Saturday, March 22, 2008

Bug's Bleat - - GCF: Child of the 80's - -

  The SAU Animal Barn
  Looking South West from the barn
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Bug's Bleat - - GCF: Child of the 80's

  A SAU Farm Goat
  An SAU Farm Cow
  An SAU Farm visitor feeds the animals
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Bug's Bleat - - GCF: Child of the 80's

  Ethan watches the Goats
  Josiah and Ethan at the SAU Barn
  Josiah with my "Driving Student", Merci Pierce
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Bug's Bleat - - GCF: Child of the 80's

  Sugar, Annette's Dog
  Our '06 Mutual Aid Training
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Bug's Bleat - - GCF: Child of the 80's

Volume 10, Issue 12 Friday, March 21, 2008

Hello All,

Thanks for all the positive comments on our Train Photo. It’s nothing that a million monkeys and a million cameras and infinite time couldn’t have accomplished.
~~~~~
Josiah, Vanessa and I saw HORTON HEARS A WHO this evening. Adapted from the famous story by Dr. Seuss, the movie begins in the Jungle of Nool. Horton the elephant hears a voice from a tiny speck of dust that is really a whole other world called Who-ville. Horton seeks to protect the speck and refuses to give it to Kangaroo, who declares, “If you can’t see, hear, or feel it, it does not exist!” Horton stands his ground and tells her, “A person’s a person, no matter how small!” As Horton becomes friends with the Mayor of Who-ville, he and the Mayor must protect Who-ville from the negative forces within Who-ville and the forces without that want to destroy it.
Some parents may take issue with Sour Kangaroo, a character cut from the same cloth as Footloose's Rev. Moore. While no one would disagree that Sour Kangaroo is clearly in the wrong, some may see her characterization (and her child's heroic act of defiance) as a dangerous undermining of parental authority.
HORTON HEARS A WHO often drags and annoys although it has some funny and entertaining moments. It also sends some conflicting messages, although the movie’s dominant message extols faithfulness, compassion, self-sacrifice, and looking out for others.
Horton's famous line—"a person's a person, no matter how small"—has been "co-opted" as a slogan by some pro-life groups.
Overall, we like “Lightening McQueen” much more.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/reviews/2008/drseusshortonhearsawho.html
http://www.movieguide.org/index.php?s=reviews&id=7688
~~~~~
While we are contending for our liberty, we should be very cautious of violating the Rights of Conscience in others, ever considering that God alone is the Judge of the Hearts of men, and to
him only in this Case, they are answerable. - - - George Washington - Thanks to Barry Brownlee
~~~~~
Shares of Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) retreated early Friday, a day after a regulatory panel advised restricting use of the biotech's drugs used for chemotherapy-induced anemia.
The panel recommended that anemia drugs be used only for a limited number of chemotherapy patients. The drugs in question -- Aranesp, Epogen and Procrit -- are known as erythropoiesis stimulating agents, or ESAs. A major concern is that they can increase the risk of death and tumor growth.
The FDA usually follows its panelists' advice.
The company's anemia drug franchise accounted for more than $6 billion in revenue last year, or roughly 42% of the total. Procrit delivered nearly $3 billion of J&J's $61 billion in 2007 sales.
~
I’m sorry that Amgen along with Johnson and Johnson may suffer some profit losses due to this (gee. J&J may only sell $58 BILLION worth of drugs without Procrit). But I’m more concerned that I may be denied the drug.
I don’t have cancer, I have “dog blood.” [At least that’s what Nancy calls it. The closest medical term is “Myelodysplastic Anemia” but, as Dr. Mendelsohn says; I’m “stablely weird” and don’t really fit that diagnosis either.] Procrit is literally keeping me functioning. The times they’ve tried to take me off of it, my blood counts have plummeted and I became very ill.
As it is, I’m still not functioning on all cylinders but the Procrit is keeping me at a level that’s survivable. Without Procrit, I may have to start weekly transfusions. I’m not real wild about transfusions (which can also increase the risk of stroke and death). Dr. Mendelsohn told me of another drug that may be released soon, but I hate to depend on it in the short term.
~~~~~
Missing Larry Norman - - http://thelighthousechurch.publishpath.com/missing-larry-norman
Friday, March 21, 2008 - jimmy Malone

I have spent the last few days listening to the music of Larry Norman. His recent death moved him up my list of "favorite" musicians. Seems I like the dead guys even better....Rich Mullins, Keith Green, and now Larry Norman.

I came in through the back door of Christianity and never quite felt accepted by the "establishment". I preferred street ministry to the pulpit because I felt more comfortable with sinners than with a lot of church people. So when my youth pastor/mentor father-in-law-to-be (long story) introduced me to Larry Norman, I was intrigued.

"Did he really just say that?" "Yea." "Cool..."

He made sense to me. He was raw, and so was I. Of course, this was 1990. My friends thought that 70's music was nerdy. So I just listened by myself.

When I learned to play guitar, I set to work to learn "Outlaw" and "Why Don't You Look Into Jesus." If I played on a street corner, in front of a bar, or on a bench in a college plaza, you better believe I sang those songs.

Sippin' whisky from a paper cup

You drown your sorrows 'till you can't stand up

Take a look at what you've done to yourself

why don't you put the bottle back on the shelf

Yellow fingers from your cigarettes

Your hands are shakin' while your body sweats

Why don't you look into Jesus, He's got the answer.

Gonorrhea on Valentine's Day

and you're still lookin' for the perfect lay

think rock-n-roll's gonna set you free

honey, you'll be dead before you're thirty-three

shootin' junk 'till you're half insane

a broken needle in your purple vein

Why don't you look into Jesus,

He's got the answer.

If it offended Christian sensibilities, I explained with Larry,"I wasn't talking to you."

I think we have pasteurized and sanitized our message to the point that we miss a lot of the lost souls of our generation. We need to dig deep, touch the aching depths of sinful hearts, and shine the light of Jesus in the real world.

Man, I miss Larry Norman.
~
Larry Norman
4/8/1947 - 2/24/2008

"The churches weren’t going to accept me looking like a street person with long hair and faded jeans. They did not like the music I was recording. And I had no desire to preach the gospel to the converted. I wanted to be out on the sidewalk preaching to the runaways and the druggies and the prostitutes.

When non-believers used to criticize the church I would say, "Yeah, I agree and I think that God is disappointed in what people have done with Jesus." And then I would go on to talk about what Christ personally said and did. It worked. I wasn’t there to argue against people’s beliefs. I was there to talk about what God’s truth is."

Larry Norman
~~~~~
SCAN ... no scheduled follow-up?! Luck as a Safety program?

A three-mile stretch of Interstate 95 was shut down early Tuesday, backing up commuter traffic for miles, as workers began emergency repairs on a 6-foot crack in a concrete pillar supporting the major corridor through the Northeast.
"Fortunately it was found, we're on top of it, and we're taking care of the situation," Mayor Michael Nutter said.
A crack about a half-inch wide was noticed by an inspector last fall. The same inspector happened to be in the area Monday and decided to check the cracked pillar.
"This crack has grown considerably since October," "It was very fortuitous that he took that look today."
Concrete at the top of the column was crumbling, leaving reinforcing rods visible from the street below, and brick-sized chunks of concrete had fallen around the base of the pillar.
Why didn't any of the millions of drivers who passed this pillar notice the crack or brick size chunks? Why didn’t the inspectors schedule more frequent inspections?

Thanks to Barry Brownlee
~~~~~
Forty years after rampaging American soldiers slaughtered her family, Do Thi Tuyet returned to the place where her childhood was shattered. "Everyone in my family was killed in the My Lai massacre—my mother, my father, my brother and three sisters," said Tuyet, who was 8 years old at the time. "They threw me into a ditch full of dead bodies. I was covered with blood and brains."

More than a thousand people turned out last Sunday to remember the victims of one of the most notorious chapters of the Vietnam War. On March 16, members of Charlie Company killed as many as 504 villagers, nearly all of them unarmed children, women and elderly.
When the unprovoked attack was uncovered, it horrified Americans, prompted military investigations and badly undermined support for the war.
Although the occasion was somber, many visitors said they drew hope from it.

When they arrived in the hamlet 40 years ago, the frustrated and angry members of Charlie Company were on a "search and destroy" mission, trying to track down elusive Vietcong guerrillas whose tactics had depleted the company's ranks.

The soldiers began shooting in My Lai that day even though they hadn't come under attack. The violence quickly escalated into an orgy of killing.

Also at the reunion this weekend was Larry Colburn, who saved many villagers from the rampaging American troops 40 years ago. Colburn was a member of a three-man U.S. Army helicopter crew that landed in the midst of the massacre and intervened to stop the killing.

Colburn returned for this year's ceremony, as he did 10 years ago for the 30th. He came the first time with Hugh Thompson, the pilot who landed their helicopter, who has since died.

