Bug's Bleat - - GCF: School Daze

Volume 8, Issue 04 Friday, January 27, 2006

Hello All,

Ethan is still in Willis Knighton NICU. The doctor told us Wednesday that it wasn’t time to even talk about when he would be released to come home, even though he’s shown marked improvement over the last couple of days. He smiled at Annette this week and gripped her fingers while she was holding him.
Toni sewed all but one of Vanessa’s incisions up this week. She’s driving now ... so look out.
~~~~~
The photos on the front of this weeks “Bleat” include a photo sent to us by Joe Tudor that shows a store northwest of Mobile, Ethan dreaming, Dusty reading his birthday cards, and a view of the NICU surroundings where Ethan lives.
~~~~~
Yet more discussions on “Integrity and Ethics” as House and Senate proposals ... try to respond to a growing bribery and corruption scandal spawned by the activities of Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
It says a lot about our society when integrity and ethics becomes an industry and a profession. ... Is business today really this spiritless or undemocratic? - - Mark Zorro
Ethics and Integrity Are Listed As Core Values by 76% of Companies, American Management Association Survey Shows - But 32% of respondents said their company’s public statements sometimes conflicted with internal messages and realities
... The bottom-line question is this: When the heat is on, will you honor your word? ... Integrity includes doing what we say we will do--honoring commitments--every time. ... As Moses instructed the people, "When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said" (Numbers 30:2 NIV). ... We'd all be better off not making promises than to make vows that we cannot or do not keep. ... "Kings take pleasure in honest lips- they value a man who speaks the truth" (Proverbs 16:13 NIV). ... Businesses that succeed in establishing trust and integrity inevitably succeed in the marketplace as well. - - Steve Marr
Practicing integrity in the midst of an "ethics drought" ... Ultimately, it comes down to individual behavior, ... Once a majority of people decide to live in integrity, the few who take advantage of unethical "loop holes" and the many who are content to look the other way will decrease (after all, "the many who are content to look the other way" often go with the predominant group-think). ... - - Jamie Walters, Founder, Ivy Sea, Inc.
Where’s your bottom line? Do you copy DVD movies? Share pirated software? Use business time for personal projects? Is Christ proud of you?
~~~~~
In reference to Aunt Jeanette Ford’s commentary on words, Julie Morris shares; “I would just like to say a big AMEN to Aunt Jeanette Ford's entry about words on last week's bleat. I am only 36 but all of those words are ones that I have heard all my life growing up and she is right, they are hardly used anymore. But I will say, we eat supper every night and dinner at noon.”
And Joe Tudor wrote to tell us; “There was a Shoney's commercial a few years ago where they advertised some dinner specials. At the end, the announcer said, "Come in for dinner. Which, if you live in the country, is supper, because they had dinner at lunch."”
~~~~~
Visit Michael Yon’s new home @ www.michaelyon-online.com If you haven’t read any of his dispatches, you’re missing news and stories that will both touch you deeply and make you want to get up and shout “Hooray for the USA!”
Also, we discovered a great new comic that Michael Yon mentioned on his web page. To see it, go to www.daybydaycartoon.com
~~~~~
We’ve now got several addresses on the web for "Da Bleat." For the latest issue, go to http://bugsbleat1q.blogspot.com. Older issues can be found at bugsbleat.blogspot.com, bugsbleatnew.blogspot.com, and bugsbleat4q.blogspot.com.
~~~~~
Check out Dinah Sue’s prizewinning Margarita-Marinated Chicken With Mango Salsa recipe below. For some reason I never thought she’d inherited any of Aunt Gerry’s FANTASTIC cooking skills. Boy was I wrong. Like I said last week. I’m 54 years old and learn something new every day, along with learning two things that I knew at one time but forgot.
~~~~~
Speaking of ignorance, Dusty had a school project this week on soldiers. Trying to help our, David came by to see if we had a picture of “Papaw Duke” in uniform. Annette did much better. She had a photo of Tammy in his uniform as well as a painting. I asked why she was sending the painting?
She told me to look on the back of the frame. There was a note written there, thanking Tammy for feeding the nuns at Leghorn, Italy. It read; “The Sisters of the Cross grateful offer this picture ... Leghorn - Easter 1945.” The painting is of the monastery on a beautiful hillside.
Then I remembered Tammy telling us how the officers of the 7th US Army under General George Patton had given him a staff car and driver each week. Since he was their mess sergeant, they gave him the car and money to use in finding fresh meat and produce for them.
He’d drive into the area around the staff headquarters, bartering for eggs and chickens and vegetables. On one of his forays, he discovered the nuns and, instead of taking food from them, he started bringing them food each week for as long as he was stationed in the area.
This painting had been hanging in our home for about 60 years. First on Calhoun Road, then, after that house burned, on Maple Street and, after my mother passed away, in our living room. I’d never looked on the back, never associated it with the story of Tammy feeding the nuns.
Sheesh!
~~~~~
Also this week, I was reminded of another story Tammy used to tell about “The bomb in the kitchen.”
Sunday evening, Oliver North’s war stories program was discussing the invasion of Palermo, Sicily and how the Germans decided to not contest the landings. Instead they’d saturated the harbor and city with “bobby traps.”
Then I remembered Tammy telling of, shortly after they landed in Palermo, commandeering a building to set up his field kitchen. The kitchen stoves were just starting to heat up when one of his privates called him to look at something strange in a back room behind the stoves.
Tammy went with the private to investigate and discovered a large unexploded bomb and it was ticking! He didn’t even bother to consult an officer, he immediately called for the bomb squad and two walkie-talkies. While the bomb squad worked to make the bomb safe, Tammy used the walkie-talkies to supervise dismantling the mess kitchen and moving it to a safer location.
~~~~~
Just for the record, the Robin Williams' Plan for Peace circulating by email is falsely attributed to him. It’s been out for 10 years and apart from the final quotation (an actual quip, sans original context, from his comedy act), Williams — a so-called "San Francisco liberal" whose left-leaning political views have angered conservatives and earned him billing on at least one Internet-posted "celebrity blacklist" — clearly did not write the thing.
~~~~~
NEVER FORGET
These aren’t the only fatalities associated with space exploration but they’re the only ones America suffered in manned space vehicles.


Apollo-1 (204)

Pad 34-A (7)
Saturn-1B AS-204 (4)
CSM-x ()
Apollo Pad Fire

Crew:
Virgil "Gus" Ivan Grissom, Lieutenant Colonel, USAF
Edward Higgins White, II, Lieutenant Colonel, USAF
Roger Bruce Chaffee, Lieutenant Commander, USN

~~~

51-L (25)
CHALLENGER (10)
Pad 39-B (6)
25th Shuttle mission
10th liftoff OV-099
1st Shuttle from LC-39B

Crew:
Francis R. Scobee (2), Commander
Michael J. Smith (1), Pilot
Judith A. Resnik (2), Mission Specialist 1
Ellison S. Onizuka (2), Mission Specialist 2
Ronald E. McNair (2), Mission Specialist 3
Gregory B. Jarvis (1), Payload Specialist 1
Sharon Christa McAuliffe (1), Payload Specialist 2 (TISP)

~~~

STS-107 (113)
Columbia (28)
Pad 39-A (76)
KSC Landing (62) (Planned)
113th Shuttle Mission
Loss of Vehicle and Crew

Crew:
Rick D. Husband (2), Commander
Rick Husband's childhood dream was to become an astronaut.
William C. McCool (1), Pilot
Willie McCool loved to see "the eyes light up when you talk to kids" about space.
Michael P. Anderson (2), Payload Commander
"Very early on," Michael Anderson "thought being an astronaut would be a fantastic thing to do."
David M. Brown (1), Mission Specialist
As a kid, David Brown thought of astronauts as "movie stars."
Kalpana Chawla (2), Mission Specialist
Kalpana Chawla's path to become an astronaut began in Karnal, India.
Laurel Blair Salton Clark, Mission Specialist 4
Laurel Clark felt "incredibly lucky" to see Earth from the unique vantage point of space.
Ilan Ramon (1), (ISA) Payload Specialist
Son of a Holocaust survivor, Israel Air Force Colonel Ilan Ramon was that nation's first astronaut.

~~

The following is a statement by NASA Administrator Michael Griffin on NASA's Day of Remembrance. The Day of Remembrance honors those who gave their lives for the cause of exploration and discovery. This includes NASA employees, the astronauts who died in Apollo 1 and on the Space Shuttles Challenger and Columbia.

"Today we pause to remember the loss of all of our employees, including our Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia astronauts, and to honor their legacy. Nearly 50 years into the space age, spaceflight remains the pinnacle of human challenge, an endeavor just barely possible with today's technology. We at NASA are privileged to be in the business of learning how to do it, to extend the frontier of the possible, and, ultimately, to make space travel routine. It is an enormously difficult enterprise. The losses we commemorate today are a strong and poignant reminder of the sternness of the challenge."
~~~~~
More discussions this week in the community and local news media on the Magnolia School District’s refusal to merge with the Waldo School district. One of the editorials commented on Magnolia’s concerns that they would lose students to private schools as a result of the merger. Then went on to say what’s wrong with that, let the best school win.
That would be O.K. with me if the schools were on “level playing fields” but our public schools are hamstrung by mirid regulations and edicts from Congress on down to the State Legislature, the courts and local citizens.
I’ve about decided that we need to abandon public schools since the system is so burdened by bureaucracy. However, Vanessa’s experience as a senior gives me hope.
She wanted to start a Christian Club but was denied because “it was against the law.” So she contacted Jay Sekulow, American Center for Law and Justice Chief Counsel. Mr. Sekulow wrote a nice letter to the school explaining that Christian Clubs were NOT illegal.
Could it be that many of the problems we see with public schools could be remedied if the community and school boards were better educated on the true rule of law? Could it be that discipline is legal? Could it be that adherence to scholastic quality is permitted?
In any case, I’ve got a recommendation to private schools. If you want to educate students who will be ready to face the world we live in, consider offering scholarships to disadvantaged kids. They could be awarded on merit and would ensure that your school wasn’t just a haven for those running from reality.
~~~~~
Don’t forget to check out www.mcc2000.net
~~~~~
We shared one of my favorite Jimmy Dean jokes last week and this week the Banner News is copying another one. This week Mike McNeil told us to watch for a big, important, announcement about something coming to town. Amazingly, I’ve been asked numerous times this week if I know what Mike was talking about. I hope it’s not like the Jimmy Dean joke “It’s Coming.”
A guy comes into town and erects billboards at each end of town that simply say “It’s Coming.” These caused much discussion and speculation among the townsfolk who eagerly waited to see what was coming.
Nothing happened for several months and then one-day word spread throughout town like wildfire, the billboards had been modified with a date and time and place. So everyone gathered at the city auditorium the next Saturday evening. Tickets were kind of expensive, but no one wanted to miss it.
At precisely 7 pm, the local fellow, who’d been hired to assist the stranger, pulled the curtain. There on the stage was a miniature of the billboards at each end of town ... with a slight change. This billboard read: “It’s gone.”
~~~~~
Feel free to share the "Bleat" with any and all. That's why we publish it.
~~~~~
www.aaa.com Regular
Current Avg. $ 2.33
http://www.fuelgaugereport.com/
~~~~~
Recipe(s) of the week - Margarita-Marinated Chicken With Mango Salsa
From Dinah Vanhook, El Dorado, Arkansas SOUTHERN LIVING BRAND WINNER MAHATMA Rice.

Prep: 10 min., Chill: 2 hrs., Grill: 12 min.


2 large limes
2 cups liquid margarita mix
1-cup vegetable oil
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon ground red pepper
3 tablespoons tequila (optional)
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups uncooked long grain white rice
For Grilling No-Stick Spray
Mango Salsa
Garnish: fresh cilantro sprig


1. Cut limes in half. Squeeze juice into a shallow dish or large zip-top plastic freezer bag; add squeezed lime halves to juice. Add margarita mix, next 4 ingredients, and, if desired, tequila. Whisk (or seal bag and shake) to blend. Add chicken; cover or seal, and chill at least 2 hours or up to 6 hours. Remove chicken from marinade, discarding marinade. Set chicken aside.
2. Prepare rice according to package directions; keep warm.
3. Coat cold grill cooking grate with grilling spray; place on grill over medium heat (300̊to 350̊). Place chicken on grate.
4. Grill chicken, covered with grill lid, 6 minutes on each side or until done. Serve over hot cooked rice. Serve with Mango Salsa, and garnish, if desired.

Yield: Makes 6 servings
~~~~~
FDA Approves First Inhalable Insulin
By Jesus Sanchez, Times Staff Writer

The Food and Drug Administration today approved the first inhaled insulin that could reduce or eliminate the need for diabetics to take injections to control their blood sugar.
The approval of Exubera, a powder that is breathed into the mouth and lungs through a 6-inch inhaler, was hailed by many health officials and is expected to be a blockbuster seller for drug maker Pfizer Inc.
Exubera is scheduled to go on sale this summer.
Pfizer and supporters of Exubera said the powdered insulin could make life easier for the estimated 5 million Americans who take daily injections and will encourage many more diabetics who had shunned or feared using needles to start treatment.
"Until today, patients with diabetes who need insulin to manage their disease had only one way to treat their condition," said Steven Galson, director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, in a statement. "It is our hope that the availability of inhaled insulin will offer patients more options to better control their blood sugars."
Exubera is short-acting insulin that can be taken before meals. It would not replace long-acting insulin shots that many must take before bedtime.
The government approved Exubera as a rise in diabetes among Americans has triggered concern among many health authorities. Diabetes, which has been diagnosed in 21 million Americans, reduces the body's ability to produce insulin, which helps control blood sugar. The disease can lead to heart disease, amputation, blindness and kidney failure.
"Exubera meets a critical medical need by offering a highly effective and needle-free alternative to diabetes pills and insulin injections to manage this complicated, debilitating disease," said Pfizer Chairman Hank McKinnell in a statement.
Safety concerns delayed the FDA review of Exubera for three years while additional clinical trials were conducted. In September, an FDA advisory panel raised questions about how the drug would affect patients suffering from respiratory infections or were exposed to secondhand smoke. Several also worried about the possibility of malfunctioning inhalers and a lack of African Americans in clinical trials of the drug.

The panel still voted in favor of approval.
~~~~~
BreakPoint
With Chuck Colson

A Whole New World
Story of Pocahontas Still Intrigues
By Steve Beard
January 27, 2006

Director Terrence Malick moves at a very distinct and deliberate speed—namely, his own. He's not in a hurry. He wrote the screenplay for his latest movie The New World about twenty-five years ago. It has just now been released nationwide.

Despite widely heralded acclaim as a writer/director, Malick has only done a handful of major projects since 1973 (Thin Red Line, Days of Heaven, and Badlands). His style is very distinct, unconventional, and recognizable (some would say “slow and plodding,” while others might view it as “poetic and mystical”).

In his new film, Malick focuses his attention on the exotic story of Pocahontas (Q'orianka Kilcher), John Smith (Colin Farrell), and John Rolfe (Christian Bale)—a tale drenched with love, betrayal, sacrifice, deception, abandonment, and discovery. It attempts to chronicle the culture clash of European new comers and “the naturals” during the founding of the Jamestown Settlement in 1607.

The New World also tells the compelling story (through both fact and myth) of the cultural transformation of a young woman who has to give up her native food, faith, and fashion in order to fit into the colonial culture because of a courageous act of self-sacrifice.

“I think of Pocahontas as a visionary, a peacemaker ahead of her time,” fifteen-year-old Q'orianka Kilcher told me, “and living proof of how far the willingness of a dreamer of new worlds can go. I really admire her.” It comes through. For such a young actress, Kilcher communicates a tremendous respect and joy in portraying this legendary character.

The romance between the swashbuckling John Smith and the naïve Pocahontas is told through vignettes of love and discovery without verbalization. Be forewarned, a lot of the film is almost like a ballet—so much is intended to be communicated without using words. This will prove to be frustrating for some and liberating for others.

Viewers may sense that the film portrays all the British as bad and all the Native Americans as virtuous. It is far more nuanced than that, but there are several instances where John Smith’s voice-overs carry a dreamy adoration of the native culture. When I asked producer Sarah Green about the flowery language, she responded: “Most of our references were written accounts from that time from colonists, whether they were journal entries or letters from home or whatever. And several of those exact words were in those accounts, whether it was Smith or several of the other colonists. It reflects the naïve way that they saw the Native community at first.”

She went on to point out, “It's only in the beginning when Smith is enamored of this world. We're in his mind, experiencing what he's experiencing that this is complete bliss. And as you can see, we show very quickly that that's a much more sophisticated culture and that he was in fact naïve to think there was no jealousy. So those words are from the time. But I think the way Terry [Malick] uses those words shows there's more to it than that.”

The film puts a heavy emphasis on having the viewer discover elements of life as if it were a maiden voyage. For example, at their first encounter in the tall grass near the riverbank, nearly naked Native American warriors sniff and poke at the sweaty, hairy, armor-clad explorers. The Powhatan tribesmen sport extravagant face paint and Mohawks that, unfortunately, will likely lead many viewers to think of rowdy Oakland Raiders fans in the end zone. The naturals knock on the body armor of the European colonists as if they were knocking of the front door of their next-door neighbors. It is almost comical to watch their facial expressions as they smell the stinky, white-faced sailors who have been trapped on a small ship for months without a bath.

This is Malick's vision and, perhaps, the meaning of the title. It is a new world for everyone involved—new plants, creatures, foods, and smells. He is masterful at helping us explore a forest as if it were the first time we have walked through a shadowy section of trees or tromped through the swaying, thigh-high weeds near the riverbank. Much of this is done through lingering landscape shots that seem more National Geographic than Hollywood.

As the film unfolds, we discover this new world through the eyes of John Smith as he explores the countryside with wide-eyed wonder. He lives with the Powhatans and learns their culture and way of life. In the second half of the movie, we see the world of colonial Jamestown (and later London) through the eyes of Pocahontas as she becomes a Christian and embraces British culture and colonial life.

“The clothes helped changed the way I was acting as Pocahontas,” Kilcher told me when I asked about her character's cultural transformation. “In my traditional tribal clothes, I was able to run freely in the woods and do cartwheels and things like that. The first time I tried on my English wardrobe, I had them tie my corset extra tight and give me shoes a size too small in order to feel how constrained I imagine Pocahontas must have felt. I went home that night and cried because I felt like a caged bird, like the freedom was torn away.”

In one scene, Pocahontas (her name, at this point, has been changed to Rebecca) is shown being baptized. Her embrace of Christianity is synonymous with her need to wear uncomfortable and restrictive clothing, as well as adopt Victorian mannerisms. When asked if she thought this was a decision of religious conviction or simply the next step in adapting to the white man's world, Kilcher said: “She had no where else to go. It was the next step. Once she decided to put on the English clothes and she was living with them, it was expected of her to become a refined Englishwoman named Rebecca and become baptized and speak proper English.”

When asked the same question, producer Sarah Green responded, “She was interested in Christianity. And she converted not just to marry John Rolfe or because she was a victim, but because she was drawn to that. I mean, that's not the case obviously with many Natives where it was very different. So we simply show her in that process. That's as much as we could really explore in this movie.”

It is not surprising the two women had such different responses to the same question—the very legend of Pocahontas conjures up varied responses from different groups of people. Was she a betrayer of her people, or was she a visionary peacemaker?

Christian Bale was asked what he thought his character John Rolfe, who eventually marries Pocahontas, found most attractive about her. “It's the freedom of spirit,” he said. “It's the courageousness, which I think Rolfe whilst he thinks about a great deal, he's never actually acted upon. It's something, which has always been a theoretical ideal of what his true love of God and of people is meant to be, but it's a brave soul who can actually act on that. And here he just sees a woman who's just doing that every day of her life, every second.”

Starring in her first feature film, Kilcher is the bright light of The New World. While Farrell and Bale have the big-screen notoriety, she carries the freight as Pocahontas.

If you are looking for a documentary on colonial life, watch the History Channel. If you are intrigued by a poetic love and loss story with all the elements of out-of-the-ordinary filmmaking, make sure to catch Terrence Malick's The New World.

Steve Beard is the creator of Thunderstruck.org—a website devoted to pop culture and spirituality.

FOR FURTHER READING
Visit the website for The New World.

Megan Basham, “The 'Real' Pocahontas Story,” Townhall.com, 20 January 2006.

Teresa Wiltz, “Yes, Virginia, This Pocahontas Is for Real,” Washington Post, 13 January 2006.

Alex Wainer, “Light of the World, Camera, Action: Behind the Screen,” BreakPoint Online, 6 January 2006.

Catherine Claire, “Resisting the Revenge Reflex: End of the Spear,” BreakPoint Online, 17 January 2006.

“Embracing Enemies: End of the Spear,” BreakPoint Commentary, 17 January 2006


The BreakPoint Web site and BreakPoint WorldView Magazine feature Colson’s commentaries as well as feature articles by other established and up-and-coming writers to equip readers with a biblical perspective on a variety of issues and topics.
© 2004 Prison Fellowship.
~~~~~

Words of the Week:
susurration: a whispering; a soft murmur.
irrefragable: impossible to refute.
tutelage: guardianship; protection; also, instruction.
incommunicado: without means or right to communicate.
predilection: an established preference.
flippant: showing inappropriate levity; pert.
grandee: a man of elevated rank or station; a nobleman.
wunderkind: one who achieves success or acclaim during youth.
lucre: money; profit.
from Dictionary.Com


~~~~~
"There are some that only employ words for the purpose of disguising their thoughts." - Voltaire

"Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength." - Eric Hoffer

"Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with." - Mark Twain

"Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority: still more when you superadd the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority." - Lord Acton

"When twenty years ago a vague terror went over the earth and the word socialism began to be heard, I thought and still think that fear was translated into doctrines that had no proper place in the Constitution or the common law. Judges are apt to be naif, simple-minded men, and they need something of Mephistopheles. We too need education in the obvious - to learn to transcend our own convictions and to leave room for much that we hold dear to be done away with short of revolution by the orderly change of law." - Oliver Wendell Holmes

"The average person puts only 25% of his energy and ability into his work. The world takes off its hat to those who put in more than 50% of their capacity, and stands on its head for those few and far between souls who devote 100%." - Andrew Carnegie

"Only a person of deep faith can afford the luxury of skepticism." - Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

"The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious ... the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science." - Albert Einstein | TOTD Archive

"It is not enough to have a good mind. The main thing is to use it well." - Rene Descartes

"Histories are more full of examples of the fidelity of dogs than of friends." - Alexander Pope (1688-1744)
~~~~~
BREAKING CHRISTIAN NEWS
http://breakingchristiannews.com/

America's Youth Give Strongest Support for Abstinence Programs - - http://www.breakingchristiannews.com/articles/display_art.html?ID=2035 - -
Jennifer Harper/Teresa Neumann Reporting (Jan 27, 2006)
According to a new Harris Poll, 56 percent of people ages 18 to 24, and 60 percent of those 25 to 29 think abstinence programs effectively reduce or prevent the occurrence of HIV/AIDS.
The poll also shows that another 49 percent of people ages 18 to 24 and 52 percent of those ages 25 to 29 say the programs reduce or prevent unwanted pregnancies.
Those results, from surveying six age groups and three political groups, show that younger respondents have the strongest support for abstinence over safe-sex programs.

The Name of God is Back in Canadian Politics - - http://www.breakingchristiannews.com/articles/display_art.html?ID=2024 - -
Gudrun Schultz/Teresa Neumann Reporting (Jan 26, 2006)
Bishop encouraged by Harper's use of "God Bless Canada"
Canada's new prime minister ended his victory speech Monday night with the words, "God Bless Canada"; a phrase that was an "unheard-of departure from the established status quo in Canada" over the course of the last 12 years.

Christian Prayer Movement Grows to Stop Profaning Christ in UK Musical that Uses Jerry Springer's Name - - http://www.breakingchristiannews.com/articles/display_art.html?ID=2019 - -
Jonathan Stuart-Brown, Aimee Herd reporting (Jan 25, 2006)
A prayer movement has been growing, in the UK and throughout the world, against the show; Jerry Springer - The Opera, which is reportedly extremely offensive to Christians.
From the moment the BBC2 allowed the controversial West End satirical "musical" to proceed in January of 2005, Believers in the United Kingdom have been uniting in prayer and protest against the show which blasphemes all that is holy and held dear in Christianity.

South Dakota to Consider Banning Abortion - - http://www.breakingchristiannews.com/articles/display_art.html?ID=2004 - -
Teresa Neumann Reporting (Jan 23, 2006)
A bill that would ban abortion in the state of South Dakota is set to be introduced within the next two days. Called the Woman's Health and Life Protection Act, the bill would ban abortion, but won't prosecute a doctor who performs one to save a woman's life.
According to the report on KELOLAND News, the bill's supporters are using findings from a controversial abortion task force report recently given to the legislature.

NBC Contact Email as Requested by Our Readers
Aimee Herd (Jan 24, 2006)
Editor's Note: After posting yesterday's story on NBC dropping the Book of Daniel TV show, we urged our readers to contact the network to thank them for hearing the many who voiced their concern over the program. I thought it would be relatively easy to log onto NBC's website and obtain the email address to do so. However it was not that simple, and I eventually had to contact the American Family Association in order to get a viable email for NBC program feedback. Below is that email address. I have also provided a regular mailing address for NBC since, in the media, regular letters speak even louder than emails. - Aimee Herd, BCN.
NBC PROGRAM FEEDBACK EMAIL:
nbcshows@nbc.com
NBCI MAILING ADDRESS:
NBCUNI.COM FEEDBACK
100 Universal City Plaza
Universal City, CA 91608
More...
http://www.breakingchristiannews.com/articles/display_art.html?I
D=2018

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GCF: School Daze

Emailed to me from another humor list (The Funnies) -Tom To subscribe to The Funnies, send a blank email to: andychaps_the-funnies-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.slonet.org/~tellswor/ UNSUBSCRIBE INFO for Good Clean Fun is at the end of this email. This email was scanned by Norton AntiVirus 2005 before it was sent.
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It was the first day of school, after summer vacation and time for me to pick up the children in my school bus and take them home again. After I had made the complete run that afternoon, one little boy remained on the bus.

Thinking he had simply missed his stop, I started driving slowly back through the neighborhood and asked him to be sure to let me know if any of the houses or people looked familiar. The boy sat in his seat contentedly and shook his head whenever I asked him if he recognized a person or place.

After the second unsuccessful tour of the area, I started back to the school to ask for his address. When we arrived, the child got off the bus and started walking away.

"Wait!" I called. "We have to go inside and find out where you live."

"I live right there," he said, pointing to a house across the street. "I just always wanted to ride in a school bus."
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Pesky Telemarketer

Emailed to me from another humor list (The Funnies) -Tom To subscribe to The Funnies, send a blank email to: andychaps_the-funnies-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
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Let me preface this piece with the following: I occasionally receive email from someone who has taken umbrage as what is posted at Good Clean Fun. Over the past 10 years that I have been running GCF, there have been a some (actually very few) complaints that have been legitimate. A legitimate complaint is taken seriously. What is not taken seriously is the type of email I received just last week. It was from someone who actually is a telemarketer. This person (I will not divulge the name, gender, or email address) reminded me, in no uncertain terms, that they were in the telemarketing business and it is a legitimate business and, yes, they "do know when it's dinner time." Then they suggested, in very inappropriate language, that I get on the "Do Not Call" list if I did not want to receive telemarketing calls. Up until the moment of the change in language, I was considering responding to the email and telling this person that (1) I was on the "Do Not Call" list; (2) Being on the list did not prevent all telemarketing calls; (3) When I do receive such calls, my response is polite, saying something like "I am not interested. Please do not call this number again. Thank you." and then I just hang up ... seems much nicer than just slamming the phone down. I must say that once I got to the bad language in the email, and it was quite vulgar, it took about one second to delete the email. Such a person does not deserve a response. So if you happen to work in the telemarketing business and you take offense to what I post, let me just say the following: "This is a HUMOR list. If you can't laugh at yourself, then you are a sad person, indeed." OK, that's it. I'm stepping down from the soapbox now. On to tonight's humor.....

-Tom (the guy who can laugh at himself and feels better for it)

The phone rang as I was sitting down to my anticipated evening meal and, as I answered, I was greeted with, "Is this Wilhiam Wagenhoss?" This didn't sound anything like my name, so I asked, "Who is calling?"

The telemarketer said he was with The Rubberband-Powered Freezer Company or something like that and then I asked him if he knew Wilhiam personally and why was he was calling this number. I then said, off to the side, "Get really good pictures of the body and all the blood."

I then turned back to the phone and advised the caller that he had entered a murder scene and must stay on the line because we had already traced this call and he would be receiving a summons to appear in the local courthouse to testify in this murder case.

I then questioned the caller at great length as to his name, address, phone number at home, at work, who he worked for, how he knew the dead guy and could he prove where he had been about one hour before he made this call. The telemarketer was getting very concerned and his answers were given in a shaky voice.

Then I proceeded to tell him that we had located his position at his work place and the police were entering the building to take him into custody. At that point, I heard the phone fall and the scurrying of his running away.

My wife asked me, as I returned to the table, why I had tears streaming down my face and so help me, I couldn't tell her for about fifteen minutes.

My meal was cold, but oh-so-very enjoyable.
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Refrigerator Goals

Emailed to me another humor list (Pastor Tim's Clean Laugh List) -Tom Subscribe to Pastor Tim's Clean Laugh list at the website: Subscribe
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When I returned home from college for a break, I noticed a paper posted on the refrigerator. It listed some goals my dad had set for himself: Help wife more; lose weight; be more productive at work.

I promptly added: "Send Michelle money every month."

A few days later my brother wrote: "Make payments on car for Jason."

Then my boyfriend joined in with: "Buy Tom a Jeep."

Finally my father added a new goal to his amended list: "Wean kids."
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Too Late!

Found at The Shark Tank (Computerworld) -Tom
http://www.computerworld.com/departments/opinions/sharktank/0,4885,107942,00.html
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The program manager couldn't grasp the idea of gathering requirements at the start of a project. "At a project kickoff meeting, which he had neglected to actually invite the customer to, we had a lot of discussion around what the software we were creating was supposed to do," says a programmer on the team. "I suggested putting together a requirements teleconference with the customer to clarify their ideas and goals." PM's response? "I was told we were already behind schedule and didn't have time to meet with the customer."
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Major Technological Breakthrough

Emailed to me another humor list (Good Clean Funnies List) -Tom To subscribe The Good Clean Funnies List, (not to be confused with this list, which is Good Clean Fun) send an email to: gcfl-request@gcfl.net with subject = add
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Introducing the new Bio-Optic Organized Knowledge device, trade named: BOOK

BOOK is a revolutionary breakthrough in technology: no wires, no electric circuits, no batteries, nothing to be connected or switched on. It's so easy to use, even a child can operate it.

Compact and portable, it can be used anywhere -- even sitting in an armchair by the fire -- yet it is powerful enough to hold as much information as a CD-ROM disc. Here's how it works:

BOOK is constructed of sequentially numbered sheets of paper (recyclable), each capable of holding thousands of bits of information. The pages are locked together with a custom-fit device called a binder, which keeps the sheets in their correct sequence.

Opaque Paper Technology (OPT) allows manufacturers to use both sides of the sheet, doubling the information density and cutting costs. Experts are divided on the prospects for further increases in information density; for now, BOOKs with more information simply use more pages.

Each sheet is scanned optically, registering information directly into your brain. A flick of the finger takes you to the next sheet. BOOK may be taken up at any time and used merely by opening it.

Unlike other display devices, BOOK never crashes or requires rebooting, and it can even be dropped on the floor or stepped on without damage. However, it can become unusable if immersed in water for a significant period of time. The "browse" feature allows you to move instantly to any sheet and move forward or backward as you wish. Many come with an "index" feature, which pinpoints the exact location of selected information for instant retrieval.

An optional "BOOKmark" accessory allows you to open BOOK to the exact place you left it in a previous session -- even if the BOOK has been closed. BOOKmarks fit universal design standards; thus, a single BOOKmark can be used in BOOKs by various manufacturers. Conversely, numerous BOOKmarkers can be used in a single BOOK if the user wants to store numerous views at once. The number is limited only by the number of pages in the BOOK.

You can also make personal notes next to BOOK text entries with an optional programming tool, the Portable Erasable Nib Cryptic Intercommunication Language Stylus (PENCILS).

Portable, durable, and affordable, BOOK is being hailed as a precursor of a new entertainment wave. Also, BOOK's appeal seems so certain that thousands of content creators have committed to the platform and investors are reportedly flocking. Look for a flood of new titles soon.
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[GCFL.net] Things Change Soooo Fast

A woman goes to the doctor for her yearly physical. The nurse starts with certain basic items. "How much do you weigh?" she asks.

"120," the woman says. The nurse puts her on the scale. It turns out her weight is 150.

The nurse asks, "Your height?"

"5 feet, 8 inches," she says. The nurse checks and sees that she measures only 5 feet, 5 inches.

She then takes her blood pressure and tells the woman it is very high.

"Of course it's high!" she screams. "When I came in here, I was tall and slender, and now I'm short and fat!"

Received from Doug Burton.

(-:][:-)

[GCFL.net] Where Is The Post Office?

A little boy was waiting on his mother to come out of a store. As he waited, he was approached by a man who asked, "Son, can you tell me where the post office is?"

The little boy replied, "Sure, just go straight down the street a couple of blocks and turn to your right."

The man thanked the boy kindly and said, "I'm the new preacher in town, and I'd like for you to come to church on Sunday. I'll show you how to get to Heaven."

The little boy replied with a chuckle, "Awww, come on; you don't even know the way to the post office!"

Received from Andychap.

(-:][:-)

[GCFL.net] Three-man Business Accountant

Fresh out of business school, the young man answered a want ad for an accountant. He was being interviewed by a very nervous man who ran a three-man business.

"I need someone with an accounting degree," the man said. "But mainly, I'm looking for someone to do my worrying for me."

"Excuse me?" the young accountant said.

"I worry about a lot of things," the man said. "But I don't want to have to worry about money. Your job will be to take all the money worries off my back."

"I see," the young accountant said. "And how much does the job pay?"

"I will start you at eighty-five thousand dollars."

"Eighty-five thousand dollars!" the young man exclaimed. "How can such a small business afford a sum like that?"

"That," the owner said, "is your first worry."

Received from George.

(-:][:-)

[GCFL.net] Getting Married Too Young

My sister went to the department store to check out the bridal registry of our niece whose wedding was coming up soon. When my sister returned from the store, she tossed the gift list on a table and declared, "I think she's too young to get married."

"Why do you say that?" I asked.

"Because," she said, "they registered for Nintendo games."

Received from Andychap.

(-:][:-)

[GCFL.net] He's A Good Dentist

A couple of old guys were golfing when one said he was going to Dr. Taylor for a new set of dentures in the morning.

His friend remarked that he had gone to the same dentist a few years before. "Is that so?" the first said. "Did he do a good job?"

"Well, I was on the course yesterday when the fellow on the ninth hole hooked a shot," he said. "The ball must have been going 200 mph when it hit me in the stomach. That," he added, "was the first time in two years my teeth didn't hurt."

Received from Andychap.

(-:][:-)

-=+=-
Rate this funny at
http://www.gcfl.net/archive.php?funny=20060113

Brought to you by GCFL.net: The Good, Clean Funnies List
A cheerful heart is good medicine... (Prov 17:22a)
Mail address: GCFL, Box 100, Harvest, AL 35749, USA

To print or email this funny to others, go to
http://www.gcfl.net/archive.php?funny=20060113

The latest GCFL funny can always be found on the web at
http://www.gcfl.net/latest.php
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Annette told me not to share this “Daffinition” that I heard on car talk, but I can’t resist.
The word is “Fartfignugen” and it means “To pass gas in a German made automobile.”
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Consider These 3 Thoughts in 2006.

(1) Zero Gravity

When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they quickly discovered that ballpoint pens would not work in zero gravity. To combat this problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 billion developing a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside-down, on almost any surface including glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to over 300 C. The Russians used a pencil. Your taxes are due again--enjoy paying them.

(2) Our Constitution

"They keep talking about drafting a Constitution for Iraq. Why don't we just give them ours? It was written by a lot of really smart guys, and it's worked for over 200 years. And, we're not using it anymore."

(3) Ten Commandments

The real reason that we can't have the Ten Commandments in a Courthouse is that you cannot post "Thou Shalt Not Steal," "Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery" and "Thou Shall Not Lie" in a building full of lawyers, judges, and politicians. It creates a hostile work environment

Thanks to Trina Montgomery
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Dead Mule In The Churchyard....

A Pastor went to his church office on Monday morning and discovered a dead mule in the churchyard. He telephoned the police.

Since there did not appear to be any foul play, the police referred the Pastor to the Health Department. They explained, "Since there was no health threat, you'll need to call the Sanitation Department."
When the pastor called the Sanitation Department, the Manager of the Sanitation Department said, "I can't pick up that dead mule without authorization from the mayor."
The Pastor was not at all too eager to call the mayor, who possessed a very bad temper and was always extremely unpleasant and hard to deal with, but, eventually, the Pastor called the mayor anyway.
The mayor did not disappoint the Pastor. The mayor immediately began to rant and rave. After his continued rant at the pastor, the mayor finally said, "Why did you call me any way? Isn't it your job to bury the dead?"
The pastor paused for a brief prayer, and asked the Lord to direct his response. The lord led the pastor to the words he was seeking, "WELL Yes, Mayor, it IS my job to bury the dead, BUT I always like to notify the next of kin first!"

Thanks to Norma Kay Rowe
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It's just a joke!
--------------
"Clinton One-Liners"

Manufacturers announced today that they will be stocking America's shelves this week with "Clinton Soup," in honor of one of the nations' most distinguished men. It consists primarily of a weenie in hot water.

Chrysler Corporation is adding a new car to its line to honor Bill Clinton: The Dodge Drafter. The Drafter will be built in Canada.

When asked what he thought about foreign affairs, Clinton replied, I don't know, I never had one, yet."

Clinton lacked only three things to become one of America's finest leaders: integrity, vision, wisdom.

Clinton was doing the work of three men: Larry, Moe and Curly.

The Clinton revised judicial oath: "I solemnly swear to tell the truth as I know it, the whole truth as I believe it to be, and nothing but what I think you need to know."

Thanks to Sam Boggs
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Welcome to You Make Me Laugh, a free newsletter from Crosswalk.com, the world's largest Christian website.

*When One Shows Up*

A preacher prepared for Sunday morning service, but only one person, a farmer, was there. He asked the farmer, "What do you think we should do?"

The farmer replied with a draw, "Well, if only one cow came into the barn, I'd feed it."

So the preacher mounted the pulpit and began to preach... and preach ... and preach. After about two hours, he concluded.

Then he stepped down and said to the farmer, "So, what did you think?"

The farmer replied, "Well, if only one cow came into the barn, I certainly wouldn't try to feed it all the hay."

(-:][:-)

*Emergency Visit*

A woman rushes to see her doctor, looking very much worried and all strung out.

She rattles off, "Doctor, take a look at me. When I woke up this morning, I looked at myself in the mirror and saw my hair all wiry and frazzled up, my skin was all wrinkled and pasty, my eyes were blood-shot and bugging out, and I had this corpse-like look on my face! What's wrong with me, Doctor?"

The doctor looks her over for a couple of minutes, then calmly says, "Well, I can tell you one thing . . . there ain't nothing wrong with your eyesight."

(-:][:-)

*Finest Equipment*

Morris had been playing golf for years, and he had the finest equipment, but his technique never improved a bit.

As his friend watched, he teed up at the first hole and promptly drove a brand-new ball into the woods. On the second hole, he drove another new ball into a lake. On the third, he lost a new ball in another part of the woods.

"Why don't you use an old ball?" his friend Sam asked.

"I've never had an old ball," Morris said.

(-:][:-)

*Vacation Location*

A vacationer e-mailed a seaside hotel to ask its location. "It's only a stone's throw away from the beach," he was told.

"But how will I recognize it?" asked the man.

The reply was, "It's the one with all the broken windows."

(-:][:-)

*Best Guide*

I understand the fix a local hunting guide got himself into.

His party became hopelessly lost in the mountains and they blamed him for leading them astray. "You told us you were the best guide in Colorado!" they asserted.

"I am," he said, "but I think we're in Wyoming now."

Eye Laugh

"Missing Center"
http://www.cybersalt.org/g05.php?id=194

"Horse Scream"
http://www.cybersalt.org/g05.php?id=218

"Toy Tank"
http://www.cybersalt.org/g05.php?id=220

"Diplomacy"
http://www.cybersalt.org/g05.php?id=221

"Hamburger Diet"
http://www.cybersalt.org/g05.php?id=222

(-:][:-)

-=+=-
Daily devotionals are available at http://link.Crosswalk.Com/UM/T.asp?A1. 39. 17757. 1. 494611 You can access more information on Crosswalk's Fun page http://www.Crosswalk.Com/fun/! Crosswalk gives credit to the author of a joke when author is known. Feel free to send notification to admin@cybersalt.org in cases where credit has not been given to the author! -SUBSCRIPTION INFO- * Copyright2004 Crosswalk.Com, Inc. and its Content Providers. All rights reserved. Introducing www.Crossguide.Com Where Christians find Products, Services & Ministries.
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"Don't strive for recognition, but work for achievement." -- Vanessa Malone
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Madeleine Begun Kane Latest Columns - - http://www.madkane.com/stress.html - - De-Stress or Distress? "Are you stressed out? A quivering blob of nerves? Are your muscles lodged in a permanent clench? Here's what not to do..."
http://www.madkane.com
http://www.madkane.com/notable.html (Notables Weblog)
http://www.madkane.com/bush.html (Dubya's Dayly Diary)
Subscribe to MadKane Humor Newsletter (weekly) here:
http://www.madkane.com/email.html
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Google Earth - - http://earth.google.com/ - - Want to know more about a specific location? Dive right in -- Google Earth combines satellite imagery, maps and the power of Google Search to put the world's geographic information at your fingertips.
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The National Mental Health Association - - http://www.nmha.org/ - - The National Mental Health Association is the country's oldest and largest nonprofit organization addressing all aspects of mental health and mental illness. With more than 340 affiliates nationwide, NMHA works to improve the mental health of all Americans, especially the 54 million people with mental disorders, through advocacy, education, research and service.
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Essentials of Music - - http://www.essentialsofmusic.com/ - - Whether you're a casual listener or a serious music student, here's the site for basic information about classical music. Created in cooperation with W.W. Norton & Company, it's built around Essential Classics, the series specially designed to introduce you to the best music of every period. All through the site you'll find almost 200 excerpts from Essential Classics.
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MDhub.com - - http://www.mdhub.com/corporate/patients.asp - - Next time you go on vacation, take your doctor with you - virtually. MDhub.com is a new Internet network of medical-practice Web sites that connects patients with their physicians online. Nearly 400,000 practicing physicians in the USA can receive non-urgent messages, such as requests for prescription renewals or quick questions, at www.Mdhub.com by fax. The free service requires no registration or setup for either the doctor or the patient. Each practice's personalized Internet Message Center is already up and running.
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How Social Security Works? - - http://money.howstuffworks.com/social-security.htm - - Social Security is in the news every day, with politicians and economists alike running the gamut from "crisis" to "hiccup." Most of us are paying in -- will Social Security be paying out? Learn about the wide-reaching Social Security system and about the various propositions on the table for ensuring future stability.
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The best and worst states for taxes - - http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Taxes/P111921.asp - - We all pay Uncle Sam the same no matter where we live, but property, gasoline, tobacco and sales taxes are all over the map.
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SaferCar.gov - - http://www.safercar.gov/ - - This site by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provides information on the safety of most all cars. This includes crash and rollover test safety info as well as recall notifications for a particular problem with a car. It also provides tools and instructions if you need to submit a complaint about a possible safety defect for a particular automobile. The site also includes tips and information on safe driving practices as well as instructions on keeping your equipment safe on the road.
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What Don't We Know? - - http://www.sciencemag.org/sciext/125th/ - - In a special collection of articles published beginning 1 July 2005, Science Magazine and its online companion sites celebrate the journal's 125th anniversary with a look forward -- at the most compelling puzzles and questions facing scientists today. A special, free news feature in Science explores 125 big questions that face scientific inquiry over the next quarter-century; accompanying the feature are several online extras including a reader's forum on the big questions.
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Wi-Fi Free Spot Directory - - http://www.wififreespot.com/ - - The Wi-Fi-FreeSpot Directory is a listing of Wi-Fi enabled locations that offer Free Wireless High Speed Internet Access. USA State-by-State listings come first with other regions of the World listed further down the page. Whether you're a local resident or a business or vacation traveler just passing by, The Wi-Fi-FreeSpot Directory will help you find all types of Free Wi-Fi locations. You'll find cafes, restaurants, coffeeshops, libraries, downtown business districts, malls, stores, laundramats, auto repair shops, RV parks, airports, Hotels, vacation rental properties, etc. that are open to guests, customers and/or the general public.
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|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
SILENT KILLER

We're around it, we're above it, we're beneath it.
It's there when we open our eyes'
It can be a silent killer,
Which no one identifies.
It's something everyone can speak of,
Yet few really take it to heart.
It's that little bitty giant called safety.
That begs everyone to take part.
Leave it alone and someone gets hurt,
Then we think of what could have been done.
That doesn't help what's happened.
The result is never called fun.
Now next time you notice an item unsafe
Speak up and get it turned in!
You'll never know of the pain you've save,
Avoiding it is just like sin.

J. Ogle

|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
January 25, 2006
Prepared by Niomi Krzystowczyk - Baton Rouge Tower Employee

There has been some reported outbreaks of the Rotavirus at daycares around Baton Rouge. I thought this might be a timely message to send out when you need one:

Rotavirus most often infects infants and young children, and in children ages 3 months to 2 years, is one of the most common causes of diarrhea. In the United States, it leads to outbreaks of diarrhea during the winter months and is particularly a problem in child-care centers and children's hospitals. Almost all children have had a rotavirus infection by the time they are 3 years old. Severe infection, rotavirus gastroenteritis, is the leading cause of severe, dehydrating diarrhea in infants and young children.
Rotavirus infections are responsible for approximately 3 million cases of diarrhea and 55,000 hospitalizations for diarrhea and dehydration in children under 5 years old each year in the United States. Although these infections cause relatively few deaths in the United States, diarrhea caused by rotavirus results in hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide every year. This is especially true in developing countries, where nutrition and health care are not optimal.

Signs and Symptoms
Children with a rotavirus infection have fever, nausea, and vomiting, which are often followed by abdominal cramps and frequent, watery diarrhea. Children who are infected may also have a cough and runny nose. As with all viruses, though, some rotavirus infections cause few or no symptoms, especially in adults.
Sometimes the diarrhea that accompanies a rotavirus infection is so copious that it can quickly lead to dehydration. Signs of dehydration include: thirst, irritability, restlessness, lethargy, sunken eyes, a dry mouth and tongue, dry skin, fewer trips to the bathroom to urinate, and (in infants) a dry diaper for several hours.

Contagiousness
Rotavirus infection is very contagious. The virus passes in the stool of infected persons before and after they have symptoms of the illness. Children can catch a rotavirus infection if they put their fingers in their mouths after touching something that has been contaminated by the stool of an infected person. Usually this happens when children forget to wash their hands often enough, especially before eating and after using the toilet. People who care for children, including health-care and child-care workers, can also spread the virus, especially if they do not wash their hands after changing diapers.

Prevention
Because of the widespread nature of rotavirus and the fact that almost 100% of children get rotavirus illness, total prevention of the spread of rotavirus is virtually impossible. Even in environments with the best hygiene, most children become infected with rotavirus by age 3. Frequent hand washing is the best tool to limit the spread of the infection. Children who are infected should stay home from child-care groups until their diarrhea has resolved. In hospitals, where it is easier to monitor staff and patients, health officials control rotavirus outbreaks by isolating infected patients and ordering strict hand-washing procedures.
In October 1999, the United States Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended that the rotavirus vaccine then available no longer be given because it was linked to an increased risk for intussusception, a type of bowel obstruction, in young infants. Research into other vaccines not associated with this side effect continued, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has begun reviewing a new rotavirus vaccine for approval. If approved, this rotavirus vaccine would be given to infants as a liquid during regular vaccinations at age 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months. Your child's doctor will have the most current information.

Incubation
The incubation period for rotavirus infection is about 2 to 3 days.

Duration
In most children, fever and vomiting will stop after 2 to 3 days, but diarrhea may last for up to 9 days.

Professional Treatment
If your child is an infant or toddler and becomes moderately or severely dehydrated, your child may need to be treated in a hospital with intravenous (IV) fluids to bring the body's fluid and salt levels back to normal. Most older children can be treated at home.
Your doctor may need to test your child's blood or stool to confirm that the diarrhea is being caused by rotavirus and not by bacteria. Because antibiotics do not work against illnesses caused by viruses, your doctor will not give your child antibiotics to treat a rotavirus infection.

Home Treatment
To prevent dehydration, follow your doctor's guidance about what your child should eat and drink. Your doctor may suggest that you give your child special drinks that replace body fluids quickly, especially if the diarrhea has been going on for longer than 2 or 3 days. In general, children with mild diarrhea who are not dehydrated should continue to eat normally but should receive more fluids. (Fruit juices and soft drinks can make diarrhea worse and should be avoided.) Children who have mild to moderate dehydration should be given an oral rehydration solution in small, frequent amounts for several hours to correct the dehydration and then should go back to eating normally. Children who are breastfed should be breastfed throughout. A child who is vomiting will need to eat smaller amounts more frequently. Follow your doctor's guidance and avoid giving your child store-bought medicines for vomiting or diarrhea unless your doctor recommends them.

When to Call Your Child's Doctor
Call your child's doctor whenever your child has signs of a rotavirus infection, including watery diarrhea, fever, nausea, and vomiting. Call the doctor immediately if your child seems to be dehydrated.

Reviewed by: Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph, MD
Date reviewed: September 2003
Originally reviewed by: Joel Klein, MD

Dr. Niomi Krzystowczyk

|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|

Wet cement is the number one cause of occupational skin disease in the US. Wet cement has a pH of 12 to 13. Use proper PPE and safe work practices in ALL jobs.

A contract employee was finishing concrete for new U-Drain when he noticed his left leg was stinging. He assumed it was irritated by the cement. When it continued to burn, he ran potable water on it which did not stop the burning. The Services Supervisor saw him and put him in the safety shower. The area where he was working was dry. It had been washed with water earlier and swept clean. There did not appear to be any water or chemicals present on the surface of the work area. Production Personnel "wetted" an area of the concrete and got a reading of high pH with pH strips. He remained in the shower for approximately 2&1/2 hours while being checked by EMTs. After washing over 2 hours, his leg still looked irritated and he was given clean clothes and taken to the Contractor's Company Doctor. The Doctor diagnosed 1st and 2nd degree chemical burns to the left shin of the worker. He was treated with O.T. burn cream and sterile dressings and released for return to work.

|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
January 24, 2006
Guns and Your Family
Why is gun safety important?

We have all heard stories about children who are accidentally killed by guns at home or at friends' homes. These tragedies can be prevented if a few simple safety rules are followed.

Most parents know that electric outlets should be covered and that cleaning agents and other poisons should be kept away from children. However, more children younger than 10 are killed by guns than by poison or electrocution. Gunshot wounds are second only to car accidents as a cause of fatal injury in children. This means that gun safety in your home is as important as using car seats and seat belts in your car.

What can I do to protect my family from gun injury?

If there is a gun in your home, it must be kept out reach of your children and their friends. The gun must also be kept safe from family members who are depressed, who are abusive to others or who are abusing drugs (including alcohol), or who have Alzheimer's disease.

Children are naturally curious and like to explore. If there is a gun in your home, keep it unloaded and locked away, separate from the bullets, with the key available only to responsible adults. Teach your children what to do if they find a gun, even if they are not sure whether it is real or a toy. Teach them to remember these words: Stop! Don't touch! Go away! Tell an adult!

Before your child visits the home of a friend or a baby sitter, ask the parents at that home whether they have a gun in the house and, if so, whether the gun is unloaded and locked away.

Teenagers often act without thinking first. When teenagers are angry or depressed, they are more likely to kill themselves or harm themselves if they can easily get a gun. It's best not to have a gun in your home at all if someone who lives there is depressed, thinking of suicide or troubled.

Are there other ways I can keep violence out of my family's life?

Children learn how to behave by watching and doing what the adults around them do. It's best for the parents to talk peacefully in the home, to solve problems with discussion instead of anger or physical violence and to treat all people with respect.

Parents who want to raise peaceful children may also choose not to allow their children to watch violent TV shows, play video games that involve one player hurting another or play with toys that are pretend weapons.

Children who watch violent TV shows and play violent video games are likely to model violent behavior. Children who watch a lot of violent TV shows or movies may even have trouble understanding that violence in real life actually hurts people.

|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
January 20, 2006
Prepared by BRT employee, Matt Lynch

SCANning an Underground Parking Garage

Survey

How good is the lighting and visibility where you are parked?
Any head-knockers? (Low-hanging sprinkler piping, for instance?)
Any uneven places in the concrete?
Any cars approaching you as you walk? Can they see you?
Do you walk beside where cars are parked or in the "middle of the road?"
In your walking path, is anyone getting ready to back their car out? If so, can they see you?
Is anyone loitering in the parking garage? (People in a parking garage are either driving, walking to their car or walking away from their car - or maybe smoking)
Any blind corners or blind entrances from lower levels?
Any standing water?
Any flat tires?
Any damage to your car?
Any valuables or packages visible in your car?
Anyone in or under your car?

Consider

What is the safest walking path to take?
Should you avoid walking in the uneven places, or where people are backing out, or between the head-knocker sprinkler pipes?
Map out the best way to go
If your car looks damaged or has flat tire(s), approach cautiously or, better, not at all - go get building security

Act

Walk with a high level of awareness - lighting is frequently not good, and people driving may not see you
Drive cautiously for the same reasons
Blow your horn as you approach blind corners or entrances (Once when I did this I was greeted with the visage of a very surprised colleague behind the wheel of his pickup truck - that's right, he didn't see me coming up from the lower level and might have hit me had I not blown my horn!)
Lock your car when you leave it
Lock your car from the inside after you start the engine as you leave

Notify

Notify building management of any broken concrete or loitering individuals (in a documented manner, not by griping around the coffee machine)

I hope this is helpful to you - be sure to SCAN in all ordinary everyday situations. You'll be surprised at all the things you come up with to be aware of and do!
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Our Church, Magnolia Christian Center, has the following mission statement. Our purpose is to build a great church for the glory of God through the great commission and the great commandment. MCC' Vision - That MCC will be a place hopping with children, energized with teenagers, balanced with diversity and transformed by the power of God! We want to turn uninterested people into interested people and win the lost to make fully devoted followers of Christ.
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Stress Management

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, "how heavy is this glass of water? "

Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.
The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter.
It depends on how long you try to hold it.
"If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.
If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.
If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.
"In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes. "
He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress management.
If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on. "

"As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again.
When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden. "
"So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down.
Don't carry it home.
You can pick it up tomorrow.
Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can. "
"Relax; pick them up later after you've rested.
Life is short.
Enjoy it!

And then he shared some ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

* Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue
* Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
* Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
* Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.
* If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
* Never buy a car you can't push.
* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.
* Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
* Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
* The second mouse gets the cheese.
* When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
* Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
* You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
* Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
* We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names , and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
" A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

Thanks to Trina Montgomery
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VERY INTERESTING -

1. The garden of Eden was in Iraq.
2. Mesopotamia, which is now Iraq, was the cradle of civilization!
3. Noah built the ark in Iraq.
4. The Tower of Babel was in Iraq.
5. Abraham was from Ur, which is in Southern Iraq!
6. Isaac's wife Rebekah is from Nahor, which is in Iraq !
7. Jacob met Rachel in Iraq.
8. Jonah preached in Nineveh - which is in Iraq.
9 Assyria, which is in Iraq, conquered the ten tribes of Israel.
10. Amos cried out in Iraq!
11. Babylon, which is in Iraq, destroyed Jerusalem.
12. Daniel was in the lion's den in Iraq!
13. The three Hebrew children were in the fire in Iraq (Jesus had been in Iraq also as the fourth person in the fiery furnace!)
14. Belshazzar, the King of Babylon saw the "writing on the wall" in Iraq.
15. Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, carried the Jews captive into Iraq.
16. Ezekiel preached in Iraq.
17. The wise men were from Iraq.
18. Peter preached in Iraq.
19. The "Empire of Man" described in Revelation is called Babylon, which was a city in Iraq!

And you have probably seen this one. Israel is the nation most often mentioned in the Bible. But do you know which nation is second? It is Iraq! However, that is not the name that is used in the Bible. The names used in the Bible are Babylon, Land ofShinar, and Mesopotamia. The word Mesopotamia means between the two rivers, more exactly between the Tigris and ! Euphrates Rivers. The name Iraq, means country with deep roots.

Indeed Iraq is a country with deep roots and is a very significant country in the Bible.
No other nation, except Israel, has more history and prophecy associated with it than Iraq.

Thanks to Waneta Reardon
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Six-year-old Brandon decided one Saturday morning to fix his parents pancakes. He found a big bowl and spoon, pulled a chair to the counter, opened the cupboard and pulled out the heavy flour canister, spilling it on the floor.
He scooped some of the flour into the bowl with his hands, mixed in most of a cup of milk and added some sugar, leaving a floury trail on the floor which by now had a few tracks left by his kitten.
Brandon was covered with flour and getting frustrated. He wanted this to be something very good for Mom and Dad, but it was getting very bad.
He didn't know what to do next, whether to put it all into the oven or on the stove and he didn't know how the stove worked!
Suddenly he saw his kitten licking from the bowl of mix and reached to push her away knocking the egg carton to the floor. Frantically he tried to clean up this monumental mess but slipped on the eggs getting his pajamas white and sticky.
And just then he saw Dad standing at the door. Big crocodile tears welled up in Brandon's eyes. All he'd wanted to do was something good, but he'd made a terrible mess. He was sure a scolding was coming, maybe even a spanking, but his father just watched him.
Then walking through the mess he picked up his crying son, hugged him and loved him, getting his own pajamas white and sticky in the process!
That's how God deals with us. We try to do something good in life, but it turns into a mess. Our marriage gets all sticky, we insult a friend, we can't stand our job or our health goes sour.
Sometimes we just stand there in tears because we can't think of anything else to do. That's when God picks us up and loves us and forgives us, even though some of our mess gets all over Him.
But just because we might mess up, we can't stop trying to "make pancakes" for God or for others. Sooner or later we'll get it right and then they'll be glad we tried...
Please pass some of this love on to others. Suppose one morning you were called to God. Do all your friends know you love them?
I was thinking ... and I wondered if I had any wounds needing to be healed, friendships that need rekindling or three words needing to be said Sometimes, "I love you" can heal & bless! Remind every one of your friends that you love them. Even if you think they don't love you back. You would be amazed at what those three little words, a smile and a reminder like this can do.

Thanks to Michael Thomas
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TOURBUS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -:) - :)- :)
Volume 11, Number 37 --- 26 January 2006
Tourbus Home - http://www.TOURBUS.com
Best of Tourbus -- http://tourbus.com/best.html
+---------------------------------------+

TODAY'S TOURBUS TOPICS: Start a Blog / Educational Software

Do you have Blog Envy? Learn the simple steps to creating your own blog today. Also in this issue, get the scoop on the best educational software, find out whether you should replace or refill your inkjet cartridge, and pick up some valuable tips on keeping spam from flooding your inbox. Read on!

--------------------------
A Blog by Any Other Name
--------------------------

...would be a journal, a diary, a bulletin board, a column, a forum, or a log. The term "blog" is derived from "web log" and it all boils down to a web-based running commentary. People blog about politics, technology, sports, media and religion. You'll find rants, raves, memoirs and movements. The popularity of software for personal online publishing has propelled blogging into a media force that must be reckoned with.

But for the every day computer user a blog can sound complicated. How do you start a blog? Are there programs you need to buy? Can anyone change my blog? You don't need a computer science degree to publish your own blog... just follow these easy steps and you'll be blogging before you know it.

http://askbobrankin.com/create_a_blog.html

----------------------------------------------
The Best Educational Software and Technology
----------------------------------------------

My youngest daughter learned phonics and reading skills on my lap at the age of three, then went on to read every book and encyclopedia in the house. We had to go to yard sales, just to keep up with her voracious appetite for learning. I was hesitant to turn her loose on computers, because I didn't want to stifle her natural creativity.

Fifteen years later, I still believe that the best educational technology is a regular download directly from YOU or your child's teacher, but there are some pretty cool educational software and online services that can help the learning process along.

http://askbobrankin.com/best_educational_software.html

----------------------------------------
Inkjet Cartridges - Replace or Refill?
----------------------------------------

Inkjet printers are cheap. Keeping them stocked with ink can cost a small fortune. The manufacturers say use only new original equipment cartridges, in part because it's an important piece of their revenue stream. But on the shelf at Office Whopper, next to the $38 brand name cartridges is a $30 no-name job and a refill kit for only $20.

It seems like a no-brainer, but are these cheaper alternatives your best bet? This article examines the price, convenience and quality tradeoffs you must consider when deciding whether to replace, refill or stick with the manufacturer's brand of inkjet cartridges.

http://askbobrankin.com/inkjet_cartridges.html
------------------
How to Stop Spam
------------------

Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam... about 70% of emails sent over the Internet are unsolicited commercial e-mail. When you consider that over 35 BILLION emails are sent every day, the impact of spam is staggering.

Spam ranges from relatively benign product pitches to blatant porn and identity theft schemes; and mailboxes that are unprotected can quickly be overrun, possibly causing you to miss important messages.

CAN-SPAM, the US government's attempt at stopping spam, has been a miserable failure. But it can be effectively controlled with the right tools. Here's what YOU can do to stop spam today...

http://askbobrankin.com/how_to_stop_spam.html

+---------------------------------------+

That's all for now, see you next time! -- Bob Rankin

+---------------------------------------+

Volume 11, Number 36 --- 24 January 2006

TODAY'S TOURBUS TOPICS: WMF Vulnerability / Antivirus Updates

Howdy, y'all, and happy December from deep behind the orange curtain in beautiful Irvine, California, now with 17% more sea sewage.

------------------------------------------------
Closing the Door on Windows' WMF Vulnerability
------------------------------------------------

The past few weeks have been interesting for PC users. At the end of December, Microsoft announced a vulnerability in the way Windows displays certain images, a vulnerability that could allow attackers to take complete control of your computer [check out the bulletin at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms06-001.mspx ] More frightening is the fact that this vulnerability uses images--WMF images, to be exact--to execute arbitrary code on your computer. Open Internet Explorer, view a web page that has an image containing the WMF exploit, and *BOOM*...your computer is no longer yours.

How do you fix this? Well, if you have a PC, you need to double-check that you have all of Microsoft's most recent patches. To do this, just run Windows Update by opening Internet Explorer, going to Tools > Windows Update, and following the on-screen prompts.

That's it. No, really.

--------------------------------------------
Closing the Door on Future Vulnerabilities
--------------------------------------------

How can you protect your computer from future vulnerabilities? As silly as this may sound, the answer is simple:

UPDATE YOUR ANTIVIRUS *SOFTWARE*

Your antivirus software has two distinct parts:

1. A computer program that scans your computer for viruses; and
2. Antivirus definitions that tell your antivirus program exactly what to look for.

Everyone pays close attention to antivirus definitions, and rightfully so. BUT, updating your antivirus definitions--which you should do frequently--is NOT the same thing as updating your antivirus software. Antivirus definitions protect your computer from *known* viruses, but they don't do squat when it comes to protecting your computer from a new virus threat or vulnerability.

That's where heuristics came in. Heuristics are hard-coded into your antivirus software and are "rules of thumb" that tell your antivirus software to watch out for and prevent certain behavior that could be a sign of a brand new, unknown virus or vulnerability. In fact, many modern antivirus programs were able to detect and defeat files that exploited the WMF vulnerability *DAYS* before there were any new antivirus signatures and *WEEKS* before Microsoft [finally] released a patch. Check out http://tinyurl.com/ab9dw for a list of which antivirus programs blocked the exploits and which ones didn't.

Now for the bad news. Unless your computer is only a few months old, your antivirus software may not have the latest heuristics. Because of that, your antivirus software may not be able to detect and prevent the newest, polymorphic viruses in time.

Just like you need to change the oil in your car every few months, you need to change your antivirus software every 12 to 18 months. Completely uninstall the old version [like Norton Antivirus 2002] and then purchase and install the latest version [like Norton Antivirus 2006.] This is the ONLY way to make sure you're running the latest heuristics.

--------------------------
Free Antivirus Software?
--------------------------

For more information on computer security and tips on where to get high-quality FREE antivirus software, go to

http://www.askbobrankin.com/security

and read the article titled "Should I Buy Anti-Spyware or Anti-Virus Software?" Then work your way down the list. :-)

---------------------------
Feds Subpoena Google Data
---------------------------

Talking about computer security and privacy, the tech news of the past week involves the United States Department of Justice and Google. According to the San Jose Mercury News,

In court papers filed in U.S. District Court in San Jose, Justice Department lawyers revealed that Google has refused to comply with a subpoena issued last year for ... 1 million random Web addresses and records of all Google searches from any one-week period.

You can find the full article at http://tinyurl.com/7fg4y this story has raised a great deal of fear, uncertainty, and doubt [FUD] among your fellow netizens. Fortunately, search engine guru Danny Sullivan has done some digging and posted a wonderful, in-depth, constantly updated report of what is *really* going on behind the scenes:

http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/blog/060119-060352

According to Sullivan, Justice's requests don't involve any user data at all. Yet. [Tourbus riders, meet the slippery slope. Slippery slope, meet the Tourbus riders.] Seriously, though, read Sullivan's postscript number 9 to see why Justice's request isn't a horrible as a LOT of people are making it out to be:

http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/blog/060119-060352#9

Of course, if you're looking for FUD, it is hard to beat Slashdot [Warning: the following link contains coarse language]:

http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/01/19/1332207

My two favorite posts appear near the top:

The solution is obvious! Let's all submit [inappropriate] requests to Google.

Way ahead of you. Been doing this for years.

+---------------------------------------+

Have a safe and happy weekend, and we'll talk again soon.

==[ Tourbus Rider Information ]==
The Internet Tourbus - U.S. Library of Congress ISSN #1094-2238 Copyright 1995-2005, Rankin & Crispen - All rights reserved Tourbus News Service - http://tourbus.com/news.html Subscribe, Signoff, Archives, Free Stuff and More at the Tourbus Website - http://www.TOURBUS.com
========================
.~~~. ))
(\__/) .' ) )) Patrick Douglas Crispen
/o o \/ .~
{o_, \ { crispen@netsquirrel.com
/ , , ) \ http://www.netsquirrel.com/
`~ -' \ } )) AOL Instant Messenger: Squirrel2K
_( ( )_.'
---..{____} Warning: squirrels.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Activities and Events of Interest
~~~
FBC Ladies Conference, Saturday, February 4, 2006. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
~~~
Banner - News “Ladies Night Out”, Tuesday, February 7, 2006. 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
~~~
Junior Charity League “Follies” Friday night - February 24, and Saturday night - February 25. ~~~
The Emancipation Proclamation will be on display at the Clinton Library September 22-25, 2007.
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"September 11 WDYTJWD" W. P. Florence
Justice first, then peace."
"September 11" Never forget.--Tony Moses
"ONE NATION UNDER GOD ...the only way"--Phillip Story
"We have nothing to fear but fear itself." -- Franklin D. Roosevelt
"Keeping my head down but face toward Heaven" - - Jody Eldred, ABC News Cameraman in Kuwait
"Remember Pearl Harbor? Remember 9/11!" --"Bug"
Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity. - - George Carlin
"Stop telling God how big your storm is. Instead, tell the storm how big your God is!" - - Queen E. Watson
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NEVER FORGET! We're listing the names of our soldiers killed weekly. These records can be found at http://www.defenselink. mil/releases/

The Department of Defense announced the death of four soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died in Al Huwijah, Iraq on Jan. 20, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their HMMWV during patrol operations. Killed were:
01. Staff Sgt. Rickey Scott, 30, of Columbus, Ga.
02. Sgt. Dennis J. Flanagan, 22, of Inverness, Fla.
03. Spc. Clifton J. Yazzie, 23, of Fruitland, N.M.
04. Spc. Matthew C. Frantz, 23, of Lafayette, Ind.
Scott, Flanagan and Yazzie were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

Frantz was assigned to the 1st Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

05. Sgt. Matthew D. Hunter, 31, of Valley Grove, W.Va., died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Jan. 23, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his dismounted patrol during combat operations. Hunter was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

The Department of Defense announced the death of four Marines who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
06. Cpl. Carlos Arrelanopandura, 22, of Los Angeles, Calif.
07. Pvt. Lewis T. D. Calapini, 21, of Waipahu, Hawaii
08. Lance Cpl. Brandon Dewey, 20, of San Joaquin, Calif.
09. Lance Cpl. Joshua A. Scott, 24, of Tunnel Hill, Ga.
Arrelanopandura and Dewey died Jan. 20 from a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations in Haqlaniyah, Iraq. They were both assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, their unit was attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).
Calapini and Scott died Jan. 23 from a non-hostile vehicle accident near Al Taqaddum, Iraq. They were assigned to Anti-Terrorism Battalion, 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

The Department of Defense announced the death of two airmen who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. The airmen were killed Jan. 22, when their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device while conducting convoy escort duties in the vicinity of Taji, Iraq. Killed were:
10. Tech. Sgt. Jason L. Norton, 32, of Miami, Okla.
11. Staff Sgt. Brian McElroy, 28, of San Antonio, Texas.
Both airmen were assigned to the 3rd Security Forces Squadron, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska.

12. Sgt. Sean H. Miles, 28, of Midlothian, Va., was killed in action Jan. 24 from small arms fire while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Al Karmah, Iraq. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

The Department of Defense announced the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died in Baghdad, Iraq on Jan. 23, of wounds sustained that day when an improvised explosive device detonated near their M1A2 Abrams tank during patrol operations. Both soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. Killed were:
13. Staff Sgt. Lance M. Chase, 32, of Oklahoma City, Okla.
14. Pfc. Peter D. Wagler, 18, of Partridge, Kan.

15. Sgt. Joshua A. Johnson, 24, of Richford, Vt., died in Ramadi, Iraq on Jan. 25, when a rocket propelled grenade struck his vehicle during combat operations. Johnson was assigned to the Army National Guard's 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment (Mountain), Jericho, Vt.

16. Staff Sgt. Jerry M. Durbin Jr., 26, of Spring, Texas, died in Baghdad, Iraq on Jan. 25, when an improvised explosive device exploded near his dismounted patrol during combat operations. Durbin was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

http://icasualties.org/oif/default.aspx
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Please remember to pray for the American soldiers stationed everywhere around the globe and especially in Iraq. Times have been and are very tough and it would be nice if you would all just say a prayer for their safety and for their families.
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It’s never too early to start making your Birthday list. (Well, I didn’t expect to get everything for Christmas.)
Rechargeable Batteries for the following “Ham” radios: Kenwood TH-22-AT (9.6 volts, 600 mAh battery, 2 each (for our two radios)), Yaesu FT-50 (it takes a FNB-83 7.2V1400mAh battery), Yaesu, VX-1 (it takes a FNB-52LI 3.6V 700mAh Lithium-Ion battery).
New “Rubber Ducky” antennas for the following “Ham” radios: Kenwood TH-22-AT (two radios)
Anything from Larry Norman
Back Scratcher
Basic tools of any kind
Batteries, 9 volt
Batteries, AAA
Blankets or Quilts
book, “The Good Life: Seeking Purpose, Meaning, and Truth in Your Life” by Charles Colson
“Boot” Horn
Chair, office $49 from SAMS (5 of them)
Cheese Grater
Cordless Drill
Cordless Screwdriver
A DeLorme Earthmate GPS LT-20 device
A copy of DeLorme Street Atlas USA 2006 Plus
A copy of DeLorme Topo USA 5.0
Digital Video Recorder (Pioneer DVR-533H-S $333 at Beach Camera)
Eyeglasses, “Computer type” to use at church (and some new ones to use at home and at work.)
Floor Mats (for the truck)
A new “Gitter”
Handkerchiefs
Hasselblad H2D-39 Digital Professional Camera
Hat (warm, for bald guys winter wear.)
Magnifying Glass.
New Showerhead
Non skid toilet rug
Pillowcases
Refrigerator Thermometer
Small, lightweight “head light” so I can see small things on the desk or work bench.
Some Warmup Suits to wear around the house after we get that first gas bill.
Trackball for the home computer
USB Key (1 Gig )
VHS - DVD Recorder (Lite-On LVC-9006 $219 @ Buy.com)
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Scheduled Activities
~~~
Alcoholics Anonymous meets at 8 p.m. Monday - Friday. At noon on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and at 7 p.m. Sunday at 914 N. Vine
~~~
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.
~~~
Columbia County Diabetes Support Group - Every third Monday, 7:00 p.m. room 222, Magnolia Hospital
~~~
"Focus on the Family" with Dr. James Dobson weekday afternoons at 1 PM on KVMA am 630 it's a great show!
~~~
MCC - Abraham Prayer - Sunday at 5:00 p.m and Wednesday from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm
~~~
MCC - Early Morning Prayer - Monday - Friday, From 6:30 am to 8:00 am
~~~
MCC - "Beth Moore" Video Class - Thursday nights at 5:45 pm
~~~
MCC - "Faith Builders" Small group meets at 1051 Columbia 36 the second and fourth Tuesdays, 6:30 pm to 7:45 pm.
~~~
MCC - Firm Foundations Class, Sunday 9:30 to 10:15 a.m
~~~
MCC - Meadow Brook Nursing Home Ministry Tuesday from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m
~~~
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.
~~~
MCC - Over comers: Fridays @ 7:00 p.m- Director, Traci Foster invites you to a 12 step Christian support program. For anyone with a life controlling problem. Child care is provided.
~~~
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.
~~~
Narcotics Anonymous 5-6 pm every Monday at 220 Pine street.
~~~
TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) 5 pm every Tuesday in the Magnolia Hospital break room.
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Emergency Phone Number 911
(Fire, Police, Ambulance, Sheriff, etc. )
Central Dispatch 234-5655
(Non - Emergency Number)
Direct Numbers
Ambulance - 234-7371 (24 Hour)
Jail - 234-5331 (24 Hour)
Poison Control - 800-222-1222 (24 Hour)
http://www. aapcc. org/
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"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
~~~~~
Hope you enjoy the newsletter.
Again, thanks to all our contributors this week.

God bless and GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!
Exo 26:1-3 Phil 2:14-16 Luke 4:42-43 Acts 15:24-26 Psa 49:16-20 http://www.e-min.org/
God is Good and Faithful CU 73 IC JFM CSP NREMT-I KC5HII

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