People connecting with people (and, more recently, advertisers, but that’s another story) is the basis of the social networking site Facebook.com. But now, as the Washington Post reports, Syria has banned access to the popular site.

Ammar al-Qurabi, head of the National Association for Human Rights, said little independent political content published by Syrians on the Internet is now tolerated.

“We have asked officials and they said Facebook could become a conduit for Israeli penetration of our youth, but the real reason for blocking the forum because it provides for criticism of the authorities,” Qurabi said.

“There is now an ‘Internet political crimes’ ward at one prison. Internet cafes have been required to limit their communications services,” said Qurabi.

Activists who have published Internet articles are often summoned for interrogation and several have been arrested. Dozens of sites have been banned for what officials deem as subversive activity.

Facebook is but one of many sites banned by the government, chief among them Lebanese and other Arabic language newspapers that would be critical of the Syrian government, but when it’s “part of a crackdown on political activism on the Internet,” something is truly rotten. At what point does the banning of sites that don’t toe the party line cause unrest, and start people asking crucial questions, i.e., Is Israeli penetration of the youth a bad thing? Don’t expect to see much change soon, but Syrian society is liberal enough (culturally, not politically, at least right now) that we could see a civil revolution and Damascus could rise again.

This came across my desk this morning:

Did Noah’s Flood Affect Our Climate?

New Grizzly Adams TV/DVD Documentary Explains How It Probably Happened
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Miraculous Messages: From Noah’s Flood to the End Times, a new documentary from Grizzly Adams® Productions, confronts the issue of global warming head-on with both religious and scientific experts who maintain that man’s contribution is minimal—and that global warming trends may primarily be a result of Noah’s Flood.

The documentary explores how Noah built his massive Ark, the number of animals aboard, and where the Ark landed, based on research from scholars and scientists in various fields. In addition, Miraculous Messages explains in depth how a catastrophic worldwide flood could have happened and the current evidences left behind from this event.

When it comes to climate change, however, “It’s important to step back from the headlines and clarify what we’re really dealing with when we talk about global warming,” says David Balsiger, senior producer of Grizzly Adams Productions.

Miraculous Messages: From Noah’s Flood to the End Times is based partially on Balsiger’s book of the same title, coauthored by Charles E. Sellier, president of Grizzly Adams, and In the Beginning: Compelling Evidence for Creation and the Flood by Dr. Walter Brown.

In Miraculous Messages Dr. John Baumgardner, retired geophysicist and researcher, does not dispute the earth’s experience of increasingly warmer temperatures—but he contends the primary cause is not related to man’s burning of coal and oil. Baumgardner spent 12 years working on a global ocean model at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and was directly involved in climate research.

Dr. Baumgardner notes that the earth has experienced warming and cooling cycles several times since Noah’s Flood estimated to have occurred approximately 5,000 years ago. One such period was from AD 900 to 1300. “During that time the Vikings colonized Greenland, and abundant farming, grasslands, herds, and even vineyards were present in Greenland.” The “Little Ice Age” followed this warm period. In AD 1600, during this period, the Thames River in London froze.

With unmistakable evidence of significant variations in global temperature over the past 2,000 years, the current warming is “not out of range,” Baumgardner explains. “Current warming actually started in the 1800s and accelerated during the 20th century, so now we’re about a degree warmer than we were 100 years ago,” he adds.

Miraculous Messages looks at additional factors that affect climate cycles. According to Dr. Baumgardner, recent research indicates a connection between the amount of solar (magnetic) activity on the sun and the average temperature of the earth’s surface. “Currently solar activity is high. There are fewer cosmic rays reaching into the atmosphere and, as a result, less clouds and higher temperatures.”

Dr. Walter Brown, retired U.S. Air Force colonel, mechanical engineer and former Chief of Science and Technology Studies at the Air War College, is another scientist featured in Miraculous Messages. According to Dr. Brown, it is inevitable that man contributes to some global warming, “but the amount is probably not large and no one really knows the extent.”

“Those who argue that man is the sole cause of global warming,” he adds, “have overlooked a key question: Why does the Earth have so much ice—[8 million cubic miles]—in the first place?”

“The Hydroplate Theory” developed by Dr. Brown “provides a far better explanation of the earth’s anomalies and present condition than the other more prevalent, well propagated, but highly implausible theories.”

For example, what about the ice caps? “For a few centuries after Noah’s Flood, much of the moisture that evaporated from the warm oceans fell as snow and accumulated as glaciers on the high cold continents,” he explains.

