Bug's Bleat - - GCF: Good Ol' Boys

Volume 7, Issue 22

Hello All,

Vanessa, Jimmy and Josiah are moving to Magnolia! They’ll be here next Friday. Anyone who wants to help unload the truck, call Annette at 234-3225.
~~~~~
We’ve enjoyed the company of Vanessa and Josiah for the last week. She’s our favorite daughter and he’s our favorite “Spoiled Rotten” grandchild.
~~~~~
Uncle Cecil used to sell World Book Encyclopedias http://www.worldbook.com/. Mom had already bought a set of Grolier’s so we didn’t get any. But Dinah Sue did and we both agreed that the World Books were far superior to the Grolier’s.
In the eighth grade, I again missed a bunch of school, laying around the house day in and day out. That’s when I read the World Book. Dinah Sue shared them with me.
It’s amazing what useless facts can clutter your brain after you read a 22-volume encyclopedia.
I’ve never been good at finances or all that successful in business but I’m a killer at Trivial Pursuit.
~~~~~
I got to use some of my EMT skills again the last week we went to College Station. Just west of Buffalo, Texas, a young lady smashed into the back of a dodge truck waiting to turn left in front of us. Fuzzy and Mike would have been hit by the Dodge if they’d been ten seconds further down the highway.
At first, those of us in the vans following, didn’t know what was happening. Then we realized there had been an accident Two vanloads of EMS personnel piled out.
A volunteer fire fighter was standing by the scene, calling for an ambulance on her portable radio. She told me later that she looked up and was surrounded by EMTs.
I started talking to the girl while Ricky Shepherd climbed in the back seat to stabilize her C-Spine. Understandably, the victim was hysterical.
We attempted to calm her down and assess her while the other guys controlled traffic and assisted us.
A preliminary assessment revealed no major injuries. She was covered in blood, but that appeared to be mostly from a broken nose. (Fortunately, Joe Ward had handed us gloves as soon as we got to the vehicle.) With no major trauma to treat, we concentrated on keeping her calm and trying to keep her from hurting herself.
She kept trying to reach her purse so Ricky handed it to her. Quicker than either of us could comprehend, she’d snatched a cell phone out of her purse, dialed it and began screaming into the phone that she’d been in a wreck and was hurt bad. As quickly as possible, Ricky got the phone and tried to calm down the person she’d called. We really didn’t need another hysterical person on scene much less another wreck.
Before long, an ambulance arrived and we helped packager her and send her on to Palestine.
As usual, we’ll probably never know what her final outcome was, but this incident helped remind me why I became and EMT.
It was great to be able to help and the gratitude of the local firefighters on scene made us all feel grateful that we’d been there.
~~~~~
Annette wants me to mention that I consistently do away with her computer games when I sit down to work on “Da Bleat”. Anybody else fight about games on their computer?
~~~~~
Sgt. John Burns will be the guest speaker at “Faith Builders” small group on Tuesday, June 14 at 6:30 pm. Sgt Burns will share his testimony of drowning in an Iraq sewer canal after his Humvee was hit by an explosive device and how his troops risked their lives to pull him out of the submerged vehicle. You and the rest of the public are invited. Call Annette at 234-3225 for more information.
~~~~~
A Statement from Charles W. Colson on the Disclosure of “Deep Throat”

I am truly shocked that Mark Felt indeed turns out to be “Deep Throat.” I knew him and worked with him closely and considered him completely trustworthy.

I can understand why Mark Felt believed he needed to address the wrongs going on in the Nixon administration. But even crediting Mark Felt with the most noble motives, I would question the course of action he chose. By the end of my tenure in the Nixon White House and through the Watergate debacle, I myself learned the hard way that the ends do not justify the means.

I am disappointed in Mark for choosing the media as the way to expose the corruption. If he felt that the wrongs of the Nixon administration had to be remedied, he should have walked into the F.B.I. Director’s office and told him so, and if necessary walked in to the president.

No matter how Felt may justify his actions, it is not honorable to leak classified information to the press. Governments cannot function if the chief executive cannot trust people who hold sensitive positions, and there are few positions more sensitive than the deputy director of the FBI. A president has to be able deal with someone in a sensitive position without worrying that his conversations are going to be disclosed to the press.

In one sense, I am glad that the long, suspenseful hunt for “Deep Throat” is over, but I think it is a sad chapter for the twilight of Mark Felt’s life.

Charles W. Colson, known during the Nixon administration as the White House “hatchet man,” served as special counsel to President Nixon. In 1974, he pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in the Watergate-related Daniel Ellsberg case, and became the first member of the administration to be incarcerated for Watergate-related charges. Colson served seven months in prison. Colson reflects on his own responsibility in Watergate and why he did not react more quickly to what he saw happening in his new book The Good Life, which will be released next month.

In 1976, Colson founded Prison Fellowship, the largest prison outreach and criminal justice reform organization in the world.
~~~~~
Mosquitoes are swarming as the U.S. Braces for the West Nile Virus Season

West Nile was long considered a serious problem only for the elderly and frail, and more of a nuisance illness for everyone else. Now a surprising number of patients shows the virus is more threatening than widely believed - and new research finds that even so-called mild cases of West Nile fever can impair people for weeks or months.
It's sobering news as the nation gears up for a seventh season of the mosquito-borne virus.
http://www.mosquito.org/info.php
~~~~~
Attorney General Mike Beebe alerted consumers that, beginning June 1, 2005, Arkansans will be able to receive one free report of their credit history every 12 months. This report is the primary source of consumer credit information, and monitoring it closely can help prevent or detect identity theft.

“Your credit history is the cornerstone of your financial future,” Beebe said. “A good credit record will help you secure good rates for major purchases. It is vital to closely watch your personal history to make sure that you are not taking actions that will negatively impact your credit score and to ensure that identity thieves are not trying to secure lines of credit in your name.”

Thanks to the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act of 2003, the three nationwide credit-reporting companies – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion – are now accepting requests from consumers for free annual credit reports. The only legitimate way to receive a free credit report under the new law is to personally request one directly from the credit-reporting bureaus. There will be no costs associated with the report. The credit bureaus may try to sell you additional in-depth credit information and services when you request your free report, but that is an option you may choose or refuse.

Beginning June 1, you can obtain your credit report at no cost by calling (877) 322-8228 or applying online at www.annualcreditreport.com.

Obtaining credit information is one of the easiest ways for scam artists to steal your identity. If consumers wish to obtain a credit report, they should give out personal information only to the credit-reporting company directly. Any offer by an outside business to assist you in obtaining your free credit report under the new federal law is a scam. Never give out your personal information unless you are positive about who the recipient is.

Beebe offered these tips for improving your credit score and credit history:

Always pay your bills on time.

If you know you’re going to be late with a payment, contact the company immediately to try to keep some of the late-payment notations off your record.

Keep your credit-card balance low, and don’t open new credit accounts you don’t need.

If you do have credit problems, don’t fall for scams promising quick credit repair. Repairing bad credit and improving your credit score take time.

For information on other consumer matters, contact the Public Protection Division of the Attorney General’s Office at Suite 200, 323 Center Street, Little Rock, AR 72201. The office can be reached by calling 682-2341 (Little Rock) or 1-800-482-8982. Spanish-speaking consumers can also call (501) 683-3130. TDD service is available for the hearing impaired at 682-6073.
~~~~~
Here's an cute guessing game with a Star Wars twist:
http://www.sithsense.com/flash.htm
–
Thanks to Terry Stockdale -- Baton Rouge, LA
My website: http://www.terrystockdale.com
My blog: http://www.TheNextWindow.com
~~~~~
America's unquenched thirst for gasoline is stretching the nation's refineries to their limits. Even so, no new refineries are likely to be built soon, and that helps ensure that gas prices will stay high as America becomes increasingly dependent on foreign-made gasoline.

The last refinery built in the US was in Louisiana in 1976. Two big obstacles to refinery construction are environmental red tape and resulting low return on investment. Average ROI for a refinery is 3% to 4%, much to low to attract investors.

Our nation is already importing 15% of our gasoline. We’re becoming more and more dependent on foreign supply. One refinery failure could cause a HUGE spike in gas prices with a resultant crash of the stock market, not to mention the problems that gas shortages would cause.

