Bug's Bleat - - GCF: High School Metaphors - - Photos

  The Albemarle cooks had fun and served great food.
  Annette greated the folks coming through our line.

Bug's Bleat - - GCF: High School Metaphors

  The Blossom Festival is also a great "Date"
 
 

Bug's Bleat - - GCF: High School Metaphors

  Kids are my favorite part of a Parade
  Who could resist giving these kids a treat.
  Young Miss Oldham had a great time that morning.

Bug's Bleat - - GCF: High School Metaphors

  Mike Bradfield passes out Leis from the Albemarle Float
  Tim Tackett's Grill was almost "Stealth"

Bug's Bleat - - GCF: High School Metaphors

Volume 10, Issue 29 Friday, May 23, 2008

Hello All,

We had a GREAT time at the Blossom Festival. Albemarle was second runner up in the parade. Our team served 600 people in 27 minutes Saturday afternoon. Every year I tell the folks in line that they’ll be served in less than 30 minutes, but they still start lining up over two hours before we open.
~~~~~
Thanks to Robert Davidson, Butch Gaylord, Terrell Fulton, Kenny Kendrick, Jim McWilliams and Sam Rogers for helping us with cross ties that MCC needed to repair our flower beds and build a volleyball court for the youth.
I’ve lived most of my life in the helping hands of an extended family of relatives, church members, coworkers, friends and acquaintances who’ve always been there when we needed them. It reminds me of the vision of Heaven and Hell where the visitor first tours hell. There sit all the citizens of the lower regions, at tables piled high with all manner of wonderful foods. But the people are starving. It seems that they have 3' forks strapped to their arms and there’s no way for them to get the food from the plate to their mouths.
The visitor is then taken to view heaven where, again, he finds the inhabitants sitting at a wonderful banquet table, piled high with every food imaginable and their hands are also equipped with 3' long forks. But in this case, all the people are fat and well fed. He’d at first confused but then notices that, in heaven, the folks are feeding each other across the table.
~~~~~
As oil prices continue to climb and a stop at the gas station challenges the limit on our credit cards, more and more people are concerned with reducing the price of fuel. The problem is that all the efforts being talked about in congress and the media are focused on the symptoms (high gas prices) and not the disease (demand outstripping supply).
Congress is attacking the oil companies for profiting from high energy prices. And the companies are charging as much as they think the market will bear. The problem is they are doing the same thing we’d do in their place. Which of you would voluntarily sell an item for 50% of its current value just because you only paid 25% of its current value when you purchased it? Isn’t profit taking what EBay is all about?
I’m not defending the oil companies, only pointing out that we’d do the same if we had the chance.
The other thing that this “blame game” does is give congress a chance to raise taxes on “them”. It’s so easy to support a tax on “them” since “we” blame “them for our problems. Of course, God doesn’t let us get away with that. Any tax on “them” will simply be passed along to “us” in the form of higher fuel prices.
I remember the outcry in the ‘70s over the price of fuel and congress responded with the “Windfall Profits” tax. That was extremely popular as a way to punish “them” for “our” problems. Lo and behold my mother’s little $15 a month oil royalty check fell to $5 a month. Exxon just passed that tax along to the folks they bought oil from. It never even made a dent in Exxon’s profits.
So I’m asking all of you to quit following the crowd up to storm the castle gates and, instead, turn and storm the gates of congress. Demand that they treat the disease with tax credits to encourage energy conservation. If we reduce our energy use, we’ll become less dependent on foreign oil and simple economics will supply the answers. As demand falls, so will price.
I’m advocating that we affect this economic formula with a little “Demand Side” persuasion of our government servants. We need to “Demand” tax credits for companies that develop cogeneration of steam and electricity (at present, there’s a tax penalty for doing that.) Demand tax credits to reward corporations and individuals for switching to more fuel efficient means of heating and cooling work spaces and homes. Demand tax credits for installation of passive energy saving measures (i.e. insulation, ventilation, etc.) Demand that all new vehicles sold in the US be “flex fuel” capable of running on gasoline, or alcohol or a mixture. This will encourage the production of bio fuels from a variety of sources, not just corn or other food crops. Demand that communities be given grants to install or enhance mass transit to reduce the need for individual vehicle trips to the store. Demand that our government support development of energy efficient transportation for people and goods. For instance, a train can transport a ton of freight for about 100 miles on a gallon of fuel. A truck can transport a ton of freight for about 5 miles on a gallon of fuel. Which one do you think the government is spending more on supporting at this time? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against trucking. I just want to see us support the use of energy miser technology when it’s appropriate. And, of course, we should be supporting development of alternative energy sources (wind, solar and nuclear.)
~
But we can do more ourselves. Eating Less saves money and energy. And, as Annette and I discovered when we started Weight Watchers, if you eat less, you use fewer resources. Less energy to cook smaller portions. Less energy to transport less food. Less toilet paper because there’s less waste.
~~~~~
Study Gives the Skinny on 'Fit and Fat'
Regular exercise has long been touted as the key to a healthy heart, but a new study shows it is unlikely to fully reverse a woman's chances of heart disease if she is carrying extra weight.
Tailored Workouts for Heart Disease? A study that documents how various forms of exercise affect the heart suggests that in the future doctors may be able to tailor a patient's exercise regimen to his or her specific heart condition.
~~~~~
Many of you are aware that Mike Barnett's daughter, Tori, has had surgery for a medical problem resulting from the car accident she had almost two years ago.
Obviously, there are expenses associated with the surgery and travel that are not covered by insurance. If you wish to make a contribution, there will be envelopes in all the South Plant supercenters.
~~~~~
The Lighthouse Church Report: Contemplating Sorrow - Thursday, May 22, 2008 - jimmy Malone

I was saddened today to learn of the death of Steven Curtis Chapman's daughter. Maria was five. The Chapman’s, Steven and Mary Beth, fought hard to adopt her from an orphanage in China. This was their third adopted child and sixth all together. She was accidently killed when her older brother was backing out of the driveway and she ran behind him. He never saw her. Maria was airlifted to Vanderbuilt Hospital, but her injuries proved fatal.
I cannot imagine what the family is going through. Where do you even start? As a father, it seems unthinkable to be put in the position of grieving for your youngest while consoling the older child who was behind the wheel. Wow. That's life at its hardest.
How do we deal with suffering? I know that I avoid it with a passion. But when it comes upon us, we must face it. Wherever you turn, life will find you.
Paul tells us in his letter to the Romans that Earth itself groans for redemption. This whole creation has been subjected to corruption ever since Adam and Eve took the fall. From that day on, life is just not fair. Sometimes we want to ask God to make it fair. Not yet. But the Day will come. Not one tragedy, injustice, or misdeed will be left unanswered.
We see an interesting scene in the book of Revelation where the blood of the righteous slain cries out for justice. God answers from the throne, “Not yet. A little while longer, then I will judge." We do not see it now, but every wrong will be made right. On that day, not only will the secrets of men be revealed, the ungodly punished, and the nations judged, but every tear will be wiped away.
That's why we must not be weary to tell the world to take shelter in Jesus. This place is under the curse of sin. None of will make it out of this alive. But even in the pouring rain, we can say that God is just and life is sweet. I don't understand it all. But since when did the Creator have to explain to me why life is what it is? I tell my two sons to do things every day that they do not understand. Crying,"Why?” does not change my course any more than it changes God's. But trust me, the Father sheds a tear. Jesus endured the worst that mankind and this fallen place could dish out. He's been there. He feels your pain. He knows.

Pray for the Chapman’s. Hug someone you love. Thank God that you can.

http://thelighthousechurch.publishpath.com/contemplating-sorrow
~~~~~
Master’s Hands - May 2008

Dear Friends and family, Hello from Tanzania!

In February and March, we went back to Congo for a short time. Brandt was able to help with the plumbing and electrical work and I stayed busy preaching nearly every day.
The Congolese people are the most wonderful part of the county. They’re so friendly, hospitable, and cheerful even while they live in the midst of adversity.
While in Congo, I walked almost everywhere I went. There was a small creek that I had to cross in order to go almost anywhere. Other people were able to jump across but there was no way I was going to be able to do that in a straight skirt. So I thought I would wade across. I stepped into the muddy water and found there was no earth beneath me! I fell into the creek chest high and would have gone all the way under if someone hadn’t grabbed me! So, I decided to hire some people to haul huge trees down to the creek and lay them across as a bridge. Along the way, one of the trees got away from them and rolled over someone’s vegetable field, mowing it all down. I had to reimburse the woman for her loss. Finally the bridge was up and I was able to cross safely. After eight days, a heavy rain knocked those trees loose and they floated to Lake Tanganyika! Such is life in Congo!
One of the highlights of the trip for me was seeing Kapinga, the very first prostitute I ever led to the Lord. She is married now, and has a newborn baby. She continues to serve the Lord. Unfortunately, almost all of the other prostitutes we led to the Lord have already died (most from AIDS).
I had forgotten how bad the smells are in Congo. Once when we were driving with the windows down, a horrible smell wafted through the car. I put my hand over my nose and said, “Ugh, what’s that smell?” Ben looked at me and said, “Mama, what did daddy do?”
Here in Tanzania, the Bible school has started a new school session and it’s great to see the new students who have traveled so far to learn God’s Word.
We so appreciate you all. Many of you pray for us regularly and that is so needed. Others of you support us monthly, others on a one-time basis. Still others write us encouraging letters and send care packages. We thank you all for ALL THAT YOU DO! May God bless you back abundantly!

For financial support: Please make checks payable to AMA and mail to: AGAPE Missionary Alliance, P.O. Box 22007, Little Rock, AR 72221. Write PRINCE on the memo line.

Joyfully, Brandt, Pam, Austin, Ty & Ben.
~~~~~
Each week the Defense Department highlights military personnel who have gone above and beyond in the war. [http://www.defenselink.mil/heroes/] - - Sheffield F. Ford III - -
Hometown: Dixon, CA - - Awarded: Silver Star
The 23rd and 24th of June 2006 would be a crucible of leadership and heroism for an already battle-tested and decorated captain in the U.S. Army’s Special Forces. Captain Sheffield F. Ford III was in charge of some 16 Americans and 46 Afghan Army soldiers during "Operation Kaika" in the Panjawi District of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province. In the bleak farmland, criss-crossed by ditches and barren expanses, Ford led his unit to "re-establish order" in the contested region, entering a Spartan Afghan village on the 23rd. The dilapidated buildings and mud huts were hiding a Taliban force of unknown strength with one thought on their minds: killing Americans and the Afghan soldiers working to take back their country. In their hastily prepared patrol base, Ford organized a perimeter as night enveloped the isolated Special Forces team and their Afghan allies.

As darkness fell, "all hell [broke] loose." From three directions, rifle, machine gun, and rocket-propelled grenade fire landed and exploded on their position. One of Ford’s squad mates later said they had "not seen this disciplined execution of infantry tactics" by the Taliban. Ford dug his men in to repel the assault.

Moving from position to position, he alternated between barking orders, firing at the enemy, and rallying the Afghan soldiers with him. As the night crept on, the remaining Taliban fighters withdrew and Ford took stock of the situation.

Early the next day, he ordered some of his Special Forces operators to lead a team of Afghans into the suspected Taliban hideout. As the unit engaged the hostiles, it was divided in two when some 200 Taliban fighters poured out, separating the American attackers and surrounding the make-shift patrol base.

Over the radio, Ford was connected with one of the translators who had been leading the mission on the Taliban position. The translator saw two Americans were fighting despite being severely wounded and feared capture at any minute. Knowing the ramifications of being taken alive by the Taliban, the translator told Ford he would, if ordered, end the suffering of the troops and his own life rather than be captured. Ford responded, "We’ve got people coming." Ford organized and launched an effective rescue to recover the translator and wounded troops, even if they were mortally wounded. He would not allow American or Afghan alike to be taken in any condition by the Taliban.

The adversaries fought so close to one another that the terrorists screamed to the Afghan soldiers that, "we can forgive you; just put your weapons down and walk away. We want the Americans alive." The months of training and the ties formed between the Americans and the Afghans were put to the test. Seeing the example of Ford running to each of the beleaguered fighters in the face of constant fire, and remembering all they had endured alongside their American trainers, the Afghan soldiers responded to the Taliban’s offer with well-aimed shots and an unbreakable defense.

Exemplifying the U.S. Special Forces motto, De Opresso Liber (to liberate the oppressed), Ford inspired his Afghan troops to stand up to the Taliban fighters and bring them down. He led an evacuation of all the men under his command, wounded included, out of the village under the cover of Apache attack choppers to ensure all would be safe, while sealing the fate of the insurgents. Ford successfully extricated his men, and the unit had more than 120 confirmed kills. Just as the Americans and Afghans had trained together, they sacrificed together; two American and three Afghan soldiers would not leave the battlefield alive. For his accomplishments in the face of such an overpowering force, Ford was awarded the Silver Star, the nation’s third highest military award.
~~~~~
The latest from Michael Yon, the foremost “milnews” blogger on the web.
~
Greetings in the United States and dozens of other countries:

Filmmaker Michael Moore is using my work without my permission. Please click [http://www.michaelyon-online.com/] for details.

Very Respectfully,

Michael
~
Progress in Iraq is unmistakable. I appeared on "Fox and Friends" this morning to discuss the topic, yet interestingly a book distributor who services military bases in the United States refuses to carry "Moment of Truth in Iraq".

