connection between the Dharma protector and the Dalai Lamas. But being a protector of Tibet's sovereignty and Dharma, I think Nechung, to fulfill his commitments, and under all circumstances, will continue to serve Tibet's sovereignty and Dharma.

Q: what advice do you have for the Tibetan people?

NK: I would advise the Tibetans to realise that Arya Avalokiteshvara by virtue of his prayers has come in different manifestations to guide the Tibetan people. This is because of our karmic connections and prayers. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has always worked for our benefit and especially, since the Chinese invasion. The awareness of Tibet in the world is now growing. This does not merely come from political forces but from our religion, culture and people. They have appealed to a worldwide audience. We must not forget this, and every Tibetan, including government officials, must work hard and sincerely for our common cause.

His Holiness and the Dharma protector have said that in a few years time, a bright chance lies ahead for the people of Tibet. So this is what we must all concentrate on. Giving and receiving freedom will take only a day, but running a government and a nation is not an easy task. Let us, therefore, all work together. The Dharma protector on a number of occasion has said, "The achievement of Tibet's goal is the joint responsibility of both the people of Tibet and the protectors." So if the people work hard and sincerely, the protectors will always be enthusiastically with us.

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NHNE Dalai Lama Resource Page

TAMMY FAYE MESSNER ON LARRY KING LIVE
July 19, 2007

Video Excerpts From Larry King Live:

Link One

Link Two

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TRANSCRIPT:

TAMMY FAYE BATTLES CANCER
Larry King Live
July 19, 2007

Original Link

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KING: Tonight, Tammy Faye Messner, gravely ill with inoperable cancer, down to 65 pounds and facing mortality in the unforgettable interview she feels she has to do.

TAMMY FAYE MESSNER, GRAVELY ILL WITH INOPERABLE CANCER, WEIGHS 65 POUNDS: I don't fear. I'm concerned, Larry (INAUDIBLE).

KING: And then, Tammy Faye's son, Jay Bakker and Deepak Chopra on her remarkable courage in the face of death.

All next on LARRY KING LIVE.

Good evening.

It's been 16 months since our good friend and frequent guest Tammy Faye Messner appeared here on camera. She recently reached out to us, saying that talking to her public makes her feel stronger and wanting to do the interview that you're about to see, which we taped yesterday.

It may be hard to watch what inoperable cancer has done to her. It's tough for us to see Tammy Faye looking so weak.

Great.

But as you're about to see, if she's 65 pounds, it's all heart.

A great pleasure to welcome a return visit -- always to welcome a return visit with Tammy Faye Messner, the former wife of televangelist Jim Bakker, former co-host of "The ""PTL" Club"".

She's been waging a long battle with inoperable cancer.

With her is her husband, Roe Messner. He's also a builder of churches and he says he's built more than 1,700 churches since 1953.

Roe will be joining us in the third segment.

We're going to spend the earlier segments with Tammy Faye.

How are you doing, dear?

T.F. MESSNER: I'm doing pretty good considering the circumstances, Larry.

KING: You are in Kansas City, Missouri.

That's --

T.F. MESSNER: Well, I am.

KING: What are you doing there?

What's -- why there?

T.F. MESSNER: We just moved. My husband's children and grandchildren are all within a hundred mile range of the area. And I felt it would be -- it's his turn to be with his grandchildren and his children.

KING: All right. You posted a letter recently on your Web site saying that you've gained a little bit of weight and that you're craving a burger and French fries with lots of ketchup.

Can you eat that?

T.F. MESSNER: Yes. And no, I can't eat it. All I eat is chicken soup and rice pudding. But I'm looking forward to the day when I can bite into that hamburger and those fries. I've gained five pounds. Yes.

KING: You're receiving hospice care at home?

T.F. MESSNER: Yes, I am.

KING: How does that work?

T.F. MESSNER: Well, it works where the person comes to your house and brings all of the medications that you need. I have a wheelchair -- wheelchair and there are several other appliances.

KING: We have a lot of e-mails for you today, as you might imagine.

One comes from Debbie in Fredericton, Canada.

T.F. MESSNER: Hi, Debbie in Fredericton.

KING: The question is: "My prayers are you Tammy Faye. What have the doctors said to you about how much time you may have left?"

T.F. MESSNER: I asked them not to tell me. I don't want my faith level to go up or down. And so I don't fear. I'm concerned, Larry, but I don't fear.

KING: Are you in pain?

T.F. MESSNER: All the time.

KING: The pain is where?

T.F. MESSNER: It's in my back and in my tummy.

KING: The cancer is where?

T.F. MESSNER: It's in my lungs.

KING: And is it staying in the lungs or has it spread from the lungs?

T.F. MESSNER: It has stayed in the lungs.

KING: Now you've always been so upbeat, the feeling of god being with you.

Does that remain?

T.F. MESSNER: That remains consistent. I talk to god every single day. And I say, god, my life is in your hands and I trust you with me.

KING: We have an e-mail from Renee in Strongsville, Ohio: "I admire you for your unshakeable faith. Do you believe when you leave this Earth, you're going to go to a better place?"

T.F. MESSNER: I believe when I leave this earth -- because I love the lord -- I am going straight to heaven.

KING: Did you ever know Ruth Graham, who recently passed away?

T.F. MESSNER: You know, I didn't. I knew Billy quite well and he said that someone that works for him said to him and Ruth told him that he prayed -- that he prayed for me every single night.

KING: Frankly, Tammy dear, we've known you so long and you've been with us so many times, are you still a little scared?

T.F. MESSNER: A little bit, for my children mostly.

KING: But it would -- it would not be for yourself?

T.F. MESSNER: For myself, I know where I'm headed. But I know the sadness, you know, that comes with those that care about you.

KING: How are your children?

T.F. MESSNER: They're doing great. Jamie is still in the youth ministry and Tammy Sue works for Roe.

KING: Concerning that, we have an e-mail from Jeremy in Bulina (ph) -- Mulino, Oregon. "What do you think about Jay and his ministry? Two years ago, I heard him preach in an L.A. Nightclub, where supposedly normal people wouldn't want to be. He changed people's lives that night. May god bless you and him."

What do you think about what he's doing?

T.F. MESSNER: I think it's wonderful. I don't think god cares what you put in your body or on your body. And he is just doing fantastic.

KING: The last time you were on, Tammy, you said that you'd been skirting the issue of planning for your death.

Have you been thinking about it, what kind of service you'd like, what kind of epitaph?

What do you want?

T.F. MESSNER: Well, I still would like to be cremated and I want -- I don't want bugs to eat me.

(LAUGHTER)

KING: Why do you want to be cremated?

T.F. MESSNER: That's why. I don't want the bugs eating on me.

KING: Do you have any problem with that, Roe?

ROE MESSNER, TAMMY FAYE'S HUSBAND: No, not really, Larry. It's Tammy's choice.

KING: OK, we have a question from Laurel in Leonardtown, Maryland: "Have you been able to stay in touch with any of your castmates from 'The Surreal Life?' You seem to have such a genuine maternal relationship with some of them.

T.F. MESSNER: I do. I talk to them quite often. In fact, they send me flowers. They send me cookies. They send me candy. They send me everything. And I talk to them on the phone a lot -- a lot.

KING: Are you bedridden most of the time?

T.F. MESSNER: Most of the time, yes.

KING: Is the pain constant?

T.F. MESSNER: Yes. Yes, it is. My back hurts so bad and then my stomach -- I have a hard time swallowing food. That's the reason that I have lost so much weight now.

