Bug's Bleat - - GCF: The New Conductor - - Photos

 

I took this shot of David and I when we first moved back to Magnolia

 

This if from a photo shoot I did for an East Texas Motor Freight ad while I was working in Dallas

 

"Diver" (Ken Geretz) and I breifing protest marchers at Southern State college in the spring of 1970.

 

I was one of the "marshalls" for the march, held to protest the killing of students at Kent State.

Bug's Bleat - - GCF: The New Conductor

 

The “mirror mosaic wall” in my bathroom.

 

We miss Beth Waller who moved to Georgia.

 

We also miss Lois Doss who moved to Florida

 

Here’s a photo of my room when I was a teenager. “Bug”

Bug's Bleat - - GCF: The New Conductor

Volume 11, Issue 04 Friday, January 23, 2009

Hello All,

Annette and I enjoyed watching the inauguration activities Tuesday morning. It was an emotional and uplifting experience. Once again, I’m reminded of how great our country is. President Obama is almost the direct opposite of President G.W. Bush but our citizens have chosen “change” and our systems are responding to turn the ship of state in a new direction.
~
Another point about this inauguration is the historical significance of having a man “of color” in the Oval office for the first time in US history. I and many of my “colorless” acquaintances had some trouble understanding the response of our “black” citizens to this event.
You see, I’ve worked all my life to look at my fellow citizens as “colorless.” Now, I’m finding a great deal of people who want to acknowledge the “color” of this man. At first I was stumped, but then I came to understand how deep the offense of slavery and segregation had injured many of our citizens.
Recently, I had chance to deal with the management of a national chain store. The frustration and even depression of trying to reason with a huge bureaucracy can be daunting. I repeatedly tried to explain my complaint to these folks and was met with a very negative response. The “Claims Manager” all but called me a bald faced liar, saying “you have no proof of your claim.” Then the local department manager told me “you’re just trying to get money out of us because we have the big bucks.” Neither person showed me any respect and both derided me and my complaint.
Then, it dawned on me; this is the same type of response that our citizens of color have faced in their daily interactions with our nations governmental and business organizations for many years. And the pain and disgust I felt over one incident with a store, they have felt for their lifetime.
So on inauguration day, I’ll bet my “mammie,” Mrs. Ida Mustafield, was proud to see President Obama step up to the podium.
~~~~~
We submitted our retirement papers this week. While we were reviewing them, we discussed our life insurance and Annette asked; “If I died, what would you spend the money on?” Maybe I should have hesitated, at least a couple of seconds, before I replied; “I’d buy a Hasselblad H3DII-50, 50 Mpixel, 36×48mm sensor camera. $27,995.00.” She got up from the table in a “huff” and told me she had a few things she’d also like to purchase.
~
“Shesh!” Who can ever understand women?
~~~~~
Speaking of economics, I’ve got a couple of consulting job offers. I’m meeting with a local college next week to discuss a temporary job and another industry has approached me about teaching a fire extinguisher class.
~~~~~
In one of his last acts as President, George W. Bush commuted the sentences of Ignacio Ramos and Jorge Compean. Two former US border patrol agents...sent to prison for more than a decade for shooting and seriously wounding a Mexican drug dealer back in 2005.
The commutation is not a pardon, and their conviction will stay on their records.
~
I assume that the President did this out of compassion for these men and their families. They were convicted of shooting a known criminal and then attempting to cover up the incident. At the same time, Mexico's government will not be pleased as they saw the convection of these two border agents as appropriate.
~~~~~
Our new president didn’t waste time in horrifying me. Yesterday, he announced the removal of restrictions on abortion funding. Specifically, today President Obama will lift restrictions on US government funding for groups that provide abortion services or counseling abroad.
~
So, it was very important to begin funding the killing of the unborn as soon as possible. A possible reason to increase abortions was his other announcement: “US regulators have cleared the way for the world's first study on human embryonic stem cell therapy.”
~
You can’t do much embryonic stem cell research unless you have a good supply of embryos.
~~~~~
Our Treasury Secretary-designate Timothy Geithner said Wednesday he was careless in failing to pay $34,000 in Social Security and Medicare taxes earlier this decade but declared "I have paid what I owed." He apologized to Congress.
~
So the chief tax collector is going to get a “pass” for not paying his taxes on time? The reason for giving him the job, according to many “sources,” is that he’s the best man to turn the economy around. . . . Hummmm . . . So the best economic guy this nation can come up with doesn’t know the tax code?
~
By the way, the new administration’s latest “solution” to our economic woes is an $825 billion economic-stimulus plan that includes tax cuts and job protection. Has anyone considered balancing the Federal budget as a way to get our economic house in order? I know that I tend to oversimplify things but I can’t imagine any credit counselor telling a couple deep in debt to borrow more money to solve their problem. I really believe that every multi-BILLION dollar solution just moves us further from the light at the end of the tunnel.
~~~~~
Chemical companies are announcing more layoffs and plant closures as the economy and slumping demand for plastics take their toll. Rohm & Haas announced this week that it was cutting 900 positions, or 5.7% of its work force, and BASF said it would cut working hours for nearly 1,700 workers. Also, Saudi Basic Industries reported a 95% decline in fourth-quarter net profit. [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123245970043097731.html?mod=dist_smartbrief]
~~~~~
Robert Lyons "Cousin Frank" sent this email story about Kurtis and Brenda Warner. The story is special, but clicking on the link will connect you to an audio clip of Kurt Warner sharing his testimony about his faith. Robert tells us: “I think he is possibly the MVP of the super bowl even before kickoff. I don't forward those email that say a blessing is coming if you do so. There was nothing about forwarding the story of Kurt and Brenda. I am not endorsing First Things First or promoting donations. But I do endorse you listening to him talk about his faith. Click on "Click her to listen to an interview with Kurt about his faith" at the bottom of the page. I am going to pull for him because if the Cardinals win, you will hear Jesus' name given the credit and the glory after the game on national TV.” - - [http://www.kurtwarner.org/aboutus.html]
~~~~~
A previously unknown fault in eastern Arkansas could trigger a magnitude 7 earthquake, a scientist said Wednesday. Haydar Al-Shukri, the director of the Arkansas Earthquake Center at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, said the fault is separate from the New Madrid fault responsible for a series of quakes in 1811-12 that caused the Mississippi River to flow backward.
Acres of cotton fields cover the fault west of Marianna, about 100 miles east of Little Rock, but stretches of fine sand mixed with fertile soil gave away the fault's location, Al-Shukri said. Liquefied sand bubbled up through cracks in the earth, while ground radar and digs showed vents that let the sand reach the surface, he said.
The fault, likely created in the last 5,000 years, sparked at least one magnitude 7 earthquake in its history. Such temblors cause massive destruction in their wake.
"This is a very, very dangerous (area) at risk of earthquake," Al-Shukri said. "When you talk about (magnitude) 7 and plus, this is going to be a major disaster."
Al-Shukri did not identify a time frame for the potential earthquake.
~
So we have another scientist warning of a MAJOR earthquake danger in Arkansas while local, state and federal officials do little or nothing to prepare for it. Building codes in these areas need to be updated (the “Pyramid” in Memphis was not built to earthquake standards.) And emergency management personnel need to conduct more drills and expand plans.
~~~~~
Farmers in eastern Virginia were reportedly behind a push for a plastic-bag ban in the state after the bags started getting tangled in their cotton equipment, damaging machines and harming their product. Not all are in favor of the ban, however, and the American Chemistry Council says it supports alternative options including recycling: "We think banning plastic bags as some have suggested would simply lead you back to paper bags. That leads to greenhouse-gas emissions and doubles greenhouse-gas emissions, in fact," said the ACC's Keith Christman. WTTG-TV (http://www.myfoxdc.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=8297590&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1)
In a related story; Ariz. bill would require many retailers to offer plastic-bag recycling
Arizona retailers and big-box stores of 10,000 square feet or more would be required to implement plastic-bag recycling programs or face fines of up to $500 per violation under a bill now in the state House. The measure would exempt carry-out restaurants and small independent stores. American City Business Journals/Phoenix [http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2009/01/19/daily11.html]
~~~~~
The chemical industry, including the American Chemistry Council, has come out in support of a new rule laying down safety standards for the transport of highly hazardous chemicals in railroad cars. "Chemical companies own or lease the tank cars in which they ship these critical materials. The willingness of our members to support new investments in safety is a hallmark of their commitment to continuous safety and performance improvement," said Cal Dooley, the ACC's president. Chemical & Engineering News [http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/87/i03/8703notw3.html]
~~~~~
453 illnesses and five deaths have been linked to a salmonella outbreak that is believed to have been caused by peanut butter and peanut paste. The Centers for Disease Control is collaborating with public health officials in many states and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate this multistate outbreak of human infections due to Salmonella serotype Typhimurium.. Persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Typhimurium have been reported from 43 states and Canada.
To date, no association has been found with major national brand name jars of peanut butter sold in grocery stores.
Recommendations For consumers
Do not eat products that have been recalled and throw them away in a manner that prevents others from eating them
Postpone eating other peanut butter containing products (such as cookies, crackers, cereal, candy and ice cream) until more information becomes available about which brands may be affected
Persons who think they may have become ill from eating peanut butter are advised to consult their health care providers.
~~~~~
A partial list of agencies in Magnolia that need your help (either financial or volunteer.)
~
STEW POT - COMMUNITY FOOD SERVICE
320 West Main Street
Magnolia, AR 71753
Columbia County
resourceone@sbcglobal.net
(870) 901-7226 FAX
(870) 234-9034 Administrative
Provides hot meals for the senior adults and people who are homeless or have developmental disabilities. Simply walk in to apply. There is no for service and there are no eligibility requirements.
Hours:4:00pm to 5:30pm, Mon. - Fri.
~
SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN MISSION - HOMELESS SHELTER
515 West Monroe Street, Magnolia, AR 71753 (870) 235-1155
Provides a shelter for people needing a place to stay. Simply walk in to apply or call for information. There is no fee for service and no eligibility requirements. This shelter is open 24 Hours a day, 7 Days a week.
~
HANNAH MEDICAL CENTER - CRISIS PREGNANCY CENTER
251 Columbia 13, Magnolia AR 71753 (870) 234-8070 Phone, 1-866-74-Women Toll Free, E-MAIL: magnolia@itsyourfuture.org,
HOURS: Tue & Thu 12-5
SERVICES: pregnancy tests, limited ultrasound when appropriate, abstinence education, parenting program, maternity & children’s clothes, peer counseling in pre/post abortion and adoption
NEEDS: prayer, ultrasound, financial assistance, volunteers
~~~~~
UPDATE TO Taylor - Voigt Family/Friends Cookbook
Our cousin, Shannon Voigt, is planning to update the Taylor-Voigt Family/Friends Cookbook this spring. If you have any great new family recipes you would like added please email them to me by the end of February and I’ll forward them to Shannon.
~~~~~
Just a reminder that those looking for quality, free photo editing software should try “GIMP” [http://www.gimp.org/]. [http://www.gimp.org/tutorials/].
~~~~~
Don’t forget to use GoodSearch [http://www.goodsearch.com/] when you search the Internet!
~~~~~
DarynKagan.com - - January 23, 2009 - - Today's theme is most definitely about surviving. I have the scoop on what is about to become one of the hottest websites around in my blog [http://darynkagan.demo.nimbussoftware.com/DarynsBlog.html].
The Survivors Club is an incredible resource for anyone facing challenges in their life. I hope you check it out. Feel free to let me know what you think over in our social online community [http://darynkagan.ning.com/].
Today's Story: 3x Cancer Survivor Soars - - Topher Payne faced down cancer three-times and that was just before he turned 28! That's just the beginning of Topher's Story as he's also an accomplished play write, actor, and author. Talk about a full life! Watch Video [http://darynkagan.demo.nimbussoftware.com/newsletter/newsletterTracking.aspx?ReceiptID=1253470&UIDHash=F20370BBFD95C2618A577F2F462DEAE5&Url=%2fovercoming%2fstories%2fov_080828_3xcancersurvivor.html]
~~~~~
Each week the Defense Department highlights military personnel who have gone above and beyond in the war. [http://www.defenselink.mil/heroes/] - - Brian Stann - - Hometown: Scranton, PA - - Awarded: Silver Star

In his Silver Star citation, Marine 2nd Lt. Brian M. Stann is praised for his "zealous initiative, courageous actions and exceptional presence of mind" during seven days of fighting in Iraq.
But Stann, now a captain, is not into fame or self aggrandizement.
"It’s not about awards, especially when you’re out there," said Stann, 27. "It’s about defeating the enemy and getting your boys out alive."
From May 8 to May 14, 2005, Stann was part of Operation Matador with 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines.
The action started when Stann’s platoon was given about 35 minutes’ notice that it needed to head to the Ramana Bridge, north of Karbala, he said.
Another unit was supposed to provide a blocking position at the bridge, but when they couldn’t make it on time, Stann’s platoon was sent to fill the gap.
As it turned out, a lot of the enemy had settled in that area. Stann said his platoon was engaged in a "constant gunfight" until it was relieved, and then he and his Marines had to fight their way back to base.
The worst fighting was May 10, when his platoon was sent back to the bridge to stay and got ambushed on the way, he said.
The insurgents hit Stann’s platoon with roadside bombs, rocket-propelled grenades and suicide car bombs, destroying a Humvee and a tank recovery vehicle that was hauling wounded, he said.
"We had a rough night."
Stann’s Silver Star citation briefly summarizes his actions during the ambush.
“Second Lieutenant Stann personally directed two casualty operations, three vehicle recovery operations and multiple close air support missions under enemy small arms, machine gun and mortar fire in his 360-degree fight," the citation reads.
Stann didn’t want to get into specifics about what he did during the fighting.
"Everyone has done some courageous things," he said. "It’s just part of our calling. It’s part of our job."
Instead, Stann preferred to talk about his Marines.
Despite the casualties and carnage, they did not panic, he said. They kept their heads, beat back the enemy and evacuated their wounded.
"Because of that, the casualties that we did take did survive," Stann said. "Guys that lost limbs lived. Guys that took shrapnel and things of that nature to the head lived, and they wouldn’t have lived if we hadn’t have done that."
Throughout their deployment, Stann’s Marines focused on their job, whether it meant sleeping in their Humvees on hot nights or manning a machine gun at 2 a.m., he said.
Stann, who was born at Yokota Air Base in Japan and then moved to Scranton, Pa., said his Silver Star represents what the Marines under his command accomplished.
"They executed flawlessly, and we’re talking 19- to 20-year-old kids, and these are tougher situations than 90 percent of Americans will face," he said.
Excerpt from article by Jeff Schogol, Stars and Stripes Heroes, June 14, 2008
~~~~~
America is not at war. The military is at war. - - America is at the mall, or watching the movie stars.
~~~~~
The latest from Michael Yon, the foremost “milnews” blogger on the web. If you haven’t read Michael’s dispatches, I strongly urge you to do so at once. It’s important that we all know what’s happening in our world.
“Bug”
~
Greetings,

Our soldiers in Afghanistan are into the hash, but not in the way the Taliban would hope. Please check out this powerful photo-essay. [http://www.michaelyon-online.com/rollin-in-hash.htm]

A huge thank you for folks who voted for my site in the annual weblog awards. We won best milblog for 2008. This is the third time we've won a first place award. I am humbled. Competition was fierce, and Blackfive who took second is a tough customer and I respect them enormously. Third place went to Alex Horton, a 23 year-old combat veteran. I called Alex yesterday to congratulate him, and was happy to hear that he is studying journalism. Alex put down the rifle and picked up the pen. Great things might be in store for Alex. I hope that he uses his pen wisely, and suspect he will.

Again, please see the new essay from Afghanistan. You don't want to miss it. [http://www.michaelyon-online.com/rollin-in-hash.htm]

Very Respectfully,
Your correspondent,
Michael Yon

Http://www.michaelyon-online.com/index.php
~~~~~
Last week we watched [Ratings are my own]:
Sense and Sensibility (1995) [9.1] Starring Kate Winslet ... Emma Thompson ... Hugh Grant ... Robert Hardy ... Alan Rickman ... Greg Wise
Pride & Prejudice (2005) [8.5] Starring Keira Knightley ... Talulah Riley ... Rosamund Pike ... Donald Sutherland ... Matthew Macfadyen
24 Season 6: Disc 5 & 6 (2007) [7.5] Starring Kiefer Sutherland .... Mary Lynn Rajskub, James Morrison, Jayne Atkinson, Peter MacNicol, Carlo Rota
Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008) [7.8] Starring Ben Barnes ... Georgie Henley ... Skandar Keynes ... William Moseley ... Anna Popplewell
Shadow of the Thin Man (1941) [8.5] Starring William Powell ... Myrna Loy ... Barry Nelson ... Donna Reed ... Sam Levene ... Alan Baxter
The Thin Man Goes Home (1944) [8.5] Starring William Powell ... Myrna Loy ... Harry Davenport ... Edward Brophy
Song of the Thin Man (1947) [8.5] Starring William Powell ... Myrna Loy ... Keenan Wynn ... Dean Stockwell ... Jayne Meadows
Ever After (1998) [8.5] Starring Drew Barrymore ... Anjelica Huston ... Dougray Scott ... Patrick Godfrey ... Megan Dodds ... Melanie Lynskey
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948) [7.75] Starring Cary Grant ... Myrna Loy ... Melvyn Douglas ... Reginald Denny ... Louise Beavers
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) [8.1] Starring Cary Grant ... Priscilla Lane ... Raymond Massey ... Peter Lorre ... Jack Carson
People Will Talk (1951) [9.0] Starring Cary Grant ... Jeanne Crain ... Finlay Currie ... Hume Cronyn ... Walter Slezak
~~~~~
We’re currently reading; The amber room / Steve Berry.
We intend to read; The Romanov prophecy / Steve Berry. Six seconds / Rick Mofina.
We recommend: Do the right thing : inside the movement that's bringing common sense back to America / Mike Huckabee.
~~~~~
http://www.shelfari.com
http://www.shelfari.com/bugsbleat/shelf
~~~~~
Photos on the front of this week’s “Bleat” include some ancient photos of me. There’s a shot of my son David and I, another of me leading a “Kent State” protest march in the spring of 1970, a second of “Diver” and I briefing the marchers before we began and one of me working as an advertising model in Dallas (about 1971).
~~~~~
We’ve now got several addresses on the web for "Da Bleat." For the latest issue, go to http://www.bugsbleat.blogspot.com. Last quarter’s issues can be seen at http://www.bugsbleat4q08.blogspot.com.
Our photos are posted at http://www.bugsbleatphotos.blogspot.com.
If you want to see more photos of April’s train wreck in Magnolia, go to http://www.bugsbleattw.blogspot.com/
~~~~~
Feel free to share the "Bleat" with any and all. That's why we publish it.
~~~~~
Dr. Pat Antoon’s Address:
Pat Antoon 06669-010
Federal Prison Camp
P.O. Box 9300
Texarkana, TX 75505
Be sure and keep him in your prayers.
~~~~~
Recipe(s) of the week - - Some dishes from the President’s Inauguration Lunch

Molasses Whipped Sweet Potatoes - - Yield: 2 quarts

Ingredients

3 large sweet potatoes, about 3 pounds
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup orange juice
½ tablespoon of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of molasses
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and roast until easily pierced with a fork, about 1 hour.
3. Peel the skin off of the sweet potatoes while still hot. By hand or mixer, smash potatoes until all large chunks are gone. Combine the potatoes, butter, salt, orange juice, brown sugar, ground cumin, molasses and maple syrup in a large bowl. Continue to mix all together until all lumps are gone. Adjust any of the seasonings to your specific tastes. Can be made the day before.
~
Winter Vegetables - - Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients

2 bunches Asparagus, green, bottom 1/3 of stem removed
2 lbs. Carrots, peeled, cut oblong or large dice
1 lb. Baby Brussels Sprouts, fresh, cleaned or frozen can be used
1 lb. Wax Beans, ends snipped
2 oz Butter
1 each Zest from orange
4 oz. Olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste.

Directions
Asparagus: preheat grill or large heavy bottom sauté pan. Rub 2 oz of olive oil on asparagus and season with pinch of salt and pepper. Lay flat on grill or sauté pan until lightly browned. Using long fork or tongs, rotate the asparagus to brown other sides. Usually 2 or 3 minutes per side. The asparagus is done when you can use a fork to cut through. Do not overcook, this will cause asparagus to become stringy. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Carrots: bring 3 qt salted water to a boil, add carrots to water and cook until fork tender, meaning a fork will easily pass through the carrot. Drain the water from the pot and toss 1 oz butter and zest of orange and mix until carrots are coated. Season with pinch of salt and enjoy. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Brussels Sprouts: For Fresh: Bring 3 qt salted water to a boil, cut into the stem of the sprout with a paring knife to create an X on the bottom, this will allow the stem to cook more evenly. Place sprout in boiling water and allow to cook until bottom of sprout is tender and easily cut with a knife. Preheat a heavy bottom sauté while the sprouts are cooking. Remove sprouts from water and allow all water to drain completely. Add 2 oz oil to sauté pan and add the sprouts, season with salt and pepper while tossing the sprouts around to evenly brown in the pan. If sprouts are too big, you can cut them in half, keep warm until ready to serve.
For Frozen: Bring 3 qt salted water to a boil and drop frozen Brussels sprouts into water, these are precooked so you are only thawing them out. Remove from water and sauté as above.
Yellow Wax beans: bring 3 qt salted water to boil, add snipped wax beans to water and allow to cook until fork tender or to your liking of doneness. Remove from water and toss with 1 oz butter and season with salt and pepper.
~~~~~
BreakPoint
'Seven Pounds'
By Mark Earley
1/23/2009
No Room for Grace

