Ted’s Remarks About Stuff
October thru December, 2014


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Dec. 31, 2014

I have been asked how optimistic I am that social and economic conditions in the USA and in the world might improve during 2015.  Honestly, I am not at all optimistic about this prospect.

I believe that one of the worst things that will occur in the U.S. is an acceleration of Obamacare.  In 2015, people who have not obtained health insurance by the end of 2014 will be required to pay a tax penalty.  This is due to the ObamaCare Individual Mandate.  Most of those whose health care insurance companies have canceled their policies will find that enrolling in new policies will involve much higher, often outageous, premiums and annual deductibles.

Many who are employed, and receive health insurance through their employers, will be shocked when they are laid off of their jobs.  In many cases, this will be due to the ObamaCare Employer Mandate, which goes into effect on January 1, 2015.  Employers who are required to pay for their employees’ health insurance (which often will be very expensive under Obamacare), but who cannot afford to do so, may be forced to let go some of their employees.

Some of the convoluted details about the individual mandate and the employer mandate are tedious and mind-numbing.  They can be found by clicking on those links.

As for me personally, my health insurance policy was canceled Oct. 1.  Today is the last day that I will be covered.  Had the Democrats in the U.S. Senate and House not passed the incompetent “Affordable Care Act” on Dec. 24, 2009 and on Mar. 21, 2010, respectively, and had President Obama not signed the disastrous act into law on Mar. 23, 2010, many (including myself) would not be in this predicament now.  For me, the new rates and annual deductibles for health care would be prohibitive.

Besides Obamacare, lawlessness in this country—as well as around the world—is increasing alarmingly and rapidly.  Police forces around America are under escalating attack, and officers of the law are in icreasing danger of being attacked.  This is not the way it should be; it is very dangerous for the safety of the general public, and it disgusts me.

Some have pointed out to me that the fact that Republicans will be in charge of both houses of Congress, during Mr. Obama’s final two years in office, should give me hope.  On the contrary, this does not give me hope because too many Republicans have compromised their conservative values and drifted to the liberal left, in an attempt to “compromise” with “progressive” Democrats.

Furthermore, Obama recently made it clear that he is ready to use his pen to veto anything he does not like that is sent to his desk.  So, in essence, productive policies and recommendations by those in the federal government who are conservative will be trumped by this president, who has demonstrated numerous times that he feels he is “above the law” and who certainly has his own radical, socialist agenda to fundamentally transform America, which he already has been very successful in doing, to our peril.

Factions of Islam throughout the Middle East, Africa, and even Europe, continue to wreak havoc and inflict suffering and death on multitudes of innocent people—including Christians, Jews, and even moderate Muslims—who will not submit to radical Islam.  A thorough reading of the Qur´an should enlighten people who have the misconception that Islam is a “peaceful” religion.  Just as too many people turned their heads as Adolph Hitler gained his power and domination over other nations, so it is with many who continue to turn a blind eye to Islam—which, at its core, is not a religion of “peace” but, rather, is clear about its intent to dominate the whole world.

There is a very long list of reasons why I feel strongly that 2015 and 2016 will be much worse years than 2014.  I am too busy today to continue elaborating on these things, as there are several tasks I must get done before the year ends here in a few hours.  I just recommend to those who read this that they strive to please, grow closer to, and obey our faithful heavenly Father during 2015 and 2016.  That is the best way to gain His approval and His protection and guidance during the difficult times to come.

I continue to leave open the possibility that 2015–2017 could be prophetically significant, although I will not be adamant and emphatic about this unless certain specific events take place in Jerusalem during Passover week, Apr. 10-18, 2017 .  All the details are included in my End of the Age: 2020? commentary.


Dec. 26, 2014

The best thing about the day after Christmas is the 50%-off Christmas candy.  All the candy I bought today was at WalMart.

I think I got the greatest amount of candy that I’ve ever purchased at once: 240.8 ounces or just over 15 pounds.  Yikes!  It wasn’t all for me, though; it also was for a couple of other friends who were too busy to go out and buy some.

15+ pounds of Christmas candy

I do not eat candy everyday, and I rarely eat more than 1-2 pieces at once.  But when I want some, I want it now.  Oh yeah...it always has to be some type of chocolate.


Dec. 25, 2014

Merry Christmas to those who celebrate this holiday.  I celebrate the birth of Jesus during the week of the Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkot.  See my Oct. 9 entry for more about that.

Regardless of when the virgin birth of Jesus was, He is the promised Messiah, the Son of God, and the Savior of those who acknowledge that they are sinners and ask God’s forgiveness for their transgressions, understanding that Jesus came and took the penalty that we were due.  In case you have an interest, you can see My Beliefs and Faith for more of what I believe.

My family members and friends know that I shun Christmas gifts.  They represent the commercialized aspect of this day to me, and I endeavor to avoid that.

However, my niece got me two gifts, both of them boxes of chocolate candy, and I was “forced” to accept them.  She knows my main weakness. 

   
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Dec. 22, 2014

I am visiting some good friends in Santa Fe, the capital city of New Mexico.  It sits at the highest elevation, about 7,200 feet, of any state capital in the United States.  It also is one of the oldest cities in the U.S., founded in 1610.

The party was a lot of fun.  I am not very sociable, but I did enjoy talking with several of the people who came.  One guy had a PhD in physics, which is a topic that always has fascinated me.

All of the food and eggnog were excellent.  My favorite was the green chili stew, which is very common around here.  I also thought the asparagus dolmas and the pumpkin flan were outstanding.

         

         

         
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One tradition here, during the Christmas season, is to set up lanterns along sidewalks, on buildings, in trees, and on tops of fences.  Each lantern consists of a paper bag with sand in the bottom and a candle inserted into the sand.

