Bug's Bleat - - GCF: Cafeteria Food

Volume 7, Issue 36

Hello All,

We had a GREAT Labor Day.
~~~~~
Over the last year or so most of our appliances have “bellied up”. Our TV joined the gang this week. Actually, it’s been dying for a month or so but the last two days it’s finally gone graveyard dead.
So, today, I bought a new one. Did I get an LCD or Plasma Flat Panel HD unit? No, I bought a 32" CRT Sanyo for $247 at Wal-Mart. I figure the price of the TV I really want (a large, flat panel, HD CRT TV) will be more reasonable by the time this one is used up. And, at 32" I can watch “letterbox” format and have a bigger image than many of you watching full screen.
~~~~~
As "Forrest Gump" so aptly put it, "Stupid is as stupid does." My blood sugar suddenly started going up a while back. I’ve slowly increased my insulin dose to no avail. Finally, today, I took a nap after eating and woke up seeing black spots. This is a sign of low blood sugar so I checked it again. The reading was 120 but by then I’d broken out in a cold sweat, which is another sign of low sugar. So I took some glucose and thought of checking my glucose with Annette’s meter.
Her meter gave me a reading of 80. I took some more glucose and began to think clearly enough to get out the meter test solution and experiment with both meters and both vials of test strips.
After some checking, it was apparent that the vial of test strips I’d been using was defective. I called the company and they walked me through testing everything again and then told me to discard the defective strips and they’d send me some new ones.
The “stupid” part is that I didn’t think of checking the test strips when my glucose readings first jumped up. Instead I doggedly tried to compensate for the higher readings with more medication. This could have been much more serious if I hadn’t recognized my symptoms and got some glucose in me.
I’m 54 years old and some days I don’t seem to have learned anything.
~~~~~
Now the “I told you so” group is pointing out that “everyone” knew the New Orleans levees wouldn’t hold. Of course, they’re right. The failure is no surprise.
Neither is it surprising that over the past 40-50 years, congress and previous administrations consistently cut funds designated to improve the levees.
Just as it’s not surprising that America has one of the lowest rates of personnel savings in the world.
As a nation, we’re just not very good at seeing the long-range big picture.
In 1972 OPEC cut off our oil. The price of gas went through the roof (when you could find it to buy.) Uncle Fort put in a gas tank at the Packing Plant in response to frustrations with short fuel supplies.
Many of us dumped our big, fuel inefficient vehicles in favor of high mileage ones.
“High Efficiency” appliances were all the rage.
Then OPEC relented.
And 30 years later, what’s been done to keep us from being held hostage to Middle East crude oil?
Oh come on. Surely you can think of something? Can’t you?
I often wonder why our national symbol isn’t an Ostrich.
~~~~~
James Lee Witt was on MSNBC Sunday afternoon. Governor Kathleen Blanco introduced James Lee to the media on Saturday saying “I have asked Mr. Witt to advise and assist me and Gen. Landreneau on the recovery effort.” As FEMA director, Mr. Witt was credited with turning that agency around. He ran the Federal Emergency Management Agency for eight years from 1993 to 2001. Including the time he served as Arkansas OES Director, he has more than 25 years of disaster management experience.
Governor Blanco went on to conclude, “His leadership is proven, his experience is extensive and he is an asset to this recovery effort.”
We've been frustrated with the news of the New Orleans response and it heartened me to see a "good old boy" on the scene to help out.
~~~~~
Don’t forget our Arkansas Disaster Medical Assistance Team, which was Deployed To the Gulf States For Hurricane Katrina.

The Arkansas-1 Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) is assisting communities in the disaster area with emergency medical needs.

“FEMA is coordinating the mobilization of all available federal resources to help residents affected by this dangerous storm. DMAT teams play a critical role in the medical response to a disaster by assisting communities whose local resources may be overwhelmed,” said Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response.

The Arkansas DMAT joins similar teams from Washington, New Mexico, Ohio, Massachusetts, and Florida. The teams will deploy as needed into Hurricane Katrina-affected areas, and are part of the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS), which is one of the resources brought to FEMA since the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The team consists of members from throughout Arkansas and its 35 members include physicians, nurses, paramedics, emergency medical technicians and other medical specialists. The unit is designed to be self-sufficient for 72 hours with supplies including food and medicine, with a primary mission of supporting the medical needs in the areas heavily impacted disasters.

Our AR-1 team (which includes Steve Savoy, John Burge and Ricky and Sarah Shepherd) was at the Superdome providing care to rescuers and the refugees through Labor Day. We’re trying to keep up with where they are now. There is no word right now of how long this deployment will last. We expect multiple deployments for the AR-1 team in the coming months.

The team is protected by Federal troops and is safe though they’ve had illness problems.

DMATs have responded to large-scale disasters including the World Trade Center attack on September 11, 2001, Hurricane Isabel in 2003, and the Bam, Iran Earthquake in December 2003. NDMS Teams were also deployed in 2004 to support the G8 Summit in Georgia, the National Democratic Convention in Boston and the Republican National Convention in New York.

FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
~~~~~
"It breaks my heart [to] hear the victims of Hurricane Katrina referred to as refugees. They are not strangers in a foreign land. They are our fellow Americans and should be referred to as such." A.G., Chicago
~~~~~
Churches Needed to Adopt a Hurricane Victim Family for the Next Three to Six Months

AFA is seeking to find churches that would be willing to adopt a hurricane victim family for the next three to six months. If your church would be willing to adopt a family, please fill out the form and email it back to us. We in turn will contact a family needing shelter and have them get in contact with you directly. You can interview them to see if their needs and your facilities are compatible and to secure references such as their previous local church and pastor. We suggest that you screen the family carefully. While 99% of these people will be very appreciative; there is always that 1% who can create problems.

It is not necessary that these families be put into individual homes (although the local church may do that if desired). Churches with family life centers, which have shower and food preparation facilities, can be used in this effort.

These people need a place to stay for the next three to six months until they can get back on their feet. AFA’s role is simply to put the local church and needy family into contact with each other. After that is accomplished, AFA steps out of the picture.

If your church can adopt a family, please click - - http://www.afa.net/adoptafamily/default.asp - - to register.

Sincerely,
Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and Chairman
American Family Association
~~~~~
If anyone would like to donate non-perishable food items or water (no glass containers) for distribution locally and on the Gulf Coast, the drop off location is the University Assembly of God Church at 2057 North Jackson Street in Magnolia.
~~~~~
RICHMOND, Va.--August 31, 2005--Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB) announced today that it would donate 250,000 dollars to the Red Cross Hurricane Relief Fund supporting Hurricane Katrina relief and recovery efforts in Louisiana. The donation will be a combination of an immediate company pledge, contributions by our employees and friends, and matching gift funds.

"Our concern is for our employees, their families and neighbors who are struggling to come to grips with the devastation of this storm. While we've received no word of injuries to employees, we know that many families are dealing with the destruction of property and missing and/or displaced relatives who have experienced significant damage or loss of property," said Albemarle President and CEO Mark C. Rohr. "We hope that these donations in some small way can help the recovery process."

Albemarle is a leading global developer, manufacturer and marketer of highly engineered specialty chemicals for consumer electronics; petroleum and petrochemical processing; transportation and industrial products; pharmaceuticals; agricultural products; and construction and packaging materials. The Company's three business segments, Polymer Additives, Catalysts and Fine Chemicals, serve customers in approximately 100 countries. Learn more about Albemarle at http://www.albemarle.com
~~~~~
Albemarle strongly encourages all employees to support the Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts by contributing to the Louisiana Red Cross? NOLA Fund to help aid victims of this disaster. Albemarle is making an immediate cash donation of $150,000. In addition, the company will match your personal contribution. Our goal is to donate an additional $100,000 through a combination of employee donations and associated company match.

Because of this particular disaster's exceptional magnitude, and Albemarle's strong commitment to our community, Albemarle has set up a special corporate gift program. You do not need to fill out the matching gift form? Just send evidence of your contribution to a special email box set up for this program: Email? "Hurricane Katrina@albemarle.com", with the subject line referencing? Matching Gift.

Employees can also give to other globally recognized relief or aid agencies whose funds will be used in direct support of Hurricane Katrina's victims, but Albemarle recommends the American Red Cross for U.S. employees and the International Red Cross for European and Asian employees.

