Ken Ham vs Bill Nye Post-debate Show
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
A central banker’s ‘license to lie’
By Anatole Kaletsky, Reuters, Jan. 30, 2014
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, who retires this week as the world’s most powerful central banker, cannot be trusted.
Neither can Janet Yellen, who will succeed him this weekend at the Federal Reserve.
And neither can Mark Carney, governor of the Bank of England; Mario Draghi, president of the European Central Bank, or any of their counterparts at the central banks of Turkey, Argentina, Ukraine and so on.
I am not trying to aim a valedictory insult at Bernanke or his central banking colleagues. On the contrary, I am drawing attention to the skill and determination required by central bankers to perform one of the world’s most demanding and important jobs. For just as James Bond has a “License to Kill” in the Ian Fleming books, so central bankers possess a “License to Lie”—or, putting it more diplomatically and politely, to make promises about the future that cannot be honored and often turn out to be false.
Nobody ever blamed a central banker for promising to support the currency and then suddenly allowing a massive devaluation—as happened in Argentina last week and may soon happen in Turkey, Ukraine, Russia and many other emerging markets.
To mislead investors is actually a key skill required by a central banker’s job description. Revealing the true state of national finances at a time when a devaluation or comparable financial crisis is looming might be to guarantee the loss of the central bank’s entire reserves.
In the days when developed economies managed their exchange rates, it was taken for granted that whenever a central banker appeared on television categorically to rule out devaluation, support for that currency was about to be withdrawn.
When managed currencies collapse in emerging markets, the popular anger and accusations of dishonesty are always directed at political leaders, such as Argentina’s President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. In developed economies, too, when central bankers commit themselves to inflation targets or assure their nations that they can avert financial crises, or revive economic growth, nobody blames them when these promises turn out to be false. In Cyprus, for example, the one public official who survived the banking debacle was Panicos Demetriades, the governor of the central bank.
Yet despite this historic record of broken promises and unfulfilled commitments, central bankers enjoy more respect and trust than any other public official. They are particularly trusted by the people they most frequently deceive—financial market investors.
Which brings us to the state of the world economy today. This week’s financial headlines have been dominated by the currency chaos in Turkey and Argentina, but the deeper problem has been a new bout of uncertainty about global economic prospects—and especially about the commitment of the Fed and other major central banks to continue stimulating economic growth.
The question is whether the Fed can restore the market belief that easy money is here to stay—at least until the United States returns to sustained economic growth and full employment, which cannot possibly happen until 2015 or beyond.
History suggests that such promises from central bankers can never be fully trusted. Yet despite this historic record, Yellen will probably succeed in restoring faith in the Fed’s commitment to continuing economic stimulus and easy money. And not just because of her personal credibility, which is strong but not any stronger than Bernanke’s. The reason for confidence is the fact that continuing stimulus and easy money are the only economic policies that will serve the Fed’s institutional interests—and the U.S. national interest—between now and 2016.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, who retires this week as the world’s most powerful central banker, cannot be trusted.
Neither can Janet Yellen, who will succeed him this weekend at the Federal Reserve.
And neither can Mark Carney, governor of the Bank of England; Mario Draghi, president of the European Central Bank, or any of their counterparts at the central banks of Turkey, Argentina, Ukraine and so on.
I am not trying to aim a valedictory insult at Bernanke or his central banking colleagues. On the contrary, I am drawing attention to the skill and determination required by central bankers to perform one of the world’s most demanding and important jobs. For just as James Bond has a “License to Kill” in the Ian Fleming books, so central bankers possess a “License to Lie”—or, putting it more diplomatically and politely, to make promises about the future that cannot be honored and often turn out to be false.
Nobody ever blamed a central banker for promising to support the currency and then suddenly allowing a massive devaluation—as happened in Argentina last week and may soon happen in Turkey, Ukraine, Russia and many other emerging markets.
To mislead investors is actually a key skill required by a central banker’s job description. Revealing the true state of national finances at a time when a devaluation or comparable financial crisis is looming might be to guarantee the loss of the central bank’s entire reserves.
In the days when developed economies managed their exchange rates, it was taken for granted that whenever a central banker appeared on television categorically to rule out devaluation, support for that currency was about to be withdrawn.
When managed currencies collapse in emerging markets, the popular anger and accusations of dishonesty are always directed at political leaders, such as Argentina’s President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. In developed economies, too, when central bankers commit themselves to inflation targets or assure their nations that they can avert financial crises, or revive economic growth, nobody blames them when these promises turn out to be false. In Cyprus, for example, the one public official who survived the banking debacle was Panicos Demetriades, the governor of the central bank.