The proper name of these lanterns is farolitos.  Commonly, though, they are called luminarias, although the latter actually are small bonfires.  These bonfires can be seen burning in the small mountain villages of Northern New Mexico.

I went outside and took a few photos of some farolitos on a fence across the street.  It was snowing, so I took a flash picture.  I think it’s cool how the snowflakes clearly can be seen in the photo.  There definitely will be a white Christmas here.


Dec. 21, 2014

Today is the Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere (or Summer Solstice in the southern hemisphere).  In this (northern) hemisphere, there will be the shortest period of daylight, and the longest period of darkness of the year, during any 24-hour period.

The only reason I like it is because, for the next six months, the daylight hours will be increasing each day, which I like.  Otherwise, today holds no significance for me, as it does for many.


Dec. 20, 2014

NYPD Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian LiuTwo New York City police officers were shot and killed by a gunman this afternoon.  The two officers, Rafael Ramos, 40, and Wenjian Liu, 32, were sitting in their patrol car at the time.

The killer shot them through the front passenger side window.  They probably did not even see him before being shot.  The likely gunman, Ismaaiyl Abdullah Brinsley, 28, is alleged to have put a bullet in his ex-girlfriend’s abdomen in Baltimore earlier in the morning.

After fatally shooting the officers, Brinsley fled to the platform of a nearby subway station as he was being chased by police.  There, he committed suicide with a shot in the head by his own gun.

About three hours before shooting the officers, Brinsley had posted anti-police threats to his Instagram page, referencing the police killings of Michael Brown and Eric Garner.  One thing he wrote was, “I’m Putting Wings on Pigs Today.”  The post continued, “They Take 1 Of Ours...Let’s Take 2 Of Theirs.”  He ended with, “This May Be My Final Post.”  On his Facebook page, he included the picture of a page from the Qur´an showing Surah 8: al-Anfâl 60-62.

2 cops ambushed, fatally shot
in car; gunman kills himself

As Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) of New York entered a news conference tonight, police officers stood with their backs to him, essentially giving him the “cold shoulder.”  This came after NYPD union leader Patrick Lynch criticized de Blasio for not supporting police officers after a grand jury decided against indicting an officer in the death of Eric Garner.

Lynch also started a campaign to keep de Blasio from attending the funerals of fallen officers.  Any officers who agree are encouraged to sign a “Don’t Insult My Sacrifice” petition.

Here is a despicable video of a recent anti-police protest march in New York City.  Some of the protests have been organized by Al Sharpton, and there have been similar protests in other American cities.  Beginning at about the 15-second point, the protestors begin yelling the shameful and contemptible words, “What do we want?  Dead cops!  When do we want it?  Now!”  Well, they got what they wanted.

I think it potentially is very dangerous when a police force and their mayor are not getting along, and when protestors are calling for “dead cops,” especially when this is in the nation’s largest city.  Imagine if numerous officers were to walk off the job because they feared being ambushed and killed by a growing number of fanatical thugs.  I shudder to think of the consequences.

God bless the men and women in law enforcement.  The vast majority of police officers across this country put on their uniforms everyday with the intent of serving and protecting the public.  However, an increasing number of these uniforms are having “bullseyes” placed on them.  Without these essential public servants, this nation would collapse into chaos and anarchy.  Unfortunately, things increasingly seem be headed in that direction.


Dec. 17, 2014

The biggest shift in over 50 years in America’s policy toward Cuba may have begun today.  President Obama has announced that the USA will normalize full diplomatic relations with Cuba, will include the elimination of economic sanctions.

This followed the release of one American, Alan Gross, from his five-year imprisonment in Cuba.  He was exchanged for three Cubans spies who had been jailed in the United States.

Historic thaw in U.S., Cuba standoff

Personally, I do not see how we successfully can “normalize” relations with a Communist/Socialist nation that has tortured and killed many of its own people over several decades.  Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, the son of Cuban immigrants, noted that Obama’s decision is based on an illusion.  He added that “the White House has conceded everything and gained little.”

In a speech about Cuba, Mr. Obama said that “we are all Americans.”  I have to be suspicious that an ulterior motive of Mr. Obama—along with his Nov. 20 executive order on immigration and the onslaught of multitudes of illegal immigrants, as noted on June 9—may be to create a North American Union.  That would seem to be a big step toward the formation of a one world government.


Dec. 16, 2014

Lighting Hanukkah CandlesMenorah: 1st NightThis evening is the first night of Hanukkah, which will last for eight nights/days.  Hanukkah also is known as the Festival of Lights or the Feast of Dedication.  More can be read in my Dec. 1, 2010 entry.

It was during the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah) that Jesus encountered some who challenged His claim of deity:

      Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem.  It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon’s Colonnade.  The Jews gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense?  If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
      Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe.  The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.  My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.  I and the Father are one.
      Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father.  For which of these do you stone me?
      “We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”
(John 10:22-33)
Was Jesus God?  There is no doubt in my mind that Jesus was and is the physical manifestation of God.  See my Dec. 1, 2012 entry for more.

Dec. 13, 2014

I last organized my vitamins and supplements into individual compartments on July 19.  Each day, I take the following: a daily multiple; vitamins A, B complex, C, and E; magnesium, selenium, zinc, fish oil, saw palmetto, glucosamine and chondroitin.

140 days of vitamins  Individual vitamins

The supply that I keep on-hand lasts for 20 weeks (140 days).  My present supply will take me until May 2, 2015.  Keeping them in the refrigerator prevents them from losing their potency.

My last supply was supposed to be finished on Dec. 6.  However, I forgot to take my vitamins for a total of 7 random days, so it was extended an additional week.  Oops. 