To keep you updated on this program, we will keep a running total of contributions given by employees on Albemarle Today. As usual Albemarle employees continue to surpass expectations with regard to continuing the supportive, giving attitude that has always been a hallmark of our company. We thank you.

http://www.redcross.org

Or by Phone in U.S.A - Toll free number: 1-800 HELP NOW (1-800-435-7669)

http://www.americal.org/rc.htm this web site provides links to all International Red Cross Orgs
~~~~~
The volunteers at the First Baptist Church bus barn on Union Street who are coordinating clothes and personal items tell us there is an immediate need for the following items:


Deodorant
Combs
Toothpaste
Antibacterial soap
Band-Aids
Ibuprofen
Gallon Ziploc bags


The outpouring of donated clothing and non-perishable food items has been sufficient to meet our county needs and fill a 53' trailer which left this week for Saucier, MS near Gulfport. Mike Goodwin and the Evangelical International Ministries are coordinating this delivery. No deliveries are being scheduled for the New Orleans area at this time because they are not currently accepting trucks/trailers into the area. Future deliveries will be made as soon as possible.
~~~~~
Comprehensive Phone List - update


Missing Persons (New Orleans) 225-925-6626, 7708, 7709, 3511, or 7412

Missing Persons www.nola.com or
www.katrinacheckin.com

Coast Guard Search and Rescue 1-800-323-7233

FEMA 1-800-621-3362 Food and Shelter vouchers www.fema.gov <
http://www.fema.gov/>

Missing Persons (Mississippi only) 601-987-1430

Special Needs Shelter LSU Field house 225-578-6728

DHH Triage Line 1-800-349-1373

Donations 1-800-HELP-NOW

People needing Dialysis 225-387-1333 or 225-287-1333?not sure which is
correct

Search and Rescue 1-800 or 225-922-0325, 0012, 0286

N.O. Babies and Patients (Evacuees) 225-924-8380 Woman's Hospital

Road Conditions ? lsp.org or 1-800-994-8626

Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries (Boats) 1-800-442-2511 or 225-925-7500

Prescriptions BR Mental Health Center 225-925-1906

Pet Shelters LSU 1-800-928-5862

Emergency Animal 225-578-6111

Wildlife & Fisheries 1-800-256-2749 or 1-800-442-2511

EBR info 225-389-2100

Red Cross 225-295-0104, 225-243-1889

Red Cross Donations 1-800-435-7669

Volunteer Hotline 211

LSU Health Care Workers Volunteers 225-219-0823

Price Gouging 1-800-488-2770

Metro Flight Info 225-355-0333

NO Airport info 504-464-0831

Ascension Parish OEP 225-621-8360

EBR OEP 225-389-2100

WBR OEP 225-346-1577

Lafourche Parish OEP 985-537-7603

Livingston Parish OEP 225-686-3066

Orleans Parish OEP 504-415-1158

St Bernard Parish OEP 504-278-4267

St Charles Parish OEP 985-783-5050

St John Parish OEP 985-652-2222

Tangipahoa Parish OEP 985-748-3211

Terrebonne Parish OEP 985-873-6357

Emergency Response and Recovery 225-922-0325/0332/0333/0334/0335/0340/0341

To Report Road Closures: 1-800-469-4828

To Register Kids for school: 1-877-453-2721 or 225-226-3762

Dept of Social Services for emergency food stamps 922-3000, 219-1500, 342-9111, 342-0495


~~~~~
REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE FROM THE VOLUNTEER FIRE SERVICE IN RESPONSE TO HURRICANE KATRINA

Our Nation is faced with the most catastrophic natural disaster in modern times, and we are calling upon the Nation's fire service to aid the affected citizens and communities. This is the United States Fire Administration's second request to mobilize members of the fire service within Federal guidelines.

The current need is for 1,000 two-person teams to serve as FEMA's community relations representatives in response to Hurricane Katrina.

Each department may offer more than one two-person team. These people will be deployed as a team, and we prefer that they know one another prior to deployment.

This request requires volunteer firefighters who are members in good standing in a community based volunteer fire department. The volunteer firefighter will be hired as a FEMA Disaster Assistance Employee with an initial appointment not to exceed 120 days. The rate of pay will be $23.41 per hour regular time and $29.59 overtime. They must be:
- Physically capable of performing manual tasks under severe conditions;
- Able to obtain a favorable suitability determination;
- Experienced in working with minimum supervision;
- Capable of living in austere, severe living conditions with minimal or no creature comforts for a period of at least 30 days;
- Are members in good standing in their department with an established record of recent emergency response and able to perform appropriately in a national response;
- Free of medical condition(s) that would prevent them from working in these conditions for this period of time; and,
- Able to work within the ICS, provide basic first aid, and follow orders.

The work is non-operational community relations focused activities that consist of direct outreach to persons in the affected areas. They will assist victims in understanding how they will go about the process of getting Federal assistance, distributing information, providing minimal first-aid, and taking reports. The work will be outside, exposed to the elements and will require significant walking.

FEMA will notify the Chief of Department, and their Chief of Department will notify selected applicants that they have been selected.

NO ONE SHOULD DEPLOY WITHOUT NOTIFICATION OF ACCEPTANCE FROM FEMA
Selected applicants will report to a central location in the Atlanta, Georgia area for training and further deployment. Travel to the Atlanta, Georgia area will be per government authorization in a manner specified upon acceptance. Acceptance information will also cover lodging and other related expense reimbursement information.

APPLICATION PROCESS

The application process is the exact same process as applying for a National Fire Academy resident course. Applicants will complete FEMA Form 75-5A (short form) general application, which can be found at: http://www.usfa.fema.gov/training/nfa/about/attend/nfa-abt1c.shtm

In box12a. "Course Code and Title" the applicant should enter "COMMUNITY RELATIONS DEPLOYMENT” and "L282". In Box 21, please fill in the names of BOTH team members. No other course information is required on the application, but everything else must be completed. Additional personnel information will be required upon acceptance. The application must be fully completed and signed by the Chief of the Department or the Chief's designee. The application should be faxed to 301-447-1234. A scanned completed/signed application can be emailed to: firehire@dhs.gov.

The department must submit two applications (one team). Single individual applications will not be accepted.

We will notify the first 1000 teams of their acceptance and process any additional applications in the event that they are needed in the future.

If you have any questions or need additional information you can find more information at www.usfa.fema.gov; email firehire@dhs.gov or call 301-447-7250.

INFORMATION FOR THE TEAM BEING DEPLOYED

Do not self-deploy. If you are accepted, you will be given specific further directions from your Chief of Department. Each team should bring a basic medical jump kit (bandages, BP set) to provide minimal first aid. You will be provided government ID in the Atlanta, Georgia area.
You will be deployed with another member of your organization as a team and will be working with that person for the duration.

Following are items , which you must bring with you:

- sleeping bag;
- personal hygiene necessities:
- medications;
- insect repellent;
- sunscreen;
- rain gear;
- flashlight and batteries.


We cannot guarantee that you will have a vehicle or a means to transport or store gear

FEMA will provide you with FEMA shirts. Remember that you may have to carry with you everything that you bring for the entire time.

Finally, please ensure that members of your family can function without your presence for at least 30 days.
~~~~~
Our sincere sympathy is extended to Evelyn Miller in the loss of her son and Bubba Williams in the loss of his brother, Eddie Miller. Graveside services were Wednesday, at the Shiloh Cemetery
~~~~~
PARIS - It started as an answer to leaky pens carried by American soldiers during World War Two, was perfected and made popular by an Italian-born baron and has written its way into history as the world's biggest-selling pen.

More than half a century after honing a cheap version of the ballpoint pen, BIC, the French firm which built an empire out of making things to be thrown away, said on Thursday it had sold its 100 billionth -- 100,000,000,000th --- disposable ballpoint.

The group started small after the war and now has annual revenues of around 1.4 billion euros ($1.74 billion), including sales of razors and lighters. It reported the milestone along with first-half profits.
~~~~~
Don't forget ... "Da Bleat" is now on the web. Just go to http://bugsbleatnew.blogspot.com
~~~~~
Feel free to share the "Bleat" with any and all. That's why we publish it.
~~~~~
www.aaa.com Regular Mid Premium Diesel
Current Avg. 3.01 $3.20 $3.32 $2.95
http://www.fuelgaugereport.com/
Amazingly, Magnolia’s Wal-Mart price today, was $2.69 for regular. It’s selling for $2.89 in Texarkana.
~~~~~
Recipe(s) of the week - Jackson's Seafood Stuff - Contributed by Jackson W. Jones, Jr.

Ingredients

12 ounces fresh or frozen peeled and de-veined shrimp
1 LB fresh or frozen crabmeat
1 large package imitation crabmeat
6 strips bacon (optional) cut up into small pieces
1 ½ stick butter
1 LB of the cheapest fish you can find (frozen or fresh)
1/3-cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 ½ cup onion chopped fine
1 bunch of scallions chopped
½ cup chopped red sweet pepper (optional)
½ cup chopped green sweet pepper (optional)
2 cups celery
1 bunch parsley (chopped fine)
½ Gal Half & Half
1 qt. milk
4 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
1 cups chicken broth, heated


Prep Time: 20 minutes - Cooking Time: 55 minutes

Directions:
1. Thaw shrimp and crab, and fish if frozen. For roux, in a large heavy saucepan or Dutch oven combine flour and oil until smooth. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium. Cook and stir about 10 minutes more or until roux is light reddish brown.
2. Cook bacon pieces.
3. Sauté onion, red sweet pepper, green bell pepper, garlic, celery, salt, black and pepper in butter and bacon fat and pieces. Cook over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are just crisp-tender, stirring often.
4. Gradually stir in hot chicken broth. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
5. Add Half & Half and milk, let simmer. DO NOT BOIL.
6. In a pan, precook fish until flaky. Then stir in shrimp, crabmeat, and imitation crabmeat. Simmer, covered, about 5 minutes more or until shrimp turn opaque, then add to other ingredients, including broth from seafood.

Makes 8 servings.
~~~~~
BREAKPOINT Commentaries
by Chuck Colson. - Prison Fellowship

America’s Religious Playground - Newsweek’s Search for Spirituality

By Albert Mohler

This article by Dr. Mohler originally appeared on Crosswalk.com. It is reprinted with permission.

