Do you know which of the following quotes is/are in the Bible?
Actually, only quote #4 is in the Bible. The others commonly are believed by many people to be in the Bible, but they are not. Quote #4 comes from Job 5:7. As we fast approach the end of the age, now would be a good time to see what God and His Word are all about, if you haven’t taken the time to do so before. |
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Early this morning, when I pulled up the shade of my bedroom window at 5:30 a.m., I saw an amazing site in the southeastern sky (more south than east). It looked like the biggest, whitest, brightest star I’d ever seen. Here it is, regular-sized and magnified (they aren’t very clear, since I was shooting through a screen): 5-second slideshow Of course, I knew that it couldn’t be a star, because no star is nearly that bright (except for the sun, of course). I searched on the internet and discovered that it was the planet Venus...quite spectacular.
During the Millennium, Jesus will receive the gifts of gold and frankincense, since He will be the world’s King and High Priest. But no myrrh will be presented to Him, since His death was once and for all (1 Corinthians 15:3; Hebrews 9:15,27,28). Jesus was the “firstfruits” from the dead of those who never will die again (1 Corinthians 15:20). 15-second slideshow |
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I don’t really like to cook/bake, but I like what I make. Plus, I like leftovers so that I don’t have to cook/bake for the next few days. I made a point to lose three pounds this past week so that I can “overdo it” today and tomorrow. Next, I made a batch of cornbread dressing. I added jalapeño peppers to it; but when they are baked (which will be done tomorrow), they aren’t quite as hot/spicy. Too bad. Anyway, this dressing, stuffing, or whatever you want to call it is much better than any other that I’ve ever tasted. That’s why it’s the only kind I’ll make, even though it is time-consuming. Finally, I like to make whipped potatoes from scratch. I chop up the potatoes into small cubes. Then I soak them overnight in salt water to remove as much starch as possible. Besides the fact that it changes to fat in your body, starch makes whipped potatoes less fluffy. Tonight these potatoes will soak in the water; tomorrow I’ll boil, mash, and whip them. 8-second slideshow |
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I always enjoy flying back into San Diego, my favorite city in the world. Today, I was fortunate enough to do so during sunset. As my plane descended near downtown, I pulled out my camera and snapped these: 25-second slideshow I didn’t hold the camera very level or steady. I don’t know if that was more because of the movement of the plane or because I was so excited to be back. |
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This is the fifth evening of Hannukah (Chanukah), an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd Century. As you can see, although I am not Jewish, I still celebrate the Festival of Lights. I believe that all Christians should, since Christian believers have been “grafted” into Judaism, according to Paul in Romans 11:16-19. 5-second slideshow I realized an interesting fact about 15 years ago. When seeking the proper interpretation of Daniel 12:11,12, I discovered that, each year, the first day of Hanukkah is the 75th day following Yom Kippur. As such, with the “abomination that causes desolation” taking place at the midpoint of the 70th Week, I believe that the dedication of Jesus’ millennial Temple will take place 1,335 days following that infamous day. God’s math never ceases to amaze me, nor does anything else about Him. |
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Most of us live our lives, day to day, thinking that we are “not all that bad.” We feel even better about ourselves when we compare ourselves with others we see in our communities or in the news who, we determine, have committed “worse” deeds than we have. Often, this simply is because they got caught; whereas, our “secret sins” have been interred in the burial ground of forgetfulness. |
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Today, President Bush called the Annapolis summit yesterday a “hopeful beginning.” He reiterated that the summit was only the beginning of renewed “peace” efforts in the Middle East by adding, “No matter how important yesterday was, it’s not nearly as important as tomorrow and the days beyond.” |
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After being stalled for several years, the Israeli-Palestinian “peace” process began again today in Annapolis, Maryland. Forty nations were in attendance including, of course, Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Probably, before long, more such conferences will follow. |
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There are mice in this house, and they’ve gotten into two bags of my snacks. Had they wanted merely to cohabitate with me, I might have “looked the other way.” But eating my snacks without my permission was going too far. 10-second slideshow Actually, it was the same trap that caught both mice. Oops, was that cheating? I even left the same peanut butter in the trap after the first mouse was unable, unfortunately, to finish it. (I guess he/she/it didn’t like the generic brand of peanut butter.) |