Dec. 9, 2014

Jonathan GruberThe infamous Jonathan Gruber, about whom I remarked on Nov. 13, responded to questions before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee today.  He was accused of an “intentional misleading” of the public to get Obamacare passed.

Gruber apologized for his “mean and insulting” comments indicating that those who wrote Obamacare took advantage of the “stupidity of the American voter.”  The fact is, of course, that the majority of Americans were, and continue to be, opposed to the so-called “Affordable Care Act,” which is the proper but oxymoronic name for Obamacare.

Gruber apologizes for "mean and
insulting" ObamaCare comments

Basically, today’s interrogation of Jonathan Gruber was a “public spanking” of this insolent man.  Unfortunately, though, it will do nothing toward recalling or changing Obamacare, passed on Mar. 21, 2010, which will continue to be one of the most destructive and detrimental laws ever passed in the United States.


Dec. 6, 2014

In the U.S. Senate runoff election in Louisiana today, Bill Cassidy (56%) defeated Mary Landrieu (44%), the incumbent.  The electon was necessary because neither candidate earned at least 50% of the votes in the general election held on Nov. 4, when eight Senate seats were won by Republicans.

Cassidy says Senate victory is "exclamation mark"
on Americans' dissatisfaction with Obama

Cassidy’s win will give Republicans a 54-seat majority in the Senate, beginning in January 2015.  However, this is unlikely to result in any moderation in the extremely liberal/progressive policies of the Obama administration.


Dec. 5, 2014

A disturbing report has come out saying that the Obama administration may be putting sanctions on Israel.  If so, it would be to discourage Israel from constructing housing projects in eastern Jerusalem, thus appeasing the Islamic factions there.  This report may be unfounded, and hopefully it is.

Obama Eyes Sanctions on Israel
While Giving Iran a Pass

In case Obama does create these sanctions, hopefully Congress will speak out loudly against them.  Those living in Israel, whether Jews and Arabs or anyone else, should not be restricted as to where they can build and purchase homes.


Dec. 3, 2014

Seventeen states have joined together to sue the Obama adminitration over a recent executive action.  This executive order, issued by President Obama on Nov. 20, shields up to 5 million illegal immigrants from deportation.

The lawsuit is being orchestrated by Greg Abbott, Attorney General and Governor-elect of Texas.  Along with Texas, other states engaged in the lawsuit are Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

17 States Sue Obama Over Immigration Actions

One of the points raised in the lawsuit is a claim that the president has violated Section 3, Clause 5 of the U.S. Constitution.  This clause states that the president must "take care that the laws be faithfully executed."

Indeed, Barack Obama previously has stated that he cannot just suspend deportations and that his job is to execute laws that are passed:

  • “With respect to the notion that I can just suspend deportations through executive order, that’s just not the case, because there are laws on the books that Congress has passed.”
    — Barack Obama, March 28, 2011


  • “I’m not the emperor of the United States.  My job is to execute laws that are passed.”
    — Barack Obama, February 14, 2013
However, merely a few days before issuing his extremely controversial executive order on immigration, President Obama said this:
  • "Well, actually, my position hasn’t changed."
    — Barack Obama, November 16, 2014
Obviously, that last statement is not factual.

Dec. 1, 2014

There are various forms of anti-Semitism.  Unfortunately, many Christians are in this category because they feel that Christians have “replaced” Israel or the Jews as God’s chosen people.  In part, they believe that this is because God has rejected and abandoned Israel and the Jews for rejecting Jesus as Messiah.

Furthermore, they tend to take an allegorical view, rather than a literal view, of most of the Bible.  This leads them to believe that the promises made to Israel, particularly of events prophesied to happen in their land after the Messiah returns (Zionism), have been removed from Israel and, instead, applied to the Church.

I disagree with all of that, as explained in my commentary, God’s Covenant: with Israel or the Church?  Also, here is an article that provides further details:

Christian Anti-Zionism

Nov. 30, 2014

I get asked if I think there is a possibility that we have entered the period known as the “70th Week of Daniel,” as prophesied in Daniel 9:27.  Actually, I do feel that it is possible, although I am not adamant about this.

However, I do not believe that we will know for certain until Passover week, Apr. 10-18, 2017.  More details about why I feel it is possible that the final half (3½ years) could begin at that time can be found in the following email response I have written, as well as in my commentary about this topic:


Nov. 27, 2014

This is Thanksgiving Day in the USA.  Our first president, George Washington, issued a General Thanksgiving Proclamation.  Its focus is on the Almighty God, to whom we all should be thankful for both good and happy times, as well as bad and sad times.

In his instructions to the Thessalonians, the apostle Paul wrote the following:

Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you.  Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.  And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.  Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.  Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.  Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt.  Test everything.  Hold on to the good.  Avoid every kind of evil.  May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.  May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:12-24)

On this special day, the prominent phrase that Paul wrote is, “give thanks in all circumstances.”  For many who are going through difficult and trying circumstances, this is not easy to do.  Spiritual maturity enables us to understand that we should give thanks even for the thorny and challenging things in life.

It is hard for us to understand why we should be thankful for the terrible things that happen to us, and to others close to us, along this journey of life.  We must realize, though, that we cannot understand the infinite Mind of God, nor can we comprehend His plans and purposes for our lives.  It is in obedience and in faith that we thank God for all things.

Today, let us remember that God is in charge and in control of all situations.  He allows us to go through hard times to strengthen us and to cause us to depend on Him—rather than on ourselves or other people—even more.  It is one of the greatest lessons we can learn before Jesus returns to rule and reign, when He will wipe away every tear from our eyes.