KING: What do they give you for the pain?

T.F. MESSNER: They give me --

R. MESSNER: Morphine.

T.F. MESSNER: Morphine.

KING: Yes.

And do you ever get where you become immune to it?

R. MESSNER: No.

T.F. MESSNER: No, thank god. And thank god I haven't.

KING: So it always works?

T.F. MESSNER: It takes about a half hour to kick in and once it kicks in, it stays for a long time.

KING: Have you heard from Jim Bakker?

T.F. MESSNER: Jim -- not Jim, but I've heard -- I've heard through his children -- his children -- his children.

KING: We're going to take a break and come back with more of Tammy Faye.

And then Roe Messner will join us on this edition of LARRY KING LIVE.

Don't go away.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

T.F. MESSNER (SINGING): Never give up what he says he will do. Our god's not through blessing you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM 1987)

T.F. MESSNER: Four months ago we left. And I have not walked in my house, have not seen my puppies and my kittens and all those things, and my dear friends that we love so much. And, also, the people at home -- we love you, we miss you --

R. MESSNER: Yes. And we hope all of the people we love so much will forgive us.

T.F. MESSNER: (INAUDIBLE).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Our guest is Tammy Faye, known -- known around the world, isn't she?

"If you could have people" -- an e-mail from Jane in Ashburn, Virginia, Tammy Faye -- "If you could have people remember you for one thing, what would it be?"

T.F. MESSNER: Well, my eyelashes.

(LAUGHTER)

T.F. MESSNER: No.

(LAUGHTER)

KING: You've still got that humor.

T.F. MESSNER: Well, I walk with the lord. I think people need to know that there's great peace and joy in knowing the lord -- the lord Jesus Christ as your savior. I have a prayer partner. Her name is Deb -- Deborah Keener (ph). And she's with me right now. And she's doing the hospice work. And we pray together constantly. We pray for you. We pray for your family. And we pray for many other people.

KING: Give Deborah my best. I haven't seen her in a long time.

T.F. MESSNER: Oh. OK, sure.

KING: She's a Los Angeles girl.

T.F. MESSNER: She is.

KING: We have an e-mail question from Tina in Forestville, California: "If you go back -- if you could go back and change one thing in your colorful, eventful life, what would it be?"

T.F. MESSNER: Well, I don't think about that, Larry, because that's just a waste of good brain space.

KING: Well, you might forget the ""PTL" Club".

T.F. MESSNER: Well, I am -- I have gotten over that, thank god. That was a terrible, horribly bad experience.

KING: So many people who are watching and listening care about you so much.

T.F. MESSNER: Thank you, Larry.

KING: What would you like to say to them?

T.F. MESSNER: I'd like to say that I genuinely love you and I genuinely care and I genuinely want to see you in heaven some day. I want you to find peace. I want you to find joy.

KING: Wonderfully said.

We have an e-mail question from Jimmy, Sherman Oaks, California: "Unlike many of your Christian contemporaries, you have been a very positive influence in the gay community. Why do you think you found it in your heart to love and accept us?"

T.F. MESSNER: Well, you know when I went -- we lost everything -- it was the gay people that came to my rescue and I will always love them for that.

KING: An e-mail from Craig in Sulphur Springs, Texas: "What's your current relationship with your former husband, Jim Bakker?"

T.F. MESSNER: It's just fine. Well, with -- with Roe and me, we have a very good relationship.

KING: An e-mail from Kirk in Kirkwood, Missouri: "Who are the five people you're most looking forward to meeting in heaven?"

T.F. MESSNER: Billy Graham -- KING: He's not there yet.

(LAUGHTER)

T.F. MESSNER: Well, he'll be there.

KING: He'll be there.

T.F. MESSNER: And his wife. I'd like to meet her. And some of the famous evangelists that have gone on before us.

KING: And one more e-mail from Jaime in Houston, Texas: "What's your favorite bible verse for gaining peace and getting through hard times?"

T.F. MESSNER: My favorite one is -- is --

R. MESSNER: Romans 8:28.

T.F. MESSNER: Romans 8:28. "For we know that all things work together for good to those who love god and those that are called according to his purpose."

KING: Tammy Faye, what, in your opinion, is the best way to deal with cancer?

T.F. MESSNER: With -- with -- accept it -- that you have it, and do whatever you can to help get rid of it. But most of all, trust the lord. I don't have any date written on me anywhere that says I'm going to die at any certain time and so I just give it to the lord.

KING: And you firmly believe that you're going to heaven?

T.F. MESSNER: I know for sure. I'm positive.

KING: And having that belief reduces fear -- it makes -- it should eliminate fear.

T.F. MESSNER: It does, Larry, to a certain extent. I would say 99 - to 100 percent.

KING: We'll take a break.

And when we come back in our remaining moments, Tammy Faye will be joined by her loyal husband Roe, her husband and the builder of churches. He's built so many of them, by the way, since 1953.

And we'll share some more moments with the Messners, right after this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, COURTESY WOMEN'S ENTERTAINMENT)

T.F. MESSNER: Cancer is a very is a very -- is a very lonely disease, because nobody can go inside your head and nobody can fight it for you.

Thank god for my husband, who is just -- keeps me just above it all.

R. MESSNER: I'm going to lay down with you.

T.F. MESSNER: OK, baby.

OK.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, COURTESY WOMEN'S ENTERTAINMENT)

T.F. MESSNER: If I died right now, I would consider myself one of the most fortunate women in the world to have lived and been able to do the kinds of things that I have been able to do in my life. And I'm very grateful to the lord for taking a little girl who had nothing to give but was willing to try.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: We're back in Kansas City, Missouri, as Tammy Faye Messner, former wife of televangelist Jim Bakker, long-time battle with inoperable cancer. With her is her husband Roe Messner, the builder of churches. He's built more than 1,700 churches since 1953.

By the way --

T.F. MESSNER: Isn't he -- isn't he cute?

KING: He's very cute, yes.

R. MESSNER: (LAUGHTER).

KING: By the way, do you still have prostate cancer, Roe?

R. MESSNER: Yes, I do, Larry. I've been very fortunate that the prostate cancer has stayed within the prostate. And, you know, the doctor told me years ago -- 10 years ago, as a matter of fact, when I was diagnosed with it, that I'd probably never die from prostate cancer. I'd die from a stroke or heart disease or something else.

And I've been very fortunate it has stayed contained in the prostate.

KING: You'll die with it, not of it.

R. MESSNER: That's it.

KING: Tammy Faye, I forgot to ask, how much do you weigh now?

T.F. MESSNER: I weigh -- I just weighed and I weigh 65 pounds.

KING: So that's a five pound gain from the last time we see --

T.F. MESSNER: Yes. Two-and-a-half, three pounds, yes.

KING: That's terrific.

How, Roe, are you dealing with this illness of your wife?

R. MESSNER: Well, it's very difficult, Larry. But I have strong faith in the lord and I know that all things work together for good. And we just continue to praise the lord and believe that he knows what's best for our lives.

KING: Despite that faith, isn't it very hard, Roe, to live with it?

R. MESSNER: I think the caregiver is -- has a very difficult time during something like this.

But we make it good, don't we, honey?

T.F. MESSNER: Yes. I keep him awake every night because I have to get up about two or three times a night for medication. And so he has to get up and help me with my medication.

KING: Now, Roe, I know you knew Ruth Graham, didn't you?