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Southwest Airlines has been running a special called “Fly 2, Get 1 Free!” There is a list of select cities for each city where Southwest flies. If someone flies two round trips on Southwest between select cities, from September 1 to November 15, 2007, then that customer is awarded a free trip. The details are here (although Southwest may take down the page after the special is over): Back in September, I scheduled two qualifying round trips. However, on October 1, I discovered that one of my cities no longer qualified. After calling Southwest, I was told that the lists of qualifying cities had changed and that an email had been sent out on September 6 informing customers of the change. You can click here to read a copy of that email, if you want: In the body of the email, I see nothing specifying that the lists of qualifying cities had been changed. The email does contain a link saying “updated city-pair combinations that qualify for this promotion.” But when I made my reservation (after September 6), I double-checked the qualifying city-pairs, and the ones I wanted still were on the list. Conceivably, this could have been because an old version of their web page was still present in a cache on my computer, and that is what I saw. |
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This calendar is stupid (sorry for the flash reflection). You can’t really see it, but on October 28 it says, “Daylight Savings Time Ends (Clocks Back).” However, that is incorrect. DST actually ends next Sunday, November 4. Maybe whoever is responsible for that error will get up an hour earlier than he/she should have and make an appearance somewhere—at church, perhaps—an hour earlier than necessary. There yet may be justice in the world. |
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On July 11, I indicated how I had been undergoing a very difficult time for months. At that time, I did not understand the underlying cause of the worst of my misfortunes. Now I do. |
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One of my friends had his 40th birthday today. He likes chocolate cake (as I do), so I made one. 5-second slideshow As I was putting the two layers of the cake into the oven, I said, “I wish this cake had some banana in it.” My friend said, “Just cut up one and put the slices on top of the batter.” So I put the slices of each half of a banana on each layer, and it turned out great. |
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A friend and I went to the Sonoma County Harvest Fair in Santa Rosa today. For one thing, he wanted to taste lots of wines. I rarely drink, so I didn’t mind being the “designated driver.” 8-second slideshow Yes, I had some. Why not; it was free. Isn’t red wine good for your heart or something? |
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Here are some sunrise and other pics taken in the same place I took the full moon photos a few days ago: 10-second slideshow |
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Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was back in New York again last Monday, speaking at Columbia University. He is devoted to the return of the 12th Imam. This article provides a good description: One of the things I found very puzzling about Mr. Ahmadinejad’s speech (or maybe it was more of a lecture) was his insistence that there are no homosexuals in Iran. Did he mean that no Muslims are homosexual, or that all of the ones who were have been exterminated? |
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I have come up to Northern CA for a couple of weeks. On my way here, I noticed the full moon rising. It was pretty spectacular, so I captured a few photos of it (with various camera settings) after I arrived: Some people may not realize that the moon is full for only a single moment each month. That moment is when the moon, earth, and sun are aligned with each other. Since the moon is in continuous movement in its orbit around the earth, this exact celestial alignment lasts for only an instant. 13-second slideshow At that instant, only people on parts of the earth in darkness, who can see the moon, will be viewing it at its maximum fullness. The moon may appear full for hours, or even for a day or two, before and after the moment of fullness. But, in actuality, total fullness exists for only a split second. Of course, when the sun, earth, and moon are in precise alignment, a lunar eclipse results. |
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It’s “9/11” again. It’s even Tuesday: the same day of the week as September 11, 2001. That means the twin towers came down exactly 313 weeks ago today—and, with them, all semblance of normalcy for the USA and for the world. Although I respect the point of view of anyone who disagrees with me, I have neither the time nor interest in engaging in ongoing, detailed dialogues with others who embrace various conspiracy theories. I do not feel compelled to “convince” anyone that fundamentalist adherents to Islam want to destroy not only Israel but the USA, although I do believe that myself. Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion, and I urge—even encourage—those who have beliefs that differ from mine to publish their views on web pages at their own websites for others to see and evaluate. Click on that if you want to read my somewhat lengthy response. |
I am visiting in Raleigh, NC. Today a record high temperature of 101° was set for this date. That is fine with me; I like my weather the same as my chili: the hotter, the better. 8-second slideshow Finally, I wised up and covered up the bowl with my shirt. Later (after I took the pics above), I was glad to see an army of tiny ants swarming all over the fly carcasses. At least that provided me with a bit of satisfaction. |
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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has made it clear that, contrary to recent news reports, Tehran has not slowed its nuclear activity. He also warned of a growing and imminent power vacuum in Iraq, which he said Iran is ready to help fill. Aren’t these two factors, alone, good enough reasons for the USA not to make a hasty retreat from Iraq? |
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I got away from city lights, up in the mountains, so that I could get a good view of the Perseid meteor shower. It was worth it, especially under a cloudless sky and with no moon (that is, a new moon). These are optimal viewing conditions. |
