v1.jpg)
Volume 10, Issue 24 Friday, June 13, 2008
Hello All,
Wow! Whoever said there is nothing to do in a small town. Between men’s fellowship, DMAT, Little Rock Check Ups and various other activities, we just haven’t had time to get an issue out. Also, this latest “lot” of Procrit doesn’t seem to be as effective and we’re just a little more tired than usual. But, we’re grabbing moments here and there to enable this inane news source to get to you. And only two weeks and a day or so late.
~~~~~
Another Wow! I got a letter from the Board Of Certified Safety Professionals confirming that I had satisfied the requirements for maintaining my Certified Safety Professional Credentials. I’m good to go through 2012. I have to thank Matt Lynch who gave me significant support and encouragement to get my CSP and Kay Babbitt Eganhouse who fought through my pessimism and encouraged me to apply for recertification. Now if I can just get the company to support my efforts to keep up my training.
~~~~~
As in many past economic downturns, there is a swelling cry to “get” those who have money. Of course, as Pogo said, “We have seen the enemy and he is us.” When we concentrate on “getting” anyone or any organization, usually all we accomplish is to hurt ourselves. Remember, the federal income tax was enacted to “get” the “rich” (those making more than $100,000.00 a year.) Funny how ALL of us now have to pay that “rich” tax.
~
Senate Democrats want the - government to determine for the oil how companies much profit is too much profit and to tax the "extra" through a windfall profits tax.
American Views
Let them regulate everything
Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle Friday, June 6
Why stop there? Why not just set profit amounts for every industry?
It’s even easy, since the manual for doing so was written back in the early 20th century in a place called the Soviet Union. ...
And since when can members of Congress tell anyone anything about money management? There may be no worse money managers in the world. ...
Every so often, a sensible member of Congress proposes that lawmakers should have to cite the constitutional authority for each law they pass -- to list the specific phrase of the Constitution that allows them to do what they’re doing. You know what? They always reject the idea.
The reason is clear: A growing number of members of Congress want to act outside of the Constitution. They want to do whatever they darn well please. They don’t need no stinking Constitution. They will "fix" what’s right in society, whether we like it or not. Well, for one thing, they’re not authorized to do that. The Founding Fathers specifically limited the role of the federal government. Sadly, Washington has been violating the spirit and letter of the Constitution for decades. ...
Here’s a better idea: How about Congress be required to get its own house in order before it runs around violating the Constitution by trying to run the economy for us?
~~~~~
In the same vein, we received “How Long Does the USA Have?”
About the time our original thirteen states adopted their new constitution in 1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh, had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years earlier:
'A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government.'
'A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury.'
'From that moment on, the majority always vote for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.'
'The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years'
'During those 200 years, those nations always progressed through the following sequence:
1. From bondage to spiritual faith;
2. From spiritual faith to great courage;
3. From courage to liberty;
4. From liberty to abundance;
5. From abundance to complacency;
6. From complacency to apathy;
7. From apathy to dependence;
8. From dependence back into bondage'
Thanks to Cindy Borne
~~~~~
Speaking of Gullible People, we continue to receive forwards of obvious hoax emails, like you do. However, sometimes they are not obviously hoaxes and a little research is required to get “the straight skinny.” This one fits in that category.
~
'POSTCARD' Virus Hoax
Netlore Archive: False email alert warns of 'the worst virus ever circulating in the form of an attachment labeled 'POSTCARD'
Description: Email hoax
Circulating since: Feb. 2008 (this version)
Status: False
IMPORTANT NOTE: Some versions of this hoax claim the information was "verified" on Snopes.com. This is NOT true. What has been verified on Snopes.com is a different e-card virus threat with a similar name. Be careful not to confuse the two.
Comments: With so many real viruses in circulation bearing names almost identical to the nonexistent threats warned of in hoax messages, it is crucial to know how to distinguish between the real virus threats and the bogus ones.
Here are some points to keep in mind:
1. There are real viruses, trojans, and other forms of malware currently being distributed by means of spoofed (phony) e-card notices.
This means all users must be very careful when dealing with e-card notices, no matter what the apparent source. Before clicking on any links or attachments, check to see if you can verify that the notice came from a legitimate source -- it's not always easy. If you can't verify, don't click.
DON'T click on links or attachments in e-card notices that arrive anonymously, or from senders whose names you don't recognize.
DON'T click on attachments or links that seem suspicious in any other way.
2. In general, forwarded warnings such as the 'POSTCARD' alert above cannot be trusted to provide accurate information.
READ CAREFULLY! Don't confuse hoaxes with the real thing. Bogus virus warnings often contain links to websites which, at first glance, may seem to confirm the authenticity of the message, but which in fact discuss a completely different matter.
This is a case in point. Despite the fact that there are real e-card viruses, the "POSTCARD" warning above is, in fact, a hoax. It is simply the newest of many variants of a hoax message circulating for the past several years (compare the texts and you'll see what I mean). Don't depend on this type of warning for protection, and avoid forwarding such messages to others unless you can confirm with some certainty that the threat they describe is real.
3. Protecting yourself from real virus and trojan threats entails a few simple but critical measures. Follow them religiously:
Always be very careful concerning which attachments you open and which files you download. If you can't be reasonably sure they are safe, don't open or download them.
Maintain up-to-date antivirus software on your computer, configure it to detect trojan horses and other malware automatically, and scan for viruses and other threats regularly.
Always be careful concerning which links you click on, especially in messages from anonymous or unfamiliar sources. Clicking on these links can instantly download malicious software onto your computer. Again, if you can't be reasonably sure a link is safe, don't click on it.
~
After this was distributed at work, we received the following;
Microsoft just released a press release stating that some of their programmers had observed recently while peering thru open Windows at the scenic Vista trying to get the "NOT RESPONDING" light in their minds to turn off, that Snopes is a front for Apple, McAfee, and Norton. This farce is aimed lulling the public to sleep so that some BIG VIRUS will trash sector zero. Once sector zero is trashed, the only thing that will work is Sector 51 (this is where all the captured UFO's are stored) which is located in a remote mountainous area in the far west. Once Sector 51 is reactivated, alien spaceships will be released in large numbers. These spaceships will begin to drop new Apple computers all over the USA. These computers are programmed to display subliminal messages to their users which will tend to make the user crave popcorn and a coke and to believe after some short period of time that the government has learned its lesson on Social Security and by increasing taxes, the healthcare problem in America will be solved. Please refer all questions to James McClellan.
May the force be with you and God Bless America and above all, forward this message to at least 50 people so that you will receive a huge surprise in 3 days.
Robert Lyons
~~~~~
Yesterday, a local contractor managed to pull the electrical service out of some of the homes on our street. It was pretty impressive with meters pulled off of homes and quite a bit of siding torn up. Annette wasn’t happy about the damage to our home but she was much unhappier about the two hours she spent in the heat, and the dark.
~~~~~
This week, Kenny Kendrick and I conducted our semiannual HazMat training (Emergency Response Guide, MSDS, etc.) for Columbia County Ambulance Service employees. This year, Amanda Warren added a “Woods” fish and chicken supper before Class for all County emergency responders and their wives. This was a great dinner and fellowship.
~~~~~
Some believe Friday the 13th is "unlucky". Personally, I do not believe in "luck". I believe in God's involvement in everything that concerns my life, as in Romans 8:28 and Psalm 139:16, just to name a few. - Randall Vaughn - Today's Seed is published daily (M-F) by E-MIN Global Ministries, P. O. Box 220, Warrior, AL 35180 (USA) http://www.e-min.org
~~~~~
This spring has been filled with natural disasters the world over. As we write this, the central Midwest is drowning under massive floods and the news channels are swamped with the stories of Iowa Boy Scouts heroic response to tornados that roared through their camp, killing four and injuring 48.
So this seems like a good time to remind all our readers that big government does, occasionally, come up with a good idea such as helping pay for tornado safe rooms. You can go to [http://www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/saferoom/] to get information on building a “safe room” in your home.
A small interior room above grade is the best location for a safe room. Safe rooms can also double for other non-emergency purposes. Having a safe room in your home can protect your family and save the lives of those you care about.
Arkansans who build a home tornado “Safe Room” can apply for partial reimbursement of cost through the Arkansas Safe Room / Shelter Program. Homeowners who install a safe room in their home or a shelter on their property after 21 January 1999 are eligible.
At the present there is no deadline. ADEM will fund in the order the applications are received. One rebate per individual for perpetuity. The Funding Range is 50% of cost and installation, not to exceed $1,000. This is a federal Grant described as: Rebate to Arkansas homeowners who choose to install a shelter or safe room on their property.
If you are interested, contact: Bonnie Arnold, State Mitigation Grant Coordinator at the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management, Bldg. # 9501, Camp Joseph T. Robinson, North Little Rock , AR 72199-9600 501-683-6700 .
You can see more about disaster preparedness in Arkansas at [http://www.adem.arkansas.gov/]
~~~~~
Daryn Kagan is the creator and host of DarynKagan.com, an inspirational online community that features a daily Web cast of stories that, "Show the World What is Possible." DarynKagan.com has become a daily destination for thousands of Internet users who seek news stories that inspire. Launched in November 2006, the Atlanta Journal Constitution described DarynKagan.com as "a lively gathering spot," while the Boston Globe noted DarynKagan.com is "bucking the media tide," with its "emphasis on stories that illustrate the triumph of the human spirit."
http://darynkagan.com/index.html
~
On Memorial Day, Daryn’s site featured the story of Bubba Sorensen, an Iowa boy who, since 1999 has decorated a large rock (the Patriotic Rock, just outside Greenfield, IA) as a tribute to our service members. This Memorial day they celebrated the 10th rock painting.
http://www.bubbazartwork.com/
http://www.visitadaircounty.com/
~~~~~
Waneta and Gary Foreman sent us this moving Memorial Day tribute.
http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh289/Impish_Dragon/?action=view¤t=Untitled.flv
~~~~~
3 days / 3 ways Emergency Preparedness.
http://www.govlink.org/3days3ways/
~~~~~
Favorite News Headline - “ISS Toilet Fixed, Astronauts Relieved”
The crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS) finally got their toilet back in operation this week. A new pump to fix the faulty throne’s liquid waste system was rushed from Moscow to Florida and placed in the shuttle Discovery’s payload.
~~~~~
Forty years ago the dream died again. Robert Kennedy, gunned down in a Los Angeles hotel kitchen, clutched a rosary handed to him by a busboy as he bled from a head wound. Amid shrieks of despair, his wife, Ethel, comforted him as his life ebbed away.
His brother, President John Kennedy, was killed less than five years before. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated two months earlier. By June 1968, violence from the inner cities to Vietnam was tearing the country apart, and had robbed the nation of three of its most inspiring leaders.
~~~~~
Veteran recalls D-Day landing
Friday 6 June, 2008
THERE'RE not many veterans left that can talk about D-Day the start of the allied invasion of Europe on June 6, 1944 but Geoff Maidment remembers it as if it were yesterday.
Today is the 64th anniversary of that fateful World War II battle on the beaches of Normandy, France, the largest amphibious assault in history.
Mr Maidment, of Saratoga, joined the British Merchant Navy aged 16 and from his position as deck boy on ship Isle of Guernsey, he had a view of the day's events.
The ship was one of hundreds that crossed the channel that day bound for the coast. It was carrying Canadian troops.
"Britain's King George VI inspected the invasion fleet and the crew received sailing orders accompanied by a copy of a message from General Dwight Eisenhower.
On June 6, Mr Maidment found himself part of the largest convoy of ships he had ever seen.
"As we neared the Normandy coast the shelling was getting heavier and heavier and several ships were hit," he said. "There was German fire all around."
Mr Maidment was struck in the leg and after being treated was ordered back on deck.
"By now several ships had been hit, some on the beach and the landing craft assaults started to return, three out of six.
"The other three were blown up by hedgehog mines some good hardy men were lost that day."
In 1994, Mr Maidment was asked by the French Embassy to attend a presentation at the Sydney Opera House where he received the 50th anniversary D-Day medal.
It's one of many medals he wears on Anzac Day and D-Day commemorations.
~~~~~
The Lighthouse Church Report:
“Let The Fire Fall” - Saturday, May 24, 2008 - Jimmy Malone
In the Old Testament book of Second Chronicles, chapter seven starts with an earth shattering statement: "As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offerings and sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple."
As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down...Now that will get your attention! Solomon finished his prayer. Too often we barely start, much less finish. I do not subscribe to the notion that there is a magic number of hours or minutes to pray before God will move. But I know this--you know when you finish praying. You can spend enough time with God that you know that you have touched heaven.
"..fire came from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and sacrifices..."
When we seek God's face until we touch heaven, the fire falls on our sacrifices and offerings...on the things we give up for Jesus. Have you ever noticed that God will always ask you to give up something, to lay something at the altar? Sin, unforgiveness...or even good things, like a job or a boat. These sacrifices are the fuel for God's holy fire. When God asks for something, just know it's firewood.
"...and the glory of the Lord filled the temple."
God's glory is His presence, His power on display. Noticed he filled the temple. They had just finished building a place to worship and seek God. God always fills the space we make for Him. I am learning to make room for Him, to give Him all the space He wants. Whatever area I dedicate to Him, that's the place He fills.
Pray until you are finished praying, expecting God's fire to consume the things you've laid down to follow Him, as His glory fills the place you've prepared for Him.
In all things--Pray.
~
“More Random Thoughts on Prayer” - Sunday, May 25, 2008 - Jimmy Malone
Prayer is the currency of heaven. It's the only thing that can bring the blessings of heaven into this earth. When Jesus taught us to pray, He told us to ask for the Father's kingdom and will on earth as it is in heaven. The purpose of prayer is to bring heaven into the earth, to manifest the power and presence of God in this world. Prayer is the breathing in and breathing out of the faith life. We lay our burdens down before God, concerned for our needs...but if we stay there long enough, we rise up with His burden, concerned for the souls He bled for. Only in prayer can we breathe the atmosphere of heaven. When we pray, we draw the life of God into our heart and soul. We download righteousness, peace and joy by the Holy Spirit. Prayer can do anything God can do. Prayer can go anywhere God can go. Only through travailing prayer can we know the Father's heart. Paul says, "We wrestle not against flesh and blood". The modern church simply says "We wrestle not.." Let us avail ourselves to the atomic bomb of the spirit world: pray!
http://thelighthousechurch.publishpath.com/
~~~~~
Pattie Stephenson Tanzania Missions Report
HELLO EVERYONE!
AMAZING! I HAVE BEEN BACK IN TANZANIA FOR OVER THREE MONTHS AND I HAVE BARELY COME UP FOR AIR. IT'S A BUSY TIME. OUR BIBLE SCHOOL HAS 55 EXCITED STUDENTS, OUR CHILDREN'S SCHOOL HAS 450 KIDS, OUR ORPHANAGE OPENED AND HAS ONE LITTLE GIRL WHO RECENTLY LOST HER MOTHER, THE MASS CRUSADES HAVE BEGUN, AND WE ARE WELCOMING THOUSANDS OF MINISTERS TO THE FIRE CONFERENCE IN JUST A FEW DAYS. I WANT TO TELL YOU LATER SOME OF MY SPECIAL DETAILS (LIKE MY DRIVING ABILITY TO SOUTHERN TANZANIA TO THE BORDER OF ZAMBIA); BUT FOR NOW, I AM FORWARDING THIS EMAIL FROM MY LEADER, EGON FALK.
THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO PRAY AND GIVE AND THINK ABOUT ME. GOD BLESS YOU!
PATTIE STEPHENSON
The following was written by Egon Falk, Danish missionary to Tanzania:
THE GOSPEL IS THE POWER THAT CAN CHANGE THE WORST FOR THE BEST.
It’s Sunday evening and the crusade in a little village called Matai is over and our team is packing the equipment down in 2 large chipping containers and will bring it to the next crusade in Laela.
It’s 9 pm and I go to bed and want to be ready for driving home to Arusha (1600 km) at 4 am next morning. Not long after I wake up and I’m sick in my stomach, I must have gotten an aggressive bacteria and I’m not feeling well. Without any sleep and also sick I sit behind the wheel at 4 am on my way to Arusha.
The only thing that’s keeping me together is the thought about all the people I was able to preach to about salvation, healing and deliverance. 1370 people received Jesus and their lives have been changed!
THE SORCERER LEONARD SAAMOJA.
One day while I was preaching the Holy Spirit guided me to talk about occultism and witch craft and the negative influence of that. The next day during the teaching seminar a sorcerer and his wife, both of his parents and another family member sat on the first row and wanted to be saved. This caused a powerful praise to God from all 2000 attendees. In the crusade later that day we burned all the “stuff” the sorcerer was using in his ceremonies as a powerful manifestation of the Gospel power.
THE OLD GRANDMOTHER OF THE SORCERER.
The next day an old blind woman came to the platform and happily said: I was blind but now I see!” The old woman was the grandmother of the sorcerer. He came running to the platform and hugged her with great joy.
All these and many more thoughts passed through my head while we were driving towards Arusha. After 16 hours we stopped in Morogoro for the night. We were all very exhausted and tired and we were grateful to go to bed and sleep.
THE POLICEMAN.
The next day we drove the last 8 hours to Arusha. Driving through one of the villages I reduced the speed but still I was stopped by a policeman’s radar. The policeman said to me that I drove too fast which I didn’t think I did and I had seen no sign. Suddenly he ask about my name and I told him its Egon then he say with a big smile: “Falk!” He then told me that when he was a little boy and went to school in a town called Iringa I was there and preached. The policeman kept talking and said: “Egon Falk you are one of the few who writes history in our nation Tanzania.”
When I continued on the road I’m was filled with gratefulness and happiness to God to be able to serve in this big harvesting of people in Tanzania.
NATIONAL PASTORS AND PREACHERS CONFERENCE.
We expect up to 3000 attendees for this conference from 10-15 June. Such a conference is going to create after effects all over Tanzania; just like rings in the water we will have influence on thousands of people’s future destination, the eternity.
LAELA CRUSADE.
Right after the conference we go back to South Tanzania for another crusade in Laela and thousands are waiting to hear the Gospel which still is powerful after 2000 years. After that crusade we will be able to send you another wonderful report.
TIMES OF CRISES.
In many ways it’s a time of crises for many people in Tanzania and we are also “hit”. The enormous raise of prices on oil is about to “destroy” us all. We pay today 2 $ for one liter of diesel and we drive thousands of kilometers to preach the Gospel of Jesus in Tanzania.
Almost all kind of food has in a short time doubled in price and very many people have difficulties. Many of the poor people give up one meal a day and after a while they give up two meals.
WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO HELP, BUT WE CAN ONLY HELP SO MUCH AS WE RECEIVE HELP. THIS IS NOT MEANT TO BE UNDERSTOOD AS BEGGING, BUT IT’S A SERIOUS MEANT CRY OF HELP – A SOS!
You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.
A big thank you to you all who support us month after month and who carry us and our co-workers in prayers and financial support, God bless you and we believe He will repay you!
With great thankfulness
Egon & Hannah Falk
NLO Tanzania team
Earmark your donation “New Life Outreach” and write a check out to:
Word of Life Center
P.O. Box 18862
Shreveport, LA 71138
Phone: 318 688 4411
Hannah Esbensen Falk
New Life Outreach
Arusha, Tanzania
www.egonfalkministries.com
www.nlo.dk
~~~~~
Each week the Defense Department highlights military personnel who have gone above and beyond in the war. [http://www.defenselink.mil/heroes/] - - Philip Palmer, Brendan O’Connor & Crystal C. Johnson
Philip Palmer
Hometown: Charleston, SC
Awarded: Army Commendation Medal
Days after the "troop surge" was announced, a young second lieutenant would persevere under fire to lead a burgeoning Iraqi Army unit to victory. Second Lieutenant Philip D. Palmer of the United States Marine Corps was assigned to a Military Transition Team working with the 1st battalion of the Iraqi Army during operations in the Ma’Laab district in Ramadi, Iraq. The morning of January 14th, 2007, would serve as a defining moment in his life and the lives of all the Iraqi troops he shepherded through danger.
The Iraqi platoon, led by Iraqi Lieutenant Allah, worked its way through the dangerous city streets, unaware of what was ahead. As the patrol bounded ahead, gunfire erupted from nearby positions hitting Lieutenant Allah squarely in his armor. While the rounds were stopped by his layers of armor, he was shell-shocked and stunned by the near-death experience. With Allah paralyzed by fear and incapable of leading his men under such hectic conditions, Palmer seized the initiative.
Seeing that words alone would not be enough to organize this nascent Iraqi unit, Palmer knew he must act. Standing like a monolith in the face of incoming enemy fire, Palmer took command of the broken unit, rallying them through his bold example. Taking point, he pushed forward towards the attacking insurgents with his newly inspired Iraqi unit who followed close through the chaotic streets.
Palmer kept in mind the mission and the 13 Iraqis he was attached to as he led the fight against the insurgent forces. At the end of the day, he successfully concluded the operation and brought every one of the Iraqi soldiers back to base alive. His heroic assumption of command and leadership under intense attack earned him the Army Commendation Medal with Valor.
~
Brendan O’Connor
Hometown: Moorestown, NJ
Awarded: Distinguished Service Cross
Surrounded on all sides by hardened Taliban fighters, a vastly outnumbered force of Americans and Afghans fought nearly to the last bullet. In June 2006, 47-year-old Master Sergeant Brendan O’Connor of the 7th Special Forces Group – the Army’s elite Green Berets – was the team’s medic during Operation Kaika. The Taliban believed this isolated group of Americans and Afghans, numbering less than 70, would be an easy target. They were gravely mistaken.
When the terrorists sprang their trap, the sky exploded with the thunder of rifle, machine-gun, and grenade fire from both sides. The main group was separated by more than 100 yards, and the situation at both positions was dire.
O’Connor heard over the radio that several wounded men ahead of a forward position could be overrun at any moment. Leading a team of eight, he quickly traversed the distance between the two positions and took stock of the situation. There he saw two wounded men – Staff Sergeant Matthew Binney and Staff Sergeant Joseph Fuerst – farther ahead and knew he had to reach them. Disregarding three enemy machine-guns, O’Connor dropped to his stomach and began an arduous crawl to the wounded troops. Restricted in his movements by his protective armor, O’Connor paused and removed the only shield he had from the hostile onslaught, his Interceptor bullet proof vest. He traded his armor for a cloth sign that he pinned to his back to alert the close-air support attack helicopters that he was friendly.
The 200 foot crawl was nearly an hour and a half of constant enemy fire directed at the brave American. Reaching a compound to which he could pull the wounded, he singlehandedly moved the two soldiers there and performed emergency first-aid. As night fell, O’Connor made several trips to move the Binney and Fuerst back to the advanced position. From there, they were able to medevac the injured, and begin their own exfiltration to the security of the patrol base.
While Fuerst did not survive his severe injuries, Binney lived because of the bold decision made by a 47-year-old-medic more concerned with the lives of his friends than his own. For his actions, O’Connor was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the first time a member of the 7th Special Forces Group was awarded this honor since July of 1964.
~
Crystal C. Johnson
Hometown: Glendale, CA
Awarded: Army Commendation Medal
Automatic weapons fire, IEDs, and injuries would not be enough to stop a young Army corporal from giving life-saving first aid while defending herself and her comrades. September 2006 would change the life of then-Corporal Crystal C. Johnson of the United States Army.
In a convoy of 17 moving through southeastern Iraq, Johnson was the driver in the lead vehicle. Suddenly the calm of an Iraqi night was broken by the deafening sound of an explosively formed penetrator – the most dangerous kind of improvised explosive device. In the chaos, Johnson brought her mangled and flaming truck to a halt as the convoy became the target of an ambush. Dazed, Johnson had to be pulled out the flaming cab by a fellow soldier, Specialist Truesdell, but she quickly regained her composure. Discovering their convoy commander had been slain in the blast, Johnson took control of the situation.
With the burning vehicle illuminating the desert night, Johnson and Truesdell reached into the flames and struggled to extricate their badly wounded translator. They just got him out alive as spare ammunition caught fire and began exploding in all directions.
The danger was not over. Unseen insurgents began firing at the marooned convoy, with rounds striking dangerously close. Truesdell began laying down suppressive fire with their only operational M16 and Johnson performed life-saving first aid on the gravely wounded man. As reinforcements arrived, Johnson refused treatment until all others were treated first, aiding many of the wounded with her own skills.
Johnson, so moved by this episode and her own reactions under such severe conditions, extended her deployment and became a fully qualified Army medic. The September 12th incident would earn her a Purple Heart and an Army Commendation Medal with Valor, a more than promising start to a career of protecting and preserving human life.
External Links: Sgt. Crystal Johnson – Remembers Lt. Emily Perez [http://marthazoller.com/news.asp?id=517]
~~~~~
The latest from Michael Yon, the foremost “milnews” blogger on the web.
~
One of the biggest problems with the Iraq War is that politics has frequently triumphed over truth. For instance, we went into Iraq with shoddy intelligence (at best), no reconstruction plan, and perhaps half as many troops as were required. We refused to admit that an insurgency was growing, until the country collapsed into anarchy and civil war. Now the truth is that Iraq is showing real progress on many fronts: Al Qaeda is being defeated and violence is down and continuing to decrease. As a result, the militias have lost their reason for existence and are getting beaten back or co-opted. Shia, Sunni and Kurds are coming together -- although with various stresses -- under the national government. If progress continues at this rate, it is very possible that before 2008 is out, we can finally say "the war has ended." Yes, likely there still will be some American casualties, but if the violence continues to drop and the Iraqi government consolidates its gains, we will be able, in good conscience, to begin bringing more of our people home. I will be paying very close attention to the words of Lieutenant General Raymond Odierno, who is replacing General Petraeus as the overall commander in Iraq.
Whatever we do in Iraq from here forward, we must strive to make better decisions than those made between 2003 and 2006. And one way to achieve that is by making certain that our civilian leaders are fully informed. All three candidates for President are extremely intelligent, but that doesn't mean that all three are tracking the truth on the ground in Iraq. Anyone who wants to be President of the United States needs to see Iraq without the distorting lenses of the media or partisan politics. I would be honored to visit Iraq with Senator Obama, Senator Clinton, Senator McCain or any of their Senate colleagues.
I hereby offer to accompany any Senator to Iraq, whether they are pro-or anti-war, Democrat or Republican. I will make this offer personally to a few select Senators as well. Our conversations during the visit would be on- or off-record, as they wish. Touring Iraq with me, as well as briefings by U.S. officers and meetings with Iraqis, would provide an accurate and nuanced account of the progress and challenges ahead, so that the Senators might have a highly informed perspective on this most critical issue. Our civilian leaders need to make decisions based on the best information available. The only way to learn what is really going on in Iraq is to go there and listen to our ground commanders, who know what they are doing. Generals Petraeus and Odierno have years of experience in Iraq, and vast knowledge of our efforts there. But the young soldiers who have done multiple tours in Iraq also have unique and invaluable perspectives as well. These young soldiers have personally witnessed the trajectory of the war shift dramatically, and can articulate those changes in concrete and specific terms. It doesn’t matter if a soldier is only twenty-something. If he or she spent two or three years in the war, that person is likely to have valuable insights. The best way to understand what is really going on is to listen closely to a wide range of service members who have done multiple tours in Iraq. Some will be negative, some will be positive, but overall I am certain that the vast majority of multi-tour Iraq veterans will testify that there has been great progress, and now there is hope. Combat veterans don’t tolerate happy talk or wishful thinking. They’ll tell you the raw truth as they see it.
Whether any Senators take advantage of my offer, I do hope that the presidential candidates visit Iraq, not just for a photo opportunity, but to spend time with our commanders and combat veterans, who know the truth and are not afraid to speak it.
~
In Memory of SPC David Lee Leimbach - - CSM Jeff Mellinger is out there still "Walking the Line." He did the longest continuous tour in Iraq that I have ever seen: about 2.5 years without a break except for normal leave. And he was seriously out in the red zone. I drove about 4,000 miles with him within Iraq checking on our servicemen and women, Walking the Line, and that was a tiny fraction of the work he did. And so he came back to the United States and is stationed in Washington D.C., but CSM Mellinger's duties have taken him back to Iraq and Afghanistan. I got an email from CSM Mellinger this morning from Afghanistan. He was remembering SPC David Lee Leimbach, the latest Great American to give his life in Afghanistan fighting dark forces that wish to do us great harm. CSM Mellinger had written a private tribute to SPC Leimbach, and I immediately asked if I may publish it so others may see. Just a few minutes ago, I spoke with CSM Mellinger on the phone. He's in Afghanistan Walking the Line right now, and says we are taking the fight to the enemy.
And so here is the private tribute written by CSM Jeff Mellinger in honor of our latest fallen warrior, SPC David Lee Leimbach, who gave his life in our defense:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afghanistan
This morning at 0600, we paid final respects to SPC David Lee Leimbach, a Taylor, South Carolina, National Guard soldier killed yesterday in the mountains of Afghanistan.
Just before 0500, an announcement came across the Bagram Airfield PA system for everyone to dress in their combat uniforms and assemble along the road which cuts through the middle of Bagram Air Base.
Little by little, troops from all services and many coalition countries began lining the main street of the base. They stood literally shoulder to shoulder on both sides of the road for nearly a mile.
At about 0530, a USAF C-17 landed (ironically from Charleston, SC), taxied, pulled into a space in front of the formed troops, turning its tail towards them. The ramp dropped, the engines shut down, the crew disembarked and lined up in front of the plane. All down the flight line, warriors stood at parade rest; talking and whispering stopped.
At 0600 on this bright, sunny day, the vehicle bearing the casket, having completed its drive from the mortuary to the airfield, turned onto the airfield. A single soldier walked in front of the vehicle to lead the way.
Along the road leading to the airfield, the troops that lined the road were standing at attention and saluting. On the airfield you could only hear the birds flitting around. In the distance were the sounds of aircraft flying their missions.
Now, the troops on the airfield came to attention and saluted as a bagpipe played Amazing Grace. The color guard moved into position, and those of us assembled near the plane came to attention and saluted.