The most recent issue of Newsweek magazine features an extensive series of reports on American spirituality. Taken together, these articles demonstrate something of the eclecticism, superficiality, and diversity of the American spiritual scene. For evangelical Christians, the article should serve an important purpose by helping us to understand the current contours of our mission field right at home.

Newsweek sets its cover story in contrast to a now famous April 8, 1966, cover story in TIME. Dated for Good Friday that year, TIME’s cover story asked the question, “Is God Dead?” TIME’s iconic cover story represented something of a high watermark for atheism and secularism as emerging movements. The magazine’s focus was on a new generation of technocrats and scientists who saw any truth claim that could not be tested by the scientific method as “uninteresting, unreal.”

Newsweek understands that the times have changed. “Nobody would write such an article now, in an era of round-the-clock televangelism and official presidential displays of Christian piety.” But Newsweek sees something else behind TIME’s article. The 1966 TIME cover story didn’t even consider what was going on beyond the liberal Protestant denominations. Henry Luce’s TIME was, in Newsweek’s analysis, obsessed “with the experience of a handful of the most prestigious Protestant denominations.” Accordingly, “no one looked for God in the Pentecostal churches of East Los Angeles or among the backwoods Baptists of Arkansas.” Furthermore, the magazine was not concerned with Muslims, Hindus, or Buddhists.

Newsweek now documents the fact that the “angst-ridden intellectuals in TIME, struggling to imagine God as a cloud of gas in the far reaches of the galaxy, never did sweep the nation.” Instead, the years after 1966 saw the nation involved in various waves of religious and spiritual fervor. This era saw the rise to prominence of groups such as Pentecostals and the development of a vast evangelical network of schools, churches, and ministries. The Southern Baptist Convention grew dramatically in terms of both numbers and influence. All this after TIME’s intellectuals declared that God was slipping from the scene.

Nevertheless, Newsweek documents the fact that the religiosity and search for spirituality that currently marks American culture does not represent a return to orthodox forms of Christian belief. “Whatever is going on here, it’s not an explosion of people going to church,” Newsweek reports. Even as mega churches gather thousands to their services, attendance reports submitted by churches reflect the same basic percentage of Americans attending services from 1966 to the present. A falloff in attendance has actually been noted among African-American churches, “for whom the church is no longer the only respectable avenue of social advancement.”

Instead of a return to orthodox patterns of belief and discipleship, Americans have found their way into a playground of various “spiritualities.” Newsweek’s cover story, “In Search of the Spiritual,” documents the fluid and eclectic nature of the current quest for spirituality. Increasing numbers of Americans are turning to forms of Buddhism, Paganism, eco-religion, and Jewish mysticism. The magazine reports that the website Beliefnet sends more than eight million daily e-mails, each containing a spiritual message, to more than five million subscribers. These five million subscribers include 460,000 who receive a Buddhist message, 313,000 who prefer the Torah, 268,000 subscribers to “Daily Muslim Wisdom,” and 236,000 who receive a “Spiritual Weight Loss” message.

The diversity of American spirituality does not stop there, of course. The current interest in Paganism reflects an entire spectrum of various beliefs and practices. “Even nature-worshipping Pagans are divided into a mind-boggling panoply of sects,” the magazine reports, “including Wicca, Druidism, Pantheism, Animism, Teutonic Paganism, the God of Spirituality Folk and, in case you haven’t found one to suit you on that list, Eclectic Paganism.”

Significantly, Newsweek links the current rage for eclecticism with “a degree of inclusiveness that would have scandalized an earlier generation.” Indeed, the magazine commissioned a poll that indicates a vast embrace of inclusivism, with eight in ten Americans—including 68 percent of those identified as evangelicals—indicating the belief that more than one faith can lead to salvation. Newsweek notes that this “is most likely not what they were taught in Sunday school.”

Sociologist Alan Wolfe of Boston College suggests that the current American search is about the empowerment of the self: “Rather than being about a god who commands you, it’s about finding a religion that empowers you.”

By nature, Americans are a “can do” people, and Americans “like the idea of taking responsibility for their own souls,” Newsweek explains. Thus, even when Americans embrace a path like Buddhism, they tend to do so in their own American way. As the magazine explains, “In most Buddhist countries, and among the immigrants in America, the role of the layperson is to support the monks in their lives of contemplation. But American converts want to do their own contemplating.” Surya Das, a Buddhist lama asserts, “People are looking for transformative experience, not just a new creed or dogma.”

Newsweek’s report introduces readers to individuals like Bridgette O’Brien, a graduate student in the University of Florida’s new program in “Religion and Nature.” According to the magazine: “Her worship consists of composting, recycling and daily five-mile runs; she describes herself as ‘the person that picks up earthworms off the sidewalk after the rain to make sure they don’t get stepped on.’” But the magazine also introduces Allen Johnson, a conservative Christian who has started an environmentalist movement in West Virginia known as “Christians for the Mountains.”

The awkwardness evident when Americans clumsily take up the practices of others is graphically—and humorously—depicted by Madonna’s recent embrace of Kabbalism, a Jewish method of devotion that focuses on esoteric wisdom drawn from early Jewish texts. David Blumenthal of Emory University’s Institute for Jewish Studies responded to the rock star’s very public embrace of Kabbalism, noting that “anyone who claims to be a Kabbalist and then sings in public largely in the nude is hardly a Kabbalist.”

In articles that accompany the cover story, Newsweek covers a considerable waterfront of emerging spiritualities. The impression left by the total package is of a nation that increasingly embraces soft and self-centered forms of spirituality even as it rejects more demanding forms of belief. Contemporary Americans are rejecting hard-core secularism, but most are not embracing orthodox Christianity. To the contrary, they see spirituality as a means of self-development and as an avenue for expanding the consciousness. They want to get in touch with the universe and with their inner selves, but are not particularly concerned to know what the Creator would demand of them.

The forms of spirituality that form Newsweek’s focus are often packaged like consumer products, complete with seminars, conferences, books, and just-add-water forms of religious experience. The ideological secularism of the elites may not be shared by grassroots Americans, but increasing numbers of our neighbors are dabbling in the occult, leaning into mysticism, and inventing their own forms of spirituality.

All this serves to remind evangelicals that our missiological task is more complex than ever before. Our commission remains the same—to bear witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In order to do that faithfully, we have to run against the grain of the contemporary bent toward “spirituality.” After all, Jesus did not set His Gospel alongside other truth claims as one spirituality among others. Instead, He described Himself as the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and insisted that no man comes to the Father, “except by Me” (John 14:6).

For Christians, Newsweek’s cover story should motivate us to greater faithfulness in Gospel witness—knowing that most of the people we will meet consider themselves “spiritual.” Spiritual, but lost.

R. Albert Mohler, Jr. is president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. For more articles and resources by Dr. Mohler, and for information on The Albert Mohler Program, a daily national radio program broadcast on the Salem Radio Network, go to www.albertmohler.com. For information on The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, go to www.sbts.edu. Send feedback to mail@albertmohler.com.