We need to take two immediate actions. 1) Work together as a nation to conserve. Coordinated conservation efforts could drop refinery capacity demands from the high 90s into the low 90s or more. 2) Encourage refinery construction by investing in mutual funds targeting refineries.
- - http://news.yahoo.com/s/krwashbureau/_bc_refineries_wa;_ylt=AqmDLfQW3whKo868eJBnk8RG2ocA;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl
~~~~~
Don't forget ... "Da Bleat" is now on the web. Just go to http://bugsbleatnew.blogspot.com
~~~~~
Feel free to share the "Bleat" with any and all. That's why we publish it.
~~~~~
www.aaa.com Regular Mid Premium Diesel
Current Avg. $2.09 $2.22 $2.30 $2.24
http://www.fuelgaugereport.com/
~~~~~
Recipe of the week; Market Basket Chicken Vegetable Stir-fry Recipe courtesy Kathleen Daelemans Show: Cooking Thin Episode: Single in the City


Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 6 servings



1-tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced scallions
1 pound boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, sliced into strips
1-cup broccoli spears
1-cup julienned carrots
½ pound green beans, chopped
½ cup julienned red pepper
1 cup quartered button mushrooms
3 heads baby bok choy, chopped
Low sodium teriyaki sauce


Heat the oil in a wok over high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and scallions. Cook until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken. Sauté until the edges are brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the broccoli, carrots, and green beans to the wok. Cook approximately 5 to 8 minutes, until the vegetables begin to become tender. Add the red pepper, mushrooms, bok choy, and teriyaki sauce to the wok, cook approximately 5 to 8 minutes more, or until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are done to your likeness. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve immediately.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_19566,00.html
~~~~~
BREAKPOINT Commentaries
by Chuck Colson. - Prison Fellowship

Back to Basics
Evil Makes a Comeback

BreakPoint with Charles Colson
June 3, 2005

Note: This commentary was delivered by Prison Fellowship President Mark Earley.

When the New York Times is willing to consider the possibility that evil exists, you have to wonder what’s really going on.

Joking aside, the Times ran an intriguing article, titled, “For the Worst of Us, the Diagnosis May Be ‘Evil.’” It gives valuable insight into a secularized culture grappling with the question of what makes people do bad things.

Author Benedict Carey writes, “Most psychiatrists . . . avoid the word evil, contending that its use would precipitate a dangerous slide from clinical to moral judgment that could put people on death row unnecessarily and obscure the understanding of violent criminals. Still,” he writes, “many career forensic examiners say their work forces them to reflect on the concept of evil, and some acknowledge they can find no other term for certain individuals they have evaluated.”

These psychiatrists are dealing with people who commit acts of almost unbelievable savagery. It seems that the more of these criminals they encounter, the less prepared they are to account for this kind of behavior. It’s making some psychiatrists rethink a lot of their ideas.

At Prison Fellowship, we know. For more than thirty years we have labored in the prisons of America, and we have seen evil face-to-face—and redemption, too.

Carey explains, “A group at New York University has been developing what it calls a depravity scale, which rates the horror of an act by the sum of its grim details. And a prominent personality expert at Columbia University has published a 22-level hierarchy of evil behavior. . . . He is now working on a book urging the profession not to shrink from thinking in terms of evil when appraising certain offenders, even if the E-word cannot be used as part of an official examination or diagnosis.”

For the Christian, all this talk of evil feels just a little like going back to kindergarten. Evil is a concept so central to the Biblical worldview—a worldview that teaches us that the germs of evil can be found, not only in serial killers, but also inside every human heart. You’d think that would be common sense.

So why are psychiatrists just now beginning to face up to this—the existence of evil? Well, the idea of a “therapeutic culture,” as some call it, is a tempting one. If bad behavior is just an aberration that can be cured through medical or psychiatric treatment, it keeps us from having to deal with the uncomfortable idea that every person is capable of such behavior. It also reinforces the belief that this world is all there is, a belief that many scientists prefer. As forensic psychiatrist Dr. Park Dietz put it, “I think the main reason it’s better to avoid the term evil, at least in the courtroom, is that for many it evokes a personalized Satan, the idea that there is supernatural causation for misconduct.” It’s so much more appealing to believe that all misconduct can be explained in scientific terms.

The problem, of course, is, once you start exploring what human beings are capable of, that belief just doesn’t hold water anymore. And the belief in evil suddenly doesn’t look so silly or childish. It starts to look as if the Biblical explanation may have been the right one after all.

For further reading and information:

Today’s BreakPoint offer: The Problem of Evil by Charles Colson and Nancy Pearcey.

Benedict Carey, “For the Worst of Us, the Diagnosis May Be ‘Evil,’” New York Times, 8 February 2005. Reprinted by All about Psychotherapy.

“Psychiatrist Brings Back Concept of Evil,” HealthyPlace.com, 13 February 2005.

Frank Furedi, Therapy Culture (Routledge, 2004).

Armand Nicholi, The Question of God (Free Press, 2003).

Copyright 2005 Prison Fellowship Ministries. Reprinted with permission. "BREAKPOINT with Chuck Colson" is a radio ministry of Prison Fellowship Ministries. Prison Fellowship Ministries may withdraw or modify this grant of permission at any time. To receive "BREAKPOINT" commentaries daily, you can subscribe for free at http://www. breakpoint. org/.
~~~~~
Words of the Week:
fetter: a restraint; also, to impose restraints on.
tumid: swollen; bulging; also, bombastic.
agglomeration: a cluster or mass.
onize: to treat or regard as an object great interest or importance.
finical: finicky.
pliant: easily bent or flexed; also, easily influenced; compliant.
dissemble: to hide under a false appearance; also, to assume a false appearance.
recreant: cowardly; also, unfaithful or disloyal.
from Dictionary.Com
~~~~~
If you want your dreams to come true, don't oversleep. ~ Yiddish Proverb

"Knowledge is of two kinds: we know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information upon it." - Samuel Johnson

"Happiness is a state of consciousness which proceeds from the achievement of one's values." - Ayn Rand

"You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation." - Plato

"The earthly paradise is where I am." - Voltaire

"I have always suspected that too much knowledge is a dangerous thing. It is a boon to people who don't have deep feelings; their pleasure comes from what they know about things, and their pride from showing off what they know. But this only emphasizes the difference between the artist and the scholar." - Margaret Anderson

"A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself." - Joseph Campbell

"You cannot believe in honor until you have achieved it. Better keep yourself clean and bright: you are the window through which you must see the world." - Sir Walter Besant
~~~~~
Many people will walk in and out of your life. But only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.

To handle yourself, use your head; To handle others, use your heart.

Anger is only one letter short of danger.

Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people.

He, who loses money, loses much; He, who loses a friend, loses much more; He, who loses faith, loses all.

Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself.

Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is mystery.

God bless America - And those who defend her..

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GCF: Good Ol' Boys

Found at The Shark Tank (Computerworld) -Tom http://www.computerworld.com/departments/opinions/sharktank/0,4885,101881,00.html

If this was forwarded to you, please consider your own subscription to Good Clean Fun. It's free! A smile will enhance the quality of your life. Just send an email to: good-clean-fun-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or visit the Good Clean Fun web site http://www.slonet.org/~tellswor/ UNSUBSCRIBE INFO for Good Clean Fun is at the end of this email.
This email was scanned by Norton AntiVirus 2005 before it was sent.
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This IT manager works at a manufacturing plant where, he says, friendship is thicker than employment.

"Management has often suspected some of the good ol' boys clocking in their buddies who routinely come in late," he reports. "The union contract specifically stated no surveillance systems are allowed, and management couldn't prove anything until the day one of the gang called in sick shortly after his shift started -- but he was already clocked in!"

Plant boss is at his wits' end. But the manager gets an idea. He's already made friends with one of the plant's more popular workers, who likes to tinker with computers, and fish thinks the guy might be willing to help.

"I was happy to give him obsolete equipment and help him with computer problems, so we'd built a nice rapport," he says. "And he was an honest fellow -- in fact, he was quite upset that the others were stealing from the company.

"So the morning after a long holiday weekend, he went out and stood by the time clock with a laptop and looked up at a dark area of the ceiling 45 feet high. Then he looked at the screen and hit some random keys.

"He did this a few times until he made sure some of the workers noticed him out there, and then went back into the office.

A little while later, the manager sends the worker out to stand by the clock and wave his hand at the ceiling. After a minute or two, he comes out of the office and tells him, "That's great, thanks."

It's not long before other shop workers ask their co-worker what he was doing. "He just replied, 'Oh, nothing,' with a big grin," the manager says. "They said, 'They put in a camera system, didn't they?' to which the worker just replied, 'I don't know what you're talking about.'

"Rumors of a surveillance system spread like wildfire. The union obviously couldn't prove that a camera system was installed, because there never was one.

"And the good ol' boys stopped clocking in their buddies -- because now they thought they'd get caught for sure."
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Fish Heads

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

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A customer at Green's Gourmet Grocery marveled at the proprietor's quick wit and intelligence.

"Tell me, Green, what makes you so smart?"

"I wouldn't share my secret with just anyone," Green replies, lowering his voice so the other shoppers won't hear. "But since you're a good and faithful customer, I'll let you in on it. Fish heads. You eat enough of them, you'll be positively brilliant."

"You sell them here?" the customer asks.

"Only $4 apiece," says Green.

The customer buys three. A week later, he's back in the store complaining that the fish heads were disgusting and he isn't any smarter.

"You didn't eat enough, " says Green. The customer goes home with 20 more fish heads. Two weeks later, he's back and this time he's really angry.

"Hey, Green," he says, "You're selling me fish heads for $4 a piece when I can buy the whole fish for $2. You're ripping me off!"