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Barry Bonds hit his 756th home run tonight in San Francisco. This broke Hank Aaron’s record of 755 home runs, which Aaron had held for 33 years. |
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Have you heard of “colony collapse disorder”? It is a relatively new, sudden phenomenon, characterized by the disappearance of a growing number of honey bees from their hives. The bees simply fly away and do not return. This impending crisis is worldwide and is becoming alarmingly widespread in the USA. |
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In the welfare system of the USA, many people expect to be given handouts without having to lift a finger in return. In God’s “welfare system,” however, people participate in what they get. A good example of this is shown in |
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You may have heard that Islam harmonizes with Christianity, that the Qur´an (Koran) is compatible with the Bible, and that the prophet Muhammad’s writings were given to him directly by the angel Gabriel. I find these claims to be questionable, at best. To see why, read the Gabriel’s messages section in my End-Times commentary. |
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It is Friday the 13th. Traditionally, for many, this is thought to be a day of “bad luck” and misfortune. If you want to be even more bummed out than you already are on this “unlucky day,” then read this brief commentary that I just finished writing: |
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I believe that everybody has “Job” (from the Book of Job) periods in their lives—times when terrible things happen to them which 1) are out of their control and 2) are not a direct result of their own actions or errors, and 3) seem to have no logical reason or apparent justification. By far, it has been the most difficult year of my life. If you have not read the Book of Job and do not know what I am talking about, you should. |
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I was in downtown Birmingham, AL, today. Here are pics of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church (bombed in 1963) and the Civil Rights Museum across the street: 5-second slideshow You can read more about the tragic bombing of the church here: |
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I am visiting friends in Alabama, and we attended a fun 4th of July party today. The food was pretty rich and fattening (not things that I typically will eat), but it sure was tasty. Here are a few pictures of the spread: Also, I didn’t get pictures of any fireworks, although I did see some. However, I did photograph a blooming red hibiscus outside that is exploding with color. 20-second slideshow Wow, it’s true. |
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Today, there was a suicide car bomb attack in Glascow. Yesterday, there were two similar, though failed, attack attempts in London. |
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Jesus and His disciples were on the Mount of Olives. They asked Him what would be the sign of His coming and of the end of the age. Jesus proceeded to answer their question with a series of statements that has come to be known as the Olivet Discourse.
In my opinion, this is just one of the many puzzle pieces indicating that 70th Week—the final seven years of this age before the return of the REAL Christ Jesus—may have begun. |
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Today, Israeli tanks rolled into the Gaza Strip. I wonder if this will escalate into something similar to the Israel/Jordan clash last summer. We’ll see. |
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This is the sixth day of the 40th anniversary of The 1967 Six-Day War, during which Israel defeated those who, collectively, had been committed to Israel’s destruction. I have no doubt that God intervened, miraculously, on Israel’s behalf at that time. |
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Many of you have read my commentary about the European Neighbourhood Policy. Now I have added an additional presentation of it here: Perhaps some churches might want to give this presentation during mid-week services. |
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Just any old full moon? Nope...it’s a “blue moon.” I really don’t know why it’s called that. It just means that it’s the second full moon in the same month. It usually happens about every 2½ to 3½ years, although it actually is possible to have two blue moons in one year. Sorry, it’s not actually blue. OK, how about this? 5-second slideshow That’s my favorite color (hexadecimal 0080FF), by the way. |
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It looks like the new Creation Museum has opened in Petersburg, Kentucky. I personally have very strong feelings about what this museum represents (a “young-earth” creation view), and they are not the feelings shared by many other Christians. But why do we not find them imbedded in countless numbers in the crust of the earth? ... Why is not every geological formation in every stratum full of such intermediate links? Geology assuredly does not reveal any such finely graduated organic chain, and this perhaps is the greatest objection which can be urged against my theory. Both “young earthers” and evolutionists are wrong. It is impossible for life to have begun on its own, apart from God the Creator, given even an infinite amount of time. The fact is that the earth and universe are about 4.56 and 13.7 billion years old, respectively; yet God created all life Himself. |
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I have been puzzled about a math problem for a couple of decades. Specifically, it deals with probability. |
