Was Jesus God?  There are numerous Bible verses, I am convinced, supporting the fact that Jesus was God, the Word of God, and the Creator, Sustainer of all things.  Here are a few:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ... The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1: 1-3,14)

He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.  He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:15-17)

He [God] has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.  The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. (Hebrews 1:2,3)

Indeed, Jesus was God in human flesh; yet, He humbled Himself enough to die on a cross (on Good Thursday) to atone for the sins of humanity

Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:  Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!  Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,  that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:4-11)

There are some who believe that Adam and Eve were not the first humans.  Some feel that other people were created by God at the same time.  These were the people that Cain and his siblings married.

Others feel that there actually was a race of people, pre-dating Adam and Eve, who were wiped out by an ancient flood that they feel is aluded to in Genesis 1:2.  I do not believe either of these things, as reflected in my response to an email sent to me:

• Is it possible that Cain and his siblings were provided wives and husbands, outside of their own family, who also were created on the sixth day?

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 Sep. 19 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.

Most people, and even many Christians, have doubts about God and His existence.  Others seem to be unaware of the dark, demonic forces that surround us.

They are quite real, though, and they constantly are trying to influence us, for instance not to believe in God.  Those who are unaware of this, or who refuse to acknowledge it, are most likely to be influenced by these forces.

Here are a couple of emails I have received, with my associated responses, from people who have doubts about God’s existence and/or are concerned about satanic or demonic attack:

• What should I do about my doubts about the existence of God and Jesus?
• Do you think that demons are trying to scare or influence me, and what can I do about it?

Another person made a couple of videos and sent me links to them.  He explains how “we’ve been duped” into not believing in the evil spiritual forces that are around us:

We drove out to Primm today, which is about 40 miles from Las Vegas and a mile from the California/Nevada border.  There are various casinos there, probably the most famous of which is Whiskey Pete’s Casino.  It opened in 1977 and was the first casino at what used to be called Stateline.

We went to Subway to eat, but their prices were ridiculous—much higher than any Subway I’ve been too—so I passed on eating.  After sunset, we went across the highway to Primm Valley Casino.  As soon as we walked in, I walked over to the buffet to check out the price.  It was $16.99 + tax = $17.29, which was more than I wanted to pay.

I was just about to walk away when a lady walked up to me and asked if I wanted to have a free buffet.  I asked how that could happen.  She said that she had been playing machines for hours and had accumulted enough points to get three free buffet coupons.  She and her friend had just used two of them to eat, and she offered me the third one.

I offered to pay her for some of it, but she refused.  So I took it and ate a very nice dinner buffet while my friend played some machines.  Some would consider it to be a coincidence that I happened to show up just when that nice lady was there to give away her buffet coupon.  I consider it to be an undeserved blessing from God who wanted to show me that He loves me and wanted to do something nice for me. 

         
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This afternoon, my friend wanted to eat at the Bellagio buffet.  We got there about an hour before we were ready to eat, so I watched him play some penny slots for awhile.

Then I decided to play 25¢ draw poker for a bit, since I could find no 5¢ machines.  It wasn’t long before I got four Queens (holding only one Queen), which paid $62.50.  That was good enough for me, so I quit.

The Bellagio buffet is my friend’s favorite one in Las Vegas.  Personally, I think it is over-rated, especially for the price ($23.00 per person), and the line to get in is too long.  But he paid for mine, so I couldn’t really complain.

While in line for about 30 minutes, I got bored to the point of taking photos of the wall tiles.  I made a web page background of the Bellagio buffet wall tiles here.

The food was good but a little too salty for me.  Also, they were doing remodeling or construction on one section, where there has been food in the past, so there was less food selection than the last time we were there on Apr. 7, 2012 when we stayed at the Tahiti Village.

         
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Later, we went downtown and were there for the evening.  At Binion’s, I watched my friend play penny slots for awhile, and then I decided to play nickel draw poker.  Soon I hit four Aces for $40,00, and that was it for me!  I don’t even like to gamble, but I’ve been doing amazingly well since I got here, including the Royal Flush last night and the four Aces earlier today.  Wow!