"Today I see Do Ba (one of the survivors) with a wife and a baby," Colburn said. "He's transformed himself from being a broken, lonely man. Now he's complete. He's a perfect example of the human spirit, of the will to survive."

Boehm, whose Wisconsin group helped plan Sunday's ceremony, takes solace from such stories.

"If hope can rise from the ashes of My Lai," he said, "it can rise from anywhere."
~~~~~
Follow These Steps To Get Your Stimulus Rebate Quickly

NEW YORK -- The IRS will begin issuing rebate payments in May and will continue to issue them through the end of the year. Although there is little you can do to affect the size of your stimulus check, there are steps you can take to make sure you receive it as soon as possible.

Grant Thornton LLP, a global accounting, tax, and business advisory organization, gives these suggestions on how you can make it easier for the IRS to speed the review of your payment:

First step. File your tax return as soon as you can. The IRS won't calculate and process your rebate until it has the return. So the earlier you send in your return, the sooner the IRS can get to your rebate check. By the same token, avoid extensions because returns filed on extension are likely to have to wait in line behind those that are filed on time. Next step. Make it easier on your preparer. If you use a tax preparer, make sure he or she receives your complete information as soon as possible, so as not to delay the preparation of your return. Make sure your return is correct. If you file an erroneous return, you may lose your place in line while the return is corrected and you confirm the corrections. In particular, be careful with items that are central to the computation and processing of the rebate payment, such as your Social Security number. File electronically. It is easier for the IRS to process an electronic return. The agency has adopted a special procedure to allow individuals who qualify for rebates, but who do not have adjusted gross income (AGI), to report $1 of AGI in order to activate the electronic return process. Provide direct deposit information. If you use direct deposit for your income tax refund, the IRS will directly deposit the rebate payment into the same account. This can accelerate the receipt of the payment. Make sure that the account is valid, and that it remains open and available to receive the rebate payment. Do not ask for a split deposit. The IRS can only handle one account per rebate payment. If you ask for the direct deposit of your income tax refund to be split among several accounts, the IRS will not be able to directly deposit your rebate and will have to send you a check. Let the IRS know where to find you. If you move, make sure you file Form 8852 with the IRS to let them know your new habitat. If they issue your rebate as a paper check for any reason, make sure they know where to send it.

The rebate payment is a special credit that is expected to be paid outside of the normal calculation of income tax. It does not reduce the amount of refund a taxpayer is otherwise eligible for, cannot be counted as a payment of estimated taxes and will not be treated as taxable income in any year.

Copyright © 2008 MarketWatch, Inc.
~~~~~
Southeast Washington D. C. is a section of the city wracked by gun violence, despite a 31-year-old law in the nation's capital that bars ownership of handguns for nearly everyone except law enforcement.

Dick Anthony Heller is a 66-year-old who also is a resident of the District of Columbia, where he is prohibited from having a handgun in his home for self-protection. Heller sued to overturn Washington's 1976 gun-control law claiming that the D.C. law violated his Second Amendment rights.
That amendment states: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
The meaning of those 27 words, including how they are punctuated, has been argued, debated, cussed and discussed since the Bill of Rights was ratified on Dec. 15, 1791.

Now it is up to the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether Heller has a constitutional right to keep a handgun in his home, located only a mile away from the court.
No one knows what the justices will rule when the decision is announced a few months from now, but Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, who now is watched as the deciding swing vote on the divided court, appeared to side with Heller's argument in saying, "In my view, there's a general right to bear arms quite without reference to the militia either way."
During the arguments involving Heller's case, Justices Antonin Scalia and Samuel Alito Jr. appeared to support Kennedy's assertion that there is a general right for the people to own guns aside from the reference to a well-regulated militia.
Although Justice Clarence Thomas didn't tip his hand during the Heller arguments, he has previously indicated support for the idea that the Second Amendment protects individual rights to own guns.
~
Personally, I don’t believe that the gun laws have curbed crime or made us safer. I’m not necessarily in favor of everyone “Packing” but recent incidents where gunmen attacked citizens who were unarmed vs incidents where the victims were armed show that those who were armed fared better. Duh!
~~~~~
Arthur C. Clarke, a visionary science fiction writer who won worldwide acclaim with more than 100 books on space, science and the future, died Wednesday in his adopted home of Sri Lanka, an aide said. He was 90.
One of my favorite Clarke novels is “The City and The Stars.” The 10-billion-year-old metropolis of Diaspar is humanity's last home. Alone among immortals, the only man born in 10 million years desperately wants to find what lies beyond the City.
~~~~~
Speaking of science, Physicist Amory Lovins is cofounder, Chairman, and Chief Scientist of Rocky Mountain Institute (www.rmi.org) and Chairman of Fiberforge, Inc. (www.fiberforge.com). He advises governments and major firms worldwide on advanced energy and resource efficiency, and has led the technical redesign of $30 billion worth of facilities in 29
sectors to achieve very large energy savings at typically lower capital cost.

Lovins says;

"a kilogram of silicate in a solar panel can make more electricity than a kilogram of uranium in a light-water reactor."

"...Today it’s often cheaper to save electricity than to build a new hydro dam – and almost always cheaper to save electricity than to run a thousand power plants – even if building it costs nothing."

"The average [television-program] viewer can save thousands of dollars a year added to your discretionary income by bringing the waste out of the energy and water you use in your house, how you travel, what you buy and you can do good for yourself and the Earth at the same time and improve your quality of life by making more careful choices."

"There are two kinds of micropower. One is co-gen and combined heat and power. That was about two-thirds of the new capacity and three-quarters of the new electricity last year. The rest was distributed or decentralized renewables, which was a $38 billion U.S. global market last year for selling equipment. That's wind, solar, geothermal, small hydro and biomass.... Micropower surpassed nuclear power in worldwide installed capacity in 2002, and surpassed nuclear in electricity generated per year just in the last few months."

"Phasing out nuclear power should make our electricity cost not more but less."

"What we thought of as isolated pathologies, scarcities of work or hope or security or satisfaction, are not isolated at all, in fact they're intimately related, they're all caused by the same thing, namely the interlocking waste of resources, of money, and of people."

"I don't do problems, I do solutions," while being interviewed by Elizabeth Kolbert for a New Yorker article.

"Energy efficiency isn't just a free lunch, it's a lunch you are paid to eat."

"...new nuclear plants are simply unfinanceable in the private capital market, and the technology will continue to die of an incurable attack of market forces—all the faster in competitive markets. This is true not just in the U.S., where the last order was in 1978 and all orders since 1973 were cancelled, but globally."

His latest book is “Winning the Oil Endgame: Innovation for Profit, Jobs and Security” (2005) ISBN 1-84407-194-4 (Available Online in PDF)
~~~~~
Union officials in Colorado say a Qwest supervisor tried to cut down on lengthy bathroom breaks by telling workmen to use disposable urinal bags in the field.
The manager distributed the bags to 25 male field technicians, telling them not to waste time leaving a job site to search for a public bathroom, the Rocky Mountain News reported Thursday.
"We deal with a lot of silliness in corporate America, but you've got to admit, this takes the cake," Reed Roberts, an administrative director at the Communications Workers of America District 7
~~~~~
Each week the Defense Department highlights military personnel who have gone above and beyond in the war. [http://www.defenselink.mil/heroes/] - - Benjamin Marshall
Hometown: Denham Springs, LA
Awarded: Bronze Star with "V"

Separated from his platoon and nearly surrounded by eight al Qaeda fighters, Sergeant Benjamin Marshall had a decision to make: run for cover, stranding his two pinned comrades; or sprint across enemy fire and assume a position to shoot back. Marshall chose the latter, in what he would later call the defining moment of his life.

July 7, 2006, during a mission in Tharthar, Iraq, Marshall, two fellow soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter entered a farmhouse – one of several they had been searching all day after receiving intelligence on a possible al Qaeda training camp in the area. After Marshall and one of his comrades, Staff Sergeant Christopher Schroeder, cleared the first room, an unknown man darted into another room, pointed his rifle out the doorway and blindly sprayed 7.62 rounds at the soldiers from his AK-47. Schroeder was hit twice. The two men on point, the wounded Schroeder and Sergeant Williams Wills, quickly sought cover in an adjacent room as a tremendous wall of automatic weapons fire began coming down on all three soldiers.

The interpreter got out of the house but Marshall knew his soldiers could not get out unless he was able to take up a firing position outside. Looking back, he said “I don’t know how, but they never saw me.” Marshall remembers he had to run right by the terrorists in an effort to get outside, only to find a position in a dilapidated chicken coop. The terrorists attempted to close in on Wills and Schroder’s position, but Marshall’s expertly aimed shots stopped them.

As the battle wore on, it became apparent to Marshall that these were well-trained and determined fighters. As the gunfire continued inside the house, Marshall could hear the fervent chanting of the al Qaeda fighters, but the fate of his men remained a mystery. After hearing a volley of grenades near his soldiers’ last location, Marshall feared the worst. When he heard the thunderous clap of a flash bang grenade exploding near the insurgents’ position, only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.