“Ice accumulation eventually peaked [during the Ice Age], and as the amount of ice decreased on the earth, less of the sun’s radiation was reflected off the ice sheets back into outer space, so then more of the sun’s radiation warmed up the earth, which caused more of the ice to melt, which then caused even less of the sun’s energy to go out into outer space so that even more ice melted. This cycle has been continuing, and it will continue and it will accelerate.”

Until there is another Flood like Noah’s? Some may speculate.

“Global warming is a hot-button issue, and many people believe that the melting of the ice caps will lead to catastrophic worldwide flooding,” said Miraculous Messages writer Sharon Dymmel. “The Bible describes what The End will be like, and it will not happen by a Flood.”

Miraculous Messages will air on network television in the first quarter of 2008 and will be released on DVD. The DVD will include bonus features that look at ancient cultural and historical flood accounts in addition to geological and archaeological evidences of Noah’s Flood. The DVD also will include a FaithGrowersTM Curriculum, Pastor’s Sermon Outline and Listener’s Notes, as well as Spanish subtitles.

I bet it’ll have reenactments and everything. Put it on your must-watch list.

No wait, I take that back. This is, in fact, about as large as they come.

That’s right. Direct to my door, via Fedex. And it was even cold!

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert gave a speech to the gathering at the peace summit held in Annapolis, Md. today. Some highlights, via JTA:

The memory of the failures of the near and distant past weighs heavy on us. The dreadful terrorism perpetrated by Palestinian terrorist organizations has affected thousands of Israeli citizens, destroyed families and attempted to disrupt the lives of all the citizens of Israel. I witnessed it personally during my term as Mayor of Jerusalem, at times of bombings at cafes, buses and recreational centers in Jerusalem and other cities in the State of Israel.
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I do not ignore all the obstacles which are sure to emerge along the way. They are right in front of me. I came here, despite the concerns and doubts and hesitations, to say to you, President Mahmoud Abbas, and through you, to your people and to the entire Arab world: It is time. We no longer, and you no longer, have the privilege of clinging to dreams which are disconnected from the sufferings of our peoples, the hardships they experience daily and the burden of living under ongoing uncertainty, with no chance for change or hope.

We want peace. We demand an end to terror, incitement and hatred. We are willing to make a painful compromise, rife with risks, in order to realize these aspirations.

I came here today not to settle historic accounts between us on what caused the conflict and hatred and what, for many years, stood in the way of compromise and peace.
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For dozens of years, many Palestinians have been living in camps, disconnected from the environment in which they grew, wallowing in poverty, neglect, alienation, bitterness, and a deep, unrelenting sense of deprivation. I know that this pain and deprivation is one of the deepest foundations which fomented the ethos of hatred towards us.

We are not indifferent to this suffering. We are not oblivious to the tragedies you have experienced. I believe that in the course of negotiations between us we will find the right way, as part of an international effort in which we will participate, to assist these Palestinians in finding a proper framework for their future, in the Palestinian state which will be established in the territories agreed upon between us. Israel will be part of an international mechanism which will assist in finding a solution to this problem.

The negotiations between us will not be here in Annapolis, but rather in our home and in yours. It will be bilateral, direct, ongoing and continuous, in an effort to complete it during the course of 2008.
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It is clear that the implementation of an agreement will be subject to the implementation of all obligations in the road map, on all its phases and according to its sequence, as concluded between us from the very beginning. We will abide by all our obligations, and so will you.

The agreement with you and its gradual implementation, cautiously and responsibly, is part of a much wider complex which will lead us, hopefully, to peace with all the Arab states. There is not a single Arab state in the north, east or south with which we do not seek peace. There is no Muslim state with which we do not want to establish diplomatic relations. Anyone who wants peace with us, we say to them, from the bottom of our hearts: welcome!
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This is a common interest of all of us. There is a lot which separates us—memories and a heritage which do not emanate from the same historic roots, different ways of living, different customs, and our emotional, spontaneous sense of solidarity with our neighboring Arab countries, which have long been trapped in this age-old bloody conflict between us.

However, there is also a lot which brings us together. You, like us, know that religious fanaticism and national extremism are a perfect recipe for domestic instability, violence, bitterness and ultimately the disintegration of the very foundations of coexistence which is based on tolerance and mutual acceptance.
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I believe that there is no path other than peace. I believe that there is no just solution other than the solution of two national states for two peoples. I believe that there is no path which does not involve painful compromise for you Palestinians and for us Israelis. I want to thank you, President George Bush, an ally in the path of peace, for your willingness to assist in the historic process of peace and reconciliation between us and our neighbors.

I believe it is time. We are ready. I invite you, my friend Mahmoud Abbas, and your people, to join us in this long, tormenting and complex path, for which there is no substitute.

Together we will start. Together we will arrive.