"You see?" says Green. "You're smarter already."
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Easy Operation?

Emailed to me from another humor list (The Funnies) -Tom To subscribe to The Funnies, send a blank email to: andychaps_the-funnies-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
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A man was wheeling himself frantically down the hall of the hospital in his wheelchair, just before his operation.

A nurse stopped him and asked, "What's the matter?"

He said, "I heard the nurse say, 'It's a very simple operation, don't worry. I'm sure it will be all right.'"

"She was just trying to comfort you. What's so frightening about that?"

"She wasn't talking to me. She was talking to the doctor!"
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Reluctant Doctor Visit

Emailed to me from another humor list (Marty's Joke of the Day) -Tom To subscribe to Marty's Joke of the Day, send a blank email to: martysjotd-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
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The hunched-back man decides very reluctantly, that he should go see a doctor after a few too many people have started to comment on his back.

DOCTOR: I need for you to get undressed, sir. (Hunchback removes jacket and then stops)

HUNCHBACK: I really don't like getting undressed, doctor.

DOCTOR: If you want me to examine your back you'll have to get undressed. (Hunchback removes his shirt but leaves his t-shirt on)

HUNCHBACK: I don't like showing people my back. They always laugh at me.

DOCTOR: Do you want me to examine your back or not? (Very reluctantly, the hunchback removes his t-shirt)

DOCTOR: Ah...just how long is it since you were in school?

HUNCHBACK: Gosh, over 20 years, doctor. Why?

DOCTOR: Did you ever wonder all those years what happened to your backpack?
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Not Me!

Emailed to me from another humor list (The Funnies) -Tom To subscribe to The Funnies, send a blank email to: andychaps_the-funnies-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
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An off-duty police officer, familiar with radar speed checking equipment, drove through a school zone within the legal speed limit when suddenly the flash of a camera went off, taking a picture of his car and license plate.

The officer, thinking the radar was in error, drove by again; even more slowly. Another flash. He did it again for a third time, at an even slower speed. Same result. So, he made a note to himself to contact the traffic department and tell them that their machine wasn't working properly.

A few weeks later, the off-duty police officer received an envelope from the police department containing three traffic citations, each of them were for NOT wearing a seat belt.
_ ____________________________ _
(((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / "As long as there are tests, \ /
\ _/ there will be prayer \_ /
/ / in public schools." \ (((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / Answer: A, B, C, D, E, F, & G. \ /
\ _/ Question: Name the early \_ /
/ / versions of Preparation H. \ - Carnac
(((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / Good government. \ /
\ _/ Good government. \_ /
/ / Sit. Stay. \ (((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / Sometimes I wake up grumpy. \ /
\ _/ Other times I let her sleep. \_ /
/ / \ (((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / I'm on a 30 day diet. \ /
\ _/ So far, I've lost \_ /
/ / 15 days. \ _ ____________________________ _
/ )| Thomas S. Ellsworth |( / / | tellswor@slonet.org | \ _( (_ | http://www.slonet.org/~tellswor | _) )_
_( (_ | *** Good Clean Fun *** | _) )_
(((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_|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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[GCFL.net] The Greatest

A little boy was overheard talking to himself as he strutted through the backyard, wearing his baseball cap and toting a ball and bat. "I'm the greatest hitter in the world," he announced.

Then, he tossed the ball into the air, swung at it, and missed.

"Strike One!" he yelled. Undaunted, he picked up the ball and said again, "I'm the greatest hitter in the world!"

He tossed the ball into the air. When it came down he swung again and missed. "Strike Two!" he cried.

The boy then paused a moment to examine his bat and ball carefully. He spit on his hands and rubbed them together. He straightened his cap and said once more, "I'm the greatest hitter in the world!"

Again he tossed the ball up in the air and swung at it. He missed. "Strike Three!"

"Wow!" he exclaimed. "I'm also the greatest pitcher in the world!"

Received from Jack Stone.
-=+=-
[GCFL.net] God and the Professor

An atheist professor was teaching a college class and he told the class that he was going to prove that there was no God. He said, "God if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform. I'll give you 15 minutes!"

Ten minutes went by. He kept taunting God, saying, "Here I am God, I'm still waiting." He got down to the last couple of minutes and a big 240-pound football player happened to walk by the door and heard what the professor said. The football player walked into the classroom and in the last minute, hit the professor full force, sending him flying off the platform.

The professor got up, obviously shaken, and said, "Where did you come from, and why did you do that?"

The football player replied, "God was busy; He sent me!"

Received from Jeffrey A. Smith.
-=+=-
[GCFL.net] Beach Vacation

After being nearly snowbound for two weeks last winter, a Seattle man departed for his vacation to Miami Beach, where he was to meet his wife the next day at the conclusion of her business trip. They were looking forward to pleasant weather and a nice time together.

Unfortunately, there was some sort of mix up at the boarding gate, and the man was told he would have to wait for a later flight. He tried to appeal to a supervisor but was told the airline was not responsible for the problem and it would do no good to complain.

Upon arrival at the hotel the next day, he discovered that Miami Beach was having a heat wave, and its weather was almost as uncomfortably hot as Seattle's was cold.

The desk clerk gave him a message that his wife would arrive as planned. He could hardly wait to get to the pool area to cool off, and quickly sent his wife an e-mail via his palmtop PC, but due to his haste, he made an error in the address.

His message therefore arrived at the home of an elderly preacher's wife whose even older husband had died only the day before.

When the grieving widow opened her e-mail, she took one look at the monitor, let out an anguished scream, and fell to the floor passed out. Her family rushed to her room where they saw this message on the screen:

Honey, departed yesterday as you know.
Just now got checked in.
Some confusion at the gate.
Appeal was denied.
Received confirmation of your arrival tomorrow.

Your loving husband.

P.S. Things are not as we thought. You're going to be surprised at how hot it is down here.

Received from Nancy Woolson.
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[GCFL.net] Christians Changing Light Bulbs

How many Christians does it take to change a light bulb?

Charismatic: Only one. Hands already in the air.

Pentecostal: Ten. One to change the bulb, and nine to pray against spirit of darkness.

Presbyterians: None. Lights will go on and off at predestined times.

Roman Catholic: None. Candles only.

Baptists: At least 15. One to change the light bulb, and three committees to approve the change and decide who brings the potato salad and fried chicken.

Episcopalians: Three. One to call the electrician, one to mix the drinks, and one to talk about how much better the old one was.

Mormons: Five. One man to change the bulb, and four wives to tell him how to do it.

Unitarians: We choose not to make a statement either in favor of or against the need for a light bulb. However, if in your own journey you have found that light bulbs work for you, that is fine. You are invited to write a poem or compose a modern dance about your light bulb for the next Sunday service in which we will explore a number of light bulb traditions, including: incandescent, fluorescent three way, long-life and tinted, all of which are equally valid paths to luminescence.

Methodists: Undetermined. Whether your light is bright, dull, or completely out, you are loved. You can be a light bulb, turnip bulb, or tulip bulb. Church-wide lighting service is planned for Sunday. Bring bulb of your choice and a covered dish.

Nazarene: Six. One woman to replace the bulb while five men review church lighting policy.

Lutherans: None. Lutherans don't believe in change.

Amish: What's a light bulb?

Received from Cathy Gilstra
-=+=-
[GCFL.net] The Light Bulb

Two factory workers were talking.

"I think I'll take some time off from work." said the man.

"How do you think you'll do that?" said the blonde.

He proceeded to climb up to the rafters and hung from them upside down.

The boss walked in, saw the worker hanging from the ceiling, and asked him what on earth he was doing.

"I'm a light bulb," answered the guy.

"I think you need some time off," said the boss.

So, the man jumped down and walked out of the factory.

The blonde began walking out too.

The boss asked her where she thought she was going.

The blonde answered, "Home. I can't work in the dark."

Received from Christie Jensen.
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Recently, I was diagnosed with A. A. A. D. D. - Age Activated

Attention Deficit Disorder.

This is how it manifests:

I decide to water my garden.

As I turn on the hose in the driveway, I look over at my car and decide my car needs washing.

As I start toward the garage, I notice that there is mail on the porch table that I brought up from the mailbox earlier.

I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car.

I lay my car keys down on the table, put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table, and notice that the can is full.

So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the garbage first.

But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the garbage anyway, I may as well pay the bills first.

I take my checkbook off the table, and see that there is only one check left.

My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go inside the house to my desk where I find the can of Coke that I had been drinking.

I'm going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the Coke aside so that I don't accidentally knock it over.

I see that the Coke is getting warm, and I decide I should put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold.
As I head toward the kitchen with the Coke a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye--they need to be watered.

I set the Coke down on the counter, and I discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morning.

I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I'm going to water the flowers.

I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and suddenly I spot the TV remote. Someone left it on the kitchen table.

I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I will be looking for the remote, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers.

I pour some water in the flowers, but quite a bit of it spills on the floor.

So, I set the remote back down on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill.