R. MESSNER: Yes, I did, Larry. As a matter of fact, I visited in their home there in Montreat, North Carolina up on the mountain. And I've -- I've done some design work for Billy. And they're just a great, great people.

KING: They are great.

She was some lady.

R. MESSNER: Yes, she was.

T.F. MESSNER: Yes.

KING: And, of course, Billy is incredible.

You know Billy well, Tammy?

T.F. MESSNER: Yes, I do. He's come to ""PTL"" many times and he's an awesome, awesome man.

R. MESSNER: Larry, I built Billy's home out there at "PTL," his childhood home.

KING: Wow!

R. MESSNER: We brought it out at Heritage USA and reassembled it. And that was a very interesting thing to do.

KING: Roe, what keeps her going?

R. MESSNER: Strong faith in the lord and a very positive attitude.

KING: And she -- does she have down times?

R. MESSNER: Not really. She's very positive all the time, Larry, even in all this pain and everything that's going on. She's -- she's unbelievable really.

T.F. MESSNER: Isn't that loveable?

He's so (INAUDIBLE).

R. MESSNER: I don't know how she does it.

KING: How do you do it, Tammy?

T.F. MESSNER: Well, again, faith in the lord. I just -- I just trust him with me.

KING: You keep that smile going, don't you?

T.F. MESSNER: I hope so.

KING: Does she wake up with a smile, Roe?

T.F. MESSNER: Always, Larry. She's very positive.

KING: Well, you're amazing people.

Tammy Faye, I wish you the best. I wish you all you wish yourself.

T.F. MESSNER: Thank you, Larry.

KING: I hope things go very well for you. And --

T.F. MESSNER: Thank you so much.

KING: -- when and if the end comes, no one will approach it better than you.

R. MESSNER: You know, Larry, we get hundreds of e-mails every day and letters. People are always asking Tammy about all these different questions, you know, about Heritage USA and Jim and Jerry Falwell, everybody. And, you know, she wrote a book that tells all about that. And if, you know, a lot of people would be interested in knowing about that -- it was a book she wrote called "Telling It My Way". And it answers all the questions of all the e-mails and the cards and letters that we get every day.

KING: Is it still available?

R. MESSNER: Still available.

KING: "Telling It My Way."

R. MESSNER: "Telling It My Way."

KING: She did that tonight. Thank you, Roe.

R. MESSNER: You bet.

KING: Tammy Faye, god bless.

T.F. MESSNER: God bless you, Larry.

KING: The one and only Tammy Faye.

Once again, she reached out to us wanting to do that interview. And from the incredible amount of e-mails that we get for her, we know she has a lot of fans out there. And all of us can only wonder at Tammy Faye's unique grace and spirit as she faces the fact of her mortality.

Tammy Faye's son, Jay Bakker, joins us when LARRY KING LIVE returns right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KING: Joining us now from New York is Jay Bakker, Tammy Faye's son. He's the pastor with the Revolution Church. The Web site, by the way, for his ministry is revolutionnyc.com.

How are you dealing with your mom's illness, Jay?

JAY BAKKER, TAMMY FAYE'S SON, PASTOR, REVOLUTION CHURCH: It's been really tough. It's, you know, kind of one day at a time. I'm surrounding myself with friends, lots of prayer. I try to talk to mom on a regular basis. Sometimes, you know, you just go into denial and get yourself full of work, you know?

I just work a lot sometimes and try not to think about it.

But the best thing to do is spend time with her. And I'm really grateful for as much time as I had to be with her.

KING: Were you surprised at the strength she showed tonight?

BAKKER: Yes, I really was. She's -- she's been through a lot. I was surprised that she had the energy to do the interview. I still don't get over it when I see her sick. It's kind of a shock to see her so -- so skinny. But --

KING: It was a shock to me, too.

BAKKER: Yes, it's just, you know, it's really tough.

KING: Let's go back to your mom's interview when she answered a viewer e-mail question about you and your ministry.

Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KING: What do you think about Jay and his ministry?

What do you think about what he's doing?

T.F. MESSNER: I think it's wonderful. I don't think god cares what you put in your body or on your body. And he is just doing fantastic.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Your thoughts?

(LAUGHTER)

BAKKER: Well, I mean it's nice to have your mom who is proud of you. Even though there's been times where we might have agreed to disagree on certain things, she's always really stood by me. And I always know that. You know, that's not a surprising thing to hear is -- she always tells me how proud she is of me.

And how awesome is that to have a mom like that who keeps encouraging you?

KING: How often do you get to see her?

BAKKER: I see her -- I at least see her like three or four times a month, you know?

I'll go for a week or so, you know, and spend some time with her.

KING: How is your sister, Tammy Sue, doing?

BAKKER: Well, Sue has really been a primary caregiver. She has been there constantly. And it's really tough on her. You know, it's hard when you're the one who is constantly there.

But, you know, she's strong but, you know, she's having a hard time, too. I mean watching a loved one who has so much power and so much strength and is just, you know, so alive with life and watching their body turn on them is very devastating and very hard to handle mentally.

KING: How is your dad, Jim, doing?

BAKKER: Dad's doing good. You know he's adopted five kids and lives in Branson, Missouri. We have been playing phone tag the past couple days. But he always tells me how much he's praying for mom and thinking about her. And you know, he -- he's a good guy.

KING: She described it tonight as lung cancer, but wasn't the initial diagnosis colon cancer?

BAKKER: Yes, it started in her colon and it has spread into her lungs and also her spine.

KING: She doesn't want to know how much time she has left. Do the doctors tell you? BAKKER: The doctors have told us in the past and she's outlived all of their guesses. You know I mean I've had -- a year ago they said she would be dead in two weeks. And you know, she's a fighter and I guess, like she said she has no expiration date. She just -- her soul and her spirit are stronger than her body.

KING: When parents are very ill, children often think about what kind of children they've been. Do you think about that?

BAKKER: Yes, I think about it sometimes. You know there are some regrets I have for when I was younger and drinking and carousing and doing all of those things. But at the same time, I've been able to, you know, make peace with mom and sit down and talk. And we're best friends. So I don't know if I was the best child in the world but she would probably say I was, you know.

KING: What kind of mother was she or what kind of mother is she? I'm sorry.

BAKKER: Well, she's a great mom. Growing up, you know, I knew if I came home too late there would be little Tammy Faye sitting in the dark in the corner being like "where have you been," you know. And she did the best she could. We always loved to go eat together, and shop together, and do all sorts of fun stuff. She's just a great mom. She's fun to pal around with.

You know we have an understanding. We go out and hang out and then we both want to come back to her house. I'll go in the guest room. She'll go in her room and watch TV. You know, we just have a great relationship. And she's a really great mother and a great grandmother.

KING: Do you learn a lot from her?

BAKKER: I've learned a ton from my mom. She stood up for people when it wasn't popular. She had one of the first people in the early '80s on Christian Television with AIDS. I mean Reagan didn't even mention the word AIDS during the '80s and here my mom was talking about it on Christian Television.

She had one of the first MCC pastors, which is the first gay denomination. She did an interview with them and always that she might not have agreed on everything with them, she loved them and built a bridge. And I just had a huge conference for MCC and hundreds of people just said, your mom built the bridge between Christianity and homosexuality and we love her and pray for her every day.

And, to me, that's -- you know, she will not be forgotten not just by the gay community but all communities. The people really have loved her because she's never changed when people tried to make her change. And she always stood up for the underdog and for those who were hurting.