This Christmas, the movie Seven Pounds was advertised as a feel-good, inspirational film. Rarely has an advertising campaign been so wrong. The odd thing is that the movie actually does come close to being inspirational—but in the end, it completely misses the mark.

(Just so you know, I’m going to reveal some important details of the plot, so listen at your own risk!)

In Seven Pounds, Will Smith plays a mysterious man who calls himself Ben. He spends all his time looking for strangers who need help—people who are dealing with illnesses, financial troubles, or abusive relationships. Ben finds their names and information through what is apparently his job as an IRS agent. He tracks them down, and starts getting involved in their lives, trying to help them in any way he can.

Gradually, we find out that Ben is trying to atone for his past. One night, in a moment of distraction, he caused a car accident that took the lives of seven people, including his own fiancée. So Ben decides to try to help seven more people get a chance to start afresh.

So far, not a bad idea for a movie. The story looks like it could provide some interesting twists on the concepts of guilt, repentance, and atonement.

But what we don’t realize at first is just how far Ben will go to atone. His idea is that because he took seven lives, he must give up his own life in return. Ben thinks he no longer deserves to live, so he literally must destroy himself in order to help save other people’s lives—after he’s made sure that they’re good people who do deserve to live. The entire film is one long setup for Ben’s final act of self-destruction.

As one of my colleagues observed, Seven Pounds could have been a very different kind of film. Ben’s experiences and the new relationships he built during the movie could have had a transforming, even redemptive, effect on his life, if he had allowed them to. But he wouldn’t—because he didn’t think he deserved redemption.

That’s where the movie provides a great opportunity to reflect and discuss a biblical worldview.

Because Ben acknowledged his own failure and realized that he was undeserving, Ben could have been shown as the perfect recipient of grace. For the truth is that, as an undeserving failure, he represents every fallen, sinful human being who’s ever lived—including you and me. Not one of us deserves grace any more than Ben did—that’s what makes it such a gift.

Ben’s real tragedy is that he never came to understand that this gift was available even for him.

But this movie provides a great opportunity to share with your friends the difference a redemptive biblical worldview might have had on Ben’s good intentions. Indeed, a movie in which there is no room for grace does not truly reflect the human opportunity for redemption.

Again, this movie provides such a great opportunity to share with others what redemption in Christ truly looks like. Ben did not know of this redemption and therefore was driven to destroy his own life. But the hope that God holds out to even the most unworthy sinner, is a hope that can redeem every life, including Ben’s.

For Further Reading and Information

Jelani Greenidge, "Fresh Prince Blues," UrbanFaith.com, 30 December 2008.

Lisa Ann Cockrel, "Seven Pounds," ChristianityToday.com, 19 December 2008.

Dirty Harry, "DHP Review," DirtyHarrysPlace.com, 21 December 2008.

Brian Godawa, Hollywood Worldviews (InterVarsity, 2002).
© 2009 Prison Fellowship - - http://www.breakpoint.org/
~~~~~
Words of the Week:
laissez-faire: non-interference
magnanimous: generous and noble
narcolepsy: sleep disorder
obscure: less visible or clear
pandiculation: yawning and stretching
qualitative: based on qualities
rancor: deep anger and ill will
sallow: unhealthy looking
from http://dictionary.reference.com/wordoftheday/
~~~~~
"Not to be able to grow old is just as ridiculous as to be unable to outgrow childhood." - Carl G. Jung

"Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live." - Dorothy Thompson

"One day we must come to see that peace is not merely a distant goal we seek, but that it is a means by which we arrive at that goal. We must pursue peaceful ends through peaceful means." - Martin Luther King Jr.

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." - Article II, Section 1, United States Constitution

"Forever is composed of nows." - Emily Dickinson

"If only we'd stop trying to be happy we could have a pretty good time." - Edith Wharton

