Bug's Bleat - - GCF: How Old?

Volume 7, Issue 27

Hello All,

We’re still reeling from the bombings in London. The four bombs were spread out over about 50 minutes, with the last one hitting a double-decker bus at 9:47 am. Authorities first attributed reports of trouble on the Underground to a power surge. That changed within minutes as the casualties mounted. One of the bombs was strong enough to blow a hole through a wall, damaging subways on the other side. Camera and videophones caught the first images of the aftermath. - - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/07/AR2005070701522.html
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I thought this statement by Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld on the Bombings was representative of our feelings and opinions.
“This morning, the civilized world watched with concern as the people of London saw the face of violence and brutality. We offer our deepest sympathies to the families who have lost loved ones and to those who were wounded.
Too often the global struggle against violent extremists is discussed in a context that can distract from the harsh reality that its victims are innocent mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, and neighbors we see and work with every day.
Images from London have shown faces filled with tears and shock. Such faces are sadly familiar to us here in America. However, reports from London are already telling of calm passengers, compassionate strangers, and courageous rescuers. And that too is familiar -- the grace and humanity that contrasts vividly with the hatred and violence of terrorists.
The London attacks have a special resonance for the American people -- for America has no stronger or closer ally in the world than Great Britain. We are bound together by a common heritage, a common language, and a deeply shared commitment to freedom. As President Bush indicated earlier this morning, the United States will stand with the British people with unflinching resolve.
Though it is not yet known with certainty precisely who is responsible, we do know terrorists’ intentions. They strike without warning and without regard for human life in the hope that they can frighten and intimidate free people -- to change our way of life. And they won't stop until their side or our side has prevailed.
But if these terrorists thought they could intimidate the people of a great nation, they picked the wrong people and the wrong nation. For generations, tyrants, fascists, and terrorists have sought to carry out their violent designs upon the British people only to founder upon its unrelenting shores.
Before long, I suspect that those responsible for these acts will encounter British steel. Their kind of steel has an uncommon strength. It does not bend or break.
The British have learned from history that this kind of evil must be confronted. It cannot be appeased. Our two countries understand well that once a people give in to terrorists’ demands, whatever they are, their demands will grow.
The British people are determined and resolute. And I know the people of the United States are proud to stand at their side.”
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I also liked what Ken Livingstone (the mayor of London) said in a press conference held today;

'These seven days in London have been a seven days that no one will ever forget.
Winston Churchill in his history of the Second World War titled the final volume triumph and tragedy, I think that typifies these seven days in a way like no other sentence could. We saw the incredible spectacle last Saturday, over quarter of a million people assembled peacefully to do their bit to try and ease the poverty and the burdens that afflict the people on the other side of the planet. We had the remarkable triumph of persuading the International Olympic Committee to award London the Olympic games and one of the strongest cards that Seb Coe and myself were able to point out was that in this city 300 languages are spoken and the people that speak them live side by side in harmony.

This city typifies what I believe is the future of the human race and a future where we grow together and we share and we learn from each other.

Then we had the tragedy of this attack, as I said in Singapore an attack that sought not the powerful and the famous but just indiscriminately slaughtered Londoners irrespective of race, culture, religion or age. There can be no way that anyone can say that there can be an ideology or faith that underpins this act, it is simply a criminal attempt at mass murder.

I want to congratulate the emergency services and the transport staff for the incredible effort they have made over the last few hours. There have been so many acts of heroism and courage and selfless dedication that they would fill many volumes of a book and they have shown people at their absolute best. Everything that we had planned for this day we knew would come worked like clockwork.

I have spent, as has the commissioner, so many hours at so many meetings since September the 11th looking at every eventuality planning for it, as I mentioned in Singapore we actually even one day ran an exercise based on multiple explosions on the public transport system for a Friday evening rush hour and the lessons we learnt from that underpinned the operation yesterday which was flawless. We cannot think of a single thing that failed to work as we had planned and that is and undoubtedly will have been responsible for saving many lives in deed by the speed with which the emergency services were able to get those who needed our assistance.

I would also like to congratulate Londoners. There was no panic but an incredible response of stoicism, of discipline and order that also contributed to minimizing casualties.

We will on Monday at City Hall open a book of condolence and next week in coordination with the Red Cross will open the London Bombings Relief Fund to raise the funds to assist those who have suffered dreadful loss and injury in these terrible attacks.

I myself will use the underground as normal and that is the advice I give to every Londoner, that we carry on in this city working and enjoying our city like we do every other day of the year. We have largely got the tube back to a substantial service. There may be some delays in some areas, which are still crime scenes but the whole transport system will rapidly return to normal and we urge and encourage people to use it.

I echo the Commissioner in his call that anyone who has any information to let the police know. It might be something that is a memory from weeks ago, something that was odd that was out of place something that registered then was forgotten. Don’t feel shy, come forward, and let us have that information now. It might be decisive in catching the people who did these terrible crimes.

I want finally to thank Londoners for their solidarity. There are some places in the world where such an incident would have unleashed internal strife and physical violence. London has stood together, we haven’t had any problems of the sort you might see in other parts of the world and I think it says everything about what is right about this city. It is everything about what led the IOC I think to select us because as I said this city is the future.

If you go back a couple of hundred years to when the European cities really started to grow and peasants left the land to seek their future in the cities there was a saying that “city air makes you free” and the people who have come to London all races, creeds and colors have come for that. This is a city that you can be yourself as long as you don’t harm anyone else. You can live your life as you chose to do rather than as somebody else tells you to do. It is a city in which you can achieve your potential. It is our strength and that is what the bombers seek to destroy. They fear they freedom, they fear a world in which the individual makes their own life choices and their own moral value judgments and that is what they seek to snuff out. But they will fail.

This year for the first time in human history a majority of people live in cities. London continues to grow and I say to those who planned this dreadful attack whether they are still here in hiding or somewhere abroad, watch next week as we bury our dead and mourn them, but see also in those same days new people coming to this city to make it their home to call themselves Londoners and doing it because of that freedom to be themselves, thank you.'

http://www.london.gov.uk/news/2005/bombing-statement-080705.jsp
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The best thing for us to do is to not react in fear but to join together to aid the injured, comfort the survivors and to bring justice to those responsible.
These blood worshipers are not interested in truth nor will they listen to reason. Our only recourse is to hunt them down.
It’s not going to get any easier. Inevitably, these sub humans will obtain nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and seek to use them against innocent people. We’re going to have to learn to live with a higher degree of security in public places or suffer the consequences.
~~~~~
While these creatures kill women and children, we’ve sent Brandt, Pam, Austin and Ty to Tanzania to share the Gospel with the lost of that land. Here’s their latest update;
Dear Friends and Family,
Hello from Arusha!
We just arrived back from a three-month furlough to the states! It was wonderful to see our friends and family. This was our first time to actually itinerate in the twelve years we’ve been on the field, and we ended up traveling to nine different states. We all developed a new appreciation for those who are called to the traveling ministry and have to live out of suitcases!
THE TRIP BACK
When we left to return to Arusha, we weren’t expecting such an ordeal. Our trip was probably the worst we’ve ever had. It started at Memphis when we learned our luggage was overweight, so we had to re-pack right there in front of everyone.

One of the things Brandt moved was a super-size canister of Parmesan cheese. He put it in a soft suitcase. That was a mistake! It exploded all over our clothes and it reeked of the worst odor imaginable! When the customs official in Tanzania wanted to check our bags, we didn’t know what had happened and we opened it up and smiled this terrible odor. The customs official screamed, ‘close it. Close it now!” So now I’ve learned the trick of how to keep customs from inspecting our luggage, but I don’t think I’ll ever actually do that on purpose.

The boys behaved relatively well on the airplane. I know it’s hard to be still for so long. Once the stewardess served dinner rolls. Ty was used to southern biscuits and jelly and asked for some jelly. She didn’t appear to know what that was. We all had to listen to him cry for 30 minutes straight for jelly. No matter what we did or tried, he was inconsolable.

We only had one hour between our nine hour flight from Houston and our nine hour flight to Tanzania, so naturally, I though the boys needed to stretch their legs. We made them run races all over the Amsterdam airport, until security made us stop! I figured they must not have children or they would have understood their need for activity.

Then, all 14 of our bags were lost! Next, we got home that night and found we didn’t have water. The guard had collected some dirty rainwater though, out of his desperation of not knowing what to do. He wanted us to have something to bathe in!

Even with all the trouble getting here, we’re glad to be home here in Arusha. We love being here.

We want to thank those who helped us return. Please keep us in your prayers regularly. We love and appreciate you all.

Joyfully, Brandt, Pam, Austin and Ty

For financial support; please make check payable to AMA and mail to Agape Missionary Alliance, P.O. box 22007, Little Rock, AR 72221. Write PRINCE on the memo line.
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We also heard from our other Missionary to Tanzania; “So good to hear from you. I got a kick out of your story. Here in Africa it’s a custom that if you have 12 items and someone behind you has 2 then they just come up and break line. I have stopped more than a few. It is infuriating. I am learning enough Swahili to tell them...nime (i was) kwanza (first) hapa (here). Ha!

Pray for us. Next week we go on crusade to Kusulu. The accommodations are not very good. We will have electricity for a little while (maybe) each night. Very hot and dusty. Pray for Debbie. Tough trip. We go from there to Kigoma, Pattie knows this place well. I will be preaching to around two thousand leaders every day.

Blessing on you for your faithfulness to the house of the lord,

Paul Troquille”
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I was in the Express Lane at the store quietly fuming. Completely ignoring the sign, the woman ahead of me had slipped into the checkout line pushing a cart piled high with groceries. Imagine my delight when the cashier beckoned the woman to come forward, looked into the cart and asked sweetly, So, which six items would you like to buy?"
Wouldn't it be great if that happened more often?!
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What a GREAT 4th of July. David, Bobbie and the boys were celebrating aboard a Disney Cruise to the Bahamas. Vanessa, Jimmy and Josiah joined us for a leisurely day of cooking, finishing up the repairs to the yard swing and reminiscing over boxes of old photos.
For lunch, we had one of Vanessa’s famous interpretations of a Rachel Ray gourmet $70 meal.
I know, you think I’m confusing Rachel Ray’s two programs “30 Minute Meals” and “$40 a day.” But remember, this is Vanessa’s interpretation. She takes a “30 Minute Meal” recipe and spends $70 purchasing all the ingredients for it. Then, she and Annette cook for two hours preparing it. (Actually, the meal would probably have been a little more expensive, but Vanessa couldn’t find the vanilla bean for the Honey-Vanilla Lemonade.
It was a GREAT meal, served on Annette’s Blue Willow dinnerware. I’ve included the recipes and the URLs below.
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From the mouths of Babes;
Mary and I were talking about the things kids say. She shared a story of her daughter; “We’d been going through a particularly hard time. Finances were tight and it was serious. Then, one evening my daughter put it all in perspective when she said ‘Mom. I’ve tried to worry, but I keep forgetting to.’”
The other evening, Dusty, Zac and Josiah were going to play outside. Vanessa sprayed them all with mosquito repellant before allowing them outside. A short time later, Zac came back in, complaining of “bug bites.” We called all the kids in and I jokingly told Zac; “I guess Vanessa accidentally used the sugar water spray on y’all instead to the insect repellant. Zac turned to Vanessa and said; “It’s O.K. Aunt Vanessa. You’ll get it right next time.”
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The Sunday paper had a great story on LoGoLy state park. It featured Doris Forte and Barley Parks leading several “Day Camps” for local youth. The kids learned camping and hiking skills as well as how to feed frogs to snakes.
If you haven’t visited LoGoLy, you’re missing one of the great attractions of Columbia County. The trails are beautiful and the exhibits at the visitors’ center are interesting and informative.
Our kid’s favorites used to be the beehive and the alligators.
The next “Day Camp” [Discovery Day Camp, Session II] is July 11 - July 15, 2005, 10 am - 2 pm, LoGoLy State Park Visitor Center.
Beat the heat this summer at LoGoLy State Park and learn some fun and important outdoor skills. Each day will be filled with activities about camping basics, first aid, water purity, fire safety, campfire cooking, fishing and much more. Parents, at the end of the week we would like to have you stay with your new camper here at LoGoLy. NO CAMPING SUPPLIES NECESSARY! We'll provide everything. Space is limited to 12 campers, ages 8-14. Pre-registration is required. Fee includes supplies, family camping on Friday night, and souvenir items from our gift shop.
Admission: $60 - - logoly@arkansas.com
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Annette and I had the privilege of entertaining missionaries Egon and Hanne Falk while they were here this week. The Falks are Danes who live and work in Arusha, Tanzania. The Troquilles and Princes work with the Falks to share the Gospel in Eastern Africa. - - http://www.nlo.dk/Engelsk/engelskindex.htm
Egon was born on Bornholm (an island in the Baltic Sea, far east of Denmark) in 1948 and grew up in a small fishing family. When Egon was a teenager, he received Jesus as his personal savior, and his life changed drastically. After a very strong experience with the Holy Spirit, not much time went by before he felt the call from God to serve him and he began to preach on the island. Egon met his wife, Hanne, in 1965 and since 1969 they have worked full time in the Kingdom of God.
It was a real pleasure to visit with the Falks. Egon and Hanne explained that Bornholm is a seven-hour ferry ride from Copenhagen. Egon met Hanne when she came to Bornholm for a revival meeting and they noticed each other in the crowd. Hanne related that there was an immediate connection but they didn’t meet formally for several days. Finally, on the last night of the crusade, Egon realized that this beautiful girl would shortly leave and he’d never see her again. So he got up the nerve to ask if he could walk her back to the home she was staying in. She agreed and they began corresponding. Four years later, they were married and began their work on the mission field.
If you ever have a chance to hear them, I recommend going. Egon is a powerful minister and Hanne is the sweet and powerful woman behind him.
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With the recent Supreme Court decision, giving government the ability to seize private property and give it to another person, I’m wondering how appropriate is the title; “This Land is Your Land” (by Woody Guthrie)


This land is your land,
This land is my land,
From California
To the New York Island,
From the redwood forest,
To the Gulf stream waters,
This land was made for you and me.

As I was walking,
That ribbon of highway,
I saw above me
That endless skyway,
I saw below me
That golden valley.
This land was made for you and me.

I've roamed and rambled
And I've followed my footsteps
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts
And all around me a voice was sounding
This land was made for you and me

The sun comes shining
As I was strolling
The wheat fields waving
And the dust clouds rolling
The fog was lifting a voice come chanting
This land was made for you and me

As I was walkin'
I saw a sign there
And that sign said no trespassin'
But on the other side
It didn't say nothin!
Now that side was made for you and me!

In the squares of the city
In the shadow of the steeple
Near the relief office
I see my people
And some are grumblin'
And some are wonderin'
If this land's still made for you and me.

Nobody living can ever stop me
As I go walking
That freedom highway
Nobody living can make me turn back
This land was made for you and me

