Bug's Bleat - - GCF: Two-Day Course For Men

Volume 10, Issue 06 Friday, February 08, 2008

Hello All,

Last Saturday I had the privilege of teaching a HazWOpER “Awareness” level refresher class at the AR-1 DMAT meeting. This is a great group of folks who work hard to stay prepared. They’re ready to respond and provide the best medical care to those who’ve suffered a disaster.
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It’s been a rough week at the McClellan home. I contracted “fake flu” (the kind that isn’t covered by the vaccine) and Annette was also bedridden with lower back problems. Then, Annette added the upper respiratory “junk” that I had to her back problem. Next week has to be better.
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COMMUNICATION NOTICE: We are switching Internet Service Providers and, as of February 28, our e-mail address will change. You can contact us at kc5hii@gmail.com.
~~~~~
A rather strange survey out of England reveals that 25% of Britain’s don’t believe Winston Churchill was a real person. However, 95% believe that Sherlock Holmes was a real person.
~
Didn’t Bill Clinton go to England for part of his education? This explains a lot.
~~~~~
Other surprising news this week came from studies on diabetic treatment. Patients who pushed to move their A1C into “healthy normal” range suffered more fatal heart attacks than patients who’s A1C goal was the traditional 6 to 7. The findings were a surprise to researchers, who expected to see a clear benefit from the lower sugar levels, ... Analysis has been unable to link the increased death rate to episodes of hypoglycemia -- low blood sugar -- or to any drug or combination of drugs used in the study. http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-diabetes7feb07,0,1162535.story
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And yet another surprise in this week’s news. Mitt Romney suspended his faltering presidential campaign. "I must now stand aside, for our party and our country," Romney told conservatives.
"If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it more likely that Senator Clinton or Obama would win. And in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign, be a part of aiding a surrender to terror," Romney told the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington. This effectively sealed the Republican presidential nomination for John McCain.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=2008-02-07_D8ULKMVO0&show_article=1&cat=breaking
~~~~~
Now, will the conservatives of America support McCain or will they “write in” Ronald Regan next November? I thought I was a conservative. Or at least more conservative than liberal. But I find myself more and more at odds with either side.
I fell out with the Democrats back in the ‘70s over what I saw as “strong arm” tactics to control local candidates. Then, our differences deepened over things like abortion and what I perceived as their lack of support for the incumbent President.
But I can’t say that I was overly impressed with the Republicans who constantly attacked Clinton and pulled a “bait and switch” scam with Arkansas voters when a Republican was voted out of Congress.
So, we come down to this year and I guess that I’m really more of an independent than I’ve ever been. And who’s the most “independent” of the Presidential Candidates? John McCain.
I really thought McCain was too liberal for me, until I looked at his record and his statements on the issues.
Turns out that he and I agree on a lot, like the President’s Tax Cuts. I wasn’t for them and neither was John. But, since we’ve got them, I’d like to keep them and so does John.
Or torture. I’m agin it and so is he. How can we claim to stand for what’s right and good when we are using the same methods as the enemy?
Speaking of the enemy, John and I agree that immigrants aren’t our enemy. Somehow, the outcry over illegal immigrants has spilled over and many good, law abiding folks are being tainted. I just don’t see how we can say that we don’t want anyone coming to this country. None of us originated here. We’re all the descendants of immigrants. I like what John said “Illegal immigrants are God's children as well.” John and I support a real, workable temporary worker program to take the place of employing folks who’ve “snuck in”. And he supports a dedicated effort by the Federal Government to help the states secure the borders AFTER we’ve taken steps to reduce the attractiveness for coming in illegally.
On Right To Life Issues, we also largely agree. John says “Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned ... However, ...the fight for life will be one of courage and compassion - the courage of a pregnant mother to bring her child into the world and the compassion of civil society to meet her needs and those of her newborn baby...”
He agrees with me that we need Supreme Court Justices who will support the constitution, not try to change it.
And, on the economy, John agrees that we need to control spending “As responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars, the federal government must respect the bottom line, just as families do when balancing their own checkbooks. ”
So, I guess I’m saying that I’ve found a candidate that I can support. As a matter of fact, I’m getting pretty enthusiastic about him.
~~~~~
The biggest news of the week was the death of 54 people in Tornadoes that rolled across the south on Super Tuesday. These deaths in spite of the fact that there was early warning of these storms and that they were being tracked constantly.
“Tornado warnings had been broadcast for hours, and when the sirens finally announced that the twisters had arrived, many people across the South took shelter and saved their lives.
But others simply had nowhere safe to go, or the storms proved too powerful, too numerous, too unpredictable. ...”
“... It was the nation's deadliest barrage of twisters in almost 23 years. “
... “Most communities had ample warning that the storms were coming. Forecasters had warned for days severe weather was possible. The National Weather Service issued more than 1,000 tornado warnings from 3 p.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday in the 11-state area where the weather was heading.
The conditions for bad weather had lined up so perfectly that the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., put out an alert six days in advances. “
~
LITTLE ROCK, AR. -- This is the time for you, the Arkansas resident, to prepare for future storms and tornadoes, officials from the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM) announced today.
... You can build a safe room in one of several places in your home. ... Your basement. Atop a concrete slab-on-grade foundation or garage floor. An interior room on the first floor.
As officials from ADEM explain, Arkansas homeowners who build a safe room or have an in-ground shelter installed are eligible to receive a rebate of up to $1,000 or 50 percent of the cost, whichever is less. The Arkansas Safe Shelter Program covers both above-ground and in-ground shelters. Residents who have built their shelters after January 21, 1999 may apply for the rebate. Contact ADEM at 501-730-9750 for details.
“It costs between $2,000 to $6,000 to build a safe room or storm shelter. ADEM cannot endorse any products, but we recommend you get several bids for the work,” explained Richard Griffin, the state coordinating officer with ADEM. “Several safe room and storm shelter companies are listed on the Internet. The cost varies according to the design you choose and other site considerations.”
Safe rooms built below ground level provide the greatest protection, but a safe room built in a first-floor interior room also can provide the necessary protection. Below-ground safe rooms must be designed to avoid accumulating water during the heavy rains that often accompany severe windstorms. To protect its occupants, a safe room must be built to withstand high winds and flying debris, even if the rest of the residence is severely damaged or destroyed. Consider the following when building a safe room:
The safe room must be adequately anchored to resist overturning and uplift.
The walls, ceiling, and door of the shelter must withstand wind pressure and resist penetration by windborne objects and falling debris.
The connections between all parts of the safe room must be strong enough to resist the wind
Sections of either interior or exterior residence walls that are used as walls of the safe room, must be separated from the structure of the residence so that damage to the residence will not cause damage to the safe room.
Officials from ADEM recommend that your construction plans be approved by your local Building Inspector. “Make sure to have your plans signed and sealed by a registered professional engineer with structural engineering experience,” Griffin said.
...
For additional tornado safety awareness information, including which items to include in a safe room, visit the FEMA tornado hazard website, www.fema.gov/hazard/tornado/index
“Now is the time for Arkansas residents to think about building a safe room or installing an in-ground shelter to protect their lives and those of their loved ones against storms and tornadoes. Property can be repaired or replaced, lives cannot,” said Carlos Mitchell, federal coordinating officer for the recovery effort following the storms and tornadoes April 1st to 3rd. “Also, to qualify for the rebate program, the safe room or shelter construction has to be built according to the design plans provided in FEMA Publication 320.”

Copies of several design plans are included in the FEMA Publication 320, Taking Shelter from the Storm: Building a Safe Room Inside Your House. Limited copies can be obtained from the FEMA Distribution Center, 1-888-565-3896. Also, the entire publication is available as a PDF download at: http://www.fema.gov/pdf/fima/fema320.pdf .
~
To register for federal and state disaster assistance for losses between April 1st and 3rd, those affected by the storms and tornadoes may call FEMA’s toll-free number, 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). The hearing- or speech-impaired may call (TTY) 800-462-7585. Both numbers operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. An application can also be filed online at www.fema.gov.
The National Storm Shelter Association standards can be found at: www.nssa.cc
http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=26199
~~~~~
First Baptist Church Open Face Taco Supper is coming Feb 21, from 5-7:00 pm. Tickets are $8 each. The meal includes beverage & dessert.
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Cutting down on caffeine could help people with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar levels, according to a new study by scientists at Duke University Medical Center.

The researchers studied a small group of people with established type 2 diabetes who drank at least two cups of coffee everyday and who were trying to manage their disease through diet, exercise and oral medications, but no insulin. Scientists used new technology — a tiny glucose monitor embedded under their abdominal skin — to continuously monitor sugar levels over a 72-hour period.

Participants took capsules containing caffeine equal to about four cups of coffee on one day and then identical capsules that contained a placebo on another day.

The researchers found that when the participants consumed caffeine, their average daily sugar levels went up eight percent. Caffeine also exaggerated the rise in glucose after meals — increasing by nine percent after breakfast, 15 percent after lunch and 26 per cent after dinner.

"We’re not sure what it is about caffeine that drives glucose levels up, but we have a couple of theories," said lead author of the study Dr. James Lane from Duke University Medical School in a news release.

"It could be that caffeine interferes with the process that moves glucose from the blood and into muscle and other cells in the body where it is used for fuel. It may also be that caffeine triggers the release of adrenaline — the ‘fight or flight" hormone that we know can also boost sugar levels."

There are no current guidelines suggesting diabetics shouldn't drink coffee, but Lane said that day may soon come.

"Coffee is such a common drink in our society that we forget that it contains a very powerful drug — caffeine. Our study suggests that one way to lower blood sugar is to simply quit drinking coffee, or any other caffeinated beverages. It may not be easy, but it doesn't cost a dime, and there are no side effects," said Lane.
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The annual Magnolia Hospital Foundation Phone-a-thon will be April 1.
This is very important fundraiser which enables the hospital to purchase equipment which benefits the entire community.

If you would be willing to serve as a team captain, please give me a call. Each team captain would have four team members, each of which would submit a list of 20 names to be contacted the night of the phone-a-thon. The phone-a-thon will be held at Farmers Bank at 6:00, and each team member will be given a list of 20 names to call that evening for pledges.

Again, this is a very worthwhile fundraiser, and your volunteering to serve as a team captain would be very much appreciated.
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If your kids, grandkids, or youth groups play at Eastside park, you know that it is in need of refurbishing. The 2008 Leadership Magnolia class has already replaced the broken merry-go-round and repainted the bathrooms.
Our next step is to replace one of the slides, repaint the swings, and do some much needed landscaping.

LEADERSHIP MAGNOLIA CLASS of 2008
Eastside Park Project Steak Supper Fundraiser
Mule's Cantina
February 26, 2008
5 pm - 7 pm
10 oz. Ribeye, Baked Potato, Salad, Toast
Dine In - Tea
Carry Out - without Tea
$15.00
See Christi Roberts or Walter Hale for tickets.
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COLUMBIA CHRISTIAN SCHOOL FUNDRAISER COOKBOOK
Columbia Christian School is in the process of compiling recipes for their first ever CCS Cookbook. The funds for this project will support the PTF and its approved projects.
The cost of the cookbook is $12.00. To reserve a copy, please send your name, address, phone number, number of copies wanted, and your payment of $12 each to Paula Mosier - Payroll Dept by Tuesday, February 19. The estimated delivery date is May 1.
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NPRs Morning Edition, February 7, 2008  "By the end of 2008, the United States will spend three-quarters of a trillion dollars on defense. Adjusted for inflation, the Pentagon's latest budget will be the highest since the end of World War II. Yet, over the past seven years, troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have faced equipment shortages and lack of proper armor."
NPRs Guy Raz went on to report that "Broadly speaking, all the leading presidential front-runners support defense spending increases. ...”
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18764753
I don’t have any problem with Defense spending. I do have a problem with record spending that doesn’t address the needs of the troops, including adequate health care for them and their families.
~~~~~
Each week the Defense Department highlights military personnel who have gone above and beyond in the war. [http://www.defenselink.mil/heroes/] - - Ralph Chavez
Hometown: San Antonio, TX
Awarded: Bronze Star

As Civil Affairs Team Sergeant on a voluntary mission to Afghanistan, then-Chief Petty Officer Ralph E. Chavez’s team provided health care to more than 3,000 people, delivered more than 10,000 pounds of humanitarian aid, and administered 20 reconstruction projects across two provinces. For his efforts, Chavez was awarded the Bronze Star for service.

Winning the hearts and minds of the Afghan people has been a long-standing goal in this Global War on Terror. Chavez took that calling to heart when he volunteered in February 2006 to work in Afghanistan for about a year and a half.

“I just felt that as a chief, in order for me to lead my sailors by example, I wanted to do my part,” Chavez told American Forces Press Service. “How can I tell my sailors one day that they need to volunteer if I had never done that?”

Throughout his tour, Chavez not only accomplished a lot, but also learned the customs, hopes, and dreams of the Afghan people. He and his team helped rebuild water wells and schools, delivered supplies, and set up temporary housing and provided aid after natural disasters.

He had the opportunity to use his language, diplomacy, and leadership skills as he carried out nearly 150 meetings with village elders, provincial governors, and cabinet ministers. In addition, he assisted in the distribution of about 10,000 pounds of humanitarian aid to more than 200 villages across Lowgar and Paktia Provinces.

Chavez also played a key role in the planning and execution of two Cooperative Medical Assistance operations that provided medical, dental, and veterinary health services to various areas in Afghanistan. He helped with some smaller medical operations. All told, these operations reached more than 3,000 local nationals in 50 villages.

As if this wasn’t enough, Chavez was called upon to respond to gunfire from enemy forces attacking a local Afghan National Police station. Despite being there as a civil affairs officer, Chavez didn’t hesitate to switch to the role of force protection to return small arms fire. He then helped to set up a defensive perimeter – actions deemed worthy of a nomination for the Navy Combat Action Ribbon.

Now that he has returned stateside, Chavez has been touring the country talking about his experiences as part of the Defense Department’s “Why We Serve” outreach program.
~~~~~
Greetings:

Hoping all is well on Super Tuesday in America and that all my readers who are eligible to vote make it a point to do so. If it seems like a lot of trouble to get out to the polls, consider that lives are in the balance. Everyone's vote matters.

The latest dispatches are posted [http://michaelyon-online.com/wp/men-of-valor-part-viii-of-viii.htm]: Men of Valor VIII, [http://www.michaelyon-online.com/wp/rubs-01-feb-2008.htm]: RUBs 01, and [http://www.michaelyon-online.com/wp/national-polices-confrontation-with-son-of-iraq.htm]: RUBs 04.

Please have a look at my upcoming book [http://www.michaelyon-online.com/wp/moment-of-truth-in-iraq.htm]: Moment of Truth in Iraq.

Mosul is getting increasingly dangerous as al Qaeda's habitat continues to shrink. That's where I am heading to bring readers the frontline news. This time, however, I do expect more of the bad and ugly mixed in with the good.

Please vote twice for me today. That's how we roll in Florida. Thank you for considering supporting this mission [http://www.michaelyon-online.com/wp/support-next-dispatch-from-iraq/].

V/r,

Michael Yon
Baghdad
~~~~~
This week we continued reading; “The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War" by David Halberstam
We plan on reading: “The innocent man” by John Grisham, “A war of gifts : an Ender story” by Orson Scott Card, “Death benefits : a novel” by Thomas Perry, “Sliver of truth” by by Lisa Unger.
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http://www.shelfari.com/BugsBleat/shelf?ec=7D790D174EFS18012
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If you’d like to write Dr. Antoon, he’d like to hear from you. This is his current address, the latest of the three federal prison’s he’s been in.
Patrick Antoon #06669-010
Federal Prison Camp-La Tuna
P. O. Box 8000
Anthony, NM/TX 88021
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The photos on the front of this week’s “Bleat” include Zac playing “Upward” Basketball, Story’s new drilling rig and Ricky and Sarah Shepherd at last Saturday’s AR-1 DMAT meeting.
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We’ve now got several addresses on the web for "Da Bleat." For the latest issue, go to http://www.bugsbleat.blogspot.com. Last quarter’s issues can be seen at http://www.bugsbleat4Q07.blogspot.com.
Our photos are posted at http://www.bugsbleatphotos.blogspot.com.
~~~~~
Feel free to share the "Bleat" with any and all. That's why we publish it.
~~~~~
Recipe(s) of the week - - - Baked Bagel Thins - - (makes 6 servings)

3 3-ounce (90 g) whole wheat bagels & refrigerated butter-flavored cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450̊F (230̊C).
Slice each bagel into 4 crosswise slices. Spray a non stick cookie sheet with spray. Place the slices in a single layer on the sheet and spray again.
Bake for 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Serve immediately.
Per serving: 112 calories (4% calories from fat), 5 g protein, 1 g total fat (0 saturated fat), 24 g carbohydrate, 4 g dietary fiber, 0 cholesterol, 209 mg sodium
Diabetic exchanges: 1 ½ carbohydrate (bread/starch)
http://www.diabetic-recipes.com/recipes/MAR99_5.3.htm
~~~~~
BreakPoint
With Chuck Colson
He Has Spoken
2/8/2008

'The Faith'

It is one of the great stories of the Christian Church. In Scillium, North Africa—A.D. 180—a runner brought the message that soldiers were on their way. A Christian silversmith named Speratus, about to be arrested, had a decision to make: Should he take the Church’s sacred scrolls with him to jail? Or would they be safer in hiding?

The Roman authorities had been burning the Gospels and the letters of Paul, and persecuting Christians. To not guard these writings would be an act of betrayal—a renunciation of the faith.

Speratus and 11 other Christians were kept in a dungeon under the Roman garrison. They sang songs, prayed together, and fed on the words of Paul—which Speratus had taken with him into captivity.

In time, six of the men were examined by Proconsul Vigellius Saturninus. “Swear by the genius of our Lord the Emperor,” Saturninus ordered.

Speratus thought of Paul’s admonition to Timothy and paraphrased it in reply: “I cannot worship the empire of this world,” he said, “but rather I serve that God, whom no man has seen, nor with these eyes can see.”

“Don’t you understand it means your deaths?” Saturninus asked.

These men answered, “We fear nothing and no one, except our Lord God.”

The fame of the Scillitan martyrs, as they came to be known, spread throughout the empire. They are remembered today for their absolute trust in God’s Word.

As I write in my new book, The Faith, the same dynamic comes into play whenever the Church faces a hostile culture. Today, Christians in North Korea and elsewhere risk violent punishment for even possessing the Scriptures.

What is it about this book that causes people to give their lives for it, causes oppressors to try to destroy it, and so infuriates cultural elites? The reason is what the Bible claims for itself: It purports to be the Word of God. The Bible, written by men, but through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, gives us God’s eternal perspective on the world—truth unbound by time or place. This is why Christians defend the Bible with their very lives. And since the Bible calls followers to an allegiance higher than the state, tyrants seek to destroy it.

Simply put, the Bible is the rock on which the Church stands or falls. The texts were written with meticulous care, based on manuscripts accumulated over the centuries before Christ—and then, by faithfully recording the apostles’ teaching. Archeological discoveries are mounting, supporting the Bible’s historicity. No book has ever been so challenged nor found so reliable.

For 2,000 years, the Bible, often unaided by any human intervention, has transformed—often dramatically—the lives of those who read it: St. Augustine, St. Anthony of Egypt, Martin Luther, to name a just a few. And I have known thousands, including hardened criminals, who have read the Bible and been transformed for good.

I hope you will read my new book, The Faith. In it, you will learn more about why no Christian should ever be intimidated in defending God’s Word. The evidence that He has spoken is overwhelming.

This is part five in a five-part series.

The Faith: What Christians Believe, Why They Believe It, and Why It Matters by Chuck Colson with Harold Fickett.

For Further Reading and Information

BreakPoint Commentary No. 041217, “What We’re About: Freeing God’s Children.”

BreakPoint Commentary No. 050503, “A Modern Auschwitz: North Korea’s Camp 22.”

BreakPoint Commentary No. 061002, “Truth and Torture: ‘Yoduk Story.’”

Jerry Dykstra, “North Korea Retains No. 1 Persecution Ranking in World,” Open Doors USA.

Learn more about helping the persecuted Church by visiting Stand Today’s website.

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

Words of the Week:
mien: demeanor; also, aspect; appearance.
subterfuge: a deceptive device or stratagem.
perquisite: a benefit in addition to a salary.
magniloquent: lofty or grandiose in speech or expression.
ineffectual: without effect; weak; useless.
lubricious: lewd; also, slippery or smooth.
extempore: without premeditation or preparation.
aberrant: abnormal.
menagerie: a collection of wild or unusual animals; also, a diverse group.
from Dictionary.Com

~~~~~
"Paradise is here or nowhere: You must take your joy with you, or you will never find it." - O.S. Marden

"History does not entrust the care of freedom to the weak or timid." - Dwight D. Eisenhower

"Nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm." - Samuel Taylor Coleridge

"They never open their mouths without subtracting from the sum of human knowledge." - Thomas Brackett Reed

"The best is yet to be." - Robert Browning

"He is not only dull himself, he is the cause of dullness in others." - Samuel Johnson

"Setting an example is not the main means of influencing another, it is the only means." - Albert Einstein

"What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
"The obstinacy of cleverness and reason is nothing to the obstinacy of folly and inanity." - Harriet Beecher Stowe
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MPL Creative Resources
Mindy P. Lawrence
2733 East Battlefield #309
Phone: 573-366-1038
E-Mail: mplcreative1@aol.com

Don't miss Author Dan Skelton on ArtistFirst Radio Monday Evening

[Springfield, MO] February 7, 2008 -- Dr. Dan Skelton will be the guest on ArtistFirst Radio, www.artistfirst.com, Monday, February 11 at 5pm Pacific/6pm Mountain/7pm Central/8pm Eastern. Interviewer Tony Kay will talk to Skelton about his previous work and about Renascence, his Christian fantasy novel told through the voice of a teenage drug addict, which he hopes to complete by the end of 2008. You can find information about the program at http://www.perceptivemarketing.com.

Skelton holds a doctorate in education from the University of Mississippi, Oxford and a master's from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Central Arkansas, Conway and at Arkansas State University, Beebe, Arkansas. As well as a novelist, he is a poet, an actor, and a board member and award-winning play director at the Conway Community Arts Association in Conway, Arkansas where he recently won the Best Director award for 2007.

Perceptive Marketing is an advertising, marketing, publicity and promotions company based in Houston, Texas. Sandy Lawrence, president of the company, is a creative marketing executive with many years experience and a passion for assisting others to achieve their goals and potential.

Skelton's work is represented by MPL Creative Resources of Springfield, Missouri. For more information on Dr. Skelton or to schedule him for a speaking engagement, book signing or workshop, send a note to Mindy Lawrence at mplcreative1@aol.com with [Query – Skelton] in the subject line. A full media kit and photos are available upon request.
~~~~~
Have you heard about “BPA” in plastic? Are you concerned? How about looking at the science?
~
Bisphenol-A (BPA) in Baby Bottles: Not a Concern for Parents

By Gilbert Ross, M.D.

Some activist "watchdogs" are again attempting to manipulate parents' natural concerns about their babies, without medical or scientific evidence. A few days ago, the uproar was over baby powder and lotions alleged to be delivering toxic phthalates; today, it's baby bottles and plastic water bottles leaching supposedly-toxic bisphenol-A (BPA). Both of these attacks are false.

BPA has never been shown to have any sort of health effect on humans in the extremely low doses we are exposed to from plastic bottles, can liners, or eyeglass lenses. This is true for all ages, even babies. Rats? Maybe, in high-dose experiments. Humans -- no, not a single soul.

The activist conglomerate calling itself the Center for Health, Environment, and Justice offers the misleading factoid that BPA was "developed as a synthetic sex hormone." Not exactly true, since it was found not to be sufficiently biologically active, but regardless, so what? Viagra was developed as a cure for pulmonary hypertension. The amount of BPA that might work as a "sex hormone" is millions (or more) times higher than the amount we are ingesting from our plastic bottles. It appears the activist group is trying to re-awaken the discredited concept of "endocrine disruption," a scary but meaningless term. And of course, they always append the designation "known toxic chemical" when they speak of their targets. Known to whom, you ask? To them, for sure -- but not to real scientists.

Another of their favorite tricks is to note that "this toxic chemical is inside us; the chemical companies are using us as their guinea pigs in an experiment." In fact, since our analytical chemists can now measure trace amounts of substances in our bodies and tissues down to parts per trillion (and less), BPA can indeed be found in almost everyone. But that does not mean it's harmful. Our own paper, published in a peer-reviewed medical journal in 2005 (and forming the basis of a more layperson-friendly booklet), demonstrates the lack of human health threat from BPA.
•••
The claims that increased amounts of BPA are released by heating or washing bottles may be technically true, but the amount released is still way, way below any limit set for such exposures by the FDA or in Europe.

If we believed all these scare stories about chemicals, what recourse would we have? In fact, the same rat studies that show that synthetic chemicals are "carcinogenic" and "toxic" show exactly the same toxicities from a host of natural substances we eat in our food every day. So, to avoid such "carcinogens," the only salvation is to go back to living in caves and cooking over an open fire, I guess. But even that is risky, if you believe all the scare stories. Nothing is safe enough, it seems.

Where are all the illnesses the repeated warnings tell us about? If these substances caused cancer and other diseases, how come we are healthier and longer-lived than ever? Why are cancer rates plummeting across all age groups? Why have all the governmental regulatory and advisory panels -- here, in the EU, and even in San Francisco -- ruled, based on the extensive scientific evidence, that BPA, in the amounts we are exposed to in our food, water, and environment, is safe?

Further, what substance or substances have the anti-chemical zealots evaluated and deemed adequate substitutes for BPA products -- which have been safely used for over fifty years everywhere in the USA? How would any such new products fare under their scrutiny, I wonder? Perhaps they want us to go back to those heavy and dangerously breakable glass bottles I remember from my childhood!

Once again, the sky is not falling. This message never gets the same airplay, though, as "the sky is falling" does -- but it's true, nevertheless. Let's hope that just this once, responsible journalists don't bite at the bait and spread the scare stories, causing parents to dispose of their reliable baby bottles. Runners, don't allow these fringe groups to make you go thirsty, and don't throw out the baby bottles with the bathwater.

Gilbert Ross, M.D., is Executive and Medical Director of the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH.org, HealthFactsAndFears.com).
~~~~~

BREAKING CHRISTIAN NEWS
http://breakingchristiannews.com/

French Court: Parents Can Register Names for Fetuses
Delirious? Drummer Retires; Wants to Spend More Time with Family
Christian TV Producer says Hollywood can be Redeemed

A Sign of Hope amid the Devastation
Wife of Late Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, Goes Home to the Lord at the Age of 101
President Bush Delivers His Last White House Prayer Breakfast Speech
Florida Legislators and Voters Want Science Standards to Acknowledge that Evolution is a Theory

New President-Elect of South Korea is an Outspoken, Committed Christian
Italian Doctors: Abortion Survivors must be given Care, Even against Mother's Wishes
This Year, Lent includes "40 Days for Life"
Super Bowl Stars Sing on Gospel Music Channel This Weekend

Tennessee Students Take Shelter from Storms, Attribute Survival to Power of Prayer
New Jawbone for Patient, Grown by his own Adult Stem Cells
Sam Brownback Believes Government Needs to Apologize to Native Americans and Ban Use of Federal Indian Health Service Funds for Abortions in Most Cases
New Poll Reveals Americans Desire "Servant-Leaders"

Why the Power of Music and Love Transcend Every Void
Kenyan Government Looks to their Nation's Christians to Facilitate Healing and Reconciliation
High-Powered Florida Judge Shocks Family and Friends by Leaving the Bench to Follow God's Call
Update on the 2,500 Year-Old Stone Seal Assigned to Old Testament Family

Pre-born Twins Save Mom's Life by Kicking Away Tumor
Another Soccer Star Chooses Abstinence; will Wait for the Right Woman
Test Proves Free Will Contributes to Better Moral Behavior
Birthed in a three-car garage, Arabic TV station reaches Muslim viewers in America as the result of 9/11

310 2nd Ave SE
Albany, Oregon 97321
541-928-2642
E-mail
US Orders: 1-866-358-7426
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GCF: Two-Day Course For Men

Emailed to me from another humor list (Humor_G) -Tom To subscribe to Humor_G, send a blank email to: Humor_G-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

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

EVENING CLASSES FOR MEN!

OPEN TO MEN ONLY - ALL ARE WELCOME

Note: Due to the complexity and level of difficulty, each course will accept a maximum of eight participants. The course covers two days, and topics covered in this course include:

DAY ONE

HOW TO FILL ICE CUBE TRAYS
Step-by-step guide with slide presentation

TOILET ROLLS - DO THEY GROW ON THE HOLDERS?
Round table discussion

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LAUNDRY BASKET & FLOOR
Practicing with hamper (Pictures and graphics)

DISHES & SILVERWARE - DO THEY LEVITATE/FLY TO KITCHEN SINK OR DISHWASHER BY THEMSELVES?
Debate among a panel of experts.

REMOTE CONTROL
Losing the remote control - Help line and support groups

LEARNING HOW TO FIND THINGS
Starting with looking in the right place instead of turning the house upside down while screaming - Open forum

DAY TWO

EMPTY MILK CARTONS - DO THEY BELONG IN THE FRIDGE OR THE BIN?
Group discussion and role play

HEALTH WATCH - BRINGING HER FLOWERS IS NOT HARMFUL TO YOUR HEALTH
PowerPoint presentation

REAL MEN ASK FOR DIRECTIONS WHEN LOST
Real life testimonial from the one man who did

IS IT GENETICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SIT QUIETLY AS SHE PARALLEL PARKS?
Driving simulation

LIVING WITH ADULTS - BASIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN YOUR MOTHER AND YOUR SPOUSE
Online class and role playing

HOW TO BE THE IDEAL SHOPPING COMPANION
Relaxation exercises, meditation and breathing techniques

REMEMBERING IMPORTANT DATES & CALLING WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE
Bring your calendar or PDA to class

GETTING OVER IT
Learning how to live with being wrong all the time,
_ ____________________________ _
GCF: Feeding Time

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

There was once a man from the city who was visiting a small farm, and during this visit he saw a farmer feeding pigs in a most extraordinary manner. The farmer would lift a pig up to a nearby apple tree, and the pig would eat the apples off the tree directly.

The farmer would move the pig from one apple to another until the pig was satisfied, then he would start again with another pig. The city man watched this activity for some time with great astonishment.

Finally, he could not resist saying to the farmer, "This is the most inefficient method of feeding pigs that I can imagine. Just think of the time that would be saved if you simply shook the apples off the tree and let the pigs eat them from the ground!"

The farmer looked puzzled and replied, "What's time to a pig?"
_ ____________________________ _
GCF: Repetition

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

A boss was educating an employee on effective sales technique.

"The main thing to remember is that repetition, repetition, repetition is the keynote!" he advised. "If you have a product to sell, keep harping on it in every possible way, cram it down people's throats and beat them over the head with it! Above all, don't ever forget to repeat and repeat and repeat! It's the only way to get results!"

"Yes, sir!" the employee answered.

"And now, what was it you came in to see me about?" the boss asked.

The employee replied, "A Raise! A Raise! A Raise! A Raise! A Raise! A Raise! A Raise!"
_ ____________________________ _
GCF: Gift Disappointment

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

The rich aunt was disappointed and said to her nephew, "I'm sorry you don't like your gift. I asked you if you preferred a large check or a small check."

"I know, Auntie," the nephew said contritely, "but I didn't know you were talking about neckties."
_ ____________________________ _
GCF: Salesmanship

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

During a magazine and newspaper subscription drive, our son Philip, a paperboy, learned about good salesmanship.

His supervisor had instructed the kids to maintain a positive attitude, even when turned down. One potential customer told Philip, "I've got papers and magazines strewn all over the place -- I don't need any more."

Philip's reply? "Well, how about a subscription to Good Housekeeping?"
_ ____________________________ _
(((\ \>|_/ )______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / Considering all the lint \ \_/ ////
\ / you get in your dryer, \ /
\ _/ if you kept drying your clothes \_ /
/ / would they eventually just disappear? \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / To make a long story short, \ /
\ _/ don't tell it. \_ /
/ / \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / "The nearest thing to \ \_/ ////
\ / eternal life we will \ /
\ _/ ever see on this earth \_ /
/ / is a government program." \ \
- Ronald Reagan
(((\ \>|_/ )______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / Your secrets are safe \ /
\ _/ with me and all my friends. \_ /
/ / \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / I've spent most of \ /
\ _/ my life golfing. \_ /
/ / The rest I've just wasted. \ \
_ ____________________________ _
(((\ \>|_/ )______________________( \_| _ ____________________________ _
| Thomas S. Ellsworth |
| tellswor@slonet.org |
| http://www.slonet.org/~tellswor |
|____________________________|
Stop for a visit, leave with a smile! To join Good Clean Fun, email: good-clean-fun-subscribe@yahoogroups.Com To leave Good Clean Fun, email: good-clean-fun-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.Com Or visit the Good Clean Fun web site at http://www. slonet.org/~tellswor/

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Faith Healer or Phony?

A patient tells the doctor, "I've been going to a faith healer, but I wasn't getting any better."

The doctor smiled and said, "And what dumb advice did this phony give you?"

"He told me to come see you," replied the new patient.

Received from DOC'S DAILY CHUCKLE.

(-:][:-)

Little League Parents

At one point during a game, the coach said to one of his young players, "Do you understand what cooperation is? What a team is?" The little boy nodded in the affirmative.

"Do you understand that what matters is that we play together as a team?"

The little boy nodded yes.

"So," the coach continued, "when a strike is called, or you're out at first, you don't argue or curse or attack the umpire. Do you understand all that?"

Again the little boy nodded.

"Good," said the coach. "Now go over there and explain it to your parents."

Received from Thomas Ellsworth.

(-:][:-)

New Offices

My husband works in a former supermarket that was remodeled to accommodate professional offices.

One day he overheard his receptionist giving directions over the phone. "Remember the old grocery store?" she asked the caller. "Well, you'll find us in the meat department."

Received from Steve Sanderson.

(-:][:-)

Mom's Present

A mother and a daughter are shopping in the mall, when the mother eyes an expensive fur coat.

"This year," she says, "I think that I will buy my present instead of making you and Dad shop for me." The daughter nods in agreement. "And I think this fur coat would be perfect too."

The daughter protests, "But Mom, some helpless, poor creature has to suffer so that you can have this."

"Don't worry, honey," says the mother. "Your father won't get the bill for a couple of weeks."

Received from AcraMax Jokes.

(-:][:-)

A Pie in the Oven

A woman was getting a homemade cherry pie ready to put into the oven when the phone rang. It was the school nurse. Her son had come down with a high fever, and would she come and take him home? The mother calculated how long it would take to drive to school and back, and how long the pie should bake, and concluded there was enough time. Popping the pie in the oven, she left for school. When she arrived, her son's fever was worse and the nurse urged her to take him to the doctor.

She drove to the clinic as fast as she dared. She was frayed a bit more as the doctor emerged from the examining room and handed her a slip of paper. "Get him to bed," he told her, handing her the prescription, "and start him on this right away."

By the time she got the boy home and in bed and headed out again for the shopping mall, she was not only frayed, but frazzled and frantic as well. And she had forgotten about the pie in the oven.

At the mall she found a pharmacy, got the prescription filled, and rushed back to the car, which was locked. There were her keys, hanging in the ignition switch, locked inside the car.

She began searching the mall for a wire coat hanger -- which turned out not to be easy. Wooden hangers and plastic hangers were there in abundance, but shops didn't use wire hangers anymore. After combing through a dozen stores, she finally found a wire hanger. Hurrying out of the mall, she halted. She stared at the wire coat hanger. "I don't know what to do with this!"

Then she remembered the pie in the oven. All the frustrations of the past hour collapsed on her and she began crying. Then she prayed, "Dear Lord, my boy is sick and he needs this medicine and my pie is in the oven and the keys are locked in the car. Lord, I don't know what to do with this coat hanger. Dear Lord, send somebody who does know what do with it, and I really need that person NOW, Lord. Amen." She was wiping her eyes when a beat-up older car pulled up to the curb and stopped in front of her.

A young man, twentyish-looking, in a stained T-shirt and ragged jeans, got out. He was coming her way. When he drew near, she stepped in front of him and held out the wire coat hanger. "Young man," she said, "do you know how to get into a locked car with one of these?"

He gaped at her for a moment and then plucked the hanger from her hand. "Where's the car?"

She had never seen anything like it -- it was simply amazing how easily he got into her car. A quick look at the door and window, a couple of twists of the coat hanger, and the door was open. When she saw that, she threw her arms around him.

"Oh," she said, "the Lord sent you! You're such a good boy."

He stepped back and said, "No, ma'am, I'm not a good boy. I just got out of prison yesterday."

She jumped at him and she hugged him again fiercely. "Bless the Lord!" she cried. "He sent me a professional!"

Received from Thomas Ellsworth.

(-:][:-)

-=+=-
Rate this funny at http://www.gcfl.net/archive.php?funny=20060113
Brought to you by GCFL.net: The Good, Clean Funnies List A cheerful heart is good medicine... (Prov 17:22a) Mail address: GCFL, Box 100, Harvest, AL 35749, USA
To print or email this funny to others, go to http://www.gcfl.net/archive.php?funny=20060113
The latest GCFL funny can always be found on the web at http://www.gcfl.net/latest.php
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Madeleine Begun Kane Latest Columns - - http://www.madkane.com/humor_blog/2007/08/20/bulletproof-backpacks-in-case-your-kids-classmate-is-packing/
Bulletproof Backpacks: In Case Your Kid’s Classmate Is Packing
It’s mid-August, which means back-to-school day is just around the corner. And that in turn means it’s time to start shopping for school supplies: rulers and notebooks and pens and lunch boxes and calculators and computers and school clothes and … bulletproof backpacks???
“We’re just trying to give kids a defensive tool to use in case something does happen,” Curran said of the backpacks, which sell for $175 US. …
Since they started selling online last week, they’ve sold out of their initial stock of several hundred backpacks and are now ordering a new shipment from Massachusetts.
Methinks this calls for a limerick:

Bulletproof Backpacks: In Case Your Kid’s Classmate Is Packing
By Madeleine Begun Kane

Selling bulletproof backpacks? How sad!
Could the safety of schools be so bad,
That parents must buy
Such an item? Oh my!
Are they needed, or just a mad fad?

So parents, would you ever clad your kid in a bulletproof backpack? Take this poll and let us all know: Would you ever buy your child a bulletproof backpack?
Danged right! I'm buying one for every member of my family ... including my kid in Iraq.
No! That's the dumbest idea since the pet rock.
Yes, but only if it comes with firepower. Lock & load!
No. I'm holding out for a bulletproof lunchbox.
I'm holding out for the Brat-Pack, Rat-Pack ,Elvis -Bling-Studded Ack-Ack, Gak-Gawk, self-navigating, I-Pod, Game-Boy, Self-Feeding. Gas-(designer) Masked Version, with Removable Tattoos and extra Nose and Toe-Rings, in Baby Phat Pink Excruciated Elephant Hide with Rhinestone-Studded Sippy Cup attachments

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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I saw this story at breitbart.com
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=2008-02-05_D8UK1FA80&show_article=1&cat=breaking
I told U so
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"Don't strive for recognition, but work for achievement." -- Vanessa Malone
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| Safety from the Heart |
----------------------------------------------------
February 5, 2008

Today's Safety From the Heart message was submitted by Keith Black.
Natural Gas Safety Tips

CenterPoint Energy (CNP) reminds customers to take natural gas leaks seriously and to immediately notify their utility if they detect one.

Natural gas has an odorant added to it to help make it detectable. If you smell natural gas, which smells like rotten eggs, take the following precautions:
Leave the property immediately! Do not use electric switches, telephones (including cell phones) or anything that could cause a spark.
Go to a safe location and call your utility's natural gas leak hotline. Don't assume that someone else has reported the leak. Alert your neighbors.
Never try to repair a natural gas leak. Leave all repairs to a trained technician.

The heating season also is a good time to remind customers the importance of having their heating systems inspected annually by a qualified technician to ensure its safe operation and to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.

Any fuel-burning equipment or appliance, including wood stoves, fireplaces, space heaters, barbecue grills, furnaces, water heaters, boilers and ranges, has the potential to produce CO which is a poisonous gas that is colorless, odorless, tasteless and non-irritating.

CenterPoint Energy recommends:
Follow manufacturers' operating instructions properly for their gas heating equipment.
Do not use stove top burners or ovens to heat a room since they are not designed for this use.
Make sure to follow the blue flame rule. Natural gas flames should burn blue except natural gas fireplace logs which burn orange to have a more realistic wood burning look.
Crack windows slightly if using unvented space heaters.
Consider buying a CO detector as another line of defense against CO poisoning. CNP recommends buying one with an audible alarm and continuous digital display; make sure it is tested to the national standard for residential CO detectors (UL2034 or IAS NO. 6-96).
http://www.ohsonline.com/articles/57851
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| Safety from the Heart |
----------------------------------------------------
February 1, 2008
February is Heart Health Month
Today's Message is from Dorothy Weston - Albemarle Corporation -Orangeburg, SC

Amazing Heart Facts

Sure, you know how to steal hearts, win hearts, and break hearts. But how much do you really know about your heart and how it works? Read on to your heart's content!
Put your hand on your heart. Did you place your hand on the left side of your chest? Many people do, but the heart is actually located almost in the center of the chest, between the lungs. It's tipped slightly so that a part of it sticks out and taps against the left side of the chest, which is what makes it seem as though it is located there.
Your heart beats about 100,000 times in one day and about 35 million times in a year. During an average lifetime, the human heart will beat more than 2.5 billion times.
Give a tennis ball a good, hard squeeze. You're using about the same amount of force your heart uses to pump blood out to the body. Even at rest, the muscles of the heart work hard--twice as hard as the leg muscles of a person sprinting.
Feel your pulse by placing two fingers at pulse points on your neck or wrists. The pulse you feel is blood stopping and starting as it moves through your arteries. As a kid, your resting pulse might range from 90 to 120 beats per minute. As an adult, your pulse rate slows to an average of 72 beats per minute.
The aorta, the largest artery in the body, is almost the diameter of a garden hose. Capillaries, on the other hand, are so small that it takes ten of them to equal the thickness of a human hair.
Your body has about 5.6 liters (6 quarts) of blood. This 5.6 liters of blood circulates through the body three times every minute. In one day, the blood travels a total of 19,000 km (12,000 miles)--that's four times the distance across the US from coast to coast.
The heart pumps about 1 million barrels of blood during an average lifetime--that's enough to fill more than 3 super tankers.
Three years after a person quits smoking, their chance of having a heart attack is the same as someone who has never smoked before.
The human heart can create enough pressure that it could squirt blood at a distance of thirty feet.
The first open heart surgery was performed by Dr. Daniel Hall Williams in 1893.
The right lung of a human is larger than the left one - because of the space and placement of the heart.
Olive oil can help in lowering cholesterol levels and decreasing the risk of heart complications.
In 1967, the first successful heart transplant was performed in Cape Town, South Africa.
People that suffer from gum disease are twice as likely to have a stroke or heart attack.
Most heart attacks occur between the hours of 8 and 9 AM.
A woman’s heart beats faster than a man’s.

Happy St. Valentine’s Day!
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The Pump Handle. A water cooler for the public health crowd.
http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/

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

** "Dangerous Delays from CPSC" by Liz Borkowski Public Citizen reports on how long it takes before companies report dangerous products to the CPSC – and before the agency lets consumers know about them. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/02/07/dangerous-delays-from-cpsc/

** "Harm to Communities from 'Goods Movement' System" by Celeste Monforton An Environmental Health Perspectives article documents the harmful effects of global trade on U.S. port communities. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/02/06/harm-to-communities-from-goods-movement-system/

** "Occupational Health News Roundup" by Liz Borkowski Years after a Frontline documentary exposed problems at an iron pipe foundry company and led to successful prosecutions, investigators return to see what's changed; plus, there's news about labor conditions on Liberian rubber plantations, the mysterious neurological illness afflicting pork-plant workers, and a record number of suicides in the U.S. Army. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/02/06/occupational-health-news-roundup-51/

** "National Academies Support Science Debate" by Liz Borkowski The National Academies has signed on to co-sponsor a science debate for the presidential candidates. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/02/05/national-academies-support-science-debate/

** "Groups Petition MSHA to Strengthen Miners' Rights" by Celeste Monforton A group of advocates for miners and their families has sent a rulemaking petition to MSHA, asking the agency to improve its regulations governing the training that mine workers receive about their statutory rights. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/02/05/groups-petition-msha-to-bolster-miners-rights/

** "Getting OSHA Right" by Michael Silverstein An online discussion helped revise a paper about OSHA's future; it's now been published in the American Journal of Public Health, but the conversation should continue. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/02/04/getting-osha-right/

** "BRAVO! Wireless Tracking Device for US Miners" by Celeste Monforton A new system approved by MSHA provides a wireless means for mine operators to track miners underground both before and after an emergency event. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/02/04/bravo-wireless-tracking-device-for-us-miners/

** "Friday Blog Roundup" by Liz Borkowski Bloggers have some thoughts about the Republican presidential hopefuls, and want more from officials already elected; a White House office doesn't approve of a kit to save heroin overdose victims; and there's an important point missing from the debate about mercury in tuna. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/02/01/friday-blog-roundup-60/
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Weekly Toll - - http://weeklytoll.blogspot.com/
Death In The Workplace w/News & Updates
John Donne - ...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
A partial list of workplace fatalities.

Another large dust explosion occurred with reported 38 serious injured and 5 missing I hate that it took more death, destruction and injuries a to bring this back to the table but this time not only will the U.S. Chemical Safety Board but the Committee for Education and Labor have taken action.

U.S. Chemical Safety Board sent out 6 man (women) team to investigate an explosion at the Imperial Sugar refinery in Port Wentworth, Georgia. The press release reminds us that there have been extensive research and previous investigations in dealing with dust explosions. with 281 combustible dust incidents between 1980 and 2005 killing 119 workers and injuring 718.

The Committee for Education and Labor are recommending, in a letter to Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, that immediate steps need to be taken to prevent hazards that likely deadly explosions like that of the Imperial Sugar refinery.

U.S. Rep. George Miller stated,
“Our sympathies go out to the people of Savannah who are dealing with a workplace disaster that should have been prevented. As last night’s tragic explosion shows, combustible dust hazards are a major problem in U.S. industry,”

Rep. Lynn Woolsey says,
“OSHA should stop dragging its feet and immediately begin work on developing a mandatory standard to protect workers. The Chemical Safety Board recommended such a standard over a year ago. Voluntary standards exist, but they are not enough – they must be made mandatory.”

Our hearts and prayers go out to families, friends and coworkers!

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

01. 1st Lt. David E. Schultz, 25, of Illinois, died Jan. 31 of wounds suffered when the Convoy Support Center at Scania, Iraq, was attacked by indirect enemy fire. He was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

02. Cpt. Michael A. Norman, 36, of Killeen, Texas, died Jan. 31 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the Military Transition Team, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.

03. Sgt. Matthew F. Straughter, 27, of St. Charles, Mo., died Jan 31 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle was struck by a rocket propelled grenade. He was assigned to the 1138th Engineer Company, 35th Engineer Brigade, Missouri National Guard, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.

04. Staff Sgt. Chad A. Barrett, 35, of Saltville, Va., died Feb. 2 in Mosul, Iraq, as a result of a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 64th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo. The incident is under investigation.

05. Chief Petty Officer Michael E. Koch, 29,of State College, Pa.,
and
06. Chief Petty Officer Nathan H. Hardy, 29, of Durham, N.H., died Feb. 4, from wounds suffered from small arms fire during combat operations in Iraq.
Both were assigned to East Coast-based SEAL teams.

07. Spc. Christopher J. West, 26, of Arlington, Texas, died Feb. 4 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered on Feb. 3 in Muqdadiyah, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated during combat operations. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

08. Sgt. Rafael Alicea Rivera, 30, of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, died Feb. 5 in Tallil, Iraq, of injuries suffered in a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 307th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

09. Staff Sgt. Donald T. Tabb, 29, of Norcross, Ga., died Feb. 5 in Sangin, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 6th Military Police Detachment, 1st Battalion, 13th Aviation Regiment, Fort Rucker, Ala.

The Department of Defense announced the death of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died Feb. 5 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered in Al Muqdadiyah when they encountered an improvised explosive device during combat operations. Killed were:
10. Spc. Miguel A. Baez, 32, of Bonaire, Ga., who was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
11. Sgt. John C. Osmolski, 23, of Eustis, Fla., who was assigned to the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
12. Sgt. Timothy R. Van Orman, 24, of Port Matilda, Pa., who was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.

13. Sgt. Bradley J. Skelton, 40, of Gordonville, Mo., died Feb. 6 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device during combat operations. He was assigned to the 1138th Engineer Company, 35th Engineer Brigade, Missouri Army National Guard, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.

14. Petty Officer 1st class Luis A. Souffront, 25,of Miami, Fla., died Feb. 7, from wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device while serving in combat operations in Iraq.
He was assigned to an East Coast based SEAL team.

For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.
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Please remember to pray for the American soldiers stationed everywhere around the globe and especially in Iraq. Times have been and are very tough and it would be nice if you would all just say a prayer for their safety and for their families.
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"September 11 WDYTJWD" W. P. Florence
Justice first, then peace."
"September 11" Never forget.--Tony Moses
"ONE NATION UNDER GOD ...the only way"--Phillip Story
"We have nothing to fear but fear itself." -- Franklin D. Roosevelt
"Keeping my head down but face toward Heaven" - - Jody Eldred, ABC News Cameraman in Kuwait
"Remember Pearl Harbor? Remember 9/11!" --"Bug"
Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity. - - George Carlin
"Stop telling God how big your storm is. Instead, tell the storm how big your God is!" - - Queen E. Watson
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Activities and Events of Interest - - Coming Events

FRIDAY- February 8
The American Legion will have a Valentine’s dance from 8 p.m. until midnight. Must be at least 21 years old to enter.
Progress reports for students at Magnolia High School and Magnolia Junior High School will be sent home with students today. Parents should expect a progress report for every academic class in which their child is enrolled. Parents are encouraged to review the progress report with their child. Students are to return the reports with a parent signature. Teachers will be available to discuss progress reports with parents Tuesday, Feb. 12, 3:30-6:30 p.m. Conferences will be held in the classrooms.
~~
SATURDAY- February 9
Magnolia Class of 1973 will host a scholarship fund-raiser Miss Valentine pageant at 5 p.m. at the Columbia District Auditorium. For more information call Rose Kirkindoff at , 234-2419.
~~
MONDAY- February 11
Relay For Life Team meeting will be held at 5 p.m. at Bancorp south Partee Room. To register a team contact Janet Warren at 870-904-2258 or 870-234-6020.
~~
TUESDAY-February 12
Southwest Arkansas Bluegrass Association will meet at 7 p.m. at Western Sizzlin.
~~
SATURDAY- February 16
Valentine Angels Pageant will be held at 1 p.m. at the Magnolia Junior High School auditorium. Deadline to enter the pageant is Feb. 15. For more information, call Stacy Labit at 870-547-3623.
~~
SATURDAY- February 23
The Miss Magnolia Pageant and Miss Magnolia’s Outstanding Teen pageant will be held at the Magnolia Junior High Auditorium. Contact Karen Cox by Feb. 7 at 299-0629.
~~~~~
Church Briefs

SATURDAY- February 9
County Line Baptist Church will have its musical fest at 5 p.m.
~~
SUNDAY- February 10
County Line Baptist Church, Stamps, will have its annual youth day at 2:30 p.m. Rev. E. Jamal Brown and the St. Matthew Baptist Church will be the guests.
~~
The Greater Harvest COGIC Sunshine Band will present its annual love month program at 3 p.m.
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Spirit of Christ Baptist Church will have a deacon and deaconess program at 2:30 p.m.
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Mount Olive Baptist Church, Calhoun Heights, will have installation services for Rev. Elvin D. Scott at 3 p.m. Dr. George Smith and the St. Paul Baptist Church of Camden will be the guests.
~~
SATURDAY- February 17
St. Mark Baptist Church of Magnolia will have its annual Sunday school day at 2:30 p.m. Rev. James Fred Williams and the St. John Baptist Church of Bluff City, Ark., will be the guests.
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THURSDAY- February 21
First Baptist Church youth band 5-7:00 pm Open Face Taco Supper. Tickets are $8 each.
& includes beverage & dessert.
~~
SATURDAY- February 23
Free Union Baptist Church will have a benefit musical program at 6 p.m.
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Scheduled Activities
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CQ CQ all Hams. We have restarted a 2 meter net on the Willisville repeater, 146.655, every Tuesday evening at 7 PM. Please check in and spread the word. We would like to get some renewed interest in amateur radio and the ARKLA Amateur Radio Association. Will be listening for everyone next Tuesday night.
~~~
Columbia County Amateur Radio Club meets Every second Thursday @ 7:00 p.m. Union Street Station. And YOU'RE invited. Net is every Sunday at 20:30 on 147.105.
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MCC - Mom's Day Out - Every Tuesday and Thursday from 9 to 2.$10 for the first child, $5 for the second. Call 234-3225 for reservations.
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MCC - Nursing Home Ministry - Meadowbrook Every Tuesday from 10 to 11 am. Taylor, the last Thursday each month.
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Men's Prayer Breakfast held every Tuesday morning at 6 AM in Miller's Cafeteria. If you aren't a regular participant at the Men's Prayer Breakfast, you're missing some great food, fellowship and inspired teaching of the Word. Hope to see you there.
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Emergency Phone Number 911
(Fire, Police, Ambulance, Sheriff, etc. )
Central Dispatch 234-5655
(Non - Emergency Number)
Direct Numbers
Ambulance - 234-7371 (24 Hour)
Jail - 234-5331 (24 Hour)
Poison Control - 800-222-1222 (24 Hour)
http://www. aapcc. org/
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Interested in getting in touch with the Banner-News through e-mail?
E-mail addresses for communicating with the newspaper’s various departments are: news@bannernews.net For news and sports items, Coming Events, Diary, Church News, school and civic events.
advertising@bannernews. net For retail and classified advertising.
circulation@bannernews. net To start, stop or cancel newspaper delivery or for comments about delivery.
outfitters @bannernews.net For Office Outfitters, the office supply division of the Banner-News.
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"There is not enough darkness in the world to put out the light of one candle."
"Laugh whenever you can and cry if you need to." -- "Bug"
"I read the end of the book. We win!" -- "Bug"
"We may not be able to cure the world, but we don't have to make it sicker." -- "Bug"
"There just ain't enough fingers for all the holes in the dike." - - "Bug"
"It's no big deal doing what God tells you to do. A big deal would be NOT doing what God tells you to do. Just ask Jonah." - - Paul Troquille
"A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in ... and how many want out." - - Tony Blair
"Information is the currency of democracy." - Jefferson
“Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est.” Knowledge is power. - Francis Bacon
"The problem is here and now. The time for talk is past. The time for action is now."
Comments on the first Earth Day - James F. McClellan via "Fuzzy" Thurman
~~~~~
Hope you enjoy the newsletter.
Again, thanks to all our contributors this week.

God bless and GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!
Isa 43:23-25 Psa 126 Rom 8:35-37 Acts 13:16-19 Acts 13:9-10 http://www.e-min.org/
God is Good and Faithful CU 73 IC JFM CSP NREMT-I KC5HII

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