Two cameramen ran ahead of the vehicle, recording the entire procession, and now the unloading and movement of the casket.
The casket, carried by soldiers of the unit, moved forward to the plane. The band played My Country, Tis of Thee. The casket was loaded on the plane, the senior personnel present (to include five general officers) walked onto the plane behind the casket, and final prayers and remarks were made, then those leaders and casket bearers disembarked.
As the assembled began to move from the site, the crew embarked, the ramp closed, the C-17 taxied and took off, and the fight continued.
I hope the family of this warrior knows that we loved him, too.
From every mountain side, let freedom ring!
Happy Memorial Day.
~
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13
On this Memorial Day our thoughts go out to all of our brave warriors who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Their sacrifice should never be far from our hearts and minds as it is their sacrifice which secures our right to enjoy today and every freedom we have. So we hope you enjoy this day with your family and friends, but hope you set aside a moment to remember our fallen warriors.
~
Greetings this Memorial Day. I'm spending this important day quietly with friends in Florida. It was with these friends, just over four years ago, that I attended the funeral of our mutual high school buddy. Scott was an ex-Navy SEAL who was murdered along with other contractors in Fallujah in early 2004. We'll spend this day not at a big party, but in quiet remembrance of Scott and so many others who have lost their lives on battlefields around the world.
I'll not do any work today other than three radio interviews. Last week, however, I read the first chapter of "Moment of Truth in Iraq" for the Orlando Sentinel [http://www.orlandosentinel.com/services/newspaper/printedition/sunday/goodliving/orl-yon2508may25,0,3114766.story]. Please click [http://www.orlandosentinel.com/services/newspaper/printedition/sunday/goodliving/orl-michaelyon-mp3,0,1501792.mp3file] for the audio, and please remember to thank at least one veteran, or family of a veteran, during the course of the day.
~
Greetings,
I have left the United States and am heading back to the war.
Heavy promotion of Moment of Truth in Iraq [http://yhst-80051593642880.stores.yahoo.net/] is over. I conducted approximately 100 radio, television, magazine and newspaper interviews, therefore was unable to do much more than track the war from afar. There are more radio interviews scheduled, but I’ll be talking from downrange. Moment of Truth in Iraq hit #6 on the Amazon bestseller list, and #2 on Barnes and Noble, which greatly surprised me.
Michael Moore [http://michaelyon-online.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=977%3Amichael-moores-crime&Itemid=55] has stopped the copyright infringement on my work, but his attorney has not responded to my attorney’s requests to negotiate a settlement. Out of courtesy, we’ll give Mr. Moore a little more time. But if he refuses to afford us the professional consideration of returning communications, we’ll have to file a lawsuit and meet them in court.
An email came this morning from 1st Lieutenant Brad Krauss. Brad and his platoon fought hard in many different places in Iraq, and I got to know these veterans during Operation Arrowhead Ripper. They named their Stryker “The General Lee,” [http://michaelyon-online.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=326:superman&catid=63:archive-2007&Itemid=108] after it had saved their lives so many times and kept on rolling. The thing was like Robocop. It would get blasted hard, tires blown off, slat armor dragging the ground, but the mechanics kept fixing the General Lee and it would return to combat usually within 24-48 hours. Finally, it was practically blown to smithereens when a giant bomb detonated directly beneath it. Brad said the General Lee is now returning to a line unit, and he sent this link: "One year later, General Lee rides again" [http://www.nwguardian.com/103/story/3387.html]. I’ve seen Strykers take terrific abuse and return to combat within a day or two, but I just couldn’t believe how much beating the General Lee took. If I had a magic wand, I’d send the Army another thousand of those things. And a thousand to the Brits, too.
You’ve got to see the footage inside my Superman dispatch when the General Lee got blasted into the air and crashed onto its side. Please click the Superman link [http://michaelyon-online.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=326:superman&catid=63:archive-2007&Itemid=108] to see the enemy video. Surely you would think the entire crew of American soldiers had been killed, but they all returned to combat nearly immediately. If you look very closely at the video, you can see Brad flying out of the front left hatch like Superman. He didn’t fly far and the General Lee nearly crushed him, but Brad soon returned to combat. Brad said the dispatch I wrote gained major points with his girlfriend, and I was happy to have assisted him on that important front. Now that his tour has ended, he has decided to stay in the Army.
I’m getting back into action myself. Moment of Truth in Iraq hardly made me a rich man, so reader support [http://michaelyon-online.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=61&Itemid=71] remains critical to continuing the mission. My next reports from the war will be unembedded; in other words, I will not be with U.S. or Coalition forces, but I will be in some very dangerous places. Therefore, I cannot disclose my locations until after I have departed.
Final update: no Senators have taken me up on the offer to act as a tour guide in Iraq, but the offer stands.
Kindly,
Michael
~~~~~
Defense Secretary Gates recently fired Senior Air Force Leadership due to two recent mistakes involving nuclear weapons security. A B-52 was flown from North Dakota to Barksdale AFB with nuclear weapons on board. The plane sat on the ramp at Barksdale for almost two days before anyone discovered that it had mistakenly arrived loaded with nuclear weapons. In another case nuclear triggers were sent to one of our allies instead of the requested aircraft parts.
Secretary Gates apparently didn’t feel that the Air Force leadership had done enough to prevent and correct these mistakes. He then announced a task force to review DoD’s nuclear weapons management. The task force will provide independent advice on the organizational, procedural and policy improvements necessary to ensure that the highest levels of accountability and control are maintained in the department’s stewardship of nuclear weapons, delivery vehicles, sensitive components and basing procedures.
~
I could save them some money. After the fall of the Soviet Union and our switch to more empathize on “conventional” armed forces, the DOD cut back on inspections of nuclear weapons handling procedures as well as reducing inspections at nuclear weapons storage sites. So it was the DOD who set up the above mistakes.
To correct the problems with our handling of nuclear weapons, all they have to do is go back to the staffing, procedures and policies that they discontinued over the last 10 to 20 years.
~~~~~
Help! Community Video Needs
I need to get your help. Magnolia is putting together a community video and need to get some good digital photos or video of the following:
Magnolia FFA shots
Purple Hull Pea shots
Purple Hull Pea logo
Village Deer Dog Days shots
Village Deer Dog Days logo
Octoberfest Shots
Shots of kids playing ball or in a fitness class
Summer Children’s Musical shots
Murder Mystery Theater Shots
If you have any of these, please reply to this email with the footage. If you have any questions, please feel free to call.
Toby C. Stephens
Executive Director
Magnolia Economic Development Corporation
ts@ccalliance.us
P.O. Box 866
Magnolia, AR 71754
870-234-4352 office
870-234-9291 fax
870-901-1608 cell
~~~~~
One of our emergency team members "Finally made YouTube!! John Burge writes: The Canadian team that came down and entered the World Championship Steak cook off was right behind us in the parade. During staging at Krogers I saw them stopping people and talking to them with a child's toy microphone and didn't think anything else of it. A little while later I turned around and they were on me. They called Molly (Chamber of Commerce) a couple days ago and told her they were putting a video on YouTube taken at the Steak cook off. Molly pulled it up and it was "me" her Uncle. She called them back and told them who I was.. Small World! You can look it up on YouTube. Search: "World Championship Steak Cook Off" and it was the first one that comes up! Don't I get some kind of compensation for this???
http://youtube.com/watch?v=zIFVo5a-DDA&feature=related
~~~~~
It’s that time of year again. Blueberries and Mayhaw Jelly FOR SALE
Blueberries: $7/Quart - $24/Gallon
Mayhaw Jelly: $4/half pint - $7/pint
Call 234.2777
~~~~~
Former Columbia Judge, Joe Mullins will be in the movie "W" (directed by Oliver Stone) acting as Dennis Hastert speaker of the house. In the beginning of the film, the president speaks to the nation and Joe will introduce him. Joe favors Dennis Hastert a little. We’re proud to know that one of our local citizens is working in film and portraying such a high position in government!
~~~~~
Over the Last weeks we watched [Ratings are my own]:
I Am Legend (2007) [6.0] Starring Will Smith
Spencer's Mountain (1963) [8.0] Starring: Henry Fonda, Maureen O'Hara, James MacArthur and Wally Cox
Pitch Black (2000) [6.0] Starring Vin Diesel, Radha Mitchell and Cole Hauser
The Chronicles of Riddick (2004) [6.0] Starring: Vin Diesel, Karl Urban and Judi Dench
The Kite Runner (2007) [5.0] Starring Khalid Abdalla ... Atossa Leoni ... and Shaun Toub
In Her Shoes (2005) [6.0] Starring Cameron Diaz ... Anson Mount ... and Toni Collette
It Happened One Night (1934) [8.5] Starring Clark Gable ... Claudette Colbert ... and Walter Connolly
People Will Talk (1951) [9.0] Starring Cary Grant ... Jeanne Crain ... and Finlay Currie
~~~~~
Over the last weeks we read; “Trace evidence : a novel” / Elizabeth Becka, “The appeal” / John Grisham., “The sudoku puzzle murders : a Puzzle Lady mystery” / Parnell Hall, “Killing Rommel : a novel” / Steven Pressfield, “The jester : a novel” / by James Patterson and Andrew Gross. Lady killer / Lisa Scottoline. And Curse of the Spellmans / by Lisa Lutz. Uncertain peril : genetic engineering and the future of seeds / Claire Hope Cummings. The moonpool / P.T. Deutermann. Hollywood crows / Joseph Wambaugh.
We’re currently reading; Larry Bond's First team : soul of the assassin / Larry Bond and Jim DeFelice.
We intend to read; “Honor Bound: Inside the Guantanamo Trials” by Kyndra miller Rotunda
We recommend: One Bite at a Time: Nourishing Recipes for Cancer Survivors and Their Friends by Rebecca Katz, Marsha Tomassi, and Mat Edelson
~~~~~
http://www.shelfari.com/BugsBleat/shelf?ec=7D790D174EFS18012
~~~~~
The photos on the front of this week’s “Bleat” include Dusty and Zac visiting the Magnolia Airport, Daniel and Sim Baily at MCC’s recent Men’s fellowship, members of AR-1 Arkansas’s Crack Disaster Medical Team and Jeff Olberman teaching at a recent DMAT meeting.
~~~~~
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 - - - Salsa Recipe - Sherel Goodwin
Fresh Salsa
1- 28 oz can tomatoes
1 can Rotel tomatoes (I used mild)
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1 fresh jalapeno pepper
½ tsp cumin
1 tsp. fresh cilantro (to taste)
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
chopped onion to taste (i used about 1/4 cup)
Put all in blender and blend for a few seconds.
~
Farm Stand Salsa Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence
2 ears fresh, sweet corn, cut off the cob
½ medium red onion, diced
2 green onions, white and green parts, chopped
1 1/2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and chopped in chunks
1 jalapeno, sliced
1/4 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves chopped
1 lemon, juiced
1 lime, juiced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, tossing to coat. Put the salsa in a sealable plastic container and take to a picnic, if desired.
Episode#: FO1D53
~
Pico de Gallo with Homemade Tortilla Chips Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse
1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, cored, halved, and seeded (about 2 ½ cups)
3/4 cup finely chopped white onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons minced, seeded jalapeno or serrano chiles (about 2 medium)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon salt
Homemade Tortilla Chips, recipe follows
Cut the tomatoes into 1/4-inch dice and place in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well to combine. Cover and allow to rest at room temperature for 1 hour for the flavors to blend.
Serve with Homemade Chips.
~
Homemade Tortilla Chips:
9 corn tortillas, cut into quarters
4 cups corn or vegetable oil
Salt
In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the oil to 360 degrees F.
In batches, add the tortillas to the oil, being careful not to overcrowd, and cook until golden brown, turning once, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Season lightly with Essence. Serve warm or use to make nachos.
Yield: 3 dozen chips
Episode#: EE0824
~
Pineapple-Avocado Salsa Recipe courtesy Gourmet Magazine
1 cup 1/4-inch-dice fresh pineapple
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 firm-ripe West Indian avocado, cut into 1/4-inch dice
½ cup chopped sweet onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh jalapeno chile, including seeds
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
Stir all ingredients together and season with salt, to taste.
Episode#: SS1C71
~
Grilled Corn Salsa Recipe courtesy Michael Chiarello
10 large ears corn, husked
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
Salt and freshly ground pepper
8 vine-ripened tomatoes, about 1 pound total
1 cup diced red onion, 1/4-inch dice
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar, or more to taste
½ cup julienne fresh basil leaves
Brush the corn liberally with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Grill, turning every few minutes, until light gold all over and cooked, about 12 minutes. Let cool and cut off the kernels. Discard the cobs.
Core the tomatoes and cut a small X on the bottom of each. Brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and place on the grill, X side down, away from direct heat. Cover the grill and cook until the tomatoes begin to soften but are not cooked all the way through (or they will melt through the grate!), about 15 minutes. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then peel. Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise and squeeze out the juice and the seeds through a sieve into a bowl. Reserve the juices and chop the flesh.
Put the onions in the non-reactive medium bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of the vinegar. Let marinate until the color changes, about 10 minutes.
Add the chopped tomatoes, reserved tomato juice, onions, basil, and 1/3 cup olive oil to the corn. Toss well. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt, pepper, and remaining vinegar. The salsa is best eaten the same day but will keep, covered and refrigerated, a day or so.
Serve with tortilla chips or as a topping for tacos.
Episode#: MO0710
Copyright © 2006 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved
~~~~~
BreakPoint
Thank You, Dad
By Chuck Colson
6/13/2008
Reflections on My Father
As this Father’s Day approaches, I have been thinking a lot about my own dad, and how blessed I was to have him in my life. I was born during the Depression; by today’s standards, I guess you would say we grew up in fairly deprived circumstances. I just did not know it.
I remember that Dad was not around much when I was growing up. He had to drop out of high school when he was a young man to support his family after his father died. So, by the time I arrived, he was working full-time at a job, and going to accounting school—and later law school—at night: 12 years in total.
One of my earliest childhood memories was my parents taking food to neighbors who had less than we did; and my mother taking me on the subway to meet my dad coming out of law school at nine o’clock at night. Then, we would accompany him home, but not before stopping for an ice cream.
As I reflect on it, I think I developed my work ethic during those days. When I got out of the Marine Corps, I thought nothing about working full-time and going to school at night for four years to get my law degree. After all, my dad had set the example. Maybe one of the best days for my dad, and for me, was when I was admitted to the bar in Massachusetts and made a copy of the certificate, mailing it to my dad with a note on it saying, “Without you I could never have done this.”
My dad worked so hard that I was accustomed to spending time with him only on Sunday afternoons. We would sit on the back porch, and there was never any wasted time. My dad would drill lessons into my head: Always do an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay; be willing to do anything that you are required to do (that came in handy, by the way, when I had to clean toilets in Marine training); and always tell the truth. I testified 44 times under oath during Watergate and was never once accused of perjury.
But if anybody accused me of self-righteousness, I would have to stand convicted. When I got to the White House, I was meticulous about avoiding conflicts of interest: I would put everything I owned in trusts. I would not see former clients. But I ended up in prison. Self-righteousness is a form of pride.