Nov. 25, 2014

Burning building in Ferguson, MOThings are calmer today in Ferguson, Missouri, after a night of violence and fires.  There was widespread rioting, and numerous businesses, automobiles, and other private property were torched, as well as several injuries.  There also were peaceful protests in a few large cities across the nation.

This was after a grand jury found that there was not enough evidence to indict officer Darren Wilson for the shooting death of Michael Brown on August 9.  The jury had been presented a great deal of evidence and had listened to the testimonies of a number of eye-witnesses for about three months.

Ferguson burning after grand jury announcement

If there was not enough evidence for a grand jury to send this case to trial, then a trial almost assuredly would not have resulted in the conviction of Darren Wilson, as the bar would have been much higher.  Furthermore, some of the eyewitnesses in a courtroom, under public scrutiny, might not have been as willing to state what they really saw, for fear of retribution.

Our hearts and prayers should go out to the Brown family for their terrible and irreplaceable loss.  Nonetheless, the violence and destruction in Ferguson last night was despicable, and it will be reprehensible if it continues.

The thugs who are responsible for doing this simply are using the grand jury decision as an excuse to steal and destroy things that do not belong to them, just for the thrill of doing it.  Furthermore, they are misrepresenting decent, upstanding, law-abiding African American people and giving them a bad name.


Nov. 23, 2014

In a pro-football game tonight between the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys, an extremely amazing catch was made.  Giants player Odell Beckham Jr. caught a pass over his right shoulder and then fell backwards over the goal line for a touchdown.  Wowee zowee! 


Nov. 21, 2014

I will be joining friends for a pre-Thanksgiving celebration on Monday.  I wasn’t sure what I would make for the occasion until I saw a bag of ripe bananas, selling for only 99¢, at the grocery store.  At that moment, I decided I would make banana nut bread for the occasion.

I observe the Sabbath tomorrow and did not want to work at baking the banana bread then.  Also, I will be busy on Sunday.  So I went ahead and made three loaves today.

I’m keeping two loaves in ziploc bags in the refrigerator; one will be taken to the gathering on Monday, and the other will be for Thanksgiving on Thursday.  The third loaf is in the freezer; maybe that will come out for Christmas.

         
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My banana nut bread recipe uses egg whites, not whole eggs; so the yolks were left over.  I hate to throw away food; so I made a tomato and green onion omelet with the yolks, which I shared with a friend.  Normally, I would not eat something with so much cholesterol, but it sure was good.


Nov. 20, 2014

President Obama's Immigration SpeechThis evening, President Obama gave a long-awaited speech on immigration.  It came after years of his insisting that he did not have the authority to do this, stating that only Congress possessed such authority.  He spoke for 15 minutes.

Obama’s executive order, which he will sign tomorrow, will prevent the deportation of about 5 million immigrants who have entered the country illegally.  At the same time, it does not provide a path to citizenship for about 11 million people who are in the USA illegally.

Obama's immigration order sets
off a frenzy of debate, emotions

To say the least, what Mr. Obama has done ie extremely controversial.  Many are convinced that it is a lawless move and a direct violation of the U.S. Constitution.  There already is strong vocal opposition to this very questionable executive order.

Susana Martinez—the nation’s only Latina governor (of the border state of New Mexico)—disagrees with Obama’s new policy.  She feels that President Obama should have worked more with Congress to come up with a viable immigration law.

Governor Martinez also has indicated that the president’s executive order on immigration lacks common sense and is not an act of compassion.  In addition, she said that it did not address systemic problems along the border and that those who have broken the law should not be rewarded.

Jonathan Turley, a liberal and nationally recognized legal scholar and law professor, has been a supporter of Barack Obama for years.  However, referring to Obama’s executive action on immigration, Turley has said, “It’s a very sad moment, but it’s becoming a particularly dangerous moment. ... What the president is doing is tearing at the very fabric of the Constitution.”


Nov. 18, 2014

As Islamic attacks on Jews continues to escalate, a deadly attack was made on a Jerusalem synagogue today.  Two Palestinian cousins, wielding a gun and butcher knives, attacked the synagogue during morning prayers.

Four rabbis and a policeman were killed during the bloody attack.  Three rabbis had dual U.S.-Israeli citizenship, and the fourth rabbi had dual British-Israeli citizenship.  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that there would be a strong response to the attack.

Palestinians celebrate "lone-wolf"
attack on Jerusalem synagogue

Nov. 13, 2014

One of the key architects of the so-called “Affordable Care Act,” commonly known as Obamacare, is Jonathan Gruber.  He is a Massachusetts Institute of Technology economist who helped design the Massachusetts health law that was the model for Obamacare, and he also was a primary influence on the creation of the federal health law, for which he was paid almost $400,000.

Recently, illuminating videos of Gruber, from 2012 and 2013, have been discovered.  In one video, Mr. Gruber essentially admitted that there was a lack of transparency in getting Obamacare passed.  He seemed to indicate that if certain aspects of the law had been revealed, there would not have been enough support to get it passed.  He also implied that it was the “stupidity” of the American voter that got the bill to pass.

Gruber was asked by Ronan Farrow if he stood by the comments in that video.  His response was that he was “speaking off the cuff.”

However, two other videos surfaced where he talked about how health insurance companies would be taxed.  This would sound good to consumers, not realizing that the tax would be passed on to them.

In effect, the American voters would be too stupid to understand the difference.  Basically, it would be an exploitation of Americans due to their lack of economic understanding.

You can watch all of these in one 2-minute video below.  The volumes vary from one video to the next, so it may need to be adjusted down or up, accordingly.  Go here to read some of the main text of each video.