~~~~~
Sunday the New York Times and the Washington Post led with the conservative campaign to prevent Carlos Gonzales from replacing Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court. Within hours of O'Connor's surprise resignation, members of conservative organizations mobilized to stave off any attempt by President Bush to replace her with Gonzales, the current attorney general. The Los Angeles Times leads locally, but fronts a story on the confirmation battle's inevitable alienation of moderate Americans.

According to the NYT there seem to be two principles at work--the general sentiment among conservatives that as far as social policy was concerned, Justice O'Connor was a dismal failure, and the belief that Mr. Gonzales's views on certain social issues, namely abortion, are suspect. It seems only natural, therefore, to right the O'Connor wrong by replacing her with someone whose opinions on issues such as abortion, church-state separation and affirmative action are not only known, but are carved in commandment-like stone. The NYT reports that late last week a delegation of conservative lawyers met with the White House chief of staff, Andrew H. Card Jr., to warn that appointing Gonzales would fracture conservative support. Phone calls and letters denouncing Gonzales came pouring in from the heads of conservative organizations, including a letter from the Rev. Miguel Rivera, president of the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders. Reverend Rivera urged the president to consider "a true conservative Latino nominee."
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Annette’s bad eye flared up again this week. Our heartfelt thanks to Dr. Ivory Kencheloe and staff for taking such good care of us. Annette is doing much better now.
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Velma Bussey fell last Saturday, suffering fractures to her elbow and knee. We talked to her today and she is still in some pain.
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SAU's Plant Physiology Summer Class is having a Fundraiser for an educational research trip to New Orleans. GET YOUR VEHICLE DETAILED Tuesday, July 12, 8:00 a.m. - until.................. Yellowhawk Detailing, Call or drop by --- 234-7493 or 870-562-3172 - Will pick up and deliver
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Don't forget ... "Da Bleat" is now on the web. Just go to http://bugsbleatnew.blogspot.com
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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. $2.23 $2.37 $2.45 $2.40
http://www.fuelgaugereport.com/
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Recipe(s) of the week - Vanessa’s famous interpretation of a Rachel Ray gourmet $70 meal.

Honey-Vanilla Lemonade Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
Episode: Rachael Ray's Block Party
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 1 gallon


2 cups sugar
½ cup honey
2 cups water, plus more as needed
1 vanilla bean
2 ½ cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 24 lemons)
Lemon wheels or wedges, for garnish


In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, honey, and 2 cups water and place over medium-high heat. Cut the vanilla bean in ½ lengthwise, then, using the back of the knife, scrape the vanilla seeds from the pod and add to the saucepan, along with the pod. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 4 or 5 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Put the lemon juice into a gallon jug or pitcher. Pour the sugar syrup through a strainer into the pitcher and discard the pod. Add water to equal 1 gallon and stir well.

Serve over ice with lemon wheels or wedges.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cooking/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_28729,00.html
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All-American Mini Burgers and Special Sauce Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Yield: 10 mini burgers


1 1/4 pounds ground sirloin
2 tablespoons dill pickle relish
2 tablespoons steak sauce
1-tablespoon grill seasoning
1-teaspoon sweet paprika
10 soft dinner rolls, split
2 cups chopped iceberg lettuce
1 small yellow skinned onion, finely chopped
Special Sauce:
½ cup ranch dressing
½ cup ketchup
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper


Preheat grill pan or outdoor grill to high. Mix meat and next 4 ingredients. Divide meat into half and score each half into 5 pieces. Roll the meat into balls then squish it into small, thin patties, 3 inches across. You will yield 10 patties. To make a double batch or more, meat can be made into patties ahead and placed on cookie sheets to store 24 hours. These patties can also be baked on cookie sheets in preheated 400 degree F oven for 10 to 12 minutes. But, on a hot indoor or outdoor grill, these small burgers will take just 2 or 3 minutes on each side for medium doneness. Serve on dinner rolls with chopped lettuce, chopped onion and Special Sauce.
To make sauce, combine ranch dressing with ketchup and black pepper.


Additional Toppings, optional:
Sliced Cheeses: Cheddar, pepperoni Cheddar, pepper jack, Swiss
Sliced tomatoes
Yellow Mustard
Mayonnaise
Blue Cheese Dressing
Sweet Red Pepper Relish


http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cooking/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_28725,00.html
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Corn Basters [this is a more involved version of the "Corn on the Cob with Chili and Lime" Recipe from our June 17 issue.]

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

At the peak of season, sweet corn needs little more than to be heated up! I like to shuck mine and just throw it on a hot grill to warm it and char it up for flavor. When it comes off the grill, I baste it or squirt it with melted flavored butters. Here are a few favorites:

Chili Lime Butter:

2 tablespoons lime zest
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons grill seasoning
1 stick butter


Combine all ingredients in a small pot and melt butter over low heat. Transfer to a small bowl, for basting, or to a squirt bottle. Serve warm with grilled corn.
Yield: about ½ cup butter topping
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: less than 5 minutes
Ease of preparation: easy

Garlic Gazpacho Butter:

1 large clove garlic
1 fresh jalapeno, seeded
A handful cilantro leaves
1-teaspoon coarse salt
½ cup vegetable juice (recommended: V8 or Bloody Mary mix
2 teaspoons hot sauce
½ stick butter, softened


Finely chop the garlic, jalapeno and cilantro and mash with the salt to paste it. Transfer to a small pot and add the vegetable juice or Bloody Mary mix, hot sauce and butter. Heat the combination over low heat until butter melts and transfer to a small bowl, for basting, or to a squirt bottle. Serve warm with grilled corn.
Yield: 1 cup butter topping
Prep Time: 5 to 6 minutes
Cook Time: less than 5 minutes
Ease of preparation: easy


Equally tasty are dry topping blends to sprinkle on plain buttered corn.
Pizza Corn Sprinkler:

1 cup grated Parmigiano or Romano
1 tablespoon dried oregano or Italian dried seasoning blend
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1-teaspoon sweet paprika


Combine all ingredients and sprinkle on buttered corn on the cob or popped corn.
Yield: 1 cup
Prep Time: 2 minutes

TIDBIT:
Buttered corn with chopped chives is easy and adds just a little something extra to plain corn with no effort.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cooking/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_28728,00.html
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BREAKPOINT Commentaries
by Chuck Colson. - Prison Fellowship

Rule of the Clerks
Behind the Scenes at the Supreme Court

July 8, 2005

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

Washington this week looks like the base camps of two attacking armies, as the left and right prepare for the battle over confirming a successor to Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. As columnist Jonah Goldberg puts it, “Conservatives and liberals are quietly loading up on drinking water, D batteries, and extra ammo, in preparation for the coming battle over judges.”

Goldberg exaggerates only a little. One of the most important legacies any president leaves is his court appointments. But what many activists don’t think about are the people who, in many cases, actually write the opinions: the clerks.

Two new books provide an important glimpse into the worldview and influence of these young people, often fresh out of law school, who, despite being neither elected nor confirmed, wield enormous influence.

Becoming Justice Blackmun is a biography of the late Harry Blackmun, the author of Roe v. Wade. Written by Linda Greenhouse, the New York Times’s Supreme Court correspondent, the book tells the story of how Blackmun went from Nixon appointee to liberal icon.

Roe, of course, is at the heart of this iconic status which makes what Greenhouse and other writers like historian David Garrow tell us especially troubling. Both agree that Blackmun’s clerks not only wrote “key parts” of Roe, but also “[suggested] legal strategies” and “[injected] political calculations into the court’s work.”

The original draft of Roe covered only abortions in the first trimester. The final version was the product of a “flurry of clerk-drafted memos” that doubled the “extent of Roe’s constitutional reach.” And it was a clerk, not a judge, who was behind the subsequent shift to the language of “choice.”

Given the influence wielded by clerks, it is important to understand what they are being taught, especially since they are, at most, two to three years out of law school. In The People v. Harvard Law by Andrew Peyton Thomas, we learn that what passes for “discourse” at Harvard is between the “left,” such as Alan Dershowitz, and the “far left,” people like the late Mary Jo Frug.

Frug was part of movement known as “Critical Legal Studies” (CLS). It seeks to deconstruct the law and the structures it creates because, in its estimation, the law is not about truth but, rather, power—specifically, the power of “sexist white males.”

If this sound s familiar, it should: It’s the legal expression of postmodernism, which, of course, rejects transcendent and universal truth. Since there are few conservatives on the Harvard faculty, the real “debate” is the “far left” silencing its critics on the left. The results leave Thomas, a Harvard Law graduate, wondering “whether America’s leading law school would reclaim its tradition of celebrating dissent, or continue to thwart the very constitutional liberties that once gave the school life and purpose.”

If “America’s leading law school” has no use for freedom of speech, there are plenty of other rights it does care about: abortion and same-sex “marriage,” to name but two. A generation of elite young lawyers is being taught that it’s these, and not freedom of speech or religion, that are central to the idea of “liberty.” A select few go on to become clerks and tend to elevate this notion to a constitutional principle—a fact that the people buying extra batteries and preparing for battle this week can’t afford to ignore.

For further reading and information:

Today’s BreakPoint offer: “Red and Blue America,” CD of Charles Colson’s speech on political divisions in America and how Christians should stand for truth in the public square.

David J. Garrow, “The Accidental Jurist,” New Republic, 19 June 2005 (available to subscribers only).

Warren Richey, “A rare look behind the Supreme Court’s veil,” Christian Science Monitor, 3 May 2005.

Linda Greenhouse, Becoming Justice Blackmun (Times Books, 2005).

Andrew Peyton Thomas, The People v. Harvard Law (Encounter Books, 2005).