As the platoon leader’s Humvee approached, Marshall shouted out the status of his injured brothers-in-arms to the vehicle’s gunner. His communication was critical, but it alerted the insurgents and drew fire onto his position. Round after round of machine gun fire ripped apart his thin cover, nearly taking his life. Yet becoming the insurgent’s target was exactly the diversion Marshall had hoped for to take the pressure off his fellow soldiers. This maneuver enabled the injured soldiers to signal to the four U.S. gun trucks. A Humvee, now at Marshall’s position, provided him with cover to then pull up alongside the building to evacuate the other two American soldiers.

Not a day goes by when Marshall does not think of that life-changing experience in Tharthar. In a split second he made the decision to save the lives of his fellow soldiers rather than run for cover. He picked "the hard right over the easy left," and because of that was awarded the Bronze Star with "V" device for exceptionally meritorious heroism in July of 2007.
~~~~~
The latest from Michael Yon, the foremost “milblogger” on the web.
~
We've been working on a new site for some months. Before the site was finished, hackers began attacking the current platform, so we made the decision to launch the new site early.

I'm out in western Nineveh Province working on an interesting dispatch which should go up within a few days. Meanwhile, please check out the new site by clicking [http://67.192.120.151/index.php]. Comments are welcome and will be very helpful.

My book "Moment of Truth in Iraq" is completed and will be published on April 23. Please buy an advanced copy by clicking [http://yhst-80051593642880.stores.yahoo.net/]. Reader support remains essential and very appreciated.

Please click "Guitar Heroes" [http://67.192.120.151/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=474:guitar-heroes&catid=34:dispatches&Itemid=55] for the latest dispatch.

V/r
Michael Yon
~~~~~
COMMUNICATION NOTICE: We have switched Internet Service Providers and our e-mail address has changed. You can now contact us at kc5hii@suddenlink.net.
~~~~~
This week we watched (from NetFlix):
Enchanted (2007) - Julie Andrews ... Amy Adams ... Patrick Dempsey ... James Marsden ... Susan Sarandon
Swing Time (1936) - Fred Astaire ... Ginger Rogers
Amazing Grace (2006) - Ioan Gruffudd ... Romola Garai ... Benedict Cumberbatch ... Albert Finney
The More The Merrier (1943) - Jean Arthur ... Joel McCrea ... Charles Coburn
~~~~~
This week we read; The coldest winter : America and the Korean War / David Halberstam.
Prepared for rage / Dana Stabenow.
We’re currently reading; Condi : the Condoleezza Rice story / Antonia Felix.
We plan on reading:“A war of gifts : an Ender story” by Orson Scott Card, “Sliver of truth” by Lisa Unger.
~~~~~
http://www.shelfari.com/BugsBleat/shelf?ec=7D790D174EFS18012
~~~~~
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
~~~~~
The photos on the front of this week’s “Bleat” were taken at the SAU farm as Annette, Vanessa, Josiah and Ethan fed the goats, cows and horses.
~~~~~
We’ve now got several addresses on the web for "Da Bleat." For the latest issue, go to http://www.bugsbleat.blogspot.com. Last quarter’s issues can be seen at http://www.bugsbleat4Q07.blogspot.com.
Our photos are posted at http://www.bugsbleatphotos.blogspot.com.
~~~~~
Feel free to share the "Bleat" with any and all. That's why we publish it.
~~~~~
Recipe(s) of the week - - - Vegetable-Peanut Stir-Fry

POINTS® Value: 5
Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 27 min
Cooking Time: 8 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Want to save some time? Tag team the prep work for this stir-fry with the preparations for Tri-Color Pesto Rotini, another recipe in our Cook Once, Eat All Week series.

Ingredients
2 tsp peanut oil
2 cup onion(s), chopped (about 1 large onion)
2 cup bok choy, chopped
2 cup carrot(s), chopped (about 2 medium carrots)
1 medium green pepper(s), chopped
1 medium sweet red pepper(s), chopped
8 oz mushroom(s), thinly sliced
2 cup broccoli, florets
2 cup asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces (about ½ pound asparagus)
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 cup canned chicken broth, reduced-sodium
8 Tbsp peanuts, dry roasted, chopped
4 cups cooked brown rice, kept hot

Instructions
Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add onion, bok choy, carrots, peppers, mushrooms, broccoli and asparagus; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add soy sauce and cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes more.

Whisk cornstarch into broth in a small cup and add to pan; simmer until sauce thickens, about 1 minute.

Spoon stir-fry onto rice on individual plates and top each serving with peanuts. Yields about 1 ½ cups of vegetables, 1 tablespoon of peanuts and ½ cup of rice per serving.

Notes
This dish will last in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You may add additional protein by stir-frying skinless, boneless chicken, peeled shrimp and/or firm, cubed tofu with the vegetables.

Consider adding extra flavor with fresh ginger and minced garlic.

Learn more about our Cook Once, Eat All Week series.

© 2008 Weight Watchers International, Inc.

http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/prt/recipe.aspx?Type=1&RecipeID=93091
~~~~~
BreakPoint
With Chuck Colson
The Truth about Everything
3/21/2008

Death on a Friday Afternoon

Easter for many of us is a day of family gatherings and a celebration, not only of Christ’s resurrection, but also the coming of spring. Today, on Good Friday, let’s not rush the celebration before coming face-to-face with the paradoxes that are at the heart of the Christian faith.

Those paradoxes are the subject of a wonderful book Death on a Friday Afternoon: Meditations on the Last Words of Jesus written by my friend Father Richard John Neuhaus.

A paradox, as G. K. Chesterton famously put it, is “Truth standing on her head to get attention.” Our aversion and resistance to truth is so strong that God often finds it necessary to employ extreme measures to get us to see past the lies we have embraced.

Never was this truer than on what Christians call “Good Friday.” As Neuhaus writes, “If what Christians say about Good Friday is true, then it is, quite simply, the truth about everything.” That “everything” starts with telling the truth about the human condition. And how does God do that? By paradoxically punishing the offended party, instead of the guilty one.

As Neuhaus tells us, we are all aware that “something has gone terribly wrong with the world and with us in the world.” It is not just history’s best-known list of horribles. It is also “the habits of compromise . . . loves betrayed . . . lies excused . . .”

Yet, instead of acknowledging our complicity in the world’s evil, we minimize our own faults and regard our sins as “small.” Good Friday puts the lie to that claim. If the Son of God had to suffer such a horrible death, then our sins cannot have been “small.”

The Cross reminds us that “our lives are measured,” not by us or by our peers, but “by whom we are created and called to be, and the measuring is done by the One who creates and calls.” Instead of glossing over our sin with an understanding nod, the Cross renders “the verdict on the gravity of our sin.”

Our unwillingness to see our sins as they really are—that is, as God sees them—leads us to embrace another falsehood: that is, that we can make things right. Even though our culture is, in many respects, post-Christian, it still clings to the idea of redemption. However, just as with our ideas about sin and guilt, our ideas about redemption are pitiful and impoverished.

On Good Friday, God made it clear “that we are incapable of setting things right.” He made it clear by taking our place. On the Cross, “the Judge of the guilty is Himself judged guilty.” This is, of course, the great scandal, one that paradoxically points to the great truth at the heart of Good Friday. We are powerless to set things right, and only God, the offended party, could undo the mess we created.

The Cross—God’s way of bearing witness to the truth about our condition—is as offensive today as it was 2,000 years ago. Now, as then, we insist on misinterpreting the events of that Friday afternoon, but to no avail. Our sin has been judged, and God Himself bore the punishment. And that is the truth about everything.

The original commentary first aired on March 24, 2005.

Death on a Friday Afternoon: Meditations on the Last Words of Jesus by Richard John Neuhaus.

For Further Reading and Information

Roberto Rivera, “The Truth about Everything,” BreakPoint Online, 8 April 2004.

Read more about on the “Paradoxes of Christianity” from G.K. Chesterton’s, Orthodoxy.

Bill McKibben, “The Christian Paradox: How a Faithful Nation Gets Jesus Wrong,” Harpers Magazine, August 2005.

Matt Jenson, The Gravity of Sin: Augustine, Luther and Barth on ‘Homo Incurvatus in Se’ (T. & T. Clark Publishers, April 2007).

Read a post on Matt Jensen’s book on the “Gravity of Sin.”

BreakPoint Commentary No. 060414, “Secrets, Lies, and the Resurrection: Demonstrating the Truth of Easter.”

The BreakPoint Web site and BreakPoint WorldView Magazine feature Colson’s commentaries as well as feature articles by other established and up-and-coming writers to equip readers with a biblical perspective on a variety of issues and topics.
© 2008 Prison Fellowship - - http://www.breakpoint.org/site_hmpg.asp
~~~~~
Words of the Week:
sojourn: to dwell for a time; also, a temporary stay.
chagrin: acute vexation or embarrassment.
indolent: lazy; inactive.
nefarious: wicked in the extreme.
transmute: to change from one nature, form, substance, or state into another.
acerbic: sharp, biting, or acid in temper, expression, or tone.
myriad: consisting of a very great but indefinite number; also, a very great many.
remunerate: to pay an equivalent to for any service, loss, or expense.
from Dictionary.Com
~~~~~
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!
~~~~~
"It's not what's happening to you now or what has happened in your past that determines who you become. Rather, it's your decisions about what to focus on, what things mean to you, and what you're going to do about them that will determine your ultimate destiny." - Anthony Robbins