One of the toughest things I ever experienced was stopping by my dad’s hospital room on my way to prison. It was an emotional time, but at least I was able to witness to him about Christ. I will not know until I get to heaven what came of it. My worst day followed that, when I learned, in prison, that my dad had died. I had to attend the funeral under armed guard.
But one thing I knew for sure—and I knew it even as I grieved at my father’s funeral: Dad had poured everything he had into me—and into his grandkids, who became the joy of his life. And he lived his life with great honor and dignity.
All I can hope is that the same will be said of me some day by my children and grandchildren. I knew every minute my dad was proud of me—and I was proud of him.
I told him how I felt many times when he was alive. But on reflection, I wish I had told him more often. So, do not miss the opportunity this Father’s Day to tell your father how much you love him and appreciate him.
Or, if he is gone, as my father is, at least give a prayer of thanks to God that you had the dad you did.
~
Bathroom Wars
With Chuck Colson
6/6/2008
Potty Politics
Three months ago, I told you about a new law in Montgomery County, Maryland, that demands co-ed locker rooms and restrooms in all public accommodations. The law was intended to accommodate “transgendered people”—that is, men who say they perceive themselves to be women, and women who claim they consider themselves men. I said, at the time, that we would see extremists in other jurisdictions attempting to pass similar laws. And that is exactly what is happening.
Last week, Colorado’s legislature passed—and Gov. Bill Ritter signed—a law that will open all public accommodations, including public restrooms, to anyone who wants to use them. That means men may use a women’s restroom, and women may enter men’s rooms. The rationale for Senate Bill 200 is that transgenders should be able to use the restroom they feel most comfortable using. Apparently, it is not important if others feel uncomfortable having their privacy violated every time they use public facilities.
The lack of privacy is not the only problem. Nobody is going to ask a man if he is trangendered before allowing him into the ladies’ room. This means any man—including a child molester—could simply follow a little girl into the privacy of a public restroom. And, if a man decided to expose himself to a young girl there, who is she going to complain to? After all, restrooms, by definition, are places where one exposes the private parts of one’s body.
Men will have even less privacy, because they often do not use stalls.
Appalling as this law is, it gets worse. Tom Minnery of Focus on the Family points out, in the Denver Post, that the law also threatens religious liberty: Colorado’s “public accommodations” law includes not only hotels and restaurants, but also any small or home-based business that offers “goods or services” to the public.
And, as we have seen before, radicals go out of their way to target Christian businesses. As Minnery notes, in Albuquerque, a Christian couple who operate a photography studio politely declined, on religious grounds, to photograph a lesbian “commitment ceremony.” For this exercise of their First Amendment rights, the couple were forced to appear before New Mexico’s human rights commission and fined more than $6,600. Now, if you dare to deny a transgendered “man” access to the women’s room, you can be prosecuted under criminal laws and spend up to a year in jail. It is an outrage.
The American people are not asking for new bathroom laws. The truth is, this is an effort—by a small but radical minority—to use the force of law to punish anyone backward enough to believe there are only two sexes: male and female. The true goal behind the law is the radical remaking of our society—one in which faithful Christians, Muslims, and Jews will be punished for their beliefs.
Are you disgusted enough? Good. If you live in Colorado, get to work putting an initiative on the November ballot. That is what citizens of Montgomery County, Maryland, did. And the rest of us better stay on our guard, keeping an eye on our own lawmakers.
In a free country, nobody has the right to tell us what to believe—or to punish us for putting our First Amendment rights into practice. And, yes, there are men and women who deserve privacy, no matter who tells us there are no differences between the sexes.
~~
Rebels with a Good Cause
By Chuck Colson
5/30/2008
Teens Doing Hard Things
This week on “BreakPoint,” we have been talking about teens and the particular challenges facing them. But did you know that the word teenager did not even exist until the twentieth century? That’s what teenage authors Alex and Brett Harris share in their new book called Do Hard Things, which they wrote for their fellow teenagers.
Apparently, the first documented use of the word occurred in an issue of Reader’s Digest in 1941. David Barnhart and Allan Metcalf in the book America in So Many Words, tell us that before the twentieth century, “we had thought of people in just two stages: children and adults. And while childhood might have its tender moments, the goal of the child was to grow up as promptly as possible. . . .”
When child-labor laws rightly created restrictions to protect the physical well-being of children, and mandatory education was extended through high school, an unintended by-product was the creation of a new sub-category: the teenager.
Since then, our expectations for adolescents have plummeted, while their disposable income has soared. While Madison Avenue figures out ways to harness teenage buying power, the teen years have come to be seen as a “vacation from responsibility,” say Alex and Brett. They go on to point out, “Society doesn’t expect much from young people during their teen years—except trouble. And it certainly doesn’t expect competence, maturity or productivity.”
We have already looked this week at how technology and media create unique challenges for teens, and how teens suffer from a lack of involvement with adults and lack of training in biblical worldview. Perhaps underlying all of these other issues are the low expectations society has set for teenagers. As Alex and Brett write, we live in a society where a teen who makes his or her bed has done an act of valor.
That is one reason why I think the book Do Hard Things is so important. It is challenging teenagers to rebel against the low expectations placed on them, not the least of which are low spiritual expectations. And the voices that are asking teens to rise to meet this challenge are voices from their own generation. That thrills me. But we adults should be setting higher standards, as well.
It thrills me even more to see two young men like Brett and Alex living out what they are calling others to do. At 16, they served as the youngest Supreme Court interns on record in the state of Alabama. At 17, they launched www.TheRebelution.com, now one of the most trafficked Christian teen websites on the Internet. At 18, they began touring the country talking to teens. And at 19, they became published authors when their book Do Hard Things hit the stores.
If you’ve got a teenager in your house—or if you have one who is a grandson or granddaughter—I want to encourage you to pick up a copy of Do Hard Things. It would make a great graduation present or summer reading.
And don’t just give them the book; make a point to ramp up your interaction with the teens God has put in your life. Become a spiritual mentor to your teens and help them rebel against low expectations. Help them become rebels with a good cause, seeking more out of life than mindless channel-surfing.
This is part four in a four-part series.
~
© 2008 Prison Fellowship - - http://www.breakpoint.org/site_hmpg.asp
~~~~~
Words of the Week:
aright: rightly; correctly.
ruminate: to chew the cud; also, to ponder; to reflect.
listless: having no desire or inclination.
vehement: marked by intensity of emotions or convictions.
ribald: characterized by, or given to, vulgar humor.
forgo: to do without.
schadenfreude: a malicious satisfaction in the misfortunes of others.
grandee: a man of elevated rank or station; a nobleman.
harridan: a scolding, vicious woman.
countermand: to revoke (a former command) or recall by a contrary order.
bagatelle: a trifle; also, a short, light literary or musical piece.
lachrymose: given to causing tears.
tremulous: shaking, quivering; also, affected with fear.
repletion: the condition of being completely or excessively full.
potentate: one who possesses great power or sway.
minatory: threatening; menacing.
raconteur: one who excels in telling stories and anecdotes.
surfeit: an excessive amount; also, to supply to excess.
patrician: a nobleman; also, a person of refined upbringing, manners, and taste.
hyperbole: extravagant exaggeration.
apprise: to give notice to; to inform.
from Dictionary.Com
~~~~~
There's a fine line between "a procedure with a history of success" and "we ain't hurt nobody yet." - Joe Tudor
"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." - Leonardo da Vinci
"The aspects of things that are most important to us are hidden because of their simplicity and familiarity" - Ludwig Wittgenstein
"Everybody sooner or later, sits down to a banquet of consequences." - Robert Louis Stevenson
"Everything has been figured out, except how to live." - Jean Paul Sartre
"Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind it only the slime of bureaucracy." - Franz Kafka
"Mythology is what we call someone else's religion." - Joseph Campbell
"If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all." - Noam Chomsky
"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act." - George Orwell
I've made an odd discovery. Every time I talk to a savant I feel quite sure that happiness is no longer a possibility. Yet when I talk with my gardener, I'm convinced of the opposite.
Bertrand Russell
"There are two main human sins from which all the others derive: impatience and indolence. It was because of impatience that they were expelled from Paradise; it is because of indolence that they do not return. Yet perhaps there is only one major sin: impatience. Because of impatience they were expelled, because of impatience they do not return." - Franz Kafka
"There is no personal charm so great as the charm of a cheerful temperament." - Henry Van Dyke
"Give what you have. To someone, it may be better than you dare to think." - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
"You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions." - Naguib Mahfouz
"Since the human body tends to move in the direction of its expectations -- plus or minus -- it is important to know that attitudes of confidence and determination are no less a part of the treatment program than medical science and technology." - Norman Cousins
"They say that we are better educated than our parents' generation. What they mean is that we go to school longer. It is not the same thing." – Richard Yates
"The best way to destroy your enemy is to make him your friend." - Abraham Lincoln
"The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today." - Franklin D. Roosevelt
"Mishaps are like knives, that either serve us or cut us, as we grasp them by the blade or the handle." - James Russell Lowell
"Beware of little expenses. A small leak will sink a great ship." - Benjamin Franklin
"Expect nothing. Live frugally on surprise." - Alice Walker
"To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts." - Henry David Thoreau
"A man of genius makes no mistakes. His errors are volitional and are the portals of discovery." - James Joyce
~~~~~
BREAKING CHRISTIAN NEWS
http://breakingchristiannews.com/
Man in France "Comes Back from the Dead" Over an Hour After Attempts to Revive Him Failed
Boy Scout Motto—"Be Prepared"—put to Test in Tornado Destruction, their Readiness Saved Lives
New York Window Cleaner Who Miraculously Survived Falling from 47th Floor of Skyscraper is Finally Back Home
Discovered: Medieval Church and Town Swallowed Up by the Sea in 1540
Baby was "Born Twice" Thanks to Lifesaving Medical Miracle
Arthritics Really Can Predict Thunderstorms Says Doctor
Bomb Plot Thwarted in Town Where Churches are Uniting for Revival
9/11 Exhibit Opens in D-Day Museum in Normandy
6,000 Christians Attend Massive Evening of Prayer to Reduce Crime in Major U.K. City
Wisconsin Court Upholds Traditional Marriage
Descendants of Executioner of Christian Martyrs in 1885 Issue Written Apology to Ugandan Church
Liberty Counsel Requests the California Supreme Court to Rehear and Stay its Marriage Decision
One-Child Policy Suspended for Chinese Parents who Lost a Child in Quake
New Zealand Formally Apologizes to its Vietnam War Vets for the Poor Treatment They Received When They Returned Home From War
MSNBC Publishes New Report on Lakeland Revival; Can't Ignore Impact the Outpouring is Having
310 2nd Ave SE
Albany, Oregon 97321
541-928-2642
E-mail editor@breakingchristiannews.com
US Orders: 1-866-358-7426
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
GCF: Answering Machine
Emailed to me from another humor list (Daily Humor) -Tom To subscribe to Daily Humor, send a blank email to: Daily-Humor-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.
---------------------------------------------
"Thank you for calling Adventures in Telephoning Unlimited. If you wish to leave a message for Carol, please press 1. If you wish to leave a message for Marge, please press 2. If it's Kristin you're calling, please press 3. If none of these names make any sense to you, you've probably called the wrong number. In that case, please press 4 and leave a message for Nick, he's feeling ignored."
_ ____________________________ _
GCF: Blind Date
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
---------------------------------------------
An 85-year-old widow went on a blind date with a 90-year-old man. When she returned to her daughter's house later that night, she seemed upset.
"What happened, Mother?" the daughter asked.
"I had to slap his face three times!"
"You mean he got fresh?"
"No," she answered, "I thought he was dead."
_ ____________________________ _
GCF: Raise
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
---------------------------------------------
Our boss told us that a salary raise is planned. One of the guys asked, "When does it become effective?"
The boss answered, "As soon as you do."
_ ____________________________ _
GCF: I'll Check
Emailed to me another humor list (Pastor Tim's Clean Laugh List) -Tom Subscribe to Pastor Tim's Clean Laugh list at the website:
---------------------------------------------
I walked into my sister's kitchen and found my nephew, Dewey, having a snack.
"Where's your mother?" I asked.
"She said she was going to have a shower. Just a second, I'll check."
Dewey went to the kitchen tap and turned the hot water on full blast.
An indignant yell came from above.
Dewey calmly turned off the tap and said, "Yep, she's in the shower."
_ ____________________________ _
GCF: School Photograph
Emailed to me by a friend (Thanks, Monica) -Tom
---------------------------------------------
The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture. "Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, 'There's Jennifer; she's a lawyer,' or 'That's Michael, he's a doctor.'"
A small voice at the back of the room rang out, "And there's the teacher ... she's dead."
_ ____________________________ _
GCF: Getting Old
Emailed to me by a friend (Thanks, Larry) -Tom
---------------------------------------------
You know you're old when you have owned an album for 3 or more decades in 5 different formats.
In 1978 - 8-track tape.
In 1983 - Cassette tape.
In 1987 - Vinyl.
In 1994 - CD.
In 2005 - MP3.
_ ____________________________ _
GCF: Dating Dinosaur Bones
Emailed to me by a friend (Thanks, Beth) -Tom
---------------------------------------------
Some tourists in the Chicago Museum of Natural History are marveling at the dinosaur bones. One of them asks the guard, "Can you tell me how old the dinosaur bones are?"
The guard replies, "They are 3 million, four years, and six months old."
"That's an awfully exact number," says the tourist. "How do you know their age so precisely?"
The guard answers, "Well, the dinosaur bones were three million years old when I started working here, and that was four and a half years ago."
_ ____________________________ _
GCF: Laws of Cat Physics
Emailed to me by a friend (Thanks, John) -Tom
---------------------------------------------
LAW OF CAT INERTIA - A cat at rest will tend to remain at rest, unless acted upon by some outside force, such as the opening of cat food, or a nearby scurrying mouse.
LAW OF CAT MOTION - A cat will move in a straight line, unless there is a really good reason to change direction.
LAW OF CAT THERMODYNAMICS - Heat flows from a warmer to a cooler body, except in the case of a cat, all heat flows to the cat.
FIRST LAW OF CAT ENERGY CONSERVATION - Cats know that energy can neither be created nor destroyed and will, therefore, use as little energy as possible.
LAW OF BAG/BOX OCCUPANCY - All bags and boxes in a given room must contain a cat within the earliest possible nanosecond.
LAW OF FURNITURE REPLACEMENT - A cat's desire to scratch furniture is directly proportional to the cost of the furniture.
LAW OF PILL REJECTION - Any pill given to a cat has potential energy to reach escape velocity.
LAW OF CAT COMPOSITION - A cat is composed of Matter + Anti-matter + It Doesn't Matter.
LAW OF SPACE-TIME CONTINUUM - Given enough time, a cat will land in just about any space.
LAW OF CAT OBEDIENCE - As yet undiscovered.
_ ____________________________ _
GCF: A Simple Explanation of Baseball
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
---------------------------------------------
This is a game played by two teams, one out the other in. The one that's in, sends players out one at a time, to see if they can get in before they get out. If they get out before they get in, they come in, but it doesn't count. If they get in before they get out it does count.