Articles on the BreakPoint website are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Chuck Colson or Prison Fellowship Ministries. Links to outside articles do not necessarily imply endorsement of their content.
http://www.pfm.org/Content/NavigationMenu5/BreakPoint/LearnMore/About_BreakPoint/default.htm 2005 Prison Fellowship.
~~~~~
Words of the Week:

trammel: something that impedes activity, progress, or freedom; also, to hamper.
busker: a street musician or performer.
sybarite: a person devoted to luxury and pleasure.
deride: to laugh at with contempt.
cavil: to raise trivial objections; also, a trivial objection.
farrago: an assortment; a medley.
demagogue: a leader who obtains power by means of appeals to the emotions and prejudices of the populace.
quaff: to drink with relish.

from Dictionary.Com
~~~~~
"Life without idealism is empty indeed. We must have hope or starve to death." - Pearl S. Buck (1892-1973) American Novelist

"Joy can be real only if people look on their life as a service, and have a definite object in life outside themselves and their personal happiness." - Leo Tolstoy

"There is a Law that man should love his neighbor as himself. In a few hundred years it should be as natural to mankind as breathing or the upright gait; but if he does not learn it he must perish." - Alfred Adler

"We now accept the fact that learning is a lifelong process of keeping abreast of change. And the most pressing task is to teach people how to learn." - Peter F. Drucker

"Perseverance and spirit have done wonders in all ages." - George Washington

"A stiff apology is a second insult.... The injured party does not want to be compensated because he has been wronged; he wants to be healed because he has been hurt." - G.K. Chesterton