Yet despite this historic record of broken promises and unfulfilled commitments, central bankers enjoy more respect and trust than any other public official. They are particularly trusted by the people they most frequently deceive—financial market investors.
Which brings us to the state of the world economy today. This week’s financial headlines have been dominated by the currency chaos in Turkey and Argentina, but the deeper problem has been a new bout of uncertainty about global economic prospects—and especially about the commitment of the Fed and other major central banks to continue stimulating economic growth.
The question is whether the Fed can restore the market belief that easy money is here to stay—at least until the United States returns to sustained economic growth and full employment, which cannot possibly happen until 2015 or beyond.
History suggests that such promises from central bankers can never be fully trusted. Yet despite this historic record, Yellen will probably succeed in restoring faith in the Fed’s commitment to continuing economic stimulus and easy money. And not just because of her personal credibility, which is strong but not any stronger than Bernanke’s. The reason for confidence is the fact that continuing stimulus and easy money are the only economic policies that will serve the Fed’s institutional interests—and the U.S. national interest—between now and 2016.
Be Still
A compilation
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.—Psalm 37:7
*
What exactly does it mean to “rest in Jesus”? It means trusting that once you have asked Jesus to provide solutions to your problems or to help you with the work at hand, He will take charge and do just that. It means trusting that He will show you what you can do to help the situation, that He will empower you to do your part, and that He will do the rest, whatever you can’t do. It means stepping back from your problems or work, shutting out the world around you, and letting your spirit be strengthened through communion with Him.
In short, resting in Jesus means turning matters over to Him and then trusting Him for the outcome. That way, you’re not under such pressure, because He is carrying the weight, not you. You’re still busy‚ but your most important work is the spiritual part, the praying, believing, and trusting. When you focus on that, you set wheels in motion in the spiritual realm that have the potential to bring about far greater results in the physical realm.—Maria Fontaine
*
In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.—Isaiah 30:15
*
God does not stand afar off as I struggle to speak. He cares enough to listen with more than casual attention. He translates my scrubby words and hears what is truly inside. He hears my sighs and uncertain gropings as fine prose.—Timothy Jones
*
My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.—Exodus 33:14
*
My little boy came in one day and stuck his little head into the doorway of my study. Now he knew he was not supposed to disturb me during working hours. And his conscience troubled him a little on account of this. But he looked at me nevertheless with his kind, round baby eyes and said, “Daddy, I will sit still all the time if you will only let me be here with you!” That he received permission when he approached my father-heart in that way, every father will know.
That little experience gave me a great deal to think about. Is not that just the way we often feel with regard to our Heavenly Father? We do so love to be with Him, just to be in His presence! Moreover, we never disturb Him, no matter when we come nor how often we come!—Ole Hallesby1
*
Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee.—Psalm 55:22
*
Peace comes not from the absence of trouble, but from the presence of God.—Unknown
*
Our daily lives can easily become filled with stress, pressure, and confusion. But we can stop at any moment and slip away into the presence of God’s Spirit through prayer and meditation, and there find peace and refreshing.—Maria Fontaine
*
Dear restless heart, be still, for peace is God’s own smile,
His love can every wrong and sorrow reconcile;
Just love, and love, and love, and calmly wait awhile.
—Edith Willis Linn
*
What shall the believer do in times of darkness? Sit still and listen. Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon his God. Let him just sit still, as the Scripture says—be still and listen. The first thing to do is to do nothing, to stand still. That goes against human nature, but that’s the wise thing to do. There’s a saying, “When you’re rattled, don’t rush.” In other words, when you aren’t sure you know what to do next, don’t rush blindly into anything, hoping for the best.
Be still and see what God will do. It is when we are quiet and trusting in God that He can work. Worry often prevents Him from doing all that He can. If our minds are distracted and our hearts are stressed, we’re not in a position where He can do much for us. The peace of God must quiet our minds and bring rest to our hearts.