When the ones out get three outs from the ones in before they get in without being out, the team that's out comes in and the team in goes out to get those going in out before they get in without being out.
When both teams have been in and out nine times the game is over. The team with the most in without being out before coming in wins unless the ones in are equal. In which case, the last ones in go out to get the ones in out before they get in without being out.
The game will end when each team has the same number of ins out but one team has more in without being out before coming in
_ ____________________________ _
GCF: Parked Cars in the Snow
Emailed to me by a friend (Thanks, Andrew) -Tom
---------------------------------------------
It had been snowing for hours when an announcement came over the intercom: "Will the students who are parked on University Drive please move their cars so that we may begin plowing?"
Twenty minutes later there was another announcement: "Will the twelve hundred students who went to move 26 cars please return to class?"
_ ____________________________ _
GCF: Bad Shape
Emailed to me by a friend (Thanks, Huck) -Tom
---------------------------------------------
A man was in bad shape. He constantly gasped for breath and his eyes bulged. The doctors didn't give him long to live. He decided to live it up. Withdrawing all of his money from the bank, he went on a shopping spree. His last stop was at the most expensive haberdashery in the city. He pointed out a dozen silk shirts. He wore a size fourteen.
The clerk said, "Your neck looks bigger than fourteen. You need a sixteen."
The man said, "I know my size. I want them in a fourteen."
The clerk said, "I'll get them for you, but I want to warn you...if you wear a fourteen you'll gasp all day and your eyes will bulge."
_ ____________________________ _
GCF: The Game Warden
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 couple of young boys were fishing at their special pond off the beaten track when out of the bushes jumped the Game Warden. Immediately, one of the boys threw his rod down and started running through the woods and hot on his heels came the Game Warden.
After about a half mile the boy stopped and stooped over with his hands on his thighs to catch his breath and the Game Warden finally caught up to him. "Lets see your fishing license!" the Warden gasped.
With that, the young man pulled out his wallet and gave the Game Warden a valid fishing license.
"Well, son," said the Game Warden, "you must be about as dumb as a box of rocks! You don't have to run from me if you have a valid license!"
"Yes, sir," replied the young man, "but my friend back there, well, he don't have one..."
_ ____________________________ _
GCF: Locate the Road
Emailed to me from another humor list (Daily Humor) -Tom To subscribe to Daily Humor, send a blank email to: Daily-Humor-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
---------------------------------------------
A friend and I were driving in the country looking for an address. We found the town, but we couldn't locate the road.
We drove to the police station. They'd never heard of the road. Neither had the Fire Department. We went to City Hall, where a community get- together was going on. We consulted a map, with no luck, until finally we happened to ask one young man who knew exactly where the street was. He pointed to the map, showing us exactly how to get there.
I said, "Thank you. Are you with the Police? Or the Fire Department?"
"Neither. I deliver pizzas."
_ ____________________________ _
GCF: Summer Job Hunt
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
---------------------------------------------
My brother wanted me to find him a summer job. He asked me to check with my boss, my friends, my business associates.
Then he asked me to run off 100 copies of his resume, call up the employment agencies, and write an ad for the Positions Wanted section of the newspaper.
I asked him what he wanted to call himself in the ad.
He said, "A self-starter!"
_ ____________________________ _
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / If you can't keep a secret, \ /
\ _/ you don't need to know it. \_ /
/ / \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ / Nearly all men can stand \ \_/ ////
\ / adversity, but if you want, \ /
\ _/ to test a man's character, \_ /
/ / give him power. \ \
-Abraham Lincoln
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ /The healthiest part of a donut \ \_/ ////
\ / is the hole. Unfortunately, \ /
\ _/ you have to eat through the \_ /
/ / rest of the donut to get there. \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / Pride is what we have. \ /
\ _/ Vanity is what others have. \_ /
/ / \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ / A thought about aging: \ \_/ ////
\ / It's scary when you start \ /
\ _/ making the same noises \_ /
/ / as your coffeemaker. \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ / I used to eat a lot of \ \_/ ////
\ / natural foods until I learned \ /
\ _/ that most people die \_ /
/ / of natural causes. \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ / Eat a live toad in the \ \_/ ////
\ / morning and nothing worse \ /
\ _/ will happen to you \_ /
/ / for the rest of the day. \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / The only time the world \ /
\ _/ beats a path to your door \_ /
/ / is if you're in the bathroom. \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ /Why do people constantly return\ \_/ ////
\ / to the refrigerator with hopes \ /
\ _/ that something new to eat \_ /
/ / will have materialized? \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / I've reached the age \ /
\ _/ where happy hour is a nap. \_ /
/ / \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ / Only one thing is certain, \ \_/ ////
\ / that is, nothing is certain. \ /
\ _/ If this statement is true, \_ /
/ / it is also false. \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ / Disregard all \ \_/ ////
\ / nonessential numbers. \ /
\ _/ These include age, \_ /
/ / weight and height. \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / A meeting is an event \ /
\ _/ at which the minutes are kept \_ /
/ / and the hours are lost. \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ / "I don't make jokes. \ \_/ ////
\ / I just watch the government \ /
\ _/ and report the facts." \_ /
/ / - Will Rogers \ \
_ ____________________________ _
| 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/
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
GOD'S THOUGHTS ON LAWNS
GOD: Frank, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there on the planet? What happened to the dandelions, violets, thistle and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honeybees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colors by now. But, all I see are these green rectangles.
St. FRANCIS; It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers 'weeds' and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.
GOD: Grass? But, it's so boring. It's not colorful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds and bees; only grubs and sod worms. It's sensitive to temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there?
ST. FRANCIS: Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.
GOD: The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy.
ST. FRANCIS: Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it-sometimes twice a week.
GOD: They cut it? Do they then bail it like hay?
ST. FRANCIS: Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.
GOD: They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?
ST. FRANCIS: No, Sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.
GOD: Now, let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And, when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?
ST. FRANCIS: Yes, Sir.
GOD: These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.
ST. FRANCIS: You aren't going to believe this, Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.
GOD: What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn, they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. It's a natural cycle of life.
ST, FRANCIS: You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.
GOD: No. What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter to keep the soil moist and loose?
ST. FRANCIS: After throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy something which they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.
GOD: And where do they get this mulch?
ST FRANCIS: They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch.
GOD: Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore. St. Catherine, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?
ST. CATHERINE: 'Dumb and Dumber', Lord. It's a story about....
GOD: Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from St Francis.
Thanks to Waneta
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
My five-year old students, are learning to read.
Yesterday one of them pointed at a picture in a zoo book and said,
"Look at this! It's a frickin' elephant!"
I took a deep breath, then asked..."What did you call it?"
"It's a frickin' elephant! It says so on the picture!"
And so it does...
" A f r i c a n Elephant "
Hooked on phonics! Ain't it wonderful?
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Medical alert
THE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL IN MONTANA HAS ISSUED A MEDICAL ALERT
ABOUT A HIGHLY, CONTAGIOUS, POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS VIRUS THAT IS TRANSMITTED ORALLY, BY HAND, AND EVEN ELECTRONICALLY.
This virus is called Weary Overload Recreational Killer (WORK). If you receive WORK from your boss, any of your colleagues or anyone else via any means whatsoever--DO NOT TOUCH IT. This virus will wipe out your private life completely.
If you should come into contact with WORK, you should immediately leave the premises. Take two good friends to the nearest grocery store and purchase one or both of the antidotes--Work Isolation Neutralizer Extract (WINE) and Bothersome Employer Elimination Rebooter (BEER). Take the antidote repeatedly until WORK has been completely eliminated from your system.
You should immediately forward this medical alert to your friends. If you do not have five friends, you have already been infected and WORK is controlling your life.
Thanks to Waneta
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
When I got home from work last night, Annette demanded that I take her out to some place really expensive...
So I took her to the Exxon gas station
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
I really admire people who learn English as a second language! Do they have as many weird happenings in their native tongue?
You Think English is Easy??? Can you read these right the first time?
1) The bandage was wound around the wound.
2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the ! Polish furniture.
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7) Since there is no time like the ! present, he thought it was time to present the present .
8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9) When shot at, the Dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row .
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18) Upon seeing the tear in the painting, I shed a tear.
19) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
20) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?!
Let's face it - English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat. We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.
And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?
If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?
How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out, and in which an alarm goes off by going on.
English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are ! out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.
PS. - Why doesn't "Buick" rhyme with "quick"
You lovers of the English language might enjoy this .
There is a two-letter word that perhaps has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that is "UP."
It's easy to understand UP , meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP? At a meeting, why does a topic come UP ? Why do! we speak UP and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report ?
We call UP our friends. And we use it to brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver; warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen. We lock UP the house and some guys fix UP the old car At other times the little word has real special meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses. To be dressed is one thing but to be dressed UP is special.
And this UP is confusing: A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP. We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night.
We seem to be pretty mixed UP about! UP! To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP , look the word UP in the dictionary. In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4 th of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions. If you are UP to it, ! you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used. It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP ,you may wind UP with a hundred or more. When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP . When the sun comes out we say it is clearing UP .
When it rains, it wets the earth and often messes things UP.
When it doesn't rain for awhile, things dry UP .
We could go on, but I'll wrap it UP , for now cause my time is UP , so...Time to shut UP .
Thanks to Waneta
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Gift to Dad
A lumberjack had raised his only son and had managed to finance the young man's college education by the only way he knew how -- cutting down trees, by hand.
The young man had helped his father cut down some of those trees. He knew how hard his father had to work to put him through college.
When the son started college, he promised himself that the first thing he would do was to buy his father a present that would make the old man's life easier. The son saved and scrimped and finally had enough money to purchase the finest chainsaw in the world.
On a school vacation, the son asked his dad how many trees could he cut down in one day. The father, a large husky man, thought and said on a good day he was able to bring down 20 trees. The son gave his father the brand-new chainsaw and said from now on he would be able to triple the amount and work only half as hard.
The old man was very pleased and said he had the best son in the world. The young man left for school the next morning and wasn't able to return until the next school break, three months later.
When he arrived, he immediately noticed that his dad appeared run down. He asked if his father was feeling all right. The old man replied that cutting trees was getting harder and harder and now with the new chainsaw he was working longer hours but not cutting as many trees as before.
The son knew there was something wrong and thought perhaps the saw he purchased wasn't as good as advertised. He asked to check it out. Upon examining it, he checked the oiler and it was full. He checked the gas and it too was full. He yanked on the cord and immediately it roared to life.
His father grabbed him by the shirt and hollered, "WHAT'S THAT NOISE!?!?"
Received from Thomas Ellsworth.
(-:][:-)
Alligator Teeth
A tourist was admiring the necklace worn by a local Indian.
"What is it made of?" she asked.
"Alligator's teeth," the Indian replied.
"I suppose," she said patronizingly, "that they mean as much to you as pearls do to us."
"Oh no," he objected. "Anybody can open an oyster."
Received from Thomas Ellsworth.
(-:][:-)
Three Dogs
Three handsome male dogs are walking down the street when they see a beautiful, enticing, female poodle.
The three male dogs fall all over themselves in an effort to be the one to reach her first, but they end up arriving in front of her at the same time.
The males are speechless before her beauty, slobbering on themselves and hoping for just a glance from her in return.
Aware of her charms and her obvious effect on the three suitors, she decides to be kind and tells them, "The first one who can use the words 'liver' and 'cheese' together in an imaginative, intelligent sentence can go out with me."
The sturdy, muscular black lab speaks up quickly and says, "I love liver and cheese."
"Oh, how childish," says the poodle. "That shows no imagination or intelligence whatsoever." She turns to the tall, shiny golden retriever and says, "How well can you do?"
"Um ... I HATE liver and cheese," blurts the golden retriever.
"My, my," says the poodle. "I guess it's hopeless. That's just as dumb as the lab's sentence." She then turns to the last of the three dogs and says, "How about you, little guy?"
The last of the three, tiny in stature but big in fame and finesse, is the Taco Bell chihuahua. He gives her a smile and a sly wink, turns to the golden retriever and the lab, and says...
"Liver alone. Cheese mine."
Received from Charley.
(-:][:-)
Goodbye, Mom
I was shopping at Walmart and noticed a little old lady following me around. I stopped; she stopped. Furthermore, she kept staring at me. She finally overtook me at the checkout, and she turned to me and said, "I hope I haven't made you feel ill at ease; it's just that you look so much like my late son."
I answered, "That's okay."
"I know it's silly, but if you'd call out 'Goodbye, Mom,' as I leave the store, it would make me feel so happy."
She then went through the checkout, and as she was on her way out of the store, I called out, "Goodbye, Mom."
The little old lady waved and smiled back at me.
Pleased that I had brought a little sunshine into someone's day, I went to pay for my groceries.
"That comes to $121.85," said the clerk.
Shocked, I asked, "How come so much!? I only bought five items."
The clerk replied, "Yeah, but your mother said you'd be paying for her things, too."
Don't trust little old ladies!!!
Received from Chris Keniston.
(-:][:-)
A Long Walk
One day after a nasty streak of bad weather, I asked my teenage son to take our dog for a long walk after school.
When I came home from work, I found my son stretched out on the recliner, watching television.
He had leash in hand while the dog trotted happily away on the treadmill.
Received from Thomas Ellsworth.
(-:][:-)
Test Today
A teacher entered her classroom and said, "We are going to have a test today, whether there is rain or sunshine."
Suddenly, a student burst out laughing. "What's the matter? Why are you laughing?" asked the teacher.
"Because it's snowing!"
Received from Crazy.
(-:][:-)
Blonde Dream
Once a blonde kept having the same weird dream every day, so she went to her doctor.
Doctor: What was your dream about?
Blonde: I was being chased by a vampire!
Doctor: Really... What was the scenery like?
Blonde: I was running in a hallway.
Doctor: Then what happened?
Blonde: Well, that's the weird thing. In every single dream, the same thing happened. I would always come to this door, but I couldn't open it. I kept pushing the door and pushing
the door, but it wouldn't budge!
Doctor: Did the door have any letters on it?
Blonde: Yes, it did.
Doctor: And what did the letters spell?
Blonde: It said, "P-U-L-L."
Received from Lindsey.
(-:][:-)
Preacher's Donkey
A man bought a donkey from a preacher. The preacher told the man that this donkey had been trained in a very unique way (being the donkey of a preacher). The only way to make the donkey go was to say, "Hallelujah!"
The only way to make the donkey stop was to say, "Amen!"
The man was pleased with his purchase and immediately got on the animal to try out the preacher's instructions.
"Hallelujah!" shouted the man. The donkey began to trot. "Amen!" shouted the man. The donkey stopped immediately.
"This is great!" said the man. With a "Hallelujah" he rode off, very proud of his new purchase.
The man traveled for a long time through the mountains. As he headed towards a cliff, he tried to remember the word to make the donkey stop.
"Stop," said the man. "Halt!" he cried. The donkey just kept going.
"Oh, no..."
"Bible...Church!...Please! Stop!!" shouted the man. The donkey just began to trot faster. He was getting closer and closer to the edge of the cliff.