Then I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.

At the end of the day:

the car isn't washed
the bills aren't paid
there is a warm can of Coke sitting on the counter
the flowers don't have enough water
there is still only one check in my check book
I can't find the remote
I can't find my glasses

I don't remember what I did with the car keys.

Then when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day long, and I'm really tired.

I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e-mail.

Do me a favor, will you? Forward this message to everyone you know, because I don't remember to whom it has been sent.

Don't laugh - - if this isn't you yet, your day is coming!

GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY.

GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.

LAUGHING AT YOURSELF IS THERAPEUTIC!

Have a Great Day! Remember to Smile
Thanks to Bubba Whittemore
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Welcome to You Make Me Laugh, a free newsletter from Crosswalk.com, the world's largest Christian website.
Today's Clean Laugh

Light Confusion

A little boy forgot his lines in a Sunday School presentation.

His mother, sitting in the front row to prompt him, gestured and formed the words silently with her lips, but it didn't help. Her son's memory was blank.

Finally she leaned forward and whispered the cue, "I am the light of the world."

The child beamed and with great feeling and a loud, clear voice said, "My mother is the light of the world."

*Thanks to Pastor Tim for this joke!*
http://www.cybersalt.org/cleanlaugh

Military Computer

Officers at a military installation were being lectured about a new computer. The training officer said the computer was able to withstand nuclear and chemical attacks.

Suddenly, he saw that one of the officers had a cup of coffee and yelled, "There will be no eating or drinking in this room! You'll have to get rid of that coffee."

The officer said meekly, "Sure, but why?"

"Because a coffee spill could ruin the keyboard."

*Thanks to Pastor Tim for this joke!*
http://www.cybersalt.org/cleanlaugh

Picnic Pains

The minister's little six-year-old girl had been so naughty during the week, that her mother decided to give her the worst kind of punishment. She told her she couldn't go to the Sunday School Picnic on Saturday.

When the day came, her mother felt she had been too harsh and changed her mind. When she told the little girl she could go to the picnic, the child's reaction was one of gloom and unhappiness.

"What's the matter? I thought you'd be glad to go to the picnic." her mother said.

"It's too late!" the little girl said. "I've already prayed for rain!"

*Thanks to Pastor Tim for this joke!*
http://www.cybersalt.org/cleanlaugh

Spelling Information

"Information? I need the number of the Caseway Insurance Company."

"Would you spell that, please?"

"Certainly. C as in sea. A as in aye. S as in sea. E as in eye. W as in why. A as in are. Y as in you."

"Just a minute, sir. I'll connect you with my supervisor."

*Thanks to Pastor Tim for this joke!*
http://www.cybersalt.org/cleanlaugh

Purse Contents

As the bus pulled away, I realized I had left my purse under the seat. Later I called the company and was relieved that the driver had found my bag.

When I went to pick it up, several off-duty bus drivers surrounded me. One man handed me my pocketbook, two typewritten pages and a box containing the contents of my purse.

"We're required to inventory lost wallets and purses," he explained. "I think you'll find everything there."

As I started to put my belongings back into the pocketbook, the man continued, "I hope you don't mind if we watch. Even though we all tried, none of us could fit everything into your purse and we'd like to see just how you do it."

*Thanks to Pastor Tim for this joke!*
http://www.cybersalt.org/cleanlaugh

*Eye Laugh*

"Usual Suspects"
http://www.cybersalt.org/go.php?id=cw444

"Replacement Parts"
http://www.cybersalt.org/g05.php?id=54

"Dog House"
http://www.cybersalt.org/g05.php?id=55

"Hide and Seek"
http://www.cybersalt.org/g05.php?id=56

"Barrel Need"
http://www.cybersalt.org/g05.php?id=57

Daily devotionals are available at http://link.Crosswalk.Com/UM/T.asp?A1. 39. 17757. 1. 494611 You can access more information on Crosswalk's Fun page http://www.Crosswalk.Com/fun/! Crosswalk gives credit to the author of a joke when author is known. Feel free to send notification to admin@cybersalt.org in cases where credit has not been given to the author! -SUBSCRIPTION INFO- * Copyright2004 Crosswalk.Com, Inc. and its Content Providers. All rights reserved. Introducing www.Crossguide.Com Where Christians find Products, Services & Ministries.
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"Don't strive for recognition, but work for achievement." -- Vanessa Malone
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Madeleine Begun Kane Latest Columns - - http://www.madkane.com/haplesshome.html - - Hapless Home Buyer's Guide "The road to buying a house is paved with dwindling bank accounts, devious brokers, and home owners who (you hope) are desperate to sell. Yes, it's a challenge. But with the help of these easy to follow instructions, you can negotiate your way into unthinkable debt..."
http://www.madkane.com
http://www.madkane.com/notable.html (Notables Weblog)
http://www.madkane.com/bush.html (Dubya's Dayly Diary)
Subscribe to MadKane Humor Newsletter (weekly) here:
http://www.madkane.com/email.html
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National Spelling Bee - - http://www.spellingbee.com/ - - This is the 78th Annual Scripps National Spelling Bee. The Louisville Courier-Journal started the event with nine contestants in 1925. In 1941 Scripps assumed sponsorship of the program. There was no Scripps National Spelling Bee during the World War II years of 1943, 1944, and 1945. Co-champions were declared in 1950, 1957, and 1962. Of the 80 champions, 42 are girls and 38 are boys.
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Personality Quiz - - http://www.personalityquiz.net/ - - Gain insight into your personality the fun way! A variety of short personality tests that attempt to analyze your personality by interpreting your reactions to various events. You will be amazed by the accuracy of the results! Related site: Personality Test Center. - - http://www.personalitytest.net/
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National Cancer Institute - - http://www.nci.nih.gov/ - - This site provides cancer-related health information. For the general public and health professionals, site offers consumer-oriented information on a wide range of topics as well as comprehensive descriptions of research programs. Scientists will find detailed information on specific areas of research and funding opportunities.
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A9.com - - http://www.a9.com/ - - A9.com remembers your information. You can keep your own notes about any web page and search them; it is a new way to store and organize your bookmarks; it even recommends new sites and favorite old sites specifically for you to visit. With the A9 Toolbar all your web browsing history will be stored, allowing you to retrieve it at any time and even search it; it will tell you if you have any new search results, or the last time you visited a page.
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Washington Post: Deep Throat Revealed - - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/31/AR2005053100655.html - - FBI's No. 2 Was 'Deep Throat' - Mark Felt Ends 30-Year Mystery of The Post's Watergate Source. Related site: full text of Vanity Fair article: "I'm the Guy They Called Deep Throat." - - http://www.vanityfair.com/pdf/pressroom/advance1.pdf
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Robert's Rules of Order - - http://www.bartleby.com/176/ - - In 1876 General Henry M. Robert set out to bring the rules of the American Congress to members of ordinary societies with the publication of Pocket Manual of Rules of Order. It sold half a million copies before this revision of 1915 and made Robert's name synonymous with the orderly rule of reason in deliberative societies.
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Merck Veterinary Manual - - http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp - - The single most comprehensive electronic reference for animal care information. Includes over 12,000 indexed topics and over 1200 illustrations. Rapidly search by topic, species, specialty, disease, and keyword using advanced search.
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Flags of the World - - http://www.fotw.net/flags/ - - This site is devoted to vexillology (the study of flags). Here you can read more than 26,000 pages about flags and view more than 48,000 images of flags.
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Hurricane and Windstorm Deductibles - - http://www.iii.org/media/hottopics/insurance/hurricanwindstorm/ - - This Insurance Information Institute site provides current information on: recent developments, state-by-state hurricane deductibles, explanation of terms and charts with hurricane statistics, including the ten most costly hurricanes in U.S. history.
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"A group of academic publishers called Google Inc.'s plan to scan millions of library books into its Internet search engine index a troubling financial threat to its membership. The Association of American University Presses said in a letter to Google that the online search engine's library project 'appears to involve systematic infringement of copyright on a massive scale.' The association, which represents 125 nonprofit publishers of academic journals and scholarly books, asked Google to respond to a list of 16 questions seeking more information about how the company plans to protect copyrights."
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"Within six months of starting medications to reduce their high blood pressure and lower cholesterol levels, one in three patients tracked in a new study failed to take those medications as prescribed, researchers report. Patients with both high blood pressure and high cholesterol are at substantially greater risk of heart disease and cardiac events than people with either condition alone, the study authors noted. Reporting in the May 23, 2005 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers at ValueMedics Research, in Arlington, Va., analyzed a managed-care organization's database, identifying more than 8,400 patients who'd been prescribed both anti-hypertensive and cholesterol-lowering medications. They then tracked each patient's adherence to the drug regimens for an average of almost 13 months." - Source
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"Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs may be the most prescribed medicines in the world, but researchers on May 31, 2005 said more patients at high risk of developing heart disease could be taking the drugs. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in the United States and much of the industrialized world and it is often caused by high cholesterol. Statins lower cholesterol naturally produced by the liver. Dr. Jun Ma of Stanford University in California studied two national databases that included details of outpatient visits to hospitals and doctors' offices between 1992 and 2002, and the types of drugs either continued or prescribed."
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| Safety From The Heart |
June 2, 2005

Today's Message is from Steve Alferi (a Houston Albemarle employee).