Put your hand into the hand of God, and let Him lead you out into the bright sunshine of His love. Be still. Let Him do the work for you. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving”—by getting still before God—“let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”2—Virginia Brandt Berg
*
There remaineth … a rest to the people of God. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest.—Hebrews 4:9, 11
*
Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. … And ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.—Matthew 11:28–30
*
Oh, how divinely sweet it is to come into the secret of His presence, and abide in His pavilion!—David Brainerd (1718–1747)
*
There is no place where the mind can be as fully renewed as in the secret place of prayer, alone with God. When we come aside from the temporal things that distract and harass us, and there in the presence of God we put our mind on the things of God, the transforming power of God then begins to work in us, and we are changed, renewed.—Virginia Brandt Berg
*
They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength … they shall run and not be weary.—Isaiah 40:31
*
Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.—1 Peter 5:7
*
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.—Philippians 4:7
*
Learn to know Jesus so well that we feel safe when we have left our difficulties with Him. To know Jesus in this way is a prerequisite of all true prayer. This, therefore, is what the spirit of prayer tries to teach us.
As in this way we learn to know Jesus better and better, our prayers become quiet, confidential, and blessed conversations with Him, our best Friend, about the things that are on our minds, whether it be our own needs or the needs of others. We experience wonderful peace and security by leaving our difficulties, both great and small, with Him, who is not only solicitous for our welfare but who also understands what is best for us.
And especially will our prayer life become restful when it really dawns upon us that we have done all we are supposed to do when we have spoken to Him about it. From that moment we have left it with Him. It is His responsibility then…
‘A little while with Jesus—
oh, how it soothes the soul,
and gathers all the threads of life
into a perfect whole.’—Ole Hallesby (1879–1961)
*
You are going to get more done if you will spend more time in “the closet,”3 alone with God. Unless you get quiet and try to seek the Lord, how are you ever going to get anything from the Lord? I am fully convinced that I’ve gotten more from the Lord alone and quiet than any other way, because He can talk to you alone, and you can give Him your full attention and the reverence due Him, and you’re listening.
Even Jesus had to get up at the break of day before His disciples, and walk out across the hills or up in the mountain to get alone with God and get His orders from His Father.4 If Jesus Himself had to do it, how much more we need to do it!
You’re going to have to get quiet by yourself—somewhere, somehow, sometime—if you’re going to hear from the Lord. You’ve got to know you can’t do it, and be desperate for God’s answer, and stop everything else, and listen!
(Prayer:) So help us, Jesus, to remember that we can’t go on without the heavenly vision You give. We all need more quiet time alone with You, to rest and nestle in Your arms and partake of You, to just have You alone to think about and pray about, and to get close to You without all the other distractions. Thank You, Jesus.—David Brandt Berg
*
“STAND STILL,” my soul, for so thy Lord commands:
E’en when thy way seems blocked, leave it in His wise hands;
His arm is mighty to divide the wave.
“Stand still,” my soul, “stand still” and thou shalt see
How God can work the “impossible” for thee,
For with a great deliverance He doth save.
Be not impatient, but in stillness stand,
Even when compassed ’round on every hand,
In ways thy spirit does not comprehend.
God cannot clear thy way till thou art still,
That He may work in thee His blessed will,
And all thy heart and will to Him do bend.
“BE STILL,” my soul, for just as thou art still,
Can God reveal Himself to thee; until
Through thee His love and light and life can freely flow:
In stillness God can work through thee and reach
The souls around thee. He then through thee can teach
His lessons, and His power in weakness show.
“BE STILL”—A deeper step in faith and rest.
“Be still and know” thy Father knoweth best
The way to lead His child to that fair land,
A “summer” land, where quiet waters flow;
Where longing souls are satisfied, and “know
Their God,” and praise for all that He has planned.
—Selected by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman, author unknown
Published on Anchor February 2014. Read by Simon Peterson.
Music by Michael Dooley.
1 Ole Hallesby (1879–1961) was a Norwegian Christian teacher who spent two years in a concentration camp during the Second World War. These selections are taken from his book Prayer, translated into English by C. J. Carlsen and published in 1948.
2 Philippians 4:6–7 NKJV.
3 Matthew 6:6.
4 Mark 1:35.
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.—Psalm 37:7
*
What exactly does it mean to “rest in Jesus”? It means trusting that once you have asked Jesus to provide solutions to your problems or to help you with the work at hand, He will take charge and do just that. It means trusting that He will show you what you can do to help the situation, that He will empower you to do your part, and that He will do the rest, whatever you can’t do. It means stepping back from your problems or work, shutting out the world around you, and letting your spirit be strengthened through communion with Him.
