How does a billionaire go bankrupt?

How does a billionaire go bankrupt? In the case of Eike Batista, very quickly.

The flamboyant owner of the Brazilian OGX and twenty other companies (each ending in "X" for multiplication) filed for protection from his creditors yesterday.

His empire fell like a house of cards, all 30 billion dollars of them, in three short months.

Less than a year ago Batista announced on a Charlie Rose interview that he expected, within half a decade, to become the world's richest man.

 It was a fateful moment.

Like the judgement that fell from heaven upon the mighty King Nebuchadnezzar, that sent him out to graze like a beast until he realized that "The Most High God rules supreme in the world of men"

Batista himself has now been put out to graze.

Tomorrow, instead of being the world's richest man, he will be drinking his coffee in the local do-nut shop along with the commonality of the human race.
It will be a salutary lesson if he learns to confess, with the other richest man in the world, that "The Most high God rules supreme in the world of men."

Was that one cream or two, Eike?

Jubilate.

Ian

The biggest hoax; Hallowe'en

Today I passed two witches in the entrance of the fitness center where I attend. I was later served coffee in the drive-through by lady with red horns on her head who looked like the mother of Satan himself.

I passed several ghouls and two open caskets on lawns on the way home. Tonight hordes of monsters, goblins and grey faced zombies with blood-red fangs will be invading the streets of my fair city, all with the full joy and compliance of parents and populace alike.

Halloween is here.

Next month, Christmas, another Christian Feast will be celebrated.

But let no carols be sung in the schools, creches be placed in public places or even banners with "Merry Christmas" be posted in banks or civic centers. It is against the rules of our politically correct society.

That's why I know that the DEVIL IS REAL.

Jubilate.

Ian

A year ago today. Hurricane Sandy.

Twelve months ago we were watching mesmerized in front of our T.V. screens as Hurricane Sandy made landfall at Breezy Point and for a full day chewed to pieces the eastern seaboard of America.

Since then the story of it's ferocity and destruction has been told and retold countless times.
Prevalent among the questions asked is why God allowed this disaster to happen. If Jesus could still the waves and calm the storm why did He not intervene and tell Sandy( be it "he" or "she") to go somewhere else?.

For this question we have no answer. 

However, if the winds be in His Fists, as indeed they are, it behooves us to venerate Him as Lord of all Creation and find our shelter and refuge in Him alone.
My mother, when German bombs were raining down around our house in WW2, would calmly read:

"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my Fortress: my God in Him will I trust" Psalm 91

That's a thousand times better than putting trust in Insurance Companies who, a year after the disaster, have only honored 12 % of their claims.

Ian