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Do you know what time it is? I don’t mean prophetically (in which case you might want to read my European Neighbourhood Policy commentary). I mean literally, pertaining to the time on your watch or on the clocks you look at the most. At least once a week, I go here: I keep my watch and all the clocks around me adjusted, within 5 seconds, to the correct time. My co-workers where I used to work referred to me as “Big Ben” because of my obsession with correct time. |
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For those who do not know much about Israel, and its very interesting history since it became a nation again in 1948, this might be of interest: |
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The Supreme Judicial Court of the Jewish People, better known as the Sanhedrin, has indicated that it intends to send a letter, translated into 70 languages, to all governmental institutions in the world. This will include all Arab and Islamic nations. Evidently, a conference, dedicated to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, will take place five months from now. As I have said before, we may not know, for absolute certain, that the 70th Week has begun until the Third Temple is in place. However, almost 3½ of the 7 years could pass until that happens. (Read more in my European Neighbourhood Policy commentary). |
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“The Lost Tomb of Jesus,” a 90-minutes documentary, recently aired on the Discovery Channel. One of its claims was that the actual bones of Jesus of Nazareth were buried in a tomb near Jerusalem. I don’t buy it. |
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Many people have written me, concerning my commentary on the European Neighbourhood Policy. Two common questions have surfaced:
In response to the first question, I will say that the name “Javier Solana” has popped up a lot in all the research I’ve done during the past few months. I cannot state, for certain, that he is “the one”; however, something I read today added another puzzle piece indicating that he could be. http://cumbey.blogspot.com On that page, as well, is a great deal of other information about Javier Solana. I found all of it to be extremely interesting. 10-second slideshow You can see a brief list of other items one might consider getting in the “My Opinions” section of Part 2 of my European Neighbourhood Policy commentary. Of course, that list is not complete. |
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Although this day commonly is referred to as Easter, I prefer to call it “Resurrection Day,” which also is the Feast of Firstfruits. Yes, I absolutely do believe in the literal physical, bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. He is risen indeed! Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. (Exodus 12:7) Consider that a few of the drops of blood, splashed on the top of the doorframe, would drip straight down, due to gravity, to the bottom of the doorframe. This, then, would match the blood on the sides, top, and bottom of the cross on which Jesus was crucified. Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. (1 Corinthians 5:7b)Was Jesus God? Yes, absolutely...and He still is! |
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I find it extremely interesting that an orthodox Jewish group, the New Sanhedrin Council, has attempted to sacrifice a live animal at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Read this article for more information:
In light of the onset of the seven-year period specified by the European Neighbourhood Policy, this indeed could be very significant, since animal sacrifices evidently will be taking place, and then put to a stop, in Jerusalem by the midpoint of the 70th Week. |
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Tonight, I went to see/hear Chuck Smith present a message at Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa (CA). He’s almost 80 years old but still has his wits about him and continues to be a very articulate speaker.
I feel that it is important for all believers to understand the timing of the Rapture event, especially considering that the 70th Week very well may have begun, with the inception of the European Neighbourhood Policy. |
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Today I received an email from somebody in England, saying that he had found my lasagna recipe at my website and had made it. He seemed to be very pleased with it. In fact, here is what his email said: Hi Ted, I thought it was very nice of that guy to write. I like that lasagna recipe also; it took me a few years to “fine-tune” it to exactly the way I like it. |
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I don’t like to drive someone else’s car. The main reason is that I don’t want to risk damaging it, nor be obligated to repair it. But another reason is because it seems that most people do not seem to have their side mirrors adjusted properly, and I might not realize that until I’m already on the road. Here is how the mirrors (left, rearview, and right mirrors) should be adjusted: Notice that the side mirrors in the second group display a great deal more of the areas to the side and back of the car, where a car in an adjacent lane often is located. When adjusting a side mirror, only a very tiny portion of the back of your own car should be visible in the mirror. 18-second slideshow San Diego is great because of the ideal year-round climate. And the palm trees and beaches are nice too. |
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Global Warming has been a huge news issue for awhile. Personally, I do believe that it is happening. As for the reason(s)...well, I have kept my eyes and ears open for any information about it. I like to try to be have a “fair and balanced” point of view about things, when possible.