My friend was playing penny slots, so I walked around outside.  Fremont Street has changed quite a bit over the decades, and now there is a lot going on.  There are music performers, people walking around in various costumes, and a light show above (that extends for a few blocks) every hour, on the hour.  I took quite a few photos.

         

         

         

         

         
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A long-time friend and I joined each other in Las Vegas, NV, on Dec. 14 and will be here until Dec. 21.  He has time shares in various places, so we are staying at the Westgate Flamingo Bay Resort.  It is very nice and is free for me, which is great.

I also like the landscaping of this resort, and there are Christmas decorations around.  There is an exercise room, and everyday I have enjoyed getting on the elliptical machine for 30 minutes.

We have been eating a big buffet every afternoon, which is unusual for me because I’m not a very big eater.  It is very rare that I will go to a casino, but I’ll go with my friend when we are in Las Vegas.  Mostly, I have just been watching him play.  I enjoy hanging out with him because we share a similar sense of humor and have lot of laughs.

I won four stuffed toys at one casino, which I will give to my nephew’s daughter for Christmas.  I think she’ll like them.  I have played some low-denomination draw poker machines.  Amazingly, I got extremely lucky and drew a Royal Flush for $400 on a 10¢ draw poker machine tonight...great, I needed the money!

       

       

       

       
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In other news, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is expected to present a written framework agreement, perhaps during the first week of January 2014, for “peace” between the Israelis and Palestinians.  Most likely, such an agreement would have negative ramifications for Israel.

I take these vitamins and supplements everyday: a daily multiple; vitamins A, B complex, C, and E; magnesium, selenium, zinc, fish oil, saw palmetto, glucosamine and chondroitin.  Rather than retrieve all the pills and tablets out of several bottles each day, I assemble several weeks’ worth of vitamins at a time.

Former womanizing mayor of San Diego, Bob Filner, has been sentenced to 90 days of home confinement and three years probation.  He resigned his position as mayor on Aug. 22 and will not be able to seek public office while on probation.

Nelson Mandela, who was South Africa’s first elected black president, has died at the age of 95.  He had been battling a recurring lung infection since June.

I think this was my favorite statement by Mandela:

Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.

This is the last night of Hanukkah, which began at sunset on on Nov. 27.  All nine candles were lit, and the Hanukkah blessings were read.

I also reread the passage describing the rededication of the altar, within the newly consecrated temple, in 1 Maccabees 4:36-59.  The final verse shows why the eight-day Feast of Dedication has been observed ever since then:

Then Judas and his brothers and all the assembly of Israel determined that every year at that season the days of dedication of the altar should be observed with gladness and joy for eight days, beginning with the twenty-fifth day of the month of Chislev. (1 Maccabees 4:59)

The Obamacare website (healthcare.gov) is supposed to be up and running fine today.  This is what we have heard would happen since the website went online on Oct. 1 and has been extremely problematic for the past two months.

Today, with my browser window less than full size (which is how I usually keep it because I always have other applications running behind it), just the display of the home page is distorted and out of shape.  Only by maximizing the size of the browser window does the display look normal.

That is not how it should be.  With a reduced browser window width (down to a reasonable size), all of the graphics and text on the page should move closer together so that everything is visible without any overlapping and deformation.

Click on each image below.  The first one shows how the page looks with my browser window at its full width of 1260 pixels.  The second one shows how messed up the page looks with my window reduced to a width of 900 pixels.  The third one shows how easily the page could have been programmed to fit everything properly into a window at a width of 900 pixels.

 

In the Iron Bowl today, Auburn and Alabama were tied 28 to 28.  There was one second left in the game, and Alabama attempted a field goal, which would have won the game for them had they made it.  They missed the field goal, and presumably the game was about to go into overtime.

However, then one of the most amazing plays I’ve ever seen in a football game occurred.  Chris Davis caught the ball in the end-zone and ran it 109 yards for a touchdown, with no time left on the clock.  Wow, great play, Chris!

