News of the Day

Dave found this in the Washington Post this morning:

Norway Closes Diplomatic Mission in Venezuela, Citing Rampant Violent Crime

Its not much of a picker-upper, so if you'd prefer to skip reading the entire article, I've give you the highlights:

"Norway will close its embassy in Venezuela because of rampant crime in the South American country."

"The government of President Hugo Chavez estimates that more than 14,000 people were killed in Venezuela last year. That gave the country a homicide rate of 50 per 100,000 people and made it one of the most violent countries in Latin America and the world."

"Kidnappings for ransom have grown rapidly over the past decade, with abductions reported to police rising from 52 in 1998, when Chavez was first elected, to 618 in 2009. Security experts say the real number of kidnappings is much higher because most cases aren’t reported to authorities."

Also worth noting today is Psalm 4:8:

I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, oh Lord, make me dwell in safety.