Shortly after I started working at the PDC in Baton Rouge, I had a project in one of the pilot plants. My equipment was next to another set of equipment used by another person. One day, while I was walking by the other person's equipment, he opened a valve and I got sprayed with solvent. He had his back to me and did not see me before he opened the valve.

The lesson I learned was to not walk right next to equipment being operated, especially if the operator can't see me.
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| Safety From The Heart |
June 1, 2005

Today's Message is from Karen Drake (a Houston Albemarle employee).

Hurricane Terms You Should Know -

Hurricane season begins 6/1/05 and continues through 11/30/05. Although we prepare annually for these storms, it's always a good idea to refresh our knowledge of the terminology used when speaking about summer weather on the Texas Gulf Coast. (from Safety.com)

Tropical waves, disturbances, and depressions: When a trough of low pressure occurs in the trade-wind easterlies. It can develop into a tropical disturbance, a moving area of thunderstorms in the tropics that remains for 24 hours or longer. A tropical disturbance can develop into tropical depression, which is a circulation at the surface with a maximum constant wind speed of 38 mph. A tropical depression can accelerate to become a tropical storm.

Tropical storms: This is a distinct circulation with a wind speed of 39 to 74 mph. Tropical storms often develop into hurricanes. A tropical storm watch is issued for coastal areas when there is a threat of a tropical storm within 24 to 36 hours. A tropical storm warning is issued when the threat is within 24 hours.

Hurricane: A circulation of air with a constant wind speed of 74 mph or greater. The intensity of a hurricane is measured on the Saffir-Simpson Scale, which ranks hurricanes on a scale of 1 to 5 according to wind speed, barometric pressure, storm surge, and damage potential. A hurricane watch is an advisory issued for coastal areas when the threat of hurricane conditions is within 24 to 36 hours. A hurricane warning is issued when hurricane-force winds will occur within 24 hours or less. Take shelter.

Hurricane local statement: Listen to the news for a hurricane local statement, a public release issued by the National Weather Service that details the potential impact of a hurricane on a local area. It often contains important information on weather conditions, evacuation instructions, and other safety precautions you should take.

Eye and eye wall: The eye of the hurricane is the relatively calm center. It is surrounded by the eye wall, an area of very intense winds.

Strike probabilities: This is issued as a percentage and indicates the highest probability of a land strike for a hurricane.

Major hurricane: A hurricane with a ranking of 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. Evacuate as quickly as you can.

Hurricane season: The time of year when a hurricane is most likely to occur. In the Atlantic, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and Central Pacific the season runs from June to December. In the Eastern Pacific, it runs from mid-May to December.

Storm surge and storm tide: An abnormal rise in sea level accompanying a hurricane. A storm tide is the actual level of sea water resulting from the astronomic tide combined with the storm surge.

Cyclone: An atmospheric, closed circulation rotating counter-clockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere.

Gale warning and high-wind warning: A gale warning is a warning of one-minute sustained surface winds in the range of 39 mph to 54 mph not associated with a tropical storm. A high-wind warning is defined as one-minute surface winds of 40 mph or greater lasting for one hour or longer, or winds gusting to 58 mph or greater regardless of duration.
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| Safety From The Heart |
May 31, 2005

Today's Message is from Charlie Seaton (a Houston Albemarle employee).

During this time of the year most of my home projects involve working in my yard or on the outside of my house. One of my most frequently used tools is my extension ladder and one look down from the top of it quickly brings back all the safety rules on the uses of ladders.

The problem is that this does not seem to apply to ladders under three feet in height. At the "lower" heights I tended to rush things and this resulted in my missing the bottom rung on a descend resulting in my bruising the bottom rung of my lower back.

Be it at a slow driving speed or on a short ladder all the safety rules need to be observed. Accidents can still happen.
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Our Church, Magnolia Christian Center, has the following mission statement. Our purpose is to build a great church for the glory of God through the great commission and the great commandment. MCC' Vision - That MCC will be a place hopping with children, energized with teenagers, balanced with diversity and transformed by the power of God! We want to turn uninterested people into interested people and win the lost to make fully devoted followers of Christ.
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Twana shared "WHAT A WONDERFUL WAY TO EXPLAIN IT" with us.

A sick man turned to his doctor, as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said, "Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side. "Very quietly, the doctor said, "I don't know."; "You don't know? You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other side?" The doctor was holding the handle of the door; on the other side of which came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness. Turning to the patient, the doctor said, "Did you notice my dog? He's never been in this room before. He didn't know what was inside He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing... I know my Master is there and that is enough."
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A number of U.S. and Canadian railroads are expanding use of environmentally friendly "Green Goat® switch engine. Powered by batteries that are charged by a small diesel genset, the Green Goat® is significantly quieter than diesel locomotives. It meets the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Tier 2 standards for particulate matter in exhaust emissions, which came into force in 2005. RailPower Technologies said its Green Goat®, which serves as the platform for the company's line of hybrid locomotives available in power ratings of 500-horsepower to 2,000-horsepower, reduces smog-causing oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and diesel particulates by as much as 90 per cent, compared with conventional yard locomotives. The big, lead-acid battery packs are well-protected by the locomotive frame, but in case of an incident with these new switch engines, First Responder should be aware of the large quantity of sulfuric acid and lead in the battery packs.
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The Lords Prayer
Our Father, who are in Heaven, Hallowed beThy Name, Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day, our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, forever.
Amen.
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Recently in Congress, my colleagues and I voted on the Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2005 to extend the highway, transit, and highway safety programs for the seventh time through June 30, 2005.

Every six years, Congress takes up the task of deciding what projects will be included in the transportation reauthorization bill, determining the next six years of funding for our nation's roads, highways, and transit systems. The transportation reauthorization bill was due for reauthorization in June of 2004. Unfortunately, Congress and the Administration have been unable to reach an agreement on the amount of funding to be invested in our nation's infrastructure and the bill continues to be at a stalemate. President Bush has proposed $275 billion to fund the transportation reauthorization program - $100 billion less than proposed by Don Young of Alaska, Chairman of the House Transportation Committee.

I strongly support investing in our nation's infrastructure. Funding these projects eases congestion on America's highways, opens trade routes, and creates jobs and economic opportunity. As when I first entered Congress, Arkansas's road needs continue to be one of my top priorities. I am pushing for full funding of I-69 and the Great River Bridge, the I-49 corridor, Highway 167, and the many other local and regional highway needs within the Fourth Congressional District.

Achieving full-funding for these projects will not be easy, nor will it be cheap. We have over $4 billion in interstate construction needs in our congressional district alone, and the bill only has $6 billion for new interstate construction for all of America.

There is no question that securing funding for our district's highway needs in the upcoming transportation bill is a vital component to our economic future. I am cautiously optimistic that we will have a transportation reauthorization bill by the end of June. Both the House and Senate have passed their version of the transportation reauthorization bill, and it is my hope that the conference committee will reach an agreement and send a final bill to President Bush for his signature. Rest assured I will continue to work in a bipartisan manner to fight for the funding of our district's needs, each and every step of the way.

Sincerely,
Mike Ross
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[GCFL.net] Memorial Day 2005

May 30, 2005 is Memorial Day in America. We are sending this in honor of the men and women that sacrificed their lives for our freedom and in honor of their loved ones.

--- The Origins of Memorial Day ---
>From http://www1.va.gov/visns/visn03/kids/memorialday.htm

Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of Union veterans - the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) - established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared it should be May 30. It is believed the date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country. The first large observance was held that year at Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.

The ceremonies centered on the mourning-draped veranda of the Arlington mansion, once the home of General Robert E. Lee. General and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant and other Washington officials presided. After speeches, children from the Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphan Home and members of the GAR made their way through the cemetery, strewing flowers on both Union and Confederate graves, reciting prayers and singing hymns.

Local springtime tributes to the Civil War dead already had been held in various places. One of the first occurred in Columbus, Miss., April 25, 1866, when a group of women visited a cemetery to decorate the graves of Confederate soldiers who had fallen in battle at Shiloh. Nearby were the graves of Union soldiers, neglected because they were the enemy. Disturbed at the sight of the bare graves, the women placed some of their flowers on those graves as well.

Today, cities in the North and the South claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day in 1866. Both Macon and Columbus, Ga., claim the title, as well as Richmond, Va. The village of Boalsburg, Pa., claims it began there two years earlier. A stone in a Carbondale, Ill., cemetery carries the statement that the first Decoration Day ceremony took place there on April 29, 1866. Carbondale was the wartime home of General Logan. Approximately 25 places have been named in connection with the origin of Memorial Day, many of them in the South where most of the war dead were buried.