Jonah Goldberg, “Better off dead,” Townhall.com, 29 June 2005.

http://www.pfm.org/Content/NavigationMenu5/BreakPoint/LearnMore/About_BreakPoint/default.htm 2005 Prison Fellowship.
~~~~~
Words of the Week:

garrulous: talkative; also, wordy.
acumen: quickness or keenness of perception or discernment.
sentient: capable of perceiving by the senses.
varicolored: having a variety of colors.
nostrum: a questionable remedy.
rictus: a gaping grin or grimace.
ameliorate: to make or grow better.
somnolent: drowsy; also, tending to cause sleepiness.

from Dictionary.Com
~~~~~
"History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. History is who we are and why we are the way we are." - David C McCullough

"If people behaved in the way nations do they would all be put in straitjackets." - Tennessee William

"Our humanity rests upon a series of learned behaviors, woven together into patterns that are infinitely fragile and never directly inherited." - Margaret Mead

"On this showing, the nature of the breakdowns of civilizations can be summed up in three points: a failure of creative power in the minority, an answering withdrawal of mimesis on the part of the majority, and a consequent loss of social unity in the society as a whole." - Arnold Joseph Toynbee

"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." - Abraham Lincoln

"The biggest cause of trouble in the world today is that the stupid people are so sure about things and the intelligent folks are so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

"Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add 'within the limits of the law' because law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual." - Thomas Jefferson