The bottom line is that Obamacare was a precarious, unsound piece of legislation that was signed into law by President Obama on Mar. 23, 2010.  It was a fraudulent sham, passed only by Democrats in both the Senate and the House, that was shoved onto the American public with a profusion of lies and deception, as implied by Jonathan Gruber.  It is one of the main things that eventually could bring this nation to ruin.


Nov. 12, 2014

Comet 67P/Churyumov-GerasimenkoFor the first time ever, a spacecraft launched from earth has landed on a comet.  It was an amazing rendevouz with Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

This comet is millions of miles out in space, and it is moving at about a hundred thousand miles an hour.  This was quite an incredible feat of scientific proficiency and aptitude.

Someone emailed me an interesting question, which is below.  You can take the link if you want to see my response.


Nov. 11, 2014

To all the vets out there:  Thank you for your service, your sacrifice, and your faithfulness.  Many of you have paid an extremely high price for my freedom, and I appreciate that.

         
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If you are an American, remember Veterans Day.  Fly your flag if you have one, and thank a veteran.


Nov. 9, 2014

Illuminated helium balloons releasedThis is the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on Nov. 9, 1989.  In a large celebration today in Berlin, the occasion was marked by the release, one by one, of at least 7,000 illuminated helium balloons into the night sky.

Germany celebrates 25th anniversary
of fall of Berlin Wall


Nine surprising facts about
the fall of the Berlin Wall

German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke to a large crowd.  She said, “The fall of the Berlin Wall showed us that dreams can come true and that nothing has to stay the way it is, no matter how high the hurdles might seem to be.”

Former President of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, also was present.  He played an important role in the Wall’s collapse and had a more pessimistic message, warning that a new cold war was looming over the Ukraine crisis.


Nov. 7, 2014

Just a few days after our mid-term elections on Nov. 4, a Canadian has warned that, figuratively speaking, a “second revolutionary war” may be brewing in the United States.  He says it will be because Americans are not happy with Barack Obama’s “fundamental transformation” of America.

Fasten your seatbelts, Canada, and
get ready for the battle for America

Nov. 6, 2014

103.3° in Anaheim, CAI love heat, and it was pretty hot here in Anaheim today.  At 3:02 p.m., it was 103.3° outside and 89.2° inside.  I took a walk around Modjeska Park, and it definitely felt like 103.3°.  It was awesome.

   

   
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Most people probably had on their air-conditioning, but I did not.  I was hoping it would make it up to at least 105°, but unfortunately it didn’t.

I can’t complain, though, and I had a big smile on my face for about an hour while it was above 100°.  The only thing that could have been better would have been to have been sitting out in the sun eating extremely hot/spicy Thai red curry over brown rice. 


Nov. 4, 2014

Obama chased by RepublicansMidterm elections in the U.S. were held today, with a virtual tidal wave toward the right.  Republicans will be taking over the Senate, with wins in Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, South Dakota, Montana, North Carolina, Iowa, and West Virginia, with a probable Republican win in the Dec. 6 runoff election in Lousiana.

Furthermore, Republicans gained numerous seats in the House of Representatives, as well as several state gubernatorial seats.

Tough road ahead for Obama after
Republicans seize U.S. Senate

This is a greater landslide for Republicans than occurred in the 2010 election.  In fact, Republicans will have the greatest majority in the House since the Harry Truman administration.

This election was a repudiation of the far-left policies of Barack Obama and liberal/progressive Democrats.  They have been pushing this nation dangerously close to the edge of a cliff.  In particular, Obamacare—for which zero Republicans voted—is a gigantic economic and social disaster being forced upon the American public.  Because of this terrible law, millions like myself have lost their health care insurance.

Back in March of 2010, Nancy Pelosi said that the Obamacare bill had to be passed so that we could find out what’s in it.  Actually, that is the description of a stool sample.

The so-called “Affordable Care Act,” signed into law by the president on Mar. 23, 2010, is running the national health care system into the ground.  Moreover, its ramifications will become unimaginably worse during 2015.  At least when the new U.S. Senate convenes in January, it will be minus 28 Democrat senators who voted for Obamacare on Dec. 24, 2009.  Too bad even more of them have not been booted out.

Furthermore, Jerry Brown and the Democrat Assembly will continue to ruin California.  This is very sad because it used to be such a wonderful state.  This state has had endured more destruction from liberal/progressive policies than it has from earthquakes.

Unfortunately, even though Republicans will have control over both the Senate and the House, I suspect that Mr. Obama will veto most bills sent to his desk that otherwise would move things in a positive direction.  Furthermore, I am fearful that he will issue several executive orders, claiming that he must do so because Republicans are not on board with his (destructive) policies.

Barack Obama is going to continue transforming the USA into something completely foreign to what it originally was founded and established to be.  Therefore, overall, I continue to be very pessimistic about the ongoing state of this nation under his lawless leadership.

More than ever, I long for the return of the MessiahOnly He can rule and reign, as King over the whole earth (Zechariah 14:9), in perfect righteousness, justice, love, and faithfulness (Psalm 89:14).


Nov. 2, 2014

The ongoing Israeli/Palestinian conflict is ramping up again, with hostile activities taking place on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.  Jerusalem could be in the midst of its most perilous time since the end of the Second Intifada.

Jerusalem lurches towards open
conflict over Temple Mount

Increasing unrest and violence in Israel may lead, sooner rather than later, to the “time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7) and the Great Tribulation period.  I leave open the possibility that this could begin as soon as Passover week of 2017If five anticipated prophetic events take place during that week, I would say that this dreadful time will have begun.


Nov. 1, 2014

Most of the United States will “fall back” to Standard Time early tomorrow (Sunday) morning.  If this applies to your locality, don’t forget to set your clocks back one hour before you go to bed tonight.  If you’re planning to attend church tomorrow morning, this means that you can get an extra hour of sleep.