"Always aim for achievement, and forget about success." - Helen Hayes

"Tact in audacity consists in knowing how far we may go too far." - Jean Cocteau
~~~~~

You can observe a lot just by watching.

This is like deja vu all over again.

Baseball is 90% mental, the other half is physical.

When you come to a fork in the road, take it.

I didn't really say everything I said.

No one goes there nowadays, it's too crowded.

If the fans don't wanna come out to the ballpark, no one can stop 'em. [as quoted by Joe Garagiola on the Jack Paar show, NBC 1963]

It ain't over till it's over.

The future ain't what it used to be.


When you're part of a team, you stand up for your teammates. Your loyalty is to them. You protect them through good and bad, because they'd do the same for you.

"If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else." - Yogi Berra (1925~) American Baseball Player, Coach, Manager

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GCF: Cafeteria Food

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When the power went off at the elementary school, the cook couldn't serve a hot meal in the cafeteria. She had to feed the children something, so at the last minute she whipped up great stacks of peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches.

As one little boy filled his plate, he said, "It's about time. At last -- a home cooked meal!"
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Skim Milk

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

To help a friend lose weight, I told her that she should switch to lower-fat foods; including skim milk. When she said her family would only drink whole milk, I suggested that she keep their regular container and refill it with skim milk. This worked for quite a while, until her daughter asked, one morning, whether the milk was okay.

"Sure, it's fine," my friend answered, fearing she had been found out. "Why do you ask?"

"Because according to the bottle," the daughter explained, "this milk expired two years ago."
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Directions

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

In my job with a delivery company, I was getting directions to a customer's home.

The woman very specifically said, "From the main road in the center of town go two lights. Look for the post office. Turn left onto the next street. Go 1.3 miles. Drive past a red hydrant and then take the next right. Go 50 yards. My driveway is the second on the right, and the number is on the mailbox.

As I entered the information into the computer, I asked, "What color is your house?"

The woman paused a second, then said, "Hold on. I'll go check."
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Don't Look Behind You

Found at The Shark Tank (Computerworld) -Tom http://www.computerworld.com/departments/opinions/sharktank/0,4885,104375,00.html
---------------------------------

A new employee calls the Help Desk to complain that there's something wrong with her password. No, it's not the usual caps-lock problem.

"The problem is that whenever I type the password, it just shows stars," she says.

"Those asterisks are to protect you," the Help Desk technician explains, "so if someone were standing behind you, they wouldn't be able to read your password."

"Yeah," she says, "but they show up even when there is no one standing behind me."
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Long Sermon

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

The minister gave his Sunday morning service, as usual, but this particular Sunday, it was considerably longer than normal.

Later, at the door, shaking hands with parishioners as they moved out, one man said, "Your sermon, Pastor, was simply wonderful - so invigorating and inspiring and refreshing."

The minister of course, broke out in a big smile, only to hear the man add, "Why I felt like a new man when I woke up!"
_ ____________________________ _
/ )| Thomas S. Ellsworth |( / / | tellswor@slonet.org | \ _( (_ | http://www.slonet.org/~tellswor | _) )_
(((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / Why isn't "palindrome" \ /
\ _/ spelled the same way backwards? \_ /
/ / \ (((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / It rarely occurs to teenagers \ /
\ _/ that the day will come when \_ /
/ / they know as little as their parents. \ (((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / If Satan ever loses his hair, \ /
\ _/ there'll be hell toupee. \_ /
/ / \ (((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / I am reading a very interesting \ /
\ _/ book about anti-gravity. \_ /
/ / I just can't put it down. \ (((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / When cryptography is outlawed, \ /
\ _/ bayl bhgynjf jvyy unir cevinpl. \_ /
/ / \ _ ____________________________ _
/ )| 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] Cop Joke

A tourist visiting New York City walked into a pet shop and was looking at the animals on display. While he was there, a police officer walked in and said to the shopkeeper, "I'll take a Patrol monkey, please." The shopkeeper nodded, went over to a cage at the side of the shop, and took out a monkey. He fit it with a collar and leash and handed it to the officer saying, "That'll be $1,000." The officer paid and walked out with his monkey.

Startled, the tourist went over to the shopkeeper and said, "That was a very expensive monkey. Most of them are only a few hundred dollars. Why did it cost so much?"

The shopkeeper answered, "Ah, that monkey is an expert in firing small arms, can write 20 tickets a month, and is certified in small unit tactics -- well worth the money!"

The tourist looked at the monkey in another cage. "That one's even more expensive! $10,000! What does it do?"

"Oh, that one's a POST certified Technician Patrol monkey; it can instruct other monkeys in basic firearms skills, counter-terrorism training, physical training, small unit tactics, and investigative techniques, and it can even type. All the really useful stuff," said the shopkeeper.

The tourist looked around for a little longer and saw a third monkey in a large cage of its own. The price tag around its neck read $70,000. He gasped to the shopkeeper, "That one costs more than all the others put together! What on earth does it do?"

The shopkeeper replied, "Well, I haven't actually seen it do anything, but it says it's a Sergeant."

Received from Kevin Finkenbinder
(-:][:-)

-=+=-
[GCFL.net] Sauce Control Center

Becky prepared a pasta dish for a dinner party she was giving. In her haste, however, she forgot to refrigerate the spaghetti sauce, and it sat on the counter all day. She was worried about spoilage, but it was too late to cook up another batch.

She called the local Poison Control Center and voiced her concern. They advised Becky to boil the sauce again.

That night, the phone rang during dinner, and one of the guests volunteered to answer it. Becky's face dropped as the guest called out, "It's the Poison Control Center. They want to know how the spaghetti sauce turned out."

Received from Doc's Daily Chuckle.
(-:][:-)

-=+=-
[GCFL.net] Getting Old

Two elderly gentlemen from a retirement center were sitting on a bench under a tree when one turns to the other and says, "Slim, I'm 83 years old now, and I'm just full of aches and pains. I know you're about my age. How do you feel?"

Slim says, "I feel just like a newborn baby!"

"Really!? Like a newborn baby!?"

"Yep. No hair, no teeth, and I think I just wet my pants."

Received from FranCMT2.
(-:][:-)

-=+=-
[GCFL.net] Friendly Pig

A man was on a hiking holiday in a foreign country. He became thirsty, so he decided to stop at a stranger's home to ask for something to drink.

The lady of the house invited him in and served him a bowl of soup by the fire.

There was a wee pig running around the kitchen -- running up to the visitor and giving him a great deal of attention.

The visitor commented that he had never seen a pig this friendly.

The housewife replied: "Ummm, he's not that friendly. That's his bowl you're using!"

Received from Steve Sanderson.
(-:][:-)

-=+=-
– NEW! Go to http://www.gcfl.net/archive.php?funny=20050124 to rate this funny from 0 to 5.
-=+=-
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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God & Earth

One day God was looking down at Earth and saw all the rascally behavior that was going on. He decided to send an angel down to Earth to check things out.

When the angel returned, he told God, "Yes, it is bad on Earth; 95% are misbehaving and only 5% are not." God thought for a moment and said, "Maybe I had better send down another angel for a second opinion."

When that angel returned, he went to God and said, "Yes, it's absolutely true. Earth is in a ravaging decline: 95% are misbehaving and only 5% are being good"

God was not pleased. So He decided to Email the 5% that were good, because He wanted to encourage them and give them a little something to help them keep going.

Do you know what the Email said???

. . . . . .

You mean you didn't get one?

Thanks to Norma Kay Rowe
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Everything I need to know about life, I learned from Noah's Ark
One: Don't miss the boat.
Two: Remember that we are all in the same boat.
Three: Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.
Four: Stay fit. When you're 600 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.
Five: Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done..
Six: Build your future on high ground.
Seven: For safety's sake, travel in pairs.
Eight: Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.
Nine: When you're stressed, float a while.
Ten: Remember, the Arkwas built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
Eleven: No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting...
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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

Black Snake

It was the first camping experience for Jed.

As soon as he had pitched his tent, he went for a hike in the woods. In about fifteen minutes he rushed back into camp, bleeding and dishevelled.

"What happened?" asked a fellow camper.

"I was chased by a black snake!" cried the frightened Jed.

The camper laughed and retorted, "A black snake isn't deadly."

"Listen," groaned Jed, "If he can make you jump off a fifty-foot cliff, he is!"

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

(-:][:-)

Summer Camp

A counselor was helping his kids put their stuff away on their first morning in Summer Camp.

He was surprised to see one of the youngsters had an umbrella.

The counselor asked, "Why did you bring an umbrella to camp?"

The kid answered, "Did you ever have a mother?

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

(-:][:-)

Forgetting Something

A man was on his way home with a new car, which was absorbing all his attention, when it struck him that he had forgotten something.

Twice he stopped, counted his parcels, searched his pockets, but finally decided he had everything with him. Yet the feeling persisted.

When he reached home his daughter ran out, stopped short, and cried:

"Daddy, where's Mommy?"

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

(-:][:-)

Age Question

A college professor asked his class a question.

"If Philadelphia is 100 miles from New York and Chicago is 1000 miles from Philadelphia and Los Angles is 2000 miles from Chicago, how old am I?"

One student in the back of the class raised his hand and when Called upon said, "Professor you're 44.."

The Professor said, "You're absolutely correct, but tell me, how did you arrive at the answer so quickly?"

The student said, "You see professor, I have a brother; he's 22, and he's only half crazy."

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

(-:][:-)

"Client Woes"

http://www.cybersalt.org/g05.php?id=125

"Thirsty?"

http://www.cybersalt.org/g05.php?id=128

"Road Grace"

http://www.cybersalt.org/g05.php?id=102

"Car Plow 2"

http://www.cybersalt.org/g05.php?id=129

-=+=-

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/opera_humor.html - - Guide For The Opera Impaired Although this piece focuses on opera and music, it does have a law related section: The Uniform Opera Plot Act.
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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Health Information for Older Adults - - http://www.cdc.gov/aging/health_issues.htm - - Web site by the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health. Nearly 40% of deaths in America can be attributed to smoking, physical inactivity, poor diet, or alcohol misuse-behaviors practiced by many people every day for much of their lives. Adopting healthy behaviors such as eating nutritious foods, being physically active, and avoiding tobacco use can prevent or control the devastating effects of many of the nation's leading causes of death regardless of one's age.
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The Holy Bible - - http://www.bartleby.com/108/ - - The culmination of English translations of the Bible, the Bartleby.com publication of the American Bible Society’s King James Version features full-text searchability, content-based tables of contents and a quick verse finder.
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The History of Labor Day - - http://www.dol.gov/opa/aboutdol/laborday.htm - - Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