"When you sell a man a book you don't sell him just 12 ounces of paper and ink and glue - you sell him a whole new life." - Christopher Morley
~~~~~
"Come, for the House of Hope is built on sand: bring wine, for the fabric of life is as weak as the wind." - Hafiz (1326-1390) Iranian Lyrical Poet

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GCF: How Old?

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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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When a new child visited our Sunday school, the teacher greeted him and asked his age. The little boy held up four fingers.

"Oh, you're 4," said the teacher. "And when will you be 5?"

The child stared at her and after a few seconds replied, "When I hold up the other finger."
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: The Girl of His Dreams

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

A young man in college called his mother and announced excitedly that he had just met the girl of his dreams. Now what should he do?

His mother had an idea: "Why don't you send her flowers, and on the card invite her to your apartment for a home-cooked meal?"

He thought this was a great strategy, and a week later, the girl came to dinner. His mother called the next day to see how things had gone.

"I was totally humiliated," he moaned. "She insisted on washing the dishes."

"What's wrong with that?" asked his mother.

"We hadn't started eating yet."
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Letters of Recommendation

Emailed to me by a friend (Thanks, Tim) -Tom
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How To Write A Recommendation Letter That You Don't Really Mean
-----------------------------------

THE PROBLEM
Having to write letters of recommendation for people with very dubious qualifications can cause serious legal troubles in a time when laws have eroded the confidentiality of business letters. In most states, job applicants have the right to read the letters of recommendations and can even file suit against the writer if the contents are negative.

THE SOLUTION
Here is an arsenal of statements that can be read two ways: You are able to state a negative opinion of the ex-employees poor work habits, while allowing the ex-employee to believe that it is high praise. When the writer uses these, whether perceived correctly or not by the ex-employee, the phrases are virtually litigation-proof.

1. To describe a person who is extremely lazy: "In my opinion," you say as sincerely as you can manage, "you will be very fortunate to get this person to work for you."

2. To describe a person who is totally inept: "I most enthusiastically recommend this candidate with no qualifications whatsoever."

3. To describe an ex-employee who had problems getting along with fellow workers: "I am pleased to say that this candidate is a former colleague of mine."

4. To describe a candidate who is so unproductive that the job would be better left unfilled: "I can assure you that no person would be better for the job."

5. To describe a job applicant who is not worth further consideration: "I would urge you to waste no time in making this candidate an offer of employment."

6. To describe a person with lackluster credentials: "All in all, I cannot say enough good things about this candidate or recommend him too highly."
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Multiple Listings

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

In the world of Real Estate, there are some pretty strange things on the printouts from our local Multiple Listings Service -- descriptions of properties for sale in our area. A typo here, missed punctuation there or just plain bad phrasing can change the entire meaning of a 'sales pitch'. Here are some examples:

"Three bedroom one bath fireplace."

"Room for horses, cowchickens."

"Back of home faces eighteen home championship golf course."

"New art-deco bath & more. Near everything. Kitchen curtains do not say."

"House backs up to one year round creek." (Big creek!)

"Walkin pantry." (Where's it walkin' to?)

"Country home with 2nd unit. Horse set up extra garage." (That's one SMART horse!)

"Five bedroom septic. Owners anxious." (I bet!)

"Septic built for granny." (What a nice family.)

"Huge veranda for those balby summer evenings." (Love those balby evenings, don't you?)
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: First Man


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

A Sunday School teacher asked little Willie who the first man in the Bible was.

"Hoss." said Willie.

"Wrong," said the teacher. "It was Adam."

"Aw, shucks!" Willie replied. "I knew it was one of those Cartwrights."
_ ____________________________ _
(((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / \ /
\ _/ "Intelligence may be artificial, \_ /
/ / but stupidity is real." \ (((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / One of the advantages of a \ /
\ _/ clean life is that you can \_ /
/ / distinguish between \ the flu and a hangover.
(((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / I don't repeat gossip, \ /
\ _/ so listen carefully. \_ /
/ / \ (((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / "Criminal Lawyer" \ /
\ _/ is a redundancy. \_ /
/ / \ (((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / There are people so addicted \ /
\ _/ to exaggeration that they can't \_ /
/ / tell the truth without lying. \ _ ____________________________ _
/ )| 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 Darwin Awards 2005

Yes, it's that magical time of the year again when the Darwin Awards are bestowed, honoring the least evolved among us. Here then, are the glorious winners.

Darwin Award Winners:

1. When his 38-caliber revolver failed to fire at his intended victim during a hold-up in Long Beach, California, would-be robber James Elliot did something that can only inspire wonder. He peered down the barrel and tried the trigger again. This time it worked..... And now, the honorable mentions:

2. The chef at a hotel in Switzerland lost a finger in a meat cutting machine and, after a little hopping around, submitted a claim to his insurance company. The company expecting negligence, sent out one of its men to have a look for himself. He tried the machine and lost a finger. The chef's claim was approved.

3. A man who shoveled snow for an hour to clear a space for his car during a blizzard in Chicago returned with his Vehicle to find a woman had taken the space. Understandably, he shot her.

4. After stopping for drinks at an illegal bar, a Zimbabwean bus driver found that the 20 mental patients he was supposed to be transporting from Harare to Bulawayo had escaped. Not wanting to admit his incompetence, the driver went to a nearby bus stop and offered everyone waiting there a free ride. He then delivered the passengers to the mental hospital, telling the staff that the patients were very excitable and prone to bizarre fantasies. The deception wasn't discovered for 3 days.

5. An American teenager was in the hospital recovering from serious head wounds received from an oncoming train. When asked how he received the injuries, the lad told police that he was simply trying to see how close he could get his head to a moving train before he was hit.

6. A man walked into a Louisiana Circle-K, put a $20 bill on the counter, and asked for change. When the clerk opened the cash drawer, the man pulled a gun and asked for all the cash in the register, which the clerk promptly provided. The man took the cash from the clerk and fled, leaving the $20 bill on the counter. The total amount of cash he got from the drawer...$15. (If someone points a gun at you and gives you money, is a crime committed?)

7. Seems an Arkansas guy wanted some beer pretty badly. He decided that he'd just throw a cinder block through a liquor store window, grab some booze, and run. So he lifted the cinder block and heaved it over his head at the window. The cinder block bounced back and hit the would-be thief on the head, knocking him unconscious. The liquor store window was made of Plexiglas. The whole event was caught on videotape.

8. As a female shopper exited a New York convenience store, a man grabbed her purse and ran. The clerk called 911 immediately, and the woman was able to give them a detailed description of the snatcher. Within minutes, the police apprehended the snatcher. They put him in the car and drove back to the store. The thief was then taken out of the car and told to stand there for a positive ID. To which he replied, "Yes, officer, that's her. That's the lady I stole the purse from."

9. The Ann Arbor News crime column reported that a man walked into a Burger King in Ypsilanti, Michigan, at 5 a.m., flashed a gun,demanded cash. The clerk turned him down because he said he couldn't open the cash register without a food order. When the man ordered onion rings, the clerk said they weren't available for breakfast . The man, frustrated, walked away.

A 5-STAR STUPIDITY AWARD WINNER!
10. When a man attempted to siphon gasoline from a motor home parked on a Seattle street, he got much more than he bargained for. Police arrived at the scene to find a very sick man curled up next to a motor home near spilled sewage. A police spokesman said that the man admitted to trying to steal gasoline and plugged his siphon hose into the motor home's sewage tank by mistake. The owner of the vehicle declined to press charges, saying that it was the best laugh he'd ever had.

In the interest of bettering human kind please share these with your friends and family ... unless of course one of these 10 individuals by chance is a distant relative or long lost friend. In that case be glad they are distant and hope they remain lost.

Received from Tim Krell.
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[GCFL.net] How Many Dogs Does It Take to Change A Light Bulb?

1. Golden Retriever: The sun is shining, the day is young, we've got our whole lives ahead of us, and you're inside worrying about a stupid burned out bulb?

2. Border Collie: Just one. And then I'll replace any wiring that's not up to code.

3. Dachshund: You know I can't reach that stupid lamp!

4. Rottweiler: Make me.

5. Boxer: Who cares? I can still play with my squeaky toys in the dark.

6. Lab: Oh, me, me!!!!! Pleeeeeeeeeze let me change the light bulb! Can I? Can I? Huh? Huh? Huh? Can I? Pleeeeeeeeeze, please, please, please!

7. German Shepherd: I'll change it as soon as I've led these people from the dark, check to make sure I haven't missed any, and make just one more perimeter patrol to see that no one has tried to take advantage of the situation.

8. Jack Russell Terrier: I'll just pop it in while I'm bouncing off the walls and furniture.

9. Old English Sheep Dog: Light bulb? I'm sorry, but I don't see a light bulb?

10. Cocker Spaniel: Why change it? I can still pee on the carpet in the dark.

11. Chihuahua: Yo quiero Taco Bulb.

12. Pointer: I see it, there it is, there it is, right there ...

13. Greyhound: It isn't moving. Who cares?

14. Australian Shepherd: First, I'll put all the light bulbs in a little circle ...

15. Poodle: I'll just blow in the Border Collie's ear and he'll do it. By the time he finishes rewiring the house, my nails will be dry.

The Cat's Answer: "Dogs do not change light bulbs. People change light bulbs. So, the real question is: How long will it be before I can expect some light, some dinner, and a massage?"

ALL OF WHICH PROVES, ONCE AGAIN, THAT WHILE DOGS HAVE MASTERS, CATS HAVE STAFF.

Received from Glen F Davis.
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[GCFL.net] Church or State

An IRS agent stepped into a synagogue looking for the rabbi.
"Rabbi," he said when he found him," do you know a Mr. Morris Katz?"

"Well, yes, I do," said the rabbi.

"Is he a member of your congregation?" asked the agent.

"Uh, yes, he is," said the rabbi, "why do you ask?"

"I'm from the IRS. Can you tell me something? Did he make the $100,000 donation to the synagogue, that he claimed on his tax return?" asked the IRS agent.

"I would have to check our records," replied the rabbi, "but if he hasn't, I can assure you that he will!"

Received from Leon Taylor.
-=+=-
[GCFL.net] Funny Kids

While I was driving my daughter home from kindergarten, Melody Raye started trying to get me to look at the numerous crayon drawings she'd made that day. After trying to keep the car between the ditches while looking at the drawings, I told her I would look at the rest later because right now I had to watch the road. She immediately put a drawing in front of my face and said, "You look, Daddy; I'll watch the road for you."

When our grandchildren were visiting late last summer, they went out to catch lightning bugs one night. As 3-year-old Carl put one in a jar, he looked up at me and asked, "Grandma, what size batteries do these bugs take?"

Received from Have A Nice Day.
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– NEW! Go to http://www.gcfl.net/archive.php?funny=20050124 to rate this funny from 0 to 5.
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Brought to you by GCFL.net: The Good, Clean Funnies List "A cheerful heart is good medicine!" (Prov 17:22a) Go to http://gcfl.net/mlfrontend.php to change your subscription options or unsubscribe. To email this funny to a friend, go to http://gcfl.net/emailit.php?funny=20050107 The latest GCFL funny can always be found on the web at http://gcfl.net/latest.php
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A hungry sea monster came upon a ship carrying potatos from Ireland and gobbled it up.
Shortly, another ship carrying potatos from Ireland came along and he gobbled that one up also.
Before you could say Toora Loora Looral, he’d consumed 10 of the ships carrying potatos.
Another sea monster had been watching and swam over to question him.
“Why are you eating all these boats full of potatos?”
“You know what they say.” He replied. “You can’t just eat one potato ship.”

Thanks to Vanessa Malone
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Just A Little Worm Humor...

Thanks to Anita McNatt

A minister decided that a visual demonstration would add emphasis to his Sunday sermon.

Four worms were placed into four separate jars.

The first worm was put into a container of alcohol.

The second worm was put into a container of cigarette smoke.

The third worm was put into a container of chocolate syrup.

The fourth worm was put into a container of good clean soil.

At the conclusion of the sermon, the Minister reported the following results:

The first worm in alcohol - Dead.

The second worm in cigarette smoke - Dead.

Third worm in chocolate syrup - Dead.

Fourth worm in good clean soil - Alive.

So the Minister asked the congregation - What can you learn from this demonstration?

A little old woman in the back quickly raised her hand and said, "As long as you drink, smoke and eat chocolate, you won't have worms!"

Don't you just love little old ladies????
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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

Puppy Love

For months he had been her devoted admirer. Now, at long last, he had collected up sufficient courage to ask her the most momentous of all questions:

"There are quite a lot of advantages to being a bachelor," he began, "but there comes a time when one longs for the companionship of another being -- a being who will regard one as perfect, as an idol; whom one can treat as one's absolute own; who will be kind and faithful when times are hard; who will share one's joys and sorrows."

To his delight he saw a sympathetic gleam in her eyes. Then she nodded in agreement.

Finally, she responded, "I think its a great idea! Can I help you choose which puppy to buy?"

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

-=+=-

Kid Quotes

"Everyone has feelings, except for snakes and principals."
- Donna Maria G, age 9

"Laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and the world laughs at you."
- Rob P, age 8

"If life gives you nothing but lemons, make up a better shopping list for it."
- Steven B, age 8

"Moses came down with the Ten Amendments, which were God's Bill of Wrongs."
- Susie F., age 7

"Doctors automatically know what's wrong with you. They have a sick sense."
- Beau M., age 10

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

-=+=-

Yard Sale Anger

A woman was taking her time browsing through everything at a friend's yard sale, and said to her, "My husband is going to be very angry I stopped at a yard sale."

"I'm sure he'll understand when you tell him about all the bargains you found," her friend replied.

"Normally, yes," she said. "But he just broke his leg, and he's waiting for me to take him to the hospital to have it set."

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

-=+=-

But Daddy

My husband and I took our two-year-old daughter to the home-improvement store.

Madison got tired of walking, so my husband let her ride on his shoulders. As he walked, Madison began pulling his hair. Although he asked her to stop several times, she kept on.

Getting annoyed, he scolded, "Madison! Stop that!"

"But, Daddy," she replied, "I'm just trying to get my gum back."

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

-=+=-

*Excuses To Give When You Have Missed Work*

~ I can't come in to work today because I'll be stalking my previous boss, who fired me for not showing up for work. Okay?

~ I have a rare case of 48-hour projectile leprosy, but I know we have that deadline to meet...

~ I am stuck in the blood pressure machine down at the Food Giant.

~ Yes, I seem to have contracted some attention-deficit disorder and, hey, how about them Skins, huh? So, I won't be able to, yes, could I help you? No, no, I'll be sticking with Sprint, but thank you for calling.

~ I just found out that I was switched at birth. Legally, I shouldn't come to work knowing my employee records may now contain false information.

~ The psychiatrist said it was an excellent session. He even gave me this jaw restraint so I won't bite things when I'm startled.

~ The dog ate my car keys. We're going to hitchhike to the vet.

~ I prefer to remain an enigma.

~ I can't come to work today because the EPA has determined that my house is completely surrounded by wetlands and I have to arrange for helicopter transportation.

~ I am converting my calendar from Julian to Gregorian.

~ I am extremely sensitive to a rise in the interest rates.

~ I refuse to travel to my job until there is a commuter tax. I insist on paying my fair share.

~ I've used up all my sick days...so I'm calling in dead!