Please Click [http://www.michaelyon-online.com/] for details

v/r

Michael

P.S. Michael Moore has chosen to stop infringing on my work.
~~~~~
GCF: Memorial Day 2008

This wasn't sent to me by another person or list, nor was it found posted elsewhere. It's just a few thoughts about a holiday which is special to me. It's one of those few times when I share something serious instead of humorous. -Tom
----------------------------------------------------------
The joke for today has been sent. I want to be serious for a moment and talk about the holiday which will be celebrated here in the United States on Monday.

Memorial Day is on the last Monday in May and honors those men and women who lost their lives serving their country. What we celebrate as Memorial Day today, began at the end of the Civil War. Family members of the many soldiers slain in battle would visit the grave sites of their fallen relatives or friends and decorate the graves with flowers.

On May 5, 1868, General John Logan proclaimed this day a holiday through his General Order No. 11. The day was entitled Decoration Day and was first observed on May 30, 1868. The northern states celebrated this day every year, but the southern states celebrated a day similar to this on a different day until sometime after World War I.

In 1882, the name Decoration day was changed to Memorial Day, and in 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday to be held on the last Monday of May every year. Over the years it has come to serve as a day to remember all U.S. men and women killed or missing in action in all wars.

I am truly grateful for the freedoms which we enjoy today. Too often, we take these gifts for granted, little realizing the sacrifice which was involved in ensuring that these freedoms continue to be a part of all of our lives. Be honest, how many of us think of Memorial Day as just another chance for a three-day weekend? A chance to go the lakes or beaches or mountains? A trip to Disneyland or Six Flags or some other amusement park?

If you are here in the United States, please remember to display the flag, not just for the day but for the whole weekend. Let's not forget the real reason for having this holiday. The quote below says it all. Please take the time to read it.

Take care everyone.

Tom
(HM2, USN 65-69)
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"It is, in a way, an odd thing to honor those who died in defense of our country in wars far away. The imagination plays a trick. We see these soldiers in our mind as old and wise. We see them as something like the Founding Fathers, grave and gray-haired. But most of them were boys when they died, they gave up two lives -- the one they were living and the one they would have lived. When they died, they gave up their chance to be husbands and fathers and grandfathers. They gave up their chance to be revered old men. They gave up everything for their county, for us. All we can do is remember."

-- Ronald Wilson Reagan
Remarks at Veteran's Day ceremony, Arlington National Cemetery Arlington, Virginia, November 11, 1985
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In the past, I have had several links at GCF to Andy Hefty, Former Sergeant of Marines.

This time, I wish to share just a small part of what Andy wrote about Memorial Day last year. Andy's words are well written.

"Keep politics out of Memorial Day. Do not discuss the politics of war and peace when honoring those who have given you the right to do so. This diverts your attention from where you need to be focused. Young Marines don't think of politics while in action. They think of survival. They think of their buddies. They think of home. They concentrate on accomplishing their tasks. Honor their steadfastness by staying out of the political fray -- for just one day."

The complete article can be found at:
http://www.jacksonville.com/community/cc/hefty/stories/052107/052107084505.shtml
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A final thought.....

Over the years the meaning of Memorial Day has faded too much from the public consciousness. From a solemn day of mourning, remembrance, and honor to the men and women who died in providing the freedoms we enjoy, it has been reduced to a weekend of BBQ's, shopping bargains and beaches where only token nods toward our honored dead is given, if at all. Too many don't know what the day stands for.

So, let's not forget those who made the ultimate sacrifice. They are remembered in all our prayers. Also, let's not forget a prayer for the safety of all service men and women, whether they serve at home or overseas. Finally, a heartfelt Semper Fi from this Hospital Corpsman is sent to all the Marines I knew. -Tom
~~~~~
This Memorial Day, we remember my Great Grandfather who fought at Vicksburg. And my dad
who helped supply the oil needed during WWII. My stepfather Tammy who kept the
officers of Patton’s 1st Army fed (and served in North Africa, Sicily and Italy.) My uncles (Hoot and Willard) who fought in Europe during WWII. Jay Brown and Ronnie Daniels who fought in Vietnam along with Bob Harrell and Bill Jennings who served there also. Buzz Sawyer who died while co-piloting a C-130 over Nicaragua. Glenn Brian and Tommy Broom who served during and after Dessert Storm. And our local National Guard troops who are now serving a second tour in Iraq.
~~~~~
Just to set the record straight (er), we often write about people or things in our lives that not all our readers are familiar with. “Da Bleat” is produced in a “conversational” format that we believe is more fun for the people who know what’s going on and sort of a challenging puzzle for those who don’t.
However, if you don’t understand what we’re talking about and you’d like more information, we hope you’ll reply back to us. That will give us the opportunity to “bring you up to speed” as well as getting to know you a little better.
Along the same vein, we tend to treat any comments you send to us as “publishable” material unless you instruct us otherwise. Of course, we try to avoid publishing anything that would embarrass anyone or otherwise compromise confidentiality.
We enjoy your correspondence and don’t want to do anything that would inhibit that exchange, but many of you send us GREAT material and it’s hard for us not to share it. So, if it’s private or you’d just rather not share it with the world, please tell us so. “Bug”
~~~~~
Mark Your Calendars!!!! Albemarle Kids' Fishing Tournament - May 31
~~~~~
In a tragic accident, the five-year-old daughter of Christian recording artist, Steven Curtis Chapman, was killed this week when she was struck by an SUV driven by her teenage brother. (StevenCurtisChapman.com)
~~~~~
Last week we watched [Ratings are my own]:
The Thrill of It All (1963) [7.5] Starring Doris Day ... James Garner ... And Arlene Francis
Jurassic Park (1993) [7.0] Starring: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum
El Dorado (1967) [7.5] Starring: John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, and James Caan.
Patriot Games (1992) [7.0] Starring: Harrison Ford, Anne Archer, Patrick Bergin
~~~~~
This week we read; “Judge & jury” by James Patterson and Andrew Gross.
We’re currently reading; “3rd degree, bk.3": by James Patterson and Andrew Gross.
We intend to read;& “The jester” / by James Patterson and Andrew Gross. And “Trace evidence” : a novel / Elizabeth Becka.
~~~~~
http://www.shelfari.com/BugsBleat/shelf?ec=7D790D174EFS18012
~~~~~
The photos on the front of this week’s “Bleat” are from last Saturday’s Blossom Festival and World Championship Steak Cook-off. Annette gives out leis, Scot and Tommye Croft look for some lunch, Mike and Tashia Bradfield helped serve, Kenny and Leshia Kendrick in line at the food court and the Albemarle Chefs.
~~~~~
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 New 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 - - - Salmon Burgers with Soy Mayo and Simple Sesame Slaw Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse

2 1/4 pounds salmon fillet, skinned, pin bones removed
½ cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs) or other dried bread crumbs
½ cup minced scallions
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon sambal oelek chili paste
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plus 1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 cups shaved purple cabbage
3 cups shaved green cabbage
½ cup shaved red onion
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Kosher salt
6 sesame rolls or other soft hamburger buns, for serving

Using a sharp knife, cut the salmon into 1-inch pieces and transfer to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the fish is finely chopped. (Take care not to overprocess or salmon will become a paste.) Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the panko, 1/4 cup of the scallions, 2 tablespoons of the cilantro, minced ginger, egg, sambal oelek, garlic, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and 1 ½ teaspoons of the soy sauce. Using a rubber spatula, mix gently but thoroughly to combine. Divide the mixture into 6 even portions and shape into patties about 4 inches wide and 3/4 inch thick. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate while you prepare the mayonnaise and slaw.
In a very small saucepan combine the remaining soy sauce and the sugar and cook until reduced to a syrup, 2 to 3 minutes. The soy-sugar mixture should coat the back of a spoon. Set aside to cool completely. When cooled, add 1 ½ tablespoons of the soy glaze to the mayonnaise and refrigerate until ready to serve the burgers. (The remaining soy glaze may be kept indefinitely at room temperature and used to drizzle on grilled salmon or grilled tuna.)

Combine the purple and green cabbages, remaining 1/4 cup of scallions, the red onion, 1/4 cup of the vegetable oil, rice wine vinegar, remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro, sesame oil, remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, and crushed red pepper, and toss thoroughly to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds. Refrigerate while you prepare the burgers.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. When the oil is hot, season both sides of the salmon burgers lightly with the kosher salt and add the burgers to the skillet and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides and the salmon is just cooked through, about 3 ½ minutes per side. Serve the salmon on warm buns, garnished with the soy mayonnaise and the sesame slaw.

Difficulty: Intermediate
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

Copyright © 2006 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved
~~~~~
BreakPoint
With Chuck Colson

A Mom Goes to Jail
By Mark Earley
5/23/2008

Drug Offenders and the Prison Crisis

Susan LeFevre was just 19 years old when she was arrested for selling heroin to an undercover cop. She pled guilty to the first-time offense, thinking the judge would be lenient. Instead, he gave her the maximum: 10 to 20 years in prison.

Unable to cope with prison life, Susan escaped over the fence. She changed her name to Marie and eventually married and had children—and, by all accounts, has lived a model life. But after 32 years of her great escape, Susan’s new life unraveled. A tipster told police where she was, and now she is back behind bars, awaiting extradition to Michigan on an escape warrant.

Susan LeFevre’s story puts a human face on why our nation is facing such a stark crisis in the prison system. As I pointed out recently on “BreakPoint,” America has more people locked up than any other country. Some 2.3 million people are behind bars.

But the lion’s share of what fuels this high number is driven by our drug laws, which sweep up many non-violent, low-level drug offenders—like Susan LeFevre. These offenders make up more than one-quarter of all prison inmates: some 530,000 people. Locking up all these people has led to massive prison overcrowding and out-of-control state budgets—so much so that states all over the country are considering releasing thousands of prisoners early, simply because they cannot afford to keep them in custody!

There are better ways to punish nonviolent drug offenders, which is why Prison Fellowship supports alternative sentencing, restitution, and rehabilitation for those addicted to drugs. And it is why we supported the recently passed Second Chance Act, which provides grants to government agencies and faith-based groups that help prisoners and ex-prisoners overcome their addictions and become productive members of society.

Ironically, it may take the plight of a fugitive mom to open the eyes of Americans to the need to reform our drug laws. Of course, we do not know all the details of Susan LeFevre’s case. Authorities in Michigan say, for instance, that she was a leader of a drug ring. And there is no doubt that escaping from prison is a serious offense.

But according to the San Diego Tribune, before throwing the book at LeFevre in 1975, the judge told her, “I just hope you do change your own life.”

Well, it seems that she did change her life. E. Brady Denton, the prosecutor at the time of Susan’s trial, recently told the San Diego Tribune that if he were the prosecutor now, he would not put her back in prison. He would sentence her under new Michigan guidelines, “which would factor in a prior record, the severity of the crime, and what she has done with her life.”

Denton said, “I’d give her probation and let her go back [to] be with her family in California.”

Micah 6:8 says that God has shown us what is good: to do justice and to love mercy. I hope that the authorities in Susan LeFevre’s case will show mercy as they uphold justice. And let us do what we can to ensure that all the less-famous, low-level drug offenders now in custody will receive not only the justice, but the mercy they deserve.

Please help the prison ministry of Prison Fellowship and the worldview ministry of BreakPoint with a generous tax-deductible gift today to help us continue strong this year. Donate online or call 1-877-322-5527.

N. C. Aizenman, “New High in U.S. Prison Numbers,” Washington Post, 29 February 2008, A01.

Kristina Davis, “Transcripts Shed Light on Fugitive’s Case,” San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 May 2008.

Allison Hoffman, “Woman Arrested after 32 Years on the Lam,” Associated Press, 30 April 2008.

Jeff Peck, “Law on the Lam,” The Point, 5 May 2008.

Roberto Rivera, “Crime and Unusual Punishment: Why America Has the World’s Largest Prison Population,” BreakPoint Online, 13 May 2008.

Read the recent “BreakPoint” series on the crisis in criminal justice today: “Admissions of Failure”; “One in Ninety-Nine”; “Melting Hearts”; and “The Heart of the Matter.”

Visit Justice Fellowship’s website for more information on criminal justice reform, and sign up for JF’s free eReport.

© 2008 Prison Fellowship - - http://www.breakpoint.org/site_hmpg.asp
~~~~~
Words of the Week:
subfusc: dark or dull in color.
latitudinarian: having or expressing broad and tolerant views.
tirade: a long angry speech.
obtrude: to thrust out; also, to impose on others.
Potemkin village: a false front or facade.
boulevardier: a man-about-town.
cadge: to beg; to sponge.
aright: rightly; correctly.
from Dictionary.Com
~~~~~
"Science has never drummed up quite as effective a tranquilizing agent as a sunny spring day." ~W. Earl Hall

"O, how bitter a thing it is to look into happiness through another man's eyes!" - William Shakespeare

"I am sufficiently proud of my knowing something to be modest about my not knowing everything." - Vladimir Nabokov

"It would now be technically possible to unify the world, abolish war and poverty altogether, if men desired their own happiness more than the misery of their enemies." - Bertrand Russell

"It may be necessary temporarily to accept a lesser evil, but one must never label a necessary evil as good." - Margaret Mead

"Nothing is more surprising than the easiness with which the many are governed by the few." - David Hume

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do." - Mark Twain

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." - Leonardo da Vinci
~~~~~
BREAKING CHRISTIAN NEWS
http://breakingchristiannews.com/

The Dead Raised again! Woman Suddenly Comes Back to Life, Doctors Call it a "Medical Miracle"
Incredible! Pilot Commands Passenger to Pray During Imminent Airplane Crash Crisis and God Lands them Safely in Field Marked with His Name
Man Who Miraculously Survived Grizzly Attack Recalls Asking God to Spare His Life
Values Victory: U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Law that would Protect Children
Over 130,000 in Colorado Sign Petition to Grant Full Legal Protection to Unborn Children
Rejecting Revenge, Rwandans Embrace Forgiveness--the Heart of their Nation's Revival

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GCF: High School Metaphors

Emailed to me from another humor list (Joanna's Jokes) -Tom To subscribe to Joanna's Jokes, send a blank email to: JoannasJokes-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

If this was forwarded to you, please consider your own subscription to Good Clean Fun. It's free! A smile will enhance the quality of your life. Just send an email to: good-clean-fun-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or visit the Good Clean Fun web site http://www.kcbx.net/~tellswor/ Unsubscribe info for Good Clean Fun is at the end of this email. This email was scanned by F-Secure before it was sent.
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Some metaphors written by students in high school English class....

Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two other sides gently compressed by a Thigh Master.

The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't.

McMurphy fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a paper bag filled with vegetable soup.

Her hair glistened in the rain like nose hair after a sneeze.

The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.

Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left New York at 6:36 PM traveling west at 55 mph, the other from Chicago at 4:19 PM traveling east at a speed of 35 mph.

Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long it had rusted shut.

The plan was simple, like my brother Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.

He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck either, but a real duck that was actually lame. Maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.

She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.

The ballerina rose gracefully en pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a lamppost.

She grew on him like she was a colony of E. coli and he was room-temperature beef.

She walked into my office like a centipede with 98 missing legs.

It hurt the way your tongue hurts after you accidentally staple it to the wall.
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Analytical Gunfighters

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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Two analytical chemists in the Wild West are on the town's main street, ready to draw their weapons.

One says: "Don't MOVE, or I'll fill you full of 98% Lead, 1% Antimony, 0.98% Cobalt, and 0.02% elements below their detection levels!"

The other one says: "HOLD on there, cowboy. Are those values CERTIFIED??"
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Bumpers

Emailed to me another humor list (Good Clean Funnies List) -Tom To subscribe The Good Clean Funnies List, (not to be confused with this list, which is Good Clean Fun) send an email to: gcfl-request@gcfl.net with subject = add
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Most people hate to parallel park. The other day, I saw this woman trying to get out of a tight parking space. She bumped the car in front, then backed up and hit the car behind her. This went on about two minutes.

I walked over to see if I could somehow help. My offer was declined. She said, "Why have bumpers if you're not going to use them once in a while?"
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Transcribing Confusion

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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We were thoroughly confused. While transcribing medical audiotapes, my co-worker came upon the following garbled diagnosis: "This man has pholenfrometry."

Knowing nothing about that particular condition, she double-checked with the doctor. After listening to the tape, he shook his head and smiled.

"This man," he said, translating for her, "has fallen from a tree."
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: First Kiss

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

At the end of their first date, a young man takes his favorite girl home. Emboldened by the night, he decides to try for that important first kiss.

With an air of confidence, he leans with his hand against the wall and, smiling, he says to her, "Darling, how 'bout a goodnight kiss?"

Horrified, she replies, "Are you mad? My parents will see us!"

"Oh come on! Who's gonna see us at this hour?"

"No, please. Can you imagine if we get caught?"

"Oh come on, there's nobody around, they're all sleeping!"

"No way. It's just too risky!"

"Oh please, please, I like you so much!!"

"No, no, and no. I like you too, but I just can't!"

"Oh yes you can. Please?"

"NO, no. I just can't."

"Pleeeeease?..."

Out of the blue, the porch light goes on, and the girl's sister shows up in her pajamas, hair disheveled. In a sleepy voice the sister says: "Dad says to go ahead and give him a kiss. Or I can do it. Or if need be, he'll come down himself and do it. But for crying out loud tell him to take his hand off the intercom button!"
_ ____________________________ _
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / Work smarder and not harder \ /
\ _/ and be careful of yor speling. \_ /
/ / \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ / Since bad golf shots \ \_/ ////
\ / come in groups of three, \ /
\ _/ a fourth bad shot is actually the \_ /
/ / beginning of the next group of three. \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / Any attempt to print \ /
\ _/ Murphy's Laws \_ /
/ / will jam the printer. \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / Logic is a systematic \ /
\ _/ method of coming to the \_ /
/ / wrong conclusion with confidence. \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ /If you think dogs can't count, \ \_/ ////
\ / try putting three dog biscuits \ /
\ _/ in your pocket and then giving \_ /
/ / your dog only two of them. \ \
_ ____________________________ _
| 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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Passport Photo

Unfortunately, getting a new passport required a new photo. As I handed my ten-year-old passport and the new picture to the clerk, I sighed. "I like the original better," I told her.

"Trust me," she said. "Ten years from now, you'll like this one."

Received from Steve Sanderson.

(-:][:-)

Nail Biting

Two elderly women were fussing about their husbands over tea one day.

"I do wish my Leroy would stop biting his nails. That makes me terribly nervous!" the first one said.

"Oh, my Elmer used to do the same thing," the other woman commented. "But I broke him of that habit real quick."

"What did you do?"

"I hid his teeth!"

Received from Thomas Ellsworth.

(-:][:-)

Last Request

Two men, sentenced to die in the electric chair on the same day, were led down to the room in which they would meet their maker. The priest had given them last rites, the formal speech had been given by the warden, and a final prayer had been said among the participants. The warden, turning to the first man, solemnly asked, "Son, do you have a last request?"

To which the man replied, "Yes sir, I do. I love dance music. Could you please play 'The Macarena' for me one last time?"

"Certainly," replied the warden. He turned to the other man and asked, "Well, what about you, son? What is your final request?"

"Please," said the condemned man, "kill me first."

Received from Jan Hughey.

(-:][:-)

The Amateur Photographer

An amateur photographer was invited to dinner with friends, and he took along a few pictures to show to them. The hostess looked at the photos and commented, "These are very good! You must have a good camera."

The photographer didn't make any comment, but as he was leaving to go home, he said, "That was a really delicious meal! You must have some very good pots."

Received from Thomas Ellsworth.

(-:][:-)

25 Easy Ways to Curb the Annoying Problem of Church Growth

1. Begin your message with the phrase, "You know what's wrong with you people..."

2. Place the student Sunday school space near the "Ruth class" for ladies 70 and above.

3. Move business meetings to Sunday morning and open up the floor by asking, "So does anybody have a beef?"

4. Begin that year-long sermon series on the 40 weeks of Daniel.

5. Place a polygraph machine on the front pew to be used during the invitation time.

6. Place tire puncture strips in the parking lot for cars going the wrong way before Sunday school.

7. Pick a NASCAR driver as your favorite and complain about all the other drivers (this works best in Alabama).

8. Place the roller coaster "You must be this tall" sign at the entrance of the worship center. (And make it stand about 5' 8 1/2")

9. Keep the Christmas pageant livestock in the church choir room year 'round.

10. Announce that on high attendance Sunday, if the goal is met, everyone will kiss the pig!

11. If your auditorium slopes downward to the platform, give every kid under 12 a handful of marbles before the service.

12. Give deacons the ability to "gong" the special music.

13. Place the outdoor welcome center tent a few feet from the septic tank.

14. Replace the pictures of former pastors with pictures of Larry, Moe, and Curly.

15. Start arranging marriages in the singles department.

16. Put a blank for "weight" on the membership information forms.

17. Invite the "cops" crew along during hospital visits.

18. Demand mandatory drug tests for all senior adult excursions.

19. In order to feel relevant, say "Dude" 15 times from the pulpit each Sunday.

20. Have the organist play hockey cheers at pivotal moments of the sermon.

21. Place armed guards in front of the Sunday school supply closet.

22. Before the offertory hymn, have the worship leader scream, "Show me the money!"

23. Charge tolls for the use of restrooms.

24. Illustrate all sermons or Sunday school lessons with scenes from "Walker, Texas Ranger."

25. Use the "American Idol" format for staff hiring’s.

Written by Matt Tullos.

Received from Leslie.

(-:][:-)

-=+=-
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Madeleine Begun Kane Latest Columns - - http://www.madkane.com/humor_blog/

Ode To An Absent-Minded Husband
May 5th, 2008
Ode To An Absent-Minded Husband
By Madeleine Begun Kane

Your umbrella can not have gone far.
Can’t believe how forgetful you are!
If we still had each cent
On umbrellas you’ve spent,
We’d have cash to put gas in our car.

Note: My otherwise wonderful husband has lost so many umbrellas over the years, our umbrella fund could actually gas up at least a dozen cars … even at today’s prices.

http://www.madkane.com
Subscribe to MadKane Humor Newsletter (weekly) here:
http://www.madkane.com/email.html
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"Don't strive for recognition, but work for achievement." -- Vanessa Malone
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Mark Pryor - United States Senator of Arkansas
Friday, May 23, 2008

Keeping the Food on Our Tables Safe and Affordable

I am grateful to the farmers in Arkansas and around the country who allow us to place a safe and affordable dinner on the table each night. Many of us do so without thinking about the farm policy that enables farmers to stay in business during droughts or other difficult times. It also prevents us from becoming dependent on other countries for food like we are with our oil supply.

The Senate recently reauthorized many of the basic tenets of our farm policy. Because agriculture and rural development are so intertwined, the policies spelled out in the Farm Bill have a significant impact on our state. The safety net for commodity programs remains despite heavy objections from the President. There are also many new reforms in this bill and although some will pose challenges for our farmers they will still be getting needed assistance to plan and invest in their crops. I’m pleased the legislation also makes a strong commitment to invest in renewable, farm-based energy; emphasize conservation; boost nutrition programs and advance rural development programs.

There are several programs in this legislation that will benefit families and the economies of rural America, including my initiative to help Arkansas meet our nation’s energy challenges. We have tremendous energy potential in cellulosic ethanol -- where farmers could turn switch grass, cornstarch, miscanthus and woodchips into the next generation of biofuel. But we need companies willing to invest, build the proper infrastructure and commercialize the fuel. My measure requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to identify and assess the growth potential for cellulosic feedstock on a national level. I believe this study will identify Arkansas as a potential goldmine for cellulosic fuel and help drive investors to our state for the next stage.
In addition, my provision to improve quality control standards for collaborative university research remains in the final legislation. Some of the most beneficial research in agriculture has come as a direct result of partnerships between universities and the private sector. However, the integrity of this research was compromised in 2006 when an unauthorized and unapproved release of a strain of rice entered the U.S. rice crop and disrupted rice exports to Europe, Asia and the Middle East. It reduced the value of the long grain rice crop by almost $200 million.

The USDA spent a year investigating the cause and then offered recommendations to prevent related problems in the future. My provision requires the USDA to turn those recommendations into regulations, including policies to enhance the quality of records, retain representative samples, maintain identity and control in the event of an unauthorized release, develop corrective actions and protocols for conducting molecular forensics, provide clarity in contractual agreements, develop standards for quality management systems and use electronic permits to store documents. These recommendations will prevent similar disturbances in the global marketplace from recurring and should be implemented.

President Bush was wrong to veto this legislation, and I’m pleased the Senate promptly voted to override his veto and turn this bill into law. We must have a smart farm policy that provides certainty for our farmers and ensures they can stay in business. That way, Americans can continue to benefit from the most stable, safe and affordable food supply in the world.

Arkansas Office
The River Market
500 Clinton Ave, Suite 401
Little Rock, AR 72201
Phone: (501) 324-6336
Fax: (501) 324-5320

Washington, D.C. Office
255 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510 Phone: (202)
224-2353 Fax: (202) 228-0908
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| Safety from the Heart |
----------------------------------------------------
May 20, 2008
Bug Safety

There may be bugs on some of you mugs….
……but there ain’t no bugs on me!

BUG SAFETY
Don't use scented soaps, perfumes or hair sprays on your child.
Avoid areas where insects nest or congregate, such as stagnant water, uncovered foods and gardens where flowers are in bloom.
Avoid dressing your child in bright colors or flowery prints.
To remove a visible stinger from skin, gently scrape it off horizontally with a credit card or your fingernail.
Combination sunscreen/insect repellent products should be avoided because sunscreen needs to be reapplied every two hours, but the insect repellent should not be reapplied.
Insect repellents containing DEET are most effective against ticks, which can transmit Lyme Disease, and mosquitoes, which can transmit West Nile Virus and other viruses.
The concentration of DEET in products may range from less than 10 percent to over 30 percent. The benefits of DEET reach a peak at a concentration of 30 percent, the maximum concentration currently recommended for infants and children. DEET should not be used on children under 2 months of age.
The concentration of DEET varies significantly from product to product, so read the label of any product you purchase.
----------------------------------------------------
| Safety from the Heart |
----------------------------------------------------
May 19, 2008
Ammonia in propane tanks...

There was an ammonia release in Baton Rouge a couple of weeks ago that shut down the interstate, in both directions, for 3-4 hours. A propane tank in the trunk of a car ruptured, releasing ammonia... []

Anhydrous ammonia and propane cylinders

SAFETY ALERT - INTRODUCTION: Readers of this bulletin should consult the law of their
individual jurisdictions for codes, standards and legal requirements applicable to them. This bulletin merely suggests methods which the reader may find useful in implementing applicable codes, standards and legal requirements. This material is not intended nor should it be construed (1) to set forth procedures which are the general custom or practice in the propane industry; (2) to establish the legal standards of care owed by propane distributors to their customers; or (3) to prevent the reader from using different methods to implement applicable codes, standards or legal requirements. The National Propane Gas Association assumes no liability for reliance on the contents of this bulletin. It is offered as a guide only to assist expert and experienced teachers and managers in training in service personnel in their organizations.

Caution!
The brass valve in a propane cylinder will be damaged if it comes in contact with anhydrous ammonia. This deterioration will lead to cracking of the valve body or its components and can ultimately result in a violent, unexpected expulsion of the valve from the cylinder, causing personal injury or death.

Background and Recommended Action
It has come to the attention of the National Propane Gas Association that propane cylinders are being used in the manufacturing of Methamphetamines. This drug is commonly referred to as 'crank'. Manufacturers of this illegal substance are using propane cylinders for the storage and the use of anhydrous ammonia. These cylinders have been found in many states at cylinder exchange and refilling locations as well as in hotel rooms and mobile laboratories, where the manufacturing of this illegal substance takes place.
A blue-green stain on any brass portion of a service valve is evidence that it may have been in contact with anhydrous ammonia*. The pungent odor of ammonia on or near the cylinder is
also an indication. If you suspect that a propane cylinder contains or has contained anhydrous ammonia, exercise extreme caution and restrict access to the area.