For all of those who celebrate Thanksgiving (or Hanukkah) today, be sure that you thank God/Yahweh for His multitude of blessings and gifts.  President Washington acknowledged the Providence of Almighty God in his General Thanksgiving Proclamation.

Of course, giving thanks to God should be done everyday of the year, not just today.  Thanksgiving should be merely an annual reminder that everything we have comes from Him, including our eternal salvation.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)

I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.  This will please the LORD more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hoofs.  The poor will see and be glad—you who seek God, may your hearts live! (Psalm 69:30-32)

The LORD will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the LORD.  Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing.  “Listen to me, my people; hear me, my nation:  The law will go out from me; my justice will become a light to the nations.  My righteousness draws near speedily, my salvation is on the way, and my arm will bring justice to the nations.  The islands will look to me and wait in hope for my arm.” (Isaiah 51:3-5)

We also should thank God for His chosen nation, Israel.  Without His covenant with Israel, the whole world would be lost.  But those who believe in the true God, Yahweh, have been “grafted in” to Israel and, as a result, will receive eternal salvation (see God’s Covenant: with Israel or the Church?).

Most of the world longs for peace and for the absence of war.  Fortunately, God has promised that this will happen when the Messiah (Yeshua/Jesus) comes and sits as King in Jerusalem (Zion), with His Law going out from there and throughout the entire world.

In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it.  Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob.  He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.”  The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.  He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.  They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.  Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. (Micah 4:1-3)

This evening is the first night of Hanukkah or Chanukah.  It will last for seven nights/days.  Hanukkah also is known as the Festival of Lights or the Feast of Dedication; the very first one is described in 1 Maccabees 4:36-59.  More can be read in my Dec. 1, 2010 entry.

This year, the first full day of Hanukkah (tomorrow) coincides with Thanksgiving, which is extremely rare.  The last time this occurred was in 1888, and it will not happen again for 79,043 years (assuming the earth as we know it lasts that long, which I doubt).

It was during the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah) that Jesus encountered some who challenged His 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.” (John 10:22-30)

On a different topic, I glance at the USGS Earthquakes page several times a day to monitor major earthquakes around the world.  I also like to read the “Today's Earthquake Fact” section; I wish I could find the complete archives for that, but this page has numerous entries.  These are entries for that section for the most recent five days:

In Geneva, Switzerland, a deal has been reached between six major world powers (United States, Britain, China, Russia, France and Germany) and Iran pertaining to Iran’s uranium enrichment program.  This is a first step is a six-month deal.

Iran is being allowed to keep it nuclear enrichment program mostly in place, and the sanctions that have been lifted will be very difficult to reinstate again.  It is a bad deal for everyone except Iran, who cannot be trusted at all.  Israel and Saudi Arabia will be especially disappointed in this deal.

John Kerry, U.S. Secretary of State, has said that it is easy to “prove” Iran’s peaceful intentions.  He also said, “We think we have a good strong arrangement.”  I do not believe those things for a second, since Iran has done nothing but deceive us in the past.  For examples of this, watch this 57-minute video, Iranium, put out by The Clarion Project:

This is the 50th anniversary of one of the most tragic and heartrending events in U.S. history: the assassination of the 35th president, John F. Kennedy.  He was the first person born in the 20th century to serve as president.

He continues to rank highly in public opinion polls of U.S. presidents.  One of his most famous statements was, “And so, my fellow Americans: Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”  Many conservatives still praise him for stating, in 1963, that lowering taxes was the surest path to full employment and lower deficits.

   
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Today, in the U.S. Senate, majority leader Harry Reid (D-NV) led the push for a “nuclear option” on filibusters.  It was approved by a vote of 52 to 48, with three Democrats voting with Republicans against changing the rule, which had not been modified since 1975.

I suspect that this was done primarily as a distraction away from the huge trainwreck known as Obamacare and the countless problems it has caused.  In any case, after the vote took place, President Obama spoke out supporting the measure.