~ I set half the clocks in my house ahead an hour and the other half back an hour Saturday and spent 18 hours in some kind of space-time continuum loop, reliving Sunday (right up until the explosion). I was able to exit the loop only by reversing the polarity of the power source exactly e*log(pi) clocks in the house while simultaneously rapping my dog on the snout with a rolled up Times. Accordingly, I will be in late, or early.

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

*Eye Laugh*

"Panic Check"
http://www.cybersalt.org/go.php?id=cw217

"New Fuel Guage"
http://www.cybersalt.org/g05.php?id=77

"Remember To Sign"
http://www.cybersalt.org/g05.php?id=79

"Hillside Auto Parts"
http://www.cybersalt.org/g05.php?id=80

"Cat Hill"
http://www.cybersalt.org/g05.php?id=81

-=+=-

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/musical.html - - Musical Accord "One afternoon your ten-year old daughter comes home from school, enthused about learning to play an instrument. Your eyeballs start to throb. Your head begins to pulsate. You ask yourself whether tin ears are passed down from parents to their children..."
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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London Bombings - Latest News: BBC - - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/uk/2005/london_explosions/default.stm - NewsNow - - http://www.newsnow.co.uk/newsfeed/?name=London+Explosions - Reuters - - http://today.reuters.com/news/ - Sky News - - http://www.sky.com/skynews/home - Topix - - http://www.topix.net/ - Yahoo - - http://news.yahoo.com/fc/world/london_bombings
Photos: BBC - - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/4659489.stm - Reuters - - http://photos.reuters.com/Pictures/default.aspx - Yahoo - - http://news.yahoo.com/photos/ss/events/ts/070705londonblast;_ylt=AoKHXSFhS913f4SGcMqNToWs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--
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Our Earth as Art - - http://earthasart.gsfc.nasa.gov/index.htm - - This NASA site allows you to view our planet through the beautiful images taken by the Landsat-7 satellite - and most recently, the Terra Satellite's Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer. This gallery of images uses the visceral avenue of art to convey the thrilling perspective of the Earth that satellites provide to the viewer
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American Garden Museum - - http://www.americangardenmuseum.com/index1.html - - The American Garden Museum is a working archive that celebrates American gardens and their gardeners. The Museum highlights gardens big and small, urban and rural, gentle and outrageous, wildly expensive and affordable. It does not, however, support competitions, or pass judgment on the aesthetic or technical merit of any garden. It simply collects and shares American garden stories and pictures.
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Forms of Address - - http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001618.html - - This site by Infoplease provides forms of address and salutations for academics, clerical and religious orders, government officials, military and naval officers, and members of various professions.
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The Fourth of July 2005 - - http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/004772.html - - On this day in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress, starting the 13 colonies on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation. As always, this most American of holidays will be marked by parades, fireworks and backyard barbecues across the country.
Related site: "Fireworks!" - This explosive PBS special presents the colorful history of pyrotechnics and reveals how hi-tech firing systems are transforming public displays into a dazzling, split-second science.
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HubbleSite: Gallery - - http://hubblesite.org/gallery/ - - A pictorial "tour" of our universe through Hubble's eye, the Gallery presents myriad stars, planets, galaxies, nebulae, and strange celestial phenomena in full color and exquisite detail. Look no further for the best that Hubble has to offer.
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Consumer Price Index - - http://www.bls.gov/cpi/ - - The Consumer Price Indexes program produces monthly data on changes in the prices paid by urban consumers for a representative basket of goods and services.
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Encyclopedia of World History - - http://www.bartleby.com/67/ - - Renowned historian Peter N. Stearns and thirty prominent historians have combined their expertise over the past ten years to perfect this comprehensive chronology of more than 20,000 entries that span the millennia from prehistoric times to the year 2000.
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"Americans overwhelmingly oppose reinstatement of the military draft and most say they wouldn't encourage their children to enlist in the service either, an AP-Ipsos poll found. That resistance underscores the dilemma facing the Bush administration as it struggles to recruit a volunteer military in war time. The Army is falling behind its recruiting goals at a time the country is fighting extended wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Army has repeatedly missed its monthly recruiting goals this year, falling short by 42 percent in April. And all four branches of military service are having trouble attracting recruits to their reserve forces. Despite the recruiting problems, seven in 10 Americans say they oppose reinstatement of the draft, and almost half of those polled strongly oppose that step, the AP-Ipsos poll found. About a quarter of the people in this country say they favor reinstating the draft."
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"Using a cellphone -- even with a hands-free device -- may distract drivers because the brain cannot handle both tasks, U.S. researchers said on June 21, 2005. Imaging tests show the brain directs its resources to either visual input or auditory input, but cannot fully activate both at the same time, the team at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore found. 'Our research helps explain why talking on a cell phone can impair driving performance, even when the driver is using a hands-free device,' said Steven Yantis, a professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences who led the study. 'Directing attention to listening effectively 'turns down the volume' on input to the visual parts of the brain,' he added in a statement. 'When attention is deployed to one modality -- say, in this case, talking on a cell phone -- it necessarily extracts a cost on another modality -- in this case, the visual task of driving.' " - Source
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"A study found that bronchitis sufferers who are otherwise healthy do not get better any faster by taking antibiotics. 'Antibiotics for the vast majority of people don't seem to make much difference,' said Dr. Paul Little, author of the five-year study of patients in England. Moreover, many bronchitis cases are caused by viruses, which antibiotics do not fight. Bronchitis is a highly common ailment. The findings suggest one major area where doctors can economize on the use of antibiotics. Overuse of antibiotics is believed to be contributing to the rise of dangerous drug-resistant strains of bacteria. Little said that otherwise healthy patients can skip the drugs to treat the chest infections, even though they will feel crummy for a couple of weeks. But patients with conditions such as chronic lung and heart disease that can cause bronchitis to develop into pneumonia should see their doctors, he said." - Source
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"After a voyage of 173 days and 431 million kilometers (268 million miles), NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft will get up-close and personal with comet Tempel 1 on July 4 (EDT). The first of its kind, hyper-speed impact between space-borne iceberg and copper-fortified probe is scheduled for approximately 1:52 a.m. EDT on Independence Day (10:52 p.m. PDT on July 3). The potentially spectacular collision will be observed by the Deep Impact spacecraft, and ground and space-based observatories. 'We are really threading the needle with this one,' said Rick Grammier, Deep Impact project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. 'In our quest of a great scientific payoff, we are attempting something never done before at speeds and distances that are truly out of this world.' " - Source
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"You may not be able to keep hackers or dishonest employees out of your credit card processors' office, but you can keep thieves from filching your credit card information from the garbage. Consumer advocates and credit card companies say people can take simple defensive measures, from checking statements often online to calling their credit card company immediately if a monthly statement doesn't appear in the mail. Credit card fraud is in the spotlight after a string of data thefts and losses, most recently the disclosure that 40 million credit and debit card accounts were at risk for fraud after hackers broke into a company that processes payments for all the major cards." - Source
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"People with bigger brains tend to score higher on standardized tests of intelligence, according to new study findings. However, study author Dr. Michael A. McDaniel of the Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond emphasized that these findings represent a general trend, and people with small heads should not automatically believe they are less intelligent. For instance, Albert Einstein's brain was 'not particularly large,' McDaniel noted. 'There's some relationship (between brain size and intelligence) on average, but there's plenty of room for exceptions,' he told Reuters Health."
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"Both the meat-laden 'Western' diet and the traditional, salty diet of the Japanese apparently increase the risk of colon cancer -- at least for women -- findings from a large study suggest. Researchers in Japan found that among more than 42,000 adults followed for 10 years, women (but not men) with either a Western pattern of eating or a diet heavy in traditional Japanese foods like salted fish and pickled vegetables had a higher risk of colon cancer compared with women who were deemed healthy eaters. For their study, the investigators defined three different dietary patterns based on survey respondents' reported eating habits. One was dubbed the Western dietary pattern, and was marked by high intakes of meat, poultry, cheese and bread and butter. A second category, the 'traditional' dietary pattern, was built around rice, miso soup, salted fish and pickled vegetables. The third dietary pattern was the 'healthy' one, and it included high amounts of fruits, vegetables, soy products, beans and dairy." - Source
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"A divided Supreme Court ruled June 23, 2005 that local governments may seize people's homes and businesses against their will for private development in a decision anxiously awaited in communities where economic growth often is at war with individual property rights. The 5-4 ruling - assailed by dissenting Justice Sandra Day O'Connor as handing 'disproportionate influence and power' to the well-heeled in America - was a defeat for Connecticut residents whose homes are slated for destruction to make room for an office complex. They had argued that cities have no right to take their land except for projects with a clear public use, such as roads or schools, or to revitalize blighted areas. As a result, cities now have wide power to bulldoze residences for projects such as shopping malls and hotel complexes in order to generate tax revenue."
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|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
July 7, 2005
Today's Message is from Jamie Lemley (a Houston Albemarle employee).

I've seen some interesting reports on the news lately regarding some unusual and large bee hives on cars, homes, etc., so I thought this would be a good topic.

Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet Entomology
1991 Kenny Road, Columbus, OH 43210-1000

Bee and Wasp Stings
HYG-2076-96

William F. Lyon

It is estimated that between one and two million people in the United States are severely allergic to stinging insect venom. Each year 90 to 100 deaths from sting reactions are reported, but many more deaths may be occurring, mistakenly diagnosed as heart attacks, sunstrokes or attributed to other causes. More people die each year from the effects of insect venom than from spider or snake bites. Extreme human sensitivity to stings resulting in serious or fatal reactions is confirmed almost entirely to cases involving bees, wasps, hornets, bumble bees and ants (Order Hymenoptera).

Unlike most other allergies, insect allergy can cause a life-threatening disruption to breathing and circulatory systems called anaphylactic shock. For one person in 100, the sting of an insect can be fatal.

Allergic Reaction Symptoms
Most people stung will experience a "local" reaction with redness, pain, swelling and some itching only at the sting site. If the reaction progresses quickly to sites other than the sting site or is followed by difficult breathing or choking at the throat, the person is experiencing a "systemic" allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) requiring emergency medical treatment.

Remember that if you are stung on the hand and your face begins to swell or hives break out all over your body, this is a serious condition requiring emergency room attention.

Normal Reaction:--Lasts a few hours. Sting site is painful, reddened, may swell and itch, but will quickly dissipate.

Large Local Reaction:--Lasts for days. Sting site is more painful, swelling and itching may be present both at the sting site and in surrounding areas.

Severe Allergic Reaction:--Can commence rapidly (in a few minutes) after the sting occurs. The whole body is involved. Person may feel dizzy (light-headed), nauseated and weak. There may be stomach cramps and diarrhea. There can be itching around the eyes, a warm feeling or coughing, hives breaking out, followed with vomiting and swelling. There can be wheezing, difficult breathing (shortness of breath) or swallowing, hoarse speech, drop in blood pressure, shock, unconsciousness and darkened skin following. Reactions may occur in a few minutes with most deaths within 30 minutes, but some within 15 minutes and some in five minutes or less.

Systemic Sensitivity
Doctors believe that once systemic sensitivity occurs, it almost always increases in severity with each following sting (varies in individual persons). The more quickly symptoms appear after the sting, the more severe the reaction. (Some beekeepers can no longer keep honey bees after several years due to severe allergic reactions developing). The problem occurs when some individuals produce excessive quantities of antibodies in their immune system. The excess antibody production usually follows the initial sting to which there is no reaction. However, when the person is stung again, the insect venom entering the body combines with the antibody, produced by the first sting, which triggers a series of internal reactions, resulting in severe allergic symptoms.

Stings
Whenever stung, try to capture or know the identity of the insect to help doctors diagnose the trouble. When a bee or wasp stings, it injects a venomous fluid under the skin. Honey bees have a barbed stinger. Only the honey bee leaves her stinger (with its venom sac attached) in the skin of its victim. Since it takes two to three minutes for the venom sac to inject all its venom, instant removal of the stinger and sac usually reduces harmful effects. Scrape away with a sideways movement (one quick scrape) with a fingernail. Never try to use the thumb and forefinger or tweezers to pinch out the stinger since this maneuver forces (injects) more venom from the sac down into the wound.

Wasps, yellow jackets and hornets have a lance-like stinger without barbs and can sting repeatedly. They should be brushed off the victim's skin promptly with deliberate movements, then quietly and immediately leave the area.

Sting Prevention
Persons, especially allergic to stings, should practice certain simple precautions to avoid being stung.

Outdoors
Spray the patio, picnic and garbage areas with permethrin (Astro, Dragnet, Flee, Permanone, Prelude, Torpedo) or pyrethrins (Kicker, Microcare, Pyrenone, Pyrethrum, Synerol). Some formulations are restricted use. A licensed pesticide applicator or pest control operator can apply restricted use pesticides such as bendiocarb + pyrethrins (Ficam Plus), bifenthrin (Biflex), cyfluthrin (Tempo), cypermethrin (Cynoff, Cyper-Active, Demon, Vikor), deltamethrin (Suspend) and tralomethrin (Saga). Other labelled pesticides include acephate (Orthene), amorphous silica gel (Drione), bendiocarb (Ficam), carbaryl (Sevin), chlorpyrifos (Dursban, Empire, Tenure), diazinon, propoxur (Baygon) and resmethrin (Vectrin).

If you destroy the nests (aerial and ground) yourself, use a commercially available stinging insect control aerosol containing Baygon, pyrethrin, permethrin or resmethrin which can shoot a high-volume spray stream 15 to 20 feet, giving excellent quick knockdown and kill of wasps and bees hit. After dark or in the evening, most have returned from foraging to the nest. Thoroughly saturate the nest with spray, contacting as many insects as possible. Do not stand directly under an overhead nest, since some insects receiving some of the spray may fall but retain their ability to sting for some time. Repeat treatment if re-infestation occurs.

Again, it is always best, if allergic, to hire a professional exterminator to remove a nest. Never try to burn or flood a nest with water since this practice will only make these stinging insects angry and aggressive.

When eating outdoors, keep food covered until eaten, especially ripe fruit and soft drinks. Any scent of food, such as outdoor cooking, eating, feeding pets or garbage cans, will attract many bees and wasps (especially yellow jackets).

Keep refuse in tightly sealed containers. Dispose of refuse frequently (two times per week or more) during late summer and early autumn when most activity occurs. Be careful not to mow over a nest in the ground nor disturb a nest in a tree or eaves of the home. Any disturbance often will infuriate and provoke stinging.