In 1966, Congress and President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, N.Y., the "birthplace" of Memorial Day. There, a ceremony on May 5, 1866, honored local veterans who had fought in the Civil War. Businesses closed and residents flew flags at half-staff. Supporters of Waterloo's claim say earlier observances in other places were informal, not community-wide or one-time events.

--- The Need for Memorial Day ---
Notes from a sermon on May 29, 2005 by Steve Lacy, Pastor of
The Brook Church, Madison, Alabama (http://www.thebrookchurch.com)

1. So we will never forget the great cost of liberty

We freely enjoy our liberty, but just because it is free to us does not mean it came to us at no cost.

In the Revolutionary War 33,000 soldiers died; in the War of 1812 7,000 soldiers died; in the Mexican War 13,000 perished; during the Civil War 980,000 men died; in the Spanish-American War 4,000 died; in World War I 320,000 U.S. soldiers gave their lives; in World War II 1,078,000 died; in the Korean War 157,000 soldiers perished; during the Vietnam War 111,000 of our men died; in the Gulf War there were 700; and in the War in Iraq there have been over 2,000 deaths. A total of these figures reveals that there have been over 2,700,000 U.S. soldiers who have died over the past two centuries fighting for our country's freedom and liberty.

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13 (NIV)

2. So we do not take for granted the benefits of liberty

We have what so few in the world will every have, yet we take it for granted. Like a fish in water, we don't realize we are surrounded with it till it is removed from us.

"Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians 5:20 (NIV)

3. So we will honor those who have paid the ultimate price of liberty and say thank you to their families.

"When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 'Where have you laid him?' he asked. 'Come and see, Lord,' they replied. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, 'See how he loved him!'" John 11:33-36 (NIV)

4. So we will be willing to pay the price for our liberty in the future

If we dishonor the past, if we devalue the price that has been paid, then we should not be surprised when the day comes and no one is will to go to fight for our liberties and freedoms.

"Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' And I said, 'Here am I. Send me!'" Isaiah 6:8 (NIV)

Please take the time to thank any Veterans you encounter during this Memorial holiday!

Other related links:
Suggested Memorial Day speech by the U.S. Army, 1999 http://www.usmemorialday.org/speeches/other/army1999.htm

Help Restore the Traditional Day of Observance of Memorial Day http://www.usmemorialday.org/act.html

The Origins of Memorial Day
http://www1.va.gov/visns/visn03/kids/memorialday.htm
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U.S. Braces for West Nile Virus Season
May 30, 7:51 PM (ET)
By LAURAN NEERGAARD

WASHINGTON (AP) - Patricia Heller was super-healthy, an avid skier and competitive bicyclist. So when she collapsed in the street after a daylong bike ride, she first shrugged off the weakness as cramps. By the next morning, Heller's left leg was completely paralyzed. It was West Nile virus, from a mosquito bite the Colorado woman doesn't even remember. She would need months of grueling therapy to walk again and today, almost two years later, still isn't fully recovered.

West Nile was long considered a serious problem only for the elderly and frail, and more of a nuisance illness for everyone else. Now a surprising number of patients like Heller shows the virus is more threatening than widely believed - and new research finds that even so-called mild cases of West Nile fever can impair people for weeks or months.

It's sobering news as the nation gears up for a seventh season of the mosquito-borne virus.

"West Nile is fading a little bit from the public consciousness," worries Dr. Henry Masur of the National Institutes of Health. "Still, there are more cases of paralysis (from West Nile) than there were in many years of polio."


West Nile virus had stricken abroad for decades, from the tip of Africa up to Europe and throughout Asia, before it appeared in New York City in 1999 and began an inexorable march across this country. Since then, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have counted more than 16,600 human cases and 654 deaths.

Severe illness still is rare, considering that 80 percent of people infected never show symptoms.

But last year, about a third of the West Nile cases reported to CDC had neurologic complications like meningitis or encephalitis. Those are most common in older adults.

Then there are patients like the athletic Heller, who came down with West Nile's most perplexing complication: polio-like paralysis or severe muscle weakness that often strikes healthy people in their 30s, 40s and 50s. They may show no other symptoms before a limb suddenly quits working. Sometimes, the paralysis leads to respiratory failure.

There are no good counts of this West Nile complication, and some doctors believe it's frequently mistaken for a stroke or other paralyzing ailment.

In a study to be published in July, CDC's Dr. Jim Sejvar estimates that 10 percent of people who develop the most severe West Nile disease may have some degree of the polio-like complication, and many don't recover muscle function.

Even the less serious form of illness, West Nile fever, is turning out to be harder to kick than doctors initially described, so much so that the CDC has largely abandoned its earlier characterization as a "mild disease."

A study by Chicago's health department last fall found that West Nile fever was bad enough to keep half of sufferers out of school or work for 10 days, fatigue lasted a month - and the median time to get back to normal was a stunning 60 days.

What's happening? In much of the world, West Nile is a fairly mild illness. But the form working its way through the United States appears similar to a more virulent Israeli strain, something not initially apparent to health workers.

"There was no recognition that it could paralyze and kill people that were healthy and relatively young," says Heller, now 56, a physician's assistant who shared rehabilitation with a 40-year-old also paralyzed in late 2003. "We were really caught off guard."

There is no vaccine yet, or approved West Nile treatment. The best protection is to avoid mosquitoes, using repellent whenever you're outdoors and not letting puddles collect in flower pots, wading pools or other spots where mosquitoes can breed.

Anyone with symptoms of serious illness should see a doctor right away: high fever, severe headache, confusion or difficulty thinking, stiff neck, severe muscle weakness, or tremors.

Studies of potential West Nile therapies - including infusions of West Nile-fighting antibodies from the blood of survivors - are poised to begin as soon as this year's first patients appear. California especially is putting doctors and residents on notice to seek out these research studies, as that state braces for what it expects to be a large outbreak.

"If new symptoms develop at any age, don't assume that it is an innocuous, transient viral infection," says Dr. Patrick Joseph, a San Francisco physician and member of the National Foundation of Infectious Diseases. "Seek help so diagnostic testing can be done."

For those who suffer paralysis, prompt physical therapy is crucial, too, advises Dr. Mazen Dimachkie of the University of Texas Medical School in Houston.

That therapy is what Heller credits with her ability to walk again, and she's keeping it up in hopes of one day also being able to run again. Meanwhile, she advises everyone she meets to slather on the bug spray.

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20050530/D8ADQE0O0.html
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COULD THIS BE THE NBA???

Can you imagine working for a company that has a little more than 500 employees and has the following statistics:

It Must Be The NBA.

36 have been accused of spousal abuse

7 have been arrested for fraud

19 have been accused of writing bad checks

117 have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 businesses

3 have done time for assault

71, repeat 71cannot get a credit card due to bad credit

14 have been arrested on drug-related charges

8 have been arrested for shoplifting

21 currently are defendants in lawsuits. and

84 have been arrested for drunk driving in the last year

Can you guess which organization this is?

Give up yet? . . . Scroll down, citizen!

It's the 535members of the United States Congress.

The same group of Idiots that crank out hundreds of new laws each year designed to keep the rest of us in line.

Thanks to "Fuzzy" Vaughn.
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TGIF-Today God Is First


Performing Miracles With Your Staff
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Friday, June 03, 2005
by Os Hillman

But take this staff in your hand so you can perform miraculous signs with it. ~ Exodus 4:17

What is the staff God has put into your hand? Is it being a builder? Is it being an office worker? Is it being a doctor? Moses' staff represented his vocation as a shepherd. God had something in mind for his vocation - to perform miracles. And awesome miracles He did! God turned the Nile river into blood with the touch of the staff. He turned the staff into a snake. He parted the Red Sea with it. These are just a few of the miracles God did with that staff.

When we yield our talents and abilities to the Lord, God can perform miracles through them. First, Moses had to yield what He had in his hand to God. Only after this took place could God use that staff. As long as Moses held onto it, God could not and would not perform miracles through it.

Until we come to this place with our heavenly Father, we will fail to see miracles performed in our work. He delights in showing His power through us. When we become an open vessel, we can expect to see things happen.

Have you given your staff to the Lord? Offer it to Him and see what He might want to do through it. Your life will never be the same.

Copyright 2005. www.MarketplaceLeaders.org
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To contact Os Hillman, request reprint permission, or to book Os to speak in your town write to os@marketplaceleaders.org. Marketplace Leaders Website: http://www.marketplaceleaders.org/ Copyright 2004
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Please recommend this TGIF daily devotional to everyone interested in applying their faith to their worklife. Tell them to subscribe at http://www.TodayGodIsFirst.com

Os Hillman Copyright 2004
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Verse of the Day

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. " (Ephesians 6:12, NASB95)

“Be all you can be …” “Be an army of one …” Where? In the United States Army. Hey, buster, I’ve got news for you. If you are alone in the army … any army, you are in trouble. Solomon, in his wisdom, wrote: “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:12, NIV) There is a reason for this fact … especially in light of this part of Ephesians. Notice who our battle is against.