"The real test of a man is not how well he plays the role he has invented for himself, but how well he plays the role that destiny assigned to him." - Jan Patocka
~~~~~
BREAKING CHRISTIAN NEWS
http://breakingchristiannews.com/

Inauguration 2009—a Moment of History and Healing for America
Aimee Herd/Op-ed (January 20, 2009)
"…this moment—unprecedented in our nation's history—goes far above personal views…"
All through last year's Presidential campaign—on both sides of the spectrum—feelings ran deep. And I daresay those passionate opinions have not abated much as President-elect Obama's Inauguration approaches.
But, as I watched Obama's speech this weekend, with the backdrop of the Lincoln Memorial, it struck me that this moment—unprecedented in our nation's history—goes so far above personal views…
For me, and hopefully for many, the event of Barack Obama's Presidential Inauguration transcends political party and leaning… it is about healing. And the days after it; about prayer.
I realize, being white, that I cannot fully grasp the extraordinarily historical moment—when Obama is sworn in as the first black President of the United States—as one of my black fellow-citizens will. Nor will I experience, to that extent, the incredible achievement they must feel in their hearts.
But its significance is not lost on me. Whether or not I voted for President-elect Obama is not the issue, because the attitude at which this country has finally arrived, in being willing to elect a black man to its highest office, has been far too long in coming. It makes me feel very grateful to my parents for raising me with a true respect for all people regardless of color, religion or nationality, which is just Biblical common sense!
And so I ask, both those who voted for Obama and those who didn't, can we—if just for a day—lay down the political debate? Can we look beyond the labels of Republican, Democrat or Independent? Can we be joyful that America, on its highest level, is at long last breaking through an ugly barrier of ignorance and hate, and much like the day those cold cement chunks of wall fell in Berlin; hands kept apart are now joining together?
I hope each one of us, regardless of political persuasion, will pray for the continued protection of this man who has not let the prejudices of some keep him from pressing on to fulfill this calling in which he believes. Let's pray for protection for him and for his family.
As Christians, we are called to pray for those in office—no matter who they are. So let us pray in the days ahead for God's direction for this new President, as he leads this country we so love.
~
"Remember Who Your Daddy Is"—Bush Twins Pen Open Letter to "First Daughters" Sasha and Malia
Teresa Neumann (January 23, 2009)
A few publications have reported on the class and generosity extended to President Obama and his family by outgoing President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura. It appears these virtues have rubbed off on their twin daughters as well.
(Washington, D.C.)—In an open letter to Sasha and Malia Obama, Bush twins—Jenna and Barbara—have encouraged the new "first" daughters to relish their time in the White House and "remember who your daddy is." (Photo by: Rick Wilking/Landov; Jim Young/Landov)

The letter, published in the Wall Street Journal, is a mix of humor, poignancy, and wisdom. Advises the Bush twins, "Surround yourself with loyal friends...slide down the banister of the solarium...have fun and enjoy your childhood in such a magical place to live and play...four years goes by so fast, so absorb it all, enjoy it all."

Click on the link provided to see wonderful pictures of past presidents with their children and grandchildren in the White House, and to read this truly sweet letter in its entirety.
Source: Jenna and Barbara Bush - Wall Street Journal [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123239885943895155.html?mod=rss_Today's_Most_Popular]

310 2nd Ave SE
Albany, Oregon 97321
541-928-2642
E-mail editor@breakingchristiannews.com
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Emailed to me another humor list (The Jokester) -Tom Subscribe to The Jokester's list send an email to: Jokes-From-Dan-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

If this was forwarded to you, please consider your own subscription to Good Clean Fun. It's free! Just send an email to: good-clean-fun-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
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GCF: The New Conductor

The symphony musicians had little confidence in the person brought in to be their new conductor. Their fears were realized at the very first rehearsal. The cymbalist, realizing that the conductor did not know what he was doing, angrily clashed his instruments together during a delicate, soft passage.

The music stopped. The conductor, highly agitated, looked angrily around the orchestra, demanding, "Who did that? Who did that?"
_ ____________________________ _
Emailed to me another humor list (Pastor Tim's Clean Laugh List) -Tom Subscribe to Pastor Tim's Clean Laugh list at the website: Subscribe
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GCF: Wire Guard

Gale-force winds and frigid temperatures had taken their toll. Snapped electric wires were sparking and snaking about the snowdrifts. As a foot patrolman, I was assigned to a desolate intersection to provide security at the scene of a downed wire.

It was 12:40 a.m. and -19 degrees when I relieved the initial guardian of this dangerous area. He pointed out the thin line swinging ferociously from the main electric circuit, as he entered the squad car for his return to warmth. I pulled my coat collar up to my earmuffs and took up my position to protect the public.

Finally, at 5:40 a.m., a utility truck arrived. The linemen checked the wires, then laughing, descended the utility pole toward me.

"Well, Officer," one of them said, "congratulations. You've successfully guarded a frozen kite string all night."
_ ____________________________ _
Emailed to me another humor list (Pastor Tim's Clean Laugh List) -Tom Subscribe to Pastor Tim's Clean Laugh list at the website: Subscribe
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GCF: What's for Dinner?

The young couple invited their elderly pastor for Sunday dinner. While they were in the kitchen preparing the meal, the minister asked their son what they were having.

"Goat," the little boy replied.

"Goat?" replied the startled man of the cloth, "Are you sure about that?"

"Yep," said the youngster. "I heard Dad say to Mom, 'Today is just as good as any to have the old goat for dinner.'"
_ ____________________________ _
Found posted in a humor newsgroup (rec.humor.funny) -Tom
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The Golfer

A golfer hit his drive on the first hole 300 yards right down the middle. When it came down, however, it hit a sprinkler and the ball went sideways into the woods. He was angry, but he went into the woods and hit a very hard 2 iron which hit a tree and bounced back straight at him. It hit him in the temple and killed him.

He was at the Pearly Gates and St. Peter looked at the big book and said, "I see you were a golfer, is that correct?"

"Yes, I am," he replied.

St Peter then said, "Do you hit the ball a long way?"

The golfer replied, "You bet. After all, I got here in 2, didn't I?"
_ ____________________________ _
Emailed to me by a friend (Thanks, Bud) -Tom
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GCF: Dog I.Q.

A psychologist is selling a video that teaches you how to test your dog's IQ.

Here's how it works:

When you spend $39.95 to see this video, it proves your dog is smarter than you.
_ ____________________________ _
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / How do you know when \ /
\ _/ it's time to tune your bagpipes? \_ /
/ / \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / Madness takes its toll. \ /
\ _/ Please have exact change. \_ /
/ / \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ / Thought for today: \ \_/ ////
\ / As you make your way through \ /
\ _/ this hectic world of ours, \_ /
/ / set aside a few minutes each day \ \
At the end of the year,
you'll have a couple of days saved up.
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / Why isn't "palindrome" \ /
\ _/ spelled the same way backwards? \_ /
/ / \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / It rarely occurs to teenagers \ /
\ _/ that the day will come when \_ /
/ / they know as little as their parents. \ \
_ ____________________________ _
| Thomas S. Ellsworth |
| tellswor@kcbx.net |
| http://www.kcbx.net/~tellswor |
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|Stop for a visit, leave with a smile! To join Good Clean Fun, email: good-clean-fun-subscribe@yahoogroups.Com To leave Good Clean Fun, email: good-clean-fun-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.Com Or visit the Good Clean Fun web site at http://www. slonet.org/~tellswor/
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Doctors VS. Gun Owners

Doctors
(A) The number of physicians in the U.S. is 700,000.
(B) Accidental deaths caused by Physicians per year are 120,000.
C) Accidental deaths per physician is 0.171.
Statistics courtesy of U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services.

Guns
(A) The number of gun owners in the U.S. is 80,000,000. (Yes, that's 80 million)
(B) The number of accidental gun deaths per year, all age groups, is 1,500.
(C) The number of accidental deaths per gun owner is .000188.
Statistics courtesy of FBI

So, statistically, doctors are approximately 9,000 times more dangerous than gun owners. Remember, 'Guns don't kill people, doctors do.' FACT: NOT EVERYONE HAS A GUN, BUT ALMOST EVERYONE HAS AT LEAST ONE DOCTOR. Please alert your friends to this alarming threat. We must ban doctors before this gets completely out of hand!!!!! Out of concern for the public at large, I withheld the statistics on lawyers for fear the shock would cause people to panic and seek medical attention!

United We Stand - - Thanks to Gary Foreman
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They walk among us!!!!

NEW YORK - Idaho resident Kathy Evans brought humiliation to her friends and family Tuesday when she set a new standard for stupidity with her appearance on the popular TV show, 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.'

It seems that Evans, a 32-year-old wife and mother of two, got stuck on the first question, and proceeded to make what fans of the show are dubbing 'the absolute worst use of lifelines ever.'
After being introduced to the show's host Meredith Vieira, Evans assured her that she was ready to play, whereupon she was posed with an extremely easy $100 question. The question was: 'Which of the following is the largest?'

A) A Peanut
B) An Elephant
C) The Moon
D) Hey, who you calling large?

Immediately Mrs. Evans was struck with an all consuming panic as she realized that this was a question to which she did not readily know the answer.
'Hmm, oh boy, that's a toughie,' said Evans, as Vieira did her level best to hide her disbelief and disgust. 'I mean, I'm sure I've heard of some of these things before, but I have no idea how large they would be.'
Evans made the decision to use the first of her three lifelines, the 50/50.
Answers A and D were removed, leaving her to decide which was bigger, an elephant or the moon. However, faced with an incredibly easy question, Evans still remained unsure.
'Oh! It removed the two I was leaning towards!' exclaimed Evans. 'Darn. I think I better phone a friend.'
Using the second of her two lifelines on the first question, Mrs. Evans asked to be connected with her friend Betsy, who is an office assistant.
'Hi Betsy! How are you? This is Kathy! I'm on TV!' said Evans, wasting the first seven seconds of her call. 'Ok, I got an important question. Which of the following is the largest? B, an elephant, or C, the moon. 15 seconds hun.'
Betsy quickly replied that the answer was C, the moon. Evans proceeded to argue with her friend for the remaining ten seconds.
'Come on Betsy, are you sure?' said Evans. 'How sure are you? Duh, that can't be it.'
To everyone's astonishment, the moronic Evans declined to take her friend's advice and pick 'The Moon.'
'I just don't know if I can trust Betsy. She's not all that bright. So I think I'd like to ask the audience,' said Evans.
Asked to vote on the correct answer, the audience returned 98% in favor of answer C, 'The Moon.' Having used up all her lifelines, Evans then made the dumbest choice of her life.
'Wow, seems like everybody is against what I'm thinking,' said the too-stupid-to-live Evans. 'But you know, sometimes you just got to go with your gut. So, let's see. For which is larger, an elephant or the moon, I'm going to have to go with B, an elephant. Final answer.'
Evans sat before the dumbfounded audience, the only one waiting with bated breath, and was told that she was wrong, and that the answer was in fact, C, 'The Moon.'
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Some guy bought a new fridge for his house. To get rid of his old fridge, he put it in his front yard and hung a sign on it saying: 'Free to good home. You want it, you take it.' For three days the fridge sat there without even one person looking twice at it. He eventually decided that people were too un-trusting of this deal.
It looked too good to be true, so he changed the sign to read: 'Fridge for sale $50.'
The next day someone stole it!
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While looking at a house, my brother asked the estate agent which direction was north because, he explained, he didn't want the sun waking him up every morning. She asked, 'Does the sun rise in the north?' When my brother explained that the sun rises in the east, and has for some time, she shook her head and said, 'Oh, I don't keep up with that stuff'
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My colleague and I were eating our lunch in our cafeteria, when we overheard one of the administrative assistants talking about the sunburn she got on her weekend drive to the beach. She drove down in a convertible, but 'didn't think she'd get sunburned because the car was moving'.
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My sister has a lifesaving tool in her car it's designed to cut through a seat belt if she gets trapped. She keeps it in the trunk.
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I was hanging out with a friend when we saw a woman with a nose ring attached to an earring by a chain. My friend said, 'Wouldn't the chain rip out every time she turned her head?' I had to explain that a person's nose and ear remain the same distance apart no matter which way the head is turned...
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I couldn't find my luggage at the airport baggage area. So I went to the lost luggage office and told the woman there that my bags never showed up. She smiled and told me not to worry because she was a trained professional and I was in good hands. 'Now,' she asked me, 'Has your plane arrived yet?'... (I work with professionals like this.)
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While working at a pizza parlor I observed a man ordering a small pizza to go. He appeared to be alone and the cook asked him if he would like it cut into 4 pieces or 6. He thought about it for some time before responding. 'Just cut it into 4 pieces; I don't think I'm hungry enough to eat 6 pieces.

Thanks to Waneta
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Blind Date

"That was nice of you to set up a blind date for your ex-boyfriend."
"I know, but I don't hold any grudges."
"I'm surprised he trusted you enough to agree to go out with her."
"Well, I had to swear to him she's Jennifer Lopez's double."
"Wow! Is that true?"
"I wouldn't lie. She's twice her weight and twice her age."

Received from Thomas Ellsworth.

(-:][:-)

Miniature Cross

One Sunday a priest announced he was passing out miniature crosses made of palm leaves. "Put this cross in the room where your family argues most," he advised. "When you look at it, the cross will remind you that God is watching."
When the parishioners were leaving church, a woman walked up to the priest, shook his hand, and said, "I'll take five."

Received from Paula Sanning.

(-:][:-)

A Good Defense

A family of skunks was trapped in a thicket, surrounded by a pack of hungry wolves that were edging even closer.
The mother skunk calmly instructed her young, "Quickly, children, let's put our heads together!"
After they obeyed, forming a circle, she continued, "Now -- let us spray!"

Received from ArcaMax.

(-:][:-)

Astronomers Declare February No Longer a Month

Emboldened by their success in declaring Pluto not a planet, the International Astronomical Union determined this week by a close vote that February is too short to be considered a true month. It has, however, been granted the newly-created status of "dwarf month." It shares this dubious distinction with several other calendar time spans, including Labor Day Weekend, Christmas Vacation, and the Time Between When You Were Supposed to Get Your Oil Changed and When You Actually Did.
"It only seems fair," said IAU President Ron Eckers. "February reaches a peak size of 29 days, averaging only 28 days for 75 percent of the time. Recent research has shown that other periods, such as the Time Between When You Were Supposed to Get Your Oil Changed and When You Actually Did, often exceed this meager time frame. In fact, this erratic behavior only strengthens our case that February does not belong in the same classification as the eleven 'true' months."
Eckers also warned that the crop of 30-day "so-called" months should be careful to maintain their number of days. "They're already cutting it pretty close in my book."
Written by Michael Haber.

Received from Michael Haber.

(-:][:-)

A Fish Tale

A fisherman returned to shore with a giant marlin that was bigger and heavier than he. On the way to the cleaning shed, he ran into a second fisherman who had a stringer with a dozen baby minnows.
The second fisherman looked at the marlin, turned to the first fisherman and said, "Only caught one, eh?"

Received from Thomas Ellsworth.

(-:][:-)

-=+=-
Rate this funny at http://www.gcfl.net/archive.php?funny=20060113
Brought to you by GCFL.net: The Good, Clean Funnies List A cheerful heart is good medicine... (Prov 17:22a) Mail address: GCFL, Box 100, Harvest, AL 35749, USA
To print or email this funny to others, go to http://www.gcfl.net/archive.php?funny=20060113
The latest GCFL funny can always be found on the web at http://www.gcfl.net/latest.php
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Madeleine Begun Kane Latest Columns - - http://www.madkane.com/admonitions.html - - AD-MONITIONS
When I see the term "Dream Job" in employment ads, I immediately get suspicious. My first thought -- after "Yeah, right!" -- is what else is this company lying about? But I was astonished to learn that some people actually believe what they read in the classifieds. So as a public service, I present my guide to employment ad puffery – a few choice phrases ... and what they really mean.

Equal Opportunity Employer: We abuse everyone.

Pleasant Surroundings: You'll share a four by four cubicle with a copying machine.

On-Site Cafeteria: We don't let you out for lunch.

Cheerful Staff: Employees sedate themselves before reporting to work.

Competitive Salary: We're in contention for the title "Worst Payer in the Forbes 500."

Send Salary History: So we'll know what we can get away with.

Generous Benefits: If you own the place.

Profit Sharing: Not after our accountants finish cooking the books.

Advancement Possible: If you have an active fantasy life.

Opportunity For Advancement: Out the door.

We Promote From Within: Within the owner's gene pool.

Rare Opportunity: We can't give this job away.

Family Owned Business: Dysfunctional family owned business.

First In Our Field: Everyone else had the good sense to get out.

Industry Leader: We recently swallowed up most of our competitors.

In Expansion Mode: Still one or two competitors to go.

Flex Time: Guess who gets to be flexible?

Family Friendly: Guess whose family?

State Of The Art Technology: When we bought it at a fire sale more than a decade ago.

Must Be Able To Do It All: We got a bit carried away with our downsizing.

Candidate Must Provide Leadership And Motivation: Somebody has to.

Must Be Detail-Oriented: You'll be reporting to a space cadet.

College Degree Preferred: We prefer -- and will hire -- a Ph.D. But this way we can pay twenty grand less.

On The Job Training: You'll be paper training the boss' dog.

Highly Visible Position: Right next to the restrooms.

Send Resume For Immediate Consideration: Don't call us. We'll call you.

© Madeleine Begun Kane. All Rights Reserved.
1st Published Bridge News
http://www.madkane.com/
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Ask Officer Dawson….. Question: Is it a good idea to put a set of your car keys beside your bed at night? If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies.
Answer: If you're lying in bed when the burglary or the sexual assault suspect enters your house and you want to set your car alarm off, go ahead. Personally, I'm calling 911. If you can push one button (car alarm), you can push three (911). Rather than putting your car keys next to your bed put a telephone, not a cord less one, but a corded one. Get a corded (land-line) phone that plugs into the wall so the key pad will be back-lighted when you pick up the receiver. Therefore you can plainly see the numbers as you call the police in the middle of the night. Cord less phones are most always dark. Doing it my way ensures help is coming.
Doing it your way…
1. First you have to remember to put your keys on the night stand - whereas your corded phone is always there.
2. You'll have to find a much smaller object in darkness - keys verses phone.
3. Your key fob has multiple buttons in it; "Lock, Unlock, Alarm, Trunk release, Start, etc". In a panic situation, which button is the alarm? How long do you have to hold it for the alarm to go off?
4. Once the alarm is going off, you're depending on your neighbors to wake from a dead sleep to a noise that's coming from inside a closed garage in a house some - where on their street. Do you think you would be able to do that…with your windows closed and the air conditioner running? I know I wouldn't, I don't even wake up during thunder storms. Then you're depending on them to call the police rather than roll over and go back to sleep, annoyed that they were awakened in the first place.
5. They have to try to identify which side of the alley the noise is coming from. Then try to pinpoint which house.
6. Then they have to call the police - which is highly unlikely because people don't even do that when a car alarm goes off on the parking lot of a mall in broad daylight. Nowadays car alarms are looked at as more of a nuisance than a deterrent to crime.
7. But just for kicks, let's say you live in a neighborhood of first rate crime fighters and light sleepers. They hear your alarm going off, instantly they locate their phone and call the police to ex plain the situation. By the time this occurs and we drive to the location the car alarm has long since re set itself and the neighborhood is quiet as a church mouse. Now here we are, driving around trying to locate a possible crime in progress. We have no idea where the alarm was coming from, whether it was an at tempted BMV (Burglary of a Motor Vehicle) or whether the alarm simply went off because someone got to close to the car as they were driving down your alley. Or someone re ally is inside your house attempting to harm you. We cannot go around your neighborhood knocking on your neighbor’s doors in the middle of the night asking if everything's okay because a car alarm went off.
There's just so many things that have to go just right in order for your plan to work. Whereas my plan gets you the help you need fast. Get a corded phone with a lighted keypad and put it next to your bed. Call "911" immediately if anything goes wrong. That beats a car alarm any day. If you have any personal safety or crime prevention questions, please e-mail Officer Mark Dawson at markda@plano.gov.
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This was sent by our MHS ‘69 Classmate, Barbara Daniels. It reflects our feelings and we hope the feelings of many US conservatives. - - “Bug”
~
I did not want, did not vote, and was not happy to see our new President win the election but I do know for the sake of our country and for his safety the bible tells us to pray for our leaders. I'll be the first to admit I struggle in this area regardless of who is President. Just thought Huckabee expressed this well and I am thankful we live in a country there is a peaceful transition of power. Having said that we all realize where the real power lies, don't we? :)
~
With Prayerful Hearts

As of this afternoon, we have a new President. I had hoped that the 44th President would be a guy named Huckabee, but that didn't happen. I don't lament the results of the election, I celebrate the process of our great Republic that gives us the privilege and responsibility of voting and choosing our leaders.

I have stated repeatedly that I will pray for the new President in the same way that I would have desired for my fellow citizens to pray for me had I been successful.

I know that some, even on this blog, have been hesitant to commit to pray for and support the new President. I believe that it is my Christian duty to respect the office, to honor the process that led to the selection of the President, and to seek to put my country and its best interest above that of my party or even myself. I might find myself in disagreement in some of the policies that President Obama puts forth, but I will express my disagreement in the spirit of respect and civility that I wish had met President Bush when his critics disagreed with him.

Today, I am above all an American. A proud one. Proud that we have transitioned power without soldiers, bayonets, or bloodshed. I celebrate America. Now, the task is to stand more firm than ever in the convictions that life is precious and is the basis of liberty. I will work to elect good men and women to help shape this nation. It will be a long journey. I hope you're ready to join me.

Prayerfully,
Mike Huckabee
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The Pump Handle. A water cooler for the public health crowd.

Friday Blog Roundup - - http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/
January 23, 2009 in Blog roundup | by Liz Borkowski

{NOTE: Liz and I don’t see eye to eye on many things and that is clear on some of her blog picks this week. However, I can’t fault her dedication to health and safety. So look at her offerings with an open mind and do what I do, enjoy the melon and spit out the seeds.}

First, some welcome breaking news from Amie Newman at RH Reality Check: President Obama has rescinded the Global Gag Rule, which banned giving federal funds to internal groups that provide abortions or information about the procedure. [http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2009/01/23/physicians-advocates-providers-applaud-global-gag-rule-repeal]

Jacob Goldstein at WSJ’s Health Blog is also on top of the latest health news, reporting that Obama has named Richard Besser, who’s headed emergency response efforts at CDC, as acting head of that agency. [http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2009/01/23/richard-besser-terrorism-preparedness-guru-to-head-cdc/]

And bloggers have a few more thoughts on Obama’s appointments and plans:

Maggie Mahar at Health Beat suggests that Obama’s inaugural address might have been preparing us for the difficult choices that we’ll face with healthcare reform. [http://www.healthbeatblog.com/2009/01/thoughts-on-president-obamas-inaugural-speech-.html]
Kate Sheppard at Gristmill reports on Transportation pick Ray LaHood’s views on the connection between transportation and sustainability. [http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2009/1/22/9416/56130]
Robert McClure at Dateline Earth points out that Ken Salazar, Obama’s choice for Interior Secretary, has opposed proposals that would have tightened fuel efficiency standards, repealed tax breaks for ExxonMobil, and used the Farm Bill to better protect the environment. [http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/environment/archives/159938.asp?source=rss]
Sarah Rubenstein at WSJ’s Health Blog passes along some FDA advice from prominent Cleveland Clinic cardiologist Steve Nissen. [http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2009/01/20/steven-nissen-gives-obama-an-rx-for-fda-reform/]

http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/
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Weekly Toll - - http://weeklytoll.blogspot.com/
Death In The Workplace w/News & Updates
John Donne - ...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

A partial list of workplace fatalities.

Complacency Cited In Fatal Highwall Collapse at Texas Mine - - Jan. 12, A supervisor knew about the hazard but failed to make sure it was corrected before unstable material came down on shovel operator Thomas E. Farmer, according to the federal agency. Some 42 tons of sand poured down beside the shovel. It pinned Farmer against the shovel track in a standing position, neck-deep. Miners dug with hands, hard hats and hand shovels while giving artificial ventilation and watching out for more slides. Use of a bulldozer was thought too likely to cause another slide. Emergency medical services, arriving at 5:48 a.m., found Farmer beyond help. Farmer was recovered and pronounced dead at the scene at 6:43 a.m. Death was attributed to crushing injuries and asphyxia.

Temporary Gap in Floor Fatal to Contract Worker, MSHA Finds - - Greenly County, AZ - An unguarded floor opening used for lowering tools and equipment caused the death of Ramon A. Saldana, who fell 28 feet this September 1 at the Freeport-McMoRan Morenci surface copper mine in Greenlee County, Ariz., MSHA has determined. The witness shouted for help. His co-workers called the company dispatcher. Emergency medical services responded. Saldana was pronounced dead at 11:49 a.m. Death was attributed to blunt force trauma. Saldana, 67, had worked in mines for 46 years, 43 years at this mine and the remaining 3 as a consultant with the independent contractor, the MSHA investigator reported.

http://weeklytoll.blogspot.com
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NEVER FORGET! We're listing the names of our soldiers killed weekly. These records can be found at http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/

01. Senior Airman Omar J. McKnight, 22, of Marrero, La., died Jan 17 as a result of a non-hostile incident in Balad, Iraq. He was assigned to the 6th Security Forces Squadron, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.

02. Staff Sgt. Joshua R. Townsend, 30, of Solvang , Calif. , died Jan. 16 in Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan , of injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg , N.C.

03. Pfc. Ricky L. Turner, 20, of Athens, Ala., died Jan. 16 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit. He was assigned to the 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

04. Staff Sgt. Carlo M. Robinson, 33, of Lawton, Okla., died Jan. 17 in Bagram, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle in Kabul. He was assigned to 1st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Fort Polk, La. [NOTE: Carlos was a 13-year Army member who grew up in Hope.]

05. Staff Sgt. Roberto Andrade Jr., 26, of Chicago, Ill., died Jan. 18 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device struck his vehicle. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 66th Armor, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

06. Spc. Ezra Dawson, 31, of Las Vegas, Nev., died Jan. 17 in Konar Province, Afghanistan when the Chinook helicopter he was in made a hard landing under combat conditions. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

07. Pfc. Matthew M. Pollini, 21, of Rockland Mass., died Jan. 22 at Forward Operating Base Delta, near al-Kut, Iraq, of injuries sustained during a vehicle roll-over. He was assigned to the 772nd Military Police Company, Taunton, Mass.

~

Missing WWII Soldiers are Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of two U.S. servicemen, missing from World War II, have been identified and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

They are Pfc. Julian H. Rogers, of Bloomington, Ind, and Pvt. Henry E. Marquez, of Kansas City, Kan. Both men were U.S. Army. Rogers will be buried in the spring in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C., and Marquez will be buried on May 30 in Kansas City, Mo.

Representatives from the Army’s Mortuary Office met with the next-of-kin of these men in their hometowns to explain the recovery and identification process and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the Secretary of the Army.

In November 1944, the 112th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division, was attacking east through the Hürtgen Forest in an attempt to capture the German towns of Vossenack and Schmidt. On Nov. 4, the Germans counterattacked in what would become one of the longest running battles in U.S. history. Rogers and Marquez, both members of G Company, 112th Infantry Regiment, were reported killed in action near Vossenack on Nov. 4. Their bodies were not recovered.

In 2007, a German citizen searching for wartime relics in the Hürtgen Forest uncovered human remains and military identification tags for Rogers and Marquez. He notified U.S. officials and a Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) team excavated the site later that year. The team recovered human remains and non-biological material.

Among dental records, other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA in the identification of the remains.

For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1420.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
"We have nothing to fear but fear itself." -- Franklin D. Roosevelt
"There is not enough darkness in the world to put out the light of one candle."
Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity. - - George Carlin
"Stop telling God how big your storm is. Instead, tell the storm how big your God is!" - - Queen E. Watson
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Activities and Events of Interest - - Coming Events
~~~~~
MONDAY- January 26 - - Parents of Magnolia High School seniors are encouraged to attend a meeting at 6 p.m. in the cafeteria at Magnolia High School to discuss the 2009 prom.. Representatives from Southern Arkansas University will also be available to discuss College/Financial Aid questions following the prom meeting.