It can be dangerous to move the cylinder due to the unknown integrity of the cylinder's service valve. If you determine that it must be moved, keep in mind that hazards due to valve expulsion can be reduced by pointing the end of the container in which the valve is placed away from yourself and others and towards the most safe direction.

Immediately contact your Fire Department, Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Unit or the nearest office of the United States Department of Justice's Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for information on properly disposing of the cylinder. If these respondents are not sure what to do, for assistance call 1-800-728-2482, which is the contact number for PERS [
http://www.pers-er.com/], an independent hazardous materials information resource.

*Note: Sherwood valves contain a green coated valve stem. Additionally, a green thread sealing compound is used on some valves. These valves should not be confused with those that have been exposed to anhydrous ammonia.
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The Pump Handle. A water cooler for the public health crowd.
http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/

May 23, 2008
Here are links to items posted on The Pump Handle over the past week:

"Chemical Hearing Pits Senators Against FDA" by Sarah Vogel At a Senate committee hearing on bisphenol A and phthalates, Senators emphasized the need to vulnerable groups from chemical risks, while an FDA official parroted the plastics and chemical industries' argument for the safety of BPA. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/05/23/chemical-hearing-pits-senators-against-fda/

"Getchell Mine: a deadly place to work" by Celeste Monforton Over the past eight months, workers from the Getchell gold mine near Winnemuca, NV have seen three co-workers killed on the job: Curtis Johnson, 36; Mike Millican, 43; and Kenny Barbosa, 28. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/05/22/getchell-mine-a-deadly-place-to-work/

"Using Church for the Public's Health" by Ally Petrilla It's exciting to see that people are using churches as an outlet for health messages for people in the South. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/05/22/using-church-for-the-publics-health/

"Occupational Health News Roundup" by Liz Borkowski News stories examine BP's refinery-safety progress since the deadly blast at its Texas City facility; problems and potential solutions in treating veterans with PTSD; and guidance on stockpiling respirators and facemasks in preparation for an influenza pandemic. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/05/22/occupational-health-news-roundup-66/

"Upcoming DC Book Events" David Michaels will speak about his new book, Doubt is Their Product, in DC events on May 28th and June 7th. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/05/21/upcoming-dc-book-events/

"Nanotubes: The Next Asbestos?" by Liz Borkowski A new study suggests that carbon nanotubes may cause lesions similar to those caused by asbestos – reminding us how much we still don't know about nano-particles that are already used in dozens of products. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/05/21/nanotubes-the-next-asbestos/

"USDA Pesticide Info Disappearing" by Liz Borkowski The USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has announced it will not be collecting agricultural chemical usage data on 2008 field crops. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/05/20/usda-pesticide-info-disappearing/

"Yes, they are a discount house" by Celeste Monforton In an investigation of OSHA penalties related to workplace deaths in South Carolina, WSPA-TV reporter Andy Pierrotti found the same "discount house" mentality that former OSHA Assistant Secretary Jerry Scannell decried at a recent Senate hearing. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/05/20/yes-they-are-a-discount-house/

"Miner Electrocuted at Aracoma Mine" by Celeste Monforton Nathan Dove, a 24-year-old underground coal miner, was electrocuted on Friday night at Massey Energy's Aracoma/Alma mine in Melville, Logan County, WV. MSHA gave this mine a safety award in April, even though Don Bragg, 33, and Ellery Hatfield, 46, were killed there in January 2006. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/05/19/miner-electrocuted-at-aracoma-mine/

"Sago and an Ah-Ha! Moment" by Celeste Monforton Watching the Sago mine rescue efforts inspired former Navy submariner Russell Breeding to develop a tracking system for underground miners – which Popular Science has now hailed as one of the top ten inventions of 2008. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/05/19/sago-and-an-ah-ha-moment/

"Friday Blog Roundup" by Liz Borkowski Bloggers update us on FDA news, conflict-of-interest disclosure problems in an NPR program, and regulatory agencies' responses to bisphenol A and mad cow disease. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/05/16/friday-blog-roundup-75/

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.

Nano Buddy's, Who Wins the Swim to Safety?

Ok folks I am not even going to pretend I understand nanotechnology but it has been on my mind for a while and Rory from Hazards just sent some info so I got to go there.

When Nano's were first brought to my attention I thought how cool, how sifi and I just happen to be a sifi buff. Having said that I have seen all the far out possibilities that arise from it all. Like nano's deciding your body wasn't quit right and doing the rework on it's own accord, using it for mind control, nano's taking off and controlling our phones, security and so on. The worst of course nano's being used as the ultimate fighting machine causing nasty deadly disease and dying a painful death.

I remember I raised concern to my husband Mark and he said I was crazy, nano's were a good thing and they already have them in paint. Mark said it was amazingly cool because there were less defects and better finishes. I also remember the strange dream I had after talking to Mark about how nano's are contained, have a purpose and so on. (my dream...I went to bed and woke up realizing there were no wood products because nano's decided that termites were the greater race...haha yeah my mind does do it's own thing and tends to wonder but hey that's me and maybe one day the nano's will fix that flaw.)

Well remember the ultimate death thing, it isn't to far off. There have been many articles containing information about nanotechnology and it's effects; just a few headlines:

A report last month said new nano products were reaching the market at a rate of three to four a week. See the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies websites.

Carbon nanotubes introduced into the abdominal cavity of mice show asbestos-like pathogenicity in a pilot study. Nature Nanotechnology.

Carbon Nanotubes That Look Like Asbestos, Behave Like Asbestos
New study shows inhaling long, thin carbon nanotubes may result in asbestos-like health effects

Carbon nanotubes may be as harmful as asbestos

Carbon Nanotubes That Look Like Asbestos, Behave Like Asbestos, Could Lead To Asbestos-related Disease

Health threat of nanotubes may be similar to asbestos, study warns
Carbon nanotubes, the poster child of the burgeoning nanotechnology industry, could trigger diseases similar to those caused by asbestos, a study suggests.

So now on to the real scoop NANOTECHNOLOGY: Questions and Answers.

Remember the old saying it if it looks like it and acts like it it is? Seems we may have the new asbestos. Rory of Hazard asked Jim Thomasa few tough questions most like myself didn't even want to hear.

1. Is there evidence of a workplace risk at this time? Have we got a possible asbestos for the 21st century on our hands? Or are workers being exposed to substances that may or may not in a generation be revealed to have been causes of chronic disease? Read Jim's answer
2. Are existing laws, risk assessment/management strategies and health and safety enforcement regimes up to the job? Read Jim's answer
3. What action should the government and its safety enforcement agency, the Health and Safety Executive, be taking at this time? Read Jim's answer

4. Anything else you think HSE and trade unions should be hearing…Read Jim's answer

It seems nanoparticles can cross the blood brain barrier and possibly the placenta and in some cases can enter into the nucleii of cells. Do you hear this mom's It will more than likely be able to reach our unborn children and keep in mind many family members were able to get mesothelioma from the clothes of their spouses and fathers.

Jim also stated, "photocatalytic titanium dioxide nanoparticles of the sort that are being applied to Pilkington self cleaning windows produce large amounts of free radicals and can damage DNA if they get into skin cells....In effect what we are doing is creating hundreds and ultimately thousands of new species of materials with new properties at a scale where those materials can move about in unprecedented ways."

Well it only makes since that their will be no real way to categorize these new nano's with each having it's own properties, size and shape meaning even if it has the same bace the particle will have differing effects. these short verson of Jim's example is: "a rutile crystal behaves differently from an anatase crystal (needlike vs square) which in turn behaves differently if you coat it with silica."

Of course like most new technology we should have no fear because there are no regulations guarding these new little creatures therefor it should be understood that these are happy little nano's here to enrich our lives. Who knows the next step may be Nano Buddy's for our children. Maybe just maybe some of our children's playthings already contain these little fellows.

Well maybe I have went over board and maybe not. The facts are we really don't know and will not find out for years. Then it will take years to get our governments to even acknowledge that there is a problem. We do have a chose we can either close our eyes as we did with asbestos or we can be on top of this issue and keep millions of people from dying of the illnesses that will arise. Don't let the fact that like myself it's above your head, we can still swim to safety.
~

Excuses

What do Ronald Wood & Carma Magnani have in common?

They were forced to join the ranks of 6,000 families who have had a loved on go to work never to be seen again. As if dealing with this loss and all it encompasses they have had to deal with the inept and the sometimes very cold system. Many in the OSHA system area are lacking in passion and emotion.

One would think that a job like OSHA inspection would be very gratifying job after all how many people can say they can help save life and limb? As we all know this is not how the job is looked at for the most part. It seems the job is just a pay check to most and emotion rarely enters the equation.

Ronald Wood lost his 22-year-old-son, Travis after falling 31 feet at ADS. ADS was originally fined $15,225 dollars, but with a protest OSHA cut the fine to $2,700.

Carma Magnani lost her her husband Ronald Magnani in 2004 at a Cryovac in an workplace incident. Cryovac negotiated the original OSHA fine of $3,500 to $1,500.Wood Both Wood and Magnani were appalled and surprised at the petty fines. Wood stated, “It's just unbelievable that they can actually get by with that small amount of money.” and Magnani said, “I mean, we're not talking about a finger. We're talking about a human life that was taken.”

So what reaction did OSHA have?

OSHA Spokesperson Jim Knight says its system works because accidents have dropped.
“With the system that we have in place, we are not to be a punitive agency. We are to identify hazards get the corrected and the goal is for a similar accident not to happen again. INFO BOX
S.C. Workplace Accidents by the Numbers:
Knight also says companies often spend more money after an accident to make its workplace safer.

Upstate U.S. Congressman Bob Inglis says companies get hit harder from higher workers compensation premiums than OSHA’s fines, “That insurance underwriting process is going to look at their claims experience on OSHA violations, and they're going to say, “Listen, you're obviously running an unsafe plant, so your premium fella is going up.”

The more these officials speak the more I think they are useless. So now we are suppose to rely on the workers compensation system and EPA (as in McWane). We the people actually have to rely on our government officials (at least the ones that care that their continuant's are dieing and maimed) to make OSHA do their job as in Combustible Dust and two that have made it to the Senate Full Committee Hearing - When a Worker is Killed: Do OSHA Penalties Enhance Workplace Safety? and Subcommittee Hearing - Serious OSHA Violations: Strategies for Breaking Dangerous Patterns.

Something is really wrong here, our tax dollars are going to this organization to do and job and not only is it lax but again our tax dollars are going out to hold these hearing. People are dieing while OSHA a few Government officials are passing the buck and they attempt to make this a political issue. I am so sick of hearing Republicans will not do this or will do that. It is not a political issue it is a matter of saving lives! You either care or you don't and I am sick to death of hearing all the lamb ars excuses.

Bush said yesterday he might veto a bill that would force federal regulators to write new rules regulating combustible industrial dusts, such as sugar dust, that can build up to hazardous levels and explode. The White House Statement of Administration Policy cited concerns over the timetable proposed in the bill, which would require OSHA to issue an interim final combustible dust standard within 90 days and a final standard within 18 months, calling it "unrealistic." (from E&E Daily subscription)

Why because of time constraints? Well lets see with this one issue (combustible dust) there were 3 incidents the year my brother was killed in 2003. In 206 the CSB had requested OSHA act, in March passed the House and now it is going to the Senate so they have had 5 years and OSHA has a plan to implement in the Voluntary Compliance program so when it comes down to it this excuse is just that an excuse. But one must ask what is the underling reason? We really need to get the answers out of our leaders. I mean some real tangible answers to why are families are allowed to go into unsafe workplaces. Why is it that our loved ones don't count and why someone can get away with killing our children, spouses and parents and negotiate a fine as small as $1,500. Dammit this is such crap and if I have to hear one more time that OSHA doesn't investigate the death but the violations I will puke. So investigate the violations but also get off your ass and figure out what lead to the incident so it doesn't happen again. Follow up not fall back. My advice is if your in it for the paycheck find another job because our families are not negotiable. You will hear from more families in the future because we have more at stake than you could ever imagine and we are mad as hell. The excuses are worn and our officials have to give us some straight answers.

You know I think I will start a contact campaign to start asking this questions? Then we can post them on the blog? We get better results if we ask in our own districts. So I will start in my own, lets see what they come up with.

Wish me luck!

And For the families that have lost a loved one at work, I am sorry for your loss and your in my prayers! God Bless.

OPPS, article complements of Andy Pierrotti work in Investigation: Discounted Lives

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. Cpl. William J. L. Cooper, 22, of Eupora, Miss., died May 19 while supporting combat operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2d Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

02. Pvt. Branden P. Haunert, 21, of Cincinnati, Ohio, died May 18 in Tikrit, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

03. Master Sgt. Davy N. Weaver, 39, of Barnesville, Ga., died May 18 in Qalat, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Georgia Army National Guard, Macon, Ga.

04. Lt. Col. Joseph A. Moore, 54, of Boise, Idaho, died of natural causes May 20 in Djibouti. He was assigned to the 124th Wing, Idaho Air National Guard, Gowen Field, Idaho.

05. 1st Lt. Jeffrey F. Deprimo, 35, of Pittston, Pa., died May 20 in Ghazni, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 103rd Armor Regiment, Pennsylvania Army National Guard, Williamsport, Pa.

06. Lt. Jeffrey A. Ammon, 37, of Orem, Utah, died May 20, as a result of injuries suffered from an improvised explosive device in the Aband District, Afghanistan. The sailor was attached to Commander Navy Region Northwest, Bangor, Wash., and serving in Afghanistan as a member of Provincial Reconstruction Team Ghazni.