We all too often fail to understand this important fact. Our battle is not against other humans. Oh, we like to put a face on our enemy. We like to be able to see him, hear him, and if we get close enough, feel him. If we can do this, then we can engage him, overpower him, and defeat him. That is why we often attack individuals or organizations. It gives us something tangible to attack. We can write letters, send emails, make phone calls, and pay personal visits. If it is a business, we can go so far as to boycott that business’s product. Don’t misunderstand me. I am not against going against evildoers. I firmly believe those who do wrong need to be punished – and punished to the fullest extent of the law. But, in the process of fighting evildoers, we must never forget who we really struggle against. Let’s take a look.

If our struggle is not against flesh and blood people, who are these rulers and powers? What realm are we working in? Is there more to Star Wars than meets the eye? Is there really a “force” that will be with us … and against us? The simple answer is, “Yes.” The reasoning behind that answer is more complicated … and it takes us to a time before time … before God had created the heavens and the earth and all the living creatures and plants. The whole story is in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28. It is in these chapters that we see the beginnings of the cosmic battle for there Lucifer, aka. satan, or the devil, rebelled against God. Lucifer was the third in command of all creation. He was the worship leader of all the angelic hosts. It was his responsibility to direct all glory to God. The only problem Lucifer had was that he wanted more. He wanted not to just serve God. He wanted to BE god. In the course of the rebellion, Lucifer incited one-third of all the angelic armies to join him in his attempt to overtake the throne of the Most High God. He failed and was cast down from the heavens and given dominion over earth. There he undertook the task of destroying God’s creation … including God’s pride and joy, man. We know the story. Satan, once Lucifer, took possession of a serpent and beguiled Eve who ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Eve then served Adam, and he willingly partook of the fruit as well. Both were immediately separated from fellowship with God and joined satan on the outside of the family of God looking in.

Is there a face we can put to this enemy? Is there a focal point towards which we can take aim? The answer is, “Yes … but only if we have spiritual insight and look beyond the visible world.” Our struggle is not against man. Our struggle is the ages long struggle between good and evil … higher powers … rulers of realms we cannot see … powers that we can only feel on a spiritual level (usually) … authorities that command great armies of evil doers who have no human form and only appear when they want to entice … or torment. Are you up to the struggle? Can you command the battle … and hope to win? Are you an “army of one”? Brothers and sisters, we need each other. We need to be obedient to the Commander-in-chief of our forces. We need the communications from the Holy Spirit. We need the unity of the faith. We need a united body, dressed in the armor of God if we have any thoughts about winning this battle. One man cannot do it alone. One congregation will not make significant inroads into the enemy’s camp. One denomination cannot be successful. We must all work together, untied, if we expect to conquer the enemy we face. All that Paul has taught us in Ephesians comes into play in the next few verses … prepare for battle! Take up the armor! The enemy has been engaged. Mature ones, the battle is ours!

Harley
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Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. (Ephesians 6:11, NASB95)

First, let me put aside a common misconception about the next few verses. The armor of God is not for infants … spiritual or physical! You heard me right. Babes in Christ … or even spiritual “pre-teens” have no business putting on the armor of God. I say this because I don’t know how many times well-meaning Christian mentors have told spiritual infants that they need to put on the “whole armor of God” and instruct them to go through the process every morning … even to the point of mimicking the actual movements necessary!

“Harley! Are you out of your mind? What is wrong with you! Where do you get these harebrained ideas?”

I hear you, and I have my facts lined up for you. If you will follow good Bible study practice, you will see what I mean. Let’s ask a few common questions. Who is writing these words? That’s right, the apostle Paul. That means the author is a man of authority. To whom is he writing? Ah, be careful. The answer is NOT new believers. Paul is writing to the church at Ephesus. At what stage is he writing to these BELIEVERS? Let’s see. Paul had spent three years preaching and teaching them the ways of the Lord. That means they were well established in Christian living. He is writing some time after he had left them; as a matter of fact, Paul was writing from prison – probably his first Roman imprisonment. That means that Paul considered the church well established – remember, he called the Ephesian elders to meet with him on his way to Jerusalem before he was imprisoned there. Conclusion: Paul was writing to MATURE BELIEVERS. These were not new believers Paul was telling to put on the full armor. Paul spent five chapters telling the Ephesians how to be mature in the Lord. Nowhere in the book does Paul indicate that his readers are new Christians.

One more question. Why is Paul writing this letter? Now this could be considered a quiz. So, why DID he write Ephesians? ………….. The clock is ticking …………….. Have you come to your conclusions yet? ………………. Time’s up! What is your answer? I hope you said something like, “Paul wrote this letter to inform us about who we are in Christ, and to mature us, nurture us, to establish us in Christ.” Not bad. If this or something similar was your answer, give yourself an A+. Once we are somewhat mature, we can begin to consider putting on the full armor of God. How do we know when we reach this level of maturity? Let me answer by asking another question. When do we send our children off to fight in a war? When they are three? How about eight? Ten? Fifteen? That’s right, we send our children off to war when they are at least eighteen. Why? Only then are they considered mature enough to be able to learn the skills necessary to fight a good fight. Only then do we not have to hold their hands every step of their lives.

The same is true for believers. Once we have seen that they are mature enough to stand on their own, only then do we prepare them for war. Only then do we fit the armor of God to their spiritual bodies. Only then do we train them in the OFFENSIVE use of the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. Over the next few sessions, we will look at the various parts of the armor. As we do, we will see why it is for mature believers. Not that we don’t give our spiritual children tools to use, we do. But we are their protection until they are matured and trained. Just as we don’t send five-year-old boys into battle against terrorists, we don’t send new believers into war against the enemies of our souls. We fight for them. We put ourselves in harms way to protect them. We do the fighting while they do the growing!

Harley
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"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.” (Ephesians 6:10, NASB95)

Have you ever run a marathon? Neither have I, but it sure seems like it as we approach the end of our study of Ephesians. We have begun to discover who we are in Christ. If you have forgotten, I suggest you look back at the list we created during the first three chapters of this Epistle. After the theological discussions of the first three chapters, we began to explore the “so what’s”. “So what does all of this mean to my daily life?” Paul has not left us ignorant. We have learned about our relationship to government, fellow believers, the family of God, husbands to wives, wives to husbands, children to parents, parents to children, employees to employers, and employers to employees. Whew! We have covered a lot of ground. I am really glad to see the first words of this verse: finally!

So, as we begin to wrap up this exegetical, verse-by-verse, study of Ephesians, what is Paul going to tell us about finally? What is the end of the discussion and how does it relate to my life and yours?

“Finally, be strong in the Lord …” Ah, good advice. We need to be strong in the Lord. Hey! How does all of that work? What does it mean? Really! Is this something we do? “We must work to be powerful in the Lord’s work?” Is that what it means? It certainly could. The sentence structure is that of a command. “Be strong!” The “in the Lord” part tells us in which part of our lives to be strong … in the Lord’s part of our lives. That sounds good … except the onus is on my doing things like lift spiritual weights, run spiritual marathons, fight spiritual boxing matches … and I’m not so sure that I can muster up enough strength to do that. I have tried in the past and failed. I’m not sure I want my legacy to be something like, “he was a man who tried hard … and just never quite made it.” Can you imagine facing satan and saying, “I am strong in the things I have done for Jesus, I have lifted spiritual weights, I have prepared for this battle, and I will take you on right now!” If I am fighting him in my strength, he will surely laugh in my face and bring me low. So, is there another possible meaning?

“… be strong in the Lord …” Ah, there is another possible way of looking at it. We might translate this command as, “In the Lord, be strong.” What difference does this word order make? Quite a bit, actually. Now the strength doesn’t have to come from me, it comes from the Lord. When I face the enemy, and I don’t have the strength to fight him, I can say, “In the Lord I am strong. Therefore, satan, I take you on, and by the strength given me by Jesus, I will prevail!” Now the enemy is quaking in his boots. Me, he can take on and conquer. Jesus, he has already lost that battle … and that war. He does not want to face Jesus again! I certainly like this interpretation better. I like having the strength that Jesus has … and it fits what we have learned about who we are in Christ … we are strong with Jesus’ strength!

“ … and in the strength of His might.” Life in Jesus gets even better. “… and in the mighty power of the Lord’s capabilities.” This translation gives even more credence to the latter interpretation of “be strong in the Lord.” The word translated strength is used only in reference to God and Jesus in the New Testament. It is indeed the Lord’s strength that we rely upon. What’s more, the word really does mean mighty power. We know beyond a doubt that Jesus’ power is beyond anything human. After all, He was raised from the dead … after raising several others (even Lazarus after three days in the tomb!) from the dead as well. I am more than willing to rest in that type of power! Furthermore, Paul tells us that not only do we need to rest in Jesus’ power, but in his capabilities as well! (That is what might means.) How capable is Jesus? He is certainly more capable to fight my battles that I am.