"Exaggerated sensitiveness is an expression of the feeling of inferiority." - Alfred Adler

"It is my rule never to lose me temper till it would be detrimental to keep it." - Sean O'Casey

"An acre of performance is worth a whole world of promise." - William Dean Howells

"In any great organization it is far, far safer to be wrong with the majority than to be right alone." - John Kenneth Galbraith

"Let the fear of a danger be a spur to prevent it; he that fears not, gives advantage to the danger." - Francis Quarles

"Early in life, I had to choose between honest arrogance and hypocritical humility. I chose honest arrogance and have seen no occasions to change." - Frank Lloyd Wright
~~~~~
BREAKING CHRISTIAN NEWS
http://breakingchristiannews.com/

UK Teachers Recognize "Toxic Cycle" of Traditional Family Breakdown; Urge Government and Society to Promote Marriage
Scientists Offer New Hope for Regenerating Damaged Human Retinas
Ugandan First Lady Recognized by Parliament for Promoting Chastity in Fight against AIDS
A Woman Who's "Walked the Walk" Writes a Bible Guide for Military Wives Called Loving Your Military Man
"Spiritual Perestroika" - Former Communist Leader Mikhail Gorbachev Acknowledges He is a Christian for the First Time
Very First Christian Chapel in Qatar may Help Open Door for a Church in Saudi Arabia
Palau Crusade in Argentina of "Historic, Unprecedented" Proportions
U.S. Health Secretary Takes Stand for Pro-Life Doctors: Refusing Certification to Doctors Who Refuse to Refer for Abortion is Illegal
UK Study Finds People Who Believe in God are Happier than Agnostics or Atheists
NY Yankees Visit Helps Bring a Little More Healing to VT
A Doolittle Hero Who Did much for the Kingdom Meets His Lord
Irish Prime Minister Thanks President Bush, America, for Help in Bringing Peace to Ireland
Firemen Amazed that a Photo of Jesus the Shepherd and a Few Bible Pages are All That Remained from Completely Burned Home
German Chancellor Angela Merkel Delivers Historic Speech to the Knesset. Speaks of Germany's Shame for Holocaust
U.S. Supreme Court Set to Take On Case of Broadcast Indecency on TV
U.K.'s Royal College of Psychiatrists Agree That Abortions Can Cause Mental Breakdowns; Overturns Argument that Abortion of Unwanted Pregnancies Will Alleviate Mental Distress
Patrick, the Great Missionary to Ireland
Toddler Diagnosed with Rare Accelerated Aging Disease—Family Chooses to Persevere, Raise Awareness and See Him as a Blessing
Thousands of Christians from around the World Pack the Streets of Jerusalem in Commemoration of Palm Sunday
Children Given Vitamin D Less at Risk for Diabetes Say Researchers

310 2nd Ave SE
Albany, Oregon 97321
541-928-2642
E-mail
US Orders: 1-866-358-7426
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GCF: Child of the 80's

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

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.
---------------------------------------------

Are you a child of the 80's? If you exhibit any of the following, you probably are:

"You might be a child of the 80's if..."

1. You know, by heart, the words to any "Weird Al" Yankovic song.

2. A predominant color in your childhood photos is "plaid."

3. The three words, "Atari," "IntelliVision" and "Coleco" all sound familiar.

4. You remember when hooking your computer into your television was the only way to use it.

5. You still occasionally hum a Debbie Gibson tune.

6. You remember "Friday Night Videos" before the days of MTV.

7. You remember when they actually played videos on MTV.

8. At one time, your hair became something that could only be described as, "I was experimenting."

9. You see teenagers today wearing the same clothes you wore at that age and they still look bad.

10. One of your biggest regrets was not being able to participate in the 60's.

11. While in high school, you and your friends discussed elaborate plans to get together again at the end of the century and play "1999" by Prince over and over again.

12. You remember when music that was labeled "alternative" really was.

13. Although you hate to admit it, you just don't understand half the lingo that today's kids use.

14. You knew all the words to Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire," but it didn't hold any meaning for you until the third verse.

15. You can remember a time when "going out for coffee" DIDN'T involve 19,000 selections to choose from.

16. Kids that work in restaurants and supermarkets are starting to irritate you by calling you "Sir" or "Ma'am."

17. You're starting to realize that getting carded while buying alcohol is a good thing.

18. You know who shot J.R.

19. You ever dressed to emulate a person you saw in a Madonna, Duran Duran or Cyndi Lauper video.

20. There were at least three people in your school that voluntarily went by the names of "Skip," "Buffy," "Muffy," or "Dexter."

21. You had ringside seats for Luke and Laura's wedding on General Hospital.

22. The phrase, "Where's the beef?" still doubles you over with laughter.

23. You remember thinking the special effects in the movie "Tron" were the best ever.

24. You're starting to think that Corvettes really look good, and aren't really for someone going through a mid-life crisis.

25. Finally, this rings a bell: "...and my name is Charlie. They work for me."
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Speedy Plumber

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

A lady answers her front door to find a plumber standing there.

"I'm here to fix the leaky pipe."

"I didn't call a plumber."

"Aren't you Mrs. Snyder?"

"The Snyders moved out of this house over a year ago."

"How do you like that! They call you up and tell you it's an emergency and then they move away!"
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Lost Cell Phone

Emailed to me another humor list (Pastor Tim's Clean Laugh List) -Tom Subscribe to Pastor Tim's Clean Laugh list at the website: Subscribe
---------------------------------------------

When a customer left his cell phone in my store, I scrolled through his saved numbers, stopped at "Mom" and pushed the "call" button. His mother answered, and I told her what happened.

"Don't worry," she said, "I'll take care of it."

A few minutes later, the cell phone rang. It was "Mom."

"Martin," she said, "you left your cell phone at the convenience store."
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Six Truths of Life

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

1. You cannot touch all your teeth with your tongue.
.
2. Most people, after reading the first truth, will try it.
.
3. The first truth is a lie.
.
4. You're smiling now because you tried it.
.
5. You will soon forward this to someone else.
.
6. There's still a smile on your face.
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Irish Technology

Emailed to me another humor list (Tickled by Tony - Clean) -Tom Subscribe to the Tickled by Tony list by sending an email to: tickledbytony_clean-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
---------------------------------------------

After having dug to a depth of 10 meters last year, Scottish scientists found traces of copper wire dating back 100 years and came to the conclusion that their ancestors already had a telephone network more than 100 years ago.

Not to be outdone by the Scots, in the weeks that followed, English scientists dug to a depth of 20 meters, and shortly after, headlines in the English newspapers read: "English archaeologists have found traces of 200 year old copper wire and have concluded that their ancestors already had an advanced high-tech communications network a hundred years earlier than the Scots."

One week later, "The Kerryman," a southwest Irish newsletter, reported the following: "After digging as deep as 30 meters in peat bog near Tralee, self-taught archaeologist Paddy O'Droll reported that he found absolutely nothing. Paddy has therefore concluded that 300 years ago Ireland had already gone wireless."
_ ____________________________ _
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / I was thinking about old age \ \_/ ////
\ / and decided that it is when you \ /
\ _/ still have something on the ball, \_ /
/ /but you are just too tired to bounce it\ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / Frustration is trying to \ /
\ _/ find your glasses \_ /
/ / without your glasses. \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / The cardiologist's diet: \ /
\ _/ if it tastes good, spit it out. \_ /
/ / \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
/ It's not me who can't keep \ /
\ _/ a secret. It's the people \_ /
/ / I tell that can't. \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_____________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / A father is a guy who has \ /
\ _/ snapshots in his wallet \_ /
/ / where his money used to be. \ \
_ ____________________________ _
| Thomas S. Ellsworth |
| tellswor@kcbx.net |
| http://www.kcbx.net/~tellswor |
|____________________________|
Stop for a visit, leave with a smile! To join Good Clean Fun, email: good-clean-fun-subscribe@yahoogroups.Com To leave Good Clean Fun, email: good-clean-fun-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.Com Or visit the Good Clean Fun web site at http://www. slonet.org/~tellswor/
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A man takes the day off work and decides to go out golfing. He is on the second hole when he notices a frog sitting next to the green. He thinks nothing of it and is about to shoot when he hears, Ribbit 9 Iron."
The man looks around and doesn't see anyone. Again, he hears, "Ribbit 9 Iron.." He looks at the frog and decides to prove the frog wrong, puts the club away, and grabs a 9 iron. Boom! He hits it 10 inches from the cup. He is shocked. He says to the frog, "Wow that's amazing. You must be a lucky frog, eh?
The frog replies, "Ribbit Lucky frog."
The man decides to take the frog with him to the next hole.
"What do you think frog?" the man asks. "Ribbit 3 wood."
The guy takes out a 3 wood and, Boom! Hole in one. The man is befuddled and doesn't know what to say. By the end of the day, the man golfed the best game of golf in his life and asks the frog, "OK where to next?" The frog replies, "Ribbit Las Vegas .