07. Pfc. Howard A. Jones, Jr., 35, of Chicago, died May 18 in Chicago from injuries sustained when he was struck by a hit-and-run driver while on leave from the Iraq theater of operations. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.
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Please remember to pray for the American soldiers stationed everywhere around the globe and especially in Iraq. Times have been and are very tough and it would be nice if you would all just say a prayer for their safety and for their families.
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"September 11 WDYTJWD" W. P. Florence
Justice first, then peace."
"September 11" Never forget.--Tony Moses
"ONE NATION UNDER GOD ...the only way"--Phillip Story
"We have nothing to fear but fear itself." -- Franklin D. Roosevelt
"Keeping my head down but face toward Heaven" - - Jody Eldred, ABC News Cameraman in Kuwait
"Remember Pearl Harbor? Remember 9/11!" --"Bug"
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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Mark Your Calendars!!!! Albemarle Kids' Fishing Tournament - May 31
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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.
~~~
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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"There is not enough darkness in the world to put out the light of one candle."
"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
"A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in ... and how many want out." - - Tony Blair
"Information is the currency of democracy." - Jefferson
“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 "Fuzzy" Thurman
~~~~~
Hope you enjoy the newsletter.
Again, thanks to all our contributors this week.

God bless and GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!
John 9:6-7 Psa 18:2-3 James 5:16 Luke 20:17-18 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 2008 before it was sent.
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Bug's Bleat - - GCF: Sales Demonstration - - Photos

  Our new "Tankless" Water Heater
  One of the many fantastic photos you can see at http://acornalley.wordpress.com/

Bug's Bleat - - GCF: Sales Demonstration

  Dusty had a good time learning about train cars in the McNeil Rail Yard
  A local switch engine in Little Rock.
  David prepares a Mother's Day Feast

Bug's Bleat - - GCF: Sales Demonstration

Volume 10, Issue 28 Friday, May 16, 2008

Hello All,

The Taylor ball teams were in the Arkansas State Finals this week. The boys baseball team won the 1A state Tournament beating Trinity Christian 12-2. I believe this is the 3rd time in 6 years that the Taylor team has won the state championship. The Tiger girls also did well though they fell short in the final game, losing the Arkansas state softball championship to Nemo Vista 6-0.
~~~~~
Finally, we’ve got a tankless water heater. And for the second time in our married life, Annette said that I had a good idea. She likes to be able to get up, put on a load of clothes and start the dishwasher and also take a hot shower or bath at the same time.
Of course the real advantage or our new Takagi T-K3 Instantaneous Water Heater [http://www.takagi.com/] is the energy savings. I was watching “This Old House” last night and Richard showed the home utility room along with the new 50 gallon hot water heater. I wanted to shout at the TV “WHY?” Why would anyone install a traditional tank type water heater in a home today?
The tank type water heater technology is literally over 100 years old. The so called “Instant” water heater developed by Edwin Rudd in 1889 was a great step forward for the home of the day. No more heating water on the stove to bathe. But it was also an energy hog. The old tank type heater uses fuel day in and day out to keep the water inside hot and ready for your use. And you only get 15% of the water out of the tank as “hot” water. After you’ve used 15% of the water, dilution of the water in the tank by incoming cold water requires that you continue to mix less and less cold water into your bath or shower in a vain attempt to maintain the temperature you desire.
And to add insult to injury, most people turn up the temperature on their tank type water heater in a vain attempt to get more hot water for that long wished for long hot shower. Causing their old water heater to use even more fuel.
Contrast that with our new Takagi tankless water heater. Annette turns on the faucet in the shower and adjusts the temperature and that’s it. No matter how long she uses the water, the temperature never falls because our new T-K3 really does heat the water instantly. And, since we don’t have to worry about slowly diluting out the hot water in a tank, we can set the heater at a lower temperature (ours is set for 117F) and that’s plenty hot for a soothing shower. Since a tankless heater doesn’t dilute out, we don’t have to start with almost boiling water to keep ahead of the old type heater’s “dilution curve.”
But the real payoff comes when Annette (or I) are not using hot water, the heater remains off, not using fuel at all. Unlike traditional water heaters that use fuel 24/7 to provide that few gallons they are capable of producing before diluting out and cooling off.
Using a traditional water heater is akin to keeping your vehicles running in the driveway 24/7 just so you can get in and drive to work once a day. Even without today’s fuel prices, is anyone doing that? But if you have a traditional tank type water heater that is exactly what you are doing. Running that device 24/7 just so you can take a shower once a day. http://www.foreverhotwater.com/ reports that The US Wastes $3,970,970,511 Heating Hot Water With Tanks every year. So why do people use these old tanks? I guess ignorance.
Admittedly, we did have to invest some money to replace our old water heater with a tankless, instant demand model. But we estimate that it will pay for itself in reduced natural gas bills over the next thirty-six months. At the end of 20 years, we’ll have a 178% ROI. And that doesn’t even count the satisfaction of all those long hot showers we can now enjoy and the pleasure of having unlimited hot water when we want it.
~~~~~
Speaking of saving energy. Our Congress has allowed (As of December 31, 2007) most of the residential tax credits for energy saving improvements (windows, doors, roofs, insulation, HVAC, and non-solar water heaters) to expire (including the $300 credit we could have gotten for installing a tankless water heater). Only the tax credit for solar water heaters and solar panels remains in effect through December 31, 2008.
So, true to form, when the nation is faced with fuel bills skyrocketing, Congress has let these vital tax credits expire. Early this year, the House did pass H.R. 5351 that includes an extension of the tax credit for energy-efficient home improvements. But this bill must still pass in the Senate, and be signed by the President to become law. And since they also tacked on roughly $18 billion in tax increases for oil and gas companies, it is expected to cause a contentious debate in the Senate, where it's chances of being approved are uncertain.
~~~~~
So over 35 years after our initial energy wakeup call from the ‘70s Arab Oil Embargo, our government is still doing little or nothing to encourage energy savings, much less taking steps to make our country energy independent. They are posturing and calling for more taxes to “punish” the evil energy companies. In the ‘70s they called it the “Windfall Profits” tax and the “evil” energy companies just passed it right along to us consumers to pay. If you don’t write your congressman and senator (http://www.opensecrets.org/states/delegatn.php?state=AR), you can’t complain.
~~~~~
And, speaking of wake-up calls, this week Judith Graham wrote in the Chicago Tribune [http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/triage/2008/05/adults-get-vacc.html] about the vaccines that all adults should have.

(1) The newest is the shingles vaccine, recommended for everyone 60 or older without serious immune system problems. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a provisional recommendation that all older adults get the vaccine—a single shot, usually in the upper arm—in November 2006 and finalized that recommendation on Thursday.
The vaccine is effective about two-thirds of the time in preventing this painful, blistering illness but it’s not known yet how long this protective effect will last, Schaffner said.
To date, about 2 million older adults have been vaccinated of an estimated 43 million who are eligible. A key barrier appears to be complex payment issues associated with Medicare drug plans. Some plans are asking people to pay up front for the vaccine, which costs about $150, and submit for reimbursement, Schaffner said. Others are offering only partial reimbursement, and many physicians are turned off by Medicare plans’ burdensome bureaucratic rules, he said.
(2) The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, recommended for all women up to the age of 26, is extraordinarily effective in preventing cervical cancer. This is a three-dose series of shots that has to be taken over the course of several months. The manufacturer, Merck & Co., has submitted an application to extend the vaccine to women through the age of 45.
(3) and (4) The CDC recommends that every adult get a shot protecting against tetanus and diphtheria every 10 years. Tetanus is an infection that can cause severe muscle contractions, including the condition known as lockjaw. Diphtheria is an upper respiratory illness.
(5) The CDC is recommending that the next time you’re due for your tetanus and diphtheria shot you get a reformulated version with protection against whooping cough added in. The shot is called TDAP, and the whooping cough booster component is meant to compensate for the gradual loss of immunity against this illness. At this point, the whooping cough booster is only recommended for those up to age 60.
(6) It used to be that only youngsters or adults thought to be at risk because of their occupations or drug use got shots for hepatitis B, a liver infection. Now, the CDC recommends that any adult who is not in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with an infection-free partner get the vaccine, a series of three shots.
(7) The flu vaccine. All adults over 50 should get flu shots annually and anyone under 50 should get it if they’re pregnant during influenza season or if they have underlying illnesses such as heart disease or HIV, Schaffner said.
(8) Pneumonia. One shot is recommended for everyone 65 and older. Experts are looking at whether booster shots are a good idea.

There are some add-ons, as well. If you didn’t get two shots to protect against the measles and mumps as a child, you should get a MMR shot as an adult, the CDC recommends. The same goes for chicken pox.
~~~~~
Speaking of preparedness, Louisiana is offering a "Sales Tax Holiday for Hurricane Preparedness" on May 24 @ 25. Purchases of emergency equipment such as flash lights,
portable radios, tarpaulins, tie down kits, fuel cans, batteries, cell phone chargers, storage coolers (non electric), portable generators and storm shelter devices are exempt from sales tax on those days.
Why couldn't Arkansas do something similar to promote severe weather safety in the early spring?
~~~~~
Now that our blood pressure is up, let’s relax with some photos of flowers, lots of them. This week we discovered a website [http://acornalley.wordpress.com/] that reveals a showplace of natural beauty. And it’s a Magnolia home. After looking at these photos, I’ve decided to concentrate on trains, churches and bridges. Because this lady has the flower photo corner sewn up.
~~~~~
The Lighthouse Church Report: Quarter Evangelism
Monday, May 12, 2008 - jimmy Malone
I don't think I've ever said this, but we had a really good time at a Laundromat last Saturday. Armed with a bag full of quarters, three of us from the Lighthouse Church shared the love of Jesus in a washateria. The first guy I approached was a little skeptical.

"I don't need quarters, I have some."
"Well, nobody really needs quarters," I explained, "but I just want to show you the love of Jesus in a practical way."
"Alright," he said as he received four quarters. "Cool."
"Where did you guys get the idea for this?" he asked.
"We are a small church," I explained. "All we had today was twenty dollars in quarters. If you are going to change the world with a roll of quarters..."
"You go to the Laundromat!" he finished my thought.
"You got it!"

One guy said he was there because he was living without utilities. Then he admitted he was homeless. But he had a job, and was glad to tell us he was working. He was very moved by our small gift and said that he would come to one of our services as soon as he could.
Then a group of Hispanic guys came in who spoke almost no English. Vanessa tried to give them a handful of quarters, but they did not understand that this was a gift. Then the manager of the Laundromat, who had been watching all this through a window, came out and translated for us. I heard her say, "iglesia" (Spanish for church) and they all smiled and nodded. I think she had as much fun as we did.

Maybe a quarter can change the world.
~~~~~
Diabetes is an evil deadly disease. I say that after waking up with spots before my eyes and finding my blood sugar had dropped to 59. It always angers me to lose control of my blood sugar, but it’s one of the realities of “running on manual” that diabetics face. A glass of milk and a few solid carbs and I’m good to go again. But don’t ever let anyone fool you, this stuff is serious.
~~~~~
Each week the Defense Department highlights military personnel who have gone above and beyond in the war. [http://www.defenselink.mil/heroes/] - - Michael Murphy - - Hometown: Patchogue, NY - Awarded: Medal of Honor

For a U.S. Navy SEAL, dangerous situations in isolated, treacherous locations are just an average day on the job. This was the case for Lieutenant Michael Murphy, who entered the lonely mountain range of the Hindu Kush between Afghanistan and Pakistan on June 28, 2005. Leading a four-man SEAL element – which included Petty Officers Danny Dietz, Matthew Axelson, and Marcus Luttrell – Murphy and his team were tasked with tracking down Ahmad Shah, a known terrorist.

As the team crept through the rugged terrain, three goat herders came upon the SEALs. Just hours after releasing the local nationals, a large enemy force came pouring over the mountains.

A fierce gun battle ensued between the severely outnumbered SEALs and the larger Taliban force. Murphy realized that his team would not last long without reinforcements, so despite his injuries, he moved away from the rocks that were sheltering him to make radio contact with Bagram Air Base. Without the protection of the terrain, Murphy was a prime target for incoming Taliban gunfire.

As bullets riddled his body, Murphy held on long enough to make contact with the Special Operations Forces Quick Reaction Force at headquarters.

Murphy made his way back to his unit, severely wounded, and continued to fight alongside his comrades. The fighting continued for two hours leaving three out of the four SEALs mortally wounded. The Chinook helicopter that responded to Murphy’s call was shot down by the enemy, killing all 16 men aboard.

Luttrell, severely wounded, traveled seven miles to a nearby Afghan village where he was taken in and sheltered from the Taliban. One villager reported Luttrell’s location to a Marine outpost and U.S. forces launched a rescue mission on July 2 that brought him home. The lone survivor of Operation Red Wing was later awarded the Navy Cross. His comrades, Dietz and Axelson, were posthumously awarded Navy Crosses for their heroic actions.

Murphy’s selfless act was honored by President Bush on October 22, 2007, when Murphy was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, making him the first Navy Medal of Honor recipient for actions in the Global War on Terror, and the first to be awarded for actions in Operation Enduring Freedom. On May 7, 2008, Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter announced that the newest guided-missile destroyer will be named in honor of Lt. Michael Murphy
~~~~~
The latest from Michael Yon, the foremost “milnews” blogger on the web.
~
Moment of Truth in Iraq

C H A P T E R O N E

Be Not Afraid
You shall cross the barren desert, but you shall not die of thirst.
You shall wander far in safety though you do not know the way.
You shall speak your words in foreign lands and all will understand.
You shall see the face of God and live.
Be not afraid. I go before you always;
Come follow me, and I will give you rest.