And from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas:

I thank you Mr. President. By calling this historic conference,you have sent a very clear and strong message to the peoples of the entire Middle East, who now watch with great hope as well as tremendous fear of losing yet another opportunity. The intent of your letter of invitation is not obscure: It expresses your personal commitment and the commitment of your great nation to attaching the highest priority to negotiations to achieve a long-awaited peace between both Palestinians and Israelis and the broader Arab world and Israel. We hope that this will be the culmination of your legacy for the world—a world more free of violence, persecution and fanaticism.
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This broad participation also demonstrates strong support for Palestinian and Israeli negotiators to persevere in their quest to reach the two-state solution, which is based on ending the occupation and establishing a sovereign State of Palestine living side by side with the State of Israel by resolving all of the permanent status issues in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the broader Arab-Israeli conflict, which will prove indispensable to forging peaceful and normal relations in the region.

I am proud of this broad Arab and Muslim contribution and the broad international participation because it shows the support of sister countries for the Palestinian people and their leadership to establish peace. Such support endorses our approach, which calls for an historic and balanced settlement that will ensure peace and security for our independent state, for Israel and for the entire region.
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This historic Arab and Islamic shift and quest for a regional peace should now be a similar willingness to engage by all as it will lead to ending the occupation in all the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967, including East Jerusalem, as well as the Golan Heights and parts of Lebanon, and as it will also lead to resolving all the other permanent status issues. Chief among these is the plight of Palestinian refugees, which must be addressed holistically—that is, in its political, human and individual dimensions in accordance with UNGA Resolution 194, as emphasized in the Arab Peace Initiative, and with the participation of sister Arab countries who have borne the heavy burden of hosting therefugees for decades.
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We recognize, and I believe that you share our opinion, that the absence of hope and the infiltration of desperation into the hearts of peoples is what feeds extremism. It is therefore our joint duty to allow for real hope to thrive. This way, we hope that with your full support and involvement, we might achieve a complete transformation and that a genuine peace can be achieved soon, before the end of your term, Mr. President.

Tomorrow we embark on a serious and comprehensive negotiations process on all the permanent status issues including Jerusalem, refugees, borders, settlements, security and water, as well as others. We must support such negotiations with tangible and direct steps on the ground, which will be taken as proof of having embarked on an irreversible track towards a negotiated, comprehensive and full peace. Such steps must involve freezing all settlement activities including natural growth, reopening institutions in Jerusalem, removing settlement outposts, removing checkpoints, releasing prisoners and facilitating the mission of the Palestinian Authority in restoring law and order.

With all frankness and without any hesitation, I have to defend the right of my people to open their eyes to a new dawn free of occupation, settlements, apartheid walls, prisons full of prisoners, targeted assassinations, and the siege of checkpoints around villages and cities. I look forward, Your Excellency, to the day when our prisoners are free and to the day when they can assume their roles in supporting peace and building their homeland and state.

It is also my duty to say that the destiny of Jerusalem is a key issue in any peace treaty we reach. We want East Jerusalem to be our capital—a capital where we will have open relations with West Jerusalem and where we will guarantee for believers of all religions the freedom to practice their rituals and to have access to the holy sites without discrimination and in accordance with international humanitarian law.
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Our people clearly understand the difference between the threat posed by terrorism versus using terrorism as a pretext to maintain an intolerable situation. Our civil, security and economic institutions must be given the opportunity to function, and this process must be sponsored by the international community until our authority and government are able to fully assume their responsibilities.
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It is time that the cycle of bloodshed, violence and occupation end. It is time to look into the future with confidence and hope. It is time for this aching land that is called the land of love and peace to live up to its name. Peace is not impossible if we have the will and the good intentions, and when each side realizes its rights.

He who says that making peace between Palestinians and Israelis is impossible wants only to prolong the duration of conflict and to propel it into the abyss of the unknown. This unknown is unfortunately very known to us: It is more decades of bloodshed, after which we will not arrive to a solution different from what is offered today—the contours and the essence of which is known to each one of us. The continuation of the conflict might also lead to the death of the idea of peace in our minds, hearts and consciousness.
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To Palestinian mothers who are awaiting the return of their jailed sons; to the children who are dreaming of a new life and a prosperous and more peaceful future; to our brave prisoners and to all of my sons and daughters wherever you are: Have faith in tomorrow and the future because an independent Palestine is coming. This is the promise of the entire world to you today. Trust that the dawn is coming.

In the meanwhile, one Fatah-sympathizing Palestinian dead today after being attacked by Hamas. So now let’s see if this can move beyond the rhetoric and whether 2008 will finally be the year. It’s a start.