Finally, in desperation, the man said a prayer: "Please, dear Lord. Please make this donkey stop before I go off the end of this mountain. In Jesus' name, AMEN."
The donkey came to an abrupt stop just one step from the edge of the cliff.
"HALLELUJAH!" shouted the man.
Received from Lisa.
(-:][:-)
School Excuses
The following notes from parents excusing their children from attending school have been around a while but if you haven't seen them, I'm sure you will get a kick out of them:
"Please excuse Freddie from being away yesterday because he had the fuel."
"Please accuse Michael from being absent on January 30 because he was aleing."
"George was absent yesterday because of a sore trout."
"Please excuse Betsey from being absent. She was sick and I had her shot."
"Joseph has been absent becuz he had two teeth taken off his face."
"My son is under doctor's care and should not take fisical education. Please execute him."
"Please excuse Ralph from school on Friday. He had very loose vowels."
(-:][:-)
Blondes Do Not Really Have More Fun...
Two bowling teams, one of all blondes and one of all brunettes, chartered a double-decker bus for a weekend gambling trip.
The brunette team rode on the bottom of the bus, and the blonde team rode on the top level.
The brunette team down below really whooped it up, having a great time, when one of the brunettes realized she had not heard anything from the blondes upstairs.
She decided to go up and investigate. When the brunette reached the top, she found all the blondes in fear, staring straight ahead at the road, clutching the seats in front of them with white knuckles.
The brunette asked, "What the heck is going on up here? We are having a great time downstairs!"
One of the blondes looked at her, swallowed hard, and whispered, "YEAH, BUT YOU HAVE A DRIVER!"
Received from Ed Clark.
(-:][:-)
Rude Parrot
A lady was walking past a pet store when a parrot said, "Hey, lady! You're really ugly!" The lady was furious and continued on her way.
On the way home, she passed by the pet store again and the parrot once more said "Hey, lady! You're really ugly!" She was incredibly upset now, so she went into the store and said that she would sue the store and kill the bird. The store manager apologized profusely and promised he would make sure the parrot didn't say it again.
The next day, she deliberately passed by the store to test the parrot. "Hey, lady!" it said.
"Yes?"
"You know."
Received from ArcaMax Jokes.
(-:][:-)
Duck Food
One day while I was working in my office, this duck just comes waddlin' in. He looks around for a while and then jumps onto my desk and asks me, "Hey, do you got any duck food?"
I said, "No, now get outa here." So he jumps back onto the floor and waddles out of my office.
The next day the same duck comes back, looks around, and jumps on my desk. "Hey, do you have any duck food?" he asks again.
"No, now get outa here or I'll nail your feet to the floor."
"Oh, okay," he says and waddles out.
But the next day the duck comes waddling in and jumps on my desk and asks, "You got any nails?"
"No," I answered.
"Good! You got any duck food?"
Received from the Hand.
(-:][:-)
Out of Gas
The young woman sat in her stalled car, waiting for help. Finally two men walked up to her. "I'm out of gas," she purred. "Could you please push me to the gas station?"
The men readily put their muscles to the car and rolled it several blocks. After a while, one looked up, exhausted, to see that they had just passed a filling station.
"How come you didn't turn in?" he yelled.
"I never go there," the girl shouted back. "They don't have full service."
Received from Steve Sanderson.
(-:][:-)
Dark Parachute Jumps
Nights in England are coal black, making parachute jumps difficult and dangerous. So we attach small lights called chemlites to our jumpsuits to make ourselves visible to the rest of our team. Late one night, lost after a practice jump, we knocked on the door of a small cottage. When a woman answered, she was greeted by the sight of five men festooned in glowing chemlites.
"Excuse me," I said. "Can you tell me where we are?"
In a thick English accent, the woman replied, "Earth!"
Received from Mary Seal.
(-:][:-)
-=+=-
Rate this funny at http://www.gcfl.net/archive.php?funny=20060113
Brought to you by GCFL.net: The Good, Clean Funnies List A cheerful heart is good medicine... (Prov 17:22a) Mail address: GCFL, Box 100, Harvest, AL 35749, USA
To print or email this funny to others, go to http://www.gcfl.net/archive.php?funny=20060113
The latest GCFL funny can always be found on the web at http://www.gcfl.net/latest.php
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Madeleine Begun Kane Latest Columns - - http://www.madkane.com/humor_blog/2008/05/09/the-outgoing-message-id-love-to-but-probably-shouldnt-leave-on-my-answering-machine-limerick/ - The Outgoing Message I’d love To (But Probably Shouldn’t) Leave On My Answering Machine
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Your party can’t come to the phone.
She’s at lunch or home sick. Please don’t moan.
Leave a message, or not.
I don’t care — I’m a bot.
But my owner says, “Leave me alone!”
~
Sunday Scribblings: Telephone
I've been remiss about posting Sunday Scribblings the last few weeks. So this week's prompt, "telephone" compels me to write something.
When I was a graduate teaching assistant, my second semester, I had a really good class. They were enthusiastic and willing to debate anything at the drop of a hat, and I often found the 50 minute classes flying by. They were, obviously, very communicative--some more so than others. Much more so.
At the beginning of the semester, I took time to go over ways to contact me, stressing the importance of communicating with their instructor. Missing an assignment due to a family emergency was a whole lot different from ditching Friday classes because of Thirsty Thursday, but without communication, I couldn't know the difference.
One student was very diligent about informing me of his whereabouts and progress. Five minutes before class, I'd get a call, informing me he was in the writing center, making last minute changes or else he had had an appointment in another city and would be late. Late is late, and unless it was a school-sponsored absence or tardiness, it still went down in the record book, but bless his heart, he kept me informed of what seemed like his every move.
Here's the point where I mention one other relevant detail: I shared a phone line with three other GAs, and whoever was quickest on the draw would catch it. I, erm, often was not swift to pick up the phone. Willingly so.
After several such calls, a fellow GA finally asked if it was the same student who kept asking for Ms. Twit. I answered in the affirmative. She was, I think, somewhat in awe and definitely amused. I told her that the student must've had my office number programmed into his speed dial.
One afternoon, I was holding tutorials. Inevitably, the students who sign up for 8:00 a.m. tutorial slots show up at 7:45, and the last few afternoon appointments run 10 minutes late. My communicative student was, I believe, the last one for the afternoon, and I wanted to go and grab a late lunch.
He called, running late. I grudgingly agreed to wait, as it was the last day of tutorials, it wasn't exactly like he was a complete no-show, and I was/am a bit of a softie. Five minutes passed. A call. Something came up, he was so sorry, but he was back on track, again, so sorry, Ms. Twit, but he's on the way with the building in sight.
I decided to run down the hall and snag a couple Starbursts from the English department to tide me over until I ate (Starbursts, coffee, and Mountain Dew were about 50% of my grad school nutritional intake). When I got back, my fellow GA was trying to hold back a grin.
You just missed a call from your student, she told me. He wanted to let you know he's on the stairs now.
Yep, I'm pretty sure my office number must've been on speed dial.
http://overeducatedtwit.blogspot.com/2008/05/sunday-scribblings-telephone.html
http://www.madkane.com
Subscribe to MadKane Humor Newsletter (weekly) here:
http://www.madkane.com/email.html
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
"Don't strive for recognition, but work for achievement." -- Vanessa Malone
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Dancing With God
When I meditated on the word Guidance, I kept seeing 'dance' at the end of the word. I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing. When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.. The movement doesn't flow with the music, and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky. When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music. One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing Lightly in one direction or another. It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully. The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other. My eyes drew back to the word Guidance. When I saw 'G': I thought of God, followed by 'u' and 'i'. 'God, 'u' and 'i' dance.' God, you, and I dance. As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance about my life. Once again, I became willing to let God lead. My prayer for you today is that God's blessings and mercies are upon you on this day and everyday. May you abide in God, as God abides in you. Dance together with God, trusting God to lead and to guide you through each season of your life. This prayer is powerful and there is nothing attached. If God has done anything for you in your life, please share this message with someone else. There is no cost but a lot of rewards; so let's continue to pray for one another. And I Hope You Dance !
Thanks to David Lamb
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
It came to me while I was having dinner with Doris Day. No, not that Doris Day. The Doris Day who is married to Col. Bud Day, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, fighter pilot, Vietnam POW and roommate of John McCain at the Hanoi Hilton. As we ate near the Days' home in Florida recently, I heard things about Sen. McCain that were deeply moving and politically troubling. Moving because they told me things about him the American people need to know. And troubling because it is clear that Mr. McCain is one of the most private individuals to run for president in history. When it comes to choosing a president, the American people want to know more about a candidate than policy positions. They want to know about character, the values ingrained in his heart. For Mr. McCain, that means they will want to know more about him personally than he has been willing to reveal. Mr. Day relayed to me one of the stories Americans should hear. It involves what happened to him after escaping from a North Vietnamese prison during the war. When he was recaptured, a Vietnamese captor broke his arm and said, 'I told you I would make you a cripple.' The break was designed to shatter Mr. Day's will. He had survived in prison on the hope that one day he would return to the United States and be able to fly again. To kill that hope, the Vietnamese left part of a bone sticking out of his arm, and put him in a misshapen cast. This was done so that the arm would heal at 'a goofy angle,' as Mr. Day explained. Had it done so, he never would have flown again. But it didn't heal that way because of John McCain. Risking severe punishment, Messrs. McCain and Day collected pieces of bamboo in the prison courtyard to use as a splint. Mr. McCain put Mr. Day on the floor of their cell and, using his foot, jerked the broken bone into place. Then, using strips from the bandage on his own wounded leg and the bamboo, he put Mr. Day's splint in place. Years later, Air Force surgeons examined Mr. Day and complemented the treatment he'd gotten from his captors. Mr. Day corrected them. It was Dr. McCain who deserved the credit. Mr. Day went on to fly again. Another story I heard over dinner with the Days involved Mr. McCain serving as one of the three chaplains for his fellow prisoners. At one point, after being shuttled among different prisons, Mr. Day had found himself as the most senior officer at the Hanoi Hilton. So he tapped Mr. McCain to help administer religious services to the other prisoners. Today, Mr. Day, a very active 83, still vividly recalls Mr. McCain's sermons. 'He remembered the Episcopal liturgy,' Mr. Day says, 'and sounded like a bona fide preacher.' One of Mr. McCain's first sermons took as its text Luke 20:25 and Matthew 22:21, 'render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and unto God what is God's.' Mr. McCain said he and his fellow prisoners shouldn't ask God to free them, but to help them become the best people they could be while serving as POWs. It was Caesar who put them in prison and Caesar who would get them out. Their task was to act with honor. Another McCain story, somewhat better known, is about the Vietnamese practice of torturing him by tying his head between his ankles with his arms behind him, and then leaving him for hours. The torture so badly busted up his shoulders that to this day Mr. McCain can't raise his arms over his head. One night, a Vietnamese guard loosened his bonds, returning at the end of his watch to tighten them again so no one would notice. Shortly after, on Christmas Day, the same guard stood beside Mr. McCain in the prison yard and drew a cross in the sand before erasing it. Mr. McCain later said that when he returned to Vietnam for the first time after the war, the only person he really wanted to meet was that guard. Mr. Day recalls with pride Mr. McCain stubbornly refusing to accept special treatment or curry favor to be released early, even when gravely ill. Mr. McCain knew the Vietnamese wanted the propaganda victory of the son and grandson of Navy admirals accepting special treatment. 'He wasn't corruptible then,' Mr. Day says, 'and he's not corruptible today.' The stories told to me by the Days involve more than wartime valor. For example, in 1991 Cindy McCain was visiting Mother Teresa's orphanage in Bangladesh when a dying infant was thrust into her hands. The orphanage could not provide the medical care needed to save her life, so Mrs. McCain brought the child home to America with her. She was met at the airport by her husband, who asked what all this was about. Mrs. McCain replied that the child desperately needed surgery and years of rehabilitation. 'I hope she can stay with us,' she told her husband. Mr. McCain agreed. Today that child is their teenage daughter Bridget. I was aware of this story. What I did not know, and what I learned from Doris, is that there was a second infant Mrs. McCain brought back. She ended up being adopted by a young McCain aide and his wife. 'We were called at midnight by Cindy,' Wes Gullett remembers, and 'five days later we met our new daughter Nicki at the L.A. airport wearing the only clothing Cindy could find on the trip back, a 7-Up T- shirt she bought in the Bangkok airport.' Today, Nicki is a high school sophomore. Mr. Gullett told me, 'I never saw a hospital bill' for her care. A few, but not many, of the stories told to me by the Days have been written about, such as in Robert Timberg's 1996 book 'A Nightingale's Song.' But Mr. McCain rarely refers to them on the campaign trail. There is something admirable in his reticence, but he needs to overcome it. Private people like Mr. McCain are rare in politics for a reason. Candidates who are uncomfortable sharing their interior lives limit their appeal. But if Mr. McCain is to win the election this fall, he has to open up. Americans need to know about his vision for the nation's future, especially his policy positions and domestic reforms. They also need to learn about the moments in his life that shaped him. Mr. McCain cannot make this a biography-only campaign - but he can't afford to make it a biography-free campaign either. Unless he opens up more, many voters will never know the experiences of his life that show his character, integrity and essential decency. These qualities mattered in America's first president and will matter as Americans decide on their 44th president.
Thanks to Gary Foreman
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75 year old Texas rancher, whose hand was caught in a gate while working cattle, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man. Eventually the topic got around to Obama and his bid to be our President.
The old rancher said, "Well, ya know, Obama is a 'post turtle'." Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a 'post turtle' was. The old rancher said, 'When you're driving down a country road and you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that's a 'post turtle'.'
The old rancher saw a puzzled look on the doctor's face, so he continued to explain. 'You know he didn't get up there by himself, he doesn't belong up there, he doesn't know what to do while he is up there, and you just wonder what kind of a dummy put him up there to begin with.'
Thanks to Daphne Roberts
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE
You are My Sunshine, My only Sunshine' (Be prepared to get watery eyes!)
Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what she could to help her 3-year-old son, Michael, prepare for a new sibling. They found out that the new baby was going be a girl, and day after day, night after night, Michael sang to his sister in mommy's tummy. He was building a bond of love with his little sister before he even met her. The pregnancy progressed normally for Karen, an active member of the Panther Creek United Methodist Church in Morristown , Tennessee .
In time, the labor pains came. Soon it was every five minutes, every three, every minute.. But serious complications arose during delivery and Karen found herself in hours of labor. Would a C-section be required? Finally, after a long struggle, Michael's little sister was born. But she was in very serious condition.
With a siren howling in the night, the ambulance rushed the infant to the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Mary's Hospital, Knoxville, Tennessee. The days inched by. The little girl got worse. The pediatrician had to tell the parents there is very little hope.. Be prepared for the worst. Karen and her husband contacted a local cemetery about a burial plot. They had fixed up a special room in their house for their new baby but now they found themselves having to plan for a funeral. Michael, however, kept begging his parents to let him see his sister. I want to sing to her, he kept saying. Week two in intensive care looked as if a funeral would come before the week was over.
Michael kept nagging about singing to his sister, but kids are never allowed in Intensive Care. Karen decided to take Michael whether they liked it or not. If he didn't see his sister right then, he may never see her alive. She dressed him in an oversized scrub suit and marched him into ICU. He looked like a walking laundry basket.
The head nurse recognized him as a child and bellowed, 'Get that kid out of here now. No children are allowed.' The mother rose up strong in Karen, and the usually mild-mannered lady glared steel-eyed right into the head nurse's face, her lips a firm line. 'He is not leaving until he sings to his sister' she stated. Then Karen towed Michael to his sister's bedside.
He gazed at the tiny infant losing the battle to live. After a moment, he began to sing in the pure-hearted voice of a 3-year-old, Michael sang: 'You are my sunshine, my only sun shine, you make me happy when skies are gray.' Instantly the baby girl seemed to respond. The pulse rate began to calm down and become steady. 'Keep on singing, Michael,' encouraged Karen with tears in her eyes. 'You never know, dear, how much I love you, please don't take my sunshine away.' As Michael sang to his sister, the baby's ragged, strained breathing became as smooth as a kitten's purr. 'Keep on singing, sweetheart.' 'The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamed I held you in my arms'. Michael's little sister began to relax as rest, healing rest, seemed to sweep over her.
'Keep on singing, Michael.' Tears had now conquered the face of the bossy head nurse. Karen glowed. 'You are my sunshine , my only sunshine. Please don't take my sunshine away...'
The next day...the very next day...the little girl was well enough to go home. Woman's Day Magazine called it The Miracle of a Brother's Song. The medical staff just called it a miracle. Karen called it a miracle of God's love.
NEVER GIVE UP ON THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE.
Thanks to Sam Boggs
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
| Safety from the Heart |
----------------------------------------------------
June 5, 2008
Today's Safety From the Heart message was submitted by Keith Black.
Rescuer Breaths Not Required, AHA Says in New Scientific Statement
Chest compressions alone (Hands-Only Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) can help an adult who suddenly collapses if administered by rescuers who are untrained in conventional CPR or unsure of their ability to give compressions and breaths, according to an American Heart Association scientific statement dated April 1 that is available at http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/reprint/CIRCULATIONAHA.107.189380. The statement is from the association;s Emergency Cardiovascular Care committee and was published in Circulation, the AHA journal.
"Bystanders who witness the sudden collapse of an adult should immediately call 9-1-1 and start what we call Hands-Only
CPR. This involves providing high-quality chest compressions by pushing hard and fast in the middle of the victim's chest, without stopping until emergency medical services responders arrive," Dr. Michael Sayre, chair of the statement writing committee and associate professor in the Ohio State University Department of Emergency Medicine, said in a release posted on AHA's Web site.
About 310,000 adults in the United States die each year from sudden cardiac arrest. Immediate, effective CPR from a bystander is needed or the person's chance of surviving decreases by 7-10 percent per minute. AHA said on average, fewer than one-third of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims receive bystander CPR, which can double or triple a person's chance of surviving cardiac arrest. "Many times, people nearby don't help because they're afraid that they will hurt the victim and aren't confident in what they’re doing," Sayre said. "We want people to know that they can help many victims just by calling 9-1-1 and doing chest compressions. Don't be afraid to try it. We are sure many lives will be saved if the public does Hands-Only CPR for adult victims of sudden cardiac arrest."
The new recommendation is an update to the 2005 American Heart Association Guidelines for CPR and ECC, which previously recommended that lay rescuers use compression-only CPR only if they were unable or unwilling to provide breaths. AHA says conventional CPR is still an important skill to learn, and medical professionals should perform conventional CPR in the course of their professional duties. These new recommendations apply only to bystanders who come to the aid of adult cardiac arrest victims outside a hospital setting
----------------------------------------------------
| Safety from the Heart |
----------------------------------------------------
JUNE 4, 2008
Take a second look
Today's Safety From the Heart message is from Pam Kemp.
Take a second look and have a second thought:
How many times have you gotten out of your car and left the keys in the ignition because you were only going to be a few steps away??
Don't do it...it's not worth all that comes w/that negligence..it doesn't matter if you're in your yard working or playing or even in your own garage just steps away; always make sure the keys are NOT in your ignition. There may be someone waiting for that opportunity...don't give it to them..if they are going to steal your car, make them work for it.
When you are at the pumps, never leave your car w/the key in it to walk more than one step away..there could be someone watching that would love to take your car on a joy ride.
----------------------------------------------------
| Safety from the Heart |
----------------------------------------------------
June 3, 2008
Are you ready for a hurricane?
Today's Safety From the Heart message is from Cece Jenkins
http://www.getagameplan.org/
Get A Game Plan - www.getagameplan.org
Louisiana Association of United Ways American Red Cross - www.redcross.org
State of Louisiana - www.louisiana.gov State of Louisiana Governor's Office
To Prepare For A Hurricane, Do What Winning Teams Do: Get A Game Plan.
When a hurricane strikes, will you be ready? It's critical that you are, for your safety and your family's. The key is to have a winning game plan.
On this page, you'll find links to PDFs and web sites that can help you develop a simple but successful game plan for your family. That way, they'll know what to do, where to go and who to call when there's a hurricane. So, do what winning teams like the Jindals, the Miles', and Better Than Ezra have done: Get A Game Plan.
American Red Cross [www.redcross.org]
GOHSEP [www.ohsep.louisiana.gov]
State Of Louisiana [www.louisiana.gov]
© 2008 Louisiana Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency
Preparedness. Les Miles photo by Steve Franz.
----------------------------------------------------
| Safety from the Heart |
----------------------------------------------------
May 29, 2008
Today's Safety From the Heart message is from Keith Black.
Tips: Proper Safety Preparation Before Beginning Yard Work
A recent Consumer Reports poll on lawn care shows that consumers are not taking all the proper precautions before mowing their lawn, according to the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI). The trade association has issued a list of top safety measures every consumer should make before turning on the lawnmower or edger or trimmer to avoid unintentional injury.
"As spring calls people out into their yards, we urge consumers to make certain preparations even before the lawn and garden products come out of the garage," said Kris Kiser, vice president, public affairs, Outdoor Power Equipment Institute. "Making good decisions around using mowers, edgers, leaf blowers and other maintenance tools are key to yard safety." According to the OPEI, before you even turn on equipment, consumers should:
1. Know how to operate the equipment. Read the operator's manual before using any power equipment. Know where the controls are and what they do. Follow safety instructions.
2. Handle gas carefully. Fill up before you start and when the engine is cold.
3. Dress properly for yard work, wearing substantial shoes, long pants and close-fitting clothes.
4. Clear up the area before you mow. Always remove stones, sticks and other objects from the area so that objects won't fly up and hit anyone. The most common injuries are from debris flying up.
5. Wear eye protection to prevent injury from projectiles.
6. Wear hearing protection to prevent potentially damaging sounds from reaching your ears without eliminating the sounds you'll need to hear.
7. Don't let music distract you from hearing potentially important calls or seeing important hazards.
8. Clear the area of people and pets. Keep children preferably indoors under adult supervision.
9. Always start up the mower outdoors.
10. Do not use alcohol, other controlled substances or medicines that impair judgment when using outdoor power equipment.
----------------------------------------------------
| Safety from the Heart |
----------------------------------------------------
May 23, 2008
Be Aware
Today's Message is from Karen Bounds.
Not too long ago, as I was leaving work, I experienced something that really startled me. I had left work and was stopped at the red light at Preston and 225 headed away from the plant. I was the first vehicle in line so I had a birds-eye view of an 18 wheeler truck that was going north on Preston and then turned left at Hwy 225 onto the feeder lane going west towards Houston.
He was in the far left hand turn lane and was moving at a pretty fast rate to be turning that big truck. Once he realized he was going too fast he put on his brakes - - but he reacted too late. As he turned the corner, he was going so fast, whatever he was carrying shifted to the right side of the container. The contents shifted so hard and fast that it caused the container to tilt violently to the right and it was scraping his tires and smoke was going everywhere. I could see that the driver was struggling to keep control of the truck.
As I watched all of this, I was concerned that the tires were not going to be able to withstand the weight of the container and the whole rig was going to fall over and land on my vehicle. All I could think was that I had nowhere to go to get out of his way - and - I guess now is as good a time as any to meet my Maker. Thankfully, he completed the turn and got control of his rig. As he continued driving down the road you could see that his container was still leaning way over to the right. He never stopped to check out the inside of the container or check his tires for damage, he just kept right on going and got onto the freeway.
After I calmed down and thought about this incident, I tried to think of what I could have done differently. Aside from being at the wrong place at the wrong time....I was doing nothing wrong - I was sitting at a red light minding my business. What I did realize, though, is that we can't assume that truck drivers (or any drivers) are going to drive safely or use caution at all times. They get sidetracked and rushed and hurried just like we do. It is also very probable that some truck drivers out on the roads have not been properly trained to drive trucks and give very little thought to their safety - or - the safety of the vehicles around them.
Moral of this story....Never assume that truckers (or any driver) is watching out for the other guy. It is much easier for us to maneuver in traffic than a large, heavy truck. It is our responsibility to watch out for big rigs and do our best to stay out of their way (which can be extremely hard to do on Houston freeways because they are everywhere). Be aware, drive courteously and keep your distance!
I must say that when I am first in line at that red light, I still cringe when an 18 wheeler is turning onto the feeder in front of me!
----------------------------------------------------
| Safety from the Heart |
----------------------------------------------------
June 12, 2008
Train Crossing
Today's Message is from Jerry Runk (a Pasadena Albemarle employee).
-------------------------------------------------
Last week I left work a little early to make a doctor's appointment across town, and I witnessed a fellow ahead of me on the plant road drive around and through rail crossing gates. He made it, but just barely. I had to wait for the train to pass which took a little over 5 minutes. If the fellow in front of me had stalled....
----------------------------------------------------
| Safety from the Heart |
----------------------------------------------------
June 6, 2008
Today's Message is from Joe Coury (a Pasadena Albemarle employee).
-----------------------------------------------------
"All great controversies depend on both sides sharing one false premise." -- a 4th century theologian
"Those who want to spend more money to make a plant safer and those who think enough has been spent share a false premise: they both assume more safety will cost more money." -- Trevor Kletz
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
TOURBUS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -:) - :)- :)
Volume 13, Number 21 -- 04 Jun 2008
Tourbus Home -- http://www.InternetTourbus.com
+---------------------------------------+
TODAY'S TOURBUS TOPICS: Privacy / Registry Cleaners / iPhone Stuff
In today's TOURBUS, you'll find out who is keeping tabs on what you search for online, and how to manage your online privacy. I've also got the scoop on Registry Cleaners, password protection for Windows files, and reviews of some nifty iPhone clones. Read on!
----------------------------------------------------------
Online Privacy: I Know What You Searched For Last Summer
----------------------------------------------------------
Is Google secretly keeping a log of everything that you search for, and every website you visit? What about other search engines, and your Internet service provider -- are they watching what you do online? If so, is there any way to delete your search history?
The correct answers are Maybe (sort of), Maybe, Don't Know, Yes, and Sometimes. Read on to learn more about your Google Web History, who can see it, and how to delete it. You'll also learn who may have access to EVERYTHING you do online, and how this data is (supposed to be) protected.
SEARCH PRIVACY - http://askbobrankin.com/search_privacy.html
---------------------------------
Do You Need a Registry Cleaner?
---------------------------------
A reader recently asked me this question about the Windows Registry:
"My computer seems to get slower and slower. A friend told me I need a registry cleaner. Will that really help? If so, where can I get a good free registry cleaner to do the job?"
The Windows Registry is a hideously complex ball of string, rubber bands, duct tape and bailing wire that's supposed to keep track of Windows system settings, your hardware configuration, preferences, your installed software, and other arcane stuff.
And yes, problems with the Registry can (and often do) make a Windows system slower, less reliable, and even unbootable. That's why you need to use a registry cleaner every once in a while to keep your system running smoothly. Click below to read more about the Registry and you'll also get my top picks for cost-free and malware-free registry cleaners.
http://askbobrankin.com/do_i_need_a_registry_cleaner.html
And while we're on the subject of making Windows run faster, you should also check out my "Make Windows XP Run Faster!" article, where you'll find my special recipe for Cyber Sludge Remover, and loads of tips to rev up your Windows computer...
SPEED - http://askbobrankin.com/make_windows_xp_run_faster.html
------------------------------------
Password Protection for Windows XP
------------------------------------
Have you ever wanted to lock a file so nobody could open it without knowing a secret password? MS Office documents can be protected with a password, but what if the file is not a Word document or Excel spreadsheet?
Someone recently asked me this and I thought there must be a way to do it with Windows. I tried the Sharing and Security option, but ran into a dead end. After a bit of research, I found a few ways to get the job done, with varying levels of inconvenience. Here's the scoop:
http://askbobrankin.com/password_protection_for_windows_xp.html
-------------------
iPhone Accesories
-------------------
So you bought an iPhone, and six months later, you STILL don't have a girlfriend? Maybe you don't have all the right equipment. Try on some of these sexy iPhone accessories see what happens...
IPHONE STUFF - http://askbobrankin.com/iphone_accesories.html
---------------------
Send in the Clones!
---------------------
As expected, cell phone manufacturers are coming out with new models to compete with Apple's iPhone. I initially held off from buying an iPhone because of the high price and the hoopla, and now I'm glad I did. I recently got an LG Voyager and I'm loving it.
I'll say right off the bat that Voyager does have a touch screen, although it's not quite as cool as an iPhone. But it does have some cool features and unique advantages. Here's why I love my Voyager:
VOYAGER - http://askbobrankin.com/voyager_versus_iphone.html
The Samsung Instinct is another phone in the iClone category. This device got top ratings at the 2008 Cellular Telecomms Industry Association show, and I agree it looks pretty slick. But how does it compare to the venerable iPhone? Find out here:
INSTINCT - http://askbobrankin.com/samsung_instinct_review.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 Be Smarter & Better Looking Than [-99.386604-] Percent of Users
The Best of Everything - http://www.InternetTourbus.com/best.html
Subscribe, Signoff, Archives, Free Stuff and More at the
Tourbus Home - http://www.InternetTourbus.com
========================
.~~~. ))
(\__/) .' ) )) Patrick Douglas Crispen
/o o \/ .~
{o_, \ { crispen@netsquirrel.com
/ , , ) \ http://www.netsquirrel.com/
`~ -' \ } )) AOL Instant Messenger: Squirrel2K
_( ( )_.'