FROM A PRAYER CARD I FOUND ON A BASE IN ANBAR PROVINCE, IRAQ

• Baqubah, Iraq, June 19, 2007 •

Thoughts flow on the eve of a great battle. By the time you read these words, we will be in combat. Few ears have heard even rumors of this battle, and fewer still are the eyes that will see its full scope. Even now—for the battle has already begun for some—little news of it reaches home. I have known of the plans for a month, but have remained silent. This campaign, a series of carefully orchestrated battalion- and brigade-sized operations, is collectively the largest battle since “major hostilities” ended more than four years ago. Even the media here on the ground do not seem to have sensed its scale. Al Qaeda and associates had little or no presence in Iraq before the current war. But we made huge mistakes early on and now we pump blood and gold into the desert to pay for those blunders. We failed to secure the streets and we sowed doubt and mistrust. We disbanded the government and the army and we created a vacuum. We tolerated corruption and ineptitude and mostly local talent filled the ranks of an insurgency. But when we flattened parts of Fallujah not once but twice in response to the murders of four of our people, we helped create a spectacle of injustice and chaos. Al Qaeda took entrée while militias and insurgency groups began to thrive. The magnitude of true injustices was magnified line by line, hair by hair, by a frenzied media. But it wasn’t the media’s fault; the media did not flatten Fallujah or rape and torture the prisoners. We did that all by ourselves. We walked into a dry, cracked land, along the two arteries of Mesopotamia that have long pulsed water and blood into the sea. In a place where everything that is not desert is tinder; sparks make fire.

When we devastated Fallujah, al Qaeda grew like a tumor. Before al Qaeda we faced a bewildering complex of insurgent groups with conflicting ideologies and goals, along with opportunistic thugs. The amalgam of men (and women) with guns was so diverse and the affiliations so dynamic that it was hard to track who was responsible for what atrocity. Each attack spawned reprisals that demanded yet another round of revenge. Al Qaeda had been trying to ignite a civil war here for several years; chaos and brutality would become its fuel.
Today al Qaeda is strong, but their welcome grows cold. The Coalition was not alone in failing to keep its promises. Iraqis love to say “America put a man on the moon but cannot turn on our lights,” and the implication was we really didn’t care. In so many ways we lost the moral high ground.................

Please click [http://www.michaelyon-online.com/images/pdf/mot_chapter1.pdf] to read and/or download the entire first chapter of Moment of Truth in Iraq. At the end of the first chapter we have placed the handout for bookstore managers, librarians, or military exchanges. Please feel free to copy the first chapter as is and the handout.

Signed copies are still available [http://yhst-80051593642880.stores.yahoo.net/]. Copies are also available at Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com.
~~~~~
Thinking of working in manufacturing? Do you speak Chinese?
~
This week, China set up a company to build large jets, challenging the dominance of Airbus SAS and Boeing Co. in the market for planes with 150 seats.

China Commercial Aircraft Co. was formed with an initial investment of 19 billion yuan ($2.7 billion), according to a statement on the central government's Web site.
China aims to build a 150-seat aircraft by 2020 to support the expansion of its domestic travel market and to compete with Boeing and Airbus overseas. The plan is also part of China's wider drive to develop more sophisticated products, such as ships, cars and computers
~~~~~
Matt has put more MCC Worship services on God Tube [www.godtube.com/thamdawg]
~~~~~
We extend our sincere sympathy to Jewell Poindexter whose mother passed away this week.
~~~~~
We extend our sincere sympathy to Terry Cook whose father passed away last weekend.
~~~~~
We extend our sincere sympathy to John Ed Stewart whose son passed away last weekend. Funeral services for Kalon Stewart were held Wednesday.
~~~~~
We extend our sincere sympathy to David Caldwell on the death of his father.
~~~~~
The Magnolia Blossom Festival and World Championship Steak Cookoff is here!
~~~~~
Magnolia Blossom Festival (May 16-17) T-Shirts are now on sale! S - XL $11, XXL $13 and XXXL $15.
~~~~~
Mark Your Calendars!!!! Albemarle Kids' Fishing Tournament - May 31
~~~~~
Last week we watched (from NetFlix) [Ratings are my own]:
Veronica Mars: Season 2: Disc 1 [7.5] Starring Kristen Bell and Enrico Colantoni
Veronica Mars: Season 2: Disc 2 [7.5] Starring Kristen Bell and Enrico Colantoni
Veronica Mars: Season 2: Disc 3 [7.5] Starring Kristen Bell and Enrico Colantoni
The Bodyguard [7.0] Starring Kevin Costner ... and Whitney Houston
Spencer's Mountain [8.5] Starring Henry Fonda ... Maureen O'Hara ... and James MacArthur
~~~~~
This week we read; “The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea” by Bob Burg and John David Mann
“Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results” by Stephen C. Lundin, Harry Paul, and John Christensen
“The Sudoku puzzle murders : a Puzzle Lady mystery” / Parnell Hall.
“Killing Rommel” : / Steven Pressfield.
We’re currently reading; “Judge & jury” / James Patterson and Andrew Gross.
We intend to read; 3rd degree, bk.3: / by James Patterson and Andrew Gross. & “The jester” / by James Patterson and Andrew Gross.
~~~~~
http://www.shelfari.com/BugsBleat/shelf?ec=7D790D174EFS18012
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The photos on the front of this week’s “Bleat” include photos of our new water heater, Dusty in the McNeil Rail Yard, Tulips from Kay’s web page, David cooking Mother’s day lunch and a train engine in Little Rock.
~~~~~
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 New 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 - - - Cowboy Rib-Eye Steak Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2007
Since it’s “World Championship Steak Cookoff and Blossom Festival” Weekend I’ve modified Emeril’s Rib-Eye Recipe to share with our readers this week.


4 bone-in rib-eye steaks (16 to 22 ounces each)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
dry red wine
½ cup Essence, (recipe follows)


Season the steaks with EVOO, salt, pepper, onion, and garlic. Pour the wine into a pan and add the steaks. Turn them to get good coverage. Marinate them overnight in the refrigerator, covered.

Prior to cooking, take the steaks out of the refrigerator and allow them to come to room temperature while you preheat the grill. I prefer charcoal and I don’t like to use lighter fluid. Beg, buy or borrow one of those charcoal starter cans to get your coals going.
Make sure steaks are at room temperature prior to grilling. Season each side of the steaks completely with the Essence.
Once your coals are white, place the steaks on the grill and cook them to taste (rare, medium rare, etc.), turning only once. (After you get the hang of this, you’ll know when your steak is properly cooked without cutting into the steak. Or, you can use a meat thermometer. 145̊F MEDIUM RARE, 160̊F MEDIUM, and 170̊F WELL. These are the USDA recommended internal temperatures for fresh beef.)

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

2 ½ tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme


Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Yield: 2/3 cup

Recipe from "New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch
Published by William Morrow, 1993.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_72482,00.html
Episode#: EM0820
Copyright © 2006 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved
~~~~~
BreakPoint
With Chuck Colson
Without Consent
5/16/2008

Overturning California's Gay 'Marriage' Ban

A decision by the California Supreme Court to declare unconstitutional any ban on gay “marriage” is sending shock waves across the nation. The 4-3 decision announced Thursday not only legalizes gay “marriage” in the largest state in America, but it also overturns both the referendum of the people and the representatives of the people.

The only way the California Supreme Court could override the people is by saying that gay “marriage” is a natural right. But nowhere do we see this in the federal or state Constitutions. While the founders of this country wrote in the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men were created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they never would have intended or imagined that those noble words would be used to support something like gay “marriage.”

In essence, these judges have created a new right out of thin air. Now, they base this decision, in part, on a precedent of the case in California declaring the ban on interracial marriage unconstitutional.

But over the centuries in Western civilization, public policy has recognized the vital role of the family—that the heterosexual family needed to be protected and defended in the law, because it provided crucial benefits for the well-being of society and family. That is different than a question of civil rights. Marriage always, everywhere until recent years, has been protected for the good of the state and the families.

Now, the problem is that the people of California cannot overturn this decision. Even an amendment to the California constitution will not help now. It all boils down to this: the need for a federal constitutional amendment—and soon, before other states start doing the same thing.

Well, there is at least one silver lining to this very dark cloud: Politicians can no longer hide behind the argument that we ought to leave this issue to the states.

A few years ago, members of my church sent 1,600 communications to Congress. Most of the congressmen answered by saying that they were against gay “marriage,” but they wanted the states to do it.

As a matter of fact, I talked to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) before the last vote in the Senate, who told me he was against gay “marriage.” But as a federalist, he thought the issue should be left to the states.

Florida Sen. Bill Nelson (D) told me very much the same thing, but said that if the states could not stop it, then he would consider a constitutional amendment. Well, we have just seen the largest state defy the overwhelming majority of public opinion and legalize gay “marriage”—and others will follow.

If these men and women are really against gay “marriage,” as they say, this is the time to put up—to take the only course of action possible to stop it, which is a constitutional amendment. There are no other options.

I guess I am not surprised by what happened in California. I have seen judges out of control for years. What I cannot fathom is how they would do it under the guise of natural rights. If the democratic process means anything, it means the consent of the governed. We cannot let the courts do this, or we do not have a democracy.

So get busy, and start talking to these candidates. I know it is tough; I know we lost some pro-family members in the last election. But we have got to make this effort now. And in all likelihood, one of three candidates is going to be the next president of the United States.

I don’t ever make partisan endorsements. But Christians, I believe, will be watching closely what these three candidates and others running for the House and Senate say about this issue.

Regis Nicoll, “Another Case of Judicial Overreach,” The Point, 15 May 2008.

Travis McSherley, “Re: Another Case of Judicial Overreach,” The Point, 15 May 2008.

Read the full text of the California marriage decision.

Lisa Leff, “California’s Top Court Overturns Gay Marriage Ban,” Associated Press, 15 May 2008.

Adam Nagourney, “Gay Marriage Ruling Vaults Issue Back to Front,” New York Times, 15 May 2008.

Emily Bazelon, “Race to the Altar,” Slate, 15 May 2008.

Joshua Baker, “American Courts on Marriage: Is Marriage Discriminatory? 1998-2008,” Institute for Marriage and Public Policy, May 2008.

BreakPoint Commentary No. 040614, “Fudging with Federalism: FMA and the States.”

BreakPoint Commentary No. 031014, “To ‘Promote the General Welfare’: Marriage and the Common Good.”

See BreakPoint’s information page on the Marriage Debate.

© 2008 Prison Fellowship - - http://www.breakpoint.org/site_hmpg.asp
~~~~~

Words of the Week:
sentient: capable of perceiving by the senses.
parsimonious: frugal to excess.
acumen: quickness or keenness of perception or discernment.
cavil: to raise trivial objections; also, a trivial objection.
umbrage: offense; resentment.
fetter: a restraint; also, to impose restraints on.
paean: a song or other expression of praise or joy.
subfusc: dark or dull in color.
from Dictionary.Com

~~~~~
"The art of medicine consists of keeping the patient amused while nature heals the disease." - Voltaire

"Fortune does not change men; it unmasks them." - Suzanne Necker

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius, and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." - Albert Einstein

"When a stupid man is doing something he is ashamed of, he always declares that it is his duty." - George Bernard Shaw

"Democracy is the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half of the time." - E. B. White

"The more I study religions the more I am convinced that man never worshiped anything but himself." - Sir R. F. Burton