In short, resting in Jesus means turning matters over to Him and then trusting Him for the outcome. That way, you’re not under such pressure, because He is carrying the weight, not you. You’re still busy‚ but your most important work is the spiritual part, the praying, believing, and trusting. When you focus on that, you set wheels in motion in the spiritual realm that have the potential to bring about far greater results in the physical realm.—Maria Fontaine
*
In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.—Isaiah 30:15
*
God does not stand afar off as I struggle to speak. He cares enough to listen with more than casual attention. He translates my scrubby words and hears what is truly inside. He hears my sighs and uncertain gropings as fine prose.—Timothy Jones
*
My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.—Exodus 33:14
*
My little boy came in one day and stuck his little head into the doorway of my study. Now he knew he was not supposed to disturb me during working hours. And his conscience troubled him a little on account of this. But he looked at me nevertheless with his kind, round baby eyes and said, “Daddy, I will sit still all the time if you will only let me be here with you!” That he received permission when he approached my father-heart in that way, every father will know.
That little experience gave me a great deal to think about. Is not that just the way we often feel with regard to our Heavenly Father? We do so love to be with Him, just to be in His presence! Moreover, we never disturb Him, no matter when we come nor how often we come!—Ole Hallesby1
*
Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee.—Psalm 55:22
*
Peace comes not from the absence of trouble, but from the presence of God.—Unknown
*
Our daily lives can easily become filled with stress, pressure, and confusion. But we can stop at any moment and slip away into the presence of God’s Spirit through prayer and meditation, and there find peace and refreshing.—Maria Fontaine
*
Dear restless heart, be still, for peace is God’s own smile,
His love can every wrong and sorrow reconcile;
Just love, and love, and love, and calmly wait awhile.
—Edith Willis Linn
*
What shall the believer do in times of darkness? Sit still and listen. Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon his God. Let him just sit still, as the Scripture says—be still and listen. The first thing to do is to do nothing, to stand still. That goes against human nature, but that’s the wise thing to do. There’s a saying, “When you’re rattled, don’t rush.” In other words, when you aren’t sure you know what to do next, don’t rush blindly into anything, hoping for the best.
Be still and see what God will do. It is when we are quiet and trusting in God that He can work. Worry often prevents Him from doing all that He can. If our minds are distracted and our hearts are stressed, we’re not in a position where He can do much for us. The peace of God must quiet our minds and bring rest to our hearts.
Put your hand into the hand of God, and let Him lead you out into the bright sunshine of His love. Be still. Let Him do the work for you. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving”—by getting still before God—“let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”2—Virginia Brandt Berg
*
There remaineth … a rest to the people of God. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest.—Hebrews 4:9, 11
*
Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. … And ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.—Matthew 11:28–30
*
Oh, how divinely sweet it is to come into the secret of His presence, and abide in His pavilion!—David Brainerd (1718–1747)
*
There is no place where the mind can be as fully renewed as in the secret place of prayer, alone with God. When we come aside from the temporal things that distract and harass us, and there in the presence of God we put our mind on the things of God, the transforming power of God then begins to work in us, and we are changed, renewed.—Virginia Brandt Berg
*
They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength … they shall run and not be weary.—Isaiah 40:31
*
Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.—1 Peter 5:7
*
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.—Philippians 4:7
*
Learn to know Jesus so well that we feel safe when we have left our difficulties with Him. To know Jesus in this way is a prerequisite of all true prayer. This, therefore, is what the spirit of prayer tries to teach us.
As in this way we learn to know Jesus better and better, our prayers become quiet, confidential, and blessed conversations with Him, our best Friend, about the things that are on our minds, whether it be our own needs or the needs of others. We experience wonderful peace and security by leaving our difficulties, both great and small, with Him, who is not only solicitous for our welfare but who also understands what is best for us.
And especially will our prayer life become restful when it really dawns upon us that we have done all we are supposed to do when we have spoken to Him about it. From that moment we have left it with Him. It is His responsibility then…
‘A little while with Jesus—
oh, how it soothes the soul,
and gathers all the threads of life
into a perfect whole.’—Ole Hallesby (1879–1961)
*
You are going to get more done if you will spend more time in “the closet,”3 alone with God. Unless you get quiet and try to seek the Lord, how are you ever going to get anything from the Lord? I am fully convinced that I’ve gotten more from the Lord alone and quiet than any other way, because He can talk to you alone, and you can give Him your full attention and the reverence due Him, and you’re listening.
Even Jesus had to get up at the break of day before His disciples, and walk out across the hills or up in the mountain to get alone with God and get His orders from His Father.4 If Jesus Himself had to do it, how much more we need to do it!