TUESDAY- January 27
The Southwest Arkansas Youth Council will meet at 10 a.m. at SWAPDD, Inc., in Magnolia.
The Southwest Arkansas Workforce Investment Board executive committee will meet at 11 a.m. at SWAPDD, Inc., in Magnolia.
The SWAWIB will meet at 12:30 p.m. at SWAPDD, Inc., in Magnolia.

WEDNESDAY- January 28 - - The Arkansas Procurement Assistance Center will present a two-hour workshop, “Introduction to Government Contracting,” from 10 a.m. until noon followed by office hours until 3 p.m., when the procurement advisor will be available to counsel anyone on any topic related to selling products or services to federal, state, or local governments. The workshop is free and open to the public, hosted by Farmers Bank and Trust, in the Trust Building, 217 E. Union, Magnolia. Call 501-337-5355 for information.

THURSDAY- January 29 - - The Caring Place of Magnolia, an adult respite program for Alzheimer’s and/or dementia patients, is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For information, call 234-4530.
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Scheduled Activities
~~~
CQ CQ all Hams. We have restarted a 2 meter net on the Willisville repeater, 146.655, every Tuesday evening at 7 PM. Please check in and spread the word. We would like to get some renewed interest in amateur radio and the ARKLA Amateur Radio Association. Will be listening for everyone next Tuesday night.
~~~
Columbia County Amateur Radio Club meets Every second Thursday @ 7:00 p.m. Union Street Station. And YOU'RE invited. Net is every Sunday at 20:30 on 147.105.
~~~
MCC - Mom's Day Out - Every Tuesday and Thursday from 9 to 2.$10 for the first child, $5 for the second. Call 234-3225 for reservations.
~~~
MCC - Nursing Home Ministry - Meadowbrook Every Tuesday from 10 to 11 am. Taylor, the last Thursday each month.
~~~
Men's Prayer Breakfast held every Tuesday morning at 6 AM in Miller's Cafeteria. If you aren't a regular participant at the Men's Prayer Breakfast, you're missing some great food, fellowship and inspired teaching of the Word. Hope to see you there.
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Emergency Phone Number 911
(Fire, Police, Ambulance, Sheriff, etc. )
Central Dispatch 234-5655
(Non - Emergency Number)
Direct Numbers
Ambulance - 234-7371 (24 Hour)
Jail - 234-5331 (24 Hour)
Poison Control - 800-222-1222 (24 Hour)
http://www. aapcc. org/
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Interested in getting in touch with the Banner-News through e-mail?
E-mail addresses for communicating with the newspaper’s various departments are: news@bannernews.net For news and sports items, Coming Events, Diary, Church News, school and civic events.
advertising@bannernews. net For retail and classified advertising.
circulation@bannernews. net To start, stop or cancel newspaper delivery or for comments about delivery.
outfitters @bannernews.net For Office Outfitters, the office supply division of the Banner-News.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
"Laugh whenever you can and cry if you need to." -- "Bug"
"I read the end of the book. We win!" -- "Bug"
"We may not be able to cure the world, but we don't have to make it sicker." -- "Bug"
"There just ain't enough fingers for all the holes in the dike." - - "Bug"
"It's no big deal doing what God tells you to do. A big deal would be NOT doing what God tells you to do. Just ask Jonah." - - Paul Troquille
“Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est.” Knowledge is power. - Francis Bacon
"The problem is here and now. The time for talk is past. The time for action is now."
Comments on the first Earth Day - James F. McClellan via John "Fuzzy" Thurman
~~~~~
Hope you enjoy the newsletter.
Again, thanks to all our contributors this week.
"Remember Pearl Harbor? Remember 9/11!" --"Bug"
God bless and GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!
Psa 51:10-12 Rom 2:1-3 Josh 7:6,7,10 Est 9:20-22 http://www.e-min.org/
God is Good and Faithful CU 73 IC JFM CSP NREMT-I KC5HII

P. S. If you'd like to be added to the distribution, just drop us E-mail at kc5hii@suddenlink.net
. We offer "Da Bleat" as text, a "Blog" and as a newsletter with pictures in Word and PDF format. The latest issue is usually updated sometime Saturday. For the "Blog" version just go to one of the several addresses on the web. For the latest issue, go to http://www.bugsbleat.blogspot.com. Older issues can be found at http://www.bugsbleat_q__.blogspot.com, where _ is the quarter (1, 2, 3, or 4) and __ is the year (05, 06, 07, or 08). We also have a site [http://bugsbleatphotos.blogspot.com/] where we post photos that I like.
Let us hear from you if we can switch you over to the "Word" or "PDF" version of "Da Bleat".
If you'd prefer to read "Da Blog" version, just drop us a note at kc5hii@suddenlink.net and we'll switch you from e:mail delivery to "Da Bleat" Blog. We appreciate your encouragement. We also appreciate your communication when you desire to be taken off our mail list. If you are on this mail list by mistake or do not wish to receive "Da Bleat," please reply back and tell us to discontinue service to you. This email was scanned by Norton AntiVirus 2009 before it was sent.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>

Bug's Bleat - - GCF: Magnetic Letters - - Photos

 

Missionary Paul Troquille in Tanzania

 

 

Zac playing "Upward" basketball

 

Steve Savoy, John Burge and Ricky Shepherd - AR-1 DMAT "LOGS Team" members

Bug's Bleat - - GCF: Magnetic Letters

 

Upward Baskeball

 

 

 

Bug's Bleat - - GCF: Magnetic Letters

 

Brother Paul Troquille took this photo of Zebras near his school in Arusha, Tanzania.