" They go to Las Vegas and the guy says, "OK frog, now what?" The frog says, "Ribbit Roulette." Upon approaching the roulette table, The man asks, "What do you think I should bet?" The frog replies, "Ribbit $3000, black 6."
Now, this is a million-to-one shot to win, but after the golf game the man figures what the heck.
Boom! Tons of cash comes sliding back across the table.
The man takes his winnings and buys the best room in the hotel. He sits the frog down and says, "Frog, I don't know how to repay you. You've won me all this money and I am forever grateful."
The frog replies, "Ribbit Kiss Me."
He figures why not, since after all the frog did for him, he deserves it. With a kiss, the frog turns into a gorgeous 15-year-old girl. "And that, your honor, is how the girl ended up in my room.

Thanks to Gary Foreman
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Air Traffic (out of) Control

During a taxi, the crew of a US Air departure flight to Ft. Lauderdale made a wrong turn and came nose-to-nose with a United 727. The irate ground controller (a female) lashed out at the US Air crew screaming, "US Air 2771, where are you going? I told you to turn right on 'Charlie' taxi way; you turned right on 'Delta.' Stop right there. I know it's difficult to tell the difference between a C and a D, but get it right."

Continuing her lashing to the embarrassed crew, she was now shouting hysterically, "You've screwed everything up; it'll take forever to sort this out. You stay right there and don't move until I tell you to. You can expect progressive taxi instructions in about a half hour, and I want you to go exactly where I tell you, when I tell you, and how I tell you. You got that, US Air 2771?"

Naturally, the "ground control" frequency went terribly silent until an unknown male pilot broke the silence and asked, "Wasn't I married to you once?"

Received from Thomas Ellsworth.

(-:][:-)

First Liberty

My fiancé had been sent to basic training in the Coast Guard at Cape May, N.J., soon after our engagement, so I visited him when he was given his first liberty. That evening we had a wonderful, quiet dinner, and then we took a romantic, moonlit walk toward the ocean. But at the sidewalk's end, he stopped.

"Let's go down to the water," I suggested.

"What?" he replied. "And have the sand ruin the shine on my shoes?"

Received from "Humor In Uniform" by Bonnie Wright.

(-:][:-)

Harvest

Every year, spring enticed me with visions of succulent harvests. Yet the Army seemed to have no sympathy for my gardening attempts. Each year I planted my garden, but by the time it broke ground, I was uprooted.

Then I received word that I was to be transferred to Fort Huachuca, Ariz. Away from family, friends, and familiar surroundings, I felt as desolate as the desert scenery. But when I entered my quarters, I discovered that the entire 22-foot length of one wall was floor- to-ceiling glass, perfect for a greenhouse. Taped to one corner was this note from the former occupant:

"Outside this window are nine scraggly plants. Right now they look like weeds, but soon they will be full of tomatoes. Since I can't be here to care for them, I'm hoping you might do it.

"Enjoy the tomatoes for me!"

Received from "Humor In Uniform" by Annette P. Smith.

(-:][:-)

Family Picnic

The service area was located on a main highway leading to the beach. The pump attendant was accustomed to seeing tired and sunburned occupants in the cars that pulled in to tank up. When a rusty old van containing a very tired looking couple and six screaming children pulled into his station, the attendant tried small talk to cheer the occupants.

"Hope you had a good day at the beach! Nice looking kids there. Are they all yours, or is this a picnic?"

Wearily, the driver replied, "Yes, they are all mine, and it's NO picnic!"

Received from Pastor Tim.

(-:][:-)

Old Photos

Curious when I found two black-and-white negatives in a drawer, I had them made into prints. I was pleasantly surprised to see that they were of a younger, slimmer me, taken on one of my first dates with my husband.

When I showed him the photos, his face lit up. "Wow, look at that!" he said with appreciation. "It's my old Plymouth!"

Received from Thomas Ellsworth.

(-:][:-)

-=+=-
Rate this funny at http://www.gcfl.net/archive.php?funny=20060113
Brought to you by GCFL.net: The Good, Clean Funnies List A cheerful heart is good medicine... (Prov 17:22a) Mail address: GCFL, Box 100, Harvest, AL 35749, USA
To print or email this funny to others, go to http://www.gcfl.net/archive.php?funny=20060113
The latest GCFL funny can always be found on the web at http://www.gcfl.net/latest.php
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Madeleine Begun Kane Latest Columns - - http://www.madkane.com/haplesssurfersguide.html - - HAPLESS SURFER'S GUIDE TO PRIVACY POLICIES
Do you cringe at the very sight of yet another bewildering privacy policy? I offer, as a public service, my extremely unofficial guide to privacy policies:

What It Says: Our goal is to maintain individual anonymity and personal privacy.

What It Really Means: Our goal is to keep the Feds off our back.

What It Says: Web surfers may opt-out of providing Non-Personally Identifiable Data by following the opt-out procedures set forth below.

What It Really Means: Web surfers may opt-out of providing Non-Personally Identifiable Data by following the opt-out procedures set forth below assuming they can:
(a) find them;
(b) understand them; and
(c) complete them before being knocked off line.

What It Says: If a web surfer has elected to provide Personally-Identifiable Data, that data may be used to assist with targeting ads to that web surfer’s preferences and behaviors and for other sales and marketing efforts.

What It Really Means: If a web surfer can't afford a lawyer to translate our 3700 word privacy policy and, consequently, has provided Personally-Identifiable Data, that data may be used any way we want to including, but not limited to, an appearance on a Times Square billboard next New Year's Eve.

What It Says: We have a strict internal security policy with respect to the confidentiality of customer and other data, limiting access to only those employees who have a need to know such information for the purpose of effectively delivering our products and services.

What It Really Means: We have a strict internal security policy with respect to the confidentiality of customer and other data, limiting access to only those employees who have a need to know such information for the purpose of effectively delivering our products and services. However, due to a high-tech labor shortage, employees with a need to know will probably include ex-cons.

What It Says: Cookies help us provide a more fulfilling, results oriented experience on the web, increasing the amount of relevant data viewed by web surfers.

What It Really Means: Cookies help us provide a more fulfilling, results oriented experience on our Income Statements.

What It Says: A web surfer may choose to opt-out of receiving the benefits associated with our use of cookies at any time by following a simple procedure to manually delete his or her cookies. Web surfers should refer to their respective browser’s user manual for instructions on taking such action.

What It Really Means: A web surfer may choose to opt-out of receiving the benefits associated with our use of cookies at any time by following a simple procedure to manually delete his or her cookies, if he:
a. can locate and/or lift his user's manual; and
b. is willing to risk removing essential data from his hard drive.

What It Says: We share certain Personally-Identifiable Data and Non-Personally Identifiable Data with several partners listed below. You may wish to refer to their privacy policies for further information.

What It Really Means: We share certain Personally-Identifiable Data and Non-Personally Identifiable Data with more than thirty partners listed below, whose privacy policies are even more onerous and confusing than ours, and who change them at least once a week for sport.

What It Says: We are very sensitive to the issue of children's privacy and make every effort to protect the privacy of children surfing the web. If you believe your child has provided us with Personally-Identifiable data and you would like to have it removed, we will do so immediately at your request.

What It Really Means: We think protecting children is the parents' responsibility. However, the "Powers That Be" told us we have to pretend to be sensitive to the issue of children's privacy. So if you believe your child provided us with Personally-Identifiable Data while you were falling down on the job, we will remove it immediately at your request, even though it's all your fault.

What It Says: We make every effort to maintain the security of our network and the data we collect. However, no data transmission over the Internet can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. As a result, while we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot ensure or warrant the security of any information you transmit to us, and you do so at your own risk.

What It Really Means: We make every effort to maintain the security of our network and the data we collect. But if anything goes wrong, we'll blame Bill Gates.

http://www.madkane.com
Subscribe to MadKane Humor Newsletter (weekly) here:
http://www.madkane.com/email.html
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A fifth grade teacher in a Christian school asked her class to look at TV commercials and see if they could use them in some way to communicate ideas about God. Here are some of the results: scroll down.

God is like. BAYER ASPIRIN He works miracles.
God is like. a FORD He's got a better idea.
God is like. COKE He's the real thing. (This is great)
God is like. HALLMARK CARDS He cares enough to send His very best.
God is like . TIDE He gets the stains out that others leave behind.
God is like. GENERAL ELECTRIC He brings good things to life.
God is like. SEARS He has everything.
God is like. ALKA-SELTZER Try Him, you'll like Him
God is like. SCOTCH TAPE You can't see Him, but you know He's there.
God is like. DELTA He's ready when you are.
God is like. ALLSTATE You're in good hands with Him.
God is like. VO-5 Hair Spray He holds through all kinds of weather.
God is like. DIAL SOAP Aren't you glad you have Him? Don't you wish everybody did? (that one is my favorite)