We went to WalMart this morning to get a few things.  She got a bunch of “girl stuff”; I mainly got half-priced Halloween candy and some Indulgent trail mix (the latter not on sale but reasonably priced).  The candy and trail mix will last me quite awhile, as I do not “indulge” in them too often.

Halloween candy on sale

Oct. 31, 2014

Of all the days of the year, I think that Halloween is the most irrelevant.  It is one of the biggest ways that Satan has made evil look “cute” and “fun.”

A lot of creepy things on Halloween cause some people to have nightmares.  Obamacare causes millions of people nightmares all year round.  I am living that nightmare, since my health insurance—which I had for many years and with which I was very happy—was canceled due to unreasonable and untenable restrictions of Obamacare.

         
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There is one redeeming feature about Halloween.  This is reflected in the following message I wrote on a card to a friend; she likes Halloween:

Half-priced candy

Oct. 29, 2014

A “sensitive but unclassified” memo from the U.S. State Department has been obtained by Fox News.  It talks about bringing non-U.S. citizens with the deadly Ebola virus to the United States, where they would be treated.  So far, the State Department has denied the plan.

Admitting non-U.S. Citizens to the United States
for Treatment of Ebola Virus Disease

Note this word in the header and footer of each of the four pages: PREDESICIONAL.  It demonstrates the ignorance of whoever wrote it because no such word exists.  The word should be PREDECISIONAL, which means the memo is in the pre-stage of making a decision about whether or not to put it into action.

Internal memo pushes bringing non-citizens to
US for Ebola treatment; State denies plan

Even small clusters of Ebola cases in the U.S. very easily could overwhelm the nation’s healthcare system, the status of which is disastrous due to Obamacare.  If implemented, this could be one of the most expensive (for taxpayers) and most dangerous policies approved so far by the Obama adminstration.


Oct. 28, 2014

By a high percentage, African Americans voted for and have supported Barack Obama.  Most of them are Democrats, and they have embraced liberal/progressive tenets and values.

Many of them fail to realize, though, that Obama and Democrats have made countless promises to improve the economic and social status of African Americans that have failed miserably.  In fact, as a whole, they are in much worse condition than they were before Obama became president.  Furthermore, numerous state and local governments under African American leadership have failed those who voted for them.

In the following 4½-minute video, four very smart African American men in Chicago speak out against what they see as the real oppressors of their community, which they do not see as Republicans but as “Black-liberal Democrats.”  One even talks about “Black-on-Black crime” wherever liberal Black Democrats in places of leadership are voting against the interests of Black people.

Chicago Activists Unchained,
Destroy Black Leadership

African Americans who believe that the Democrat Party is on their side need to watch and listen to this video before election day, a week from today.  They should consider that they may have been misled by an African American president who does not have their backs and by other liberal Democrats for whom they have voted.

I would recommend, instead, that they should be looking at Ben Carson.  He is a brilliant, conservative, retired pediatric neurosurgeon who happens to be Black.  He has very logical answers to some of the biggest problems in this nation.  Moreover, he very well may be running for president in two years, and he probably would have my vote.


Oct. 24, 2014

Ebola now has come to the largest city in the USA: New York.  Dr. Craig Spencer, who recently returned from treating Ebola patients in Guinea, tested positive for the virus yesterday.

The night before measuring his own 100.3° fever, Dr. Spencer had traveled on the A and L subway lines, visited a bowling alley in Williamsburg, and taken a taxi back to Manhattan.  Authorities also are looking at his credit cards to determine other places he may have been.

New Yorkers have been told that Dr. Spencer, who lives in Harlem, could not have spread the virus until he began showing symptoms.  Presumably, though, many of them who may have been near him in the past few days are nervous.

NYC tries to ease Ebola
fear after doctor infected

Zale ThompsonOn the same day, a maniac wielding an 18-inch hatchet, Zale Thompson, 32, attacked four unsuspecting NYPD officers, injuring two of them.  The other two officers shot him dead.

Officer Kenneth Healey, 25, suffered a severe wound to the head; and Officer Joseph Meeker, 24, was injured in the arm.  A homeless woman, hit by a stray bullet during the incident, is in critical condition.

Police ID NYC Hatchet Attacker,
Say He Was Muslim Convert

On Thompson’s Facebook page, he wrote about jihad and guerilla warfare.  He was a convert to Islam who talked about rising up against the government.  He also went by the name Zaim Farouq Abdul-malik.

So, on the same day, America’s largest city had its first case of Ebola, as well as an attack by a maniacal radical Islamist.  I doubt that either one will be the last of its kind in NYC and certainly not in the nation.


Oct. 23, 2014

A partial eclipse of the sun, visible in most of North America, takes place today.  That means that it is a new moon, and the Jewish month of Cheshvan begins at sunset.

Partial Solar Eclipse Map October 23, 2014  Partial Solar Eclipse October 23, 2014

During the eclipse, the sun will be dimmer than usual.  Some may be tempted to look directly at the sun at this time.  However, that should not be done—even with sunglasses—as damage to the macula and retina could occur.


The partial solar eclipse is over.  I thought about driving up to Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles to watch it on a screen, but I didn’t want to deal with the traffic or the crowds.  Maybe I would have if it had been a total eclipse.

Phases of partial solar eclipse

As an optometric physician (see my human eye site) who is interested in geometrical optics, I made a simple pinhole apparatus to view an image of the eclipse.  I poked a tiny hhole in a piece of paper, let the sun shine through the hole, and viewed the image on another piece of paper.  I made this diagram to show how the image of the eclipsed sun is inverted (upside down) and reversed (backwards):

Geometry of a Pinhole Camera

Oct. 22, 2014

Parliament room barricadedA recent convert to Islam, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, 32, shot and killed a Canadian soldier at the National War Memorial in Ottawa today.  The unarmed soldier, Nathan Cirillo, 24, was the father of a young son.

This was only two days after Martin Couture-Rouleau, 20, killed another Canadian soldier by hitting him with his car.  Couture-Rouleau also was a recent convert to Islam.

The terrorist today also exchanged fire with guards inside Parliament.  This important building and much of the downtown area in the nation’s capital were on lockdown for hours.

Dozens of shots were fired inside the Parliament building.  When those inside the Conservative Party caucus room heard the gunshots, they barricaded the door shut.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper was in the building at the time.  He later said that today’s events were a grim reminder that Canada is not immune to the types of terrorist attacks seen elsewhere in the world.

Terrorist gunman at Canadian Parliament
was a recent convert to Islam

The jihadist, Zehaf-Bibeau, was born in Quebec and most likely was an ISIS sympathizer.  The West certainly has not seen the end of attacks like these, and worse, by “home-grown” Islamic terrorists.  If Americans think that the Capitol building in Washington, DC, is exempt from such an attack, they need to think twice.


Oct. 20, 2014

The proper time-sequencing of the book of Revelation can be puzzling in some places.  For instance, one might think that, chronologically, chapters 12 & 13 take place after chapter 11.  This is not the case, though.  Someone specifically asked about it here, and my response is included:


Oct. 17, 2014

Today is the 25th anniversary of the 6.9 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.  A great deal of damage was done to San Francisco and the Bay Area due to that sizeable quake.

The temblor interrupted the third game of the World Series between the San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics.  Because of this, a great many people in the Bay Area were watching the game rather than driving on streets and freeways, and rush hour traffic was lighter than normal.  Most likely, this resulted in a small fraction of the injuries and deaths that otherwise would have occurred, had the quake taken place on a typical weekday.

It was late afternoon that day, and I was sound asleep in a chair next to the swimming pool half a block away from my home in Irvine.  At 5:04 p.m., I suddenly woke up but had no idea why.  It felt like someone had shaken my chair, but no one was around and there were no unusual noises.  I am an extremely light sleeper, though.

I got up, walked home, turned on the TV, and soon saw news about the large earthquake.  To this day, I suspect that a small wave from the quake jarred me awake, even though I was located almost 350 miles southeast of the epicenter.


Oct. 16, 2014

It has been determined that a second nurse at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas has been infected by the Ebola virus.  Even worse, the young lady was on public Frontier Airlines flight 1143 from Cleveland to Dallas on Oct. 13.

As a result, two pilots and four flight attendants on that flight have been placed on paid leave for 21 days.  That is the anticipated incubation period of the Ebola virus.

The nurse, who had treated Ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan, contacted the Centers for Disease Control to inform them that her temperature had gone up to 99.5°.  However the CDC gave her permission to board the flight because that temperature was below their “safe” cut-off level of 100.4°.

Nurse Who Contracted Ebola Called
CDC Before Flight, Official Says

I am convinced that Ebola can be spread more easily than the CDC has stated.  I also believe that it will continue to spread, regardless of the Obama administration’s assurance that Americans have virtually nothing to be concerned about.  On the contrary, I am very concerned and worried.


Oct. 15, 2014

It’s my birthday, and I wanted to spend most of it alone.  Besides, almost everybody I know was working, plus I prefer not to receive cards or gifts.

I started off the day with a free breakfast at Denny’s in San Diego.  Normally, I would not eat a meal that fattening; however, I am a sucker for free stuff; so I made an exception.    It was very tasty.

   
8-second slideshow

Later, I had the red curry vegetarian lunch special at Taste of Thai.  Not only is their food delicious but they make it as hot and spicy as I like it.

When they ask me how hot I want it on a scale of 1 to 10, I say “15” and add “ped mak mak,” which means “as spicy as possible.”  I know it’s hot enough when the hair on the back of my neck gets wet, which it did.

Furthermore, I like the fact that I can eat outside, plus they give a 10% discount if I pay in cash.  So for a $5.95 lunch, I pay $5.78, including tax...such a deal.

         
15-second slideshow

Next, I went to Peet’s for coffee and to check my email, then to hang out at Balboa Park, which is a very relaxing place.  I always enjoy walking around there and snapping photos.

 
5-second slideshow

           

           

           

           

           

           
1¾-minute slideshow

I think my favorite thing that I saw at Balboa Park today was the Christian booth displaying a sign that said the following:

A “blood donor” saved my life.  His name is “Jesus” and He is waiting & wanting to save yours!  He gives us “eternal life.”
I also like what the guy’s shirt said:
My Lifeguard walks on water.
Indeed He does!

Finally, I drove back up to Irvine, where a good friend and I walked around Mason Park, one of our favorite parks.  I had told her that I did not want a birthday card or a gift, and she complied.

       

       
25-second slideshow

She and I talked a lot about the declining state of our nation.  One of the main things that disgusts us is the way Obamacare has resulted in the loss of health care insurance for countless Americans.  I am in that boat myself and am very incensed about it.

We noted that not one Republican voted for this disastrous law, which the Senate passed on Dec. 24, 2009, the House of Representatives passed on Mar. 21, 2010 and President Obama signed into law on Mar. 23, 2010Only Democrats, in both the Senate and the House, voted for this horrible law and continue to support it, and a Democrat president signed it into law.

For this and other reasons, I hope that Americans have enough sense, in the upcoming Nov. 4 election, to vote out every Democrat who voted for and/or continues to support Obamacare, which I call the “Unaffordable Care Act.”  We agree that it is one of the worst laws, if not the worst law, America has ever had.