 

Brother Paul with members of one of his student's churches

 

And with one of his favorite students

 

“Coy’s”, One of our favorite Hot Springs
Restaurants, burned Friday Morning.

Bug's Bleat - - GCF: Magnetic Letters

Volume 11, Issue 03 Friday, January 16, 2009

Hello All,

You’d think I’d have all sorts of free time since I’m out of a job. But I seem to be busier than when I was working.
One thing we’ve confirmed is that Annette and I enjoy each other’s company. I still remember asking the wife of a coworker what it was like having him home after he’d retired. She paused and then replied; “We never really had to live together before.”
~~~~~
Ray Kozakewicz sent me this comment on the US Airways flight crash in New York this week; "Experience counts. Not to say a younger pilot could not have done it but this 57 year old had what it takes. Safety and crisis management background helped too."
~
Kind of makes me feel better about the abilities and usefulness of us COGs (Crabby Old Guys.)
~
Another thing that has boosted my ego is the number of folks who’ve come up to me and thanked me for things I’d done for them over the years. It’s really nice to be appreciated and especially nice to have people tell you that they appreciate your work.
~~~~~
Annette and I are keeping up a "work week" routine. I've been getting up every morning, calling folks, sending out resumes and scheduling meetings. Annette also gets up with me and we have breakfast together and plan our day (mostly what “Honey Dos” she hopes to have me do that day).
This week, we had a meeting of the "Magnolia Area Safety Group", which was another chance to offer my help to others as well as get some job contacts.
A couple of local companies have called to tell me they'd heard I was available and to let me know they were considering hiring a safety guy. I’ve submitted resumes to these folks as well as having my resume distributed by the area / state safety and environmental groups.
One of the hardest things to adjust to is being “cut off” from the normal routine with my work colleagues. This has been tempered by their calls, emails, and visits which have meant the world to me over the last couple of weeks.
On the other hand, I enjoy being home with Annette and my health is much better without the constant stress of the job. I didn’t really realize how much that stress was affecting me until it was gone.
I’ve been pleased to find that I’m sleeping better than I have in years. Not worrying about the responsibilities of next week’s job is a great relief.
Additionally, I’ve been pretty much on 24x7 call for the last 30 years. Not having a concern about a call coming in the night has turned out to be a bigger relief than I’d ever imagined. I just didn’t have any idea what a toll those duties took out of me.
~~~~~
Annette’s illness is severe but she continues to do all she can each day. She seems to be showing incremental improvements since getting the CPAP machine. And, I think having me around reduces her stress a little.
~~~~~
John Burge, Steve Savoy, & Ricky Shepherd took me to Lake Ouachita Friday, scouting sites for our April AR-1 DMAT Field Exercise. It was great to get out with the guys and I really enjoyed seeing all the different camp grounds.
If you see John Burge, ask him about his new GPS and the price of Gasoline.
~~~~~
I remember reading about the following technology in a Dick Tracy comic about 50 years ago.
The idea of putting coils under the kitchen counter top is really appealing to me. I probably have about a $100 worth of copper in the "nest" of wires powering toasters, can openers, mixers, blenders, food processors, coffee makers, TVS, DVD players, VCRs, microwaves and electric knives in our kitchen. If you watched the video, you get the idea of a transformer. The primary is hidden in the wall or under the counter top. The secondary is in the device. 120 Hz and very, very short range. That is why it’s ok for us humans to be around it.
“Bug”
~
Wireless electricity - it is coming. This electricity is induced, not transmitted, so the range is quite limited. But just imagine a TV on the wall, with NO wires. No wire of any kind. The blender, just sit it on the counter top and it works. Take it to the sink to clean and there is nothing to unplug. Watch the video.
[http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-US&vid=557f1921-16ad-447b-aaac-48f2cbaba31a>1=42003]
Thanks to Robert Lyons
~~~~~
For Unemployed Americans, COBRA Simply Costs Too Much. Families USA released a new report which has revealed that for many unemployed Americans, COBRA health insurance is simply too expensive ....Washington (SmartAboutHealth) - Families USA released a new report which has revealed that for many unemployed Americans, COBRA health insurance is simply too expensive.
Families USA, the non-profit group, put out the report this week, focusing on COBRA, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985.
The goal behind COBRA was to make health insurance affordable for unemployed Americans.
Families USA has found though that this is not the case, as they compared the average monthly premium for family health insurance under COBRA to how much compensation an average unemployed American received.
They found that the average compensation is around $1,300 for an unemployed American, while the average monthly premiums for family health insurance coverage under COBRA is $1,000.
This leaves next to nothing for families to live off of, making COBRA simply too expensive.
Overall, only 25% of those who are actually eligible for COBRA sign up for it, mainly due to the high cost. With 47 million Americans living without health insurance, this is not a positive sign.
[http://smartabouthealth.net/curiosity/2009/01/11/for-unemployed-americans-cobra-simply-costs-too-much/]
~~~~~
U.S. safety group calls for cell phone driving ban - - By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
WASHINGTON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - The National Safety Council, which campaigned to get U.S. states to enforce seatbelt laws, is taking on cell phones, saying on Sunday it was starting a campaign to ban all use of mobile phones while driving.
Even so-called hands-free devices should be banned, because studies show they do not make it any safer to talk on the telephone while driving, the group said.
"It's time to take the cell phone away," said Janet Froetscher, president and chief executive officer of the non-profit group.
[http://uk.reuters.com/article/marketsNewsUS/idUKN1129237820090112?pageNumber=1]
~~~~~
The chemical industry is showing increasing support of carbon-capture and sequestration technology, named by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change as the most promising technology for rapid reduction of global emissions. The technology allows significant quantities of carbon dioxide to be captured from key pollution sources and is estimated to have the ability to reduce global emissions by as much as 55% by 2100. ICIS news (1/15) [http://www.icis.com/Articles/2009/01/15/9184929/chemicals-to-capture-ccs-potential.html]
~~~~~
SCHIPing away at the need for health insurance - - E.J. Dionne Jr., Washington Post Writers Group
When Bill Clinton's health care proposal was foundering in the summer of 1994, a group of senators suggested that the administration put off trying to get universal coverage and insist instead on insuring all children. The idea was to make, at least, a down payment on reform.
The White House said no and pressed on with its doomed effort to get a bigger bill. The Republicans won control of Congress in the fall. It wasn't until 1997, thanks to the unlikely duo of Sens. Ted Kennedy and Orrin Hatch, that a children's health care program was finally passed.
One of the clearest signals President-elect Barack Obama has sent is his determination to learn from the Clinton years, and particularly from the former president's failures on health care.
When Tom Daschle, Obama's pick to be secretary of health and human services, returned to the Senate last week for his first round of confirmation hearings, he offered a long list of criticisms that others had directed at the original health care reform effort. This time, he said, would be different.
And this week, the House of Representatives is determined to prove Daschle right. It is scheduled to take up an extension of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), as the Kennedy-Hatch initiative is called, so that 10 million kids can get health insurance. Getting more children covered before Congress starts wrangling over the larger health care bill is good politics, and the right thing to do. Congress needs to act anyway, because the program expires March 31. It might as well act fast, and act generously.
[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/11/ED6C156J28.DTL]
~~~~~
Vietnamese researchers say they have come up with a plastic material for bags that is biodegradable and less expensive than traditional plastic bags. The material, called nanocomposite, is a mix of thermoplastic starch, polyvinyl alcohol and some food additives, and is said to fully degrade in land within a short time. Thanh Nien (Vietnam) [http://www.thanhniennews.com/education/?catid=4&newsid=45235]
~~~~~
Don’t forget to use GoodSearch [http://www.goodsearch.com/] when you search the Internet!
~~~~~
A partial list of agencies in Magnolia that need your help (either financial or volunteer.)
~
STEW POT - COMMUNITY FOOD SERVICE
320 West Main Street
Magnolia, AR 71753
Columbia County
resourceone@sbcglobal.net
(870) 901-7226 FAX
(870) 234-9034 Administrative
Provides hot meals for the senior adults and people who are homeless or have developmental disabilities. Simply walk in to apply. There is no for service and there are no eligibility requirements.
Hours:4:00pm to 5:30pm, Mon. - Fri.
~
SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN MISSION - HOMELESS SHELTER
515 West Monroe Street, Magnolia, AR 71753 (870) 235-1155
Provides a shelter for people needing a place to stay. Simply walk in to apply or call for information. There is no fee for service and no eligibility requirements. This shelter is open 24 Hours a day, 7 Days a week.
~
HANNAH MEDICAL CENTER - CRISIS PREGNANCY CENTER
251 Columbia 13, Magnolia AR 71753 (870) 234-8070 Phone, 1-866-74-Women Toll Free, E-MAIL: magnolia@itsyourfuture.org,
HOURS: Tue & Thu 12-5
SERVICES: pregnancy tests, limited ultrasound when appropriate, abstinence education, parenting program, maternity & children’s clothes, peer counseling in pre/post abortion and adoption
NEEDS: prayer, ultrasound, financial assistance, volunteers
~~~~~
UPDATE TO Taylor - Voigt Family/Friends Cookbook
Our cousin, Shannon Voigt, is planning to update the Taylor-Voigt Family/Friends Cookbook this spring. If you have any great new family recipes you would like added please email them to me by the end of February and I’ll forward them to Shannon.
~~~~~
Just a reminder that those looking for quality, free photo editing software should try “GIMP” [http://www.gimp.org/]. [http://www.gimp.org/tutorials/].
~~~~~
DarynKagan.com - - Things are hopping in our online social community! [http://darynkagan.ning.com/]
Folks are posting their own blogs and intentions for 2009. There's also a lot of connecting going on and folks commenting on each other's postings. Very cool to see what's getting created.
I'd love for you to be a part of it, too. So, please check it out, and if you're feeling it, come join us!
~
Today's Story: Stand-Up Healing
They say humor can be the best medicine. That's what Jim Gilson found out. Get ready to laugh as you see how he took his near-death experience and turned it into a stand-up comedy routine. Watch Video [http://darynkagan.demo.nimbussoftware.com/overcoming/stories/ov_070323_standuphealing.html]
~~~~~
Each week the Defense Department highlights military personnel who have gone above and beyond in the war. [http://www.defenselink.mil/heroes/] - - David Kopera - - Hometown: Newberry, MI - - Awarded: Bronze Star

Through the eyes of others, Sgt. David Kopera is a remarkable man who saved lives and took no thought for his own.

On at least three separate occasions, Sgt. Kopera and his squad were engaged by deliberate enemy ambushes in which his squad received hundreds of rounds of accurate automatic fire. Two ambushes occurred within 30 minutes.

During the barrage of rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons fire from the insurgents, a Fallujah woman who was an innocent bystander, was caught in the crossfire and shot in the chest, Kopera recalled.

”Realizing the risk of going after the woman under the threat of sniper fire, Sergeant Kopera chose to rescue her,” wrote Griff Jenkins, who spent two weeks with the Alpha company of the 1st Battalion, 24th Marines on the Fallujah Peninsula and has firsthand knowledge of the courage and sacrifice of Kopera and his Marines.

“The fleeing enemy maintained fire on Kopera, but he successfully evacuated her (the Fallujah woman) to a Marine hospital unit,” said Jenkins. The injured woman was then flown to Baghdad for medical treatment.

Tragically, Kopera was shot in the head by a sniper several weeks later on Dec. 2, 2006. He was classified as an urgent surgical casualty. However, instead of exposing his Marines to enemy fire to treat him, he ran 50 meters through the attack to link up with his first fire team leader and conduct a battle handover. He was later evacuated and survived because of his Kevlar helmet and great medical care.

Although Kopera never saw the Fallujah woman who was struck again, he said he was told she made a full recovery and returned home. He also was told that some of the local tribes distanced themselves from the insurgency and became more helpful to the Marines in the area. Kopera believes that by saving that innocent woman’s life, in part, his unit was able to build trust with the local leaders and demonstrate their commitment to security in the area.

“Words cannot describe what it is like to bear witness to the incredible bravery and true grit of our troops,” wrote Jenkins. “We truly have the most professional, dedicated, and intelligent military on the planet.”