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Homeschooling and Education Resources - - http://www.waterborolibrary.org/homeschool/ - - This site by the Waterboro, Maine, Public Library provides resources that are ranked within each topic; the first resource listed is the most useful and the last one is the least useful based on depth and breadth of content, quality of links, ease of use, organisational structure, and general appearance. Related site: A to Z Home's Cool Homeschooling Web Site.
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Free Annual Credit Report - - https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp - - This central site allows you to request a free credit file disclosure, commonly called a credit report, once every 12 months from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. You can also request your report by phone or mail. Monitoring and periodically reviewing your credit report is an effective tool in fighting identity theft.
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Descent Into the Ice - - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/mtblanc/ - - Companion Web site to the NOVA program Descent Into the Ice, which follows a glaciologist and an adventurer into the glacier caves of France's Mt. Blanc.
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The Columbia World of Quotations - - http://www.bartleby.com/66/ - - The 65,000 essential quotations that constitute this authoritative collection represent the research of 154 experts. Entries from more than 5,000 authors and speakers are multiply classified into 6,500 subjects.
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"Sales of previously owned homes dropped 2.6 percent in July as mortgage rates crept up. But even with the decline, sales clocked in at the third-highest level on record. The latest snapshot of housing activity, released by the National Association of Realtors on August 23, 2005, suggested that the sizzling housing market may be cooling a bit but nonetheless remains in healthy shape. The 2.6 percent decline from the previous month pushed sales down in July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 7.16 million units. 'This is a big number any way you slice it, and housing is continuing to stimulate the overall economy,' said the association's chief economist, David Lereah. The decrease came after sales soared in June, hitting a new record pace of 7.35 million units, according to revised figures. June's performance turned out to be even stronger than previously estimated just a month ago. Despite the drop in sales in July home prices continued to march upward. The median sales price - where half sell for more and half sell for less - of an existing home was $218,000 in July, up a whopping 14.1 percent from a year ago." -
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"Patients will feel better if they believe they're taking painkillers - even if their doses contain no medication, according to a University of Michigan study. The study, examining the placebo effect, shows that the brain releases chemicals that relieve pain in patients who believe they're being treated. It is published in the Journal of Neuroscience. Researchers say the findings could lead to new ways to treat chronic pain. 'This deals another serious blow to the idea that the placebo effect is a purely psychological, with no physical basis,' said Dr. Jon-Kar Zubieta, associate professor of psychiatry and radiology at the Michigan Medical School. 'The mind-body connection is quite clear.' " -
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"Black, Hispanic and white motorists are equally likely to be pulled over by police, but blacks and Hispanics are much more likely to be searched, handcuffed, arrested and subjected to force or the threat of it, a Justice Department study has found. The study, by the department's Bureau of Justice Statistics, was completed last April and posted on the agency's Web site after Bush administration officials disagreed over whether a press release should mention the racial disparities. Traffic stops have become a politically volatile issue as minority groups have complained that many stops and searches are based on race rather than on legitimate suspicions."
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"The giant iron ball at the center of the Earth appears to be spinning a bit faster than the rest of the planet. The solid core that measures about 1,500 miles in diameter is spinning about one-quarter to one-half degree faster, per year, than the rest of the world, scientists from Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign report in Friday's issue of the journal Science. The spin of the Earth's core is an important part of the dynamo that created the planet's magnetic field, and researcher Xiaodong Song said he believes magnetic interaction is responsible for the different rates of spin. The faster spin of the core was proposed in 1996 by two of the current study's authors, Paul Richards of Lamont-Doherty and Song, now an associate professor at Illinois." -
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"Buy now, pay later: It's been the mantra of American consumers for decades. The results are obvious in the ballooning balances on credit cards and mortgage loans, and in the mushrooming U.S. trade deficit, which reflects the nation's nearly insatiable appetite for cheap, imported goods. Low interest rates, especially since the end of the 2001 recession, have fed the debt beast at home, allowing American consumers to accumulate nearly $11 trillion in debt as they buy more homes, more cars, more clothes, more dinners out. At the same time, foreign investment in the United States is helping to keep the dollar strong, which holds down prices on those imports that Americans covet." -
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"As many as 97 million influenza shots will be available in the U.S. market for the upcoming flu season starting in October, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said September 1, 2005. It said with the addition of GlaxoSmithKline as a supplier, there were four companies providing vaccines to the United States, but some prioritization of who gets the shots will still be required. 'However, because of the uncertainties regarding production of influenza vaccine, the exact number of available doses and timing of vaccine distribution for the 2005-06 influenza season remain unknown,' the CDC said in its weekly report on disease and death." -
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"Taking a statin drug within 24 hours of having a heart attack cuts the risk of in-hospital death by slightly more than half. So found researchers at UCLA here and other centers who reviewed records on more than 170,000 patients who had acute myocardial infarctions. They found that statin use early after hospitalization for MI was associated with a lower mortality risk, and a lower rate of many related complications, but not recurrent heart attacks, according to a report in the Sept. 1, 2005 issue of the American Journal of Cardiology."
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|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
September 9, 2005
When Tragedy Strikes
Today's Safety From the Heart message is from Allen Smoak.
-=+=-
When tragedy strikes . . . .

It was 3 PM, the third day of May, 1970, when tragedy struck my family. That afternoon was cool . . . no clouds . . . just a bright sunny day. My dad told me to plant butternut squash that afternoon and feed the livestock before he returned home. My best hunting buddy, Tippie, a small cur dog that would fetch anything, was busy playing around my feet while I planted the seed.

I noticed one dark cloud cluster forming toward Bowman and could hear the distant rumbling of thunder. I continued planting and figured we would not get any rain from this storm . . . there were no other clouds in the sky.

Suddenly, a gust of wind knocked me to the ground. Tippie began running around in circles then ran howling to the barn. I looked up to see the black cloud moving West about a mile away and wondered if we would still miss the rain. I stood up and proceeded to the barn. By the time I arrived wind was so severe that it prevented me from opening the door. I walked, leaning into the cold wind, toward the front of our mobile home. The storm was continuing West but was closer to our home.

I entered my house and told Mom that a storm was coming. She said that she had seen it building and was finishing our dinner. For some reason I had left my boots on, not leaving them at the rear door, and went into my room to wash my hands. I noticed the yard light had turned on because the sky was darkening. I picked up my guitar lying on the bed, began strumming, when the house lifted up and was dropped on its foundation.

Mom screamed. My younger brother was crying. The walls of the mobile home were rolling in and out like a wave. Mom yelled to get out of the house. I yelled "NO! Stay here." We held hands standing in a circle in our living room. The house lifted again . . . the roar of freight trains was deafening. The house began moving . . . we could see the grass disappearing under the house then . . . BOOM!

The mobile home was upside down. The 25" Quazar console TV rolled over Mom. I hit the wall with such force that the thermostat was shattered by my arm as I contacted the wall. My brother was smothered by the sofa and chairs. The power was off. There was just enough daylight to see. Mom asked me if I was alright. I answered yes. She then told me to open my eyes. . .I still had them clinched shut. My brother was okay but Mom was severely bruised.

I told Mom that I was going for help...she was slipping into shock. I told my brother to stay with her. The gas stove was swinging back and forth from its 5/8" gas line...remember the floor now was the ceiling. "Lord, don't let the line break." was my prayer. The hall way was no more...all the rooms had shifted and I began walking out where the walls were once connected to the walls. I had to bend nails and wire and metal out of the way to not get cut. I made it to the rear of our home and jumped out of a hole in the wall onto the clothes line. I made my way across the plowed field to our next door neighbors..about 1/4 mile.. with the monsoon type raining beating me in the face. With each step my feet would sink at least a foot into the wet plowed soil. . . . . .

I could go on . . . but with the tragedy in our sister states I do realize the pain, fear, and hopelessness that now make up their daily lives. There is so much that needs to be done. In 1970, we had the only home that was destroyed that day in May. A family in our community allowed us to stay in an old farm house until we could rebuild. It took 7 months to move back to our home place. It took another year to cut and dig up the trees that were twisted out of the ground.

Just imagine the time it will take to rebuild the cities and homes destroyed by Katrina.?!?!?

My dad went back to work in two days. My brother and I went back to school that following Monday. Those in Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana will not return to some semblance of normality for a long period of time because all is lost. Not just their homes, but their community, schools, jobs, and infrastructure.

We never recovered my dad's silver dollar collection...the photo album of family pictures. Clothing and personal items were strewn to the wind...everything we owned was destroyed......my guitar made it through . . . I have no idea how. We did have each other and for months after, we would cower in a corner during a violent thunder storm. But we had one another. We had faith and hope...and we had a will to move on.

Pray that wisdom and patience will prevail. If any one travels to help. . . prepare physically, mentally and spiritually before going. Storm victims will want to tell their story over and over again...this helps them process what has happened to them. If you are helping someone clean debris...wear gloves, steel toed shoes, safety glasses. Use caution felling trees or operating chain saws and generators. Locate septic tanks and ensure they won't collapse. Also, be aware of snakes, spiders, gators....and the list can go on.

|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
The main point ?????
Don't become another casualty of Katrina!
September 8, 2005
Miscommunication
Today's Safety From the Heart message is from Dale Mann.
-=+=-
I have a 97 Town Car that is perfect for getting some ole fat boys together to drink golf and play beer, or versa vice. It will hold all the necessities, 4 golf bags, 60 qt night cooler we unpack into day coolers for the golfing exercise, etc.

Coming back from playing golf last weekend the car ran hot, looked like it was on fire. Couldn't figure out where it was coming from so got the rollback to come and get it. I called the shop later and asked them what the problem was; they told me a radiator hose had blown out. I was happy that was all it was but disturbed that it happened to start with. I told him to replace every darn hose on the car. He said OK and all was well.

The shop called and said my car was ready. I asked how much the bill was. He replied, $758.00. I like to choked and said huh? He said $758.00 dollars. They had replaced all the hoses on the car, manifold hoses, etc, etc. I was about to tell him he was going to have to take enough hoses off to bring the bill down to $250-300 but then remembered the exact conversation, "Replace every darn hose on the car."

Communication needs to be precise. I cost myself $400-500 by not communicating properly. Think of all the communications we have at work. If someone says one thing but means another, it could cost the Company thousands of dollars for one seemingly simple misstep. Clear communication is key in every transaction.

