Saturday, January 7, 2012

$86,400! Iran. 2012 Fears. 1st. Election. Globetrotters. Hydrogen Bomb.

News, Some New, Some Old.

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"$86,400! Start spending!    SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT!

Imagine that you had won the following prize in a contest:

Each morning your bank would deposit $86,400.00 in your private account for your use.

However, this prize has rules, just as any game has certain rules.

The first set of rules would be:
Everything that you didn't spend during each day would be taken away from you.
You may not simply transfer money into some other account. You may only spend it.
Each morning upon awakening, the bank opens your account with another $86,400.00 for that day.

The second set of rules:
The bank can end the game without warning; at any time it can say, It's over, the game is over! It can close the account and you will not receive a new one.

What would you personally do?

You would buy anything and everything you wanted right? Not only for yourself, but for all people you love, right? Even for people you don't know, because you couldn't possibly spend it all on yourself, right? You would try to spend every cent, and use it all, right?

ACTUALLY This GAME is REALITY!
Each of us is in possession of such a magical bank. We just can't seem to see it.

The MAGICAL BANK is TIME!
Each morning we awaken to receive 86,400 seconds as a gift of life, and when we go to sleep at night, any remaining time is NOT credited to us.
What we haven't lived up that day is forever lost.
Yesterday is forever gone.
Each morning the account is refilled, but the bank can dissolve your account at any time.... WITHOUT WARNING.

SO, what will YOU do with your 86,400 seconds?
Those seconds are worth so much more than the same amount in dollars.   Think about that, and always think of this:

Enjoy every second of your life, because time races by so much quicker than you think.   So take care of yourself, be Happy, Love Deeply and enjoy life!    Start spending."    

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Our Safety.

January 2, 2012 - "As a new calendar year begins Iran is moving closer to nuclear capability. 2012 is starting ominously. Where does our ultimate safety reside?"

Transcript: "We have barely turned the page into another calendar year and already we have sober rattlings out of the Middle East. Iran, that nation that has been pursuing a nuclear weapon, has reportedly made another test, created nuclear rods in some of its reactors that has now brought it a step closer to having the nuclear capability to deliver a nuclear bomb.

This is worrying people. It is already the stuff of headlines here on the second day of January and it's creating problems along with further testing of missiles across the Strait of Hormuz there in the Persian Gulf - creating problems and fears of an embargo of oil supplies being cut off - and other problems there in the Middle East. And already we are only two days into January, into a new calendar year.

Whenever we read the news, whenever we hear of reports like this, it begins to unsettle us and unnerve us, creating fear and uncertainty. The news of this world is going to do that.

There's a Proverb, chapter 29 of Proverbs, and verse 25 that says, "The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trust in the Lord shall be safe" (Proverbs:29:25The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.).

I predict that in 2012, we're going to have the opportunity to learn a lot more about trust in God because there's going to be a lot more news, a lot more events that are going to create fear and uncertainty and an unsettling feeling in this world today. We've already seen that just two days into 2012.

Why not make this year the year that you and I begin to learn to trust in God and put away the fears that occupy our life and crowd in and remove that faith that confidence in God and His power. Let's learn to trust in God. In Him is true safety, not in any man, not in our own wisdom, but only in Him. Make that a goal for the coming months. It'll help us navigate the uncertain waters that may lie ahead of us. For Beyond Today, I'm Darris McNeely. "

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2012, Year of Fear?

"Polls show that not only heights and commitment are common phobias but fear is topping the list. If 2012 is the year of fear, what can you do to begin to deal with fear?"  Jan 4, 2012

Transcript: [Steve Myers] "Someone sent me an article about the biggest fears of 2011. Of course, here we are with a new calendar year and some of those things would be the normal things you'd think of. The fear of death was right at the very top of the list. One of the things that always is interesting is the fear of public speaking. Getting out in front of people and talking is a great fear of many. And the list goes on to probably some things that are pretty predictable.  People are afraid of snakes. I don't really like snakes myself, but I know many people hate them. The fear of heights or flying. Those kinds of things are the things that seem to top the list for 2011.