Interestingly, in April 2005 when Republicans were considering amending the rules of the filibuster to prevent Democrats from blocking President George W. Bush’s judicial nominees, Senators Harry Reid and Barack Obama spoke out on the same day against it.  This is what they said:

But now, in order to break down the separation of powers and ram through their appointees to the judicial branch, President Bush and the Republican leadership want to eliminate a two-hundred-year-old American rule saying that every member of the Senate can rise to say their piece and speak on behalf of the people that sent them here. ... The threat to change Senate rules is a raw abuse of power and will destroy the very checks and balances our founding fathers put in place to prevent absolute power by any one branch of government. (Harry Reid, Apr. 2005)

I rise today to urge my colleagues to think about the implications the nuclear option would have on this chamber and this country.  I urge all of us to think not just about winning every debate but about protecting free and democratic debate. ... The American people want less partisanship in this town, but everyone in this chamber knows that if the majority chooses to end the filibuster, if they choose to change the rules and put an end to democratic debate, then the fighting, the bitterness, and the gridlock will only get worse. ... I urge my Republican colleagues not to go through with changing these rules. ... What they [the American people] don’t expect is for one party — be it Republican or Democrat — to change the rules in the middle of the game so that they can make all the decisions while the other party is told to sit down and keep quiet. ... I sense that talk of the nuclear option is more about power than about fairness.  I believe some of my colleagues propose this rules change because they can get away with it rather than because they know it’s good for our democracy. (Barack Obama, Apr. 2005)

At the time, Senators Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton also bashed the nuclear option, saying this:

Isn’t what is really going on here that the majority does not want to hear what others have to say, even if it is the truth? ... The nuclear option abandons America’s sense of fair play.  It is the one thing this country stands for: not tilting the playing field on the side of those who control and own the field.  I say to my friends on the Republican side: You may own the field right now, but you won’t own it forever.  I pray God when the Democrats take back control, we don’t make the kind of naked power grab you are doing.  But I am afraid you will teach my new colleagues the wrong lessons. (Joe Biden, May 2005)

If you can’t get 60 votes for a nominee, maybe you should think about who you’re sending to us to be confirmed because for a lifetime appointment, 60 votes, bringing together a consensus of Senators from all regions of the country, who look at the same record and draw the same conclusion, means that perhaps that nominee should not be on the Federal bench. (Hillary Clinton, May 2005)

Watch a compilation of Obama, Clinton, Schumer, Reid, Feinstein, Biden, and other Democrat senators decrying the “nuclear option” in 2005 (this 5-minute video was compiled in 2010):

Christians are taught that God is the Source of mercy, grace, and judgment.  What do these mean?  The following simple descriptions should convey the implications of these words:

• God’s mercy: not giving us what we do deserve.
• God’s grace: giving us what we do not deserve.
• God’s judgment: giving us what we do deserve.

Amazingly, the tail of Comet ISON has become extremely long.  Apparently, this was due to the unusual outburst of the comet that occurred on Nov. 14.  Now its length is almost 12 times the physical diameter of the sun.

Comet Ison’s Super Tail

Comet ISON is on its way toward the sun.  It now is observable with binoculars and is just about close enough to earth to be seen with the naked eye.

A week ago the comet developed a second gas or ion tail streaming alongside the wider, brighter dust tail.  Last night, it experienced a noticeable brightening that is being called an “outburst.”  The photo on the left, showing the outburst, was taken early this morning by Mike Hankey of Monkton, Maryland.

Comet ISON has an outburst!     10-second slideshow

This comet was discovered in September 2012 by two amateur Russian astronomers.  It should come within just 621,000 miles of the sun on Nov. 27, the day before Thanksgiving Day which, incidentally, is when Hanukkah (the Festival of Lights) begins.

It is unknown what will happen to the comet as it travels close to the sun.  It could become so hot that it vaporizes, or it could emerge on the other side and be visible to us through December, as it journeys back out into the solar system.

In any case, comets remind me of the third trumpet judgment:

The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water—the name of the star is Wormwood.  A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter. (Revelation 8:10,11)

According to a September 5 memo, obtained by the Associated Press and confirmed by ABC News, the Obama administration projected that about 500,000 people would be enrolling in Obamacare during the month of October.  Well, the total number was only about one-fifth of that amount.

Actually, only 26,794 people were able to sign up for a plan on the incompetent and inept healthcare.gov website.  An additional 79,391 people signed up using fifteen state-run websites, for a dismal total of 106,185 people.

Considering that, as of today, 5,026,143 Americans have had their health care plans canceled, Obamacare certainly is living up to its reputation of being a complete “trainwreck.”  I am very doubtful that the Obamacare website will be fully functional by November 30, as promised.

In other news, on Oct. 28, I noted how I was wondering where the pretty girl’s face went that had been on the healthcare.gov (Obamacare) website.  Well, now we know.

The girl’s name is Adriana (no last name provided).  She is from Colombia, is married to an American citizen, is a permanent resident, and has an infant son.

The rollout of Obamacare has been a fiasco.  Its success will depend on funds paid into the pool by healthy young people, which is not likely to happen in sizeable amounts.

Therefore, clever ways are going to have to be developed to “persuade” people in this age group to participate.  Maybe a better description is to “deceive” them, and some of the most deceptive ads I’ve seen are in the got insurance? collection.  The two ads shown in this article I find particularly sleazy:

Happy Veterans Day to all those who have served and are serving to protect the USA.  May God protect all of you and bless all of your families.

I am very thankful for those who have fought for the emancipation of the USA and the continuing autonomy of its citizens, from the Revolutionary War onward.  Unfortunately, our personal freedoms, liberties, and civil rights now are in great danger of being lost.

In part, this can be blamed on an increasingly powerful federal government that imposes sanctions and constraints—such as the mammoth beast known as Obamacare—on the American people.  But, more fundamentally, it is due to our having abandoned and foresaken the one, true God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel).  I feel that Romans 1:18-32 and 2 Timothy 3:1-8 are in the process of taking place now.

Our Father is a jealous God; He hates the idols and gods that we revere and worship instead of Him:

The last section of verses above is a foreboding prospect.  Regrettably, I do feel that America is headed in that direction, and other nations are in the same boat as well.  In the USA, in particular, I feel that three of the main things leading to judgment are an increase in unnecessary abortions (especially late-term), an increase same-sex marriages, and a decrease in support for Israel.

Very difficult times are coming.  It is only a matter a time when God’s wrath and vengeance will begin to be poured out, and terrified people worldwide will know, without any doubt, when widespread punishment by an angry God is imminent:

Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains.  They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!  For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” (Revelation 6:15-17)

There are not many things more grievous and heartbreaking than losing a child.  I just watched an excellent video about two couples, each of whom lost a son, who describe how God has been faithful to help them deal with that situation.  Maybe this 25½-minute video, at the Day of Discovery website, would be helpful to those who have experienced that loss.

Super typhoon Haiyan, with sustained winds of 315 kph (195 mph), with gusts up to 380 kph (235 mph), is crashing into the Philippines.  As a high-end Category 5 typhoon or hurricane, it is possibly the strongest tropical storm to hit land anywhere in the world in recorded history.

Super Typhoon Haiyan, one of strongest
storms ever, hits central Philippines

Today is the 95th birthday of William Franklin “Billy” Graham, Jr.  Many would consider him to be the greatest Christian evangelist of all time.  I could not disagree with that.  Happy birthday, Reverend Graham!

I watched Billy Graham’s newest video, “The Cross,” on TV tonight.  It was outstanding and very moving, and I recommend that everyone watch it here (only 29½ minutes in length):

President Obama’s statements that people could keep their healthcare plans and their doctors (“period!”), and that their premiums would be lowered by about $2,500 a year, are untrue.

Many are saying that they are intentionally deceitful lies.  Indeed, millions of people already have received cancellation notices from their health care insurers and feel completely betrayed.

The president was not honest with Americans, for many of whom their healthcare is of utmost importance.  Then he tried to backpeddle by saying that people could keep their plans IF the plans haven’t changed since they signed up for those plans.

This video shows several videos of Mr. Obama making false statements about the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare:

Rush Limbaugh feels, of all the lies presidents have told in his lifetime, that Obama’s lies about Obamacare are the biggest:

Remember when Nancy Pelosi said about Obamacare, “We have to pass it to find out what’s in it”?  That is the definition of a stool sample which, essentially, is what Obamacare is.