|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
September 7, 2005
Hurricane Katrina
Today's Message is from Willie Scott (a Houston Albemarle employee).
-=+=-
Hurricane Katrina has changed many of our lives directly or indirectly. The tragedies that have occurred are heart-wrenching and sorrowful. Unfortunately, there isn't anything that we can do to prevent natural disasters. Many people have never experienced a hurricane and are unaware of the precautions.

The following is a list of a few precautions that should be considered when disasters occur.

* Avoid dangerous areas during or after a storm.
* Evacuate the area immediately if water continues to rise.
* Do not walk in, play in or drive through flooded areas.
* Wear shoes at all times to avoid hidden hazards in flood water.
* Stay away from power lines.
* Get a tetanus booster shot if you haven't received one in the past 5 years to avoid infections caused by cuts or puncture wounds.
* Use only bottled water for drinking and cooking, if available.
* Boil tap water at least five minutes before drinking, cooking, brushing teeth or making ice.
* Use insect repellant protective clothing and shoes to avoid mosquito bites.

|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
September 6, 2005
Today's Safety From the Heart message is from Allen Smoak.
-=+=-
Fishing Safety Preparations:::

Fishing, here in the low country, is a sportsman's dream. We have the Santee lake systems, the rivers, local ponds and the surf where the avid boater or the cane polers can enjoy the sport. I like the lazy creeks and rural road bridge ponds for my fishing pleasure.

I remember one excursion with my son.....

We were using cane poles in a small creek that opened into a decent size pond. Following the cow paths to the creek, one needed to watch where he was placing his feet. My son used worms for bait . . . I used crickets . . . we didn't know which bait would be more successful on this day.

The sun filtered through the canopy of leaves as we watched our corks bob from time to time. A bass breaks the water across the pond . . . a cicada starts his high pitched whirring noise in the tree behind us as my son pulled in a hand size bream. Our anticipation grows as my son baits the hook and plops the cork on the water and ....hey, hey another bream.

I change my bait and join in the fun of catching several more fish. Then nothing bites for 20 minutes, except mosquitoes. The air is heavy with the smell of the swamp forest and algae covered water. We both observe a snake swimming at least 30 ft. from our position. No problemo.

We change our bait now, because the small turtles or minnows are eating our bait. My son catches another small fish and our hope is restored that we may still hook more fish. . . however, 30 more minutes pass with no bites. We discuss leaving but decide to give it one more hour. Suddenly we see a snake ease into the water from an overhanging limb. Swimming toward us, we both become alarmed. I un-holster my Smith and Wesson .22 Mag; it is loaded with snake shot. The snake turns away from us. . . then turns completely around and begins swimming toward us.

It was a two-foot moccasin...if you catch my drift. My son and I decided to leave after that episode. Five hand-size bream were enough catch for the day. Grits and fries made a complete dinner for my family.

Safety Tips: Always know the area where you will be fishing. Is it shaded or will you be on a boat? Sunscreen? Sun Glasses? Mosquito repellent? Food? Water? Cell phone? How about rubber boots? Long pants? Long sleeve shirts? Are there enough flotation vests? What are the weather conditions? What type of other personal protection may be needed? Firearm? Stick? Hoe?

Wherever you choose to fish, be prepared for the unexpected. Take two and ask yourself, " If this event happens, what will I do?" Let someone know where you are and when to expect your return. Obey DNR regulations and always leave the area free of debris.

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TOURBUS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -:) - :)- :)
Volume 11, Number 11 -- 30 August 2005
Tourbus Home - http://www.TOURBUS.com
Best of Tourbus -- http://tourbus.com/best.html

------------------------------------------
The Blue Screen of Death is Your Friend!
------------------------------------------

You've seen it... the dreaded "Windows has encountered an error" on that blue screen signalling game over, reboot. This is actually a feature built in to Windows, a free gift from Microsoft. Believe it or not, The Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) is there to help you.
http://www.askbobrankin.com/blue_screen_of_death.html

--------------------------
How Does a Virus Spread?
--------------------------

A reader recently wrote in and said "I love your site and the Tourbus newsletter. I would like to know how a virus propagates over a network. If you get a virus on one computer - do other users on the network have to do anything to get infected? Is there a good way to protect against this?"

What a great question! There are several ways for a virus to spread from one computer to another. This article looks at those, and at ways to prevent the propagation of pestiferous programs.
http://www.askbobrankin.com/how_does_a_virus_spread.html

RELATED NEWS: http://www.hotnews360.com/computer-virus-news.html

---------------------------
Making Windows Run Faster
---------------------------

"Is your PC taking forever to start? Is everything running slower than it used to? Try my special recipe for Cyber Sludge Remover to clean that icky goo out of your computer's pipes, so Windows will start quicker, run more reliably, and go faster on the info-highway.
http://www.askbobrankin.com/make_windows_xp_run_faster.html

-----------------------------------
Firefox or Thunderbird Questions?
-----------------------------------

Lately I've been getting quite a few questions about Firefox and Thunderbird, which I've posted in the AskBobRankin [Inbox]. Some of them were Stumpers, and quite a few people stepped up and offered suggestions and solutions.

Recent items include "Sharing Browser Favorites", "Firefox Consumes the CPU" and "Thunderbird Setup". I also answered a question about noisy cooling fans and how an old toothbrush might make a difference.

http://www.askbobrankin.com/inbox/

If you use the Firefox browser or Thunderbird for email, please feel free to pop in and post any nagging questions you have. And if you're experienced with FF or TB, share your wisdom with others!

RELATED NEWS: http://www.hotnews360.com/firefox-news.html

--------------------------
Is Firefox For Everyone?
--------------------------

Oh my... I can see the rotten tomatoes flying my way already. But I have a confession to make. I've tried Firefox on numerous occasions but I'm sticking with Internet Explorer, at least for now.

Why? There are a bunch of reasons. First off, I'm just not convinced that Firefox is any guarantee of better online safety. Sure, there have been some nasty bugs in Explorer, but if you run Windows Update on autopilot, along with up-to-date anti-virus and anti-spyware software, there are no serious exposures that I'm aware of.

And Firefox has not proven to be immune to security breaches. If you're not running the very latest version, you could be at risk. As Firefox grows in popularity, it will become a more interesting target for hackers and crackers.

RELATED NEWS: http://www.hotnews360.com/computer-security-news.html

I also am annoyed that the fonts display differently on Firefox, there is no way to combine toolbars, and CSS elements just don't render correctly in some cases. I've also had numerous problems installing plugins. Firefox keeps telling me to install Internet Explorer, the Windows Media Player and other stuff I already have, just to make some silly plugin work. (And ummm, isn't the whole idea of using Firefox to GET AWAY from Explorer?)

By all means, give Firefox a try, if only to prove to yourself that you can live without Microsoft owning everything on your desktop. I don't deny that Firefox is an excellent browser, and it has some cool features like tabbed browsing that you may love. If it's any consolation, I did switch from Outlook Express to Thunderbird. :-)

---------------------
The Next Best Thing
---------------------

Linda from Marlinton, West Virginia recently wrote and said "The next best thing to Tourbus is the Smart Computing magazine that you guys recommend. I've been getting it since last summer and it has solved numerous problems for me and my friends." Thanks, Linda!

We hope other Tourbus riders will discover the Plain English answers to their computing questions that Smart Computing delivers every month. Do you want to speed up your PC? Eliminate the threat of computer viruses? Get rid of spyware and keep hackers out? Try Smart Computing today -- get your FREE TRIAL issue NOW!

https://www.smartcomputing.com/secure/FreeMultiYear2.asp?source=SC13300

That's all for now, see you next time! -- Bob Rankin

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

Volume 11, Number 12 -- 8 September 2005

+-------------------------------------------------+
Howdy, y'all, and greetings once again from deep behind the orange curtain in beautiful Irvine, California, the seventh fastest growing city in west-central Idaho.
+-------------------------------------------------+

On with the show...

Each year or so I create a list--well, it's actually a handout-- titled "The Internet Tourbus Guide to the Most Useful Sites in the World." It's been a while since I've updated my Tourbus Guide, so over my next five posts we're going to stop at 22 of my favorite internet sites and tools.

Here are my top four sites, in no particular order.

-------------------
1. TinyURL
-------------------

Back in May 1996, web usability guru Jakob Nielsen listed "complex URLs" as one of the ten biggest mistakes in web design. Nine years later, this "mistake" is more prevalent than ever. Woe betides anyone who wants to share long URLs with others. For example, can you imagine me telling someone over the phone how to get to http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?searchtype=address&country=US&add tohistory=&searchtab=home&address=&city=irvine&state=ca&zipcode=? Worse still, if I emailed that MapQuest URL to someone the URL is so long that many email clients will [incorrectly] break that URL into two distinct lines of text. Not good.

TinyURL solves this problem by automatically squishing any long URL into a permanent, smaller URL that you can easily share with others. The whole process is simple:

1. Copy any long URL [just highlight the URL in your web browser, right-click, and then choose "Copy."]

2. Point your web browser to http://tinyurl.com/

3. Paste [Right-click > Paste] that long URL into the box on the TinyURL web site.

4. Click on the "Make TinyURL" button.

5. Copy the resulting shortened URL and share it with others.

For example, using TinyURL I can turn that really long MapQuest URL into something MUCH shorter: http://tinyurl.com/dw5kx.

Better still, TinyURL also has a free "bookmarklet" that lets you add a TinyURL button to your browser that cuts that five step process down to one step: Anytime you are on a page whose URL you'd like to smush, just click on the TinyURL button in your web browser. No cutting and pasting. TinyURL automatically smushes that long URL. (See "Add TinyURL to your browser's toolbar." on the TinyURL site.)

I probably use TinyURL half a dozen times a day. It has helped me both in writing my Tourbus posts--smushifying really long URLs so that they fit within Tourbus' 70 character margins--and in face-to-face classes where I need everyone in the class to view the same web page at the same time. Without TinyURL, talking about web pages like http://www.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=3178&topic=352 in an hands-on environment would simply be out of the question.

Related sites:
http://microurl.com/
http://snipurl.com/
http://makeashorterlink.com/

---------------------------------------------------------------
2. Intel Broadband Download Calculator
---------------------------------------------------------------

Let's pretend I just completed a brand new, 1.19 megabyte PowerPoint file that I now want to share with the world. How long will it take someone to download that file over a typical dial-up modem chugging along at 28.8 Kb? To find the answer, you need to:

1. Convert the file size into kilobytes (1.19 * 1024 = 1218.56)
2. Convert from kilobytes into bytes (1218.56 * 1024 = 1247805.44)
3. Convert from bytes to bits (1247805 * 8 = 9982443.52)
4. Divide by 28,800 to see how many total seconds it will take that particular file to download (9982443.52 / 28800 = 346.61)
5. Divide by 60 to see how many minutes (346.61 /60 = 5.78)
6. Convert that .78 back into seconds (.78 * 60 = 46.8)
7. Combine our answers to steps 5 and 6.

So, the total download time for this 1.19 Mb file over a 28.8 dial-up modem would be about 5 minutes and 47 seconds. Whew. That is a HECK of a lot of work. Of course, if you are math averse, there's an easier way to find the answer. Just point your browser to
http://www.intel.com/personal/resources/broadband/calculator.htm

and, using your mouse, enter the appropriate information:

- Click on 1, ., 1, and 9
- Click on the "MB" button [for megabytes]
- Click on the orange = sign button.

That's it. Not only does the calculator show you how long it will take to download that file at 28.8 Kb, it also shows you the download times for 33.3 Kb, 56.6 Kb [yeah, I know -- it's really 53.3], ISDN