---..{____} Warning: squirrels.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
The Pump Handle. A water cooler for the public health crowd.
http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/
Here are links to items posted on The Pump Handle over the past week:
** "US vs EU on Chemical Laws and Litigation" by Liz Borkowski European Union laws do more than US laws to protect consumers from potential chemical hazards; the US legal system is expected to provide protection that the law does not, but its power to do so is eroding. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/06/12/us-vs-eu-on-chemical-laws-and-litigation/
** "Death by chocolate" by revere Gerardo Castillo, 30, worked at the Blommer Chocolate Co. in Chicago and died from exposure to an ammonia-like substance produced when an unknown ingredient was added a batch of chocolate. OSHA hadn't inspected the factory since 1994, despite a previous workplace fatality. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/06/11/death-by-chocolate/
** "DuPont Workers and a Cancer Cluster?" by Celeste Monforton A Charleston Gazette reporter checking EPA's TSCA 8(e) docket found a report from DuPont about a possible cancer cluster among workers from its Washington Works facility in Parkersburg, WV. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/06/11/dupont-workers-and-a-cancer-cluster/
** "Occupational Health News Roundup" by Liz Borkowski New York City's chief crane inspector was arrested on bribe-taking charges; farmworker advocates demand safer working conditions after a 17-year-old girl died while pruning grape vines in 100-degree heat; and a survey finds 12% of soldiers in Iraq are taking antidepressants or sleeping pills. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/06/11/occupational-health-news-roundup-69/
** "Cancer Causation Controversy" by Liz Borkowski An exchange in the New York Review of Books about Devra Davis's The Secret History of the War on Cancer highlights a controversy over environmental factors in cancer. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/06/10/cancer-causation-controversy/
** "A Litany of Delays on PFOA at EPA, ATSDR" by Celeste Monforton An attorney representing a large group of PFOA-exposed individuals sent a letter to EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson and ATSDR Director Howard Frumkin, urging them not to delay any further the release of hazard information and risk assessments on the contaminant perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA, a.k.a. C8). http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/06/09/a-litany-of-delays-on-pfoa-at-epa-atsdr/
** "OSHA's Foulke Flops on 60 Minutes" by Celeste Monforton OSHA's Assistant Secretary Edwin Foulke flopped and fumbled on CBS's 60 Minutes "Is Enough Done to Stop Explosive Dust?" during which correspondent Scott Pelley pressed Foulke to explain how the 50 OSHA inspectors who have been trained to identify combustible dust hazards will be able inspect the estimated 30,000 worksites with this dangerous volatile hazard. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/06/09/oshas-foulke-flops-on-60-minutes/
** "Obama, JFK and the sixties" by revere Amid suggestions that the Obama candidacy might herald a return to the sixties, it's useful to recall both the positive and negative aspects of that decade. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/06/06/obama-jfk-and-the-sixties/
** "Friday Blog Roundup" by Liz Borkowski Bloggers discuss food problems, coal-industry advertising, and medical schools' conflict-of-interest policies. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/06/06/friday-blog-roundup-78/
** "House Passes Nanotechnology Safety Bill" by Michaels Stebbins The House has passed the National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act of 2008, which reauthorizes and refines the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), notably strengthening the commitment to environmental and safety research. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/06/06/house-passes-nanotechnology-safety-bill/
** "Flavoring Workers and Parkinson's Disease?" A doctor has become aware of two cases of Parkinson's Disease in men in their fifties who worked as flavorists, and is seeking word of any additional PD cases in flavoring-exposed workers. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/06/05/flavoring-workers-and-parkinsons-disease/
** "CBS 60 Minutes on Worker Safety" by Celeste Monforton On Sunday, June 7th, at 7pm, CBS's 60 Minutes will air a report on combustible dust explosions. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/06/05/cbs-60-minutes-on-worker-safety/
** "Participate in the Scientists in Government Project" by Susan Wood The Project on Scientific Knowledge and Public Policy's new Scientists in Government project, which promotes public discussion about the rights and responsibilities of government scientists, is recruiting current and former government scientists to participate in this qualitative research. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/06/04/participate-in-the-scientists-in-government-project/
** "Occupational Health News Roundup" by Liz Borkowski A report criticizes forced labor and dangerous working conditions in Brazil's sugar cane industry; 2007 had the highest rate of reported soldier suicides; and current and former Federal Aviation Administration employees are stepping forward with complaints that the agency mistreated them after they raised safety concerns http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/06/04/occupational-health-news-roundup-68/
** "NYT Takes the Wrong Angle on Senate Climate Debate" by Liz Borkowski The New York Times' coverage of a potentially historic climate debate in the Senate focuses too much on political sound bites and not enough on the legislation that's being discussed. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/06/03/nyt-takes-the-wrong-angle-on-senate-climate-debate/
** "Coal Miner, 18, Dies at ICG's Sentinel Mine" by Celeste Monforton The 65 or so high school seniors of Tygarts Valley High School shared a moment of silence during their graduation ceremony to mourn the death of Adam Lanham, 18, who died on May 30th at ICG's Sentinel Mine. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/06/03/coal-miner-18-dies-at-icgs-sentinel-mine/
** "U.S. Slipping on Science" by Liz Borkowski Though the Bush administration wants the U.S. to be science leader, it hasn't been willing to provide what's necessary for science to flourish. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/06/02/us-slipping-on-science/
** "Crashing Cranes, Deaths and the White House's Edict" by Celeste Monforton A negotiated rulemaking committee finished its work on a crane and derrick standard in 2004 – but OSHA still hasn't published a proposed rule, and workers continue to die in crane disasters. Now, a White House edict setting a June 1 deadline for proposed rules makes it unlikely the crane rule will be finished during this administration. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/06/02/crashing-cranes-deaths-and-white-houses-edict/
** "Friday Blog Roundup" by Liz Borkowski Bloggers examine what politicians are doing about fuel issues, report on recent combustible dust explosions, and explore new media tools for communicating sexual health information. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/05/30/friday-blog-roundup-77/
** "April-May 2008: Deadly for Antenna Tower Workers" by Celeste Monforton From April 12 to May 22, seven workers have been killed while working on antenna towers, many of which service our wireless communication system. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/05/30/april-may-2008-deadly-for-antenna-tower-workers/
http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
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, June 13, 2008
Sign the UFW's online condolence card.
Dear USMWF Families,
I thought you might want to sign the UFW's the online condolence card.
17-year-old Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez tragically died due to heat stroke while laboring in a Stockton area vineyard.
To date no one from the companies involved has had the decency to express condolences to Maria's family--not the farm labor contractor, not the company who owns the field where Maria labored, nor the wine distributor. There have been no letters, no one showed up at the funeral--nothing. The only reaction they had was to try to shift part of the blame of Maria's death onto her fiance, Florentino.
We want to let Maria's family know that people from all over North America care about this tragedy--that people from all walks of life and of all backgrounds recognize the value of Maria's life and death.
Please tell the family that you share the sorrow of Maria's death and pledge to do what you can, so other farm worker families do not have to endure the same agony.
It is very easy to participate. The UFW has put together a simple sign-on condolence letter that they will give to Maria's mother Jovita and the rest of her family.
You can sign the card by adding your name and the city and state where you live to the online card here [http://www.ufwaction.org/campaign/maria_condolence?rk=s7duOxSquqYyW].
http://weeklytoll.blogspot.com
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
NEVER FORGET! We're listing the names of our soldiers killed weekly. These records can be found at http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/
Week of May 23-30
01. Pfc. Kyle P. Norris, 22, of Zanesville, Ohio, died May 23 in Balad, Iraq, from wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device during a patrol May 22 in Jurf as Sakhr, Iraq. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.
02. Sgt. Blake W. Evans, 24, of Rockford, Ill., died May 25 in Al Jazeera Desert, 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. Staff Sgt. Frank J. Gasper, 25, of Merced, Calif., died May 25 in Najaf, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group, Fort Carson, Colo.
04. Sgt. David L. Leimbach, 38, of Taylors, S.C., died May 25 near Bala Baluk, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his unit was attacked with small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 118th Infantry, South Carolina Army National Guard, Fountain Inn, S.C., and attached to the 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry (Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition), New York Army National Guard.
05. Sgt. 1st Class Jason F. Dene, 37, of Castleton, Vt., died May 25 in Baghdad, Iraq, from injuries suffered in a non-combat related incident on May 24. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.
06. Spc. Christopher Gathercole, 21, of Santa Rosa, Calif., died May 26 in Ghazni, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from small arms fire during combat operations. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Lewis, Wash.
07. Spc. Justin L. Buxbaum, 23, of South Portland, Maine, died May 26 in Kushamond, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered in a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 62nd Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade, Fort Hood Texas.
May 31 - June 6
01. Pfc. Chad M. Trimble, 29, of West Covina, Calif., died May 28, near Gardez, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
02. Sgt. 1st Class David Nunez, 27, of Los Angeles, Calif., died May 29 in Shewan, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when he encountered small arms fire while conducting combat operations. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.
03. Cpl. Christian S. Cotner, 20, of Waterbury, Conn., died May 30 from a non-hostile incident in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron 172, Marine Wing Support Group 17, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan.
04. Cpl. Justin R. Mixon, 22, of Bogalusa, La., died June 1 in Baghdad Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany.
The Department of Defense announced the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died May 31 in Jalalabad City, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when their vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. They were assigned to the 173rd Special Troops Battalion, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Bamberg, Germany. Killed were:
05. Spc. James M. Finley, 21, of Lebanon, Mo.
06. Pfc. Andrew J. Shields, 19, of Battleground, Wash.
07. Spc. Quincy J. Green, 26, of El Paso, Texas, died June 2 in Tikrit, Iraq, of injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 601st Aviation Support Battalion, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.
08. Pfc. Joshua E. Waltenbaugh, 19, of Ford City, Pa., died June 3 in Taji, Iraq, of injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas.
The Department of Defense announced the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died June 3 in Zormat, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when their vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. Killed were:
09. Maj. Scott A. Hagerty, 41, of Stillwater, Okla., who was assigned to the 451st Civil Affairs Battalion, Pasadena, Texas.
10. Pfc. Derek D. Holland, 20, of Wind Gap, Pa., who was assigned to the 228th Brigade Support Battalion, Pennsylvania Army National Guard, Bethlehem, Pa.
The Department of Defense announced the death of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died June 4 in Tikrit, Iraq, of wounds suffered in Sharqat, Iraq, when their unit was attacked by enemy forces using small arms fire and hand grenades. They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y. Killed were:
11. Sgt. Shane P. Duffy, 22, of Taunton, Mass.
12. Spc. Jonathan D. A. Emard, 20, of Mesquite, Texas.
13. Sgt. Cody R. Legg, 23, of Escondido, Calif.
The Department of Defense announced the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died June 5 at Kandahar Army Airfield, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when the Kiowa helicopter they were in went down during a test flight. They were assigned to the 96th Aviation Support Battalion, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky. Killed were:
14. Chief Warrant Officer James Carter, 42, of Alabama.
15. Spc. Andre D. McNair, Jr., 20, of Fort Pierce, Fla.
June 07 - 13
01. 06/07 Sgt. 1st Class David R. Hurst, 31, of Fort Sill, Okla., died June 7 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), located at Fort Polk, La.
02. Spc. Christopher D. McCarthy, of Virginia Beach, Va., died 1 June 2008 at Forward Operating Base Ramadi, Iraq. His death is under investigation. He was assigned to the U.S. Joint Forces Command, Joint Reserve Unit, Norfolk, Va.
03. Spc. Thomas F. Duncan, III, 21, of Rowlett, Texas, died June 9 in Sinjar, Iraq, of wounds suffered during combat operations. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Lewis, Wash. The incident is under investigation.
04. Staff Sgt. Tyler E. Pickett, 28, of Saratoga, Wyo., died June 8 in Kirkuk Province, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his unit was attacked by enemy forces using improvised explosive devices. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.
05. Sgt. Steve A. McCoy, 23, of Moultrie, Ga., died June 10 at Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas, of wounds suffered on March 23 in Baghdad, Iraq, when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.
06. Sgt. John D. Aragon, 22, of Antioch, Calif., died June 12 in Kadamiyah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 75th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
~
Soldier Missing In Action From Korean War Is Identified
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
He is Sgt. 1st Class W.T. Akins, U.S. Army, of Decatur, Ga. He will be buried on June 26 in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.
Representatives from the Army met with Akins’ 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 November 1950, Akins was a member of the Medical Company, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division then occupying a defensive position near Unsan, North Korea north of a bend in the Kuryong River known as the Camel’s Head. On Nov. 1, elements of two Chinese Communist Divisions struck the 1st Cavalry Division’s lines, collapsing the perimeter and forcing a withdrawal. Akins was reported missing on Nov. 2, 1950 and was one of the more than 350 servicemen unaccounted-for from the battle at Unsan.
In April 2007, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (D.P.R.K.), acting through the intermediary of New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and former U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony Principi, repatriated to the United States six boxes of human remains believed to be those of U.S. soldiers. The D.P.R.K. reported that the remains were excavated in November 2006 near Unsan in North Pyongan Province.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA and dental comparisons in the identification of Akins’ remains.
~
Soldier Missing In Action From Korean War Is Identified
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
He is Pfc. Milton Dinerboiler Jr., U.S. Army, of Elkhart, Ind. His burial date is being set by his family.
Representatives from the Army met with Dinerboiler’s 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, Dinerboiler was assigned to the Heavy Mortar Company, 32nd Infantry Regiment, then attached to the 31st Regimental Combat Team (RCT), 7th Infantry Division. The team was engaged in battle against the Chinese People’s Volunteer Forces near the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea, from late November to early December 1950. Dinerboiler was captured by the Chinese and marched on a route north of the Chosin Reservoir. He died in mid-to-late April 1951, from poor health and the lack of medical treatment. He was buried beside a hill along the route.
In 2002, a joint U.S./Democratic People’s Republic of Korea team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), recovered human remains from an isolated grave north of the Chosin Reservoir. The site correlates to a route that American POWs were taken while being moved north to a POW camp.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA and dental comparisons in the identification of Dinerboiler’s remains.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
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.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
"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
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Activities and Events of Interest - - Coming Events
~~~~~
Purple Hull Pea Festival and World Championship Rotary Tiller Race - June 27-28, 2008 - Emerson, Arkansas
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Scheduled Activities
~~~
CQ CQ all Hams. We have restarted a 2 meter net on the Willisville repeater, 146.655, every Tuesday evening at 7 PM. Please check in and spread the word. We would like to get some renewed interest in amateur radio and the ARKLA Amateur Radio Association. Will be listening for everyone next Tuesday night.
~~~
Columbia County Amateur Radio Club meets Every second Thursday @ 7:00 p.m. Union Street Station. And YOU'RE invited. Net is every Sunday at 20:30 on 147.105.
~~~
MCC - Mom's Day Out - Every Tuesday and Thursday from 9 to 2.$10 for the first child, $5 for the second. Call 234-3225 for reservations.
~~~
MCC - Nursing Home Ministry - Meadowbrook Every Tuesday from 10 to 11 am. Taylor, the last Thursday each month.
~~~
Men's Prayer Breakfast held every Tuesday morning at 6 AM in Miller's Cafeteria. If you aren't a regular participant at the Men's Prayer Breakfast, you're missing some great food, fellowship and inspired teaching of the Word. Hope to see you there.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
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/
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
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.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
"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!!!
Acts 7:42-43 Luke 9:46-48 John 10:17-21 Isa 28:22-23 John 15:1-5 Prov 24:30-34 Mat 14:25-29 Hab 2:1-3 Jer 9:23-24 Acts 28:3-5 John 9:24-28 John 8:54-55 John 18:33-34 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.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment