Bug's Bleat - - GCF: Optimist and Pessimist

Volume 10, Issue 10 Friday, March 07, 2008

Hello All,

SNOW DAY!
We had, for us, heavy snow this morning and more is forecast for tonight. Columbia County was transformed by the latest snowfall that I know of ever occurring. We had snowball fights with our neighbors and grandkids. Wendy and Brian’s little girls were giggling and excited when Annette threw snowballs back at them as we drove by. I caught Dusty by surprise but he recovered and pelted me. There are snowmen on many yards and we saw a couple and their children building one on the downtown Farmer’s Bank drive thru lawn.
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Bobbie celebrated her birthday this week. Happy Birthday Bobbie McClellan.
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REMINDER: Daylight Saving Time Begins, Sunday, March 9th, @ 2:00am
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Be Bold And Courageous - Sunday, February 10, 2008 - jimmy Malone
“Moses is dead. Lead this people into the promise land.” Imagine the chill that Joshua must have felt. Moses was the man. He split the Red Sea, brought water from the rock, received the Ten Commandments…This guy was supernatural! Yet with all this, Moses never set foot in the Promised Land. God gives us dreams for His people. And when He does, we can easily think of great men who have tried the same thing and not attained it. The voices of doubt say, “Moses couldn’t even get these people in the Promised Land. Who do you think you are?” Or you hear, “Oh, another one of those Promised Land preachers. We’ve been hearing about the promised land for forty years, but I’ve never seen it!” God told Joshua, “I will be with you like I was with Moses. Everywhere the sole of your foot treads will be yours.” Yet these words from God did not insure that he would see the Promised Land. How do I know? Because the Holy Spirit has breathed such great promises to us, yet we so often fail to see God’s dream in our churches. Many times the difference between dreaming God’s dream and living God’s dream is this: “Only be bold and very courageous.”
http://thelighthousechurch.publishpath.com/be-bold-and-courageous
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As a given, I think TV interferes with our life. When our kids were small, we didn’t have a TV and filled our evenings playing games, reading and talking about the world.
Eventually, we were persuaded to allow the “one eyed monster” back into our home but I insisted that it be in the family room and not in the kid’s bedroom. Like many temptations, the TV slowly crept deeper into our lives and now we have one in our bedroom as well as in the kitchen. So I can’t say that I’m a purist, but as I write this, I’m sitting in the kitchen, listening to CAR TALK on NPR and the TV sits dormant.
I guess TV may be a blessing and a curse. We love old movies and use our TV to watch them. We also get sucked into watching mindless drivel. We watch PBS and the History Channel but still are tempted to spend an evening “zoned out” with the tube watching us.
However, many parents, like us, feel that childhood is a learning time and there’s very little on TV that enhances learning. If there’s a documentary on, say, Kit Carson, then get the kids into the family room, gather on the couch and watch it. But as soon as the show is off, turn off the boob tube and get back to experiencing life, not just watching some writer’s idea of life.
~
TV may be hazardous to your child's health
By Tara Parker-Pope
New York Times News Service

Here's one simple way to keep your children healthy: Ban the bedroom TV.
By some estimates, half of American children have a television in their bedroom; one study of third-graders put the number at 70 percent. And a growing body of research shows strong associations between TV in the bedroom and numerous health and educational problems.
Children with bedroom TVs score lower on school tests and are more likely to have sleep problems. Having a television in the bedroom is strongly associated with being overweight and a higher risk for smoking.
...
Moreover, once the set is in the child's room, it is very likely to stay. "In our experience, it is often hard for parents to remove a television set from a child's bedroom."
...
A French study also showed, not surprisingly, that boys and girls with bedroom TVs spent less time reading than others.
Other data suggest that bedroom television affects a child's schoolwork. In a 2005 study in The Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, researchers looked at the television, computer and video game habits of almost 400 children in six Northern California schools for a year. About 70 percent of the children in the study had their own TV in the bedroom; they scored significantly and consistently lower on math, reading and language-arts tests. Students who said they had computers in their homes scored higher.
...
Another study of more than 700 middle-school students, ages 12 to 14, found that those with bedroom TVs were twice as likely to start smoking — even after controlling for such risk factors as having a parent or friend who smokes or low parental engagement. Among kids who had a TV in the bedroom 42 percent smoked; among the others, the figure was 16 percent.
...
So while many parents try to limit how much television and what type of shows their children watch, that may be less than half the battle. Where a child watches is important, too.
Copyright © 2008, Chicago Tribune
chicagotribune.com
www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-tv-children-healthmar04,1,3791149.story
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In the 1997 movie “Men in Black”
Jones and Smith are talking about the MIB policy of hiding alien presences on earth:

“JONES: Humans for the most part don't have a clue. They don't want or need one, either. They're happy. They think they have a good bead on things. SMITH: But why the big secret? People are smart, they can handle it. JONES: A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals, and you know it. ...”
This quote reminds me of the “People” who are opposing vaccinations. The parents of a 9-year-old girl with autism said Thursday that their assertion that her illness was caused by childhood vaccines has been vindicated by the federal government's decision to compensate them.
...
A federal program intended to compensate victims of injuries caused by vaccines concluded last November that Hannah Poling's underlying illness that had predisposed her to symptoms of autism was "significantly aggravated" by the vaccinations she received as a toddler and that her family should therefore be compensated.
...
But public health officials quickly countered that the decision in no way supports the couple's claim.
"The government has made absolutely no statement indicating that vaccines are a cause of autism," said Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in a conference call with reporters.
...
Parents should continue to get their children immunized, she said: "This is proven to save lives."
...
Numerous studies have shown no link between illness and the vaccines, public health officials have long contended.
...
The CDC, American Academy of Pediatrics, Institute of Medicine and other prestigious medical organizations maintain there is no known link between vaccines and autism. Studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine and elsewhere also have found no link.
...
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/03/06/vaccines.autism

Autism is a debilitating condition that strikes 1 in 150 children born. I can’t blame parents for desperately seeking the cause of this terrible affliction. But concentrating on vaccinations, which have been proven over and over to NOT be the cause of Autism can only delay programs working to find the true cause and effective treatments.

And, in spite of sound scientific evidence that vaccines save lives, there is a growing group of “People” who oppose vaccinations. The CDC is fighting against this growing tide. Here’s their latest statement; “Vaccine-preventable disease levels are at or near record lows. However, we cannot take high immunization coverage levels for granted. To continue to protect America's children and adults, we must obtain maximum immunization coverage in all populations, establish effective partnerships, conduct reliable scientific research, implement immunization systems, and ensure vaccine safety."

The problem with anti-vaccinationist contention that vaccination should be voluntary is that vaccination only works to protect us if we vaccinate the majority of those at risk. When they contend that their kids should be allowed in public schools without being vaccinated or that they should be allowed to travel overseas without being vaccinated, they join those who either don’t understand disease transmission or don’t care about those they are endangering.
I grew up in a time when there were still cases of small pox and to see kids on “Iron Lungs” as the result of polio was normal. We’ve successfully fought off many diseases via mass vaccination. But those diseases still live in the world. And they could become dangers to us here again.
These “People” remind me of a herd of Gazelle, running scared, darting here and there, left and right, with no clue that the predator is slowly trailing them.
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Speaking of “People” that, in my opinion, “Just Don’t Get It.” A California court has ruled that Home school parents must have teaching credentials. I don’t advocate that everyone should Home school. Many parents aren’t qualified mentally or emotionally to Home school. However, statistics show that Home schooled kids do as well as or better than public or private school kids in college and career.
This ruling is another case of ignorant judges and regulators trying to force our kids into their broken mold.
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A state appellate court ruling that says parents must have a teaching credential to home school their children has rocked home schoolers throughout the Golden State, and many expect the decision to be appealed to the California Supreme Court.
...
Mary and Philip Long home schooled their eight children through the Sunland Christian School, a private school that supports home schooling through its independent study program.
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"The judge didn't like the family," said Debbie Schwarzer, a Los Altos attorney who home schools her 10- and 12-year-old and is active in the Home school Association of California. 'But instead of making a ruling that affected two children, he made a ruling that affects tens of thousands of children. What the judge has done is send us back to the Dark Ages."
...
Once largely the province of the radical left and conservative Christians, home schooling has grown rapidly in recent years and in some circles is considered mainstream.

Much of the growth has been fueled by the Internet, which allows parents to shop for online lessons in geography and history, swap teaching responsibilities with other parents, and access countless home schooling blogs, listservs and conferences.

Though accurate numbers are difficult to pin down, advocates such as Keith estimate that there are at least 200,000 students taught by their parents in California. Some parent’s home school for religious reasons, but others turn to home schooling out of concerns over campus safety, peer pressure and the increasing focus on standardized tests.

Home schooling laws vary from state to state. California offers a number of ways to home school: parents can file paperwork with the state establishing their home as a small private school, hire a credentialed tutor to educate their children, or enroll their children in independent study programs that are overseen by either charter schools or local school districts. But some parents simply home school without ever telling anyone, and state education officials have largely turned a blind eye to the practice.

Dana Hull - Mercury News
http://origin.mercurynews.com/education/ci_8477915?source=email
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Lecture Sponsored by Albemarle - Free to the Public

SOUTHERN ARKANSAS UNIVERSITY
College of Education And Albemarle Present

Education & Democracy

Dr. George Wood Director of the Forum for Education and Democracy Principal of Federal Hocking High School Stewart, Ohio

Monday, March 10, 2008, 7:00 p.m.
Foundation Hall Donald W. Reynolds Campus and Community Center
100 East University, Magnolia, AR 71753 [870] 235-4000 www.saumag.edu
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Thanks to everyone who donated blood at last week's Albemarle blood drive! United Blood Service had set a goal of 33 units for our blood drive, and thanks to each you who donated, that goal was met!! Blood supply is very low at this time, and your donation will be very much appreciated! Nancy Terry
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Sim Bailey sent us these cool sites and thought you readers might like the info.
sullr.com gives the name and address of any phone # you enter (doesn’t work for cell phones, but will give the state).
definr.com is a really fast dictionary site.
nanoscan.com is a really fast online virus scan that is free.
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You’ve heard of the high chemical levels in trailers made to replace disaster victim’s homes? Turns out that the building materials came from China. It figures.
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Toxic Katrina trailers may spur tougher building codes - Indiana manufacturers have until Friday to submit documents for congressional inquiry
By Ted Evanoff - ted.evanoff@indystar.com

The temporary homes that sickened victims of Hurricane Katrina have turned indoor air quality into a front-burner issue and could lead to sterner building codes for manufactured housing and even regular homes, environmentalists and engineers say.
A pair of congressional committees have opened inquiries into the high formaldehyde levels measured inside some of the travel trailers and mobile homes made expressly for more than 100,000 Louisiana and Mississippi residents displaced by the 2005 storm.
...
Rather than make emergency trailers to the standards used on regular mobile homes and travel trailers, many manufacturers used inexpensive plywood from China and employed sloppier production methods than are usual as a way to cut costs and make higher profits.
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Builders could launch a campaign to point out that they have upgraded standards, he said, and the campaign could carry over to builders of regular homes, which he said emit formaldehyde just as the emergency trailers do. Emergency trailers are far smaller than regular homes and contain less air, so the formaldehyde is more concentrated, he said.
To reduce formaldehyde, he said, trailer manufacturers could adopt the plan the federation developed for Mississippi. Among its specifications, he said, are that a venting system is in place, wooden surfaces are sealed with special paint to keep the gas from escaping, plywood use is minimal, and drywall replaces natural wood molding and trim on walls.
Formaldehyde is a colorless gas emitted naturally as wood decomposes or, scientists say, as some foods are fried in cooking oil. It is also commonly put in glue. Today, millions of homes contain furniture and cabinets put together with glue using formaldehyde. The chemical helps wooden molecules bind tightly in plywood and particle board.
In Mississippi, about 1,200 trailers have been built to the federation's 60-page specifications, Hagerman said, noting each unit costs $17,000 to $32,000, compared with $14,000 to $27,000 for the trailers FEMA purchased.
...
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080305/LOCAL/803050475
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Concerning the KC-45 Tanker
http://www.reuters.com/article/email/idUSN2950422020080301

Joe Tudor tells us that there have been billboards in Mobile for at least a year that show a picture of this plane, with a Northrop-Grumman logo. The billboard says "Work here. Build this."
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Sounds like they had the inside track.
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Joe also commented on “Adios Amigos” from last week’s “Bleat”, the story about the US Navy leaving Vieques Island in Puerto Rico.
~
I agree - it's ridiculous that when you give people what they ask for, they are not prepared for the consequences of their action. BUT - there are some disparaging comments here about Puerto Rico that should be cleared up (and I'd go to "the source" to do that if I knew where it was).

The article says "Yankee go home? Fine, but we'll take our dollars with us." Yeah - but, uh, Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, and uses the U.S. dollar as its currency. So, no, we aren't taking our dollars with us. They still have plenty of U.S. dollars. (That's the beauty of a Puerto Rican vacation - no passports required, no currency exchange, no inflated prices due to exchange rates - it's just as easy as going to any other state).

"Hasta la vista, baby." Um...the article starts out with the title (translated) "Goodbye Friend" - yet ends (the bit on Puerto Rico) with "See you later." Are we telling them "goodbye" or "see you later"?? Literally, "hasta la vista" means "until I see you" - if we only knew how ridiculous we look when we try to speak their language (all the while "demanding" that if "they" want to live here "they" have to learn "our" language). "They" is us - we took over the place, and made them our own.

Most importantly - during the three years I spent traveling to Puerto Rico on work assignments, I can't tell you how many Puerto Rican men and women I saw in U.S. military uniforms traveling to/from their assigned duty stations. On the Moscoso Bridge leading from the airport into San Juan, there are Puerto Rican and American flags lining both sides of the road (see a picture at http://www.puentetmoscoso.com/index.html). Puerto Rico is America. And Puerto Ricans are proud to be American.

How would we feel about the loss of American jobs in, say, Florida if the Navy decided to close up shop at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola? We'd likely make fun of them for protesting and demanding the closure, then not feel sorry for them - but I doubt we'd tell them we were taking our dollars and going home.

I agree - it's ridiculous to protest for something, and then get upset at the consequences of getting what you asked for. But, don't forget that Puerto Ricans are just as much American as the rest of us - and they are fighting for our freedom alongside the rest of us.

By the way - how many of us would like to have a practice bombing range in our backyard? Especially when our backyard was there first?
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Each week the Defense Department highlights military personnel who have gone above and beyond in the war. [http://www.defenselink.mil/heroes/] - - Douglas Zembiec - Hometown: Corvallis, OR - Awarded: Silver Star - - “If you took 100 Doug Zembiecs to war with you, you could conquer the world.” That is how Maj. Zembiec’s high-school wrestling coach characterized him – though the men who served with him captured his spirit more succinctly: He was reverently called the “Lion of Fallujah.” A magnetic commander, an “unapologetic warrior,” Zembiec believed in leading by deeds rather than words. As a result, his men would tell you that they would follow Zembiec to the gates of hell – or, at the very least, into the treacherous urban battlefield of Fallujah.

In early April of 2004, Zembiec’s company was sent in to help pacify Fallujah and restore order in a city where violence had spiraled out of control. During the month-long battle to claim Fallujah, Zembiec’s Echo Company was often the first one in and the last one out.

On April 6, Zembiec, a captain at the time, found himself deep in insurgent territory in Fallujah’s Jolan district.

A Marine patrol was taking heavy fire, and Zembiec’s unit was called in to lead a retaliatory assault. Right after arriving, Echo Company rushed toward the enemies, who launched a heavy volley of fire toward the new arrivals. Instead of directing from the back, Zembiec himself led the men toward the fire, determined to help the trapped patrol.

His men moved to a roof to counter the insurgents who had been firing down from above. The enemies wasted no time and focused their AK-47- and RPG-fire on the Marines on the roof. The Marines tried to radio an Abrams tank to fire on the enemy, but the tank didn’t respond. As they continued to call for assistance, Zembiec decided to take matters into his own hands.

He raced down the stairs and directly into the line of fire, heading toward the tank. He climbed up to the hatch even as mortar rounds exploded nearby and bullets ricocheted off the metal. Unscathed, he told the tank operators where to fire. The tank made quick work of the enemy, and Zembiec ran back to the roof. Witnesses say the other Marines dropped their jaws in awe of his bravery.

A few weeks later, on April 26, insurgents opened fire on Zembiec’s platoon from three sides, with thousands of rounds. Grenades flew back and forth between the enemy and his men – with only 20 feet between them. Zembiec, wounded by shrapnel, moved to a better position to direct the counterattack. He then moved from house to house, encouraging and motivating his men and repositioning the outnumbered Marines. Even as the battle raged, Zembiec coordinated the evacuation of nine injured Marines.

Later, despite being assigned to a desk job, Zembiec volunteered to return to the frontlines. He completed a tour in Afghanistan and returned to Iraq again. On May 11, 2007, Zembiec was killed in Baghdad, Iraq, while leading a combat operation.

When people think of warriors and heroes, images of legendary Spartans or Trojans often come to mind. The tales of those warriors may have faded into history, but that same timeless courage and heroism lives on in a new breed of heroes – men like Doug Zembiec, the “Lion of Fallujah.”

For his month-long fight in Fallujah, Zembiec received a Bronze Star for Valor on Dec. 9, 2004.
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Michael Yon - - First Person Singular

MOSUL, Iraq - Two mothers, one Iraqi and one American, stood looking at one another at an entrance gate at Forward Operating Base Marez, Iraq. One was crying, looking for help and the other on the verge of tears because she could not provide assistance.
That could have been the end of the encounter, a brief snapshot of the sadness of war, but Staff Sgt. Julie Stoner couldn’t get the image of that mother and family out of her thoughts. She knew the family needed help and she was determined to do something. ...
~
Go to Michael’s site (see below) to see how this turned out.
http://michaelyon-online.com/wp/soldier-makes-helping-iraqi-family-personal-mission.htm
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COMMUNICATION NOTICE: We are switching Internet Service Providers and, as of February 28, our e-mail address has changed. You can contact us at kc5hii@suddenlink.net.
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This week we watched (from NetFlix):
The Martin Child (2007) - John Cusack and Bobby Coleman
Casino Royale (2006) - Daniel Craig, Eva Green, and Judi Dench
Dinner at Eight (1933) - Marie Dressler, John Barrymore, Wallace Beery, Jean Harlow and
Lionel Barrymore
and 24, Season 5 discs 3, 4, and 5.
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This week we read; The lure / Bill Napier, I am legend / Richard Matheson, and Hunter's run / George R.R. Martin, Gardner Dozois, and Daniel Abraham
We’re currently reading; Prepared for rage / Dana Stabenow
We plan on reading:“A war of gifts : an Ender story” by Orson Scott Card, “Sliver of truth” by Lisa Unger, My grandfather's son : a memoir / Clarence Thomas, and The death trust / David A. Rollins
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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” document the snow in Columbia County. There’s a shot of the Magnolia Square, a snow covered tree at Albemarle, our home, birds, caught by the surprising snow, swarming feeders and a “dream scape” looking Highway 79.
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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.
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Feel free to share the "Bleat" with any and all. That's why we publish it.
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Recipe(s) of the week - - - Slow-Cooker BBQ Beef Stew
Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 8 hr 30 min Makes:
8 servings, 1-1/4 cups each1 Tbsp. oil 2 lb. boneless beef for stew, cut into 1-1/2-inch cubes 5 carrots, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 large onion, cut into chunks 6 small red potatoes, quartered 3/4 cup KRAFT Original Barbecue Sauce, divided 1 Tbsp. MAXWELL HOUSE Instant Coffee 1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen peas HEAT oil in nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add meat, in batches; cook until evenly browned, stirring occasionally. Layer carrots, onions and potatoes in bottom of 5-qt. slow cooker; top with meat. Pour ½ cup of the barbecue sauce over meat; sprinkle with coffee granules. Cover with lid.

COOK on LOW for 7 to 8 hours (or on HIGH for 5 hours).

STIR in peas and remaining 1/4 cup barbecue sauce; cover. Cook an additional 15 min. or until heated through.
Kraft Kitchens Tips Substitute
Substitute your favorite frozen vegetable, such as green beans, for the peas. For a Milder Stew Omit 1/4 cup of the barbecue sauce. Prepare as directed but do not add the 1/4 cup barbecue sauce near the end of the cooking time.

Nutrition Bonus
Feel good serving your family this warm and hearty stew that is also low in both calories and fat. As a bonus, the carrots in this main dish are an excellent source of vitamin A!
http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/recipedetail.htm?recipe_id=90157
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BreakPoint
With Chuck Colson
Caught
By Mark Earley
3/7/2008
Where Transformation Can Lead

Note: This commentary was delivered by PFM President Mark Earley.

You probably saw the catch on TV. Or maybe you saw it on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The grab made by New York Giants wide receiver David Tyree may be the greatest catch in Super Bowl history. It certainly was a pivotal moment in the Giants’ victory over the New England Patriots. But it was not the most pivotal moment in young David Tyree’s life. That would be when Tyree found himself behind bars in a jail cell.

“What looked to be the lowest point in my life ended up being the greatest thing that ever happened to me,” Tyree told the New York Times, referring to his 2004 arrest.

Tyree drank and smoked pot from an early age—habits he carried with him into the NFL. In 2004, to pay a $10,000 fine for being late to a team meeting, Tyree decided to sell marijuana—and was arrested. That is when his girlfriend issued an ultimatum: “her lifestyle or his.” He began reading a Bible he spotted on her bed.

A month after his arrest, Tyree went to church and listened to a woman singing with joy. He realized he had none. He hung his head and sobbed. “I had no joy. I had no peace,” said Tyree. “My life was in disarray.”

Now committed to Christ, Tyree’s story is “bigger than his Super Bowl catch,” he says. “It is about destiny and purpose.” He is more concerned with “changing lives,” which he and his wife do through an organization called Next in Line, counseling teens.

Caron Butler of the NBA’s Washington Wizards has a similar story. He made his first drug deal at age 11 and was in juvenile court 15 times before age 15. Then grace broke down his front door at age 17, when the cops barged in to arrest him for drug possession.

Before that incident, while at a juvenile institution, Caron had decided to clean up his act. He read Bible verses his grandmother sent him. While there, he spied a basketball court outside his window. “God puts stuff in front of you for a reason,” he says. He honed his basketball skills, promised to stay out of trouble, and was headed to college before that day the cops broke in to arrest him.

One of the officers, Richard Geller, exercised grace when Butler’s mother promised Geller, “If you give Caron a chance on this, you will never look back.” Geller felt confident the drugs the police had found were not Butler’s and let him go.

“God put his hands on my life,” Butler said. “[God] said, ‘I’m going to touch you so that you can touch others.’” Today, Caron uses his NBA success to give back to his hometown of Racine, Wisconsin—with coat drives, bike giveaways, and holding a basketball camp for youth.

“The good that has come out of it has benefited this community a whole lot more than Caron’s arrest would have,” said Officer Geller.

From being caught by police to being caught by God: These are the kinds of transformations we see every day at BreakPoint and Prison Fellowship. No matter whether you join with Prison Fellowship or reach out through a local jail ministry, you can become a part of God’s transforming work among prisoners and their families. As with David Tyree and Caron Butler, it is a transformation that will bless your entire community and perhaps the world.

Find out how you can help by visiting us at PrisonFellowship.org.
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BreakPoint Bonuse Commentary
Justifying Art
By Chuck Colson
3/6/2008
A Response to Stanley Fish

How do you justify art and the humanities?

That is the provocative question asked in a recent New York Times column by Stanley Fish. His answer was simple: You do not have to. “They are,” he wrote, “their own good.” I tend to agree, but I reach my conclusion from an entirely different perspective than he does.

Fish, the famous postmodernist professor, was unhappy about a government report on the state of higher education in New York State, in which “all the emphasis is on science, partnerships with industry, and advances in technology.”

Fish went on to add, “If there is to be a brave new world in New York higher education, it doesn’t look as if the humanities and the arts will be a significant part of it.”

I would say that holds true for schools across the country. Think about it: How often have you heard anyone say that our kids need to do better at math and science? Often. But, when was the last time you heard it said that they need to study more art, or literature, or music?

You get the idea.

But as Fish acknowledges, his line of thinking raises a question: Why do we need to teach the arts in schools? As a secular humanist, he says, it would be easy for him to go along with the traditional humanistic idea that the arts and humanities “ennoble” us by inspiring us to want to be like the great heroes portrayed in art and literature.

But Fish cannot buy into that. “If it were true,” he notes dryly, “the most generous, patient, good-hearted, and honest people on earth would be the members of literature and philosophy departments, who spend every waking hour with great books and great thoughts. And,” Fish continued, “as someone who’s been there (for 45 years), I can tell you it just isn’t so.”

Moreover, Fish believes that is exactly “how it should be. Teachers of literature and philosophy are competent in a subject, not in a ministry. It is not the business of the humanities to save us.”

I agree, but let me illustrate why. You may remember a much acclaimed movie a few years back called The Pianist. The film told how music transformed a Nazi officer into a man willing to feed and shelter a Jewish musician. That was not an accurate picture, however. In real life, the officer who saved the musician did so not because he loved music, but because he was “an ardent Catholic who abhorred Nazism.” Many Nazis loved music, but music itself did not “ennoble” them. It just gave them a welcome respite from murdering Jews and other innocent victims.

So what are the arts and humanities good for? Here is where I think the Christian worldview provides an answer that Fish cannot grasp. They teach that God made humans creative beings, like Himself. The works of art we create—sculpture, literature, drama—reflect the glory and beauty of the Creator of life. This is what gives the arts their intrinsic value. Any beneficial effect that they might have on human thinking—and usually they do have such effects—is a good thing, but it is not why we create, and it does not add or detract from the value of art.

No, the humanities cannot save us, but because their mere existence speaks of and glorifies our Creator, they are more than justified.

Subscribe today to the “Great Books Audio CD” series from Dr. Ken Boa and BreakPoint. Call 1-877-322-5527 to learn more.

For Further Reading and Information

Greg Toppo, “Teens Losing Touch with Common Cultural and Historical References,” USA Today, February 26, 2008.

Emily Langer, “Sing-Song Diplomacy,” Washington Post, 24 February 2008.

Stanley Fish, “Bound for Academic Glory?” New York Times, 29 February 2008.

Stanley Fish, “Will the Humanities Save Us?” New York Times, 29 February 2008.

Stanley Fish, “The Use of the Humanities, Part Two,” New York Times, 29 February 2008.

BreakPoint Commentary No. 030321, “Melody of Faith: The Pianist.”

BreakPoint Commentary No. 940318, “No Such Thing as Free Speech: Debunking American Liberties.”

BreakPoint Commentary No. 050805, “The Rubber Meets the Road: Stanley Fish and Universal Absolutes.”

Greg Bishop and Pete Thamel, “The Super Bowl Spotlight Shines on a Changed Man,” New York Times, 11 February 2008.

Art Stricklin, “Giants’ Early Woes Sparked Tyree to Share Faith, Leadership for Turnaround,” BP Sports, 1 February 2008.

Chad Bonham, “David Tyree’s Miracle Catch,” New Man eMagazine, 7 February 2008.

Michael Lee, “The Great Escape: Wizards’ Butler Overcame a Harsh Youth,” Washington Post, 17 February 2008.

Frontline Success Stories, “From Prisoner to Pastor,” Inside Out Magazine, December 2007.

Pat Nolan, “Breaking the Cycle of Crime,” BreakPoint Worldview, September 2003.

BreakPoint Commentary No. 080215, “Brothers Behind Bars: Breaking the Cycle of Crime.”

BreakPoint Commentary No. 060217, “A Fighting Chance: The Second Chance Act.”

BreakPoint Commentary No. 060526, “America’s Prisoners: Targets for Transformation.”

BreakPoint Commentary No. 050829, “God Is Changing Me: Street Saints.”

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.
© 2008 Prison Fellowship - - http://www.breakpoint.org/site_hmpg.asp
~~~~~
Words of the Week:
amanuensis: one employed to take dictation or to copy manuscripts.
garrulous: talkative; also, wordy.
recherche: exotic; rare; also, affected, pretentious.
probity: complete and confirmed integrity.
busker: a street musician or performer.
rara avis: a rare or unique person or thing.
cabal: a group that seeks power usually through intrigue.
kismet: destiny; fate.
from Dictionary.Com
~~~~~
"If it were not for hopes, the heart would break." - Thomas Fuller

"Heroes are created by popular demand, sometimes out of the scantiest materials, or none at all." - Gerald W. Johnson

"People who love soft methods and hate iniquity forget this, that reform consists in taking a bone from a dog. Philosophy will not do it." - John Jay Chapman

"If there be a faith that can move mountains, it is faith in one's own power." - Marie Von Ebner-Eschenbach

"Power does not corrupt men; fools, however, if they get into a position of power, corrupt power." - George Bernard Shaw

"People wish to learn to swim and at the same time to keep one foot on the ground." - Marcel Proust

"Great bodies of people are never responsible for what they do." - Virginia Woolf
~~~~~
2nd Annual Calhoun Community Garden Show
Saturday, April 5th 2008
Roses for Sale
2-gallon rose bushes from the Antique Rose Emporium in Brenham, Texas $20 each
Antique Roses from different years - select a rose from a memorable date or just for its beauty
Orders must be placed before the end of February Roses will be available the weekend of the Garden Show
A catalogue is available from Mary Alexis You may also view the website for more information: www.weareroses.com
If the rose you desire shows to be 'out of stock', don't despair They should be available by the time of the event. We will deliver any roses that come in after the Garden Show.
(Roses appear to be cheaper if ordered on-line ... until you figure in shipping)
The Magnolia area is in Planting Zone 7 If you don't want to order at this time, roses will available at the Garden Show.
Contact Barry Brownlee or Pat Hammock @ x6468 or by e-mail Let us know the name, page, and stock number of the rose(s) you want. (Don't confuse the year with the stock number!)
Also provide a phone number so we can contact you in the event of a problem Make checks payable to: Calhoun Community Garden Show Tell your Friends!
~~~~~
At 2:00 a.m. on March 9, 2008, most of the United States begins Daylight Saving Time (DST). DST ends at 2:00 a.m. on November 2, 2008. In August 2005, Congress passed an energy bill that extended DST by about a month. As of 2007, DST starts the second Sunday of March and ends on the first Sunday of November.
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/daylight1.html
~~~~~
BREAKING CHRISTIAN NEWS
http://breakingchristiannews.com/

Rare 19th Century Photo of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan Found Tucked Inside a Family Album
Curcumin Prevents and "Dramatically Reverses" Heart Enlargement in Animal Studies; Canadian Researchers Thrilled at Potential for Humans
Christians in Thriving Singapore Excited about World Missions; "taking nations for Jesus"
Girl Comes Out of Coma, Able to Recall Memories, Despite Doctors Saying She Would Never Revive
Miley Cyrus, of "Hanna Montana" fame, Cites Faith as Key to Staying Grounded
"Heavyweight" Speakers Exhort Oregonians to Proclaim Jesus as America's National Treasure and be the "Onfire Minority Intent on Setting Brushfires" in the Minds and Hearts of Men
Answers to Prayer amid Danger
Actor in BBC Holy Week Production, The Passion, Shares His Faith, Experiences from Filming Crucifixion
Luis Palau Launches "Historic" Pre-Cityfest Outreach in Portland, Oregon
UK Man Shares How God Delivered Him from OCD
Ground-Breaking Biblical Fine Art Gallery Opens in Philadelphia
Cancer Breakthrough at University of Michigan; Clinical Trials to Follow
Passing the "Torch" of Prayer in Arizona
One-Time Millionaire Bar Owner, Drug Dealer With Plans to Murder His Enemies, Now Serves Christ and Helps Other Ex-Convicts
Pope Praises Americans' Efforts to Defend Life and Marriage
Support Dogs Help to Bring a Little Normalcy to Autistic Kids' Lives
Sergeant Plans to Return to Iraq for a 3rd Tour Even though He Hit the 1 Million Dollar Lotto Jackpot
Revival Breaks Out in Jena, Louisiana; Site of Intense Racial Tension Last Year
Church of England Reaches Out through Podcasts
Florida Man is Raised from the Dead when Doctor Obeys God's Voice to Pray that He Will Live Again
Study Shows Music Helps Stroke Victims Recover More Quickly
Baby Born Healthy Defies Doctor's Abortion Advice
Mars Hill Pastor Says it's Not Worth Getting Caught Up in Emerging Church Debates; Despite Anything and Everything that May Happen, Jesus Christ Will Continue
The Heart of a Patriot: Iraq War Veteran Publishes His Journal, Because of Baghdad as Testimony to Christ
Christian Group Helps Brazilian Indian Tribes Overcome Continual Practice of Infanticide
Coach Tony Dungy Inducted into Wesleyan University's Society of World Changers

310 2nd Ave SE
Albany, Oregon 97321
541-928-2642
E-mail
US Orders: 1-866-358-7426
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GCF: Optimist and Pessimist

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

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

Two friends, one an Optimist and the other a Pessimist could never quite agree on any topic of discussion. One day the Optimist decided he had found a good way to pull his Pessimistic friend out of his continual Pessimistic way of thinking. The Optimist owned a hunting dog that could walk on water. His plan? Take the Pessimist and the dog out duck hunting in a boat.

They got out into the middle of the lake, and the Optimist shot down a duck. The dog immediately walked out across the water, retrieved the duck, and walked back to the boat.

The Optimist looked at his Pessimistic friend and said, "What do you think about that?"

The Pessimist replied, "That dog can't swim, can he?"
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Little League Game

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

Coming home from his Little League game, Billy swung open the front door very excited. Unable to attend the game, his father immediately wanted to know what happened. "So, how did you do son?" he asked.

"You'll never believe it!" Billy said. "I was responsible for the winning run!"

"Really? How'd you do that?"

"I dropped the ball."
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Biggest Lie

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

A clergyman was walking down the street when he came upon a group of about a dozen boys, all between 10 and 12 years of age. The group had surrounded a dog. Concerned lest the boys were hurting the dog, he went over and asked "What are you doing with that dog?"

One of the boys replied, "This dog is just an old neighborhood stray. We all want him, but only one of us can take him home. So we've decided that whichever one of us can tell the biggest lie will get to keep the dog."

Of course, the Reverend was taken aback. "You boys shouldn't be having a contest telling lies!" he exclaimed. He then launched into a ten minute sermon against lying, beginning with, "Don't you boys know it's a sin to lie?" and ending with, "Why, when I was your age, I never told a lie."

There was dead silence for about a minute. Just as the Reverend was beginning to think he'd gotten through to them, the smallest boy gave a deep sigh and said, "All right, give him the dog."
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Feeling Old

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

When he was about 8, my son asked me when I was born.

I replied "63."

After a thoughtful pause he asked " What 63?"

It took me a minute to realize he was asking me if I was born in 1863 or 1963.

I asked him if he thought I was over a hundred.

He just said "well..." and was reluctant to say any more.
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Goats in School

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

At a high School in Montana a group of students played a prank on the school. They let three goats loose in the school building.

Before they let them go they painted numbers on the sides of the goats: 1, 2, 4.

Local school administrators spent most of the day looking for goat #3.
_ ____________________________ _
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / If you can't tie good knots, \ /
\ _/ tie plenty of them. \_ /
/ / -Yachtsman's Credo \ \
_ ____________________________ _
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / Dogs think dogs are people. \ /
\ _/ Cats think people are cats. \_ /
/ / \ \
_ ____________________________ _
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / How do I get my VCR to \ \_/ ////
\ / start blinking "1:00" when \ /
\ _/ Daylight Savings Time arrives? \_ /
/ / \ \
_ ____________________________ _
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / Is there ever a day that \ /
\ _/ mattresses are not on sale? \_ /
/ / \ \
_ ____________________________ _
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / Politics is not a bad \ \_/ ////
\ /profession. If you succeed there \ /
\ _/ are many rewards. If you disgrace \_ /
/ / yourself you can always write a book. \ \
_ ____________________________ _
| 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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BLOND GUY - OK guys . . . here's one for you. - DR

The very first ever Blonde GUY joke..... And well worth the wait………….

An Irishman, a Mexican and a Blonde Guy were doing construction work on scaffolding on the 20 the floor of a building They were eating lunch and the Irishman said, "Corned beef and cabbage! If I get corned beef and cabbage one more time for lunch, I'm going to jump off this building."
The Mexican opened his lunch box and exclaimed, "Burritos again! If I get Burritos one more time I'm going to jump off, too."
The blonde opened his lunch and said, "Bologna again! If I get a bologna sandwich one more time, I'm jumping too."

The next day, the Irishman opened his lunch box, saw corned beef and cabbage, and jumped to his death. The Mexican opened his lunch, saw a Burrito, and jumped, too. The blonde guy opened his lunch, saw the bologna and jumped to his death as well.

At the funeral, the Irishman's wife was weeping. She said, "If I'd known how really tired he was of corned beef and cabbage, I never would have given it to him again!"
The Mexican's wife also wept and said, "I could have given him tacos or enchiladas! I didn't realize he hated Burritos so much."
(Oh this is GOOD!!)
Everyone turned and stared at the blonde's wife. The blonde's wife said, "Don't look at me. He makes his own lunch."

Thanks to Daphne Roberts
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Interesting stuff

In the 1400's a law was set forth in England that a man was allowed to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb. Hence we have "the rule of thumb"
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Many years ago in Scotland , a new game was invented. It was ruled "Gentlemen Only...Ladies Forbidden"...and thus the word GOLF entered into the English language.
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The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time TV were Fred and Wilma Flintstone.
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Every day more money is printed for Monopoly than the U.S. Treasury.
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Men can read smaller print than women can; women can hear better.
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Coca-Cola was originally green.
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The State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work: Alaska
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The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28% (now get this...)
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The percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%
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The cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven: $ 16,400
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The average number of people airborne over the U.S. in any given hour: 61,000
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Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.
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The first novel ever written on a typewriter: Tom Sawyer.
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The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments.
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Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history: Spades - King David Hearts - Charlemagne Clubs -Alexander, the Great Diamonds - Julius Caesar
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111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321
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If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air the person died as a result of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.
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Only two people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Most of the rest signed on August 2, but the last signature wasn't added until 5 years later.
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Q. Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of what?
A. Their birthplace
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Q. Most boat owners name their boats. What is the most popular boat name requested?
A. Obsession
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Q. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until you would find the letter "A"?
A. One thousand
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Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers, and laser printers all have in common?
A. All were invented by women.
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Q. What is the only food that doesn't spoil?
A. Honey
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Q. Which day are there more collect calls than any other day of the year?
A. Father's Day
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In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase......... "goodnight, sleep tight."
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It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the honeymoon.
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In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts... So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them "Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down." It's where we get the phrase "mind your P's and Q's"
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Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim, or handle, of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. "Wet your whistle" is the phrase inspired by this practice.
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YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2008 when...
1. You accidentally enter your PIN on the microwave.
2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.
3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of three.
4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.
5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses.
6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.
7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen
8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't even have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.

Thanks to Richard Matherne
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The grave side service had just terminated.
Suddenly, there was a tremendous burst of thunder accompanied by a distant lightning bolt and more rumbling thunder.
The frail little old man looked at the pastor and calmly said,

"Well, she's there."

Thanks to Gary & Barbara Foreman
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If Bud and Lou where around today, we might have this instead of the Who's on first bit.

ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?
COSTELLO: Thanks. I'm setting up an office in my den and I'm thinking about buying a computer.
ABBOTT: Mac?
COSTELLO: No, the name's Lou.
ABBOTT: Your computer?
COSTELLO: I don't own a computer. I want to buy one.
ABBOTT : Mac?
COSTELLO: I told you, my name's Lou.
ABBOTT: What about Windows?
COSTELLO: Why? Will it get stuffy in here?
ABBOTT: Do you want a computer with Windows?
COSTELLO: I don't know. What will I see when I look at the windows?
ABBOTT: Wallpaper.
COSTELLO: Never mind the windows. I need a computer and software.
ABBOTT: Software for Windows?
COSTELLO: No. On the computer! I need something I can use to write proposals, track expenses and run my business. What do you have?
ABBOTT: Office.
COSTELLO: Yeah, for my office. Can you recommend anything?
ABBOTT: I just did.
COSTELLO: You just did what?
ABBOTT: Recommend something.
COSTELLO: You recommended something?
ABBOTT: Yes.
COSTELLO: For my office?
ABBOTT: Yes
COSTELLO: OK, what did you recommend for my office?
ABBOTT: Office.
COSTELLO: Yes, for my office!
ABBOTT: I recommend Office with Window's.
COSTELLO: I already have an office with windows! OK, let's just say I'm sitting at my computer and I want to type a proposal. What do I need?
ABBOTT: Word.
COSTELLO: What word?
ABBOTT: Word in Office.
COSTELLO: The only word in office is office.
ABBOTT: The Word in Office for Windows.
COSTELLO: Which word in office for windows?
ABBOTT: The Word you get when you click the blue 'W'.
COSTELLO: I'm going to click your blue 'w' if you don't start with some straight answers. What about financial bookkeeping? You have anything I can track my money with?
ABBOTT: Money.
COSTELLO: That's right What do you have?
ABBOTT: Money.
COSTELLO: I need money to track my money?
ABBOTT: It comes bundled with your computer.
COSTELLO: What's bundled with my computer?
ABBOTT: Money.
COSTELLO: Money comes with my computer?
ABBOTT: Yes. No extra charge.
COSTELLO: I get a bundle of money with my computer? How much?
ABBOTT: One copy.
COSTELLO: Isn't it illegal to copy money?
ABBOTT: Microsoft gave us a license to copy Money.
COSTELLO: They can give you a license to copy money?
ABBOTT: Why not? THEY OWN IT!
(A few days later)
ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?
COSTELLO: How do I turn my computer off?
ABBOTT: Click on 'START'

Thanks to David Lamb
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Discovery of the Heaviest Element Yet Known to Science

Oxford University has just announced the discovery of the heaviest element yet known to science. The new element has been named Governmentium.

Governmentium has one neutron, 12 assistant neutrons, 75 deputy neutrons, and 224 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.

These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.

When catalyzed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium, an element which radiates just as much energy, since it has half as many peons, but twice as many morons.

Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert.

It can be detected, however, as it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A reaction that normally takes one minute or less will require a week or more if contaminated by any Governmentium.

The half-life of Governmentium is 4 years. It does not, however, decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a proportion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places. In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each
reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes.

The characteristic of moron-promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a certain quantity in
concentration.

This hypothetical quantity is called Critical Morass.--

Thanks to Waneta
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Be Careful What You Pray For

As song leader for my church in New Hampshire, I was preparing for Sunday morning. I had planned on playing my guitar, but my electronic tuner was missing. "Maybe I left it in the car," I thought. Heading out to the garage, I passed my husband in the living room, watching TV. "Please pray that I find my tuner," I mentioned out loud and then I asked God to help me find it.

As I searched through the car, I didn't find anything in the back seat, but when I reached under the front seat, I pulled out a can of tuna.

My husband heard my laughter from all the way in the house and came out to the garage. "Honey," I chuckled, "the Lord sure answered that prayer -- New England accent and all!"

Received from Charlie's Chuckles.

(-:][:-)

Babysitting

Lindy was babysitting grandson Jake when he was about four years old. They were outside swinging on his slide swing. They were just talking and talking. Then he became very quiet and was looking straight up into the sky, so Lindy said nothing and waited.

What came out of his mouth next she will treasure forever: "You know, Grandma, this is just like we are on a little date!"

Received from Linda Swartz (via Kidwarmers).

(-:][:-)

Chicago Police Report

Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith's house was egged.

Chicago police reported that some individual attempted to "egg" Lovie Smith's house last night.

The report stated: "An empty egg carton was recovered at the scene. Two eggs hit Mr. Smith's house, three eggs went over his house and hit his neighbor's back door, two eggs hit the houses of each of his next-door neighbors, and the remaining three eggs were found broken on the ground near the carton from where the individual threw them. Looking at what was hit, police officials say they are considering Bears quarterback Rex Grossman as the primary suspect."

(For those who don't know, Grossman hasn't been playing too well of late.)

Received from Steve Sanderson.

(-:][:-)

Anniversary Gift

For their anniversary, a couple went out for a romantic dinner. Their teenage daughters said they would fix a dessert and leave it waiting.

When they got home, they saw that the dining room table was beautifully set with china, crystal and candles, and there was a note that read: "Your dessert is in the refrigerator. We are staying with friends, so go ahead and do something we wouldn't do!"

"I suppose," the husband responded dryly, "we could clean the house."

Received from Thomas Ellsworth.

(-:][:-)

Air Boss

Activated from the Army Reserves for a joint service Arctic exercise, I was assigned to the air reconnaissance section.

Although I had recently been promoted, I was feeling rusty, and wanted to get started learning my duties so as not to appear too "green."

I confided to the Air Force lieutenant colonel who greeted me that I was anxious to meet the Air Boss right away. "Don't worry, son," he said reassuringly, "the Air Boss is a real professional, knows his stuff cold and works well with his people. Great guy."

"Terrific!" I replied. "What's his name?"

Looking through the roster, the welcoming officer replied, "O'Hara."

"Oh, no," I groaned. "That's me."

Received from "Humor In Uniform" by Col. John E. O'Hara.

(-:][:-)

-=+=-
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Brought to you by GCFL.net: The Good, Clean Funnies List A cheerful heart is good medicine... (Prov 17:22a) Mail address: GCFL, Box 100, Harvest, AL 35749, USA
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Madeleine Begun Kane Latest Columns - - http://www.madkane.com/madness/2007/12/15/i-wont-graciously-submit-to-mike-huckabee/ - -

I Won’t Graciously Submit To Mike Huckabee
How lovely! In addition to Huckabee’s other “charming” attributes, he’s a “wives should graciously submit to their husbands” aficionado.

In June 1998, the Southern Baptist convention amended its official statement of beliefs for the first time in 35 years to declare that “a wife is to submit graciously to the servant leadership of her husband.” And Huckabee, a former Southern Baptist minister then serving as governor of Arkansas, signed a full-page ad in USA Today in support of the statement (along with 129 other evangelical leaders).

Back in 1998 I parodied this brouhaha in a satirical piece, which Bridge News syndicated to a bunch of newspapers, including the Houston Chronicle. Oddly enough, it was initially bumped by Bridge, as too controversial. Then, after some heated discussion, it was unbumped. Here it is:

Religious Fervor, Or Fever?
By Madeleine Begun Kane

Hey, Madeleine,” my husband Mark recently said. “How would you like to convert?”

“What?” I said, immediately suspicious.

“We’ve been Jewish for a whole lotta years,” Mark said. “I thought it might be time for a change.”

“Did you have any particular religion in mind?”

“Well, they all have their good points. But I was leaning towards Baptist.”

Mark’s suggestion took me by surprise, After all, he’s a reasonably religious man, and I’m a devout member of a tiny Jewish sect known as “So Reform You Don’t Even Have To Show Up.”

I tried to stall by offering to take his conversion idea “under advisement.” I figure this approach works for judges; why shouldn’t it work for me? And it’s served me well throughout our marriage — I’ve had his suggestion that we go white water rafting under advisement for a dozen years.

But this time Mark refused to take “under advisement” for an answer. “If you were a good wife, you’d graciously submit and convert. And you’d do it right away.”

“Do you have a fever?” I asked, becoming seriously concerned. “Maybe we should get you to a doctor.”

“Oh forget it,” Mark said.

At least I think that’s what he said. He’s hard to understand with a thermometer in his mouth.

But he was a healthy 98.6, so I couldn’t blame his odd behavior on a fever.

Puzzled, and remembering that I’m supposed to be a journalist, I decided to investigate.

“Has your husband been acting strange lately?” I asked several friends.

“You mean more than usual?” three responded. The fourth demanded to know if I was wearing a wire.

These women were tough. But by using interrogation techniques I learned in Humor High, I finally pieced together the terrifying truth: My husband, my friends’ husbands, and countless others had succumbed to the influence of an evangelical group that preys on men who married feminists and who for years have been pretending not to mind.

I was stunned and bewildered. How could this happen? Could I have done something to prevent it? Was there some warning sign I missed?

Come to think of it, Mark had been acting strange lately. Out of the blue, he began opening doors for me and refused to let me carry anything that weighed more than a pound. And twice, in what I foolishly assumed was a playful imitation of Alexander Haig, he said “I’m in charge here.”

Worst of all, when I criticized President Clinton, he said, “Don’t bother your pretty little head about that. Foreign policy is my domain.”

Mark’s under treatment now, and I’m guardedly optimistic. He hasn’t mentioned converting in a week. And once, when he was carrying several clumsy packages, he even let me open the door.

But his recovery is slow with frequent relapses. Yesterday he ordered me to quit my job and stay home with the kids.

When he’s better, I’ll have to remind him — we don’t have any kids.

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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LIFE MAY NOT BE THE PARTY WE HOPED FOR, BUT WHILE WE ARE HERE, WE MIGHT AS WELL DANCE!!

Three things in life that, once gone, never come back
1. Time
2. Words
3. Opportunity

Three things in life that can destroy a person
1. Anger
2. Pride
3. Unforgiveness

Three things in life that you should never lose
1. Hope
2. Peace
3. Honesty

Three things in life that are most valuable
1. Love
2. Family & Friends
3. Kindness

Three things in life that are never certain
1. Fortune
2. Success
3. Dreams

Three things that make a person
1. Commitment
2. Sincerity
3. Hard work

Three things that are truly constant - Father - Son - Holy Spirit

F.R.O.G. Fully rely on GOD....

Thanks to "The Baileys"
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A Truckers’ Story

I try not to be biased, but I had my doubts about hiring Stevie. His placement counselor assured me that he would be a good, reliable busboy. But I had never had a mentally handicapped employee and wasn't sure I wanted one. I wasn't sure how my customers would react to Stevie.

He was short, a little dumpy with the smooth facial features and thick-tongued speech of Downs Syndrome. I wasn't worried about most of my trucker customers because truckers don't generally care who buses the tables as long as the meatloaf platter is good and the pies are homemade.

The four-wheeler drivers were the ones who concerned me; the mouthy college kids traveling to school; the yuppie snobs who secretly polish their silverware with their napkins for fear of catching some dreaded "truck stop germ;" and the pairs of white-shirted business men on expense accounts who think every truck stop waitress wants to be flirted with. I knew those people would be uncomfortable around Stevie so I closely watched him for the first few weeks.

I shouldn't have worried. After the first week, Stevie had my staff wrapped around his stubby little finger, and within a month my truck regulars had adopted him as their official truck stop mascot.

After that, I really didn't care what the rest of the customers thought of him. He was like a 21-year-old in blue jeans and Nikes, eager to laugh and eager to please, but fierce in his attention to his duties. Every salt and pepper shaker was exactly in its place, not a bread crumb or coffee spill was visible when Stevie got done with the table. Our only problem was persuading him to wait to clean a table until after the customers were finished. He would hover in the background, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, scanning the dining room until a table was empty. Then he would scurry to the empty table and carefully bus dishes and glasses onto his cart and meticulously wipe the table up with a practiced flourish of his rag.

If he thought a customer was watching, his brow would pucker with added concentration. He took pride in doing his job exactly right, and you had to love how hard he tried to please each and every person he met.

Over time, we learned that he lived with his mother, a widow who was disabled after repeated surgeries for cancer. They lived on their Social Security benefits in public housing two miles from the truck stop. Their social worker, who stopped to check on him every so often, admitted they had fallen between the cracks. Money was tight, and what I paid him was probably the difference between them being able to live together and Stevie being sent to a group home. That's why the restaurant was a gloomy place that morning last August, the first morning in three years that Stevie missed work.

He was at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester getting a new valve or something put in his heart. His social worker said that people with Downs Syndrome often have heart problems at an early age so this wasn't unexpected, and there was a good chance he would come through the surgery in good shape and be back at work in a few months.

A ripple of excitement ran through the staff later that morning when word came that he was out of surgery, in recovery, and doing fine. Frannie, the head waitress, let out a war whoop and did a little dance in the aisle when she heard the good news.

Belle Ringer, one of our regular trucker customers, stared at the sight of this 50-year-old grandmother of four doing a victory shimmy beside his table. Frannie blushed, smoothed her apron and shot Belle Ringer a withering look.

He grinned. "OK, Frannie, what was that all about?" he asked. "We just got word that Stevie is out of surgery and going to be okay." "I was wondering where he was. I had a new joke to tell him. What was the surgery about?"

Frannie quickly told Belle Ringer and the other two drivers sitting at his booth about Stevie's surgery, then sighed: "Yeah, I'm glad he is going to be OK," she said. "But I don't know how he and his Mom are going to handle all the bills. From what I hear, they're barely getting by as it is." Belle Ringer nodded thoughtfully, and Frannie hurried off to wait on the rest of her tables. Since I hadn't had time to round up a busboy to replace Stevie and really didn't want to replace him, the girls were busing their own tables that day until we decided what to do.

After the morning rush, Frannie walked into my office. She had a couple of paper napkins in her hand and a funny look on her face. "What's up?" I asked.

"I didn't get that table where Belle Ringer and his friends were sitting cleared off after they left, and Pony Pete and Tony Tipper were sitting there when I got back to clean it off," she said. "This was folded and tucked under a coffee cup."

She handed the napkin to me, and three $20 bills fell onto my desk when I opened it. On the outside, in big, bold letters, was printed "Something for Stevie".

"Pony Pete asked me what that was all about," she said, "so I told him about Stevie and his Mom and everything, and Pete looked at Tony and Tony looked at Pete, and they ended up giving me this." She handed me another paper napkin that had "Something For Stevie" scrawled on its outside. Two $50 bills were tucked within its folds. Frannie looked at me with wet, shiny eyes, shook her head and said simply: "truckers."

That was three months ago. Today is Thanksgiving, the first day Stevie is supposed to be back to work. His placement worker said he's been counting the days until the doctor said he could work, and it didn't matter at all that it was a holiday. He called 10 times in the past week, making sure we knew he was coming, fearful that we had forgotten him or that his job was in jeopardy. I arranged to have his mother bring him to work. I then met them in the parking lot and invited them both to celebrate his day back.

Stevie was thinner and paler, but couldn't stop grinning as he pushed through the doors and headed for the back room where his apron and busing cart were waiting. "Hold up there, Stevie, not so fast," I said I took him and his mother by their arms. "Work can wait for a minute. To celebrate you coming back, breakfast for you and your mother is on me!" I led them toward a large corner booth at the rear of the room.

I could feel and hear the rest of the staff following behind as we marched through the dining room. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw booth after booth of grinning truckers empty and join the procession. We stopped in front of the big table. Its surface was covered with coffee cups, saucers and dinner plates, all sitting slightly crooked on dozens of folded paper napkins. "First thing you have to do, Stevie, is clean up this mess," I said. I tried to sound stern.

Stevie looked at me, and then at his mother, then pulled out one of the napkins. It had "Something for Stevie" printed on the outside. As he picked it up, two $10 bills fell onto the table. Stevie stared at the money, then at all the napkins peeking from beneath the tableware, each with his name printed or scrawled on it. I turned to his mother. "There's more than $10,000 in cash and checks on that table, all from truckers and trucking companies that heard about your problems. "Happy Thanksgiving."

Well, it got real noisy about that time, with everybody hollering and shouting, and there were a few tears, as well.

But you know what's funny? While everybody else was busy shaking hands and hugging each other, Stevie, with a big, big smile on his face, was busy clearing all the cups and dishes from the table.

Best worker I ever hired.

Thanks to Waneta
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"Don't strive for recognition, but work for achievement." -- Vanessa Malone
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| Safety from the Heart |
----------------------------------------------------
March 6, 2008
Excessive Speed Causes Problems
Today's Message is from Karen Drake (a Pasadena Albemarle employee).
Defensive Driving:

The only place speeding will get you faster is trouble! Excessive speed causes problems for everyone. We have all been on the road when another driver is swerving in and out of traffic and exceeding the speed limits (case in point: State Hwy 225 in the morning...). Eventually something will happen. Another driver may pull out in front, someone may stop suddenly or, in the worst case, the speeder will kill or injure someone. Speeding and carelessness can be fatal - and frequently are!
The best way to determine the safest speed to drive is to... know the speed limit; assess the driving conditions and adjust your speed to those conditions.
In adverse driving conditions even the posted speed limit may be too fast. Just because the speed limit is 65 miles per hour doesn't mean it is safe or wise to drive at 65!

----------------------------------------------------
| Safety from the Heart |
----------------------------------------------------
March 5, 2008
Spring is Just Around the Corner
Today's Safety From the Heart message is from Robert Dunning.

Spring is fast approaching. Keep safety in mind when getting out to do all your long-awaited activities, spring cleaning, gardening, hiking, hunting, fishing. All fun things that can turn ugly in an instant if you aren't alert and careful.
Take a little extra time to plan and prepare for these activities. Warm up before starting any strenuous activities. Be on the lookout for snakes, spiders, wasps, and other critters.
Use all safety measures when hunting, boating, or hiking. Let others know of your plans and when you are expected to return.

Be safe, have fun!

----------------------------------------------------
| Safety from the Heart |
----------------------------------------------------
March 4, 2008
Are You Drunk?
Today's Message is from Ken Pool (a Pasadena Albemarle employee).

Today Thursday the 21th I went down to early vote and after voting going back, I was stopped at the red light when a little red car hit my truck, not hard, but enough for me to get out and check. He hit my trailer hitch and did no damage to my truck, but had a nice hole in his grill.
He was having trouble unbuckling his seat belt, he was looking for the latch on the left side. When he found the button and unlocked his seat belt and opened the door he almost fell. I said,"Are you drunk?" He said "No I'm on Depression's." I told him that he was depressing the H--- out of me, get back in your car and the police would be here soon.
It doesn't matter where you are or what you are doing, there are things you have to watch out for. That person, the last time I saw him, was sitting in back of the police car on his way to the police station. That is not a pleasant thing for a person to do but I don't think he will hit anyone else for a while.
If you are taking medication or liquid chemicals ( in cans or bottles) don't drive. If you have to get some place, call a friend or a cab. And most of all don't run into the back of my truck. Have a Safe and Happy 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:

** "14,000 Employers Get OSHA Warning Letters" by Celeste Monforton OSHA announced that it sent letters to about 14,000 employers across the country, letting them know that their work-related injury rates are higher than the national average. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/03/06/14000-employers-get-osha-warning-letter/

** "Administration Lets Murrelets Keep Habitat" by Liz Borkowski The Bush administration has backed off of an attempt to reduce marbled murrelet habitat in order to allow more logging in the Pacific Northwest. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/03/06/administration-lets-murrelets-keep-habitat/

** "Occupational Health News Roundup" by Liz Borkowski Reporters explore the link between biotech crops and child labor, highlight new research on radiation exposure and heart disease, and track the movement of state and local bills on paid sick leave. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/03/05/occupational-health-news-roundup-55/

** "Fed Up With Pollution in China" by Liz Borkowski Despite the risks that environmental activists face in China, they're organizing large protests against new chemical factories. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/03/04/fed-up-with-pollution-in-china/

** "Lead Poisoned Workers in Alaska: Miners Beware!" by Celeste Monforton Alaska's Department of Health reports that 94 percent of the workers (289 men) with blood-lead levels above 25 ug/dL were employed in the mining industry. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/03/03/lead-poisoned-workers-in-alaska-miners-beware/

** "Imperial Sugar: Saga Continues" by Celeste Monforton Why did it take OSHA chief Edwin Foulke 3 weeks to travel to the site of the Imperial Sugar combustible dust explosion that claimed 12 lives, when MSHA's top official arrives almost immediately at the scene when mine disasters happen? http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/03/03/imperial-sugar-saga-continues/

** "Unseen Costs and the Nursing Shortage" by Liz Borkowski One of the challenges in fixing our broken healthcare system is a lack of awareness about the toll of the accumulating cuts and squeezes – for instance, many people don't realize that the current shortage of nurses is a severe problem. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/03/03/unseen-costs-and-the-nursing-shortage/

** "New Asbestos Exposure Limit for US Mine Workers" by Liz Borkowski For the first time, beginning on April 29, it will be unlawful for employers in the mining industry to expose workers to asbestos concentrations higher than 0.1 fiber (per cubic meter of air) over an 8-hour shift. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/02/29/new-asbestos-exposure-limit-for-us-mine-workers/

** "Friday Blog Roundup" by Liz Borkowski Bloggers are concerned about the safety and sustainability of the global food supply -- and about PEPFAR, war's toll on soldiers, and government research funding. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/02/29/friday-blog-roundup-64/

** "Toxicologist Dumped from EPA Panel at Chemical Industry's Request" by Liz Borkowski Is being biased in favor of public health a disqualification for chairing an EPA scientific panel? The American Chemistry Council seems to think so. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/02/29/toxicologist-dumped-from-epa-panel-at-chemical-industrys-request/

http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/02/07/welcome-to-the-blogosphere/
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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.

Education and Labor Committee to Hold March Hearing

The Education and Labor Committee announced legislation to prevent combustible dust explosions Today. The E&L committee will hold a full hearing (on Wednesday, March 12, 2008) into workplace dust explosion risks.

From the news release
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration already has the authority to issue such a rule without Congress passing new legislation, but the agency has failed to act despite the fact that the dangers of combustible dust have been well known for years.

U.S. Reps. George Miller stated “The tragedy at Imperial Sugar shows that the threat of dust explosions is very real at industrial work sites across America and needs to be addressed immediately,” It’s unfortunate that it takes the Congress of the United States to tell OSHA how to do its job. The agency has known about these dangers for a long time and should have acted years ago to prevent explosions like this one. Workers cannot be asked to wait any longer for these basic protections.”

“The explosion at Imperial Sugar is a tragedy that we never want to see repeated in the 12th District, or anywhere else in the country, We owe it to the victims and their families to do everything we can to prevent this kind of disaster from ever happening again.” said Barrow.

Please take the time to visit OSHA Underground and view the comments section to see what Senator Johnny Isakson (R-Ga) and Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, and Congressman Jack Kingston (GA-1) plan to do, then scroll down a bit to view what I had to say.

Keep your fingers crossed and pray often. We will get it done one way or another. Don't forget to thank your reps backing it!

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

01. Staff Sgt. Christopher S. Frost, 24, of Waukesha, Wis., died March 3 near Bayji, Iraq in a crash of an Iraqi Army Mi-17 helicopter. He was assigned to the 377th Air Base Wing, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.

The Department of Defense announced the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died Mar. 3 in the Sabari District of Afghanistan, of wounds suffered during combat operations. They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N. C. Killed were:
02. Spc. Steven R. Koch, 23, of Milltown, N. J.
03. Sgt. Robert T. Rapp, 22, of Sonora, Calif.

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

SATURDAY- March 8
Brister Baptist Church will have a steak supper fundraiser from 5-7 p.m. in the Emerson School cafeteria. Tickets are $15. Proceeds will benefit the building fund. For tickets, or more information, call Pastor Eric Goble at 870-547-2411. Magnolia Junior Charity League’s "Night of Shenanigan’s" fundraiser will be held from 7 p.m. until midnight at the Magnolia Country Club. All proceeds will go to the playground at Central Elementary. Tickets can be purchased or donations can be given by calling 234-8833 or 235-7003, or by writing to P.O. Box 1091, Magnolia. Tickets are $50.00/couple.
~~~~~
The Relay for Life rummage sale will be held from 7 a.m. until noon at the Columbia County fairgrounds. All proceeds will go to the American Cancer Society.
MONDAY- March 10 Healthy cooking/healthy eating class will meet from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the CooperativeExtensionService. The class is free, but seating is limited. To reserve a space, call 235-3720 or 1-800-272-2127 by March 7.
~~~~~
The Steel Magnolias Breast Cancer Support Group is sponsoring a fish dinner with the Rails catering from 5-7 p.m. at Asbury Methodist Church parking lot. Donations are $10 per plate and may be obtained from any member. Proceeds will go to the Columbia County Relay for Life. For more information call 234-7916.

TUESDAY- March 11 Farmers Bank and Trust will have a Relay for Life steak dinner fundraiser from 5-7 p.m. at Mules Cantina. Tickets are $15 and include steak, baked potato, green salad and bread. Dine-in, carry-out and drive-through available. For tickets call 235-7005 or 235-7020.

THURSDAY- March 13 Central Arkansas Development Council will distribute USDA commodities Thursday, March 13 and Friday, March 14 at three locations in Columbia County. The distributions will begin at 9 a.m. at the Columbia County Fairgrounds at 101 Columbia 13 in Magnolia, the McNeil Community at Hwy. 79 in McNeil, and the Emerson Community at 202 Elm St. in Emerson. For more information, please contact Evelyn Reed at 501-778-1133.

GENERAL
The Magnolia Hospital Relay for Life team is selling chances to win a "Steak Dinner Party for 10." Dinner includes a rib-eye steak, baked potato, salad, rolls dessert and tea. Tickets are $5 and may be purchased from any hospital Relay for Life team member or by calling Julia Whitehead at 235-3333. Drawing will be Friday, April 11 at the Relay for Life event at Panther Stadium. The winner does not need to be present to win.
~~~~~
Free Tai Chi classes will be offered beginning at 1:30 p.m. Monday’s at the Hospitality House at Magnolia Housing Authority. Men and women 60 and older are invited to participate. For more information, call 1-888-882-4464 or 234-7410.
~~~~~
The Christies Chapel Cemetery Association is in need of donations for the upkeep of the cemetery and the church building. Anyone interested may send donations to Christies Chapel Cemetery Assoc, PO Box 166, Emerson, AR. 71740-0166.
2nd Annual Calhoun Community Garden Show
Saturday, April 5th 2008
~~~~~
Church Briefs

SATURDAY- March 8
St. Matthew Baptist Church of McNeil will have its pastor aid musical program, "The Ole Ship of Zion," at 7 p.m. Rev. Turner Hardin will be the master of ceremonies and narrator.
SUNDAY- March 9
Mount Calm Baptist Church will have family and friends day at 2:30 p.m. Dr. O.D. Woods and the Cedar Springs of Ashdown and New Bethel of Magnolia will be the guests.
~~~~~
New Bethel AME Church of Waldo will have its annual missionary program at 11 a.m. Patrice Dunn Weaver will be the guest speaker.
~~~~~
Trinity CME Church will have its annual missionary day at 3 p.m. Superintendent Larry Ferguson and Glover Memorial COGIC will be the guests.
~~~~~
"Women in Hats" program will be held at 2:30 p.m. at Homes Near Baptist Church. Rev. J.C. Phillips will be the guest.

FRIDAY- March 14
The Beene Family from KIngsport, Tenn., and the Men of Calvary will be in concert at 7 p.m. at Brister Baptist Church. For more information, call Pastor Eric Goble at 870-547-2411.

SUNDAY-March 16
St. Mark Baptist Church of Magnolia will have its annual pastor and wife anniversary at 3 p.m. Rev. Larry Atkins and the St. James Baptist Church of Earl, Ark., will be the guests.
~~~~~
Unity AME Church will have its choir day program at 2:30 p.m. Unity choirs will be in concert.

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

God bless and GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!
Eccl 5:13-15 Psa 29:3-9 Psa 62:4-7 1 Tim 4:12-16 Eph 6:12-13 Phil 1:9-11 Col 2:18-19 http://www.e-min.org/
God is Good and Faithful CU 73 IC JFM CSP NREMT-I KC5HII

P. S. If you'd like to be added to the distribution, just drop us E-mail at kc5hii@suddenlink.net
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