"We live in our desires rather than in our achievements." - George Moore
~~~~~
BREAKING CHRISTIAN NEWS
http://breakingchristiannews.com/

Canadian Experiment that Initially seemed to Fail, Now Provides Hope for MS Sufferers
Dottie Rambo's Final Interview to Be Seen on the Gospel Music Channel this Saturday and Monday
Prayer Alert: California Supreme Court Rewrites the Definition of Marriage—California voters may have the last word
In Historic Address to Knesset, President Bush Says the Birth of Israel is the Redemption of Ancient Promise to Abraham, Moses and David
Actor Jon Voight in Israel: "God gave this land to the Jewish people"
After Years of Battling University Bias, Clinical Psychologist Set to Teach "A Biblical Approach to Mental Health"
Hiker Gives God the Credit for Saving Him in 100-Foot Fall
As Iranian President Plans to Punish Converts with Death, Christianity Continues to Grow
Economic Opportunity Replaces Conflict in Iraq
9-year-old Boy has Dream and is Saved in Georgia Tornado
Taking Action when Disaster Strikes
Group of UK Christian MP's Claim Disaffection in their Country is Caused from Lack of Faith in God
Millions pray 'Your Kingdom come' on Global Day of Prayer
Join Kim Clement "Live on GOD TV" from the Holy Land, for a time of Worship and Prophecy on Monday, May 12th
Queen of Sheba's Palace Discovered in Ethiopia
Listen to Lattimore's Four Gospels in Scots Language; Closer to the Language Jesus Spoke Than English

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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GCF: Sales Demonstration

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

If this was forwarded to you, please consider your own subscription to Good Clean Fun. It's free! A smile will enhance the quality of your life. Just send an email to: good-clean-fun-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or visit the Good Clean Fun web site http://www.kcbx.net/~tellswor/ Unsubscribe info for Good Clean Fun is at the end of this email. This email was scanned by F-Secure before it was sent.
--------------------------------------------

The salesman was demonstrating unbreakable combs in the department store. He was impressing the people who stopped by to look by putting the comb through all sorts of torture and stress.

Finally to impress even the skeptics in the crowd, he bent the comb completely in half, and it snapped with a loud crack. Without missing a beat, he bravely held up both halves of the 'unbreakable' comb for everyone to see and said,

"And this, ladies and gentlemen, is what an unbreakable comb looks like on the inside..."
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Passport Photo

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
--------------------------------------------

Unfortunately, getting a new passport required a new photo. As I handed my ten-year-old passport and the new picture to the clerk, I sighed. "I like the original better," I told her.

"Trust me," she said. "Ten years from now, you'll like this one."
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: A Difficult Question

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
--------------------------------------------

There was a student who wanted to be admitted to the University.

He was smart enough to get through the written test, a GED, and was to appear for the personal interview. Later, as the interview progressed, the interviewer found this boy to be bright since he could answer all the questions correctly. The interviewer got impatient and decided to corner the boy.

"Tell me your choice," said he to the boy, "What's your choice? I shall either ask you ten easy questions or ONE real difficult. Think well before you make up your mind."

The boy thought for a while and said, "My choice is ONE real difficult question."

"Well, good luck to you, you have made your own choice!" said the man on the opposite side. Tell me: What comes first, Day or Night?"

The boy was jolted first but he waited for a while and said: "It's the DAY, sir."

Thinking to himself ("At last, I got you!"), the interviewer smiled and said, "How???"

"Sorry sir, you promised me that you would ask me ONLY ONE difficult question!"

The student was admitted to the University.
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: In School

Emailed to me another humor list (Tickled by Tony - Clean) -Tom Subscribe to the Tickled by Tony list by sending an email to: tickledbytony_clean-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
--------------------------------------------

A friend of mine has three boys, the youngest of whom, Gregory, had just started school. A teacher commented to Gregory that she couldn't believe he was already in first grade and asked what his mother did all day now that the three boys were in school.

"Cartwheels," Gregory answered.
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Dangerous Dog

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

Upon entering the little country store, the stranger noticed a sign saying DANGER! BEWARE OF DOG! posted on the glass door. Inside he noticed a harmless old hound dog asleep on the floor beside the cash register.

He asked the store manager, "Is THAT the dog folks are supposed to beware of?"

"Yep, that's him," he replied.

The stranger couldn't help but be amused. "That certainly doesn't look like a dangerous dog to me. Why in the world would you post that sign?"

"Because", the owner replied, "before I posted that sign, people kept tripping over him."
_ ____________________________ _
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ / "If you don't read the \ \_/ ////
\ / newspaper you are uninformed. \ /
\ _/ If you do read the newspaper \_ /
/ / you are misinformed." \ \
- Mark Twain
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / Laugh every day. \ /
\ _/ It's like inner jogging. \_ /
/ / \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ / Pay attention to \ \_/ ////
\ / two-year-olds and puppies. \ /
\ _/ They know what's important. \_ /
/ / \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ /Take responsibility for meeting\ \_/ ////
\ / your own needs, but don't do it \ /
\ _/ in ways that keep others \_ /
/ / from meeting theirs. \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / Be nice to prunes. \ /
\ _/ You may be one someday. \_ /
/ / \ \
_ ____________________________ _
| 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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I know we shared this one recently, but it’s still one of my favorites.
~
There I was on my way to work ... Getting into a fight was the farthest thing from my mind ... Wasn't even on the horizon ... I was in a great mood ..And then - I rear-ended the car in front of me.
So there we are alongside the road and slowly the driver gets out of the car ... (and you know how you just get SOOO stressed that stuff seems to get funny)?
Yeah, well, I could NOT believe it ... He was a DWARF!
He storms over to my car, looks up at me and says, 'I AM NOT HAPPY!'
So, I look down at him and say, 'Well, then which one are you?' . . . And that's when the fight started . .
Thanks to Ricky and Sarah Shepherd
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A Politician's PA System

Anyway, what with all the blasting, bleating, whining, shivering, quoting, mis-quoting, orating, berating, extolling, expounding and just general blathering I must confess that it's hard to design a loud-speaking system that is specifically for politicians.

So I set up some design criteria:

1) It has to be portable, sometimes really quickly. It should know when to move on.org.
2) It has to be expandable and collapsible. You need to be able to expand or retract out of all normal sense of proportion.
3) It should have a microphone that lets the person talks out of both sides of their mouth.
4) There should be a switch that selects far-left, left, right, or far-right. There should be a side-chain for middle-of-the- road too.
5) A variable and switchable "moderate" control is a must.
6) It must be able to switch positions instantly.
7) The side-chain must have a polarity reverse switch.
8) It should have "Press" outputs. Unbalanced, of course.
9) It only needs to last until November and can be thrown away. You'll never be able to clean it.

Next quarters article will be on the correct uses of earplugs / noise suppression devices and methods including sticking your fingers in your ears while loudly screaming the National Anthem.

I'm saving the piece on Rubber Boots for November.

from Jim Sorensen in the Syn-Aud-Con Newsletter
Thanks to Claiborne Sharp
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Humor for a Physics Convention

A chicken farmer had exhausted all resources in curing an ailment that had inflected his flock. The local veterinarian suggested he contact a physicist.

The physicist showed up, spent some time with the animals, performed some advanced mathematics and confronted the chicken farmer. "I've got some good news and some bad news" he proclaimed.

The farmer said "Give me the good news first."

"I have found a cure!" proclaimed the physicist.

The delighted farmer replied "Great! So what is the bad news?"

The physicist dropped his head and said "It only works on spherical chickens in a vacuum."

from Jim Sorensen in the Syn-Aud-Con Newsletter
Thanks to Claiborne Sharp
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Married 25 Years

When a man was married 25 years, he took a look at his wife one day and said, "Honey, 25 years ago we had a cheap rented house and a cheap car, slept on a sofa bed, and watched a 19-inch black-and-white TV, but I got to sleep every night with a hot 25-year-old blonde.

"Now we have an $800,000 home, a $45,000 car, a nice bed, and a plasma screen TV, but now I'm sleeping with a 50-year-old woman. It seems to me that you are not holding up your side of things."

His wife, being a very reasonable woman, told him to go out and find a hot 25-year-old blonde and she would make sure that he would once again be living in a cheap rented house, driving a cheap car, sleeping on a sofa bed, and watching a 19-inch black-and-white TV, if he was lucky.

Received from Gary.

(-:][:-)

Caution

A pharmacy major was taking a course in Dispensing. One day they were discussing the various labels affixed to prescription containers, such as, "Take with food," and "Take with water."

At the end of class, the professor passed out a few sample labels.

Days later he noticed that one member of the class had struck one of them onto his chemistry textbook. It read: "Caution: May cause extreme drowsiness."

Received from Thomas Ellsworth.

(-:][:-)

Good Advice

A man approached a local person in a village he was visiting.

"What's the quickest way to York?"

The local scratched his head.

"Are you walking or driving?" he asked the stranger.

"I'm driving."

"That's the quickest way!"

Received from Thomas Ellsworth.

(-:][:-)

Waiting for the Hostess

The two snooty women were sitting in the living room, waiting for their hostess, who was slightly delayed in another room.

The daughter of the family was with the two women, on the theory that she would keep the visitors occupied during the wait.

The child was about six years old. She was snub nosed, spotted with splotchy freckles, buck toothed, and bespectacled. She maintained a deep silence and the two ladies peered doubtfully at her.

Finally, one of the women muttered to the other, "She's not very p - r - e - t - t - y, is she?"

Whereupon the child piped up, "Maybe not, but I'm very s - m - a - r - t and I can s - p - e - l - l."

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
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Madeleine Begun Kane Latest Columns - - http://www.madkane.com/humor_blog/
Threefer Haiku
May 16th, 2008
Impulse purchases
liberate you from your cash,
betray your self-worth.

(Sometimes I like to challenge myself by using several prompts at once, and today’s a threefer: “impulse,” “betrayal,” and “liberation,” all courtesy of Writers Island. And speaking of writing prompts, I’ve just posted a new one whose theme is “warning” and/or “caution.”)

Update: My husband Mark (who seems to be turning into a poet) read my haiku and almost immediately came up with his own. I must confess that I like his better:

That impulse buy —
betrayal of frugality.
Ah … liberation.
~
This Is A Warning (Limerick & Haiku Prompt)
Today’s limerick and haiku theme is warnings and/or caution. First, my limerick:

Please be careful when closing that door.
If it hits you, you’re bound to be sore.
My hand is still numb
From its catching my thumb,
And I’m thinking of suing this store.

And now my warning-related haiku:

Storm clouds fill the sky
as walkers heed their warning
while birds cheer them on.

http://www.madkane.com
Subscribe to MadKane Humor Newsletter (weekly) here:
http://www.madkane.com/email.html
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"Don't strive for recognition, but work for achievement." -- Vanessa Malone
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This is very important information don't you know

RAILROADS

Does the statement, "We've always done it like that" ring any bells?
The US standard railroad gauge (distance between the rails) is 4 feet, 8.5inches. That's an exceedingly odd number. Why was that gauge used? Because that's the way they built them in England, and English expatriates built the US Railroads.
Why did the English build them like that?
Because the first rail lines were built by the same people who built the pre-railroad tramways, and that's the gauge they used. Why did "they" use that gauge then?
Because the people who built the tramways used the same jigs and tools that they used for building wagons, which used that wheel spacing.
Okay! Why did the wagons have that particular odd wheel spacing? Well, if they tried to use any other spacing, the wagon wheels would break on some of the old, long distance roads in England, because that's the spacing of the wheel ruts.
So who built those old rutted roads?
Imperial Rome built the first long distance roads in Europe (and England) for their legions. The roads have been used ever since.

And the ruts in the roads?

Roman war chariots formed the initial ruts, which everyone else had to match for fear of destroying their wagon wheels. Since the chariots were made for Imperial Rome, they were all alike in the matter of wheel spacing. The United States standard railroad gauge of 4 feet, 8.5 inches is derived from the original specifications for an Imperial Roman war chariot. And bureaucracies live forever. So the next time you are handed a specification and wonder what horse's behind came up with it, you may be exactly right, because the Imperial Roman army chariots were made just wide enough to accommodate the back ends of two war horses!

Now, the twist to the story

When you see a Space Shuttle sitting on its launch pad, there are two big booster rockets attached to the sides of the main fuel tank. These are solid rocket boosters, or SRBs. The SRBs are made by Thiokol at their factory at Utah. The engineers who designed the SRBs would have preferred to make them a bit fatter, but the SRBs had to be shipped by train from the factory to the launch site.
The railroad line from the factory happens to run through a tunnel in the mountains. The SRBs had to fit through that tunnel.
The tunnel is slightly wider than the railroad track, and the railroad track, as you now know, is about as wide as two horses' behinds.
So, a major Space Shuttle design feature of what is arguably the world's most advanced transportation system was determined over two thousand years ago by the width of a horse's behind.
And - You thought being a HORSE'S Behind wasn't important!

Thanks to Ricky and Sarah Shepherd
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A couple of days ago I was running (I use that term very loosely) on my treadmill, watching a DVD sermon by Louie Giglio...and I was BLOWN AWAY! I want to share what I learned....but I fear not being able to convey it as well as I want. I will share anyway.
He (Louie) was talking about how inconceivably BIG our God is...how He spoke the universe into being...how He breathes stars out of His mouth that are huge raging balls of fire...etc. etc. Then He went on to speak of how this star-breathing, universe creating God ALSO knitted our human bodies together with amazing detail and wonder. At this point I am LOVING it (fascinating from a medical standpoint, you know.) .....and I was remembering how I was constantly amazed during medical school as I learned more and more about God's handiwork. I remember so many times thinking...."How can ANYONE deny that a Creator did all of this???"
Louie went on to talk about how we can trust that the God who created all this, also has the power to hold it all together when things seem to be falling apart...how our loving Creator is also our sustainer.
And then I lost my breath.
And it wasn't because I was running my treadmill, either!!!
It was because he started talking about laminin. I knew about laminin. Here is how wikipedia describes them :"Laminins are a family of proteins that are an integral part of the structural scaffolding of basement membranes in almost every animal tissue." You see....laminins are what hold us together....LITERALLY. They are cell adhesion molecules. They are what holds one cell of our bodies to the next cell. Without them, we would literally fall apart. And I knew all this already. But what I didn't know is what laminin LOOKED LIKE.
But now I do.
And I have thought about it a thousand times since (already).... Here is what the structure of laminin looks like...AND THIS IS NOT a "Christian portrayal" of it....if you look up laminin in any scientific/medical piece of literature, this is what you will see... [http://hsiapin.blogspot.com/2006/10/laminin.html]
Now tell me that our God is not the coolest!!!
Amazing.
The glue that holds us together....ALL of us....is in the shape of the cross. Immediately Colossians 1:15-17 comes to mind.
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
For by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth , visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
He is before all things, and in him all things HOLD TOGETHER. "
Colossians 1:15-17
Call me crazy. I just think that is very, very, very cool.
Thousands of years before the world knew anything about laminin, Paul penned those words. And now we see that from a very LITERAL standpoint, we are held together...one cell to another....by the cross.
You would never in a quadrillion years convince me that is anything other than the mark of a Creator who knew EXACTLY what laminin "glue" would look like long before Adam even breathed his first breath!!

We praise YOU, Lord!!

Thanks to Ben Blankenship
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| Safety from the Heart |
----------------------------------------------------
May 6, 2008
Tailgate - Home Safety
Submitted to by Larry Kopira, a Tyrone employee

I have many times asked my wife to use the proper ladders when necessary and to secure them appropriately. My advice has often drawn the response – “I’ve done this many times so I know what I am doing. “
This past week as she was washing windows on the outside of our home, the small step ladder that she was using to reach the window was not properly braced. One of the legs started to sink into the mud. Even though she was only a few feet off the ground she fell and broke multiple bones in her wrist. This required a long day at the hospital to set her wrist.