But one of the things that was surprising to me was one that made the top ten was the fear of the new year. So here we are in a new calendar year and people are afraid of what's to come. And so I thought that was a pretty interesting aspect of this survey that they did."

[Darris McNeely] "Yeah, what you're talking about Steve reminds me of a speech given by one of England's kings a few years ago called the Gate of the Year. I read that years ago and I've written about it a number of times. And essentially it starts out by talking about, 'I said to the man at the Gate of the Year, what lies ahead? And what is out there in the future, in the dark?' And it comes down to the fact that within this particular speech that the king said put your hand in God's hand. It is in Him that we have safety, we have confidence, and courage. And we don't need to fear. So whether it's the beginning of a calendar year, whether it's at the point of any type of struggle or trial in our life, we are always going to have fears. But if our faith, confidence and trust is in God, then we don't have really anything to ultimately fear and we can get through that challenge."

[Steve Myers] "That's exactly what Christ talked about, (Matthew:6:25Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?)   Christ Himself said, "Therefore I say, don't worry about your life." So here's Christ saying don't be overly concerned. I mean it's a big problem in our society today, that we're anxious people. We have anxiety attacks, and we have to deal with these kinds of issues. But Christ said don't be overly anxious. He said, well why not, He said, "Look at the birds of the air. They don't sow, they don't reap. Yet, your Heavenly Father feeds them." In other words, God's going to take care of us. Don't worry about those kinds of things. He tells us so clearly in verse 34, "Don't worry about tomorrow" (Matthew:6:34Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.).

Don't worry about this new year. This calendar year, has many things in store for us, but He says don't worry. He says, "Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Now, how can we do that? How can we not worry about the new year? How can we not worry about the fear of what's to come? How can we not worry about death? How can we not worry about any of those things on that list? Well, Matthew:6:33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you., Christ gives the key. He says, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you." In other words, we can overcome worry. We can overcome anxiety when we place our trust in God. That will help us with our fears."  [Darris McNeely] "That's BT Daily. Join us next time."

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On This Day:

First U.S. presidential election, Jan 7, 1789:

"On this day in 1789, America's first presidential election is held. Voters cast ballots to choose state electors; only white men who owned property were allowed to vote. As expected, George Washington won the election and was sworn into office on April 30, 1789.

As it did in 1789, the United States still uses the Electoral College system, established by the U.S. Constitution, which today gives all American citizens over the age of 18 the right to vote for electors, who in turn vote for the president. The president and vice president are the only elected federal officials chosen by the Electoral College instead of by direct popular vote.

Today political parties usually nominate their slate of electors at their state conventions or by a vote of the party's central state committee, with party loyalists often being picked for the job. Members of the U.S. Congress, though, can’t be electors. Each state is allowed to choose as many electors as it has senators and representatives in Congress. The District of Columbia has 3 electors. During a presidential election year, on Election Day (the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November), the electors from the party that gets the most popular votes are elected in a winner-take-all-system, with the exception of Maine and Nebraska, which allocate electors proportionally. In order to win the presidency, a candidate needs a majority of 270 electoral votes out of a possible 538.

On the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December of a presidential election year, each state's electors meet, usually in their state capitol, and simultaneously cast their ballots nationwide. This is largely ceremonial: Because electors nearly always vote with their party, presidential elections are essentially decided on Election Day. Although electors aren't constitutionally mandated to vote for the winner of the popular vote in their state, it is demanded by tradition and required by law in 26 states and the District of Columbia (in some states, violating this rule is punishable by $1,000 fine). Historically, over 99 percent of all electors have cast their ballots in line with the voters. On January 6, as a formality, the electoral votes are counted before Congress and on January 20, the commander in chief is sworn into office.