Should a bee or wasp fly near you, slowly raise your arms to protect your face and stand still or move slowly away through bushes or indoors to escape. Never move rapidly, which often provokes attack. Never strike or swing at a wasp or bee against your body since it may be trapped causing it to sting. If crushed, it could incite nearby yellow jackets into a frenzied attack. The wasp venom contains a chemical "alarm pheromone," released into the air, signaling guard wasps to come and sting whomever and whatever gets in their way.

If a bee or wasp gets into a moving car, remain calm. The insect wants out of the vehicle as much as you want it out. They usually fly against windows in the car and almost never sting the occupants. Slowly and safely pull over off the road, open the window and allow the bee or wasp to escape. Unfortunately, many serious accidents have resulted when the driver strikes or swings at the insect during operation of the vehicle. A small insecticide aerosol can for control of stinging insects, kept in the car away from children and pets, can be used in an emergency.

Pick fruits as soon as they ripen. Pick up and dispose of any fallen fruit rotting on the ground. Keep lawns free of clover and dandelions, which attract honey bees. Avoid close contact with flowering trees, shrubs and flowers when bees and wasps are collecting nectar. Vines, which may conceal nests, should be removed from the house, if practical.

Individuals
Since perfume, hair spray, hair tonic, suntan lotion, aftershave lotions, heavy-scented shampoos, soaps and many other cosmetics attract insects, they should be avoided. Avoid shiny buckles and jewelry. Wear a hat and closed shoes (not sandals). Don't wear bright, colored, loose-fitting clothing, which may attract and trap insects. Flowery prints and black especially attract insects. To avoid stings, the beekeeper wears light-colored (white) clothing, preferably cotton (never wool).

Beginning beekeepers use bee gloves, a head veil, long sleeves and coveralls with the pant legs tucked into boots or tied at the ankles to prevent unnecessary multiple stings. A bee smoker is always used before opening up an established hive. To avoid stings, stay away from any bee hives for an hour or more (depending on weather) after the beekeeper has gone. Bees are more angry on cloudy, dark rainy days in early spring of the year.

Hypersensitive persons should never be alone when hiking, boating, swimming, golfing, fishing or involved outdoors since help is likely needed in starting prompt emergency treatment measures if stung. It is wise for the person to carry a card or to have an identification bracelet or necklace, such as "Medic Alert," identifying the person as hypersensitive to an insect sting. It will alert others to the condition in an emergency when sudden shock-like (anaphylactic) symptoms or unconsciousness (fainting) occurs after one or more stings. Medic Alert tags can be purchased at Medic Alert Foundation, 2323 Colorado Avenue, Turlock, California 95380, (Telephone: 1-800-922-3320).

Normal Reaction Sting Treatment

For stings causing itch, irritation, redness and swelling at the sting site, the following may be useful:
Ice
Baking Soda
Meat Tenderizer--for people not allergic to bee stings. Use any brand with Papain. Make a paste with a few drops of water to a teaspoon of meat tenderizer and quickly apply to the sting to reduce pain and inflammation (breaks down components of sting fluid).
Ammonia Solution--Apply a 1 to 2.5 percent solution no more than three to four times daily.
Oral Antihistamines--Tablets may be chewed for faster relief, but liquids are more readily absorbed after oral ingestion (Chlortrimeton, Dimetane, Teldrin).
Epinephrine Inhaler (Bronkaid mist, Primatene, Medihaler-Epi)
Topical Steroids (Cortaid, Dermolate, Lanacort, etc.)
Local Anesthetics (Benzocaine, Americaine, Dermoplast, Bactine, Foille, Lanacaine, Solarcaine)
Oral Steroids--Prescription only.
These medicines can be located in a tackle box, in camping gear, in the car and in the home. Store at room temperature away from room lighting or sunlight.

Emergency Kits for Insect Stings

Highly-sensitive persons should have two emergency kits prescribed for them by their physician within easy access at all times. One kit should be carried at all times and the other kept in the family car. It is best to store kits in a cool, dry place (refrigeration) with easy access. The kit contains one sterile syringe of Epinephrine (adrenalin) EPIPEN, ready for injection, four chewable, yellow tablets of Chlortrimeton (antihistamine), two sterile alcohol swabs for cleaning the injection site and one tourniquet. Inject the syringe into the thigh (subcutaneously) under the skin as soon as the first sting symptoms show. A tourniquet placed above the sting site, when on an arm or leg just tight enough to obstruct blood return but not so tight as to stop circulation, will help until medical treatment is obtained. Loosen the tourniquet every 10 minutes.

Other kits include ANA Emergency Insect Sting Kit and Insect Sting Kit available by prescription only at the drugstore or pharmacy.

Hypersensitivity Testing and Desensitization Program

Diagnostic skin testing with insect venom(s) is recommended for those who have experienced immediate systemic reaction to an insect sting. About half of adult patients will react similarly or worse to another sting unless desensitized with a series of appropriate venom injections. The percentage of serious reactions to another sting is less with children, but may still occur. Immunotherapy is given about every four weeks, indefinitely, unless skin tests indicate the patient is no longer sensitive. Freeze-dried venom from honey bee, yellow jacket, bald-faced hornet, etc. is available. They are believed to be 98 to 99 percent effective.

The first year of insect sting shots costs about $1,000 for a single venom. Subsequent years, when shots are given less often, run about $500 each. Sometimes shots are stopped after five years, if one has had a negative skin test, never had a life-threatening reaction and received several stings without ill effect. Shots are not stopped on those who have had a life-threatening reaction and there is uncertainty about the patient being resensitized. Consult Midwest Allergy Associates, Inc., 85 East Wilson Bridge Road, Worthington, Ohio 43085 (Telephone: 614-846-5944) for more details on a Hypersensitivity Testing and Desensitization Program.

|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
July 6, 2005
Drive Defensively
Today's Message is from Jerry Runk (a Houston Albemarle employee).

It seems like all my messages concern driving safety. I do not know what to attribute it to, but in the last few months I have noticed drivers in this area becoming even more aggressive. I'm sure that a lot of this is caused by the stress of daily living, especially in a large metropolitan area like Houston. I don't suggest that we use this as an excuse, but perhaps we can use it to understand the phenomenon and temper our responses on the road.

I only live a few miles from work, but every day I see drivers taking chances and other drivers responding inappropriately. I refer to these folks as the "Take No Prisoners" type of drivers. We all know this type. They weave in and out of traffic in order to get ahead. I must admit that I do take some perverse pleasure when they get stuck in traffic and I am able to pass them up. They will also sit on your bumper looking for the first opening to dart around you, they charge up to Stop signs and make you think they aren't going to stop and force you to hesitate as you approach them. They run stop lights at major intersections. Your light turns green and then as you start to go, a vehicle sails by directly in front of you.

And worse yet some of them have a cell phone stuck in their ear at the same time. MAKE NO MISTAKE, THESE FOLKS ARE PUSHING THEIR LUCK. It takes only about 15 minutes for me to drive to work. This morning alone I observed 12 unsafe acts and traffic violations. One of the drivers I observed was responsible for about half of that total.

There is not a lot that you can do about this type of behavior from other folks on the road. About all you can do to avoid becoming a statistic is to observe all the traffic laws - not just the ones you agree with, and be constantly aware and vigilant. This is very difficult to do with all the distractions we experience every day.

My family needs me, and your family needs you. Put down the cell phone, slow down and don't rush because you're not saving that much time. Most importantly don't become so distracted that you fail to focus and pay attention. Your best option is to take a deep breath, calm down, and drive defensively.

|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
July 5, 2005
Ladder Safety:::::
Today's Safety From the Heart message is from Allen Smoak.

On Thursday, May 28th, my wife phoned telling me that a dear friend of mine had fallen 12' from a ladder. . .

My friend owns a small construction company....8 employees including himself. His crew was putting the final touches on the eaves of a two story house. To save time...hint....hint....he secured a scaffold board on one side with a stiff-leg and the other end of the scaffold board he placed on the top of a 'A' frame ladder. A straight ladder was placed on the scaffold board to allow access to the top eave.

The job at this point is uneventful. My friend is positioning himself to place one more nail in the end of the eave flashing. He stretches but can't reach the edge....He jiggles the straight ladder and you guessed it...."Look ma, no hands." His flight was a 12' drop onto concrete steps.

The landing was not pretty...there were five contact points in this fall:
* the left knee
* the right foot
* the right hand
* the spot just under the nose above the teeth.....................
He then rolls down the remaining steps and ...........................the fifth contact ( have you guessed it?)........ * the 2" x 12" x 12' scaffold board falls edge-ways across his chest.

My friend is fortunate. He only has two small bones broken in his foot, a swollen knee / hand, and no broken teeth or nose or ribs. He cannot believe how foolish he had been with the ladder. He had everything he needed to do the job safely...but chose what seemed to be the fast method...the last thing they needed to do before quitting time.

So please, when anyone paints the house, mends the shingles or eaves:
........use the proper ladder for any job...
........get help...
........ take two minutes and plan a job for safety...
........keep one's buckle between the rails...
........secure the top of a ladder...
........secure the bottom of a ladder...
........straight ladders should project three rungs past the top contact point...

|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
July 1, 2005
Kidney Stones
Prepared by BRT Employee, Donna Dotson, Nurse Practitioner

As a practicing family nurse practitioner in Baton Rouge, I am a subscriber to Prescriber's Letter which is an organization that stays abreast on the latest, pressing topics of prescription, over-the-counter medications and the deciphering of information as factual under their "Rumor vs. Truth" Column. This organization employs over 100 experts who review the latest evidenced research from journals, seminars and drug companies. The following addresses the issue of calcium contributing to the formation of kidney stones:

RUMOR: Patients with recurrent kidney stones should restrict their calcium intake.
TRUTH: Most kidney stones are made of calcium salts. So many patients think that reducing calcium intake will help prevent getting more kidney stones.
Experts have been debating this for years.
It was originally thought that patients with high amounts of calcium excreted in the urine had to be on low-calcium diets.
But it turns out that low calcium diets can actually INCREASE the risk for calcium oxalate kidney stones (the most common type)...by increasing the urinary excretion of oxalate.
This is because calcium binds oxalate in the gut and prevents its absorption.
So experts concluded that increased oxalate in the urine is more likely to cause stones than increased calcium.
Now recent evidence suggests that calcium is equally guilty in the formation of stones.
Explain to patients that this does not mean that they should RESTRICT calcium intake. There's no proof that diets low in calcium reduce urinary excretion of calcium.
Advise kidney stone patients that they still need their calcium...about 1000 mg of elemental calcium per day. Patients at risk for osteoporosis should continue taking 1000 to 1500 mg daily to prevent bone loss.
Recommend taking calcium supplements with meals to bind with dietary oxalate. Suggest calcium citrate...citrates help decrease stone formation. They bind to calcium which in turn prevents calcium from binding to oxalate.
Counsel patients to drink 2 to 3 L of water daily and not to consume more than 3 g of sodium or 8 oz of animal protein a day. Sodium increases urinary calcium...animal protein can increase urinary calcium and might increase oxalate production in the body.

Advise patients to try to avoid high-oxalate foods...spinach, beets, cranberries, chocolate, nuts.
Warn patients with a history of oxalate kidney stones not to take more than 1 gram vit C a day per day...this may increase stone risk by up to 40%.
Weight gain and obesity may also increase the risk for kidney stones.
Encourage overweight patients to exercise and diet."

Reference: Prescriber's Letter, Stockton, CA; www.prescribersletter.comJ

|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
July 1, 2005
Prevent Pool Drowning
Today's Message is from Matt Thomas (a Houston Albemarle employee).

According to a 1998 study by the National Center for Health Statistics, 4,406 people drowned that year, including 1,003 children younger than 15 years old. Drowning is the second leading cause of injury-related death for children aged one through 14. Most of these children drown in swimming pools.

How can you help prevent pool drowning?

Here are some safety tips:

Whenever young children are swimming, playing, or bathing in water, make sure an adult is constantly watching them. By definition this means that the supervising adult should not read, play cards, talk on the phone, mow the lawn, or do any other distracting activity while watching children.

Never swim alone or in unsupervised places. Teach children to always swim with a buddy.

Keep small children away from buckets containing liquid: 5-gallon industrial containers are a particular danger. Be sure to empty buckets when household chores are done.

Never drink alcohol during or just before swimming, boating, or water skiing. Never drink alcohol while supervising children. Teach teenagers about the danger of drinking alcohol and swimming, boating, or water skiing.

To prevent choking, never chew gum or eat while swimming, diving, or playing in water.

Learn to swim. Enroll yourself and/or your children aged 4 and older in swimming classes. Swimming classes are not recommended for children under age 4.

Learn CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation). This is particularly important for pool owners and individuals who regularly participate in water recreation.

Do NOT use air-filled swimming aids (such as "water wings") in place of life jackets or life preservers with children. These can give parents and children a false sense of security and increase the risk of drowning.

Check the water depth before entering. The American Red Cross recommends 9 feet as a minimum depth for diving or jumping.

If you have a swimming pool at your home:

Install a four-sided, isolation pool-fence with self-closing and self-latching gates around the pool. The fence should be at least 4 feet tall and completely separate the pool from the house and play area of the yard.

Prevent children from having direct access to a swimming pool.

Install a telephone near the pool. Know how to contact local emergency medical services.

Post the emergency number, 911, in an easy-to-see place.

|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
June 30, 2005
Who Stops for a Four-Way Stop Sign
Today's Safety From the Heart message is from Sharon Nettles.

Because of the number of accidents that have occurred at the intersection of Hwy 400 (Norway Road) and Shillings Bridge Road, a four-way stop was implemented in April. I travel this route twice daily and have observed, on many occasions, the potential occurrence of a minor accident. Either traffic comes to a halt or everyone tries to enter the intersection at the same time. Because so many people seem to have a lack of knowledge or understanding of how a four-way stop should work, I thought we all might benefit from this reminder.

RIGHT OF WAY -- FOUR-WAY STOP INTERSECTION

Drivers on different streets who are approaching an intersection which is protected by four-way stop signs have certain duties under the law.

The law requires that the driver of a vehicle approaching a stop sign at a four-way stop must stop and, having stopped, shall yield the right of way to another vehicle which, in the exercise of ordinary care, has already entered the intersection.

If vehicles are approaching a four-way stop intersection from different [highways] [streets] at such relative speeds and distances from the intersection that both vehicles will enter the intersection at the same time, or if both enter the intersection at the same time, the law requires the driver of the vehicle on the left to yield the right of way to the vehicle on the right.

A violation of these rules governing the approach to a four-way stop intersection, although not necessarily negligence, is evidence of negligence to be considered by you along with all of the other facts and circumstances in the case.
|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
June 29, 2005
Today's Safety From the Heart message is from Marie Rast.

With the coming of warmer weather, everybody is outside more....gardening, playing baseball, running, and so on. During this time of year, people also become ill (allergies, stomach problems from the family picnic, too much to do and not enough time to eat properly). Any of these could result in dehydration if we are not careful. Here are some facts that you may need to know about dehydration and what you can do to treat it.

Definition Dehydration is loss of or lack of adequate body fluids, such as water and important blood salts like potassium (K+) and sodium (Na+) for the body to carry on normal functions at optimal levels (by loss, inadequate intake, or a combination of both). Losses of only a few percent in an adult and up to 5% in infants are considered mild dehydration. Vital organs like the kidneys, brain, and heart cannot function without a certain minimum of water and salt. With severe vomiting or diarrhea and occasionally with excessive sweating, anyone can become dangerously dehydrated.