You’re going to have to get quiet by yourself—somewhere, somehow, sometime—if you’re going to hear from the Lord. You’ve got to know you can’t do it, and be desperate for God’s answer, and stop everything else, and listen!
(Prayer:) So help us, Jesus, to remember that we can’t go on without the heavenly vision You give. We all need more quiet time alone with You, to rest and nestle in Your arms and partake of You, to just have You alone to think about and pray about, and to get close to You without all the other distractions. Thank You, Jesus.—David Brandt Berg
*
“STAND STILL,” my soul, for so thy Lord commands:
E’en when thy way seems blocked, leave it in His wise hands;
His arm is mighty to divide the wave.
“Stand still,” my soul, “stand still” and thou shalt see
How God can work the “impossible” for thee,
For with a great deliverance He doth save.
Be not impatient, but in stillness stand,
Even when compassed ’round on every hand,
In ways thy spirit does not comprehend.
God cannot clear thy way till thou art still,
That He may work in thee His blessed will,
And all thy heart and will to Him do bend.
“BE STILL,” my soul, for just as thou art still,
Can God reveal Himself to thee; until
Through thee His love and light and life can freely flow:
In stillness God can work through thee and reach
The souls around thee. He then through thee can teach
His lessons, and His power in weakness show.
“BE STILL”—A deeper step in faith and rest.
“Be still and know” thy Father knoweth best
The way to lead His child to that fair land,
A “summer” land, where quiet waters flow;
Where longing souls are satisfied, and “know
Their God,” and praise for all that He has planned.
—Selected by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman, author unknown
Published on Anchor February 2014. Read by Simon Peterson.
Music by Michael Dooley.
1 Ole Hallesby (1879–1961) was a Norwegian Christian teacher who spent two years in a concentration camp during the Second World War. These selections are taken from his book Prayer, translated into English by C. J. Carlsen and published in 1948.
2 Philippians 4:6–7 NKJV.
3 Matthew 6:6.
4 Mark 1:35.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Teens’ Bad Breakfast Habits Linked to Future Health
By Chioma Ihekweazu, Yahoo Health, Feb 01, 2014
They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. New research may add more support to that claim, especially when it comes to teens.
A recent study found that people who had poor breakfast habits as teens had an increased risk of having metabolic syndrome as adults.
Metabolic syndrome is a group of risk factors that increase a person’s risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
The researchers noted that creating school breakfast programs could offer a potential solution to this problem.
“Make sure your teen gets a healthy breakfast every day.”
This study was published on January 29 in Public Health Nutrition.
They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. New research may add more support to that claim, especially when it comes to teens.
A recent study found that people who had poor breakfast habits as teens had an increased risk of having metabolic syndrome as adults.
Metabolic syndrome is a group of risk factors that increase a person’s risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
The researchers noted that creating school breakfast programs could offer a potential solution to this problem.
“Make sure your teen gets a healthy breakfast every day.”
This study was published on January 29 in Public Health Nutrition.
Castaway’s 16 months adrift on Pacific
Daily Telegraph, February 1, 2014
Islanders on the remote Pacific atoll of Ebon do not see much passing sea traffic so when a battered fibreglass boat floated on to their reef, they were understandably curious.
To their amazement, an emaciated man, with long straggly beard and hair, dressed only in torn underpants, his skin weather-beaten from sun and salt, was inside the vessel, along with a turtle.
He had a remarkable story to tell, saying that he had survived 16 months adrift on the Pacific, eating turtles, birds and fish that he caught with his hands and drinking turtle blood and rainwater.
It is a story reminiscent of the Tom Hanks film Cast Away. And if details are confirmed, it is believed he will claim the record for surviving the longest time adrift after floating more than 8,000 miles from Mexico.
The details are still sketchy, not least as the man speaks only Spanish and there is only one telephone and no internet connection on the atoll, the southern-most outpost of the Marshall Islands.
He has communicated that his name is Jose Ivan and that he left Mexico for El Salvador in September 2012 with a companion who died at sea several months ago. His story was in turn relayed to the world by Ola Fjelstad, a Norwegian anthropology student conducting research on the atoll, who spoke by telephone to a news agency.
“His condition isn’t good, but he’s getting better,” Mr Fjeldstad said. “The boat is really scratched up and looks like it has been in the water for a long time.”