God is like. the U.S. POST OFFICE Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet nor ice will keep Him from His appointed destination.
God is like. Chevrolet. . . .the heart beat of America
God is like Maxwell House. . . Good to the very last drop
God is like. B ou n t y. . . . He is the quicker picker upper. . can handle the tough jobs. . .and He won't fall apart on you

Thanks to Waneta
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"Don't strive for recognition, but work for achievement." -- Vanessa Malone
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| Safety from the Heart |
----------------------------------------------------
March 19, 2008
Today's Message was submitted by Ann Oxford (Baton Rouge Tower Employee)
Play It Safe, Prevent Poisonings, Lock Up Pesticides (News Release)

(Washington, D.C. - March 17, 2008) Every 13 seconds, a U.S. poison control center receives a call about an unintentional poisoning. The American Association of Poison Control Centers reports that more than 50 percent of the two million poisoning incidents each year involve children younger than six years old. In 2006, poison centers reported more than 77,000 calls made to poison centers with concerns about potential exposure to common household pesticides (potential exposures do not necessarily represent a poisoning).
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) observes National Poison Prevention Week each year to increase awareness of the danger to children of unintentional poisonings from pesticides and household products, and to encourage parents and caregivers to lock up products that could potentially harm children.
In observance of National Poison Prevention Week (March 16-22), EPA has launched a poison-prevention segment on Green Scene, EPA's new series of environmental videos. During an interview on Green Scene, Assistant Administrator Jim Gulliford, of the Office of Prevention Pesticides and Toxic Substances, discusses Poison Prevention Week, how to protect your children from toxic substances around the home and how to respond in case of accidental poisoning.
EPA is also conducting extensive outreach targeting the Hispanic communities, including television interviews to be aired on "Cada Dia," Telemundo's national morning program and the Telemundo Washington affiliate in DC. Other interviews include Univision TV and Radio and CNN Radio en Espanol.

Link to Green Scene Podcast: http://www.epa.gov

EPA's Poison Prevention Web site:
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/poisonprevention.htm

The National Poison Center hotline is 1-800-222-1222.
Contacts: (Media only) Dale Kemery, (202) 564-4355 / kemery.dale@epa.gov
(All other inquiries) Darlene Dinkins, (703) 305-5214 / dinkins.darlene@epa.gov
----------------------------------------------------
| Safety from the Heart |
----------------------------------------------------
March 18, 2008

Should you stop warming up your car on cold mornings and start driving right away?
Today Message was submitted by Pam Kemp.

Should you stop warming up your car on cold mornings and start driving right away?
It depends... a warm up consumes an enormous amount of gas. You won't hurt the vehicle by driving right away... but you will be cold till the heat is working. So this is sort of a climate dependent answer, if you're in Alaska, and the temperature is -20F *inside* your car, by all means let it warm up first.
It would benefit you knowledge wise to read thru the Safety From The Heart messages...sometimes we don't take the time to read "the rest of the story". I found this helpful info very interesting since I had always been told, and believed that if you didn't warm your car up you could damage the motor...now I know differently.
Thanks for posting.!!........Pam
----------------------------------------------------
| Safety from the Heart |
----------------------------------------------------
March 17, 2008
Gas Saving Tips
Today's Safety From the Heart message was submitted by Tammie Smoak.
33 Gas Saving Tips - Best Gas Mileage - Dump Gas Savers

1. Keep your tires properly inflated.
Buy a quality tire gauge and check the pressure of your tires before you start.... remember to check while they're cold and do it at least once a month. When your tires are under-inflated, they require much more horsepower to rotate, thus consuming more gas. Most cars have a label that lists proper tire pressure, usually on a plate attached to the drivers door. Your owner's manual has the original tire specifications and required inflation pressures also, as long as you haven't changed tire sizes, these are the numbers you want to target.

2. Lighten up and don't haul anything you don't absolutely need, around with you.
Check your trunk, glove box and front and back seats for belongings that you really don't need on a permanent basis. This won't save you a fortune (unless you have a habit of driving with the full trunk all the time) - but with gas prices headed closer to the $4.00 mark, it does save enough to consider an automotive clean out, and it doesn't cost a dime.

3. When old man winter coats your car with snow and ice, try to remove as much of is as you can, don't just clear a hole in the windshield.
Snow and ice add significant weight to your car, they also increase aerodynamic drag dramatically... which burns even more gas. As a side benefit, clean clear windows improve your ability to see, which improves your margin of safety in dangerous winter driving.

4. Remove bicycle or ski racks in between trips.
It's not really the extra weight that hurts your gas mileage; it's mostly aerodynamic drag.

5. Don’t fly flags on your car.
And don’t fly flags outside your car’s windows. Yep, your guess is correct – it’s aerodynamic drag we are talking about here... and your gas bill.

6. Do not fill your tank up completely.
Instead, keep it half full. Depending on your tank size, your car will have 50-100 pounds less to haul all the time... less weight, less gas.

7. Fill your tank at the coolest time of day.
Fuel is denser when it's cool in the early morning or late night.. Your engine consumes fuel by weight but gas pumps dispense fuel by volume. The colder the fuel is when you pump it, the more of it you get for the same money.

8. Try not to stomp on the gas anymore than you need to.
Aggressive acceleration equals maximum gas consumption. The slower you accelerate, the better your gas mileage will be. On the other hand, if you creep along like a snail, the drivers behind you will get mad. Experiment with how little “pedal” your car needs to move at a reasonable traffic speed and save your gas.

9. Likewise, try not to slam on your brakes.
The more you brake, the more you have to accelerate afterwards, and that costs money. Accelerate smoothly and brake soothly. Ideally you want to accelerate once, and then drive at a constant speed until you arrive at your destination. There are too many moving pieces to get stopping and starting patterns right every time, but the closer you get to constant speeds, the more gas you will save.

10. Use the landscape to your advantage.
If the road goes up and down, don't try to maintain a constant speed. Let your car accelerate down the hill, so its inertia will help it climb up the next hill, and let the speed decrease slightly while you are going up. Of course you have to coordinate this with the traffic flow.

11. If you have several cars, use the one with the best gas mileage for daily commuting.
That car is usually easier to park, too.

12. Plan your route to avoid traffic jams.
Because you can't avoid excessive idling, braking and acceleration while in a traffic, traffic is usually responsible for a big chunk of your gas consumed. You might avoid jams sometimes however, if you learn traffic patterns in your area and use them to your advantage.

13. Optimize your route.
The less distance you drive, the less gas you use. If you have several stops to make, see how you can route your trip to have the minimum number of miles driven. Keep an eye out for traffic jams, however – often you are better off driving more miles (sometimes even several dozens of miles) than sitting in traffic jams.

14. Consider walking or using a bicycle for short trips,
or use public transportation if convenient and cost effective. Yes, you actually save gas (and money) when you are not using your car.

15. Consider carpooling if possible.
Sure, it's inconvenient sometimes, but it's the single most efficient way to save money on your daily commute.

16. Get a credit card with 5% rebates on gas,
use it for all your fuel purchases and guarantee yourself an automatic 5% savings.

17. Should you use low octane fuel?
Maybe. If your owner's manual calls for premium, use premium. If you use regular instead, the cars computer will retard the ignition timing automatically to prevent detonation. This will have a devastating effect on gas mileage, which will more than offset lower fuel price. Detonation occurs only on full or almost full throttle, so you may be safe using lower grade gasoline in this case if you are conservative with your acceleration habits. It all depends on your driving style and how your car's computer handles the changes. It might be worth giving it a try.

18. Do you need to do a tune-up?
Maybe not. You will never recover the cost of a tune-up in fuel savings. However, you should do regular maintenance, not only for gas saving, but also for performance and reliability. Don't go to a garage and buy a tune-up, 10,000 miles before you need it because you think it will help your mileage... it doesn't work that way, sorry.

19. Do you need to switch to synthetic oil?
Maybe. Synthetic oil is great for engines, and does help gas saving a bit, by decreasing parasitic losses in the engine. But it is significantly more expensive than the regular oil, and its gas saving effect is nowhere near a trade off for its price. However, if you are already considering a switch to synthetic oil for any reason, you can surely also count on some gas savings as well.

20. Do you need to quit using A/C?
Not really. If you drive at highway speeds with your windows open, aerodynamic drag will consume more gas than A/C. At lower speeds you may want to open your windows and turn the compressor off, at higher speeds, use the A/C. It's time to close the windows at 50-55 mph for most cars.

21. Should you avoid excessive idling?