How to treat Rehydration by mouth may be sufficient for mild dehydration. Intravenous fluids and hospitalization may be necessary for moderate to severe dehydration.

Mild dehydration is safe to self-treat at all ages, as long as it doesn't worsen. In teenagers and adults with moderate dehydration, careful home treatment can be safe, but phone contact with a health care provider is advisable. Children under 10 with moderate dehydration should see a health care provider first, though hospitalization usually isn't necessary.

To treat dehydration, address the cause first! The most common reasons for dehydration may be due to fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or heat exhaustion for dehydration. Then, as you are treat the underlying problem, begin small amounts of re-hydrating solution (ORS) by mouth.

Oral Hydration Solutions (ORS) Commercial solutions (Kaolectrolyte, Pedialyte, and others) replace important blood salts and water in balanced amounts that allow the intestines to absorb maximum amounts of water along with small amounts of salts. ORS should NOT be sports drinks as these are designed for concentrated energy and salt replacement and can actually aggravate vomiting and diarrhea and are so concentrated they can limit intestinal water absorption. An easy rule of thumb is that ORS should be no saltier to taste than tears.

|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
June 28, 2005
Wrecks on I-26
Today's Safety From the Heart message is from Al Shaffer.

There was a lot of activity on I-26 this weekend. I returned Sunday evening from two days of motorcycle riding to visit my brothers. I wore my helmet and padded jacket and boots all the time and my rain suit most of the time, but that is not what this is about.

Most of my 400+ mile trip was on Interstate 26. I waited in stalled traffic because of four different wrecks on I-26. Two of the wrecks were within 3/4 mile of one another at the same time; possibly related. All of the wrecks showed evidence of chain reaction rear-enders. One, for example, had a Dodge Neon about 2 feet under the rear end of a full size Dodge truck. All of the wrecks were in the left lane, the passing lane..

The speed of "normal" traffic on I-26 is well above 70 mph and the volume of traffic on the weekend is very high. Bumper-to-bumper traffic at high speeds is dangerous. Everyone thinks he is good enough to drive safely this way. It happens, so it has to be dealt with.

Look out for any clues to an upcoming crash. Sudden brake lights everywhere is one and two vehicles moving into the same gap at the same time is another.

You can think of many more. Stay alert and think of all the warnings signs you should be looking out for as you are passing that semi-double-clutching-tractor-trailer-truck in the rain on I-26.

It is aggravating duck-walking a motorcycle in two miles of backed up traffic, but it is still better than the alternative.

|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
June 27, 2005
Protect Against Tick Bites
Today's Safety From the Heart message is from Sharon Nettles.

Several weeks ago my daughter spotted a tick that had attached itself to my right shoulder. My husband assisted with its removal and destruction.
Three days later the bite was very red and inflamed and I developed a 102 degree fever. My family physician confirmed that nothing remained inside the bite location; however, because so many of my symptoms matched the description of an infection, she prescribed an antibiotic that would address both the bite as well as the sinus infection that was also detected with my visit. After about five days of feeling miserable, I finally felt amongst the living again. Since this occurrence, I have done a little research and here's what I found.

Watch Out for Ticks and Be Aware of Lyme Disease

Before venturing out and enjoying the great outdoors, make sure you take some precautions against becoming infected with Lyme disease, a disease transmitted from the bite of an infected tick. The third week of July is designated Lyme Disease Awareness Week but it's always good to take precautions to prevent Lyme Disease. The following are some tips that can protect you from tick bites:
Wear light-colored clothing. This allows you to see a tick more easily.
Wear a hat and long-sleeved shirt.
Tuck your clothes in, shirts into pants and pants into socks. Use a rubber band or tape the area where the socks and pants meet to prevent ticks from getting under clothing.
Use an insect repellant with DEET on exposed skin and clothes. Read the label instructions and cautions about use on young children.
When hiking, stay in the middle of trails, and avoid underbrush, fallen tress, and tall grass.
After being outdoors or if you are outdoors for a long period, perform a tick check.
Shower immediately after coming indoors. If you find a tick on your body, remove it by doing the following;
Using a pair of fine-tipped tweezers, grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull slowly, steadily, and firmly. Avoid crushing the tick's body.

Once removed, clean the area with antiseptic, such as alcohol.
Save the tick in a jar of alcohol or taped it to a piece of cardboard so it can be identified by your local health department.

The following are early signals of Lyme disease that may appear a few days or weeks after a tick bite:
Fever and chills
Muscle and joint aches
Weakness or fatigue
Headache
Swollen lymph nodes
Skin rash, which may have a bull's-eye appearance

Signals that may appear weeks, months, or even years after a tick bite include the following: Arthritis
Numbness
Paralysis of the facial muscles, usually on one side
Memory loss
Problems with hearing or vision
Severe headache
High fever
Stiff neck
Irregular or rapid heart beat

If any of these signals appear or you have bitten by a tick, consult your medical professional.
|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
June 24, 2005
Who taught whom more about Safety?
Today's Safety From the Heart message is from Sharon Nettles.

On Friday afternoon, I was asked if I had a need for safety glasses at home, and I responded that I was sure that my husband or I could use them while cutting grass, etc. When our six year old daughter noticed two pair of safety glasses, she became excited to know that she could "be just like Daddy" and they could use the glasses together.

On Saturday morning, my daughter jumped out of bed, dressed, and put her safety glasses on to prepare for a day of helping her Daddy bush hog the field around our home. In order to complete the task at hand, my husband needed to purchase fuel for the tractor so we all headed to the local gas station. While traveling, I instructed our little girl to replace her safety glasses with sunshades, but she was still so excited about the safety glasses that she chose to keep them on .

Once at the gas station, my husband held the pump nozzle in the gas container, our daughter watched, and I lifted the handle on the pump. Within seconds, the gas in the container "belched" and my husband and daughter were sprayed. Both were able to go to the rest-room to use soap and water to remove the sprayed fuel from their arms and faces. Because they were both wearing their safety glasses, none of the fuel got into their eyes.

Lessons learned:
Expect the unexpected.
Be aware of body position at all times.
Use PPE at work and home.
Get excited about safety. (Thank goodness my daughter got excited about wearing her safety glasses because it may have saved her eyesight.) Teach by example but also be open to learning.

In closing, opportunities to teach as well as learn about safety are abundant. Who taught whom more about safety that day really doesn't matter. Safety first and foremost by everyone. That's what counts!!
|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
June 23, 2005
Make That Appointment
Today's Message is from Debra Regan (a Houston Albemarle employee).

My husband received a call last night that his cousin passed away of a heart attack at the age of 44. This is not the first person in his family to pass at a young age, which puts him at risk for several potentially fatal diseases due to family hereditary.

Every year you and your family, men and women, need to have complete physicals whether you feel sick or not, and make sure you let your physician know your family history so that he can order additional tests if he feels it is necessary. Everyone take care of yourself and make that appointment!
|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
June 22, 2005
Work Safe
Today's Message is from Whip Nierlich ( Houston Albemarle employee).

With so many distractions happening, we must never let safety take a back seat to any of these. Work safe here and outside of the plant. Getting injured would make everything else seem insignificant.
|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
June 21, 2005
Flying Insects
Today's Message is from Wilson David (a Houston Albemarle employee).

With spring here and summer approaching, people should be aware of the dangers posed by flying insects: wasps, yellow jackets, bees, etc.

Many people are allergic to stings from these insects and even if they aren't, multiple stings can cause health problems. Wasps and yellow jackets often build nests under boards, tarps, and pieces of plastic in sheds. Any place in or around a shed is often a good site for a nest.

If you have a shed, patio chairs and table in your backyard, you might see wasp flying around and but cannot see the nest. It probably is hidden under one of these items. You should carefully find the nest where ever it is. Running to get away may also cause an injury if you trip and fall. The main thing is to be very careful and to kill these insects from a distance with an insect spray. If the nest is easy to get at, I've found that water and powder washing detergent solution will kill wasp easily when the nest is doused.
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TOURBUS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -:) - :)- :)
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TOURBUS Volume 10, Number 65 -- 2 July 2005
Tourbus Home - http://www.TOURBUS.com
Tourbus Forums - http://forums.TOURBUS.com
+-------------------------------------------------+

TODAY'S TOURBUS TOPIC: Comet Update / Google Maps Update / Immi Heap

Howdy, y'all, and greetings once again from deep behind the orange curtain in beautiful Irvine, California, home of the third most decisive battle of the English Civil War.

+-------------------------------------------------+

I have some exciting news: I'm now a librarian! Well, actually, when I am not driving our little bus of internet happiness I am still the Faculty Training and Support Coordinator for the California State University, Long Beach. But my department, the Faculty Technology Center, is now part of the University Library. So I guess that makes me a librarian. And, as a newly minted librarian, let me be the first to say "SHHHHH!" :)

---------------------------------
Update: Send Your Name to a Comet
---------------------------------

Back on November 18th, 2003, I mentioned that NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory was offering you the opportunity to add your name to a CD-ROM destined for spaceflight... [T]he CD-ROM will be onboard a spacecraft that will crash into Comet Temple 1 on July 4th, 2005. And, no, that "crash" line isn't a jab at NASA. The goal of JPL's Deep Impact project is to crash a 370 kg (820 pound) mass – including the CD-ROM -- into the Comet Temple 1 in order to

1. Make a really, really big hole.
2. Observe how that hole forms
3. Measure the hole's depth and diameter
4. Measure the composition of the interior of the crater and
the stuff that gets blown out into space.
5. Determine how the hole changes the comet's tail.

About 625,000 people signed up for the opportunity to have their name blown into space smithereens. And with July 4th, 2005, just a few days away, it's impact time, baby!

For those of you who are night owls, the impact is scheduled for 5:52 AM GMT [1:52 AM EDT] on Monday, July 4th. NASA plans to offer a webcast of the impact in both RealPlayer and Windows Media Player formats at
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

and Space.com will be offering their own webcast at
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/050701_deep_impact_web.html

To learn more about the mission, including instructions on how to view the comet in the nighttime sky, check out JPL's Deep Impact page at

http://deepimpact.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html

As I said back in 2003, the greatest part about this whole project is that my name [and yours too, if you signed up] will forever be associated with "a spectacular, football field-sized crater, seven to 15 stories deep." That's just too cool for words.

Related News: http://www.tourbus.com/NASA-news.html

Related News: http://www.tourbus.com/comet-news.html

-------------------
Update: Google Maps
-------------------

When we last visited Google Maps [ http://maps.google.com/ ], I mentioned that you can only use the site to search for locations in the United States and Canada.

That's starting to change. If you go to maps.google.com, click and hold your mouse button, and then drag in any direction, you'll see that Google Maps now cover the world. Sort of.

Google Maps now shows a global political map but street-level maps are only available for the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. [I think.] For example, if you search for "San Diego, CA" and then drag the map up a bit, you'll see that south of the city is ... nothing. On the plus side, though, the newest version of Google Maps shows darker road lines as well one-way direction arrows [see http://tinyurl.com/b8z69 ] when appropriate.

Oh, while we're talking about Google Maps, I should also tell you that James Turnbull's Google Sightseeing blog has a new URL:

http://www.googlesightseeing.com/

Turnbull and his buddies have spent the last three months digging through Google Maps looking for cool stuff like pictures of airplanes in flight [ http://tinyurl.com/9cau7 ], an example of how Missouri and Illinois highway engineers don't play well together [ http://tinyurl.com/b76yr ], and something that is best filed under the title "I want to believe" [ http://tinyurl.com/89hhy ]

None of those images are as exciting as seeing my old high school from space [ http://tinyurl.com/asc9p ], but I'm not the most impartial observer.

---------------------------
Immi Heap's "Hide and Seek"
Audience: Everyone [I hope]
---------------------------

So do you remember the music they had on the season finale of the television show "The OC?" Neither do I, but this track [which you can't find on any CD I know about] is so hot it must be responsible for half the traffic on the net: Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek". You can find it in the iTunes Music Store--the song is currently #4 on iTunes Electronic music charts--for 99 cents.

If you don't want to pay 99 cents, and if you live in the United States, there's another way to get the song. 7 Eleven is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Slurpee by giving away 8 million iTunes songs. Buy a 32 ounce Slurpee [which normally costs about $1.50 with tax] in a specially-marked cup [you can't miss them] and on the side of the cup you'll find a 12-digit alphanumeric code redeemable for one song from the iTunes Music Store. For more information, including a link to where you can key in your special code, check out

http://www.apple.com/itunes/slurpee/

If you'd rather not pay $1.50 to get a 99 cent song-- don't forget, though, that that buck fifty gets you not only a song but also a Slurpee--you can try your chance at winning three free iTunes songs at
http://iw.rtm.com/colgatemaxfreshinstantwin/register.asp

Colgate is giving 30,000 lucky winners three free iTunes songs. Just fill out the online form and see if you're a winner.

Better still, if you want to avoid iTunes altogether, you can buy Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek" from the download store on her website at

http://www.imogenheap.co.uk/

And read her blog [ http://www.imogenheap.co.uk/iblog/iblog.htm ].
She's an indie artist and deserves our support. Her homebrew label is going to print 5,000 CDs in mid-July. I expect blood to be flowing in the streets as angry mobs charge the record stores.

What's it like? Old, old friends of my dad will remember how enthsiastic he was about Todd Rundgren's A Cappella. OK, imagine the voice plus synth technology he used on that album (especially in "Something to Fall Back On") got married to Peter Frampton's "talking guitar" and the offspring was bitten by a radioactive spider. And now imagine it put into everybody's hands.

Grab some of that stuff and follow Immi Heap. She's leading the way, and the music is going to be incredible!

[Special thanks go to my dad, the Rev. Bob "Bob" Crispen, for contributing to this next section of today's post.]
------------------------------------------
That's it for today. Have a safe and happy week, and we'll talk again soon.
+---------------------------------------+
==[ Tourbus Rider Information ]==
The Internet Tourbus - U.S. Library of Congress ISSN #1094-2238
Copyright 1995-2005, Rankin & Crispen - All rights reserved
Tourbus News Service - http://tourbus.com/news.html
Subscribe, Signoff, Archives, Free Stuff and More at the
Tourbus Website - http://www.TOURBUS.com
========================
.~~~. ))
(\__/) .' ) )) Patrick Douglas Crispen
/o o \/ .~
{o_, \ { crispen@netsquirrel.com
/ , , ) \ http://www.netsquirrel.com/
`~ -' \ } )) AOL Instant Messenger: Squirrel2K
_( ( )_.'
---..{____} Warning: squirrels.
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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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It is better to spend money like there's no tomorrow than to spend tonight like there's no money. - - Irish Toast

My mother used to play this on the piano and sing to me. It’s always been one of my favorite songs.

Toora Loora Looral
(That's an Irish Lullaby)
Sung by Bing Crosby
in Going My Way

Over in Killarney
Many years ago,
Me Mither sang a song to me
In tones so sweet and low. Just a simple little ditty,
In her good ould Irish way,
And l'd give the world if she could sing
That song to me this day.

Chorus:
"Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, hush now, don't you cry!
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, that's an Irish lullaby.".

Oft in dreams I wander
To that cot again,
I feel her arms a-huggin' me
As when she held me then.
And I hear her voice a -hummin'
To me as in days of yore,