Critics of the Electoral College argue that the winner-take-all system makes it possible for a candidate to be elected president even if he gets fewer popular votes than his opponent. This happened in the elections of 1876, 1888 and 2000. However, supporters contend that if the Electoral College were done away with, heavily populated states such as California and Texas might decide every election and issues important to voters in smaller states would be ignored."

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Harlem Globetrotters play their first game, Jan 7, 1927:

"On January 7, 1927, the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team travels 48 miles west from Chicago to play their first game in Hinckley, Illinois.

The Globetrotters were the creation of Abe Saperstein of Chicago, who took over coaching duties for a team of African-American players originally known as the Savoy Big Five (after the famous Chicago ballroom where they played their early games). At a time when only whites were allowed to play on professional basketball teams, Saperstein decided to promote his new team’s racial makeup by naming them after Harlem, the famous African-American neighborhood of New York City. The son of a tailor, Saperstein sewed their red, white and blue uniforms (emblazoned with the words "New York") himself. The lineup in that first game, for which the Globetrotters were paid $75, was Walter "Toots" Wright, Byron "Fat" Long, Willis "Kid" Oliver, Andy Washington and Al "Runt" Pullins.

The Globetrotters won 101 out of 117 games that first season and introduced many Midwestern audiences to a game they had not seen played before. As owner, coach, manager, publicist and sometimes even substitute player, Saperstein worked overtime to book games for his team. By 1936, they had played more than 1,000 games and appeared in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan, Montana, Washington and North and South Dakota. (The Globetrotters didn’t actually play a game in Harlem until the late 1960s.) Their first national championship appearance came in 1939, when the Globetrotters lost to the New York Renaissance. That same year, the team began to add the silly antics they later became known for, including ball handling tricks and on-court comedic routines. The crowds loved it, and Saperstein told his team to keep up the clowning around, but only when they had achieved a solid lead.

In 1948, the Globetrotters earned a new measure of respect by beating the Minneapolis Lakers of the newly established National Basketball Association (NBA). Two years later, the NBA lifted its "whites only" ban and began to draft black players, forcing Saperstein to compete for his talent. By this time, the Globetrotters were actively touring on the international circuit, playing to audiences in post-war Berlin, Eastern Europe and Russia, among other places; they even performed once for Pope Pius XII in Rome. Some of the Globetrotters who went on to become NBA stars include Wilt Chamberlain, Connie Hawkins and Nat Clifton.

After Saperstein’s death in 1966, the team was sold to a group of Chicago businessmen for $3.7 million; they later sold it to Metro Media for $11 million. Reaching the height of their fame in the 1970s, the Globetrotters began to lose fans during the next decade, after the departure of such longtime stars as Meadowlark Lemmon. In 1985, Olympic gold medalist Lynette Woodard became the first female Globetrotter.

Over the years, the Harlem Globetrotters have played in more than 115 countries in front of 120 million fans. They have been the subject of two feature films and numerous television shows, including two animated series in the 1970s. In honor of their entertainment value, the team was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and made the subject of a permanent exhibit at the Smithsonian Institute. Their pioneering history and considerable athletic skill over the years was honored in 2002, when they were inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame."

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Truman announces U.S. has developed hydrogen bomb, Jan 7, 1953:

"In his final State of the Union address before Congress, President Harry S. Truman tells the world that that the United States has developed a hydrogen bomb.

It was just three years earlier on January 31, 1950, that Truman publicly announced that had directed the Atomic Energy Commission to proceed with the development of the hydrogen bomb. Truman's directive came in responds to evidence of an atomic explosion occurring within USSR in 1949."

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Yesterday, was a quiet day taking care of the doggie boarders and my critters.  The weather was a lovely sunny Winter day in TX, so I raked pine needles, while they were basking and playing in the back yard.  Also, I got caught up with some emails and small jobs. 

Mindi's dogs leave this morning, and then Prime will go to Conroe Petco, as it is Adoption Day.

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