Yes, but that doesn't mean you should turn off your car at a red light or when coasting in neutral. Such solutions are unsafe, and you'll consume more gas when you start your engine back up. But do try to avoid parking or idling for any prolonged period with your engine on. Remember that your engine gives you 0 MPG when idling, so when it's running it's costing you money. On the other hand, remember that starting your engine consumes the same amount of fuel as idling for a minute or so and it also puts an extra strain on your battery, starter, and ignition switch, reducing their life and leading to their premature replacement - which will surely cost you money. You just need to apply common sense here.

22. Do you need to use cruise control?
Speed control works best on straight roads. If the road you're on has hills, you lose. Experienced drivers will disengage the control, accelerate down the hill and decelerate up the hill. Cruise control will try to maintain the speed, loosing inertia down the hill and guzzling gas up the hill.

23. Should you stop warming up your car on cold mornings and start driving right away?
It depends... a warm up consumes an enormous amount of gas. You won't hurt the vehicle by driving right away... but you will be cold till the heat is working. So this is sort of a climate dependent answer, if you're in Alaska, and the temperature is -20F *inside* your car, by all means let it warm up first.

24. Do you need to shop around for better gas prices?
Sure, just don't overdo this and burn 5 gallons of gas while you search for a better price. The price difference is probably not going to be more than a few cents, so keep this in mind and use your common sense. Use your phone or the Internet instead of driving to every gas station around. Mapquest recently started "Find Gas Prices" service.

25. Do you need to use a fuel injector cleaner?
Maybe... it is definitely beneficial to your engine's well being as well as gas mileage to have your injectors clean. Just don't overdo this and add a bottle of cleaner to every tank of fuel. Do that and you pay more for the cleaner than you can possibly save on fuel, and you are cleaning something that is not dirty enough to require cleaning in the first place. A reasonable mileage interval is 10,000 to 15,000 for injector additives.

26. Should you drive in a higher gear?
Sort of... especially in a standard shift, you want to drive in the highest possible gear, without overloading your engine. Generally an engine is most efficient around the middle of its RPM range. More specifically - slightly lower than the torque peak RPM's. If you are in too high a gear your engine RPM'S will "lug" or drag down the engine. Keeping an engine speed too low (closer to idle) will overload the engine, increasing its wear and seriously hurting gas mileage. Automatics do the thinking for you, but with manual you have to develop this skill for yourself.

27. Do you need to slow down to 55 mph to save fuel?
Not really... every vehicle has its most efficient speed in the highest gear. It differs depending on the design of the car, and things like tire pressure, open windows, bike racks, etc. The 55 mph speed limits come from the 1970s, when a nationwide speed limit was established in an attempt to reduce gas consumption at the time of an energy crisis. This attempt failed miserably by the way, but that's another story. Which does not mean speed does not matter... it does. For modern aerodynamically enhanced cars, the most efficient average speed is more in the range of 65 mph or even higher. You don't want to exceed that speed if you are trying to maximize gas mileage. At higher speeds, the main gas eater is aerodynamic drag, which is proportional to the square of your speed. That means your car needs four times more fuel to overcome the drag when you double your speed.

28. Do you need to buy a more fuel efficient car.
Sure you do! But it is probably not a good idea to dump your gas guzzler below market so you can replace it with a new Corolla. If you are shopping for a new vehicle however, considering a more fuel efficient model will definitely help.

29. Do you need to replace your air filter?
No... because on modern cars, computers compensate for clogged air filters. You lose performance if your filter is clogged, but your gas mileage stays the same.

30. Do you need to replace the fuel filter?
No... if anything, a clogged fuel filter will improve your mileage on older cars. On newer cars, the computer will compensate for most filter issues. On the other hand, if your fuel filter is clogged to the point where your engine starts starving for fuel at full throttle, then you will see... and feel... a serious loss of performance, well before it will affect your gas mileage in any way.

31. Do you need to inflate your tires up to the numbers shown on a tire sidewall?
No... Tire maker stamps *maximum allowed* pressure there. Only your car maker knows what pressure is right for your car. And it is always lower than "maximum allowed". Even though over-inflating your tires will improve your gas mileage, there are a number of major downsides. With over-inflated tires, you will experience much faster tread wear in the middle of your tires. That extra wear will have you buying new set of tires much earlier than you might expect. The cost of new tires will wipe out any savings you might otherwise realize from gas savings. Also, over-inflating your tires makes them much harder and will cause a very uncomfortable ride... rough and bumpy. Finally, if you over inflate your tires, you'll have worse traction, significantly impairing your safety. Marginal savings (if any at all) will not compensate for the significant loss in safety and comfort.

32. Do you need to use gas savers? Tornado, Ramjet, Cyclone, and other gas saving devices?
Nope... gas saving devices are not just a myth – they are an outright scam. Shoot the messenger who suggests you should buy a gas saver. I'm serious. Testing such devices was one of my responsibilities when I worked in car engine research field, and not a single device out of the dozens I happened to test, worked. Federal Trade Commission agrees, too. Do yourself a favor, stay away from such things.

33. Do you need to use higher octane fuel or octane booster?
As a general rule - no... if your owner's manual says to use regular, you are better off using regular. You will not get better mileage with premium. Computers control all of a modern cars' engine functions. Each models computer is programmed to achieve maximum fuel efficiency for that specific design. There are exceptions though. Some European and Japanese car makers install high performance engines, originally designed to run on premium gas, in selected American market models. They then turn around and de-tune those engines to run on regular gas without detonation problems. I don't know why they are doing this - it's probably driven by cheaper production costs, certainly cheaper than modifying the combustion chamber. I haven't seen any of these cars myself, but people do report them on forums. If you feed premium to one of these modified cars, you will get somewhat better mileage, but still, probably not enough to offset the extra cost of premium.

http://www.funandsafedriving.com/content-11.html
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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:
Friday Blog Roundup
March 21, 2008 in Blog roundup by Liz Borkowski | 1 comment

This week, bloggers look at who’s making decisions about coal:

At Gristmill (home of David “coal is the enemy of the human race” Roberts), Ted Nace explains how a bureaucrat’s change of one number in a spreadsheet can lead to 132 fewer new coal plants being built, but Tom Philpott warns that Appalachian coal will be mined anyway – and shipped to China.
Keith Johnson at Environmental Capital explains how Kansas has become Big Coal’s new battlefield, and the role of state courts and officials in determining who wins.
At Appalachian Voices, jdub reacts to Hillary Clinton’s remarks about mountaintop removal mining, and collects other online responses.

http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/03/21/miner-files-lawsuit-for-coal-dust-rule/

EPA Tightens Diesel Ship & Train Standards
March 20, 2008 in Environmental Health, Environmental Protection Agency by Liz Borkowski | No comments

In a welcome contrast to the disappointing ozone rule the agency announced last week, EPA has issued tougher air-pollution standards for diesel locomotives and marine engines. When fully implemented in 2030, the new standards will reduce particulate matter pollution by 90% and nitrogen oxide emissions by 80%. The new standards only cover ships traveling on inland waterways and between U.S. ports – which means that LA and Long Beach residents will still be breathing lots of pollution from international cargo ships – but EPA estimates that its benefits will still be substantial:
http://thepumphandle.wordpress.com/2008/03/20/epa-tightens-diesel-ship-train-standards/#more-831
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, March 21, 2008
CSB Safety Video

In 2005 15 workers were killed, 180 injured and countless other affected by a single BP explosion in Texas City. They were awarded our Scarlet Letter for crimes against humanity and our planet.

The CSB just released a video (Anatomy of a Disaster: Explosion at BP Texas City Refinery) that has a pretty extensive chronological view of events in 3D. It's pretty amazing and touches on all the issues that contributed to the BP blast such as as human factors, equipment safety and design.

The safety video also features the CSB investigative team, CSB Board Member William Wright, Trevor Kletz of Texas A&M, University Prof. Andrew Hopkins of the Australian National University, and Mr. Glenn Erwin of the United Steelworkers

The video is available free of charge from the CSB web site.

Just a BP 60 Minutes recap.

BP Pleads Guilty To Environmental Crime
1st BP Explosion Trial Ends In ...
BP Backs Down
Probe Of 2005 BP Blast Cites Lax ...
BP's Outgoing CEO Has Bonus Slashed
Independent Report Criticizes BP's ...
Independent Safety Report On BP Due ...
Daughter Of BP Victims Fights And Wins
BP Explosion Civil Lawsuit Settled
Report Chides BP Over Fatal Fire
Preview: Texas City
The Explosion At Texas City

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/