In any case, even if we inadvertently have adversely affected the earth’s atmosphere and climate, it is irrational to think that we now can “fix” it by making a few radical changes. Does anyone ever stop to consider that God still is in charge? |
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In church today, a list was projected on the screen showing ways that “love” is incorporated into the Ten Commandments. I thought it was very good, so I will include it below: 1. “You shall have no other gods before Me” shows love is single-minded and devoted. For me, this puts the Ten Commandments in a new and interesting light. |
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The other night I woke up with the thought that I should make a new homepage for my website—this after having had the same one for many years. To have these images explained, click here:
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We all tend to focus, primarily, on the things of this world, which we can see. However, when we focus extensively on them, we can be demonstrating that God is not at the center of our lives. Can papyrus grow tall where there is no marsh? Can reeds thrive without water? While still growing and uncut, they wither more quickly than grass. Such is the destiny of all who forget God; so perishes the hope of the godless. What he trusts in is fragile; what he relies on is a spider’s web. He leans on his web, but it gives way; he clings to it, but it does not hold. (Job 8:11-15) Maybe because we cannot see God, it is easy to forget that He is there. But God does not like to be forgotten. He can thrust His miraculous helping hand into our hopeless situations, when we remember Him, just as easily as He can remove His helping hand from our lives when we ignore Him. Even though we cannot see God, He surely is there and always is ready and willing to help us through all of our trials and tribulations, no matter how severe. |
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Many people may not realize that Daylight Saving Time begins today (at 2:00 a.m. Sunday morning, March 11, changing to 3:00 a.m.). So set your clocks one hour ahead, if you haven’t already. When you change your clocks, it’s not a bad idea to change the batteries in your smoke detectors as well. http://webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/b.html By the way, this year, Daylight Saving Time will extend until November 4 (the first Sunday in November, rather than the last Sunday in October). I like the longer days myself. |
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Only one of the following four parallelograms is a perfect square. Click on the one that you think is a square:
By the way, blue is my favorite color, and each of those squares is my favorite shade of blue. |
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Tonight I went to the memorial service of an elderly friend, who passed away two days ago. On a card, handed to everyone who attended, was a poem. I liked it, so I will print it here:
I might want that poem handed out at a memorial service for me one day. I think it’s pretty cool. |
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Apparently, the Sanhedrin in Israel is very anxious to sacrifice an animal on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. In fact, they want to do it this coming Passover. Read more about it here: Evidently, they also want to establish the Third Temple. When that happens, we’ll know, for certain, that we’re in the 70th Week. (Read more in my European Neighbourhood Policy commentary). |
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I think most people rarely ever think about how truly vast this universe is. I think these interesting pictures demonstrate this quite well: I am thankful that God fine-tuned this entire Creation to make certain that we have a nice planet on which to live. Maybe we need to be a little more careful about how we treat it. |
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Happy Valentine’s Day. You know whom you are! |
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Congratulations Peyton Manning, Tony Dungy and the Indianapolis Colts, who have captured that elusive NFL title with a 29-17 victory against the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI. Personally, I didn’t really care who won, but I was glad to see Payton Manning finally win the ultimate prize. |
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I heard that Punxsutawney Phil, that famous groundhog, did not see his shadow today. The last time that happened was in 1999. Supposedly, that means that we can expect an early Spring. |
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I am a stickler about spelling. I also am a stickler about punctuation, which is why I created Ted’s Punctuation Guide.
I thenk its apaling. If yu finnd a speling eror on eny pag at my websiet, I wud lik to no abot the mispeled wurd and wat the titel of that pag is so thet I kan corect it. |
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I have received several emails asking me whether or not I feel that the European Neighbourhood Policy, which went into effect on January 1, 2007, is an indication that we have entered the end-time period commonly known as the 70th Week. Many prophecy websites declare that this is the case. Incidentally, today scientists advanced the “doomsday clock” 2 minutes closer to midnight. See Doomsday Clock Closer to Midnight for more details. |
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I have said how Southwest Airlines is my favorite U.S. Airline (see my Jan. 6 entry). On their flights, they most usually pass out free peanuts, although sometimes it’s pretzels. 5-second slideshow On which photo above, #1 or #2, do you think I used a flash? Sometimes, using a flash with a digital camera gives unpredictable results, which is why it is a good idea to take important shots both with and without a flash. |
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My favorite airline to fly is Southwest Airlines. I have flown them for over three decades. One of my mottos is, “If Southwest doesn’t fly there, neither do I!” I call them “SouthBEST Airlines.”
If you have not flown Southwest Airlines, I high recommend that you give them a try. |
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I like geography, and I learned where all the states (and capitals) of the USA were when I was young. So I thought this web page, which my cousin showed me, was entertaining (you must have Macromedia Flashplayer installed on your computer for it to work): The program is very picky. You must be very precise where you place each state for it to be correct. Therefore, you might want to use a completed map of the United States to help you out. Have fun. I did. Other USA Games are here: |
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All this year, I will keep a 2007 calendar taped up on the wall nearby for quick and easy reference for future and past dates. It’s not a calendar that I use to write on to remind me of things I need to do; I use my data bank watch for that. The European Neighbourhood Policy officially goes into effect today. Many believe that it will commence the “70th Week,” prophecied in the ancient book of Daniel. I don’t know...possibly. See more in my Dec. 28, 2006 entry. |