Now my wife is trying to figure out how to hold and feed our soon to be born first grandchild.
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TOURBUS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -:) - :)- :)
Volume 13, Number 20 -- 12 May 2008
Tourbus Home -- http://www.InternetTourbus.com
+---------------------------------------+

TODAY'S TOURBUS TOPICS: Privacy / SP3 / Vista UAC / Ubuntu / Backups

In today's TOURBUS, you'll learn that privacy is a slippery thing, and what can people learn about YOU with just a few clicks. I've also got the scoop on SP3 for Windows XP, and how to get rid of those annoying UAC popups on Vista. Thinking of getting rid of Windows entirely? Check out the new Ubuntu Hardy Heron version of Linux. Oh, and if your backup procedures are not fully automated, you NEED to read my tips on how to put backup on autopilot. Read on!

---------------------
Is Privacy History?
---------------------

What information that YOU thought was personal or private is freely available online? In the past, only government agencies and businesses with a 'need to know' were able to access personal information. Today, the web allows almost anyone to find information about friends, co-workers, job applicants, etc.

If you enter your own name into your favorite search engine, you might find hundreds of links. But there are plenty of other ways to "find yourself" online. Learn where YOUR personal information is available to others, what online activities might expose more than you like, and how to limit what others can see. Read on:

http://askbobrankin.com/is_privacy_history.html

----------------------------------------
Windows XP SP3 - What You Need to Know
----------------------------------------

Remember all the hubbub surrounding the SP2 service pack for Windows XP a while back? Well the fun is starting again! The nice folks in Redmond have unleashed Windows XP SP3 - the final service pack for Windows XP. It includes over 1000 patches that have been released since SP2, including some security fixes.

In addition to all those patches, Windows XP SP3 also includes a few new features. Some people are reporting that SP3 gave them a boost in system performance, while others say it stopped them cold. Find out what's new in XP SP3, how to get it, and what you need to know before installing this final service pack for Windows XP...
http://askbobrankin.com/upgrade_to_windows_xp_sp3.html

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Vista UAC - Annoying on Purpose?
----------------------------------

A Tourbus reader who recently upgraded to Windows Vista wrote to me about an annoying feature in this operating system:

"I'm constantly getting popups on Vista saying "Windows needs your permission to continue." Is this spyware or a virus? If it's part of Vista, can I turn this annoying 'feature' off?"

It turns out these popups, generated by Vista's User Account Control feature, and almost universally hated by Vista users. But that's exactly what Microsoft had in mind... they were designed to be annoying on purpose!

Read on to learn more about Vista's UAC feature, and how to disable those annoying popups without sacrificing system security:

http://askbobrankin.com/disable_vista_uac.html

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Ubuntu Hardy Heron Has Landed
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A reader wondering whether to install Windows Vista or switch to Linux wrote and asked:

"I'm hearing good things about the latest Ubuntu Linux. Is there anything compelling enough in the latest release to save me from installing Vista on my next machine? Kinda hoping so..."

This reader is not alone... plenty of people are dreading the move from XP to Vista. So this might be a good time to look into the latest Ubuntu Linux and see if it works well as an XP replacement. Ubuntu's Hardy Heron operating system, released a few weeks ago, has many of the same applications that can be found on Windows, such as a Web browser, email client, instant messaging, games, graphics tools, and software for word processing, charts, and spreadsheets.

The user interface has become much friendlier in recent releases, and now with the Wubi installer, it's much easier to install Linux or just take it for a test drive. Find out what's new in the Hardy Heron release and see if it's the right move for you...

http://askbobrankin.com/ubuntu_hardy_heron.html

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Automate Your Backup Process
------------------------------

Sooner or later, data loss will affect all computer users. Are you prepared for the day when you boot up your computer, and it makes a horrible screeching sound, followed by a message like ERROR READING FIXED DISK or HARD DRIVE FAILURE?

You might not have a catastrophic hard drive meltdown, but every day, files are lost due to user error, system malfunctions, viruses and other computer problems. You might be doing backups already, but in my experience, if your backup strategy involves any human intervention, it too will fail at some point.

That's why it's important to have a FULLY AUTOMATIC backup solution. Read on to learn more about backup methods, both online and offline, as well as the software and hardware you can use to protect your important data:

http://askbobrankin.com/automatic_backups.html

+---------------------------------------+
Sorry it's been a while since the last issue. Other projects have kept Patrick and I very busy, but now we're back at the wheel. One of the reasons I've been extra busy is my new puppy. Get a look at Bonzai here: http://askbobrankin.com/bonzai_its_a_new_puppy.html 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 [-99.386604-] Percent of Users
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Subscribe, Signoff, Archives, Free Stuff and More at the
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========================
.~~~. ))
(\__/) .' ) )) Patrick Douglas Crispen
/o o \/ .~
{o_, \ { crispen@netsquirrel.com
/ , , ) \ http://www.netsquirrel.com/
`~ -' \ } )) AOL Instant Messenger: Squirrel2K
_( ( )_.'
---..{____} Warning: squirrels.
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The Pump Handle. A water cooler for the public health crowd.
http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/

Friday Blog Roundup
May 16, 2008 in Blog roundup by Liz Borkowski
What’s new at the FDA?

Ed Silverman at Pharmalot reports on FDA plans to spend some of its user-fee money on post-marketing safety activities.
Merrill Goozner at GoozNews warns that the FDA is scrapping the Helsinki Declaration on protecting human subjects.
Jacob Goldstein at WSJ’s Health Blog wonders whether pharmaceutical groups’ proposals to pay user fees to fund inspections of foreign drug factories is a good idea.
Elsewhere:

Roy M. Poses MD at Health Care Renewal describes a terrible lack of conflict-of-interest disclosure in an NPR program on antidepressants.

Elizabeth Cooney at White Coat Notes highlights concerns about conflicts of interest among panelists for the psychiatric diagnostic manual DSM.

Kate Sheppard at Gristmill reports on a Senate subcommittee hearing from which EPA administrator Stephen Johnson was conspicuously absent. (The Pump Handle’s own David Michaels testified at that hearing; his testimony is here.)

Amanda at Enviroblog has the details about oil companies’ settlements of lawsuits involving the gasoline additive MTBE.

Matt Madia at Reg Watch considers the federal agencies that could regulate bisphenol A - but probably won’t get around to it this year.

Revere at Effect Measure explains how and why the USDA is trying to stop a company from testing its cattle for mad cow disease.

http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/05/16/friday-blog-roundup-75/#more-904

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.

Friday, May 16, 2008
Reasons Behind Trench Deaths

Trench deaths really are one of my pet peeves and it is a good thing that I am not inspecting these places because any company who was found in violation would wish they had never crossed my path.

In a resent article Optimal Trench Protection (A United Rentals Industry White Paper) Paul McDonnell explains the most common reasons for trench deaths.

Reasons for Limited Awareness and Use of Newer Methods
(Theses have been modified of course not his direct wording)

They are not aware of OSHA's state and federal trench regulations & standards.
They can not interpret the regulations & standards.
The regulations & standards increase time frames and net costs.
Trench accidents are rare.
Safety regulations and standards are not enforced aggressively.

Well doesn't this list just kick you in the seat? We all know that for the most part this is true but it was a bit of a surprise when a Construction Magazine spewed forth the information. It really is a good article for newcomers.

Of course I want to add my two cents worth to the list.
For all of the above....Do companies really go into a business blindly? I don't think so! Whether they are just starting out or seasoned they have to check out the cost of equipment, supplies, workers comp, insurance and regulations/standards.

If the company has the nads to chose 2-4 on the list. Well I will not get into what I think of them personally however it may make some since to call someone and ask, I am sure if a contractor doesn't understand a plan they call for help so why is it any different to call OSHA. PICK UP THE STINKING PHONE.

If a contractor choses 3 or 4, well I think maybe a little one on one with the family may be a good idea. Tell a child the reason their Daddy isn't coming home is it cost to much, took too much time to keep him alive or one person for the good of it all is ok.

Now number 5 this is the one that really needs addressed. OSHA involvement can make a difference but as of right now they are lacking the funds and inspectors to do the job. They really need to quit spending money on all the alliance programs and do there job. The don't have to be a butt to do this just be involved.

Anyone who has children knows what works there is a balance to everything. Be involved in the processes, make a presence and lay down the law with no exceptions. It really does no good to be a warlord or make threats as seems to be the method now. Any new business needs to be inspected and given the low down, if they make additions they should be inspected once again. Heck if I want to make an addition to my home I have to get a permit and inspection, then they raise my taxes. As far as the old businesses go they should have to send in paper work stating they have obtained all the standards and regulations that may apply and if not and they really are unsure PICK UP THE PHONE! Well at least that would settle the I had no clue issues. But maybe this is just to easy or it's not political enough.

After my rant we do need to make sure credit is given when due! Thumbs up to www.unitedrentals.com
"Expert Resources for Training and Information
In navigating increasingly complex trench protection issues, contractors, project owners and engineers have many resources for training, information and other support. These sources include companies like United Rentals Trench Safety, governmental agencies such as OSHA, NIOSH, and industry associations such as the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and the National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA)."

United Rentals had quite a few references and although I do not know the company personally I would have to say, "If they are willing to address these issues in the open they have my vote."

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. Sgt. Isaac Palomarez, 26, of Loveland, Colo., died May 9 in Kapisa Province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his patrol encountered an improvised explosive device and came under small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.


02. Spc. Mary J. Jaenichen, 20, of Temecula, Calif., died May 9 in Iskandariyah, Iraq, of a non-combat related injury. She was assigned to the Brigade Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

03. Pfc. Ara T. Deysie, 18, of Parker, Ariz., died May 9 in Paktia Province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his unit came under rocket-propelled grenade fire. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

04. Sgt. Joseph A. Ford, 23, of Knox, Ind., died May 10 in Al Asad, Iraq, of injuries suffered in a vehicle accident. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 152nd Cavalry Regiment, 76th Brigade Combat Team, Indiana National Guard, New Albany, Ind.

05. Pvt. Matthew W. Brown, 20, of Zelienople, Pa., died May 11 in Asadabad, Afghanistan, from injuries suffered in a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 321st Field Artillery Regiment, 18th Fires Brigade (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.

06. Cpl. Jessica A. Ellis, 24, of Bend, Ore., died May 11 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when her vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. She was assigned to the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

07. Staff Sgt. Victor M. Cota, 33, of Tucson, Ariz., died May 14 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device in Kadamiyah, Iraq, May 13. He was assigned to the Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

08. Sgt. John K. Daggett, 21, of Phoenix, Ariz., died May 15 in Halifax, Canada, of wounds suffered May 1 in Baghdad, Iraq, when a rocket-propelled grenade struck his vehicle. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

~

Soldiers Missing from The Korean War are Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of two U.S. servicemen, missing from the Korean War, have been identified and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

They are Sgt. 1st Class George W. Koon of Leesville, S.C.; and Sgt. 1st Class Jack O. Tye of Loyall, Ky.; both U.S. Army. Koon will be buried tomorrow in Leesville, and Tye will be buried Monday in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.

Representatives from the Army met with the soldiers' next-of-kin to explain the recovery and identification process, and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the Secretary of the Army.

In late November 1950, Koon was assigned to the Medical Company, 9th Infantry Regiment, and Tye was assigned to Company L, 38th Infantry Regiment. Both were members of the 2nd Infantry Division advancing north of Kunu-ri, North Korea. On Nov. 25, the Chinese Army counterattacked the Americans in what would become known as the Battle of the Chong Chon (River). This combat was some of the fiercest of the war, and the 2nd Division initiated a fighting withdrawal to the south. Koon and Tye were captured by Chinese forces during the intense enemy fire, and subsequently died while in captivity from malnutrition and medical neglect.

In 2002, two joint U.S./Democratic People’s Republic of Korea teams, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), investigated and excavated a mass burial site located 20 miles northwest of Kunu-ri, along the route taken by captured U.S. POWs being moved to permanent POW camps along the Yalu River. The teams recovered remains at the site believed to be those of several U.S. servicemen, including Koon and Tye.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory and JPAC also used mitochondrial DNA and dental comparisons in both Koon’s and Tye’s identification.

~

U.S - Japan Search for WWII Japanese MIAs in Alaska

The Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that a small team of Japanese and U.S. specialists is visiting Attu Island, Alaska, in search of burial locations of the Japanese soldiers who are still missing from a 1943 World War II battle there.

The Department of Defense, the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are supporting a team of three Japanese and 11 Americans. The team departed from Kodiak today via a C-130 on a flight to the U.S. Coast Guard Station on Attu Island. Some engineering equipment will be flown to Eareckson AFS on a U.S. Air Force C-17 and from there, the Coast Guard will move the equipment via C-130 to Attu Island.

The team's work on Attu Island will be supported by Army engineers from Ft. Richardson, Alaska, who will also employ ground-penetrating radar to help locate remains and guard against unexploded ordnance.

While visiting the island, the team is being housed at the long range navigation station and will be supported by the U.S. Coast Guard garrison. Attu Island is under the management and protection of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service which administers the Aleutian Islands National Wildlife Refuge. At the end of Alaska's Aleutian island chain, Attu is the westernmost point of land of the United States.

In June 1942, a unit of the Japanese Army occupied Attu, capturing and imprisoning many of its inhabitants. U.S. forces began action to recapture the small island in May 1943, where fierce hand-to-hand battles led to about 540 American and 2,300 Japanese deaths. It was the site of the only land battle in WWII in North America.

In 1953, 235 sets of Japanese remains were recovered on Attu and reburied at Ft. Richardson, near Anchorage, Alaska. The Japanese later disinterred those remains, cremated them as part of a religious ceremony and reburied them at the same location.

The Japanese government assisted U.S. investigators in June 2007 in a visit to Iwo Jima in search of information related to American WWII MIAs. This 14-day deployment to Attu Island follows a similar four-day investigation there in July 2007.

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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Please remember to pray for the American soldiers stationed everywhere around the globe and especially in Iraq. Times have been and are very tough and it would be nice if you would all just say a prayer for their safety and for their families.
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"September 11 WDYTJWD" W. P. Florence
Justice first, then peace."
"September 11" Never forget.--Tony Moses
"ONE NATION UNDER GOD ...the only way"--Phillip Story
"We have nothing to fear but fear itself." -- Franklin D. Roosevelt
"Keeping my head down but face toward Heaven" - - Jody Eldred, ABC News Cameraman in Kuwait
"Remember Pearl Harbor? Remember 9/11!" --"Bug"
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
~~~~~
Mark Your Calendars!!!! Albemarle Kids' Fishing Tournament - May 31
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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.
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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.
~~~
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.
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"There is not enough darkness in the world to put out the light of one candle."
"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
"A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in ... and how many want out." - - Tony Blair
"Information is the currency of democracy." - Jefferson
“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 "Fuzzy" Thurman
~~~~~
Hope you enjoy the newsletter.
Again, thanks to all our contributors this week.

God bless and GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!
Neh 6:5-9 Titus 1:15-16 Psa 89:46-49 1 Cor 15:33-34 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 2008 before it was sent.
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