The Department of Defense announced the death of five soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died March 10 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device. They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga. Killed were:
01. Sgt. 1st. Class Shawn M. Suzch, 32, of Hilltown, Penn.
02. Staff Sgt. Ernesto G. Cimarrusti, 25, of Douglas, Ariz.
03. Staff Sgt. David D. Julian, 31, of Evanston, Wyo.
04. Cpl. Robert T. McDavid, 29, of Starkville, Miss.
05. Cpl. Scott A. McIntosh, 26, of Houston, Texas.

06. Staff Sgt.Collin J. Bowen, 38, of Millersville, Md., died March 14 at Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas, of wounds suffered Jan. 2 in Khowst Province, Afghanistan, when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 175th Infantry Regiment, Maryland Army National Guard, Towson, Md.

07. Cpl. William D. O’Brien, 19, of Rice, Texas, died March 15 in Baghdad, Iraq, from wounds suffered when he was attacked by small arms fire during combat operations. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.

08. Spc. Lerando J. Brown, 27, of Gulfport, Miss., died March 15 in Balad, Iraq, from injuries suffered in an incident currently under investigation. He was assigned to the 288th Sapper Company, 223rd Engineer Battalion, Mississippi Army National Guard, Houston, Miss.

The Department of Defense announced the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died Mar. 17 in Baghdad, Iraq, from wounds suffered when their vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device during combat operations. They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo. Killed were:
09. Staff Sgt. Michael D. Elledge, 41, of Brownsburg, Ind.
10. Spc. Christopher C. Simpson, 23, of Hampton, Va.

11. Sgt. Gregory D. Unruh, 28, of Dickinson, Texas, died March 19 in Mandali, Iraq, of injuries suffered in a vehicle accident. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas.

23 soldiers have been killed in Iraq this month.

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

The Magnolia Hospital Relay for Life team is selling chances to win a "Steak Dinner Party for 10." Dinner includes a rib-eye steak, baked potato, salad, rolls dessert and tea. Tickets are $5 and may be purchased from any hospital Relay for Life team member or by calling Julia Whitehead at 235-3333. Drawing will be Friday, April 11 at the Relay for Life event at Panther Stadium. The winner does not need to be present to win.
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SUNDAY-March 23 The management of Henderson's Mortuary will sponsor the 34 th annual countywide Easter egg hunt at 3 p.m. at the funeral home, 614 Calhoun Road. The event is for children ages 5-12. An egg-rolling will be held for 2-4-year-olds. Parents should accompany children ages 2-4.
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MONDAY- March 24 Columbia County Library board will meet at 5 p.m.
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TUESDAY-March 25 Magnolia Healthcare Center will break ground for its new nursing home at 2624 N. Dudney, next to Dudneywood, at 10 a.m.
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WEDNESDAY- March 26 Columbia County Veterans Service office will be closed today.
Columbia County Conservation District Board will meet at noon at the Donald W. Reynolds Campus and Community Center.
Auditions for the Magnolia Arts Community Theater production of "Arsenic & Old Lace" by Joseph Kesselring will be held 5-7 p.m. today and Thursday at St. James Episcopal Church. Production dates are May 22-24 at Harton Theater. Contact Janet Rider-Babbitt for more information, 235-9896.
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THURSDAY-March 27 The Southern Arkansas University Board of Tr ustees will meet at 1:30 p.m. in the Board Room at Overstreet Hall.
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FRIDAY- March 28 Magnolia High School will present the annual senior play, a musical entitled "Magnolia High," tonight and Saturday at the Magnolia Junior High School Auditorium. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for the 7 p.m. performance. Tickets are $5 at the door and can be reserved by calling the Magnolia High School office at 234-2610.
Students in 7-12 at Magnolia High School and Magnolia Junior High School will receive report cards for the third nine-weeks grading period.
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Church Briefs

SATURDAY-March 22 The Macedonia Baptist Church youth will have a bake sale beginning at 8 a.m. at Keith's Store on Arkansas 19 South.
A benefit program for Rev. Robert Sharp will be held at 6:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Calhoun Heights, sponsored by the Columbia District Ministers Alliance.
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SUNDAY- March 23 Bethel Church will celebrate Easter Sunday beginning at 7 a.m. with a sunrise service at 131 Bethel Rd. A light breakfast will follow.
First Presbyterian Church will have an Easter sunrise service at 7 a.m., followed by an Easter Sunday service at 10:45 a.m.
St. Matthew Baptist Church of McNeil will have Easter Sunday services at 7 a.m., followed by Sunday school and concluding with breakfast. There will be no 11 a.m. service.
Ebenezer United Methodist Church will have early service at 7:30 a.m., with coffee and donuts afterwards. Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church will have its annual youth day at 2:30 p.m. Rev. George Barnes will be the guest.
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MONDAY- March 24 Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church will have its annual youth revival at 7 p.m nightly March 24-28.
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FRIDAY- March 28 "Bow the Knee" will held at 7 p.m. March 28, 29 and 30 at First Baptist Church. For free tickets, call 234-3595.
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SATURDAY- March 29 The Pentecostals o Magnolia will host a gospel jam jubilee will be held from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m.
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SATURDAY-April 5 Chariots of Fire will pres ent a program at 7 p.m. Glover Memorial Church o God in Christ.
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SUNDAY- April 6 The Greater Harvest COGIC will have a prayer breakfast at 8 a.m. Rev. Chris Garland will be the guest.
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SUNDAY-April 20 The Village and Ebenezer United Methodist churches will have joint revival ser vices through Wednesday Ebenezer will host a potluck dinner at 6 p.m. Sunday, followed by a 7 p.m. Sunday ser vice. Nightly services will held at 7 p.m., with the Village church hosting the event Monday and Wednesday, and Ebenezer hosting the Tuesday revival. The Rev. Bryan Diffee of Timothy United Methodist Church of Camden will be the guest speaker
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Scheduled Activities
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CQ CQ all Hams. We have restarted a 2 meter net on the Willisville repeater, 146.655, every Tuesday evening at 7 PM. Please check in and spread the word. We would like to get some renewed interest in amateur radio and the ARKLA Amateur Radio Association. Will be listening for everyone next Tuesday night.
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Columbia County Amateur Radio Club meets Every second Thursday @ 7:00 p.m. Union Street Station. And YOU'RE invited. Net is every Sunday at 20:30 on 147.105.
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MCC - Mom's Day Out - Every Tuesday and Thursday from 9 to 2.$10 for the first child, $5 for the second. Call 234-3225 for reservations.
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MCC - Nursing Home Ministry - Meadowbrook Every Tuesday from 10 to 11 am. Taylor, the last Thursday each month.
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Men's Prayer Breakfast held every Tuesday morning at 6 AM in Miller's Cafeteria. If you aren't a regular participant at the Men's Prayer Breakfast, you're missing some great food, fellowship and inspired teaching of the Word. Hope to see you there.
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Emergency Phone Number 911
(Fire, Police, Ambulance, Sheriff, etc. )
Central Dispatch 234-5655
(Non - Emergency Number)
Direct Numbers
Ambulance - 234-7371 (24 Hour)
Jail - 234-5331 (24 Hour)
Poison Control - 800-222-1222 (24 Hour)
http://www. aapcc. org/
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Interested in getting in touch with the Banner-News through e-mail?
E-mail addresses for communicating with the newspaper’s various departments are: news@bannernews.net For news and sports items, Coming Events, Diary, Church News, school and civic events.
advertising@bannernews. net For retail and classified advertising.
circulation@bannernews. net To start, stop or cancel newspaper delivery or for comments about delivery.
outfitters @bannernews.net For Office Outfitters, the office supply division of the Banner-News.
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"There is not enough darkness in the world to put out the light of one candle."
"Laugh whenever you can and cry if you need to." -- "Bug"
"I read the end of the book. We win!" -- "Bug"
"We may not be able to cure the world, but we don't have to make it sicker." -- "Bug"
"There just ain't enough fingers for all the holes in the dike." - - "Bug"
"It's no big deal doing what God tells you to do. A big deal would be NOT doing what God tells you to do. Just ask Jonah." - - Paul Troquille
"A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in ... and how many want out." - - Tony Blair
"Information is the currency of democracy." - Jefferson
“Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est.” Knowledge is power. - Francis Bacon
"The problem is here and now. The time for talk is past. The time for action is now."
Comments on the first Earth Day - James F. McClellan via "Fuzzy" Thurman
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Hope you enjoy the newsletter.
Again, thanks to all our contributors this week.

God bless and GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!
Job 38:1-3 John 8:31-36 2 Tim 1:5-9 Est 4:12-14 Jer 18:1-4 http://www.e-min.org/
God is Good and Faithful CU 73 IC JFM CSP NREMT-I KC5HII

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