Excerpt from Griff Jenkins’ Griff Notes, 12/22/2006 on his blog at www.griffsnotes.com
~~~~~
America is not at war. The military is at war. - - America is at the mall, or watching the movie stars.
~~~~~
The latest from Michael Yon, the foremost “milnews” blogger on the web. If you haven’t read Michael’s dispatches, I strongly urge you to do so at once. It’s important that we all know what’s happening in our world.
“Bug”
~
Greetings,

Looks like I might have to sue Mr. Michael Moore. Please read [http://www.michaelyon-online.com/michael-moore-lawsuit.htm].
--
We have not yet filed suit against Michael Moore for copyright infringement, but are moving steadily in that direction. There is still a chance that Mr. Moore will do the right thing and settle this case immediately, but my gut feeling is that we will soon file the court papers. Please click [http://www.michaelyon-online.com/michael-moore-lawsuit-update.htm] for update

Very Respectfully,
Your correspondent,
Michael Yon

Http://www.michaelyon-online.com/index.php
~~~~~
Dr. Pat Antoon’s Address:
Pat Antoon 06669-010
Federal Prison Camp
P.O. Box 9300
Texarkana, TX 75505
Be sure and keep him in your prayers.
~~~~~
Recipe(s) of the week - - Hawaiian Haystacks Recipe - - Submitted by: Irene1989 - - Serves: 8

Ingredients:
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can chicken broth
5 cups cooked rice
1 cup cooked and chopped chicken, or leftover meat
1 cup shredded cheese
½ cup chopped green peppers
1 can pineapple tidbits
1 can chow mein noodles
2 chopped green onions
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped raisins
½ cup chopped tomatoes

Directions:

Heat soup and broth to boil in a sauce pan. When it starts to boil add chicken and cook for 2 minutes stirring frequently.
Make a bed of rice on each plate and top with chicken mixture and the toppings of your choice.

This recipe is from CDKitchen for Hawaiian Haystacks Recipe ID: 91383
http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/359/Hawaiian-Haystacks120510.shtml
~~~~~
Last week we watched [Ratings are my own]:
Sense and Sensibility (1995) [9.1] Starring Kate Winslet ... Emma Thompson ... Hugh Grant ... Robert Hardy ... Alan Rickman ... Greg Wise
Pride & Prejudice (2005) [8.5] Starring Keira Knightley ... Talulah Riley ... Rosamund Pike ... Donald Sutherland ... Matthew Macfadyen
24 Season 6: Disc 1-4 (2007) [7.5] Starring Kiefer Sutherland .... Mary Lynn Rajskub
Mamma Mia! (2008) [7.5] Starring Pierce Brosnan ... Colin Firth ... Meryl Streep
The Thin Man (1934) [8.5] Starring William Powell ... Myrna Loy ... Maureen O'Sullivan ... Cesar Romero
After the Thin Man (1936) [8.5] Starring William Powell ... Myrna Loy ... James Stewart ... Asta
Another Thin Man (1939) [8.5] Starring William Powell ... Myrna Loy ... Otto Kruger ... Ruth Hussey ... Sheldon Leonard ... Harry Bellaver
The Thomas Crown Affair (1999) [7.9] Starring Pierce Brosnan ... Rene Russo ... Denis Leary ... Ben Gazzara ... Faye Dunaway
People Will Talk (1951) [9.0] Starring Cary Grant ... Jeanne Crain ... Finlay Currie ... Hume Cronyn ... Walter Slezak
~~~~~
Last Week we read; S is for silence / Sue Grafton. - - Heartland : the history of Little Rock Air Force Base / Timothy Wayne Burford. - - Seeker / Jack McDevitt
We’re currently reading; The amber room / Steve Berry.
We intend to read; The Romanov prophecy / Steve Berry.
We recommend: The Faith: Chuck Colson
~~~~~
http://www.shelfari.com
http://www.shelfari.com/bugsbleat/shelf
~~~~~
Photos on the front of this week’s “Bleat” include one of our favorite missionaries, Brother Paul Troquille in Tanzania, as well as a Union Pacific Train, Steve Savoy, John Burge and Ricky Shepherd, AR-1 DMAT LOGS Team Members scouting locations for the spring drill and Zac playing “Upward” basketball.
~~~~~
We’ve now got several addresses on the web for "Da Bleat." For the latest issue, go to http://www.bugsbleat.blogspot.com. Last quarter’s issues can be seen at http://www.bugsbleat4q08.blogspot.com.
Our photos are posted at http://www.bugsbleatphotos.blogspot.com.
If you want to see more photos of April’s train wreck in Magnolia, go to http://www.bugsbleattw.blogspot.com/
~~~~~
Feel free to share the "Bleat" with any and all. That's why we publish it.
~~~~~
BreakPoint
Champions of Charity
By Mark Earley
1/16/2009
Faith-Based Initiatives

Note: This commentary was delivered by PFM President Mark Earley.

For years to come, President Bush’s supporters and detractors will argue over how he responded to 9/11 and Katrina, conducted the war on terror, and handled the economy.

But there’s one effort that, in my opinion, the administration deserves a lot of credit for—one the media is overlooking. And that’s the President’s Faith-Based and Community Initiative, which released its final report earlier this week.

Early on, President Bush recognized that government alone could not address the myriad needs of the nation’s poor. The faith-based community was an obvious partner, since so many charities and social service groups are religiously based. So the administration “lowered the barriers” that had before made it difficult for faith-based groups to compete for federal grants as they seek to help the needy.

Over the past eight years, faith-based groups received federal dollars to help ex-prisoners, establish substance-abuse treatment programs, stop the spread of AIDS in Africa, tutor inner-city children, set up food banks, and the list goes on and on.

One beneficiary of the Faith-Based and Community Initiative was the Christ Community Health Services of Tennessee. Well, actually, the beneficiaries were the uninsured poor in Memphis, who received medical service they couldn’t have possibly received otherwise. Since 2002, Christ Community Health Services was able to nearly triple the number of needy patients it treated—from 11,000 in 2002 to more than 32,000 in 2008.

Then there was the President’s Prisoner Reentry Initiative. Some 30 faith-based and community organizations received funding to help ex-prisoners become productive citizens.

And I might add that, even though this issue is near and dear to Prison Fellowship’s heart, we received no federal funds because we don’t take federal funds.

Nonetheless, as of September 2008, nearly 16,000 ex-prisoners were enrolled in the program, with nearly 11,000 of them being placed in paying jobs. And one year after their release, only 15 percent of participants in the Reentry Initiative were re-arrested. That’s compared with 44 percent of ex-prisoners nationally.

What’s on the horizon for faith-based initiatives in the future? It’s hard to say. On the campaign trail, then-candidate Barack Obama promised to continue granting federal funds to faith-based organizations. As reported in the Christian Science Monitor, Obama told one Ohio audience, “I believe that change comes not from the top down but from the bottom up, and few are closer to the people than our churches, synagogues, temples, and mosques.”

But President-elect Obama also emphasized that groups accepting federal money could not discriminate in their hiring practices.

That, unfortunately, means that organizations who accept federal funds, like Christ Community Health Services, would have to hire people who don’t share their faith (or who behave in ways that violate their faith).

While the usual critics of faith-based efforts, such as Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, see no problem with this, the fact of the matter is that under these conditions, most faith-based groups would have to refuse federal funds.

And that, in turn, would harm the neediest among us.

The good news is that the Obama transition team has been talking with leaders of faith-based groups about this very issue. Let’s hope they’re listening, not for our sake, but for the sake of those who need our help.

For Further Reading and Information

Download the Faith-Based and Community Initiative final report. (PDF)

“Faith-Based Programs to Help Shape Bush Legacy,” USA Today, 13 January 2008.

“Obama Would Overhaul Bush's Faith-Based Initiatives,” Christian Science Monitor, 2 July 2008.

Zoe Sandvig, “Helping the Helpers,” World Magazine, 14 June 2008.

“Encouraging the Armies of Compassion: Faith-Based Initiatives,” BreakPoint Commentary, 18 July 2008.

© 2009 Prison Fellowship - - http://www.breakpoint.org/
~~~~~
Words of the Week:
eclectic: varying in style
fastidious: hard to please
gargantuan: huge
hapless: deserving pity
iconoclast: critic of ideas
jettison: throw away or over
kinetic: moving
laissez-faire: non-interference
from http://dictionary.reference.com/wordoftheday/
~~~~~
"Nothing endures but personal qualities." - Walt Whitman

"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does." - William James

"If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them." - Isaac Asimov
"Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking." - William Butler Yeats

"In order to go on living one must try to escape the death involved in perfectionism." - Hannah Arendt

"Thought is the blossom; language the bud; action the fruit behind it." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"What is wanted is not the will to believe, but the will to find out, which is the exact opposite." - Bertrand Russell
~~~~~
BREAKING CHRISTIAN NEWS
http://breakingchristiannews.com/

Humble Native American Christians Leave Small Miracles in Their Wake
Teresa Neumann (January 12, 2009)
"We may not have the sizzle and exposure of larger ministries, but each changed life has sizzle. We envision American Indian communities characterized by sobriety, economic stability and strong families."
(Minneapolis, MN)—The Minnesota Christian Chronicle reports that the life lived by Native American Gordon Thayer has equipped him for ministry. He was raised in the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe Tribe near Hayward, Wisc. After eight years in the U.S. Air Force elite Para Rescue unit, including two tours in Vietnam, he served his Tribal Governing Board for 15 years, four of them as Chairman or Chief. But the report adds it wasn't until 1982, when Thayer became a Christian, that he found relief from alcohol addiction and shamanic spiritual torment.

In 1985, after earning a Master's degree in Education Administration and taking on a job with the homeless task force with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the pastor leading an Overcomers of Alcohol program at an Assembly of God Church asked Thayer for his help. Subsequently in 1988, when that church closed and the pastor left, Thayer began conducting para-church meetings and officially founded Overcomers Ministry with his wife, Sheila. Together, as directors of Overcomers Ministry First Nations Recovery Center, they organize support groups for addicts, find housing for the homeless, conduct hospital and jail visitations, and provide crisis counseling. (Photo: Gordon and Sheila Thayer, Overcomer's Ministries, Inc.)
Says Rev. Jan DeLeo, founder of Witnesses for Christ Church, "Gordon [Thayer] was the first local leader to welcome us. He had a burden regarding alcoholism because he had been on the streets himself. He worked hard to provide an unconditional home for alcoholics. I've seen him grow in spiritual and governmental authority. The world needs more people like Gordon and Sheila."
Indeed, an August 26, 2000, Star Tribune report by Doug Grow states, "Gordon Thayer once was lost but now is found, doing small miracles in the Phillips neighborhood of Minneapolis. [He] is too humble to accept credit for the changes he's brought to an area of Phillips that once was filled with rundown bars...for a decade he's been a steady, quiet presence on the streets."
On June 7, 2007, FBI Director Robert Mueller III awarded the 2006 FBI Director's Community Leadership Award to Thayer "for his strong participatory involvement and dedication to addressing issues of homelessness that result from chronic alcoholism and for his compassionate assistance to those living with chronic alcoholism in the American Indian community in the Twin Cities metropolitan area." (From FBI News Release, Minneapolis Field Office).
Thayer sums up his vision thus: "We envision American Indian communities characterized by sobriety, economic stability and strong families. You cannot rebuild a community until you rebuild the lives of people in the community. Native people seldom flourish in traditional church settings. If you take a map and place a pin in the Twin Cities and make a 700-mile radius circle covering the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Manitoba and Ontario, you include 500,000 Native people with less than 1 percent in church. I believe Overcomers Ministry is the only non-denominational Native-led ministry in the region."
As is the case with other ministries, the economic downturn has affected Overcomers, and the Thayer's are struggling to keep their ministry alive in the face of it. "We may not have the sizzle and exposure of larger ministries," said Mr. Thayer, "but each changed life has sizzle. The need is great since alcohol and drugs are the greatest killers of Native peoples today."
You can find out more about the Thayers ministry by logging on to: [www.overcomersministry.org]Source: Dolores E. Topliff—Minnesota Christian Chronicle [http://www.mcchronicle.com/Articles/Jan09/Art_Jan09_06.html]
~~
Miracle on the Hudson: US Air Jet Makes Emergency Landing in Frigid Hudson River, but No Lives were Lost - - Aimee Herd (January 16, 2009)
"Thank the Lord, and thank the pilot!”
(New York)—Thanks to the quick thinking and skills of the US Airways pilots flying Flight 1549—and the crew—all the lives on board were apparently spared when the jet was forced to make an emergency landing on the Hudson River between New York City and New Jersey, on Thursday afternoon.
According to officials, preliminary word said birds flew into two of the jet engines causing them to malfunction. Reports commended the pilots for landing the plane “as a glider would land” skimming the water with the landing gear up to keep the aircraft from breaking up.
Shortly after the plane landed, passengers were ushered out onto the wings, which were partially submerged, clutching yellow life vests. Before long, boats and ferries circled the jet, rescuing passengers as the plane began to sink in the icy river water.
“A couple of minutes after takeoff, we just heard a loud bang," described passenger Alberto Panero, according to a CNN report. “The plane shook a bit and... you could smell smoke and fire and immediately the plane started turning," Panero said. "All of a sudden, the captain came on and said, 'Brace for landing,' and that's when we knew we were going down.”
There were about 150 passengers on board the Airbus A320. Although there were some injuries, every person was reportedly "off the plane and accounted for," according to FOX News. The temperature in New York at the time was said to be below 20 degrees.
One passenger was quoted as remarking, "Thank the Lord, and thank the pilot!"
Source: News Staff – FOX News [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,480078,00.html]

310 2nd Ave SE
Albany, Oregon 97321
541-928-2642
E-mail editor@breakingchristiannews.com
US Orders: 1-866-358-7426
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Reading "GCF: Magnetic Letters" posted on Jan 14 reminded me of a true incident involving our son David.
~
That morning, Annette had been teaching our young son, the ten commandments and other biblical principals including the prohibitions against "taking the Lord's name in vain".

She was in the kitchen, preparing lunch when David ran in shouting "Mom they're taking the Lord's name in vain on TV!"

She told him that was sad and told him to turn the TV off.

David asked; "You want to know what they said?"

Before she could reply, he shouted; "The last part was ZILLA!"
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Magnetic Letters

Emailed to me by a friend (Thanks, Camilla) -Tom
----------------------------------

A kindergartner was practicing spelling with magnetic letters on the refrigerator: CAT, DOG, DAD, and MOM have been proudly displayed for all to see. One morning while getting ready for the day, he bounded into the room with his arms outstretched. In his hands were three magnetic letters: G-O-D.

"Look what I spelled, Mom!" with a proud smile on his face.

"That's wonderful!" his mom praised him. "Now go put them on the fridge so Dad can see when he gets home tonight." The mom happily thought that the Catholic education is certainly having an impact.

Just then, a little voice called from the kitchen. "Mom? How do you spell ZILLA?"
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: The Only Stupid Question.....

Emailed to me by a friend (Thanks, Dana) -Tom

If this was forwarded to you, please consider your own subscription to Good Clean Fun. It's free! Just send an email to: good-clean-fun-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
----------------------------------

The only stupid question is the one that is never asked.

Except maybe "Don't you think it is about time you audited my return?" or "Isn't it morally wrong to give me a warning when, in fact, I was speeding?"
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Quiet in Church

Emailed to me by a friend (Thanks, Charles) -Tom
----------------------------------

A Sunday school teacher asked the children just before she dismissed them to go back to the church, "And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?"

Little Johnny jumped up and yelled, "Because people are sleeping!"
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Severe Thunderstorm

Emailed to me by a friend (Thanks, Ken) -Tom
----------------------------------

A passenger jet was suffering through a severe thunderstorm. As the passengers were being bounced around by the turbulence, a young woman turned to a minister sitting next to her and with a nervous laugh asked, "Reverend, you're a man of God, can't you do something about this storm?"

To which he replied, "Lady, I'm in sales, not management."
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Senility Prayer

Emailed to me by a friend (Thanks, Margie) -Tom
----------------------------------

For those of us who are getting a little older:

God grant me the senility
to forget the people
I never liked anyway,
the good fortune
to run into the ones I do,
and the eyesight
to tell the difference.
_ ____________________________ _
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / When the chips are down, \ /
\ _/ the buffalo is empty. \_ /
/ / \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / On the other hand, \ /
\ _/ you have different fingers. \_ /
/ / \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|(\\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////)
\ / I listen to my body. \ /
\ _/ It is saying, \_ /
/ / "Two twinkies & an diet cola please." \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / A balanced diet is a \ /
\ _/ cookie in each hand. \_ /
/ / \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / \ /
\ _/ I am at one with my duality. \_ /
/ / \ \
_ ____________________________ _
| Thomas S. Ellsworth |
| tellswor@kcbx.net |
| http://www.kcbx.net/~tellswor |
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|Stop for a visit, leave with a smile! To join Good Clean Fun, email: good-clean-fun-subscribe@yahoogroups.Com To leave Good Clean Fun, email: good-clean-fun-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.Com Or visit the Good Clean Fun web site at http://www. slonet.org/~tellswor/
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HEADLINES FROM THE YEAR: 2029

Ozone created by electric cars now killing millions in the seventh largest country in the world, Mexifornia, formerly known as California .

White minorities still trying to have English recognized as Mexifornia's third language.

Spotted Owl plague threatens northwestern United States crops and livestock.

Baby conceived naturally! Scientists stumped.

Couple petitions court to reinstate heterosexual marriage.

Iran still closed off; physicists estimate it will take at least 10 more years before radioactivity decreases to safe levels.

France pleads for global help after being taken over by Jamaica . No other country comes forward to help the beleaguered nation!

Castro finally dies at age 112; Cuban cigars can now be imported legally, but President Chelsea Clinton has banned all smoking.

George Z. Bush says he will run for President in 2036.

Postal Service raises price of first class stamp to $17.89 and reduces mail delivery to Wednesdays only.

85-year $75.8 billion study: Diet and exercise is the key to weight loss.

Average weight of Americans drops to 250 lbs.

Global cooling blamed for citrus crop failure for third consecutive year in Mexifornia and Floruba.

Abortion clinics now available in every High School in United States .

Senate still blocking drilling in ANWR even though gas is selling for 4532 Pesos per liter and gas stations are only open on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Massachusetts executes last remaining conservative.

Supreme Court rules punishment of criminals violates their civil rights.

Average height of NBA players is now nine feet, seven inches.

New federal law requires that all nail clippers, screwdrivers, fly swatters and rolled-up newspapers must be registered by January 2030.

IRS sets lowest tax rate at 75 percent.

Floruba voters still having trouble with voting machines.

Thanks To Gary Foreman
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AMERICANS WITH NO ABILITIES ACT - CONGRESSIONAL ACT 2009

WASHINGTON, DC (AP) - Congress is considering sweeping legislation, which provides new benefits for many Americans. The Americans With No Abilities Act (AWNAA) is being hailed as a major legislation by advocates of the millions of Americans who lack any real skills or ambition.
"Roughly 50 percent of Americans do not possess the competence and drive necessary to carve out a meaningful role for themselves in society," said House Speaker Pelosi. "We can no longer stand by and allow People of Inability to be ridiculed and passed over. With this legislation, employers will no longer be able to grant special favors to a small group of workers, simply because they do a better job, or have some idea of what they are doing."
President elect Obama pointed to the success of the US Postal Service and Northrup Grumman Shipbuilding, which both have a long-standing policy of providing opportunity without regard to performance. Approximately 74 percent of the employees in these companies lack job skills, making them some of the largest US employers of Persons of Inability.
Other private sector industries with good records of nondiscrimination against the Inept include retail sales (72%), the airline industry (68%),and home improvement "warehouse" stores (65%) The DMV also has a great record of hiring Persons of Inability (63%).
Under the Americans With No Abilities Act, more than 25 million "middle man" positions will be created, with important-sounding titles but little real responsibility, thus providing an illusory sense of purpose and performance. Mandatory non-performance-based raises and promotions will be given, to guarantee upward mobility for even the most unremarkable employees. The legislation provides substantial tax breaks to corporations which maintain a significant level of Persons of Inability in middle positions, and gives a tax credit to small and medium businesses that agree to hire one clueless worker for every two talented hires.
Finally, the AWNA ACT contains tough new measures to make it more difficult to discriminate against the Nonabled, banning discriminatory interview questions such as "Do you have any goals for the future?" or "Do you have any skills or experience which relate to this job?"
"As a Nonabled person, I can't be expected to keep up with people who have something going for them," said Mary Lou Gertz, who lost her position as a lug-nut twister at the GM plant in Flint, MI due to her lack of notable job skills. "This new law should really help people like me." With the passage of this bill, Gertz and millions of other untalented citizens can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.
Said Senator Harry Reid, "It is our duty as lawmakers to provide each and every American citizen, regardless of his or her adequacy, with some sort of space to take up in this great nation no matter how useless they may be."

Thanks To Waneta
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Cowboy Rules

Rules of Colorado , Wyoming , Montana , Utah , Idaho , New Mexico , Oklahoma , Kansas and the rest of the Wild West are as follows:

1. Pull your pants up. You look like an idiot.
2. Turn your cap right, your head ain't crooked.
3. Let's get this straight: it's called a 'gravel road.' I drive a pickup truck because I want to. No matter how slow you drive, you're gonna get dust on your Lexus. Drive it or get out of the way.
4. They are cattle. That's why they smell like cattle. They smell like money to us. Get over it. Don't like it? I-80 & I-90 go east and west, I-25 & I-15 goes north and south. Pick one and go.
5. So you have a $60,000 car. We're impressed. We have $250,000 Combines that are driven only 3 weeks a year.
6. Every person in the Wild West waves. It's called being friendly. Try to understand the concept.
7. If that cell phone rings while a bunch of geese/pheasants/ducks/doves are comin' in during the hunts, we WILL shoot it outa your hand. You better hope you don't have it up to your ear at the time.
8. Yeah. We eat trout, salmon, deer and elk. You want sushi and caviar? It's available at the corner bait shop.
9. The 'Opener' refers to the first day of deer season. It's religious holiday held the closest Saturday to the first of November.
10. We open doors for women. That's applied to all women, regardless of age.
11. No, there's no 'vegetarian special' on the menu. Order steak, or you can order the Chef's Salad and pick off the 2 pounds of ham and turkey.
12. When we fill out a table, there are three main dishes: meats, vegetables, and breads. We use three spices: salt, pepper, and ketchup! Oh, yeah . . We don't care what you folks in Cincinnati call that stuff you eat . . IT AIN'T REAL CHILI!!
13. You bring 'Coke' into my house, it better be brown, wet and served over ice. You bring 'Mary Jane' into my house, she better be cute, know how to shoot, drive a truck, and have long hair.
14. College and High School Football is as important here as the Giants, the Yankees, the Mets, the Lakers and the Knicks, and a dang site more fun to watch.
15. Yeah, we have golf courses. But don't hit the water hazards - it spooks the fish.
16. Turn down that blasted car stereo! That thumpity-thump crap ain't music, anyway. We don't want to hear it anymore than we want to see your boxers! Refer back to #1!

Fishing (fish'-ing) 1.n. The art of casting,trolling,jigging,or spinning while freezing,sweating,swatting or swearing.

Thanks to Gary Foreman
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Bleeping Blagojevich Burger

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's alleged corruption federal wire tap recordings include an
expletive-laden discussion about selling President-elect Obama's vacant U.S
Senate seat has become a restaurateur's profit opportunity.
Kuma's Corner in Chicago is offering the @&*"$#? Blagojevich Burger: A solid 10-ounce ground beef patty, topped with salty, savory bologna and sandwiched between two slices of Wonder Bread coated in melted American cheese, according to the Chicago Tribune.
A dollar sign is drawn on top with yellow mustard.
Customers are encouraged to order the "Bleeping Blagojevich Burger," just toavoid any risk of offending. Price is negotiable or so the sign says. In reality, the owner won't take less than $10 for it.
Hey, this is a &@#$* valuable burger!
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Cooking Class

One day during cooking class, our teacher, Mrs. Jones, was extolling her secrets for preparing perfect sauces.

When she ordered us to the stoves to prepare our assignments, she said, "Don't forget to use wooden spoons."

As I stirred my sauce, I contemplated the physics behind the mystery of the wooden spoon and decided it must have something to do with heat conduction. I approached Mrs. Jones to test my theory. "Why wooden spoons?" I asked.

"Because," she replied, "if I have to sit here listening to all your metal spoons banging against metal pots, I'd go nuts."

Received from Thomas Ellsworth.

(-:][:-)

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle, outside of London, is directly in the flight path of Heathrow International Airport. While a group of tourists was standing outside the castle admiring the elegant structure, a plane flew overhead at a relatively low altitude, making a tremendous noise.

One particularly annoyed tourist whined, "Why did they build the castle so close to the airport?"

(-:][:-)

Be Prepared

A scoutmaster and his wife were driving along a rural highway when they found the road blocked by a herd of cows that had escaped through a broken fence.

The scoutmaster tried beeping his horn to scare the cattle from the pavement, but to no avail. For some reason, no sound was heard. He got out of the car, lifted the hood, and saw the problem: a loose wire, which he quickly fixed.

As he got back into the car, his wife asked him if he'd had any luck.

"Yep," he replied, "beep repaired!"

Received from Thomas Ellsworth.

(-:][:-)

Fisherman

The Waltons invited their new neighbors over to dinner. During dinner Mr. Walton was asked what he did for a living.

Eight-year-old Brian Walton jumped in and said, "Daddy is a fisherman!"

Mrs. Walton replied, "Brian, why do say that? Your daddy is a stockbroker, not a fisherman."

"No, Mom. Every time we visit Dad at work and he hangs up the phone, he laughs, rubs his hands together, and says, 'I just caught another fish!'"

Received from ArcaMax.

(-:][:-)

Auto Shopping

A woman whose fondness for the good life had taken its toll in added pounds - and girth - was being shown a Jeep by a salesman at an auto dealership.

When the salesman's pitch had run its course, he sought to close with the typical line, "Now what would it take to get you into one of these?"

Looking at the Jeep's high front seat, the woman replied, "Probably a crowbar."

Received from Thomas Ellsworth.

(-:][:-)

-=+=-
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Madeleine Begun Kane Latest Columns - - http://www.madkane.com/secret_shopper.html - - Secret Shopper - - By Madeleine Begun Kane

“I’m not going in there. No way. Forget it.”

My seventy-something mother’s stance was as rigid as her words; arms folded across her chest, unyielding legs pointed away from the shop I’d just suggested.

She and I had spent the entire afternoon combing through three department stores for the definitive pair of panties. Or at least my mom's idea of same. This illusive undergarment had to be loose, comfortable, 100% cotton, and totally devoid of lace. And that was just for starters. It also had to completely cover my mother's hips and come in a large size, the exact number of which she resolutely refused to disclose.

In this fashion day dominated by form-fitting frills, slinky silks, and polyester impostors, finding my mother's fantasy panties was no easy assignment. But I was game and even understanding. (I too have my own peculiar undergarment proclivities.)

Aisles of dainty garments loomed before us. And as we perused them, it became clear that our search would not be brief. Nevertheless, I remained confident; we'd surely find something to fit the bill.

"This one's all cotton," I said from time to time, as I wended my way through the wares. "Give it a try. There's only a touch of lace."

"It'll scratch," she always answered, and that was that.

But I refused to be deterred. So what, if she's inflexible? So what, if each time I touched something, several precariously perched items dove off the display rack into an underwear avalanche? So what if the sales clerk -- also in the dark about my mother's secret size -- kept muttering under her breath about clumsy shoppers who made her job a living hell?

"This one's good, ma. Look. No lace," I said several times with waning hope, while dangling a white garment over my throbbing head.

But she always progressed from gaze to frown, finally banishing the panties with the words: "They're not bad. But they don't come in my size."

"And what would that mystery size be?" I asked.

"I'm not telling you," she said. "Let's leave. "There's nothing here for me."

After enduring this ritual in three sizable stores, I was inclined to delegate undies-hunting to my 80-plus year old dad. Either that, or start campaigning for a nationwide panty ban. And then I saw it -- lingerie heaven -- undergarment paradise. Victoria's Secret was right there in our local mall, and we had almost missed it.

Now I grant you that Victoria's Secret is better known for silks and lace than for practical cottons. Still, I figured that so large a lingerie shop would surely sell something my mother might buy. There was only one problem; she absolutely refused to go in.

We argued for nearly fifteen minutes. Having never stepped inside Victoria's Secret, she presumed it to be disreputable and sleazy -- a purveyor of pornographic catalogues -- the stuff of red light districts and Tonight Show jokes -- a veritable den of iniquity.

I tried coaxing, coercion, and even logic, as in "Do you really think a middle class mall would lease space to a business that should be banned in Boston?"

Finally, she agreed to go inside, so long as we pretended to be shopping for me.

My mother moved tentatively at first, eyes averted, refusing to finger the displays. She could have been a first-timer in an adults-only book store, so cautious was she, so afraid of being noticed, of being -- heaven forbid -- recognized.

But she gradually grew more comfortable. After all, the merchandise did bare a distinct resemblance to department store wares. We were surrounded by normal lingerie -- much of it sexy, but nothing that could be labeled lewd.

Alas, my mother didn't unearth her paragon of panties at Victoria's Secret, although she did spot and reject some simple cotton briefs meant for women spurning silks and lace. She even admired a slinky nightgown. But when I urged her to buy it, a look of horror overtook her face. "Are you crazy?" she said. "As it is, it doesn't take much to put your father in the mood."

I think I'll go back and buy my mom that gown. It'll make a great gift...for both of them.

http://www.madkane.com
Subscribe to MadKane Humor Newsletter (weekly) here:
http://www.madkane.com/email.html
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God's Busy

If you don't know GOD, don't make stupid remarks!!!!!!!

A United States Marinewas attending some college courses between assignments. He had completed missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. One of the courses had a professor who was an avowed atheist and a member of the ACLU.
One day the professor shocked the class when he came in he looked to the ceiling and flatly stated, 'God, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform. I'll give you exactly 15 minutes.' The lecture room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop.
Ten minutes went by and the professor proclaimed, 'Here I am God. I'm still waiting.' It got down to the last couple of minutes when the Marine got out of his chair, went up to the professor, and cold-cocked him, knocking him off the platform. The professor was out cold.
The Marinewent back to his seat and sat there, silently. The other students were shocked, stunned, and sat there looking on in silence. The professor eventually came to, noticeably shaken, looked at the Marine and asked, 'What the heck is the matter with you? Why did you do that?' The Marine calmly replied, 'God was too busy today protecting American soldierswho are protecting your right to say stupid stuff and act like an idiot. So, He sent me.'

Thanks to Norma Kay Rowe
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The Three B's

THE BUZZARD:
If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.

THE BAT:
The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkable nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.

THE BUMBLEBEE:
A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself.

PEOPLE: In many ways, we are like the buzzard, the bat, and the bumblebee. We struggle about with all our problems and frustrations, never realizing that all we have to do is look up!

Sorrow looks back, Worry looks around, But faith looks up!

Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly and trust in our Creator who loves us.

Thanks to Gary Foreman
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TOURBUS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -:) - :)- :)
Vol 14, Number 9 - - 14 Jan 2009

The Digital Music Issue Today's TOURBUS is all about digital music... everything from concepts to formats, to hardware and software. Check out turntables that connect to your PC, and learn how to convert LP records to CD. Beat the DRM snag by converting your iTunes music to MP3. You'll also get the scoop on Limewire, file sharing, ripping and burning. Read on!

USB TURNTABLES
It seems the death of vinyl has been greatly exaggerated. There are lots of USB turntables available now, and they are perfect for the task of playing those classic vinyl records via your computer, or for converting your LP's to digital format. I've compiled a list of my top five USB turntables, along with reviews...
[http://askbobrankin.com/usb_turntables.html]

CONVERTING VINYL RECORDS TO CD
For seasoned audio purists, nothing compares to good old-fashioned analog recordings on vinyl records. But those old records are fragile... here's an illustrated step-by-step guide to help you convert vinyl records to CD so you can enjoy them for years to come...
[http://askbobrankin.com/converting_vinyl_records_to_cd.html]

CONVERT ITUNES MUSIC TO MP3 FORMAT
Perhaps you've purchased music from iTunes and you want to play those tunes on a non-iPod music player. Apple says no. How about making backup copies of your music library? Or burning your favorite tunes to a CD so you can listen in the car? The RIAA says no. But that doesn't mean you can't...

[http://askbobrankin.com/convert_itunes_to_mp3_format.html]
[http://askbobrankin.com/drm_removal.html]

ITUNES ALTERNATIVES
If you have an iPod and an Apple computer, read no further. iTunes works great on Macs, but if you run Windows or Linux, it's a different story. Many people complain that iTunes is buggy, less than intuitive, and a memory hog on non-Apple platforms. Here are some noteworthy iTunes alternatives...
[http://askbobrankin.com/itunes_alternatives.html]

LIMEWIRE - FILE SHARING
Limewire is a free file sharing program, which allows individual users on the Internet to make music, video and other files available for direct access by other users. But is Limewire safe and legal? Learn about Limewire, copyrights and the risks of file sharing...
[http://askbobrankin.com/limewire_file_sharing.html]

RIP AND BURN BASICS
Is your downloaded music piling up on your hard drive? Or perhaps you've got a bunch of CDs with only one or two songs on each that you really like. It takes just a few minutes to learn how to "rip" songs from a CD, and "burn" your own music mix to a new disc...
[http://askbobrankin.com/rip_burn_basics.html]

No Government Bail-Out For YOU!
All the turmoil on Wall Street is a good reminder that we need to take CONTROL of OUR OWN FINANCIAL SITUATION. My good friend Leo Quinn has a ridiculously simple plan that can virtually guarantee that you will be debt free in 10 years or less -- including your mortgage. He's helped over 18,212 people do exactly that.
Leo has a special offer for TOURBUS riders that will help you get out of debt, and protect yourself from the economic downturn. Start making smart choices today - click below and learn more...
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The Pump Handle. A water cooler for the public health crowd.

Here are links to items posted on The Pump Handle over the past week:

Friday Blog Roundup - - January 16, 2009 in Blog roundup | by Liz Borkowski |

There were lots of good posts this week about health challenges around the world:

Marjan Siadat at Detroit Receiving provides a grim look at the cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe. [http://drhem.com/2009/01/05/got-public-health-3/]
Amie Newman at RH Reality Check reminds us that having a child remains one of the biggest health risks for women worldwide. [http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2009/01/15/fighting-for-our-lives-the-maternal-and-newborn-health-crisis-grows]
Michael Clemens at Global Health Policy applauds the World Health Organization for its new code of practice for health worker recruitment, which is important as countries like the US seek overseas candidates to fill our large number of healthcare position vacancies. [http://blogs.cgdev.org/globalhealth/2009/01/way_to_go_who_ethica.php]
Maryn McKenna at Superbug explained how a surgical checklist helped hospitals in eight countries reduce their rates of surgical complications. [http://drugresistantstaph.blogspot.com/2009/01/reducing-errors-worldwide-proof-that.html]
Jodi Jacobson at RH Reality Check warns that Obama’s choice to keep the current Global AIDS Coordinator will anger many in the global AIDS community. [http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2009/01/12/no-change-ogac-dybul-stay-at-least-now]
Ruth Levine at Global Health Policy advocates for a CDC Director with a global perspective. [http://blogs.cgdev.org/globalhealth/2009/01/incoming_cdc_directo.php]

http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/
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Weekly Toll - - http://weeklytoll.blogspot.com/
Death In The Workplace w/News & Updates
John Donne - ...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

A partial list of workplace fatalities.

INDOT worker dies on the job - - Jan. 11, West Lafayette, IN - Indiana State Police Sergeant Kim Riley said 73-year-old David Windler of Fowler died while working on a front end loader at 5:56 p.m. Saturday. Riley said Windler slipped, fell and struck his head on the concrete. Riley said Windler was taken to St. Elizabeth Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead. Windler was working at a garage in the Fowler Subdistrict.

White Plains man killed in construction accident - - Jan. 10, Warwick, NY - A 57-year-old White Plains man died yesterday after he was run over by a truck at a construction site on IBM Corp. property in Warwick, N.Y., police and family members said. Pietro Giorgio, of 35 Clinton Ave., was taken to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla where he died, according to the medical examiner. An autopsy is pending. Tuxedo police Sgt. Patrick Welsh, who was among the first to respond to the scene, said the accident happened about 11:30 a.m. at the Long Meadow Road site.

Last weekend's helicopter crash shakes up offshore workers - - Jan. 10, New Orleans, LA - Natalie Colon was on an oil rig deep in the Gulf of Mexico on Jan. 4 when word spread that a helicopter carrying a crew of offshore workers crashed in Terrebonne Parish, killing eight people. The news chilled her. Four years working as an offshore technician has made helicopter travel about as daunting to Colon as a commute across Lake Pontchartrain by car. But the fatal accident gave her no choice but to acknowledge the unique perils of her trade.

Delays on New Haven Line After Railroad Employee Killed - - Jan. 9, Westchester, CT - There were extended delays on Metro-North’s New Haven Line tonight after a railroad worker was struck and killed in Westchester County, railroad officials said. Service was suspended at about 7 p.m. because of the accident west of the Rye station. Shortly after 8:30 p.m., Metro-North said outbound service from Grand Central had been resumed with delays of about an hour.

City Worker Crushed to Death at Sewage Plant in Brooklyn - - Jan. 9, Brooklyn, NY - A New York City wastewater treatment plant worker was killed early Friday when a temporary conveyor belt collapsed, crushing him under its steel supports, city officials said. As the men got the device outside the doors, it twisted or buckled in the middle and fell on Gennaro Montello, 45, a Department of Environmental Protection worker since 2001, the officials said. The conveyor belt, which had been on wheels, was too heavy for the workers to lift by hand, but a contractor with a forklift used his machinery to pick it up, freeing Mr. Montello. Emergency workers arrived moments later, officials said.

http://weeklytoll.blogspot.com
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NEVER FORGET! We're listing the names of our soldiers killed weekly. These records can be found at http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/

01. Staff Sgt. Justin L. Bauer, 24, of Loveland, Colo., died Jan. 10 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

The Department of Defense announced the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died Jan. 8 in Maywand, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when their dismounted patrol was hit by an improvised explosive device. They were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. Killed were:
02. Sgt. Joshua L. Rath, 22, of Decatur, Ala.,
03. Spc. Keith E. Essary, 20, of Dyersburg, Tenn.

04. Pvt. Sean P. McCune, 20, of Euless, Texas, died Jan. 11 in Samarra, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

05. Lance Cpl. Daniel R. Bennett, 23, of Clifton, Va., died Jan. 11 as a result of a non-hostile incident in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

06. Sgt. Marquis R. Porter, 28, of Brighton, Mass., died Jan. 11 as a result of a non-hostile incident in Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
The Department of Defense announced the death of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died Jan. 9 in the Zabul Province of Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle in Jaldak. They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, Hohenfels, Germany. Killed were:
07. Maj. Brian M. Mescall, 33, of Hopkinton, Mass.,
08. Spc. Joseph M. Hernandez, 24, of Hammond, Ind.,
09. Sgt. Jason R. Parsons, 24, of Lenoir, N.C.
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Soldier Missing in Action From Korean War is Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

He is Sgt. Dougall H. Espey Jr., U.S. Army, of Mount Laurel, N.J. He will be buried April 3 in Elmira, N.Y.

Representatives from the Army’s Mortuary Office met with Espey’s next-of-kin to explain the recovery and identification process on behalf of the secretary of the Army.

Espey was assigned to Company L, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. On Nov. 1, 1950, the 8th Cavalry was occupying a defensive position near Unsan, North Korea, in an area known as the “Camel’s Head,” when elements of two Chinese Communist Forces divisions struck the 1st Cavalry Division’s lines, collapsing the perimeter and forcing a withdrawal. The 3rd Battalion was surrounded and effectively ceased to exist as a fighting unit. Espey was one of the more than 350 servicemen unaccounted-for from the battle at Unsan.

Between 1991-94, North Korea turned over to the U.S. 208 boxes of remains believed to contain the remains of 200-400 U.S. servicemen. North Korean documents turned over with several boxes in 1993 indicated that the remains from those boxes were exhumed near Chonsung-Ri, Unsan County. This location correlates with Espey’s last known location.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA and dental comparisons in the identification of the remains.

For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.
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"We have nothing to fear but fear itself." -- Franklin D. Roosevelt
"There is not enough darkness in the world to put out the light of one candle."
Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity. - - George Carlin
"Stop telling God how big your storm is. Instead, tell the storm how big your God is!" - - Queen E. Watson
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Activities and Events of Interest - - Coming Events
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January 22, 2:30 pm, Southern Arkansas University Student Activities Board Presents “W”
5:00 pm, 7:30 pm in SAU Foundation Hall, 10:00 pm in the Mulerider Activities Center
SAB@saumag.edu, 235-4925, P.O. Box 9146, Magnolia, AR 71754
Josh Brolin and Joe Mullins star in this Oliver Stone biopic that traces George W. Bush's rise to power.
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Scheduled Activities
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CQ CQ all Hams. We have restarted a 2 meter net on the Willisville repeater, 146.655, every Tuesday evening at 7 PM. Please check in and spread the word. We would like to get some renewed interest in amateur radio and the ARKLA Amateur Radio Association. Will be listening for everyone next Tuesday night.
~~~
Columbia County Amateur Radio Club meets Every second Thursday @ 7:00 p.m. Union Street Station. And YOU'RE invited. Net is every Sunday at 20:30 on 147.105.
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MCC - Mom's Day Out - Every Tuesday and Thursday from 9 to 2.$10 for the first child, $5 for the second. Call 234-3225 for reservations.
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MCC - Nursing Home Ministry - Meadowbrook Every Tuesday from 10 to 11 am. Taylor, the last Thursday each month.
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Men's Prayer Breakfast held every Tuesday morning at 6 AM in Miller's Cafeteria. If you aren't a regular participant at the Men's Prayer Breakfast, you're missing some great food, fellowship and inspired teaching of the Word. Hope to see you there.
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Emergency Phone Number 911
(Fire, Police, Ambulance, Sheriff, etc. )
Central Dispatch 234-5655
(Non - Emergency Number)
Direct Numbers
Ambulance - 234-7371 (24 Hour)
Jail - 234-5331 (24 Hour)
Poison Control - 800-222-1222 (24 Hour)
http://www. aapcc. org/
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Interested in getting in touch with the Banner-News through e-mail?
E-mail addresses for communicating with the newspaper’s various departments are: news@bannernews.net For news and sports items, Coming Events, Diary, Church News, school and civic events.
advertising@bannernews. net For retail and classified advertising.
circulation@bannernews. net To start, stop or cancel newspaper delivery or for comments about delivery.
outfitters @bannernews.net For Office Outfitters, the office supply division of the Banner-News.
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"Laugh whenever you can and cry if you need to." -- "Bug"
"I read the end of the book. We win!" -- "Bug"
"We may not be able to cure the world, but we don't have to make it sicker." -- "Bug"
"There just ain't enough fingers for all the holes in the dike." - - "Bug"
"It's no big deal doing what God tells you to do. A big deal would be NOT doing what God tells you to do. Just ask Jonah." - - Paul Troquille
“Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est.” Knowledge is power. - Francis Bacon
"The problem is here and now. The time for talk is past. The time for action is now."
Comments on the first Earth Day - James F. McClellan via John "Fuzzy" Thurman
~~~~~
Hope you enjoy the newsletter.
Again, thanks to all our contributors this week.
"Remember Pearl Harbor? Remember 9/11!" --"Bug"
God bless and GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!
Psa 86:5-7 Jer 4:16-18 Jer 52:12-14 Prov 23:19-22 http://www.e-min.org/
God is Good and Faithful CU 73 IC JFM CSP NREMT-I KC5HII

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