Conclusion: if Jesus is more powerful than I and more capable than I, then it behooves me to rest in His strength and draw from it as necessary for the daily battles I face. This, my friends, is a command we can LIVE WITH!

Harley
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c. 2005 Harley E. Hudson

If you received Verse of the Day as a forward and you wish to have your own subscription, simply send an e-mail to hhudson719@earthlink.net and request a free subscription.
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Activities and Events of Interest
~~~
Albemarle Kid's Fishing Tournament, Saturday, June 11th
Highway 371 Training Center - 10 am to 1 pm - Free Tee Shirts
Lots of Prizes - Hamburgers and Hot Dogs.
Check In @ 9:30 am - Fishing begins @ 10 am - Weigh In @ 1 pm
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Tuesday, June 14, 6:30 pm, Faith Builders w/Sgt John Burns.
~~~
The Emancipation Proclamation will be on display at the Clinton Library September 22-25, 2007.
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"September 11 WDYTJWD" W. P. Florence
Justice first, then peace."
"September 11" Never forget.--Tony Moses
"ONE NATION UNDER GOD ...the only way"--Phillip Story
"We have nothing to fear but fear itself." -- Franklin D. Roosevelt
"Keeping my head down but face toward Heaven" - - Jody Eldred, ABC News Cameraman in Kuwait
"Remember Pearl Harbor? Remember 9/11!" --"Bug"
Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity. - - George Carlin
"Stop telling God how big your storm is. Instead, tell the storm how big your God is!" - - Queen E. Watson
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NEVER FORGET! We're listing the names of our soldiers killed weekly. These records can be found at http://www.defenselink. mil/releases/

01. Maj. Ricardo A. Crocker, 39, of Mission Viejo, Calif., died May 26 from a rocket propelled grenade explosion while conducting combat operations in Hadithah, Iraq. Crocker was assigned to the Marine Forces Reserve’s 3rd Civil Affairs Group, Camp Lejeune, N.C. During Operation Iraqi Freedom his unit was attached to II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).

02. Sgt. Alfred B. Siler, 33, of Duff, Tenn., died May 25 in Tuz, Iraq, when his HMMWV hit another vehicle. Siler was assigned to the Army National Guard's Support Squadron, 278th Regimental Combat Team, Knoxville, Tenn.

03. Sgt. Mark A. Maida, 22, of Madison, Wis., died May 27 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained in Diyarah, Iraq, May 26 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV. Maida was assigned to the Army's 2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Irwin, Calif.

The Department of Defense announced the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died on May 27 from injuries sustained on May 26 in Buhriz, Iraq, when their OH-58 (Kiowa Warrior) came under small arms attack and crashed. Both soldiers were assigned to the Army's 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. The soldiers are:
06. CW4 Matthew Scott Lourey, 40, of East Bethel, Minn.

05. CW2 Joshua Michael Scott, 28, of Sun Prairie, Wis.

06. Spc. Phillip N. Sayles, 26, of Jacksonville, Ark., died May 28 in Mosul, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his security position. Sayles was assigned to the Army's 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.

07. Lt. Col. Albert E. Smart, 41, of San Antonio, Texas, died May 28 in Doha, Qatar, of a non-combat related illness. Smart was assigned to the U.S. Army Reserve's 321st Civil Affairs Brigade, San Antonio, Texas.

08. First Sgt. Michael S. Barnhill, 39, of Folsom, Calif., died May 28 after his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device near Haqlaniyah, Iraq. He was assigned to the Marine Forces Reserve’s 6th Engineer Support Battalion, 4th Force Service Support Group, Eugene, Ore. During Operation Iraqi Freedom his unit was attached to 2nd FSSG, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).

09. Cpl. Jeffrey B. Starr, 22, of Snohomish, Wash., died May 30 from small-arms fire while conducting combat operations against enemy forces near Ar Ramadi, Iraq. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. During Operation Iraqi Freedom his unit was attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).

10. Staff Sgt. Victor M. Cortes III, 29, of Erie, Pa., died May 29 in Baghdad, Iraq of non-combat-related injuries. Cortes was assigned to the 703rd Forward Support Batttalion, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

The Department of Defense announced the deaths of four airmen who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. The airmen died May 30 in the crash of an Iraqi air force aircraft during a training mission in eastern Diyala province. They are:
11. Maj. William Downs, 40, of Winchester, Va., assigned to the 6th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
12. Capt. Jeremy Fresques, 26, of Clarkdale, Ariz., assigned to the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
13. Capt. Derek Argel, 28, of Lompoc, Calif., assigned to the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
14. Staff Sgt. Casey Crate, 26, of Spanaway, Wash., assigned to the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.

The Department of Defense announced the death of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died May 24 in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their HMMWV. They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 76th Field Artillery, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga. The Soldiers are:
15. Sgt. Charles A. Drier, 28, of Tuscola, Mich.

16. Spec. Dustin C. Fisher, 22, of Fort Smith, Ark.
17. Pfc. Jeffrey R. Wallace, 20, of Hoopeston, Ill.

18. Sgt. 1st Class Virgil R. Case, 37, of Mountain Home, Idaho, died June 1 in Kirkuk, Iraq, from non-combat related injuries. Case was assigned to the Army National Guard's 145th Support Battalion, 116th Brigade Combat Team, Mountain Home, Idaho.

19. Sgt. 1st Class Steven M. Langmack, 33, of Seattle, Wash., died May 31 in Al Qaim, Iraq, from injuries sustained from small arms fire during combat operations. Langmack was assigned to Headquarters, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.

20. Sgt. Miguel A. Ramos, 39, of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, died May 31 in Baghdad, Iraq, when an enemy rocket impacted near his position. Ramos was assigned to the Army Reserve's 807th Signal Company, 35th Signal Battalion, Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico.

21. Spc. Phillip C. Edmundson, 22, of Wilson, N.C., died June 1 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Bradley Fighting Vehicle during combat operations. Edmundson was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

22. Pfc. Louis E. Niedermeier, 20, of Largo, Fla., died June 1 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, when his unit was conducting combat operations and he came under enemy small arms fire. Niedermeier was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.
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Remember that for every soldier killed in modern war, 10 are wounded. Don't forget to pray for them and their families.
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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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Scheduled Activities
~~~
Alcoholics Anonymous meets at 8 p.m. Monday - Friday. At noon on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and at 7 p.m. Sunday at 914 N. Vine
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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.
~~~
Columbia County Diabetes Support Group - Every third Monday, 7:00 p.m. room 222, Magnolia Hospital
~~~
"Focus on the Family" with Dr. James Dobson weekday afternoons at 1 PM on KVMA am 630 it's a great show!
~~~
MCC - Abraham Prayer - Sunday at 5:00 p.m and Wednesday from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm
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MCC - Early Morning Prayer - Monday - Friday, From 6:30 am to 8:00 am
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MCC - "Beth Moore" Video Class - Thursday nights at 5:45 pm
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MCC - "Faith Builders" Small group meets at 1051 Columbia 36 the second and fourth Tuesdays, 6:30 pm to 7:45 pm.
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MCC - Firm Foundations Class, Sunday 9:30 to 10:15 a.m
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MCC - Meadow Brook Nursing Home Ministry Tuesday from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m
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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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MCC - Over comers: Fridays @ 7:00 p.m- Director, Traci Foster invites you to a 12 step Christian support program. For anyone with a life controlling problem. Child care is provided.
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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.
~~~
Narcotics Anonymous 5-6 pm every Monday at 220 Pine street.
~~~
TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) 5 pm every Tuesday in the Magnolia Hospital break room.
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Emergency Phone Number 911
(Fire, Police, Ambulance, Sheriff, etc. )
Central Dispatch 234-5655
(Non - Emergency Number)
Direct Numbers
Ambulance - 234-7371 (24 Hour)
Jail - 234-5331 (24 Hour)
Poison Control - 800-222-1222 (24 Hour)
http://www. aapcc. org/
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"Fight till you win!" - - Mark Brazee
"Bring 'em on!" - -President George W. Bush
"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"
"If you can read this e-mail, thank a teacher. - - If you read it in English, thank a serviceman."
"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
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - - Margaret Mead
~~~~~
Hope you enjoy the newsletter.
Again, thanks to all our contributors this week.

God bless and GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!
James 1:13-17 1 Cor 8:4,7,9-11 1 Cor 3:4-9 John 12:9-11 2 Th 3:2-3
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@Magnolia-Net.Com. We offer "Da Bleat" as text, a "Blog" and as a newsletter with pictures in Word and PDF format. For the "Blog" version just go to http://bugsbleatnew.blogspot.com/ to see the latest issue. This week, "Word" and "PDF" subscribers get to see photos of Blossom Festival, Fire School, and Zac’s Graduation.
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@Magnolia-Net.Com and we'll switch you from e:mail delivery to "Da Bleat" Blog. Of course "Da Bleat" is now on the web. Just go to http://bugsbleatnew.blogspot.com to see the latest issue (usually updated sometime Friday evening or Saturday morning. 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 2005 before it was sent.
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