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
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
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/
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
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.

(-:][:-)

-=+=-
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/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...
[http://www.leoquinn.com/b/bobrankin/index.html]

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Skype is a software package that lets you make free calls to almost anyone, anywhere in the world. Here's how to get started...

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+ ------------------------------------- +
That's all for now, see you next time!
-- Bob Rankin
+ ------------------------------------- +
==[ Tourbus Rider Information ]==
The Internet Tourbus - U.S. Library of Congress ISSN #1094-2238 Copyright 1995-2008, Rankin & Crispen - All rights reserved Be Smarter & Better Looking Than [-99.386605-] Percent of Users The Best of Everything - http://www.InternetTourbus.com/best.html Subscribe, Signoff, Archives, Free Stuff and More at the Tourbus Home - http://www.InternetTourbus.com
========================
.~~~. ))
(\__/) .' ) )) Patrick Douglas Crispen
/o o \/ .~
{o_, \ { crispen@netsquirrel.com
/ , , ) \ http://www.netsquirrel.com/
`~ -' \ } )) AOL Instant Messenger: Squirrel2K
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---..{____} Warning: squirrels.
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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.
~
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
~~~~~
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.
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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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