I never have heard any president state as many untruths as I have heard Barack Obama utter, both before and after he became president.  Anyone who is not aware that Obama is constantly telling fibs either is not paying any attention or is brain dead.

“Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!”—Sir Walter Scott.  I cannot help but think that a commentary I wrote over 4½ years ago very well could turn out to be true: Barack Obama: False Prophet?

The midterm elections are a year from today.  If they were held now, I would hope that many candidates who have supported and who continue to support the disastrous “Affordable Care Act” (often referred to as “Obummercare”) would be defeated.  I certainly hope that this will be the case a year from now.

I tested a theory today.  In the past, after big “candy consumption” days (such as Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Halloween), I often have gone to buy candy.  Usually, it is 50% off.  As a rule, I go the next day; sometimes I wait a few days.

Often, at WalMart, their entire holiday candy stash is gone within a couple of days.  I never knew if it was because people hurried in and bought it all or or because the store moved it over to the regular candy shelves.

So today I got to WalMart, which is open 24 hours, at about 8:00 a.m.  Lots of customers were in the Halloween section, where everything was half price.  There had been three aisles of Halloween candy before Halloween (which, incidentally, is an irrelevant “holiday” to me), and two of the aisles were mostly empty.  Evidently, numerous customers had purchased a great deal of candy before I got there, maybe since midnight.

Employees were moving the remaining candy to one side of the third aisle, which was very full but was being depleted gradually by customers.  I got four huge bags of candy for half price ($4.48 + 4.48 + 2.34 + 2.34 = $13.64).

       
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Tonight, in the sixth and final game of the World Series, the Boston Red Sox beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-1.  Although it was the third World Series championship for the Red Sox since 2004, it was the first time in 95 years (since 1918) that they have won the series- in Boston.

Although I watched the game, I was in another room on the phone when probably the most exciting play of the game took place.  Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, caught in a rundown between first and second bases with four Cardinal players, made it safely back to first base.  I found the play online, and here it is:

What happened to the pretty girl’s face that was on the healthcare.gov website?  It’s got a new look now.

On God’s Learning Channel (GLC), this week’s teaching on Rik Wadge’s “Digging the Truth” program is very interesting to me.  It is Part 1 on the Torah Codes or Bible Codes.  I have been convinced of the legitimacy of the Bible Codes for about 15 years.  In case you have not heard of it, here is a good 28½-minute introduction to it:

More information about the Torah Codes can be found at these sites:

Only Democrat members of the U.S. Senate voted for the so-called “Affordable Care Act” on Dec. 24, 2009, and only Democrat members of the U.S. House of Representatives voted for it on Mar. 21, 2010.  Not one Republican voted for this cataclysmic, ruinous piece of legislation.

Ever since Barack Obama signed “Obamacare” into law on Mar. 23, 2010, it has continued to be supported and defended by virtually all Democrats and opposed and challenged by all Republicans.  Now that the HealthCare.gov website has proven to be an outright dysfunctional disaster for over three weeks, though, some Democrat senators seem to be changing their minds.

Today, several Democrat senators called on the Obama administration to delay enforcement of the health care law’s individual mandate.  This may be because some of them are up for re-election in 2014 in “red” states, and they are concerned that they will be voted out if they continue backing and defending Obamacare, which is extremely unpopular across the land.

If 6 Senate Democrats and all 46 senate Republicans vote to delay the individual mandate, certainly this legislation will pass in the Republican-dominated House.  Then it will be up to President Obama to sign it or veto it.  If he does the latter, it will be probably the most unpopular thing he’s ever done.

In other news, today in Franklin County, Ohio, 22-year-old Matthew Cordle was sentenced to 6½ years in prison.  He caused a fatal wrong-way crash on June 22 after a night of heavy drinking, which he had confessed to in an online video:

The reason I am featuring this guy is because he acknowledged, from the beginning, that he was wrong and had done something extremely bad.  He also is resolute and steadfast in wanting to warn others not to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.  I wholeheartedly agree with that admonition.

I will add that people should not text or talk on their cell phones while driving.  I don’t understand why people cannot wait until they reach their destinations to do either one of those things.

The HealthCare.gov website has been an incompetent failure since it opened on Oct. 1.  For three weeks, it either has been inaccessible or has not worked properly.

This is unjustifiable and inexcusable, especially considering that the website cost the government (that is, taxpayers) over half a billion dollars to create and administer.  The inept website was produced by a Canadian company, CGI Federal.

In a speech today, Barack Obama expressed concern about the malfunctioning website and hope that all the “glitches” will be removed.  They won’t be.  Even worse, the implementation of Obamacare will be successful in causing utter destruction and devastation to America.  This article provides more details about that:

I just learned another interesting bit of information on God’s Learning Channel.  In many synagogues when the Torah scroll is retrieved, a rabbi will say, “Arise, oh Lord!”  When the scroll is returned to its place, “Return, oh Lord!” is said.  These phrases come from this passage in the Torah:

Whenever the ark set out, Moses said, “Rise up, O LORD!  May your enemies be scattered; may your foes flee before you.”  Whenever it came to rest, he said, “Return, O LORD, to the countless thousands of Israel.” (Numbers 10:35,36)

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. (Matthew 5:17,18)

The Health Insurance Marketplace website has been fraught with numerous snags and glitches since it opened a week ago on Oct. 1.  It even was completely inaccessible for a few days.

I have no doubt that such problems with a mere website are only a tiny reflection of the overall incompetence of those who will be administering Obamacare in the future.  It is merely the tiny tip of a gargantuan iceberg, sort of like the one that downed the Titanic.

Chuck Smith, founder of Calvary Chapel, died this morning after a two-year battle with lung cancer.  He was 86.

For years, I attended the main Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, CA.  There were three services every Sunday morning to accommodate the thousands of people who came to hear Chuck Smith.

I always enjoyed Smith’s messages very much.  He was bright, humble, biblically literate, and most of all a lover of God and of other people.  I would place him on the same level as Billy Graham.

Chuck Smith will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.  I believe that now is where he always has wanted to be: in the presence of his Lord and Savior, Jesus, who has told him, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21,23).

This is the first day that Americans without health insurance can shop at the new online marketplaces, or “exchanges,” for health-care coverage.  Under Obamacare, the uninsured have until March 31, 2014, to enroll in a health plan.  Not doing so will result in having to pay a penalty later.  By law, Americans must have health insurance beginning January 1, 2014, or a tax will be levied.

The fact that there has been a shutdown of the federal government, effective at midnight last night, will have no effect on the opening of the exchanges.  People can start signing up for coverage by filling out a form that will ask questions about family size, age of family members, and household income.  Enrollment must be done by December 14, 2013, if you want your coverage to begin January 1, 2014.

To sign up, go to the Health Insurance Marketplace at healthcare.gov, a website run by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).  On this website, you are supposed to be able to find out information about plans, enrolling, and answers to other key questions you might have.  There may be many qualified health care plans from which to select, so you may need to ask for help.

If you do not have internet access, you can call HHS’s toll-free number to reach a customer service representative 24/7.  The number is 1-800-318-2596.  Some questions about Obamacare may be able to be answered here:

If you do not sign up for health care, you will have to indicate this on a new tax form that will come out in 2014.  Without health insurance, you will be penalized or taxed as much as 1% of your annual income.  This tax will be collected by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

This is a gigantic, complex, unwieldy federally regulated system.  I knew that it would be when it was voted into law on Mar. 21, 2010.  It will be like trying to balance a skyscraper on the head of a pin.  Furthermore, it is going to drive up costs for virtually everybody.  Anyone who voted for this monstrous disaster should be voted out of office as soon as possible; unfortunately, the next big election is not until November 4, 2014.

In other news, Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York today.  In his speech, which lasted about 32½ minutes, he focused mainly on Iran and its new president, Hassan Rouhani.  The entire speech, as well as a link to the video, can be seen here: