Bug's Bleat - - GCF: Sorry for the Delay

Volume 10, Issue 09 Friday, February 29, 2008

Hello All,

We’ve got new Pastors, Steve and Joanna Marshall took over at Magnolia Christian Center last Sunday. The Marshalls have been in the ministry for 20 years with 18 of those years having served as Pastor for churches in Shreveport, LA and in Mission, TX on the border of Mexico. Pastor Billy Joe Daugherty and Dr. Jerry Savelle have helped guide their ministry and are their mentors and Fathers in the Faith. They have been called by god to bring the restoration, healing power of God to a hungry, hurting world. There is nothing that God can’t heal and absolutely nothing that He can’t restore! With God all things are possible! Expect a miracle and that’s what you’ll get!
The Marshalls have 4 children and 4 granddaughters with their youngest daughter, Angel, still living at home.
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Zac had a serious allergic reaction Wednesday night. The ER doctor administered EPI and Benadryl and he was not nearly as swollen Thursday afternoon. He already had an appointment at Children’s Hospital to have his allergies evaluated but Bobby and the doctor are working on moving the appointment up.
The scary thing is that we’re not sure what triggered the reaction.
~~
Speaking of kid’s health, the American Association of Pediatrics seeks to combat antivaccinationist misinformation

Posted on: February 19, 2008 8:02 AM, by Abel Pharmboy
For more details on this story, you can go to Mark Chu-Carroll, Orac, Mike the Mad Biologist, or the Autism Blog. I just wanted to share my personal views on the need for childhood vaccinations and support a public information campaign from the AAP.
Until I started medical blogging, I had not realized quite how vocal was the community of individuals refusing to vaccinate their children, mostly at the urging of those who claimed that vaccines and related components caused illness in their own children. I will first say that no drug product, natural or otherwise, is completely and absolutely free of side effects. One can never predict with absolute certainty how individuals in a genetically-diverse population of 300 million Americans or some 6 billion people worldwide will respond to any product.
But as a society, we have decided that the good of the public's health is more than offset by the risks to the few; vaccines save lives but the generation that experienced life, and death, before vaccines is increasingly dying off. My child is completely up-to-date on vaccines because I could not bear to lose her to a preventable childhood disease; we still have family and friends who survived polio with varying degrees of debilitation - and they are the lucky ones, from an era before vaccines.
I have the utmost sympathy for any parent whose child has been harmed in those rare cases by unexpected reactions to vaccines or, for that matter, anyone who has been harmed by a product intended to improve health and prevent life-threatening diseases. However, it is in the interest of public health that we mandate certain preventative measures whose implementation saves millions of lives of children and are supported by voluminous medical literature. In public health and medicine, we cannot guarantee absolute safety but we strive continuously to make the modalities employed as safe as is absolutely possible.

As an analogy, 57,000 Americans are killed annually in automobile accidents. However, we don't outlaw cars and trucks because their benefit to society is so great. Instead, we try to make them as safe as is humanly and technologically possible.

So, the American Association of Pediatrics needs our help to identify parents who have experiences that can be featured in a public relations campaign, supported overwhelmingly by scientific findings, to combat the public health hazard that is the antivaccinationist movement.

http://scienceblogs.com/terrasig/2008/02/american_association_of_pediat.php
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Larry Barnes called me Wednesday to let me know that my favorite Gospel singer had passed away. I looked up the news and found this headline “Christian rock pioneer Larry Norman dead at 60" - I’ve been a Larry Norman fan since a few weeks after I was saved. Ben and Sondra Eiler loaned me some Larry Norman eight track tapes (“Upon This Rock”, “Only Visiting This Planet”, “So Long Ago The Garden”, “In Another Land”) that I listened to in the Magnolia Butane company El Camino while spending days on service calls.
As a baby Christian, those songs such as “I Wish We’d All Been Ready”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ6GJ0Cqwkk&feature=related
and “Some Say He Was An Outlaw”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hIWd3CX15k&feature=related
and the musings of Larry that were included in the albums, helped form my basic Christian thought patterns.
Larry Norman died of heart failure at his home in Salem, Oregon. Larry was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2001 and cover versions of his songs have been recorded by artists ranging from Petula Clark and Sammy Davis Jr. to DC Talk and Rebecca St. James.
Norman's first solo record - the 1969 release "Upon This Rock" - is considered the first Christian rock album. He later started his own independent label, recording additional solo albums while discovering other Christian artists. It all led to him being dubbed the "father of Christian rock."
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5gj4mgUcw46lfZXbioOJCJMBA8Nag

Larry knew he was dying (he’d suffered from heart problems for years) and left the following last message on his Web Site: “I feel like a prize in a box of cracker jacks with God's hand reaching down to pick me up. I have been under medical care for months. My wounds are getting bigger. I have trouble breathing. I am ready to fly home.
My brother Charles is right, I won't be here much longer. I can't do anything about it. My heart is too weak. I want to say goodbye to everyone. In the past you have generously supported me with prayer and finance and we will probably still need financial help.
My plan is to be buried in a simple pine box with some flowers inside. But still it will be costly because of funeral arrangement, transportation to the gravesite, entombment, coordination, legal papers etc. However money is not really what I need, I want to say I love you.
I'd like to push back the darkness with my bravest effort. There will be a funeral posted here on the website, in case some of you want to attend. We are not sure of the date when I will die. Goodbye, farewell, we will meet again.
Goodbye, farewell, we'll meet again
Somewhere beyond the sky.
I pray that you will stay with God
Goodbye, my friends, goodbye.
Larry”
http://www.larrynorman.com/

If you’re not familiar with Larry Norman and/or haven’t listened to his music, I encourage you to visit his web site as well as those below to experience the work of a humble, committed Christian musician.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Norman
http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/news/2005/larrynorman.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BznsjIe5sMk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TliWDSLrYb8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roQmGCZ-uyc&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKEjd3rU1m8&feature=related
~~~~~
MIAMI (AP) - A relatively minor glitch in Florida's electrical grid somehow triggered a chain reaction Tuesday that caused a nuclear plant to shut down and briefly cut power in patches from Daytona Beach through the Florida Keys.
Up to 3 million people—about a fifth of Florida's population—lost power at various points during the afternoon, though there were no safety concerns at the nuclear plant. And while many areas were hit hard, the outages were short lived and only about 20,000 people lacked electricity during the evening commute home. Most of the evening outages were due to bad weather, not a grid problem, officials said.
~
Recent news blames “Human Error” for this incident. Duhhhh! I’d wager that there are two or three “Human Errors” involved:
1. Cost Cutting by the utilities that resulted in fewer workers to monitor the grid and respond to emergencies.
2. Dependence on Computer Control systems to handle problems with the fewer staff members.
3. Lack of dedication to maintaining the latest, most up to date, Computer Controls. Either due to lack of staff to maintain them or reluctance to purchase the newest and best software and hardware.
~~~~~
“Don’t worry, Be happy.” Our world’s biologists have opened a “Doomsday Vault” for the world’s seeds under an Arctic mountain. So, if our society crumbles and global warming or an asteroid or pollution wipe out the worlds plant life, then all the survivors have to do is get to this mountain, open the vault, eat the seeds and they’ll be able to live for a few weeks longer.
~~~~~
Apple Inc.’s iTunes music store jumped ahead of Best Buy as the #1 source of online music purchases. That means that more people are downloading songs for their MP-3 players than are buying C/Ds.
I am an old dude. I remember my mother playing the piano and singing songs using sheet music. We had an old “Victrola” and 78 rpm records. Then we got a “Hi-Fi” that played 33&1/3 rpm records. It also played 45 rpm singles. In high school, I worked at the radio station and we used four track tape cassettes. When I started college, I had a stereo record player. One of my dorm buddies paid his way through college duplicating eight track tapes and selling them. Then, a friend came back from Vietnam with a super Sansui quadraphonic system complete with four track reel to reel deck. When Annette and moved back to Magnolia, we invested in a stereo with a cassette deck. Then, in the early ‘80s, we stepped up to C/Ds. We didn’t purchase digital tape players, but some of our friends did. Now, we’re using MP-3 players and downloading our preferred audio.
Would anybody like to guess what will be next?
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More news this week on the drug that’s keeping me going. It was reported that anemia drugs sold by Amgen and Johnson & Johnson raise the risk of death among cancer patients by about 10 percent, according to a new analysis of previous clinical trials that was published Wednesday.
Fortunately, I’m not using “EPO” because I have cancer related anemia. As Nancy says, I’ve got “Dog Blood.”
~~~~~
I’m sorry but this still “Pulls My Chain.”
~
An article in February 19's Arkansas times entitled “Getting the spirit” discusses the “booze-fueled restaurant boom in dry counties.”

John C. Williams reported:
If you accept William Faulkner's maxim that distillation is civilization, then it follows that Arkansas is an enclave of barbarism. Of the state's 75 counties, 43 prohibit the sale of alcohol.
But rules are made to be avoided. A 2003 change in state law has spurred many new private club permits in what, for all the world, look like restaurants, and fine ones at that. No more are the club permits limited to the country club for rich folks and the VFW or Moose Lodge for everyone else.
The state Alcoholic Beverage Control Division ...doesn't distinguish between restaurants and other clubs in its records, but ABC director Michael Langley said most private-club permits issued last year were to restaurants. ...
Although a 1969 Arkansas statute allowed private clubs to serve alcohol, restaurants were typically unable to claim themselves private clubs. To change that, Brad Lacy, head of the Conway Chamber of Commerce, helped establish Citizens for a Progressive Arkansas, a non-profit that advocated blue-law liberalization. After a lobbying campaign, the legislature amended the law in 2003 to require the state to consider a region's economic development when granting private-club permits.
The change made it easier for restaurants in a growing city like Conway to serve alcohol. The permit process requires some accounting acrobatics, however. Each private club in Arkansas is required to register as a non-profit. The regulations ensure that restaurants in dry counties don't make money from alcohol sales. Still, it's a counterintuitive classification — although restaurants can be hard-pressed to bring home the bacon whatever their tax structure. “Almost any new restaurant can be a non-profit because you don't make money for the first few years,” said Coats.
Under state requirements, a non-profit wishing to serve alcohol must be in existence for at least a year and have a hundred members before ABC issues a private-club permit. In the case of Mike's Place, that organization was already in place with Citizens for a Progressive Arkansas, which supported Coats and Kraft. Citizens for a Progressive Arkansas is now registered to Coats and covers some of the expenses for Mike's Place, including those for taxes, alcohol and rent. It is controlled by Limestone Partners, a for-profit limited liability company that gives Coats and Kraft an investment vehicle for future business.
The dry-county permits entail an added level of cost (lawyers to negotiate with ABC were expensive) and bureaucracy (“We couldn't even have bar stools!” Coats said). ...
The cultivation of a particular culinary style fits nicely into the restaurant's overall philosophy. “Food is the priority,” Kraft said. “Serving fine drinks complements the meal.”
That attitude that food and drink naturally go together helps explain why more Arkansas restaurants are applying for private-club permits. ...
Faulkner County now has 20 private-club permits. That's the third-highest dry-county tally in the state behind Craighead County, which has 21, and Benton County, home to Wal-Mart's headquarters. Frequently called the “wettest dry county in Arkansas,” Benton County has 110 private-club permits. ABC head Langley estimated 90 percent of these belong to restaurants. ABC issued 14 private-club permits in the county last year.
Even chain restaurants are getting into the private club booze business. Outback Steakhouse first attempted to bring alcohol to Conway in 2001, but the state snuffed the effort. Following the change in law, Conway's Outback began serving strong drink, as did the local El Chico and Ruby Tuesday.
All signs are that alcohol in dry-county restaurants is here to stay. Few expect rivers of whiskey to flow through the streets of Bee Branch, however. “A lot of people feel that Mike's Place is opening the floodgates for private club permits, but they don't understand that ABC believes there's a saturation point,” Kraft said.
Langley concurs. He supports private-club permit expansion for restaurants only, not for bars. And, although he has no plans to issue a regulatory cut-off point for private-club permits, he thinks a town can only support so many restaurants. “Economics will take care of it,” he said.
http://www.arktimes.com/Articles/ArticleViewer.aspx?ArticleID=5db4e2d0-864f-46af-aef5-76d06d5c02d5
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The secret is out: Prince Harry has been serving on the front line with his British army unit in one of Afghanistan's most lawless and barren provinces. The Prince was “outed” by the news media this week and forced to leave Afghanistan. He was considered too big of a target and, after being in the news, would be a danger to his fellow soldiers.
~~~~~
Our friend Norma Kay will be leaving Tuesday for MD Anderson for a checkup. Please say a little prayer that all her tests come back good.
~~~~~
Each week the Defense Department highlights military personnel who have gone above and beyond in the war. [http://www.defenselink.mil/heroes/] - - Timothy Peterson
Hometown: Spokane, WA
Awarded: Bronze Star
When Lt. Timothy C. Peterson entered Iraq, ethno-sectarian violence and insurgent attacks had spread across the country and were concentrated on coalition forces in the Sunni area of Anbar Province. As part of the 321st Engineer Battalion, Peterson led his platoon on the high-risk assignment of route clearance from September 2006 through September 2007.

He recalled that in his first missions in Ramadi and Fallujah, "We’d only go at night because it was too dangerous during the day," adding that they would be shot at and would find IEDs, almost every night. His soldiers needed to dismantle the IED networks covering the roads around Ramadi, a task that depended on local information. Peterson added that Iraqi citizens "were scared to even come near us" because of the possibility insurgents would kill them as collaborators.

This all changed before Peterson’s eyes with the troop surge, which increased U.S. force levels and focused on a counterinsurgency strategy. In the pivotal early phases of the surge, the 321st was on an arduous schedule of 24-hour patrols for days on end. North of Ramadi, another platoon was engaged in route clearance, when a powerful IED disabled the lead vehicle. Without hesitation, Peterson and three other members of his unit, mounted-up in their Buffalo MRAP truck and assumed command of the patrol. Pushing the platoon ever deeper into uncharted insurgent territory, Peterson’s Buffalo was hit by a series of IED attacks disabling their vehicle and injuring the four occupants. For this bold decision to edge ever closer to the insurgent capital, despite dire risks, Peterson was awarded the Army Commendation Medal with Valor, and his third Purple Heart.

Once recovered from his injuries, Peterson resumed the grueling patrol schedule, which continued after April through the end of his deployment, always in the lead position in the six to seven-vehicle convoys. Peterson considered himself fortunate to witness the huge transformation throughout Ramadi. Dangerous patrols through the streets of Ramadi under the cover of darkness, harassed by gunfire and explosions, were replaced with daytime walks inside the city, where he would be greeted by citizens of all ages. Peterson and his unit would hand the local children soccer balls, candy, and food. Citizens would see the troops coming down the road and run out of their houses to warn Peterson that an IED lay ahead.

As Peterson prepared to leave in October 2007, he left a very different place. He said "things were changing, what we were doing was working … for the people that lived there, there was a transition." Because of his unit’s remarkable success and courage, Peterson was awarded the Bronze Star.
~~~~~
Doves of Mosul - On 23 February at FOB Marez in Mosul, I saw a dove on the ground. ...
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/wp/doves-of-mosul.htm - Michael Yon
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Northrop Grumman and Airbus parent EADS won a $35 billion U.S. Air Force refueling plane deal on Friday in a surprise blow to Boeing, until now the Pentagon's sole supplier of aerial tankers.
The Air Force plans to buy 179 tanker aircraft over the next 15 years to begin replacing its KC-135 tankers, on average 47 years old, that were built by Boeing
The initial contract for the newly named KC-45 tanker, a modified Airbus A330 airliner, covers four test aircraft for $1.5 billion. With plans to buy 175 more planes, it would be worth $35 billion overall
Parts for the Airbus A330 commercial airliner are built mainly in France, Germany, Britain and Spain, then transported to Toulouse in southwest France for assembly. But the new U.S. tanker will be assembled in Mobile, Alabama, and employ 25,000 workers at 230 U.S. companies
http://www.reuters.com/article/email/idUSN2950422020080301
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COMMUNICATION NOTICE: We are switching Internet Service Providers and, as of February 28, our e-mail address will change. You can contact us at kc5hii@suddenlink.net.
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This week we watched (from NetFlix):
Manhattan Melodrama (1934) - Myrna Loy, William Powell and Clark Gable
Camille (1936) - Robert Taylor and Greta Garbo
24: Season 5: Disc 2
Born Yesterday (1950) - Broderick Crawford, Judy Holliday and William Holden
Born Yesterday (1993) - Melanie Griffith, John Goodman and don Johnson.
~~~~~
This week we read; “Dead Aim” by Thomas Perry
We’re currently reading; The lure by Bill Napier
We plan on reading:“A war of gifts : an Ender story” by Orson Scott Card,“Sliver of truth” by Lisa Unger.
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http://www.shelfari.com/BugsBleat/shelf?ec=7D790D174EFS18012
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If you’d like to write Dr. Antoon, he’d like to hear from you. This is his current address, the latest of the three federal prisons’ he’s been in.
Patrick Antoon #06669-010
Federal Prison Camp-La Tuna
P. O. Box 8000
Anthony, NM/TX 88021
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The photos on the front of this week’s “Bleat” include photos of our fire brigade members training this week. I work with the best folks in the US.
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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.
~~~~~
Recipe(s) of the week - - - Chicken Stew Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 stalks celery, cut into bite-size pieces
1 carrot, peeled, cut into bite-size pieces
1 small onion, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (14 ½-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
1 (14-ounce) can low-salt chicken broth
½ cup fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 chicken breast with ribs (about 1 ½ pounds total)
1 (15-ounce) can organic kidney beans, drained (rinsed if not organic)
Serving suggestion: crusty bread

Heat the oil in a heavy 5 ½-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the celery, carrot, and onion. Saute the vegetables until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in the tomatoes with their juices, chicken broth, basil, tomato paste, bay leaf, and thyme. Add the chicken breasts; press to submerge.
Bring the cooking liquid to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently uncovered until the chicken is almost cooked through, turning the chicken breasts over and stirring the mixture occasionally, about 25 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the chicken breasts to a work surface and cool for 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Add the kidney beans to the pot and simmer until the liquid has reduced into a stew consistency, about 10 minutes.

Discard the skin and bones from the chicken breasts. Shred or cut the chicken into bite- size pieces. Return the chicken meat to the stew. Bring the stew just to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Ladle the stew into serving bowls and serve with the bread.

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Episode#: EI1B02
Copyright © 2006 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_24785_PRINT-RECIPE-FULL-PAGE,00.html
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BreakPoint
With Chuck Colson

Why Be Good?
By Chuck Colson
2/29/2008
Free Will and Honesty

Nearly every major story involving an ethical or moral lapse is soon followed by an explanation of why such failures are inevitable.

These “explanations” do not involve Original Sin or flawed institutions created by fallen people. Instead, they usually invoke materialistic causes rooted in natural selection: People do what they do because such behavior enabled their ancestors to pass on their genes.

This denial of free will is known as determinism.

Determinists insist that their explanations neither justify wrongdoing nor weaken people’s resolve to do the right thing.

A recent study shows just how wrong they are.

Researchers recently published the results of experiments testing the link between the belief in free will—that is the ability to choose right and wrong—and honesty. Kathleen Vohls of the University of Minnesota and Jonathan Schooler of the University of British Columbia gave college students a math exam in which students would be paid for each correct answer.

They told the students that “a computer glitch would cause the answers to appear on the screen” and that they should press a key to keep from seeing the answers. Students were told that failure to press the key was cheating, although no one would know who had cheated.

Prior to taking the exam, some of the students were asked to read a piece that said that “most educated people do not believe in free will.” Another group read a piece affirming free will, and a third read about sugar. Really.

You can probably guess what happened: The “no free will” group was “more likely to let the answer appear”—that is, to cheat.

This pattern held up in another test involving self-grading: Students in the “no free will” group were, again, significantly more likely to cheat.

Vohls told Mercatornet Magazine that these findings tie “in with evidence that cheating is on the increase” among college students. While there “are many possible reasons for this,” the erosion in our belief in free will and conscience is almost certainly one of them.

Thus, according to Vohls, it is important to understand the “dangers” posed by the “links between determinism and unethical behavior.”

She is right, and what is more troubling is that one piece was all it took to alter student’s behavior. Imagine what a lifetime of this kind of indoctrination can do.

It is difficult to imagine a better example of why worldview matters. The issues we discuss here at “BreakPoint” are not abstractions unconnected to real life. What our kids¾and we¾are being taught about who we are and why we are here shapes our worldview. It determines the kind of people we will become.

The belief that we are the product of random and impersonal forces makes it absurd to see ourselves as moral agents. So it is not hard to see why so many people take a “why bother” attitude toward moral issues.

Of course, Christians are not determinists. We know that things like compassion and valor and honesty are more than electrical impulses in the brain. Thus, not only can we explain why people do evil, but also we can explain why it is reasonable to expect them to do good as well.

Learn more about the Wide Angle worldview video series with Chuck Colson and Rick Warren—perfect for small-group Bible studies!

For Further Reading and Information

Kathleen Vohls, “Free to Choose?” Mercatornet Magazine, 15 February 2008.

“Destined to Lie, Cheat, or Steal: University Researchers Explore the Link Between Fatalistic Beliefs and Unethical Behavior,” eNews, 6 February 2008.

Jeffrey Weiss, “Religion Sneak Peek: About Free Will and Honesty and More,” Dallas Morning News, 16 February 2008.

Eric Nagourney, “Behavior: An Absence of Free Will, a Tendency to Cheat,” New York Times Magazine, 19 February 2008.

Regis Nicoll, “Materialism’s Unsolved Mystery: The Question of Altruism,” BreakPoint Online, 23 June 2006.

Anne Morse, “Competing with Cheating: Achievement versus Honor,” BreakPoint WorldView, July/August 2004.

“Can the Ivy League Teach Ethics?”—a speech by Chuck Colson at Brown University’s 2003 commencement weekend.

BreakPoint Commentary No. 061128, “The War of All against All: Evolution and Altruism.”

BreakPoint Commentary No. 080213, “Wiring and Switches: Evolutionary Foolishness.”

BreakPoint Commentary No. 060823, “Of Rats and Men: Darwinian Fairytales.”

J. Clinton, “Can Atheism Explain Objective Moral Values?” The Point, 27 February 2008.

© 2008 Prison Fellowship http://www.breakpoint.org/
~~~~~
Words of the Week:
dissolute: loose in morals and conduct.
nettlesome: causing irritation, vexation, or distress.
irrupt: to burst in forcibly or suddenly.
lissom: supple; nimble.
aplomb: confidence; coolness.
temerarious: reckless; rash.
fallible: liable to make a mistake.
supererogatory: going beyond what is required or expected; also, superfluous, unnecessary.
from Dictionary.Com
~~~~~
"and if there's life on other planets
then i’m sure that He must know
and He's been there once already
and has died to save their souls"
Larry Norman "UFO"

Art is more engaging that propaganda.
Larry Norman

Gospel songs to me are about the mansion in the sky, and washed in the blood of Christ's crimson blood, songs that are filled with biblical wording that's no longer understood by a lot of people.
Larry Norman

I feel that Christian music is a subculture directed towards the Christians. It's not really being exposed to non-Christians and it's not really created for non-Christians, so non-Christians almost never hear any of this music.
Larry Norman

I know I stand visibly on stage, but my function is still unseen, because I rarely see the immediate results of what I am saying or doing or writing.
Larry Norman

I want to encourage other people to try to discover who they are, not to try to fit into some superficial prototype of what they think a Christian should be, but to discover who they really are.
Larry Norman

I'm fishing for men with a certain kind of bait, and the bait that I am offering is not a candy; it's a very specific thing that I'm offering, which is a deep gospel and a deep conversion.
Larry Norman

I'm only here on Earth to serve God. I never had a career. I don't care about commercialism. I have a ministry and I'll fight for the ministry.
Larry Norman

Jesus got me through the slums without getting murdered. I just walked with him as though he were really there and not a spirit just floating around.
Larry Norman

Life is God's art.
Larry Norman

Only in a concert situation do I have access to people directly to preach to them, and I don't believe that the bigger your platform is, the more people will pay attention.
Larry Norman

We need worship for our spirit, fellowship for our soul and committed subservience for our body.
Larry Norman
~~~~~
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!
~~~~~
BREAKING CHRISTIAN NEWS
http://breakingchristiannews.com/

Contemporary Christian Music Pioneer, Larry Norman, Goes Home to Jesus
Aimee Herd (February 25, 2008)
"Goodbye, farewell, we'll meet again… Somewhere beyond the sky. I pray that you will stay with God… Goodbye, my friends, goodbye."
(Oregon, USA)—It was bittersweet news that I turned on my computer to this morning, as I learned of the passing of Larry Norman. A vital part of the "Jesus Music" era and the Jesus Movement during the ‘60's and ‘70's, Larry probably did more to bring the Church outside its four walls, to the people—and to bring young people inside the Church's four walls—than anyone else.

Although his music was often misunderstood at first, and even banned in some Bible bookstores, acceptance grew for his style of Christian lyrics set to contemporary music, and Larry eventually became known as the "father of Christian rock." In the 1970's, Billboard magazine dubbed him the "most important writer since Paul Simon." (Photo: LarryNorman.com)
In later years, Larry suffered from physical ailments, but continued to write, perform, and produce music while residing in Salem, Oregon. In 2001, he was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
Once, while working at a radio station in Albany, Oregon, I was greatly privileged to interview Larry Norman, live on the air. He was extremely gracious and very humble as he described various experiences he'd had during his long music career and ministry. Toward the end of the interview, I asked him if he had a favorite song out of all of those he'd written. He responded that it was I Wish We'd All Been Ready, and promptly began to play it on his guitar, which he had in tow. Even after the many times I'd heard that remarkable song, to have Larry—with his one-of-a-kind voice—sing it that day, with all the meaning it's always carried, was one of the most moving experiences I've ever had.
May we all be ready as Larry was.
Below is a statement written by Larry's brother, Charles, on Larry's website:
Hello everybody.
Our friend and my wonderful brother Larry passed away at 2:45 Sunday morning. Kristin and I were with him, holding his hands and sitting in bed with him when his heart finally slowed to a stop. We spent this past week laughing, singing, and praying with him, and all the while he had us taking notes on new song ideas and instructions on how to continue his ministry and art.
Several of his friends got to come and visit with him in the last couple of weeks and were a great source of help and friendship to Larry… Larry appreciated your visits very much. And he greatly appreciated the thoughts, wishes, support and prayers that came from all of you Solid Rock friends on a daily basis. Thank you for being part of his small circle of friends over the years. Yesterday afternoon he knew he was going to go home to God very soon and he dictated the following message to you while his friend Allen Fleming typed these words into Larry's computer:
Thank you to all of you who were so nice to my brother over the years. Kristin and I will post funeral information in the next day or two. Right now we're not able to function very well, but the whole family is here...
We miss him beyond words. Thank you for everything.
Peace to you all in Christ,
- Charles Norman

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GCF: Sorry for the Delay

Emailed to me by a friend (Thanks, Jerry) -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.
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A Southwest flight was delayed at the gate after everyone had boarded.

The flight attendant said over the intercom, "We're sorry for the delay. The machine that normally rips the handles off your luggage is broken, so we're having to do it by hand. We should be finished and on our way shortly."
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Hardware Store Sign

Emailed to me another humor list (Good Clean Funnies List) -Tom To subscribe The Good Clean Funnies List, (not to be confused with this list, which is Good Clean Fun) send an email to: gcfl-request@gcfl.net with subject = add
--------------------------------------------

My local hardware store puts its customers in their place before they even enter. The sign on the door reads:

"Shoes required, because you might hurt yourself. Shirts required, because you're not as good-looking as you think."
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Tea for Daddy

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

One day my mother was out and my dad was in charge of me and my brother who is four years older than I am. I was maybe 3 and a half years old and had just recovered from an accident in which my arm had been broken.

Someone had given me a little 'tea set' as a get-well gift and it was one of my favorite toys. Daddy was in the living room engrossed in the evening news and my brother was playing nearby in the living room when I brought Daddy a little cup of "tea", which was just water.

After several cups of tea and lots of praise for such yummy tea, my Mom came home. My Dad made her wait in the living room to watch me bring him a cup of tea, because it was "just the cutest thing!!"

My Mom waited, and sure enough, here I come down the hall with a cup of tea for Daddy and she watches him drink it up, then she says to him, "Did it ever occur to you that the only place that baby can reach to get water is the toilet?"
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Walking on Water

mailed to me by a friend (Thanks, Barbara) -Tom
--------------------------------------------
Joe heard a rumor that his father, grandfather and great-grandfather had all walked on water on their 21st birthdays.

So, on his 21st birthday, Joe and his good friend Brian headed out to the lake. "If they did it, I can too!" he insisted. When Joe and Brian arrived at the lake, they rented a boat and began paddling. When they got to the middle of the lake, Joe stepped off of the side of the boat ... and almost drowned.

Furious and somewhat ashamed, he and Brian headed for home. When Joe arrived back at the family farm, he asked his grandmother for an explanation. "Grandma, why can I not walk on water like my father, and his father, and his father before him?"

The feeble old grandmother took Joe by the hands, looked into his eyes, and explained, "That's because your father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were born in January ... you were born in July, dear."
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Instructions for Yankees Moving to the South

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

1. Save all manner of bacon grease. You will be instructed later how to use it.

2. If you forget a Southerner's name, refer to him (or her) as "Bubba". You have a 75% chance of being right.

3. Just because you can drive on snow and ice does not mean we can. Stay home the two days of the year it snows.

4. If you do run your car into a ditch, don't panic. Four men in the cab of a four wheel drive with a tow chain will be along shortly. Don't try to help them. Just stay out of their way. This is what they live for.

5. Don't be surprised to find movie rentals and bait in the same store.

6. Do not buy food at the movie store.

7. If it can't be fried in bacon grease, it ain't worth cooking, let alone eating.

8. Remember: "Y'all" is singular. "All y'all" is plural. "All y'all's" is plural possessive.

9. There is nothing sillier than a Northerner imitating a southern accent, unless it is a southerner imitating a Boston accent.

10. Get used to hearing, "You ain't from around here, are you?"

11. People walk slower here.

12. Don't be worried that you don't understand anyone. They don't understand you either.

13. The first Southern expression to creep into a transplanted Northerner's vocabulary is the adjective "Big ol'", as in "big ol' truck" or "big ol' boy". Eighty-five percent begin their new southern-influenced dialect with this expression. One hundred percent are in denial about it.

14. The proper pronunciation you learned in school is no longer proper.

15. If attending a funeral in the South, remember, we stay until the last shovel of dirt is thrown on and the tent is torn down.

16. If you hear a Southerner exclaim, "Hey, y'all, watch this!" stay out of his way. These are likely the last words he will ever say.

17. Most Southerners do not use turn signals, and they ignore those who do. In fact, if you see a signal blinking on a car with a southern licence plate, you may rest assured that it was on when the car was purchased.

18. You can ask a Southerner for directions, but unless you already know the positions of key hills, trees and rocks, you're better off trying to find it yourself.

19. The winter wardrobe you always brought out in September can wait until November, if used at all.

20. If there is the prediction of the slightest chance of even the most minuscule accumulation of snow, your presence is required at the local grocery store. It does not matter if you need anything from the store, it is just something you're supposed to do.

21. Florida is not considered a southern state. There are far more Yankees than Southerners living there.

22. As you are fussing at the person driving 15 mph in a 55 mph zone, directly in the middle of the road, remember, many folks learned to drive on a model of vehicle known as John Deere, and this is the proper speed and lane position for the vehicle.
_ ____________________________ _
(((\ \>|_/ )______________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ / "A diplomat is a man who \ \_/ ////
\ / always remembers a woman's \ /
\ _/ birthday, but never remembers \_ /
/ / her age." - Robert Frost \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )______________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ /"It has been said that politics\ \_/ ////
\ / is the second oldest profession.\ /
\ _/ I have learned that it bears a \_ /
/ / striking resemblance to the first." \ \
- Ronald Reagan
(((\ \>|_/ )______________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / A true friend is one \ /
\ _/ who lets his grass grow \_ /
/ / as tall as his neighbor's. \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )______________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / It's my cat's world. \ /
\ _/ I'm just here to open the cans. \_ /
/ / \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )______________________( \_|\\\\ \_/ / I have excellent \ \_/ ////
\ / sleeping habits. \ /
\ _/ When the sun rises, I don't. \_ /
/ / \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )______________________( \_| _ ____________________________ _
| 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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Sheer nightgown

A husband walks into Victoria's Secret to purchase a sheer negligee for his wife.

He is shown several possibilities that range from $250 to $500 in price -- the more sheer, the higher the price. Naturally, he opts for the most sheer item, pays the $500, and takes it home. He presents it to his wife and asks her to go upstairs, put it on, and model it for him.

Upstairs the wife thinks (she's no dummy-), "I have an idea. It's so sheer that it might as well be nothing. I won't put it on, but I'll do the modeling naked, return it tomorrow, and keep the $500 refund for myself."

She appears naked on the balcony and strikes a pose.

The husband says, "Good Grief! You'd think for $500, they'd at least iron it!"

He never heard the shot.

Funeral on Thursday at Noon. Closed coffin.

Thanks to Norma Kay Rowe
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Volunteer

During his spare time my brother, an attorney, volunteers on his town's fire and rescue squad.

When I mentioned this to a friend, he smiled and said, "Let me get this straight. Your brother is a lawyer and an EMT? So he doesn't have to chase the ambulance -- he's already in it?"

Received from "Life in These United States" by Dale Birch.

(-:][:-)

Buying a Hat

My wife and I were visiting her 95-year-old grandfather when he asked us to take him to buy a new hat.

My wife took me aside. "I'm worried that he doesn't have enough money, and he'll be very embarrassed," she said. So I asked the salesperson to tell my wife's grandfather that whichever hat he chose cost $15. I would pay the difference. Grandpa picked out a hat and was charged $15. After he left, I paid the other $45 of the price.

Later Grandpa said, "What a bargain! The last one I bought there cost me $60."

Received from Thomas Ellsworth.

(-:][:-)

Church Sign

A church was preparing for Christmas services. The pastor decided he wanted a banner made for the entryway and had a parishioner call the sign company.

The parishioner told the man on the phone the message he wanted and the dimensions needed for the entryway.

The sign came back a few days later... "Unto Mary Jesus was born, six feet long and two feet wide."

Received from Steve Sanderson.

(-:][:-)

Elephant Picture

Jake is five years old and learning to read. He points at a picture in a zoo book and says, "Look, Mama! It's a frickin' elephant!"

Deep breath ... "What did you call it?"

"It's a frickin' elephant, Mama! It says so on the picture!"

and so it does ...

"A f r i c a n Elephant."

Hooked on phonics! Ain't it wonderful?

Received from Becky Day.

(-:][:-)

Accounting Interview

Rick, fresh out of accounting school, went to a interview for a good paying job. The company boss asked various questions about him and his education, but then asked him, "What is three times seven?"

"Twenty-two," Rick replied. After he left, he double-checked it on his calculator (he *knew* he should have taken it to the interview!) and realized he wouldn't get the job.

About two weeks later, Rick got a letter that said he was hired for the job! He was not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, but he was still very curious. The next day, he went in and asked why he got the job, even though he got such a simple question wrong. The boss shrugged and said, "Well, you were the closest."

Received from Thomas Ellsworth.

(-:][:-)

-=+=-
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Madeleine Begun Kane Latest Columns - - http://www.madkane.com/humor_blog/2007/06/05/motor-boating-just-isnt-our-speed-humor-column/ - - My husband Mark and I were never meant to own a motor boat. Why not? Any couple who can't figure out how to open their car hood, should probably stick to something propelled by oars. And we surely would have done just that, had the prior owner of our weekend home not made it a package deal. If we wanted his irresistible house, we'd have to spring for his 120 horse power boat -- perfect for anyone whose idea of relaxation is charging across a rocky three mile lake at the speed of screams.

OUR FIRST TIME OUT: My husband -- a man who can build a wood stove fire in a flash, who whips up gourmet feasts in fifteen languages -- couldn't figure out how to unhook the boat's cover. Refusing my help, he struggled for an hour. Victorious at last he hurled the cover off, in the process spilling gallons of water all over the boat.

By then I was ready to bail out. But Mark handed me a pail, and we spent the next 45 minutes heaving water overboard. Once all the water was safely under the boat, it was time to begin boating. I optimistically climbed onto our 16 footer, while my husband worked the knots from ashore. A former boy scout, he did this rather well. So well, that the boat (free at last) started to drift without him. For while we had been fussing and bailing, the wind had picked up speed and was strong enough to thrust the boat several yards from the dock.

Mark rolled up his pant legs and waded up to the boat, scoffing at my suggestion that we call it a day. After climbing aboard, he asked what I had done with the boat keys -- the keys he had left on the dock while undoing the knots. Having felt a few raindrops, I diplomatically suggested that we pull the still drifting boat back to its dock. "It's not raining," my husband insisted, as he lowered himself into the lake and swam ashore to fetch the keys.

Back on board, my husband turned on the blower to get rid of the gas fumes. Being excessively neurotic, we waited five times as long as we were supposed to. This gave the boat plenty of time to pick up speed, as did my imaginary raindrops.

Mark finally declared us gas fume free and ceremoniously announced that we were on our way as he turned the ignition key. Nothing. He pulled it out and examined it, apparently hoping for some sort of revelation. He tried again. Still nothing. He looked around for help, but we were the only ones who hadn't run for shelter.

At this point it must have occurred to my husband that it wasn't an ideal time for our first outing. He climbed out of the boat and tried to pull us in. The boat barely moved -- this was a two person job. The comical sight of my drenched husband wiped away my annoyance. So I lowered myself into the lake and together we managed to maneuver the boat back to the dock.

Rejecting further assistance, my husband bravely fought rain, ropes, and cover. He tied compulsively tight knots, only to realize he should have affixed the cover first. The ropes were now soaked and nearly impossible to undo. I offered to work on the cover while he tackled the ropes. But my captain refused.

Finally finished his un-knotting, Mark undertook the cover challenge. First he put it on backwards, then sideways, always rebuffing my offers of help. I was about to explain that securing a boat cover was not unlike putting a fitted sheet on a mattress, until I remembered that he couldn't do that either.

OUR NEXT ATTEMPT: Mark spent the next month trying to persuade me to take out the boat again. I pointed out that we had never actually taken it out. Finally, in a moment of weakness, I agreed. But this time I brought along a book.

I had read only three chapters by the time Mark managed to deal with both cover and ropes in the right sequence. This might have had something to do with the fact that a handy neighbor (a fellow who actually knew how to open car hoods) was helping him. I, naturally, wasn't allowed to assist. This was men's work.

Our engine still wouldn't start, and our neighbor Bill pronounced the battery dead. While I made further progress on my book, he watched Mark try to undo the cables and remove the battery. He patiently spoke words of encouragement and made a few helpful suggestions. I kept reading.

Finally Bill couldn't take it any more. He shoved my husband aside, yanked the battery out and handed it to my husband. Then he gave him explicit instructions on where to buy a replacement only a few minutes away, what to purchase, and how to install it. That done, he jumped into his own boat, backed out of the dock, and sped away. When Bill returned three hours later, my husband was still trying to install the new battery. I'd gone back home to get another book.

OUR THIRD TRY: By the time our saintly neighbor had installed the battery, it was too dark out to dodge the rocks. So we didn't boat that weekend or, for that matter, any of the next four weekends. (I can be very creative in the excuse department.) When autumn arrived, we were still virgin boaters.

In a last ditch effort at persuasion, Mark pointed out that this was our last weekend to take the boat out (as in actually leave the dock area) before we spent $300 to pull it out of the lake for the winter. Equipped with reading matter and rain gear, I reluctantly joined him.

This time my husband did me proud. In only 30 minutes and with no help at all (our neighbors were hiding) he got us to engine count-down. "Everything will go just fine," he assured me. "We have a brand new battery, and the boat's in terrific shape." He ran the blower and with a flourish he turned the key. Click. He turned it again and again. Nothing but clicks. Plus the dirty look he gave me when I started to laugh.

BOATING SEASON TWO: That winter, I tried to talk my husband into selling the boat. But he was convinced that somehow we'd make it to the middle of the lake. "All it needs is a good tune-up," said he. What neither of us knew was finding a boat repair person -- any boat repair person -- is even harder than finding someone reliable to fix your car.

Boating season starts in late spring, but not for us. It took dozens of phone calls over a two month period to persuade someone to fix our boat. I'm convinced some people place service ads in the "Yellow Pages" as a practical joke: "Our boat repair ad brought 79 calls today. What fun!. These suckers actually think we fix boats."

WE TRY AGAIN: We finally found someone willing to take our business, and hundreds of dollars later it was time for our maiden voyage. Unfortunately we had company that day. Both sets of parents were visiting and, embarrassed to admit that this would be our first boat launch, we welcomed them aboard. Our mothers declined, but our fathers eagerly accepted. Mark would have to start, back out, pilot, and dock the boat all for the first time, in front of the world's toughest audience.

After the four of us climbed aboard Mark started the engine, and the newly repaired boat began to purr. He backed out through the narrow space, trying to look like he knew what he was doing. Our mothers shouted words of encouragement from ashore like "Don't hit anything," and "Why aren't you wearing your life jackets?"

Starting to get the hang of it, Mark grew cocky and began to show off. He gave the powerful engine so much fuel that the boat seemed to fly across the lake. Water skiers watched enviously as we sped past them. Other boaters and even some people on shore shouted words of admiration. Or at least that's what we thought they were shouting. What they were really saying was "Watch out for the rocks!". Thank god nobody was hurt -- except for the boat.

Last week, after over two years of motor boat ownership (uncharacterized by anything one could accurately call boating), I finally heard the words I'd longed to hear: "Honey, we should probably consider selling the motorboat." Grateful that my husband had finally come to his senses, I enthusiastically agreed. Until he added "We'll trade it in for a sailboat."

I think I'll join a book club.

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:
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Billy Graham is now 86 years old with Parkinson's disease.

In January 2000, leaders in Charlotte ,North Carolina , invited their favorite son, Billy Graham, to a luncheon in his honor.
Billy initially hesitated to accept the invitation because he struggles with Parkinson's disease. But theCharlotte leaders said, 'We don't expect a major address. Just come and let us honor you.' So he agreed.
After wonderful things were said about him, Dr. Graham stepped to the rostrum, looked at the crowd, and said, 'I'm reminded today of Albert Einstein, the great physicist who this month has been honored by Time magazine as the Man of the Century. Einstein was once traveling from Princeton on a train when the conductor came down the aisle, punching the tickets of every passenger. When he came to Einstein, Einstein reached in his vest pocket. He couldn't find his ticket, so he reached in his trouser pockets. It wasn't there, so he looked in his briefcase but couldn't find it. Then he looked in the seat beside him. He still couldn't find it.
The conductor said, 'Dr. Einstein, I know who you are. We all know who you are. I'm sure you bought a ticket. Don't worry about it.'
Einstein nodded appreciatively. The conductor continued down the aisle punching tickets. As he was ready to move to the next car, he turned around and saw the great physicist down on his hands and knees looking under his seat for his ticket.
The conductor rushed back and said, 'Dr. Einstein, Dr. Einstein, don't worry, I know who you are. No problem. You don't need a ticket. I'm sure you bought one.'
Einstein looked at him and said, 'Young man, I too, know who I am. What I don't know is where I'm going.''
Having said that Billy Graham continued, 'See the suit I'm wearing? It's a brand new suit. My wife, my children, and my grandchildren are telling me I've gotten a little slovenly in my old age. I used to be a bit more fastidious. So I went out and bought a new suit for this luncheon and one more occasion.
You know what that occasion is? This is the suit in which I'll be buried. But when you hear I'm dead, I don't want you to immediately remember the suit I'm wearing. I want you to remember this:

I not only know who I am .. I also know where I'm going.'

Thanks to Norma Kay Rowe
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A Dog's Purpose (from a 6-year-old).

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.
The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.

He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good Life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?" The six-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."

Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was our teacher, we would learn things like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!

Thanks to Waneta
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Adios Amigos

Do you remember ;
when Puerto Rico was raising heck about the US Navy using that nothing little island just off the coast of Puerto Rico for bombing practices, which they had used for the past 75 years?

Demonstrations were held; Hollywood left wingers, Al Sharpton, and his fellow demagogues went down there to demonstrate to get the Navy out?

I am sure it infuriated you just as it did me at the time. Well, here is our revenge. Always be careful what you ask for, you just may get it!

One of the many headaches that the U.S. has had was the Puerto Rican island of Vieques . In the waning years of the Clinton Administration protesters demand that the US Navy abandon bombing and naval gunfire exercises that had taken place on the largely uninhabited island for nearly seventy years.

In 2002, the bombing exercises were transferred to an Air Force bombing range in central Florida not far from Jacksonville and Pensacola Naval Air Station s. In January, many of the protesters were back in Puerto Rico, celebrating the final bombing exercise on Vieques and waved Puerto Rican flags and placards that read "U. S. Navy, get out of Puerto Rico."

The following February, Rumsfeld announced that the U. S. Navy will close the Roosevelt Roads Naval Air Station in Pue rto Rico in 2004, eliminating 1200 civilian jobs as well as 700 military positions. This naval facility is estimated to have put nearly $300 million annually into the local economy.

The next day a stunned Governor Sila Calderon, held a news conference in San Juan protesting the base closure as a serious blow to the Commonwealth's fragile economy. The governor stated that "The people of Puerto Rico don't now or never did have an interest in closing the Vieques bombing range or the Roosevelt Roads naval base. We are interested in both staying in Puerto Rico .

When asked, the Commander-in-Chief, Western Atlantic Command, said, "Without Vieques, I see no further need for the facility at Roosevelt Roads. None."

So, Yankee go home? Fine. But we'll take our DOLLARS with us. Hasta la vista, baby!

On February 21, the Secretary of Defen se also announced that starting this year, the U.S. European Command would begin moving most, if not all, of its active combat and support units from bases in Germany to others being established in Poland, The Czech Republic, Hungary and Turkey to "better position them for rapid deployment to likely hot spots in those parts of the world."

Immediately the business and government leaders in the German states of Hesse, Rinelandand Wurttemburg, protested the loss of nearly $6 billion US revenue each year from the bases and manpower to be displaced. A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry speculated that the move may be "what the Americans call 'payback' for the actions of t his government in opposing Military action in Iraq ."

"Does anyone know the German translation for: "Hasta la vista, baby?" I think "Aufwiedersehen, linesmen" is a good translation.

Oh, isn't it nice to see a government with guts and a good memory???

Also, here are some statistics and conclusions about a different subject.

If you consider that there has been an average of 160,000 troops in the Iraq theater of operations during the last 22 months, and a total of 2,112 deaths, when this was written) that gives a firearm death rate of 60 per 100,000 soldiers.

The firearm death rate in Washington D. C. is 80.6 per 100,000 for t he same period. (...and that was while handguns were outlawed!!)

That means that you are about 25% more likely to be shot and killed in the U. S. Capitol, which has some of the strictest gun control laws in the nation, than you are in Iraq.

Thanks to Jeanette Ford
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You can read about six CEO's who have lost one billion bucks since Oct 07. When you are through crying in you beer, ice tea, coffee, or Ensure, then you go check the sec filings. ... It is enough to make a person regurgitate or even worse. When the ship is on fire, the rats are always jumping in the water. Some rats jump into huge, posh, plush life boats. I must go before I wax even less eloquent......

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/CEOsWhoHaveLostBillions.aspx
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I find this VERY disturbing.

You really need to read this

"Oprah and Friends" to teach course on New Age Christ

Many of you, like me, have probably been Oprah fans for a long time. (I am not a fan.....DEverson) This is very discouraging news to hear about one who has such tremendous influence on the general public. Please ask God to show Oprah the real Jesus Christ.

Just to make sure this was true, I went on Oprah's website and there it is. The below article is very interesting, so I thought I would share.

http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/007/smith-oprah.htm or

"Oprah and Friends" to teach course on New Age Christ

Jesus Christ being reinvented, redefined, and blasphemed and, this false New- Age Christ teaching is about to make huge inroads into the world, with the help of the queen of television talk shows, Oprah Winfrey.

Oprah Winfrey, beginning January 1, 2008, on her daily radio program will offer a year-long course on the New Age Christ , in a lesson a day and completely cover the 365 lessons from the Course in Miracles "Workbook."

Listeners will be encouraged to buy A Course in Miracles for the year-long course, and an audio version, recited by Richard (John Boy Walton) Thomas will be available on compact disc.
& lt; Those who finish the Course will have a wholly redefined spiritual mindset-a New Age worldview that include the beliefs that there is no sin, no evil, no devil. A Course in Miracles teaches its students to rethink everything they believe about God and life, and, bluntly
states: "This is a course in mind training" and is dedicated to "thought reversal."

The Course in Miracles -in reality-is the truth of the Bible turned upside down.

Oprah told her television audience that Williamson's book, A Course in Miracles was one of her favorite books, and that she had already bought a thousand copies and would be handing them out to everyone in her studio audience. Oprah's endorsement skyrocketed Williamson's book to the top of the New York Times bestseller list .

A Course in Miracles is allegedly a "new revelation" from "Jesus" to help humanity work through these troubled times. This "Jesus"-who bears no doctrinal resemblance to the Bible's Jesus Christ-began delivering channeled teachings in 1965 to a Columbia University Professor of Medical Psychology, Helen Schucman..

One day Schucman heard an "inner voice" stating, "This is a course in miracles. Please take notes." For seven years she diligently took spiritual dictation from this voice that described himself as "Jesus."

Here are some quotes from the "Jesus" voice of A Course in Miracles :

 "There is no sin . . . "
 A "slain Christ has no meaning."
 "The journey to the cross should be the last ' useless journey."
 "Do not make the pathetic error of 'clinging to the old rugged cross.'"
 "The Name of Jesus Christ as such is but a symbol... It is a symbol that is safely used as a replacement for the many names of all the gods to which you pray."
 "The recognition of God is the recognition of yourself."
 "The Atonement is the final lesson he [man] need learn, for it teaches him that, never having sinned, he has no need of salvation."

Popular author Wayne Dyer told his PBS television audience that the "brilliant writing" of A Course in Miracles would produce more peace in the world.

The Course in Miracles-based book, Forgiveness, continues to be sold in Robert Schuller's Crystal Cathedral bookstore as Schuller prepares to host a January 17-19, 2008, "Rethink Conference" at his Crystal Cathedral.

2 Timothy 3 (King James Version)
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

It's not surprising at all that Oprah Winfrey is supporting Barak Obama!!! Christians.....Take heed!!

From: David Lamb
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Wisdom from an old Oklahoma boy
I thought some of you might enjoy this.
A "good ol' farm boy from western Oklahoma" writes a column like this each week.

"What's Under My Hat" by Monte Tucker----------January 28, 2008

Howdy friends and neighbors. Come on first Tuesday in November! I have already had about all of the Presidential election I can stand. Surely, somewhere out there in this great nation is a "good ol' boy or gal," that is worth voting for. You know, someone that has actually done something, not just talked about what they think they have done. It's only the first quarter in the game between the R's and the D's. Both sides keep talking about time for change. Just what are they going to change? They obviously haven't changed the game of politics. Billary and Bama Lama Ding Dong boost the word "change" every time I see the media put their face on my boob tube.
The first place they could start changing things would be on the Senate floor that they're already on. Just go and look at their voting records for the last several months and you will find they aren't showing up to vote. You know, the job they campaigned so hard to get by promising "change," but they just don't have the time. McCain isn't immune from this either.
Let's talk "change." What in the world do these hot air compressors think they are going to change and why? Again, I'm just a professional bovine relocation specialist (it's the 21st century, we used to call them cowboys). But the way I see it from Sunny Point , Oklahoma, how are they going to change the greatest nation in the world? All of the candidates are demanding we must change! OK. I wake up a free man every morning and I'm free to do anything that is morally right or I can do nothing. If I choose to do something productive that day, well I can whistle at my dog, start up my ol' tan feed truck that I bought with the help of a free enterprising banking system I chose to use. Plus, there's
the fact that other free Americans assembled this truck, and the companies that bought, sold and hauled parts and supplies to make that pickup possible. As I turn the key, ol' tans fires up on diesel fuel that a mean, nasty, big oil company conveniently made very accessible and affordable to me. I turn out of my land that I can freely own, onto a county maintained road that leads to any point in North America I would choose to go to that day. Also, in this country, I am free to own livestock and free to care for them so that the livestock will return a profit so I can repay my bank, buy my feed and fuel, and provide for my family. On Sunday Morning (or any other day that ends in "Y") my family is free to drive from our house on a ribbon of roads that lead to the Church of our choice and worship the real owner of all things we know, God. We can give praise to Him for all and especially for Jesus.
Why can't these hopefuls for the highest-ranking governmental seat see that it is just that simple? Provide me infrastructure and protect me from these knot-headed whack's that think they can take away our freedom.
Billary, Bama Mama or McNobrain aren't going to change anything. The foundations of this great country can't be changed by one person, no matter how much they think they can. As Americans, we have the right to succeed or fail and try again as we please. As a free man, I'm getting good at failing but I get smarter when I try again.
When presidential candidates tout change, the only thing I see in this country that needs changing is them. Life in America is good and for those that don't think so, you're free to leave at any time, go to another country of your choice and try to change it.
I'm Monte Tucker, and that is what's under my professional bovine relocation specialist hat. Wait, I'm not changing, that is what's under my COWBOY hat!

Thanks to Daphne Roberts
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"Don't strive for recognition, but work for achievement." -- Vanessa Malone
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| Safety from the Heart |
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February 27, 2008
Guide to Never Feeling Tired Again
Today's Message is from Karen Bounds (a Pasadena Albemarle employee).
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It is a known fact that being fatigued, mentally, emotionally or physically enhances the chance of us making unwise decisions in regards to safety. Below is an article with tips we can apply to our lives which would help keep us energized and focused during the day, and get the proper rest we need at night.
Your Guide to Never Feeling Tired Again
WebMD Feature
By Nancy Rones
22 ways to tackle life's biggest energy zappers.
Every day, 2.2 million Americans complain of being tired. Most of us chalk it up to having too much to do and not enough time to do it in, especially during extra-busy periods. But often the true culprits are our everyday habits: what we eat, how we sleep, and how we cope emotionally. Read on for some simple, recharging changes that can help you tackle all of the energy stealers in your life.

Energize Your Diet
Why is it that filling up on pasta or Chinese food for lunch leaves us snacky and sleepy an hour later? Or that falling short on fluids makes us forgetful and foggy? Fact is, eating habits play a powerful role in how well we function on every level. Below, six top fatigue-fighting nutrition strategies to chew on.
Have breakfast... even if you don't feel hungry. You'll be a lot perkier: Studies show that people who eat breakfast feel better both mentally and physically than those who skip their morning meal. British researchers at Cardiff University even found that spooning up a bowl of breakfast cereal every morning is associated with lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
Eat every three to four hours. Having three smallish meals and two snacks throughout the day can keep your blood sugar and energy levels stable all day long, says Roberta Anding, R.D., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association (ADA). Note the word "smallish." Supersized meals demand more of your energy to digest, which can leave you feeling lethargic. At each mini-meal, get a mix of carbohydrates (which the body uses for energy), protein (which helps sustain energy if needed), and healthy fats like those found in fish, nuts, and olives -- these fats and protein contribute to meal satisfaction, so you don't go hunting for sweets an hour later and wind up with a short-lived sugar high and subsequent crash.
A few meal ideas: a low-fat yogurt parfait with berries and a couple of tablespoons of whole-grain granola; salmon over mixed greens with whole-grain crackers; and beef tenderloin with a baked sweet potato and asparagus.
Fill up on more fiber. Fiber has a time-releasing effect on carbs, so they enter your bloodstream at a slow and steady pace, giving your energy staying power, says Anding. When choosing your mini-meals (see above), include fiber-filled options that add up to the daily recommended 25 to 30 grams of fiber (the average person gets only between 10 and 15 grams). Some suggestions: a bowl of raisin bran (5 grams of fiber per cup); black beans and cheese wrapped in a multigrain tortilla (beans have 7.5 grams per 1/2 cup; one tortilla has 5 grams); air-popped popcorn (3.6 grams per 3 cups); an apple with the skin (3.3 grams); and whole-wheat spaghetti (6.3 grams per cup). Fuel your brain with omega-3s. Found in fatty fish (such as tuna and salmon), walnuts, and canola oil, these essential fatty acids play a role in keeping brain cells healthy and helping you feel mentally alert. Another potential bonus: Omega-3s encourage the body to store carbs as glycogen — the storage form of glucose (blood sugar) and the body's main source of stored fuel — rather than as fat.
Stay hydrated. Water makes up the majority of your blood and other body fluids, and even mild dehydration can cause blood to thicken, forcing the heart to pump harder to carry blood to your cells and organs and resulting in fatigue. Also, ample fluids keep energy-fueling nutrients flowing throughout the body, says Nancy Clark, R.D., author of Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook. To gauge your hydration, Clark recommends monitoring how often you urinate. You should be going every two to four hours, and your urine should be clear or pale yellow in color. Tip: Besides drinking more, you can also consume foods that naturally contain water, such as yogurt, broccoli, carrots, and juicy fruits, like watermelons, oranges, and grapefruits. Watch caffeine intake after noon. Typically, consuming a moderate amount of caffeine — 200 to 300 mg, the amount found in two to three cups of coffee — can make you more energetic and alert in the hours following, says Anthony L. Komaroff, M.D., a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. But when caffeine is consumed in large quantities — or anytime in the afternoon or evening — the quality of your sleep that night can take a nose-dive, leaving you with heavy eyelids the next day. One caution for those who are highly sensitive to caffeine: Although switching to a decaf latte in the afternoon sounds like the answer, researchers at the University of Florida found that out of 22 decaffeinated coffee beverages tested, all but one contained some caffeine.
Energize Your Spirit We're all familiar with physical exhaustion, but mental strain — sadness, boredom, worry, anger, and general stress (the biggie) — can take an even heavier toll on vitality, completely wearing you out. Life happens, and these difficult emotions will, too. But if you react wisely, your brain and body will rebound — along with your vim and vigor.
Splash some water on your face or take a shower when you're feeling burned-out. Some 55 percent of study participants reported using these types of "water therapy" to successfully increase their energy, according to findings in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Apparently, a little H 2 O refresher can instantly help take the edge off when you're feeling overwhelmed.
Suit up in a "power" outfit to beat the blahs. Fight the tendency to throw on sweats when you're feeling sluggish. Although it may seem counter-intuitive to slip into the skirt you save for special occasions, it helps to look in the mirror and see an energizing image — not a deflating one that confirms and reinforces your internal state, says Alice D. Domar, Ph.D., founder and executive director of the Domar Center for Complementary Healthcare in Waltham, MA. Dressing for success will give you a big mental boost every time you catch sight of your reflection (or receive a compliment) throughout the day.
Vent your feelings. Keeping fear, anxiety, and stress pent up inside may seem like a grown-up way to deal with these emotions. But discussing negative feelings with another person can ease them far better than keeping them bottled up; by airing them, you reduce their ability to sap your stamina, says Komaroff, who is also the editor-in-chief of the Harvard Health Letter.
Turn on some tunes. Listening to music is one of the most effective ways to change a bad mood, decrease tension, and increase energy. Consider this: Runners in one study who listened to music while on the treadmill ran faster than those who jogged in silence — no matter how loud the volume or how fast the tempo, according to new findings in the journal Ergonomics. Other research suggests that music effectively distracts you from feeling fatigue. Try burning a CD of your favorite songs and playing it anytime you need a pick-me-up. (If you exercise, so much the better — but the music will move you either way.)
Let go of grudges. Nursing a grudge prompts your mind and body to react as if they're under chronic stress, increasing your heart rate and blood pressure and potentially resulting in an impaired immune system and exhaustion over time, according to a study in the journal Psychological Science. On the other hand, practicing empathy and forgiveness after you've been wronged makes you feel as if you're back in control, which keeps the body's stress responses in check. The next time you find yourself harboring ill feelings, repeat a stress-relieving mantra to yourself, such as, "Forgiveness makes me a happier and stronger person."
Take belly breaths. When we're under stress, we're prone to take "chest breaths" — short, shallow ones, says Domar. Chest breathing brings less air into the lungs and reduces the supply of energizing oxygen to the body and brain, leaving you physically and mentally drained. The goal is deep, diaphragmatic breathing — like that of a sleeping infant: When you breathe in, your belly should round and fill like a balloon; on an exhale, your belly should slowly deflate. Of course, remembering to practice deep breathing isn't the first thing on your mind when you're under the gun, so as a visual reminder, try posting a tranquil picture (such as a pool of water or your kids smiling) with the word "breathe" next to your computer, or anywhere you tend to feel on edge.
De-clutter a corner. Go through that teetering pile of papers or overflowing closet and clear it out. Clutter can make you feel out of control and overwhelmed, especially when you're already feeling stressed or down. Plus, simply accomplishing a goal, no matter how seemingly minor, can be energizing, says Domar.
Do some good. Acts of altruism can lend a little pep to your step. In fact, one study in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior found that volunteer work can boost your energy in six ways: It enhances happiness, life satisfaction, self-esteem, sense of control over life, physical health, and mood. Find short- and long-term volunteer opportunities at volunteermatch.org and charityguide.org.
Get a Restorative Rest When you have a lot to do (um...always), usually the first thing to get squeezed off your agenda is sleep. But miss out on shut-eye and your energy, positivity, productivity, and memory are sure to suffer. And nearly a quarter of American adults aren't getting enough rest, which has led to an epidemic of daytime sleepiness, according to a poll by the National Sleep Foundation. The key to bucking this trend is to brush up on sleep hygiene. Try these steps for starters. Cut back on TV and computer time after 8 p.m. If you're already a night owl (you go to bed late and sleep in on weekends), the bright light emitted from television and computer screens can make falling asleep at a decent hour even harder. The reason: Light suppresses the production of melatonin, a hormone secreted at sunset that tells the brain that it's nighttime, explains John Herman, Ph.D., director of the training program in sleep medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School at Dallas. And when melatonin levels are low, your brain is fooled into thinking that it's still daytime — and remains raring to go. Whenever possible, wait until the next morning to tune in and/or log on. If you must use light-emitting technology at night, try to turn it off an hour or two before hitting the sack.
Hide your alarm clock. Watching the clock to see how long it's taking you to drift off or how much time you have left before your alarm goes off can result in a poor night's sleep, says Kelly A. Carden, M.D., medical director of the Sleep Health Center Affiliated with Hallmark Health at Medford in Medford, MA. This hypervigilance keeps the brain awake and alert and prevents you from slipping into deep, restorative sleep. The easy fix: Set your alarm clock, then either face the numbers away from you or put it on the floor, in a drawer, or across the room.
Give your pet his own separate sleeping space. At night, pets snore, jiggle their tags, move around a lot, and even hog the covers and bed space. It's no wonder that 53 percent of pet owners who sleep with their pets in the bedroom have some type of disrupted sleep every night, according to a study from the Mayo Clinic Sleep Disorders Center in Rochester, MN. Consider relocating your furry friend's sleeping quarters to another area, even if it's just his own bed in your bedroom.
Lower the thermostat. For a good night's sleep, make sure your room is comfortably cool — enough so that you need a light blanket. This ensures that your environment is in sync with your body's internal temperature, which naturally drops during the night, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Studies suggest the ideal sleeping temperature is between 54 and 75 degrees; anything cooler or warmer may cause you to wake up.
Skip the nightcap. Alcohol depresses the nervous system — the system of cells, tissues, nerves, and organs that controls the body's responses to internal and external stimuli. So while sipping a glass of wine before bed may help you nod off, the sedative effects wear off as your body metabolizes the alcohol, which may cause you to wake up in the middle of the night and have trouble falling back to sleep. Alcohol has also been shown to interfere with the body's natural 24-hour biorhythms, causing blood pressure to rise and heart rate to race at night when it's normally calm and relaxed. You don't have to give up that evening cocktail entirely to achieve sound sleep — just try to avoid alcohol within two to three hours of bedtime.
Get your exercise. While scientists don't yet understand why, aerobic exercise has been proved to help you fall asleep faster at bedtime, spend more hours in deep sleep, and wake up less often throughout the night, says Komaroff. At the same time, vigorous exercise can act like a stimulant (which is a great daytime energizer), so schedule your workouts in the morning or afternoon, when you need a boost the most.
Follow the 15-minute rule. If you can't fall asleep, or if you wake up and can't get back to sleep within about 15 minutes, get out of bed and do something relaxing that will help clear your head, such as reading, meditating, or knitting (but not watching TV or surfing the Web). Then, once you feel sleepy again, go back to bed. If you stay put and fret about being awake, you'll only make yourself more anxious — and less likely to catch the z's you need.
Write down your worries. During the day, jot down any stressors that are weighing on you, says Carden. Then, do some mental problem-solving before your head hits the pillow — or, if you're falling short on solutions, tuck your list away and resolve to brainstorm ideas during your morning shower or commute to work. Just knowing you've established a plan for tackling your to-do's will make you feel like you've made some progress, allowing you to relax, drift off — and wake up the next morning ready to take on the day.
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| Safety from the Heart |
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February 26, 2008
Avoid Wet Spots
Today's Message is from Gene McPherson (a Pasadena Albemarle employee.)
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Before my first trip into an Ethyl Chemical plant as a new engineer, I was advised to avoid wet spots when walking under pipe-racks. It is easier to see a leak by the spot on the ground than an occasional drip in the air.
That is still good advice. Now I would add to report the leak so it can be repaired.
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TOURBUS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -:) - :)- :)
Volume 13, Number 19 -- 21 Feb 2008
Tourbus Home -- http://www.InternetTourbus.com

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TODAY'S TOURBUS TOPICS: Mortgage Crisis / Vista RAM

Howdy, y'all, from deep behind the orange curtain in beautiful Irvine, California.

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Stories from the frontline of the US housing meltdown
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In October 2005, KABC television (Los Angeles) consumer reporter Ric Romero reported on a new Internet phenomenon called "blogging." Unfortunately for Romero, blogging wasn't even remotely new in 2005-- BoingBoing [at http://boingboing.net/] launched its blog in 2000 and John Walkenbach launched his J-Walk blog [at http://j-walkblog.com/] in 2002. Thanks to the kind folks at Fark.com, Romero quickly became the Internet's poster child for 'captain obvious,' someone who "[r]eports the obvious, usually long after everyone else knows it's Obvious." [source: http://www.fark.com/farq/farkisms.shtml#Ric_Romero]

Case in point: if I were to don my Ric Romero reporting hat and tell you that there has been a recent downturn in the United States' housing market, you would most likely respond by inviting me to purchase my clues in a higher quality clue store. But if I were to tell you that I think there is more to the housing story than the local Ric Romeros have been reporting, you may be interested enough to keep reading for a few more paragraphs.

A few weeks ago, the CBS news magazine 60 Minutes aired a story on "how the U.S. sub-prime mortgage meltdown, in which risky loans drove a housing boom that went bust, is now roiling capital markets worldwide." You can watch the video online at

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=3756665n

The part of the story that focuses on the Fontinau family [at about the 7:30 mark] is particularly heartbreaking because it vividly depicts the problem at the heart of the sub-prime mortgage market correction: people purchased, or were induced to purchase, houses they can no longer afford.

But jump ahead to 8:40 and you'll see what I consider to be an even scarier problem that the mainstream media, even CBS, seems to miss. The Valdez family purchased a house in Stockton they *could* afford, their mortgage payments increased to a level that the family could *still* afford, but the house is now worth less than the Valdez family owes. The Valdez family is now considering walking away from the house and leaving the bank holding the debt.

I may be misreading the situation here, but the Valdez family's situation doesn't seem to be indicative of a meltdown in the *sub- prime* market. Rather, it hints at a larger problem in the PRIME housing market: people with good credit and prime loans are considering defaulting on their mortgages not because they can no longer afford the payments but rather because they see no benefit in continuing to pay X for a house that is now worth 1/X. You don't need to be an economist (or Ric Romero) to see that that is bad on many different levels.

For a perfect example of a town smack dab in the middle of the combined sub-prime and prime housing meltdowns, look no further than my beloved hometown of Irvine, California--a large, semi-aquatic, mostly plant-eating, African mammal. In July 2007, Slate.com announced that "America's most reckless real estate investors come from Irvine, Calif." You can read Daniel Gross' commentary on Irvine here: http://www.slate.com/id/2171235/.

For even more shocking examples, check out the Irvine Housing Blog at

http://www.irvinehousingblog.com/

which proudly chronicles "the seventh circle of real estate hell." A typical post starts with a 1970's stadium rock song's lyrics, a link to a YouTube video of that song, and then the fun stuff: the real estate listing of an Irvine home or condo followed by some snarky comments explaining how *incredibly* out of whack this listing's price and financial history is. As you read through the irvinehousingblog's posts, you'll see homeowners who used their homes as automatic teller machines, withdrawing hundreds of thousands of dollars each year as the housing bubble expanded. You'll also discover that Irvine sellers (who are often foreclosing lenders) are now frequently losing $100,000 or more on each house sale.

I introduced my wife to the irvinehousingblog recently, and for about an hour or so was treated to her exclamations of "oh, my!" and "no!" as she reacted to the carnage chronicled in the blog's posts. I know that schadenfreude (pleasure from the misfortunes of others) is unbecoming, but I also know that Christine and I are thankful that we don't own a house in Irvine--we rent an apartment instead. Stockton, CA, may be getting everyone's attention, but I think the real story is here in Irvine. Irvine's housing market is horrible, getting horrible-er [I are a college student!] each day, and will ultimately take down several financial institutions (at $100K at pop) before the market bottoms out.

Oh, and for all the kidding I've given Ric Romero in today's post, I should add that he's ten times the journalist I'll ever be.

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Windows Vista: how much RAM is enough?
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A Tourbus rider recently took me to task for something I said WGN Radio (AM 720, Chicago) last month, noting that

I do however have to differ with you when your talking to a lady who is looking for a laptop for standard use and you recommend Sony and could not agree with you more. On the other hand to tell her she needs 2 gigs minimum 3 gigs recommended is a bit out of line. The big boxes are selling the Sony's right now with Vista Home Premium with 1 gig and for basic use that is fine. You tell her different and next thing she knows shes going to be taken by the Geek Squad for another 200 bucks.

Since the reader did not provide me with a return email address, I thought I'd post my reply here.

As for the Vista Home Premium RAM requirements, 1GB is Microsoft's recommended system requirement (Microsoft, 2006). Many people, including me, believe that that amount of RAM is insufficient. For example, the latest issue of Laptop Magazine recommends that users "can get away with 1GB of RAM when running Vista Basic. If you want to step up to Vista Home Premium and get the most out of its Fancy Aero interface, then you'll want to upgrade to 2GB of RAM..." (Spoonauer, 2008). OEMs like Dell and Samsung agree (Thibodeau, 2007).

My upper limit recommendation of is more 'gut feel' than science. While the cost up upgrading from 1GB to 2GB is between $50 and $150 (Spoonauer, 2008), upgrading to 4GB as recommended last year by an IBM Global Services consultant (Thibodeau, 2007) would cost between $400 and $500 (Spoonauer, 2008). Dusting off my economics degree, I ran a cost/benefit analysis and decided that 3GB was an optimal ceiling.

Of course, I could be completely wrong. Any additional information you can send me on this matter would be gratefully appreciated.

References

Microsoft, Inc. (2006, November 8). Windows Vista Home Premium. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/editions/homepremium/default.mspx

Spoonauer, M. (2008, February). Notebook spec cheat sheet. Laptop Magazine, p. 112.

Thibodeau, P. (2007, February 20). Buying a new PC? 'Windows Vista Capable' barely hits the mark - IBM'er says Vista's RAM sweet spot is 4GB. From Computerworld:
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=90115

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That's it for today. Have a safe and happy week, and we'll talk again soon.
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March Events In Arkansas
March 1 - 10, 2008, German Shorthaired Pointer Assoc. Nationals, Booneville,
March 1 - 31, 2008, 30th Annual Wye Mtn. Daffodil Festival, Wye,
March 1 - 31, 2008, Wild Cave Tour, Mountain View,
March 1 - 31, 2008, Dripstone Trail Tour, Mountain View,
March 1 - 31, 2008, Step Back Saturdays: Women's Work, Little Rock,
March 1 - April 13, 2008, 11 am - 5 pm, Southern Living® Magazine 2007 Idea House, Hot Springs,
March 2, 2008, Dale Whitman Series, Trumpet and Organ Recital, Conway,
March 2, 2008, "Support Your Local Gunfighter", Harrison,
March 2, 2008, 6th Annual Little Rock Marathon, Little Rock,
March 4, 2008, Dr. John House -- What's New in Archeology in Southeast Arkansas, Pine Bluff,
March 4 - 8, 2008, "Anything Goes", Searcy,
March 5, 2008, 5:15 pm - 10 pm, Calling of the Clans, Eureka Springs,
March 6, 2008, History Day, Springdale,
March 6 - 8, 2008, Annual Spring Bluegrass Festival, Mountain View,
March 6 - 8, 2008, Mountain View Bluegrass Festival, Mountain View,
March 7, 2008, Sandwiching in History, North Little Rock,
March 7, 2008, Completely Hollywood--The Reduced Shakespeare Company, Fayetteville,
March 7, 2008, Arkansas Chamber Singers -- Timpani Mass by Haydn, Little Rock,
March 7, 2008, A Step Back in Time, Ashdown,
March 7, 2008, Eggshibition XVII, Little Rock,
March 7 - 8, 2008, Little Rock Antique Fountain Pen and Watch Show, Little Rock,
March 7 - 8, 2008, 2008 Harrison Daily Times Business Expo, Harrison,
March 7 - 8, 2008, 15th Annual Camden Daffodil Festival, Camden,
March 7 - 9, 2008, 25th Year Retreat, Eureka Springs,
March 7 - 23, 2008, Spring Break Activities, Bismarck,
March 7 - 23, 2008, "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie", Little Rock,
March 8, 2008, 26th Annual Victorian Classic 10K/2mile Run/Walk, Eureka Springs,
March 8, 2008, 7th Annual Daffodil Festival 5K Run/Walk, Camden,
March 8, 2008, Walks Through History, Fordyce,
March 8, 2008, Coast to Coast Pops Concert, Conway,
March 8, 2008, Ravi Coltrane Quartet, Fayetteville,
March 8, 2008, 11 pm, "Dutch Oven Cooking" Workshop, Des Arc,
March 8, 2008, 84th Annual A Youthful Celebration, Fort Smith,
March 8, 2008, 9 pm, Great Arkansas Cleanup, Harrisburg,
March 8, 2008, Arkansas Chamber Singers -- Haydn's Creation Mass, Little Rock,
March 8, 2008, Artifact Identification, Springdale,
March 8, 2008, 7:30 pm, Coast to Coast: From Broadway to Hollywood, Conway,
March 8, 2008, Children's Hands-on Workshop, Fort Smith,
March 9, 2008, 27th Annual Jungle Boater Race, Cass,
March 9, 2008, Bill Cosby, Little Rock,
March 9, 2008, 3 pm - 5 pm, NCAFA&E Concert Series -- Stratsimir Pavlov, Shirley,
March 12 - 17, 2008, 8 pm - 10:30 pm, The 4th Annual Valley of the Vapors Independent Music Festival, Hot Springs,
March 13, 2008, Travel Film -- Exploring Costa Rica, Springdale,
March 14 - 15, 2008, U of A Track NCAA Championships, Fayetteville,
March 14 - 15, 2008, 2nd Annual Spring Fling Extravanganza, Mountain Home,
March 14 - 15, 2008, Stars & Stripes & Pops at the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Little Rock,
March 14 - 16, 2008, Days of 3 Syllamo Stage Run, Mountain View,
March 14 - 16, 2008, 9 am - 5 pm, 40th Annual Jonquil Festival, Washington,
March 14 - 16, 2008, 16th Annual Arkansas River Valley Lawn & Garden Show , Fort Smith,
March 14 - 16, 2008, 2nd Annual Arkansas Inksplosion!, Little Rock,
March 14 - 28, 2008, Spring Break Activities, Mountain Pine,
March 15, 2008, El Dorado's 2nd Annual St. Patrick's Day Celebration, El Dorado,
March 15, 2008, Archeology Day at Petit Jean, Morrilton,
March 15, 2008, 1 pm - 3 pm, Artifact ID Day , Parkin,
March 15, 2008, Mad Hatter's Tea Party, Fort Smith,
March 15, 2008, St. Paddy's Parade, Eureka Springs,
March 15, 2008, 9 pm, Bat House Workshop, Powhatan,
March 15, 2008, North Arkansas Symphony Concert V: A Star Filled Night!, Fayetteville,
March 15, 2008, Miss Lakes of the Northwest Scholarship Pageant, Rogers,
March 15, 2008, 12:30 pm - 3 pm, Dog-Gone Easter Egg Hunt, Fort Smith,
March 15, 2008, Easter Gator Egg Hunt, Texarkana,
March 15 - 16, 2008, 12th Annual Spring Antique Show and Sale, Eureka Springs,
March 15 - 16, 2008, Bucking Stock Sale, Texarkana,
March 15 - 31, 2008, 23rd Annual Governor Conway Days, Bradley,
March 16, 2008, The Bridal Fair at Garvan Woodland Gardens, Hot Springs,
March 16, 2008, All-You-Can-Eat Pancake Breakfast, Fort Smith,
March 16 - 21, 2008, Ozark Folk School: Living the Herbal Life, Mountain View,
March 16 - 21, 2008, 7th Annual Ozark Folk School, Mountain View,
March 17, 2008, Execution Anniversary Program, Fort Smith,
March 17, 2008, First Ever 5th Annual World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade, Hot Springs,
March 18, 2008, Tango to Transfiguration at the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Little Rock,
March 18, 2008, Viva Opera! by Texarkana Symphony Orchestra, Texarkana,
March 19, 2008, "Myths, Legends, and the Nitty Gritty: How Archeology and History are Solving Questions at the Drennen-Scott House", Springdale,
March 20, 2008, 11th Annual Taste of the Ozarks & Business Showcase, Ozark,
March 20, 2008, 4 pm - 7 pm, Spring Equinox Celebration, Scott,
March 20 - 22, 2008, Pioneer Days Pee Wee Tournament, Melbourne,
March 20 - 23, 2008, 25th Annual Arkansas Fiddler’s Convention, Harrison,
March 21, 2008, Murder at MacArthur Park, Little Rock,
March 21 - 23, 2008, Easter at Lake Catherine State Park, Hot Springs,
March 21 - April 26, 2008, 25th Annual ACO Competition for NWA Sr. High Students, Springdale,
March 22, 2008, Gourd Workshop, Scott,
March 22, 2008, 37th Annual Pioneer Craft Festival , Rison,
March 22, 2008, 10 pm, Plant Swap, Pine Bluff,
March 22, 2008, Monster Truck Show, Texarkana,
March 22, 2008, 18th Annual Eureka Springs Kite Festival, Eureka Springs,
March 22, 2008, 11 pm, Easter Egg Hunt, Newport,
March 22, 2008, 1 pm - 3 pm, All About Wildflowers, Jersey,
March 22, 2008, 14th Annual Prescott Easter Egg Hunt, Prescott,
March 22, 2008, 10 pm, Easter Egg Hunt, Huntsville,
March 22, 2008, 10 pm, 6th Annual Easter Egg Hunt & Egg Toss, Star City,
March 22, 2008, 8 pm, South Arkansas Garden and Outdoor Show, Smackover,
March 22, 2008, 16th Annual Forge Fest, Scott,
March 22 - 30, 2008, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Harrison,
March 23, 2008, 2 pm, Easter Egg Scramble, Mammoth Spring,
March 23, 2008, 2 pm - 2:30 pm, Easter Egg Hunt , Hot Springs,
March 23, 2008, Community Easter Sunrise Service , Fort Smith,
March 23, 2008, 60th Annual Easter Egg Hunt, Sherwood,
March 23, 2008, 3 pm - 3:30 pm, Easter Egg Extravaganza, Wynne,
March 23, 2008, 11 pm, Easter Buffet, Mena,
March 23, 2008, 2 pm, Annual Easter Egg Hunt, Bull Shoals,
March 23, 2008, 20th Annual Community Sunrise Service, Little Rock,
March 23, 2008, Easter Egg Hunt, Hardy,
March 24, 2008, "Blast!", Texarkana,
March 26, 2008, The Masters: Joshua Bell at Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Little Rock,
March 26, 2008, Annual Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Performance, Russellville,
March 27, 2008, Stories in the Park, Hot Springs,
March 27, 2008, Paragon Ragtime Orchestra, Warfield Concerts 40th season, Helena-West Helena,
March 27, 2008, Mark Glaser -- How Technology & Internet Are Changing Our Media World, Jonesboro,
March 27 - 29, 2008, Arkansas Historical Association 67th Annual Conference, Eureka Springs,
March 28, 2008, 10 pm, Wild Ozark Spring Ephemeral Hike, Mountain View,
March 28 - 29, 2008, Medicinal Herb Workshop, Mountain View,
March 28 - 29, 2008, 18th Annual FNBC Home, Garden & Sports Show, Ash Flat,
March 28 - 30, 2008, Traces, Fayetteville,
March 28 - 30, 2008, 7th Ozark Foothills FilmFest, Batesville,
March 28 - April 12, 2008, 10 pm, 5th Annual Project Playhouse, Fayetteville,
March 28 - April 12, 2008, Project Playhouse, Fayetteville,
March 28 - April 13, 2008, "Wally's Cafe", Searcy,
March 29, 2008, 10 pm, "Dutch Oven Basics" Workshop, Powhatan,
March 29, 2008, Ozark Mountain Spirit Pageant, Harrison,
March 29, 2008, 8 pm, Junior Fishing Contest, Star City,
March 29, 2008, 8:30 pm, "Paws & Claws" Road Race and Hike, Huntsville,
March 29, 2008, 10 pm, "Now We're Cookin'" Dutch Oven Workshop, Mammoth Spring,
March 29, 2008, 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm, Star Gazing, Scott,
March 29, 2008, 5th Annual Bluegrass On The Border, Fort Smith,
March 29, 2008, 9 pm, 4th Annual Antique Power Show, El Dorado,
March 29, 2008, Sunset Kayak Tour, Star City,
March 29, 2008, 9th Annual Horse Festival, Fayetteville,
March 29, 2008, Louis Jordan at 100: The Film Record, Batesville,
March 30, 2008, Pine Bluff Symphony Orchestra, Pine Bluff,
March 31, 2008, Dale Whitman Series, Conway,
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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:

** "China, Pig Intestines, and the FDA" by Liz Borkowski Following problems with Baxter's heparin, which uses raw ingredients from China, NYT and WSJ articles explain what drug companies and the FDA are dealing with when they rely on Chinese production. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/02/28/china-pig-intestines-and-the-fda/

** "Setback for CA Ports' Air Quality" by Liz Borkowski The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco has ruled that California's regulation of pollution from ships using its port is pre-empted by the Clean Air Act, and thus requires a waiver from the EPA. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/02/28/setback-for-ca-ports-air-quality/

** "Occupational Health News Roundup" by Liz Borkowski OSHA regulations and inspections aren't keeping up with the problems in poultry processing; plus, there's news on jet-engine fumes in aircraft cabins, BP's record on fatal refinery accidents, and asbestos in Canada. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/02/27/occupational-health-news-roundup-54/

** "Diacetyl Still Around, Still a Problem" by David Michaels Although diacetyl hasn't been in the news much lately, more evidence keeps emerging that it's a dangerous substance and is putting workers' lungs at risk. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/02/27/diacetyl-still-around-still-a-problem/

** "Med School 'Not Worth the Headaches Anymore'" by Liz Borkowski An article on a shortage of surgeons in rural hospitals offers some clues about why it's hard to attract enough doctors to meet demands. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/02/26/med-school-not-worth-the-headaches/

** "What's in Your Sewage?" by Liz Borkowski New research looks at the drugs and personal care products that remain behind after wastewater is treated. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/02/25/whats-in-your-sewage/

** "USDA Inspectors Can't Keep Up" by Liz Borkowski The terrible practices caught on tape at the Hallmark slaughterhouse evidently occurred under the nose of USDA inspectors. An LA Times article explains how this can happen. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/02/25/usda-inspectors-cant-keep-up/

** "Shame on Elaine Chao" by Celeste Monforton A Savannah Morning News editorial echoes a tune familiar from the aftermath of other workplace disasters: Journalists, community leaders, and family member victims are appalled to learn that OSHA and MSHA don't work as well as our civics books would lead us to believe. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/02/24/shame-on-elaine-chao/

** "Friday Blog Roundup" by Liz Borkowski Bloggers explore vaccine issues, nanotechnology regulation, and responses to neglected tropical diseases. http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/02/22/friday-blog-roundup-63/

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.

Friday, February 29, 2008
Give The Gift Of Life

Part of H&S is making sure that we have what we need when we need it. I have no real statistic on how much blood is used due to workplace injuries illness however it is an important aspect in saving lives. Not only is giving blood important but giving platelets is essential. It takes a little longer but in just a few hours you can truly save a life.

No need to know your blood type because you will find out when you go to give your gift. Just make an appointment, show up with your drivers license and in joy the free snacks and peace and quiet. Heck take nap.

There is a shortage of Type A Platelets in St. Louis, MO. I was made aware of this issue when a wonderful women I know and is loved by many in the H&S realm went in for a treatment and had to wait for a donor. If you feel you can't give platelets please give blood. It truly is saving a life. If you can only imagine taking a loved on in only to be turned down or your loved one hurt at the workplace and not having the needed blood supply.

Below are a few facts from Blood Centers of the Pacific

If only one more percent of all Americans would give blood, blood shortages would disappear for the foreseeable future.
If all blood donors gave three times a year, blood shortages would be a rare event (The current average is about two.).
Blood centers often run short of types O and B red blood cells.

Blood Cells

Blood Cells Are Produced In Marrow - Red cells, white cells and platelets are made in the marrow of bones, especially the vertebrae, ribs, hips, skull and sternum. These essential blood cells fight infection, carry oxygen and help control bleeding.

Plasma Carries Blood Cells -Plasma is a pale yellow mixture of water, proteins and salts. One of the functions of plasma is to act as a carrier for blood cells, nutrients, enzymes and hormones.

Red Cells Deliver Oxygen - Red cells are disc-shaped cells containing hemoglobin, which enables the cells to pick up and deliver oxygen to all parts of the body.

White Cells Defend The Body - White cells are the body's primary defense against infection. They can move out of the blood stream and reach tissues being invaded.

Platelets Help Control Bleeding - Platelets are small cells in the blood that control bleeding. They form clusters to plug small holes in blood vessels and assist in the clotting process.

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. Spc. Keisha M. Morgan, 25, of Washington, D.C., died Feb. 22 in Baghdad, Iraq, of a non-combat related cause. She was assigned to the Division Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

02. Lance Cpl. Drew W. Weaver, 20, of St. Charles, Mo., died Feb. 21 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif.

03. Spc. Kevin S. Mowl, 22, of Pittsford, N.Y., died Feb. 25 at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., of wounds suffered in Baghdad, Iraq on Aug. 2, 2007, when the vehicle he was in encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis Wash.

04. Spc. Micheal E. Phillips, 19, of Ardmore, Okla., died Feb. 24 in Baghdad, Iraq, from wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

05. Spc. Orlando A. Perez, 23, of Houston, died Feb. 24 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered from small arms fire during dismounted operations. He was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany.

~~

U.S. and China Sign POW and MIA Arrangement

U.S. and Chinese officials signed a document Friday morning in Shanghai, China to formalize research in Chinese archives on Korean War POW/MIA matters.

Ambassador Charles A. Ray, deputy assistant secretary of Defense for POW/Missing Personnel Affairs, signed the arrangement with Maj. Gen. Qian Li Hua, of the Chinese Ministry of National Defense.

The arrangement outlines expected cooperation between the U.S. and China in researching the archives, which may shed light on Americans who were missing in action or held as prisoners of war in camps managed by the Chinese.

In seeking to account for the approximately 8,100 servicemen missing from the Korean War, the Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office has sought access to these archives for more than a decade.

The cooperation of the Chinese people and government has led to the recovery of the remains of Americans lost in the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Korean War and World War II. This joint archival effort is expected to open more avenues of research to enable U.S. analysts to narrow their searches for the specific locations where American remains may be buried.

The signing ceremony took place in the same Shanghai hotel where President Richard Nixon and Premier Cho En-lai signed their historic communiqué in 1972.

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) 699-1420 or (703) 509-1905.

~~

Navy Christens Amphibious Transport Dock Ship New York

The Navy will christen the newest San Antonio class amphibious transport dock ship New York (LPD 21) at 10 a.m. CST on Saturday, March 1, 2008, during a ceremony at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding facilities in New Orleans, La.

The ship is named New York in honor of the state, the city and the victims of Sept. 11, 2001. A unique characteristic of the ship is the use of 7.5 tons of steel salvaged from the World Trade Center wreckage that was incorporated into the construction process. The steel was melted and formed to make the bow stem of the ship. Use of this steel symbolizes the spirit and resiliency of the people of New York. The official motto of New York is: “Never Forget.”

Four previous ships have been named New York. The first, a gondola that served in 1776; the second, a frigate that served 1800-1814; the third, an armored cruiser that served 1893-1938; and the fourth, a battleship that served 1914-1946.

Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England will deliver the ceremony’s principal address. His wife, Mrs. Dotty England is serving as the ship’s sponsor. The ceremony will be highlighted in the time-honored Navy tradition when she will break a bottle of champagne across the ship’s bow to formally christen the ship.

Designated LPD 21, New York is the fifth amphibious transport dock ship in the San Antonio class. As an element of future expeditionary strike groups, the ship will support the Marine Corps “mobility triad,” which consists of the landing craft air cushion vehicle (LCAC), the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) and the Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft (MV-22). New York will support amphibious, special operations and expeditionary warfare missions.

Cmdr. F. Curtis Jones, of Binghamton, N.Y., is the ship’s first commanding officer and will lead a crew of 360 officers and enlisted Navy personnel and three Marines. The ship is capable of embarking a landing force of up to 800 Marines.

Built by Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, New York is 684 feet in length, has an overall beam of 105 feet, a navigational draft of 23 feet and displaces approximately 24,900 tons. Four turbo-charged diesels power the ship to sustained speeds of 24 knots. Upon commissioning in 2009, New York will be homeported in Norfolk, Va., as a part of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet.

For additional information about this class of ship, please visit the Navy Fact File: http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4200&tid=600&ct=4 .
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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

2nd Annual Calhoun Community Garden Show
Saturday, April 5th 2008
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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!!!
Psa 100 John 4:35-36 Psa 13 Eccl 7:21-22 Rom 8:5-8 http://www.e-min.org/
God is Good and Faithful CU 73 IC JFM CSP NREMT-I KC5HII

P. S. If you'd like to be added to the distribution, just drop us E-mail at KC5HII@Suddenlink.net. We offer "Da Bleat" as text, a "Blog" and as a newsletter with pictures in Word and PDF format. The latest issue is usually updated sometime Saturday. For the "Blog" version just go to one of the several addresses on the web. For the latest issue, go to http://www.bugsbleat.blogspot.com. Older issues can be found at http://www.bugsbleat_q__.blogspot.com, where _ is the quarter (1, 2, 3, or 4) and __ is the year (05, 06, or 07). We also have a site [http://bugsbleatphotos.blogspot.com/] where we post photos that I like.
Let us hear from you if we can switch you over to the "Word" or "PDF" version of "Da Bleat".
If you'd prefer to read "Da Blog" version, just drop us a note at KC5HII@Suddenlink.net and we'll switch you from e:mail delivery to "Da Bleat" Blog. We appreciate your encouragement. We also appreciate your communication when you desire to be taken off our mail list. If you are on this mail list by mistake or do not wish to receive "Da Bleat," please reply back and tell us to discontinue service to you. This email was scanned by Norton AntiVirus 2008 before it was sent.
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