KING: We'll take a break. And when we come back, Jay Bakker will be joined by Deepak Chopra, author of best-sellers like "Life After Death." That's when we come back. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

T.F. MESSNER: I'd like to say that I genuinely love you, and I genuinely care, and I genuinely want to see you in heaven some day. I want you to find peace. I want you to find joy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

T.F. MESSNER: I talk to God every single day. And I say, "God, my life is in your hands and I trust you with me." I believe when I leave this earth, because I love the Lord, I am going straight to heaven.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Jay Bakker remains with us from New York, Tammy Faye's son, pastor with the Revolution Church. And joining us here in Los Angeles is Deepak Chopra, the "New York Times" best-selling author and spiritual leader. Among his many books, "Buddha: A Story of Enlightenment" and "Life After Death: The Burden of Proof." He's also founder of the Chopra Center for Well-being.

What did you make of Tammy Faye tonight?

DEEPAK CHOPRA, SPIRITUAL TEACHER & AUTHOR: I think it was extremely inspiring to see her. As a physician I've seen people die in the emergency room and they at first go through denial, then anger, then resentment, and then a desperate hopelessness. There's no peace. When we saw her, we saw peace because she has a relationship with that mystery that we call God. And that somehow gives her the strength to step into the unknown with that kind of peace and that inspiration.

KING: In your book "Life After Death," you wrote that "death deserves to be called miraculous because it's a doorway to a far more important event." What do you mean?

CHOPRA: Well, our consciousness, our soul, every spiritual tradition says is eternal, that it has no beginning in time. It transcends space, time, and causality. Different traditions have different interpretations of that. And in modern science, there's a controversy: does consciousness produce the physical world or is consciousness an expression of the physical world? More and more scientists are starting to lean towards the idea that consciousness conceives (UNINTELLIGIBLE) becomes what we call physical reality.

KING: Jay, do you think your mother is going somewhere?

BAKKER: Definitely. I believe she'll be in heaven.

KING: What do you think heaven is?

BAKKER: It's where God lives. It's where we have no more pain and suffering. And we're able to be with the creator.

KING: Why do you think -- and obviously she doesn't look good, Deepak?

CHOPRA: But even though she's in extreme pain, you can see that she doesn't have that thing we call suffering, which is in the mind, which is unconsciousness because she has found a relationship with that mystery we call God and also she has the ability to give and receive love. You know when people have that ability to give and receive love, they feel safe. They feel closer to God.

KING: I asked Tammy Faye if she was scared of dying and here's what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Are you still a little scared?

T.F. MESSNER: A little bit for my children mostly.

KING: But it would not be for yourself?

T.F. MESSNER: For myself I know where I'm heading, but I know the sadness that comes with those that care about you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: What do you make of that, Deepak?

CHOPRA: Well, again, she's connected. She's connected to her relatives. She's connected to her children. She's connected to actually her fans even at this moment. And she has the ability to crack a joke. You know that's an extraordinary ability to have humor in the face of stepping out into the unknown at this moment.

KING: Jay, do you fear your own death?

BAKKER: Not really. I don't think about it much. I think we all have that percentage of doubt of "what if we're wrong?" But for the most part I don't fear death, no. I mean it's a mystery.

KING: Deepak, do you?

CHOPRA: No, I don't fear death. And I think about it. You know I think about the fact death is stalking me. And every time I look behind, it's a little closer. So in a way we're all on death row. The only uncertainty is the method of execution and the length of reprieve. And I admire her that, you know, in the face of this severe sickness she can be so peaceful and so full of humor as well.

KING: Has this ending, coming ending, changed her, Jay?

BAKKER: Well, it's where the rubber has hit the road. You know she has always talked about you can make it and you know God's not through using you, all this kind of encouragement. And what it's done is it's caused her to put it into effect. And she's taken all this positive -- I mean I can't believe it. I can't believe how positive she stays.

She's had a few moments here and there where she said she was scared or she was worried. But really she's just like, we've got to keep living, keep going, and she's really -- you know, if anything has changed about her, it's just her wanting to know how much she loves people and that's why she came on this show is because she wanted people to know how much she loves her fans and all those people, too, and how much she loves you, Larry.

CHOPRA: I think there is some very interesting material in the "Scientific American," the last issue, about cancer. And it says cancer becomes very aggressive in the face of inflammation, that when there's inflammatory cells in the body and they're thinking to use anti-inflammatory drugs so the cancer remains a little less aggressive low grade and people can live for a longer time.

Now we watched her and she's outlived her prognosis. You know they gave her 15 days over a year. And you know somehow I feel that inflammation in the mind, unconsciousness, transforms to inflammation in the body and because she's so peaceful, her body has actually used that peace to create a less inflammatory response in her body.

KING: Do you think, Deepak, people will learn from her?

CHOPRA: I hope so. I mean, you know, these are role models that we all need to feel safe ourselves.

KING: Jay, do you think she'll go when she feels it's time to go?

BAKKER: Well, yes.

KING: She'll make the decision?

BAKKER: Well, to a certain extent, yes. I think when she ready, she'll go. But you know her body is pushing, pushing pretty hard against her. So, you know, I think when it pushes hard enough, I think she'll know that it's time to go home.

KING: Why doesn't she blame God, Jay?

BAKKER: Well, I mean, I'm sure that there's been times in her quiet moments where she's asked God why. We all do. We all like to blame God for things. But we also know we live in a fallen world and a world that's full of disease and all sorts of things, and that's just part of humanity. So it's so easy to blame God for everything. But instead of blaming God, we just try to trust God, you know.

KING: Do you think she's going somewhere, Deepak?

CHOPRA: I think consciousness projects its own reality, yes. And our faiths, and our beliefs, and our expectations determine what we project into the future just like we do here. What is so remarkable about her is that she has surrendered. And that's very different from resignation. You know resignation is hopelessness and surrender is the faith that she has which allows her to step into the mystery of the unknown.

KING: So you would imagine she's helped a lot of people tonight?

CHOPRA: I think she has helped millions of people tonight and I think we're all inspired. You know we don't even have to have the same religion to see that this is the way to go.

KING: Thank you, as always, Deepak.

CHOPRA: We all have to go one day.

KING: Thanks for joining us.

CHOPRA: Thank you.

KING: Jay Bakker, thank you so much, continue being the great son you are...

BAKKER: Thank you.

KING: ...and wonderful pastor. Jay Bakker and Deepak Chopra.

ABC News recently ran four stories on various aspects of hell. To read all four stories, go here. Included below is the second story in which Matthew Dovel describes his near-death experience in hell.

..............

TOUCHING HEAVEN AND HELL
ONE MAN'S BRUSH WITH THE BEYOND CHANGES HIS LIFE
By Sylvia Johnson and Rob Wallace
ABC News
July 10, 2007

Original Link

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Video

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Matthew Dovel says he calls himself "a hostile witness to heaven and hell."

Dovel is one of the thousands of Americans who have reported what are called near-death experiences. Although science can find no facts to support the notion that people have actually glimpsed the afterlife, many people brought back from the brink of death swear they've been to heaven.

Far fewer report visiting hell, but Dovel believes he's seen both. And he's had a few brushes with death.

Dovel's first near-death experience happened when he was 12 years old and was trying to swim the entire length of a pool underwater. As he surfaced, his friends playfully pushed him back under.

"I was completely out of breath," he said. "The instant that I took the breath of water in, a white light engulfed me. And I flashed back over my life. It was just all these good moments in my life. I was completely happy to be at this place."

In that moment, Dovel says, a "beautiful creature" came out of the light. "It was Jesus Christ and he grabbed me by the wrist, and said you've got to go back," Dovel said. "I'm instantly on the side of the pool, on my back."

'Anger Towards God'

Dovel had been rescued by his friends, but that glimpse into the afterlife left him confused and profoundly depressed. "A rage came over me and an uncontrollable anger towards God that I had to come back."

The next decade became a constant cycle of booze and cocaine-fueled binges, even after he married and had a daughter. "I would drink till I blacked out, and found out that cocaine allowed me to drink more, and stay awake, and not black out," he said.

But the drugs and alcohol never came close to recreating that euphoric boyhood memory of heaven, so he came up with a most unlikely plan to return.

"I just said, 'I can't live like this another day.' And at that moment, I had chosen to commit suicide," Dovel said. "It was like a joy came over me. It would be the answer to all my problems. And the world would be better off without me. And I'd get to go back to heaven."

Dovel bought his favorite gin and three bottles of sleeping pills, and then drove to a remote bird sanctuary near his home in Anchorage, Alaska. He swallowed the pills and drank the gin sitting in the front seat of his car overlooking a marsh. In an instant, he says, he was no longer completely in this world.

"And I get a flash of light and I'm suddenly outside," he said. "And I'm thinking, 'How did I get out here?' And I notice there's no color. Everything's gray. And I put my head back and the moment I close my eyes, there's another flash and I'm in mid-free fall into a pit that's pitch-black."

Reliving the Past

Dovel's lifelong wish to return to heaven had ended in a personal vision of hell.

"It was extremely hot and very humid and dense," he said. "Just smoke coming out of the ground." The experience then became extremely painful -- not physically, but emotionally.

"I'm living in my past," he said. "And all the people that I had met throughout my life, they would come to me and get within my face and start pushing and screaming and I would relive a moment that I had caused them pain."

Then, he says, he saw the suffering his death would eventually cause. He still finds it painful to remember after almost 20 years.

"My mother and I was there when she collapsed, finding out I was dead from suicide," he said. Dovel says he experienced all the pain he would cause people in the future from his suicide -- like his daughter. Dovel describes the vision he saw of her: "She was 18, and she's sitting on the floor, contemplating suicide, 'cause I wasn't there for her."

But the experience of begging to be released from the pain was the most painful of all. "I was on my hands and face, weeping, weeping. Not just crying but weeping for Jesus to save me," he said.

And Dovel believes that he was eventually saved. "I was pretty much lifted up by the back of my neck, and slowly, very slowly, lifted out of this pit. I remember I was still weeping, and a voice told me, 'You have work to do, and if you continue to live the life you are, this is where you are going to spend eternity.'"

Understanding Near-Death Experiences

Dovel says he woke up a day later back in his apartment. How he got there remains a mystery. Did he actually visit hell? Or was his journey a drug-fueled hallucination? Or a trick played by neurons frantically firing in a dying brain?

Counselor and educator Jan Holden, who has interviewed hundreds of people who are convinced that they've been to the "other side" and back, thinks it's possible it's all a trick of the brain, but that the people who've had these experiences are convinced they have been to another reality.

Holden said, "They've remembered dreams. They've hallucinated, and they can say that their near-death experience was nothing like either of those. They say that it's absolutely real. And that their consciousness is functioning much like it does in the body, except for some sort of additional abilities."

This theory likens the brain to a cell phone or a radio receiving these hellish or heavenly images from some other place. Science can't say for sure, but regardless of the cause, the effect is startling.

Of all those who "die" and return, the vast majority are profoundly changed. Dovel says, "This is something so horrific that when I came out of that, I quit a $1,000-a-week drug habit cold turkey."

Dovel sobered up, moved to Las Vegas and devoted his life to suicide prevention through International Suicide Prevention, his nonprofit organization. He helps people deal with the aftermath of suicides.

Dovel said, "I see horrific things that we do to ourselves and people say, 'How can you handle that?' It's nothing to me. It doesn't even come close to what I experienced in hell."

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NHNE Near-Death Experiences Resource Page

.............

War Made Easy reaches into the Orwellian memory hole to expose a 50-year pattern of government deception and media spin that has dragged the United States into one war after another from Vietnam to Iraq. Narrated by actor and activist Sean Penn, the film exhumes remarkable archival footage of official distortion and exaggeration from LBJ to George W. Bush, revealing in stunning detail how the American news media have uncritically disseminated the pro-war line of one administration after another.

War Made Easy gives special attention to parallels between the Vietnam war and the war in Iraq. Driven by media critic Norman Solomon's meticulous research and tough-minded analysis, it sets stunning examples of propaganda and media complicity from the present within the context of rare footage from political leaders and leading journalists of the Vietnam era, including Presidents Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon, Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, dissident Senator Wayne Morse, and news correspondents Walter Cronkite and Morley Safer.

Norman Solomon's work has been praised by the Los Angeles Times as "brutally persuasive" and essential "for those who would like greater context with their bitter morning coffee." This film now offers a chance to see that context on the screen.

.............

FROM THE GRAVE, A SENATOR EXPOSES BLOODY HANDS ON CAPITOL HILL
By Norman Solomon
AlterNet
July 19, 2007

Original Link

Listening to a video clip of the late Senator Morse speaking in the 1960s exposes the big media lie that members of Congress are doing all they can to impose a schedule for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

It was a chilling moment on a split-screen of history. While the Senate debated the Iraq war on Tuesday night, a long-dead senator again renounced a chronic lie about congressional options and presidential power.

The Senate was in the final hours of another failure to impede the momentum of war. As the New York Times was to report, President Bush "essentially won the added time he said he needed to demonstrate that his troop buildup was succeeding."

Meanwhile, inside a movie theater on the opposite coast, the thunderous voice of Senator Wayne Morse spoke to 140 people at an event organized by the activist group Sacramento for Democracy. The extraordinary senator was speaking in May 1964 -- and in July 2007.

A typical dash of media conventional wisdom had set him off. The moderator of the CBS program "Face the Nation," journalist Peter Lisagor, told the guest: "Senator, the Constitution gives to the president of the United States the sole responsibility for the conduct of foreign policy."

"Couldn't be more wrong," Morse shot back. "You couldn't make a more unsound legal statement than the one you have just made. This is the promulgation of an old fallacy that foreign policy belongs to the president of the United States. That's nonsense."

Lisagor sounded a bit exasperated: "To whom does it belong, then, Senator?"

Again, Morse didn't hesitate. "It belongs to the American people," the senator fired back. And he added: "What I'm saying is -- under our Constitution all the president is, is the administrator of the people's foreign policy, those are his prerogatives, and I'm pleading that the American people be given the facts about foreign policy."

"You know, Senator, that the American people cannot formulate and execute foreign policy."

"Why do you say that? Why, you're a man of little faith in democracy if you make that kind of comment," Morse retorted. "I have complete faith in the ability of the American people to follow the facts if you'll give them. And my charge against my government is we're not giving the American people the facts."

As Wayne Morse spoke, applause pulsed through the theater. I've seen the same thing happen many times this summer -- whether in New York or D.C. or San Luis Obispo or Sacramento -- with audiences suddenly bursting into loud applause when they hear Morse near the end of the documentary film ("War Made Easy," based on my book of the same name).

Even most antiwar activists don't seem to know anything about Wayne Morse. Whited out of political memory and media history, he was long ago banished to an Orwellian vacuum tube.

Compared to Morse -- even today, more than four years into the horrendous Iraq war -- almost every "antiwar" member of the U.S. Senate is restrained and unduly deferential to presidential war-making power. If you doubt that, consider the Senate's 97-0 vote in mid-July that laid a flagstone on a path toward military confrontation with yet another country: warning Iran that it would be held accountable for an alleged role in attacks on U.S. soldiers in Iraq.

Morse's exchange with the "Face the Nation" host on May 24, 1964, occurred more than two months before the Gulf of Tonkin resolution sailed through Congress on the basis of presidential lies about a supposed unprovoked attack on U.S. ships in the Tonkin Gulf. Morse was one of only two members of the entire Congress to vote against that resolution, which served as a green light for massive escalation of the Vietnam War.

As the years of carnage went by, Senator Morse never let up. And so, when a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee neared a close on February 27, 1968, Morse said -- on the record -- that he did not "intend to put the blood of this war on my hands."

A big media lie is that members of Congress are doing all they can when they try and fail to pass measures that would impose a schedule for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. The Constitution gives Congress the power to pay for war -- and to stop a war by refusing to appropriate money for it. Every vote to pay for more war is soaked with blood.

Wayne Morse knew that truth -- and said it out loud. Today, few senators come close.

...............

The new documentary film "War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death," based on Norman Solomon's book of the same title, is now available on DVD. For information about the full-length movie, produced by the Media Education Foundation and narrated by Sean Penn, go here.

”The 11th Hour” is the last moment when change is possible. The film explores how we’ve arrived at this moment — how we live, how we impact the earth’s ecosystems, and what we can do to change our course. Featuring ongoing dialogues of experts from all over the world, including former Soviet Prime Minister Mikhail Gorbachev, renowned scientist Stephen Hawking, former head of the CIA R. James Woolsey and sustainable design experts William McDonough and Bruce Mau in addition to over 50 leading scientists, thinkers and leaders who discuss the most important issues that face our planet and people.

YouTube 2006 Best Music Award winner.

ROSWELL THEORY REVIVED BY DEATHBED CONFESSION
The Sunday Telegraph
July 1, 2007

Original Link

Exactly 60 years ago, a light aircraft was flying over the Cascade Mountains in Washington State, at a height of around 3000m.

Suddenly, a brilliant flash of light illuminated the aircraft.

Visibility was good and as pilot Kenneth Arnold scanned the sky to find the source of the light, he saw a group of nine shiny metallic objects flying information.

He estimated their speed as being around 2600km/h -- nearly three times faster than the top speed of any jet aircraft at the time.

Soon, similar reports began to come in from all over America.

This wasn't just the world's first UFO sighting, this was the birth of a phenomenon, one that still exercises an extraordinary fascination.

Military authorities issued a press release, which began: "The many rumours regarding the flying disc became a reality yesterday when the intelligence officer of the 509th Bomb Group of the Eighth Air Force, Roswell Army Air Field, was fortunate enough to gain possession of a disc."

The headlines screamed: "Flying Disc captured by Air Force".

Yet, just 24 hours later, the military changed their story and claimed the object they'd first thought was a "flying disc" was a weather balloon that had crashed on a nearby ranch.

The key witness was Major Jesse Marcel, the intelligence officer who had gone to the ranch to recover the wreckage.

He described the metal as being wafer thin but incredibly tough.

It was as light as balsa wood, but couldn't be cut or burned.

These and similar accounts of the incident have largely been dismissed by all except the most dedicated believers.

Astonishing new twist

But last week came an astonishing new twist to the Roswell mystery.

Lieutenant Walter Haut was the public relations officer at the base in 1947 and was the man who issued the original and subsequent press releases after the crash on the orders of the base commander, Colonel William Blanchard.

Haut died last year but left a sworn affidavit to be opened only after his death (see below).

Last week, the text was released and asserts that the weather balloon claim was a cover story and that the real object had been recovered by the military and stored in a hangar.

He described seeing not just the craft, but alien bodies.

He wasn't the first Roswell witness to talk about alien bodies.

Local undertaker Glenn Dennis had long claimed that he was contacted by authorities at Roswell shortly after the crash and asked to provide a number of child-sized coffins.

When he arrived at the base, he was apparently told by a nurse (who later disappeared) that a UFO had crashed and that small humanoid extraterrestrials had been recovered.

But Haut is the only one of the original participants to claim to have seen alien bodies.

UFO pieces handed around

Haut's affidavit talks about a high-level meeting he attended with base commander Col William Blanchard and the Commander of the Eighth Army Air Force, General Roger Ramey.

Haut states that at this meeting, pieces of wreckage were handed around for participants to touch, with nobody able to identify the material.

He says the press release was issued because locals were already aware of the crash site, but in fact there had been a second crash site, where more debris from the craft had fallen.

The plan was that an announcement acknowledging the first site, which had been discovered by a farmer, would divert attention from the second and more important location.

The clean-up operation

Haut also spoke about a clean-up operation, where for months afterwards military personnel scoured both crash sites searching for all remaining pieces of debris, removing them and erasing all signs that anything unusual had occurred.

This ties in with claims made by locals that debris collected as souvenirs was seized by the military.

Haut then tells how Colonel Blanchard took him to "Building 84" -- one of the hangars at Roswell -- and showed him the craft itself.

He describes a metallic egg-shaped object around 3.6m-4.5m in length and around 1.8m wide.

He said he saw no windows, wings, tail, landing gear or any other feature.

Haug 'saw the alien bodies'

He saw two bodies on the floor, partially covered by a tarpaulin.

They are described in his statement as about 1.2m tall, with disproportionately large heads.

Towards the end of the affidavit, Haut concludes: "I am convinced that what I personally observed was some kind of craft and its crew from outer space".

What's particularly interesting about Walter Haut is that in the many interviews he gave before his death, he played down his role and made no such claims.

Had he been seeking publicity, he would surely have spoken about the craft and the bodies.

Did he fear ridicule, or was the affidavit a sort of deathbed confession from someone who had been part of a cover-up, but who had stayed loyal to the end?

The US government came under huge pressure on Roswell in the '90s.

In July 1994, in response to an inquiry from the General Accounting Office, the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force published a report, The Roswell Report: Fact Versus Fiction In The New Mexico Desert.

Weather balloon 'cover story'

The report concluded that the Roswell incident had been attributable to something called Project Mogul, a top secret project using high-altitude balloons to carry sensor equipment into the upper atmosphere, listening forevidence of Soviet nuclear tests.

The statements concerning a crashed weather balloon had been a cover story, they admitted, but not to hide the truth about extraterrestrials.

A second US Air Force report concluded claims bodies were recovered were generated by people having seen crash test dummies that were dropped from the balloons.

Sceptics, of course, will dismiss the testimony left by Haut.

After all, fascinating though it is, it's just a story. There's no proof.

But if nothing else, this latest revelation shows that, 60 years on, this mystery endures.

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2002 SEALED AFFIDAVIT OF WALTER G. HAUT

Original Link

DATE: December 26, 2002
WITNESS: Chris Xxxxxx
NOTARY: Beverlee Morgan

(1) My name is Walter G. Haut

(2) I was born on June 2, 1922

(3) My address is 1405 W. 7th Street, Roswell, NM 88203

(4) I am retired.

(5) In July, 1947, I was stationed at the Roswell Army Air Base in Roswell, New Mexico, serving as the base Public Information Officer. I had spent the 4th of July weekend (Saturday, the 5th, and Sunday, the 6th) at my private residence about 10 miles north of the base, which was located south of town.

(6) I was aware that someone had reported the remains of a downed vehicle by midmorning after my return to duty at the base on Monday, July 7. I was aware that Major Jesse A. Marcel, head of intelligence, was sent by the base commander, Col. William Blanchard, to investigate.

(7) By late in the afternoon that same day, I would learn that additional civilian reports came in regarding a second site just north of Roswell. I would spend the better part of the day attending to my regular duties hearing little if anything more.

(8) On Tuesday morning, July 8, I would attend the regularly scheduled staff meeting at 7:30 a.m. Besides Blanchard, Marcel; CIC [Counterintelligence Corp] Capt. Sheridan Cavitt; Col. James I. Hopkins, the operations officer; Lt. Col. Ulysses S. Nero, the supply officer; and from Carswell AAF in Fort Worth, Texas, Blanchard's boss, Brig. Gen. Roger Ramey and his chief of staff, Col. Thomas J. Dubose were also in attendance. The main topic of discussion was reported by Marcel and Cavitt regarding an extensive debris field in Lincoln County approx. 75 miles NW of Roswell. A preliminary briefing was provided by Blanchard about the second site approx. 40 miles north of town. Samples of wreckage were passed around the table. It was unlike any material I had or have ever seen in my life. Pieces which resembled metal foil, paper thin yet extremely strong, and pieces with unusual markings along their length were handled from man to man, each voicing their opinion. No one was able to identify the crash debris.

(9) One of the main concerns discussed at the meeting was whether we should go public or not with the discovery. Gen. Ramey proposed a plan, which I believe originated from his bosses at the Pentagon. Attention needed to be diverted from the more important site north of town by acknowledging the other location. Too many civilians were already involved and the press already was informed. I was not completely informed how this would be accomplished.

(10) At approximately 9:30 a.m. Col. Blanchard phoned my office and dictated the press release of having in our possession a flying disc, coming from a ranch northwest of Roswell, and Marcel flying the material to higher headquarters. I was to deliver the news release to radio stations KGFL and KSWS, and newspapers the Daily Record and the Morning Dispatch.

(11) By the time the news release hit the wire services, my office was inundated with phone calls from around the world. Messages stacked up on my desk, and rather than deal with the media concern, Col Blanchard suggested that I go home and "hide out."

(12) Before leaving the base, Col. Blanchard took me personally to Building 84 [AKA Hangar P-3], a B-29 hangar located on the east side of the tarmac. Upon first approaching the building, I observed that it was under heavy guard both outside and inside. Once inside, I was permitted from a safe distance to first observe the object just recovered north of town. It was approx. 12 to 15 feet in length, not quite as wide, about 6 feet high, and more of an egg shape. Lighting was poor, but its surface did appear metallic. No windows, portholes, wings, tail section, or landing gear were visible.

(13) Also from a distance, I was able to see a couple of bodies under a canvas tarpaulin. Only the heads extended beyond the covering, and I was not able to make out any features. The heads did appear larger than normal and the contour of the canvas suggested the size of a 10 year old child. At a later date in Blanchard's office, he would extend his arm about 4 feet above the floor to indicate the height.

(14) I was informed of a temporary morgue set up to accommodate the recovered bodies.

(15) I was informed that the wreckage was not "hot" (radioactive).

(16) Upon his return from Fort Worth, Major Marcel described to me taking pieces of the wreckage to Gen. Ramey's office and after returning from a map room, finding the remains of a weather balloon and radar kite substituted while he was out of the room. Marcel was very upset over this situation. We would not discuss it again.

(17) I would be allowed to make at least one visit to one of the recovery sites during the military cleanup. I would return to the base with some of the wreckage which I would display in my office.

(18) I was aware two separate teams would return to each site months later for periodic searches for any remaining evidence.

(19) I am convinced that what I personally observed was some type of craft and its crew from outer space.

(20) I have not been paid nor given anything of value to make this statement, and it is the truth to the best of my recollection.

Signed: Walter G. Haut
December 26, 2002

Signature witnessed by:
Chris Xxxxxxx

Source:

Witness to Roswell: Unmasking the 60-Year Cover-Up (Paperback)
By Thomas J. Carey (Author), Donald R. Schmitt (Author)




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NHNE UFOs & Extraterrestrials Resource Page

'SICKO' HEALTH CARE CARD
As seen on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
July 26, 2007

Original Link

You now have the opportunity to print and carry your very own "'SiCKO' Health Care Card." Playing the 'SiCKO' card has worked for a family in DeBary, Florida, whose daughter suffered profound hearing loss and was denied a cochlear implant. Her father sent a letter to Cigna asking, "has your CEO ever been in a film before?" Before he knew it, his daughter's denial was overturned. It also worked for a family in Flint, Michigan who was stuck with a $66,000 medical bill until they posted their healthcare horror story on YouTube.



Download the PDF of the card and follow these simple guidelines:

1. Carry the card in your wallet with your insurance card.

2. If denied treatment, show your SiCKO card to your doctor/insurer.

3. Ask your insurer if they'd like to be in Michael Moore's next movie, DVD, or appear on MichaelMoore.com.

4. Tell them that, if denied, you will seek coverage from your local media.

5. E-mail your story to <michael@michaelmoore.com>.

............

Also From The July 26th Tonight Show With Jay Keno:

'SiCKO' 9/11 - U.S.A. Leaves Rescue Workers in the Dust



Michael Moore's Challenge to the Candidates on Jay Leno:



............

MICHAEL MOORE: BUSH IS "GOING AFTER ME"
By Amanda Terkel
AlterNet
July 27, 2007

Original Link

For the filming of his documentary SiCKO, Michael Moore took sick 9/11 workers to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to help them obtain free medical care. "The (rescue workers) just want medical attention!" Moore shouts into a loudspeaker in the movie, in a futile attempt to win over the security guards. "The same kind Al Qaeda is getting!" In May, Moore announced that the Treasury Department launched an investigation into his trip, examining "whether he had violated restrictions on travel to Cuba."

Last night on NBC's Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Moore announced that "the Bush administration has now issued a subpoena for me, going after me for helping these 9/11 rescue workers." Moore said that the subpoena was unwarranted, since journalists are allowed to travel to Cuba, and "this was a work of journalism." "I was there to help them and now I'm going to face this further harrassment from the Bush people," said Moore. "Aren't they busy with something else?"

In May, Moore received a letter from Dale Thompson in the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, claiming, "OFAC has information indicating that you claimed to qualify under the provision for general license for full-time journalists."

Moore also announced that on Aug. 11, The Weinstein Company, which distributes SiCKO, will donate 11 percent of the box office receipts to help 9/11 rescue workers who need medical care.

Transcript (click here to watch this consversation):

LENO: I was asking you about them in the dressing room. And this is like one of these dramatic moments. We were backstage, and I said, "Hey, what happened with them? I know you took them to Cuba, and I know a couple of months ago the government went after you for going to Cuba" -

MOORE: Took them to Guantanamo Bay.

LENO: Yeah. And everybody to get their health care.

MOORE: Because I heard the al Qaeda terrorists that we have in the camps there detained are receiving free dental, medical, eye care, the whole deal, and our own 9/11 rescue workers can't get that in New York City. And I just thought there was something completely crazy about that, so we sailed into Guantanamo Bay and filmed it, to try to get them the same care we're giving al Qaeda. The Bush administration became upset at that, and it informed me at the same -- when I was on the show last -- that they were investigating me for doing this.

LENO: Well, investigating you for going to Cuba.

MOORE: Yeah, because Guantanamo Bay is in Cuba, and once we're there in Cuba, we couldn't get any help, so we went and got help from the Cuban doctors.

LENO: But a lot of celebrities go to Cuba.

MOORE: Yeah, oh yeah. Leonardo DiCaprio has been there, Cameron Diaz.

LENO: Sure, a lot of people go. But what happened just an hour ago --

MOORE: You want me to tell what happened -

LENO: Sure, go ahead.

MOORE: Ok, well, I haven't even told my own family this yet, so you're asking me to do this on national television.

LENO: Yeah, but it's NBC, so not that many people are watching.

MOORE: Alright. Well, I was just informed while I was back there with Jay that the Bush administration has now issued a subpoena for me, going after me for helping these 9/11 rescue workers.

LENO: Well, no, for going to Cuba, it wasn't for helping them -

MOORE: Well, that's why I went there. I didn't go there like Cameron Diaz to get a tan. No offense, I'm all for her tan. I'm just sailing around on a pontoon there in Cuba, but that's not why I was there. I was there to help them and now I'm going to face this further harrassment from the Bush people. Aren't they busy with something else?

LENO: What does the subpoena involve? Is it because you went to Cuba, is that why?

MOORE: Yeah, because as free citizens in a free country we're not allowed to travel to Cuba, but journalists can go, and this was a work of journalism. But frankly, the larger point's being missed here. The point is that first of all, can we all agree that we should take care of 9/11 rescue workers? You know? And you know, actually, Harvey Weinstein who owns the company that's distributing the film -- the Weinstein Company -- they have said that on Aug. 11 this year, they're going to donate 11 percent of the box office of SiCKO to help these workers and the other workers who need some help.

LENO: That's good.

VIDEO: THE RENDITION OF MAHER ARAR

Maher Arar's award acceptance (shown at the National Press Club for Institute for Policy Studies' 30th Annual Letelier-Moffitt Human Rights Awards) describes his extradition and torture in Syria at the discretion of the U.S. government.

Maher Arar has taken bold actions to demand justice for the suffering he endured as a victim of the U.S. policy known as “extraordinary rendition.” A Canadian citizen, Arar was detained by U.S. officials in 2002, accused of terrorist links, and handed over to Syrian authorities renowned for torture. On September 18, 2006, a Canadian government commission confirmed that Arar had been brutally tortured during his nearly year-long imprisonment in Syria and declared him innocent of any terrorist ties. The report urges the Canadian government to formally protest the U.S. government’s handling of the case. Arar is working with the Center for Constitutional Rights to appeal a case against the U.S. government that was dismissed on national security grounds. He will accept his award via video because he is still barred from entry into the United States.

Maher Arar shared this 2006 Letelier-Moffitt International Award with the Center for Constitutional Rights, fighting the legal battle on behalf of Mr. Arar.

Watch On NHNE's Community Website

Watch On The Democracy Now! Website

Watch On Google Video

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WIKIPEDIA ON MAHER ARAR

Maher Arar (born 1970 in Syria) is a Canadian software engineer who was victimized by the United States policy of extraordinary rendition, a process where detainees are transferred from one country to another, with the expectation that they may be tortured in the country to which they are rendered.

Arar, a Syrian-born Canadian citizen, was detained during a layover at John F. Kennedy International Airport in September 2002 on his way home to his family in Canada. He was held in solitary confinement in the U.S. for nearly two weeks, interrogated, and denied meaningful access to a lawyer. The Bush administration labeled him a member of Al Qaeda and rendered him, not to Canada, his home and country of citizenship, but to Syrian intelligence authorities, known by the U.S. government to practice torture. While in Syria, he was regularly tortured for almost a year before being released to Canada.

Both the Canadian and Syrian governments have publicly cleared Arar of any links to terrorism. The United States government, however, refuses to clear Arar’s name and continues to have both him and his family on a watchlist.

His U.S. attorneys at the Center for Constitutional Rights are currently pursuing his case, Arar v. Ashcroft, which seeks compensatory damages on Arar’s behalf and also a declaration that the actions of the U.S. government were illegal and violated his constitutional, civil, and international human rights.

Junoon is an internationally famous Pakistani rock band that has been at the forefront of advocating peace between countries and cultures around the world. "Music," the lead singer declares, "is the most subversive force on the face of the Earth." Their outspoken views on peace have resulted in near constant death threats and being banned from their own country, twice. But it has also gained them wildly enthusiastic fans, especially in their home country of Pakistan and neighboring country of India (in spite of the fact that India and Pakistan have a long history of violence and intense animosity towards one another). Along with playing all over the world, winning international music awards, and even coming to America to help raise money for victims of the 911 terrorist attack, they are also the first rock band to perform a concert in The United Nations General Assembly Hall.



For more information, check out Junoon's website.

A six minute film about "Buddha Boy" Ram Bahadur Bomzon in Nepal. The authors spoke to his brother and mother and had it their conversations translated into English. December 2005.



FOR MORE INFORMATION:

buddhaboyinnepal.blogspot.com

Wikipedia on Ram Bahadur Bomjon

--------------

PREVIOUS NHNE NEWS LIST ARTICLES:

UPDATE 16: MORE ON BUDDHA BOY BUNKER (3/27/2007):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nhnenews/message/12770

UPDATE 15: NEPAL'S BUDDHA BOY PLANS LIVE BURIAL (3/26/2007):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nhnenews/message/12768

UPDATE 14: 'BUDDHA BOY' DOES SECOND VANISHING ACT (3/10/2007):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nhnenews/message/12696

UPDATE 13: MIRROR 'EXCLUSIVE' ON 'BUDDHA BOY' RAM BAHADUR BOMJAN (12/28/2006):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nhnenews/message/12341

UPDATE 12: 'BUDDHA BOY' BOMJON FOUND IN BARA JUNGLE (12/25/2006):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nhnenews/message/12328

'BUDDHA BOY' UPDATE 11 (3/20/2006):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nhnenews/message/11019

'BUDDHA BOY' UPDATE 10 (BOY FOUND) (3/19/2006):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nhnenews/message/11007

'BUDDHA BOY' UPDATE 9 (3/13/2006):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nhnenews/message/10967

'BUDDHA BOY' UPDATE 8 (BOY STILL MISSING) (3/13/2006):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nhnenews/message/10965

'BUDDHA BOY' UPDATE 7 (BOY REPORTED MISSING) (3/11/2006):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nhnenews/message/10956

'BUDDHA BOY' UPDATE 6 (2/24/2006):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nhnenews/message/10866

'BUDDHA BOY' UPDATE 5 (2/10/2006):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nhnenews/message/10805

'BUDDHA BOY' UPDATE 4 (1/27/2006):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nhnenews/message/10745

'BUDDHA BOY' UPDATE 3 (12/5/2006):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nhnenews/message/10493

MORE ON 'BUDDHA BOY' INVESTIGATION (12/02/2005):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nhnenews/message/10478

NEPAL TO PROBE MYSTERY 'BUDDHA BOY' (11/28/2005):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nhnenews/message/10439

PILGRIMS FLOCK TO SEE RAM BOMJON, THE 'BUDDHA BOY' (11/21/2005):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nhnenews/message/10393