When she used to rock me fast asleep
Outside the cabin door.

Chorus:
"Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, hush now, don't you cry!
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, that's an Irish lullaby."
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Today is Independence Day in the USA. We want to take today and honor those that sacrificed so much so that we in the U.S. can have the freedom we enjoy everyday.

The following is a piece written by Thomas S. Ellsworth. He also runs a great joke mailing list called Good Clean Fun. You can visit his web page at
http://www.slonet.org/~tellswor/ .
---
Most of us, and by that I mean most of us in the United States, know that the Fourth of July is the "birthday" of the United States of America. It actually marks the anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress. Often marked by parades and community celebration, it is a symbolic time for American families to gather and reflect on their heritage.

Most of us take for granted that this day and all the other U.S. holidays are "national" holidays. Did you know that the United States observes no national holidays? Specifically, that means holidays mandated by the Federal Government. The United States Congress and/or President can only legally establish an "official" holiday for the District of Columbia and for federal employees. In fact, it wasn't until the 20th Century that an order was issued giving federal employees a "day off" from work. A public holiday can only be established at the local level. Typically the observance of holidays happens at the state level with the enactment of a state law or by an executive proclamation by a state governor.

I first started posting this piece in July 2000. After I posted it, I received an email from Jen in Alberta, Canada. She asked me why I only mentioned the U.S. holidays. She surmised that it was because I was from the U.S. and to that extent, she is right. The U.S. holidays, especially the ones dealing with independence, veterans, and those who died for this country, are special to me. And since Good Clean Fun is 99.9% humor, I certainly don't want to veer from that basic premise and turn this into a history site. But Jen did start me to thinking, so I did a bit of research about my neighbors, Canada and Mexico.

Look back at the subject of this email. It is Independence "Days," plural. So let me take a moment and briefly honor my neighbors:

1. Canada celebrates its Independence on July 1st. The British North America Act created the Canadian federal government on July 1, 1867. This Act proclaimed "one Dominion under the name of Canada," hence the original title of the holiday as "Dominion Day." July 1st has also been known in Canada as "Confederation Day." On October 27, 1982, the Canadian Parliament officially renamed the holiday as "Canada Day."

2. Mexico celebrates many national and religious holidays. I must admit that I always thought that Cinco de Mayo, the Fifth of May, was Mexico's Independence Day, but a bit of research proved me wrong. While Cinco de Mayo is a national holiday, it honors the Mexican defeat of the French army at Puebla in 1862. September 16th is Mexican Independence Day and it celebrates the day that Miguel Hidalgo delivered "El Grito de Dolores," and announced the Mexican revolt against Spanish rule.

So, let's all be proud of and reflect on our heritage.

My favorite piece of this genre was done many, many years ago by Red Skelton where he broke the Pledge of Allegiance down into individual words and phrases in order to explain the meaning of each one. The piece can be found at:

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Farm/7478/redskel1.htm

It also contains a link where you can hear Red's comments in his own voice. I highly recommend it.

Finally, let's remember that patriotism is NOT a sin, and the Fourth of July is more than beer, picnics, and baseball games.
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TGIF-Today God Is First


Living as if You Were Dead
------------------------------------------------------
Friday, July 08, 2005
by Os Hillman

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. ~ Romans 6:11

What are the things that arouse the strongest emotions in you? Perhaps it is a rude motorist who cuts you off in traffic. Perhaps it is the anger you feel when you are wrongfully accused. Perhaps it is frustration that results from not having enough money to meet perceived needs. When do emotions turn into sin?

Whenever our peace is upset over events and circumstances in life, we have moved past emotions into sin. Sin says that circumstances of life now dictate anxiety, worry, fear, or anger. Consider the attributes of a dead man. He does not get angry when slandered. He does not worry about the future. He does not fear what can be done to him. Why? Because he is dead. Nothing can harm a dead man.

Christ said we are to live as if we are dead - dead to the temptation of responding to stimuli in our life that are designed to stir up the sinful nature that resides in each of us. We do not have to respond to that nature; we can consider it dead. Christ said He is enough. When He is our all in all, nothing can move us. If we are moved, then Christ is not our all in all.

-=+=-

The Consequence of Faith
------------------------------------------------------
Thursday, July 07, 2005
by Os Hillman

We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. ~ Romans 6:4

If you commit yourself to live for Christ in and through your work life, there will be a consequence of faith. You could avoid much hardship and take a much easier road in life if you do not choose to live an obedient life of faith in Christ. This is a spiritual law. None of us is excluded from identification with the cross.

When we commit ourselves to fully follow Christ, He begins a "circumcision" process in each of us designed to rid all that is of the world system from our lives. This circumcision is required of every believer. Moses had much preparation from God for His calling to free the people of Israel from Egypt. He spent years in training as a young boy in the family of Pharaoh. He tried to free the people through the flesh by killing an Egyptian. That cost him 40 years in the desert of loneliness and toil before God said he was prepared to free the people from their suffering. God invested much in Moses; however, that preparation was not enough. Experience and preparation had to be mixed with obedience. God required his family to be circumcised. Moses failed to circumcise his son before returning to Egypt. This was so important to God that He was going to kill Moses if he did not uphold his commandment. "At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses and was about to kill him" (Ex. 4:24).

Are there any areas in your life that have not come under the lordship of Christ? Is there any lack of obedience that will prevent you from being used fully by the Lord? Ask Him to show you this today so that you might be fully used of God.

-=+=-

Our Work Versus Our Value
------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
by Os Hillman

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. ~ Genesis 2:15

Man was created to have seven basic needs. Each of us has a need for dignity, authority, blessing and provision, security, purpose and meaning, freedom and boundary, intimate love and companionship. When we go outside God's provision to meet these needs, we get into trouble.

Every man has a need to work and gain satisfaction in caring and seeing something come from his efforts. Many of our basic needs are derived from our work; it was one of the first acts God did for man in the Garden of Eden. He gave him responsibility to care for and work the Garden. God knew man needed to be productive. He needed to gain satisfaction from his work.

The danger of this is when we allow our work to be our complete source of purpose and meaning in life. This leads to a performance-based life. A performance-based life says, "As long as I perform in my work, I am acceptable to myself and others." This is a subtle trap for all of us. It can lead us to become workaholics if we are seeking acceptance through what we do. Sometimes this can be on a subconscious basis.

Our value must be centered in Christ, not in what we do. If we lose our job or our business, this should not devastate us if we are centered in Him. It will certainly create difficulties, but God is the orchestrator of all the events in our lives for His purposes. Even difficult times have purposes.

Today, ask the Lord if you have a proper balance in your work life. Is Christ the central focus? If you work long hours, ask yourself why. You might discover that God may not be the central focus.

-=+=-

Death Works in You
------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
by Os Hillman

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. ~ 2 Corinthians 1:8-9

Have you ever gone through a very difficult time in your life? These times make us value life. They make us appreciate the simple things that we took for granted before the crisis. When we are restored from such a trial, it is as though we have been given a new beginning. We can place a greater value on what we had before and use it for His purposes. Perhaps for the first time we can identify with others who find themselves in a similar trial.

I recall having an attitude of superiority over those who went through a difficult financial crisis. Because I had never experienced any financial crisis in my life, this pride kept me from identifying with such people. Then the Lord brought such a trial into my life. I learned a great deal during that period. I learned that the world and even Christians often treat such people as lepers. Like me, they didn't know how to relate. Now, I appreciate the little things that I never would have valued without that trial. The experience taught me greater dependence and faith in the provision area of my relationship with God.

When God brings death to one area of life, he resurrects it in a new way. Death works in us to bring new life and new perspectives. These are designed to press us forward in ways that we never would have moved without the experience. God knows how much this is needed in our life to gain the prize He has reserved for each of us. It is His strategic mercy that motivates Him to bring such events into our life. Press into Him, learn of Him, and rely on Him.

-=+=-
Play to Your Strength
------------------------------------------------------
Monday, July 04, 2005
by Os Hillman

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. ~ 1 Corinthians 12:4

Have you ever tried to do anything that you were not gifted to do? I am not a handy man. If there is a household project, like a plumbing leak or anything mechanical - forget it. God has not given me any "natural" gifts for such things. And I'd prefer not buying anything that requires assembly!

I have a friend who can fix or assemble anything. It comes naturally to him, and he loves to help me. This same person looks at some of my abilities and marvels. We appreciate the gifts God has given to each of us. These differences have created a need for one another. God wants each of us to need one another. The Scriptures describe the Body of Christ in the same way. Each person is a member of His Body with gifts and talents designed to make His Body perform as a multi-talented group, all playing to the same tune. It is when one member is "out of tune" or decides he doesn't like his gifts, or decides to do something he is not designed to do that the orchestra begins to sound off key. Imagine if the parts of the human body decided they didn't want to fulfill their parts any longer. That body would no longer function effectively because one or more of its members were not performing the functions they were designed for.

What has He equipped you for? What role has he called you to play in God's Kingdom? When one link in the chain is weakened, the whole chain is susceptible to breaking. God made it that way so that we could help that weak link. He made it that way so we would be forced to depend on one another. Are you being a strong link in the chain of God's Kingdom? Ask Him if you are fulfilling your role as He designed.

-=+=-

Copyright 2005. www.MarketplaceLeaders.org
---------------------------------------------------
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 2005
--------------------------------------------------
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 2005
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Activities and Events of Interest
~~~
Village, Community Center Annual Steak Supper - August 5 - $12 - Tickets avaliable at Olson’s Gun Shop, Magnolia Feed & Fertilizer and Village One Stop.
~~~
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/

The Department of Defense announced the death of eight soldiers and eight sailors who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Soldiers killed were:
01. Staff Sgt. Shamus O. Goare, 29, of Danville, Ohio.
02. Chief Warrant Officer Corey J. Goodnature, 35, of Clarks Grove, Minn.
03. Sgt. Kip A. Jacoby, 21, of Pompano Beach, Fla.
04. Sgt. 1st Class Marcus V. Muralles, 33, of Shelbyville, Ind.
05. Master Sgt. James W. Ponder III, 36, of Franklin, Tenn.
06. Maj. Stephen C. Reich, 34, of Washington Depot, Conn.
07. Sgt. 1st Class Michael L. Russell, 31, of Stafford, Va.
08. Chief Warrant Officer Chris J. Scherkenbach, 40, of Jacksonville, Fla.
Goare, Goodnature, Jacoby, Muralles, Reich, Russell, and Scherkenbach were assigned to the Army's 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Hunter Army Air Field, Ga.
Ponder was assigned to the Army's Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), Fort Campbell, Ky.
Sailors killed were:
09. Chief Petty Officer Jacques J. Fontan, 36, of New Orleans, La.
10. Senior Chief Petty Officer Daniel R. Healy, 36, of Exeter, N.H.
11. Lt. Cmdr. Erik S. Kristensen, 33, of San Diego, Calif.
12. Petty Officer 1st Class Jeffery A. Lucas, 33, of Corbett, Ore.
13. Lt. Michael M. McGreevy, Jr., 30, of Portville, N.Y.
14. Petty Officer 2nd Class James Suh, 28, of Deerfield Beach, Fla.
15. Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric S. Patton, 22, of Boulder City, Nev.
16. Petty Officer 1st Class Jeffrey S. Taylor, 30, of Midway, W.Va.
Healy, Patton and Suh were assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team One, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Fontan, Kristensen, Lucas, McGreevy and Taylor were assigned to SEAL Team Ten, Virginia Beach, Va.
All 16 were killed while conducting combat operations when the MH-47 helicopter that they were aboard crashed in the vicinity of Asadabad, Afghanistan in Kumar Province on June 28.

17. Sgt. Ryan J. Montgomery, 22, of Greensburg, Ky., died July 3 in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV while his unit was conducting convoy operations. Montgomery was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 623rd Field Artillery Regiment, Campbellsville, Ky.

18. Spc. Rafael A. Carrillo, Jr., 21, of Boys Ranch, Texas, died June 28 in Baghdad, Iraq, where an enemy mortar detonated near his HMMWV. Carrillo was assigned to the Army's 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

19. Sgt. Chad M. Mercer, 25, of Waycross, Ga., died June 30 in Baghdad, Iraq, where his M2A2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle rolled over while conducting combat operations. Mercer was assigned to the Army National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, Fitzgerald, Ga.

20. Staff Sgt. Jeremy A. Brown, 26, of Mabscott, W.Va., died July 3 in Mosul Iraq, from injuries sustained earlier that day in Tal Afar, Iraq, where the HMMWV in which he was riding accidentally rolled over. Brown was assigned to the Army's 66th Military Intelligence Company, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colo.

The Department of Defense announced the death of two sailors who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
21. Petty Officer 2nd Class Danny P. Dietz, 25, of Littleton, Colo. Dietz was assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team Two, Virginia Beach, Va.
22. Lt. Michael P. Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y. Murphy was assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team One, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Both died while conducting counter-terrorism operations in Kunar Province, Afghanistan. Coalition forces located the service members while conducting a combat search and rescue operation July 4 in Kunar Province. Both sailors’ whereabouts had been unknown since June 28.

The Department of Defense announced the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died on July 5, 2005, in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their HMMWV during patrol operations. Both soldiers were assigned to 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colo. Killed were:
23. Staff Sgt. Scottie L. Bright, 36, of Montgomery, Ala.
24. Cpl. Lyle J. Cambridge, 23, of Shiprock, N.M.

25. Spc. Christopher W. Dickison, 26, of Seattle, Wa., died July 5, in Baqubah, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his patrol. Dickison was assigned to the Army's 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.

26. Pvt. Anthony M. Mazzarella, 22, of Blue Springs, Mo., died July 5, in Taji, Iraq, when the HMMWV in which he was riding accidentally rolled over. Mazzarella was assigned to the Army's 1st Battalion, 13th Armor Regiment, 1st Armor Division, Fort Riley, Kan.
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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
~~~
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
~~~
MCC - Early Morning Prayer - Monday - Friday, From 6:30 am to 8:00 am
~~~
MCC - "Beth Moore" Video Class - Thursday nights at 5:45 pm
~~~
MCC - "Faith Builders" Small group meets at 1051 Columbia 36 the second and fourth Tuesdays, 6:30 pm to 7:45 pm.
~~~
MCC - Firm Foundations Class, Sunday 9:30 to 10:15 a.m
~~~
MCC - Meadow Brook Nursing Home Ministry Tuesday from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m
~~~
MCC - Mom's Day Out - Every Tuesday and Thursday from 9 to 2.$10 for the first child, $5 for the second. Call 234-3225 for reservations.
~~~
MCC - Nursing Home Ministry - Meadowbrook Every Tuesday from 10 to 11 am. Taylor, the last Thursday each month.
~~~
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.
~~~
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!!!
Gal 5:13-16 Psa 95:6-9 Psa 103:1-5
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 Miranda and Mechelle's performance in the Missouri Governor's Garden on 4th of July and Doc Antoon cooking for DreamCenter.
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