Oct. 12, 2014

For the first time, someone has become infected with the Ebola virus from someone else in the USA.  The nurse at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas contracted it from Thomas Eric Duncan (see the Sep. 30 entry), who died from the virus on Oct. 8.

Texas nurse who had worn
protective gear tests positive for Ebola

We have been hearing, from most sources, that the Ebola cannot be caught from someone who has the virus but who is not manifesting any symptoms.  I am extremely skeptical about that.

Ebola victims without symptoms
can still be contagious

Oct. 9, 2014

Sukkot in JerusalemThis is the first full day of the week-long Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkot.  It also is a special Sabbath when no regular work is to be done (Leviticus 23:34,35).

All native-born Israelites are to construct and to live in booths or “sukkot” (which is the plural of booth or “sukkah”) for a week (Leviticus 23:42,43).  This is a reminder to them of the temporary tabernacles in which their Israelite ancestors lived for 40 years after leaving ancient Egypt.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:1) in a sukkah during Sukkot, not in a stable in December.  The word “tabernacle,” used as a verb, means “to take up temporary residence, especially to inhabit a physical body” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).  So Jesus tabernacled with mankind for a few decades when He was here the first time.

Being a Jew, Jesus celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles and even taught in the temple courts during the days of this feast (John 7:1-44).  In the future Messianic era, during the Millennium, Yeshua/Jesus the Messiah will return to tabernacle with us again.  Representatives from the nations of the world will go to Jerusalem, where King Yeshua will be sitting on His throne, to observe the Feast of Tabernacles—essentially, a giant birthday celebration for Jesus:

The LORD will be king over the whole earth.  On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name. ... Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. (Zechariah 14:9,16)

Oct. 7, 2014

A lunar eclipse or “blood moon” will take place early tomorrow morning.  The totality phase of the eclipse will begin at 6:35 a.m. EDT (which is 3:35 a.m. PDT) and end just under an hour later.  The Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkot will begin at sunset tomorrow evening.

Wednesday's lunar eclipse
will create a "blood" moon

This will be the second lunar eclipse of the 2014/2015 tetrad (see “Blood Moons” on Hebraic Feast and Holy Days and the Lunar and Solar Eclipses: 2014 & 2015 chart).  The first one took place on Apr. 15, which was Passover.


Oct. 6, 2014

Arabic letter NunJesus went to live in Nazareth; thus, He was called a “Nazarene” (Matthew 2:23).  The apostle Paul was referred to as a ringleader of the Nazarene sect (Acts 24:5).

The Arabic letter “Nun” has been used by ISIL terrorists to identify Christians in Iraq and Syria, often by painting it on their homes.  Then these Christians are persecuted and/or killed.  In response, some websites are supporting these Christians by putting out the word about this atrocity:


Oct. 4, 2014

Today is the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur.  It is the highest Sabbath during the Hebraic year.  This year, it happens to fall on the weekly Sabbath, making it even more holy than usual.

       
15-second slideshow

God ordained this day in ancient Israel for the high priest to enter the Most Holy Place in the tabernacle, and later the temple.  He was to make atonement for his sins and for the sins of the people (Leviticus 16:1-34).  It also is a day to repent from our sinful acts and to restore a meaningful relationship with God.

Later, God also told Moses that this Day of Atonement was to be a special day of commemoration.  It was to be a day of sacred assembly, a day to deny oneself (for instance, to abstain from eating), and a day to refrain from work (Leviticus 23:26-32).

Typically, on Saturday mornings, I meet with a couple of friends at Subway for breakfast, and we observe the Sabbath together.  This morning, though, I attended another Yom Kippur service, as I did last night.  One of the things we did was to read and discuss the book of Jonah.

Also, I have been abstaining from food since sunset last evening, which is when Yom Kippur began.  I will be fasting for 25 hours.

I believe that Yeshua/Jesus will return to earth, to begin to rule and reign, on a future Yom Kippur, at the end of the 70th Week.  Here are two email responses I have written in the past having to do with Yom Kippur:


Oct. 3, 2014

The Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur began this evening at sunset.  This is one of the special holy days decreed by God for Israel to observe each year.  Since I am a Christian and feel that I am grafted into Israel, then I also observe these days.

I finished dinner just before sunset and will not eat again until tomorrow night.  This evening, I attended a Yom Kippur service at a local Jewish center.  It was very enjoyable.  The focus was on the ways we have sinned before God and wronged others, as well as the importance of repenting and asking forgiveness.


Oct. 2, 2014

Someone read one of my email responses:

Then that person emailed me an interesting question about it:

Oct. 1, 2017

Every Oct. 1, I’m always reminded of the 5.9 Whittier Narrows earthquake in 1987.  It commonly was called the “Shocktober 1st earthquake.”  Today is the 30th anniversary of that event.

The quake happened at 7:42 a.m., just as I was finishing breakfast before going to work.  The epicenter of the quake was about 40 miles from my house in Irvine, which rocked for several seconds.  There was no damage to my property, though.  The quake was felt throughout southern California and southern Nevada.

I was watching the morning news out of Los Angeles.  A few minutes after the main shock, there was a small aftershock, which I did not feel.

I remember watching two of the news guys, Christopher Nance and Kent Shocknek.  They got freaked out due to the shaking and the swaying lights, caused by the aftershock, and jumped under their desks.  You can watch a short David Letterman video where he talked about it and then showed a video of what happened.

I also felt a 5.3 aftershock three days later.  Then life went on as usual.  Here is a video, under 5 minutes, showing damage from the initial quake on Oct. 1 and from the aftershock on Oct. 4: SoCal Whittier Narrows Earthquakes (1987).

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