Mr Ivan indicated that he survived by eating turtles, birds and fish caught by hand as there was no fishing gear on board. He drank turtle blood when there was no rain.
The men who found him took him to the main island on the atoll to meet Ione de Brum, the mayor, who used the single phone to call foreign officials in Majuro, the Marshall’s capital.
The castaway’s voyage is not over yet. The government airline has only one plane that can land at Ebon but that aircraft is out of service for maintenance and not expected to be available before Tuesday. Officials may instead send a boat to pick him up and bring him to Majuro, from where there are international air connections.
“He’s staying at the local council house and a family is feeding him,” said Mr Fjeldstad. “We’ve been giving him a lot of water, and he’s gaining strength.”
Jose Ivan was given a basic health check and was found to have low blood pressure, but he is walking slowly with the assistance of islanders and does not appear to have any life-threatening illness.
Home to fewer than 1,000 people, Ebon is a coral atoll of 22 islands, with a land mass of just 2.2 square miles and a highest elevation of nine feet, strung around a deep lagoon. It is one of 24 atolls that make up the Marshall Islands, which have a population of about 60,000.
Mr Ivan’s boat is a 24ft fibreglass vessel with propeller-less engines. Such craft are capable of circumnavigating the globe, although he clearly had no such plans when he set off.
It is not the only epic story of survival on the Pacific. In 1992, two fishermen from Kiribati were at sea for 177 days before they landed in Samoa.
In 2006, three Mexicans were found in a vessel near the Marshalls, nine months after setting out to catch shark. They survived on rainwater, raw fish and seabirds, their hopes buoyed by reading the Bible.
Islanders on the remote Pacific atoll of Ebon do not see much passing sea traffic so when a battered fibreglass boat floated on to their reef, they were understandably curious.
To their amazement, an emaciated man, with long straggly beard and hair, dressed only in torn underpants, his skin weather-beaten from sun and salt, was inside the vessel, along with a turtle.
He had a remarkable story to tell, saying that he had survived 16 months adrift on the Pacific, eating turtles, birds and fish that he caught with his hands and drinking turtle blood and rainwater.
It is a story reminiscent of the Tom Hanks film Cast Away. And if details are confirmed, it is believed he will claim the record for surviving the longest time adrift after floating more than 8,000 miles from Mexico.
The details are still sketchy, not least as the man speaks only Spanish and there is only one telephone and no internet connection on the atoll, the southern-most outpost of the Marshall Islands.
He has communicated that his name is Jose Ivan and that he left Mexico for El Salvador in September 2012 with a companion who died at sea several months ago. His story was in turn relayed to the world by Ola Fjelstad, a Norwegian anthropology student conducting research on the atoll, who spoke by telephone to a news agency.
“His condition isn’t good, but he’s getting better,” Mr Fjeldstad said. “The boat is really scratched up and looks like it has been in the water for a long time.”
Mr Ivan indicated that he survived by eating turtles, birds and fish caught by hand as there was no fishing gear on board. He drank turtle blood when there was no rain.
The men who found him took him to the main island on the atoll to meet Ione de Brum, the mayor, who used the single phone to call foreign officials in Majuro, the Marshall’s capital.
The castaway’s voyage is not over yet. The government airline has only one plane that can land at Ebon but that aircraft is out of service for maintenance and not expected to be available before Tuesday. Officials may instead send a boat to pick him up and bring him to Majuro, from where there are international air connections.
“He’s staying at the local council house and a family is feeding him,” said Mr Fjeldstad. “We’ve been giving him a lot of water, and he’s gaining strength.”
Jose Ivan was given a basic health check and was found to have low blood pressure, but he is walking slowly with the assistance of islanders and does not appear to have any life-threatening illness.
Home to fewer than 1,000 people, Ebon is a coral atoll of 22 islands, with a land mass of just 2.2 square miles and a highest elevation of nine feet, strung around a deep lagoon. It is one of 24 atolls that make up the Marshall Islands, which have a population of about 60,000.
Mr Ivan’s boat is a 24ft fibreglass vessel with propeller-less engines. Such craft are capable of circumnavigating the globe, although he clearly had no such plans when he set off.
It is not the only epic story of survival on the Pacific. In 1992, two fishermen from Kiribati were at sea for 177 days before they landed in Samoa.
In 2006, three Mexicans were found in a vessel near the Marshalls, nine months after setting out to catch shark. They survived on rainwater, raw fish and seabirds, their hopes buoyed by reading the Bible.