(128 Kb), DSL (512 Kb), and even Cable (1.5 Mb).

Why is this important? Well, Intel's free Broadband Download Calculator is an essential tool for web designers, educators who post materials online or in WebCT/BlackBoard, or anyone with a dial-up connection because it shows you how long your users will have to wait to download your files. For example, I know of an educator who wanted to put 1.6 GIGABYTES of information into an online learning management system. Using the Intel Download Broadband Calculator I showed him that it would take his students ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY TWO HOURS to download his 1.6 gigabytes of information over a 28.8 modem. There isn't a student in the world that's willing to wait five and a half days to download coursework.

Related Sites:
http://www.martindalecenter.com/AATimeCalc.html
http://billbrownmusic.com/calc.htm
http://javascript.internet.com/calculators/download.html
http://www.athropolis.com/popup/c-downld-2.htm

--------------------------------------------
3. Broadband Reports Speed Test
--------------------------------------------

Talking about speed, how fast is your internet connection? There are a bunch of sites out there that test your connection speed, but my favorite is Broadband Reports' Speed Test at

http://www.broadbandreports.com/stest?loc=97

The test is completely free, but there is a catch: You have to have the official Sun Java on your computer for the test to work [see http://archives.tourbus.com/Update_Your_Java-A010604.html for more information.] Just click on the "Start" button to begin the test.

The test both downloads and uploads test files of various sizes to determine your true internet speed. Don't worry. These files are completely innocuous--Broadband Reports isn't going to install any nasty stuff onto your computer.

Once the test is complete you'll see a graph showing you both your download and upload speed. Remember, though, that your connection speed varies throughout the day so you may want to re-run the Speed Test at different times to get a good idea of what your true speed really is.

Related Sites:
http://www.bandwidthplace.com/speedtest/
http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/
http://www.auditmypc.com/internet-speed-test.asp
http://reviews.cnet.com/Bandwidth_meter/7004-7254_7-0.html

--------------------
4. Mail2Web
--------------------

Mail2Web is a free Web site that lets you check the contents of any POP3 or IMAP e-mail account. In other words, if you use Outlook or Eudora (or any of the hundreds of POP-3 email programs out there) and want to check your email when you are away from your computer, this site will let you do it. And better still, unlike Hotmail, Mail2Web doesn't require you to send scads of personal information to Bill Gates before you can use the service. :)

http://mail2web.com/

Since Mail2Web is only a Web interface -- it shows you the contents of your email inbox without actually "popping" the mail -- you can read your emails on a remote computer and then, when you return to your own computer, download all of those emails just like normal. Mail2Web also lets you reply to and even delete any or all of the emails in your inbox before you ever even download them with your regular email program.

That last point is important. Using Mail2Web, you can delete any or all emails in your inbox before you ever even download those emails. Why is this important? Well, have you ever had a "friend" send you a 27 kajillion byte uncompressed bitmap of a squirrel drinking a beer with a straw? Did the file take 57 years to download? Using Mail2Web, you can keep this from happening again. Just go to Mail2Web and delete that hideously large email. The file goes away, and you never have to download it. Yay! If your ISP or workplace doesn't offer its own webmail interface, Mail2Web is an absolute godsend.

---------------------
The Next Best Thing
---------------------

Linda from Marlinton, West Virginia recently wrote and said "The next best thing to Tourbus is the Smart Computing magazine that you guys recommend. I've been getting it since last summer and it has solved numerous problems for me and my friends." Thanks, Linda!

We hope other Tourbus riders will discover the Plain English answers to their computing questions that Smart Computing delivers every month. Do you want to speed up your PC? Eliminate the threat of computer viruses? Get rid of spyware and keep hackers out? Try Smart Computing today -- get your FREE TRIAL issue NOW!

https://www.smartcomputing.com/secure/FreeMultiYear2.asp?source=SC13300

That's it for today. Next week we'll look at sites 5 through 8. Have a safe and happy week, and we'll talk again soon.

+-------------------------------------------------+
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.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
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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Disaster Response
Blame Game Moratorium
By Dan Jones, Editor-in-Chief National Fire & Rescue magazine

It has been 11 days since Hurricane Katrina forever etched itself into our history as the powerful storm hit the Gulf Coast states of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. Residents are still being evacuated; there is yet to be a full accounting of the missing and dead; a full damage estimate is months away from completion; families are still separated; and relief workers are still trying to get food and water to all the victims. No one? not the government, not the media, not the politicians, not the military, not even the emergency response community? can yet fully comprehend the magnitude of this disaster in America. But the blame game is already under full power.

An Open Message to Elected Officials and News Media

Please, can we just have a moratorium on your insatiable appetite to blame someone for the obvious inadequacies of our system to respond to a disaster of such biblical proportion? There will be plenty of time to investigate, speculate, conjecture, accuse and criticize anyone and everyone for real and perceived failures of the system. For the sake of the victims, rescuers and relief workers, give the blame game a six-month moratorium to at least allow the initial response and problem-solving to be done.

I believe there will be enough blame to go around at every level of political responsibility when this is examined fully. Local, state and federal organizations will all have to accept responsibility for portions of this aftermath, but let's first at least find and evacuate everyone, care for the sick and injured and bury the dead.

If you are raising your hand to point a finger of blame, then you are no longer helping lift the shovel of relief and hope? working to help those in dire need.

An Open Message to My Fire Service Colleagues

When we fight a major fire or operate in a life-saving situation, we do not stop the operation before it is under control to conduct a full critique of our effort, and this disaster should be no different. The fire service must not allow itself to be drawn into this valueless debate about what should or should not have been done in the hours and days after the storm. We must concentrate on helping complete the rescue, evacuation and hazard mitigation efforts so that recovery can begin. There will later be an appropriate time and place for the fire service to voice its experienced advice to the policy makers and budget makers about what could have and should have been available and done.

I am also dismayed by the reports of the selfish attitudes and overblown self-worth displayed by several firefighters who had signed up for a FEMA relief detail without reading the mission advertisement. The fire service should not tolerate this type of behavior in the middle of a crisis. It reflects poorly on all of us even though it was only a few self-anointed "best of the best" heroes. Some of my firefighters are working in the same FEMA system and clearly understood the difficulties of working in such a major situation before they ever left home. Too many good, dedicated and tireless representatives of fire and emergency services are making great sacrifices to help the hurricane victims any way they can. They do not deserve to have their service sullied by a few malcontents. Shame on the gripers.

Thank you and commendations to the thousands of firefighters, emergency medical personnel and rescue techs who are doing anything and everything they can to help make a horrible situation better for the million-plus residents of the GulfCoast. Thank you for representing our service with honor, courage and compassion. God Bless and protect you as you work.

The coming issues of National Fire & Rescue magazine will have much more on this horrific tragedy and the response to a still-unfolding disaster.

Dan Jones
Editor-in-Chief

This opinion-based editorial does not necessarily reflect the beliefs, opinions or positions of the publisher of National Fire & Rescue magazine, SpecComm International Inc., the Volunteer and Combination Officers Section of the IAFC (VCOS), the Chapel Hill Fire Department, or any of the advertisers or contributors to National Fire & Rescue magazine.
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This "Letter of Apology" was written by Lieutenant General Chuck Pitman, US Marine Corps, Retired:

"For good and ill, the Iraqi prisoner abuse mess will remain an issue. On the one hand, right thinking Americans will abhor the stupidity of the actions while on the other hand, political glee will take control and fashion this minor event into some modern day massacre.

I humbly offer my opinion here:

I am sorry that the last seven times we Americans took up arms and sacrificed the blood of our youth, it was in the defense of Muslims (Bosnia, Kosovo, Gulf War 1, Kuwait, etc.).

I am sorry that no such call for an apology upon the extremists came after 9/11. I am sorry that all of the murderers on 9/11 were Islamic Arabs.

I am sorry that most Arabs and Muslims have to live in squalor under savage dictatorships. I am sorry that their leaders squander their wealth.

I am sorry that their governments breed hate for the US in their religious schools, mosques, and government-controlled media.

I am sorry that Yassar Arafat was kicked out of every Arab country and high-jacked the Palestinian "cause." I am sorry that no other Arab country will take in or offer more than a token amount of financial help to those same Palestinians.

I am sorry that the USA has to step in and be the biggest financial supporter of poverty stricken Arabs while the insanely wealthy Arabs blame the USA for all their problems.

I am sorry that our own left wing, our media, and our own brainwashed masses do not understand any of this (from the misleading vocal elements of our society like radical professors, CNN and the NY TIMES).

I am sorry the United Nations scammed the poor people of Iraq out of the "food for oil" money so they could get rich while the common folk suffered.

I am sorry that some Arab governments pay the families of homicide bombers upon their death. I am sorry that those same bombers are brainwashed thinking they will receive 72 virgins in "paradise."

I am sorry that the homicide bombers think pregnant women, babies, children, the elderly and other noncombatant civilians are legitimate targets.

I am sorry that our troops die to free more Arabs from the gang rape rooms and the filling of mass graves of dissidents of their own making.

I am sorry that Muslim extremists have killed more Arabs than any other group.

I am sorry that foreign trained terrorists are trying to seize control of Iraq and return it to a terrorist state.

I am sorry we don't drop a few dozen Daisy cutters on Fallujah.

I am sorry every time terrorists hide they find a convenient "Holy Site."

I am sorry they didn't apologize for driving a jet into the World Trade Center that collapsed and severely damaged Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church - one of our Holy Sites.

I am sorry they didn't apologize for flight 93 and 175, the USS Cole, the embassy bombings, the murders and beheadings of Nick Berg and Daniel Pearl, etc....etc!

I am sorry Michael Moore is American; he could feed a medium sized village in Africa.

America will get past this latest absurdity. We will punish those responsible because that is what we do.

We hang out our dirty laundry for the entire world to see. We move on. That's one of the reasons we are hated so much. We don't hide this stuff like all those Arab countries that are now demanding an apology.

Deep down inside, when most Americans saw this reported in the news, we were like - so what? We lost hundreds and made fun of a few prisoners. Sure, it was wrong, sure, it dramatically hurts our cause, but until captured we were trying to kill these same prisoners. Now we're supposed to wring our hands because a few were humiliated?

Our compassion is tempered with the vivid memories of our own people killed, mutilated and burnt amongst a joyous crowd of celebrating Fallujahans.

If you want an apology from this American, you're going to have a long wait!

You have a better chance of finding those seventy-two virgins.

Chuck Pitman Lieutenant General, USMC (Ret)
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TGIF-Today God Is First


The Way of God
Friday, September 09, 2005
by Os Hillman

If My people would but listen to Me.... ~ Psalm 81:13

God has a specific training ground for leaders. There are three patterns of preparation that have been common among most of God's leaders. First, there is a time when the leader is separated from his old life. Consider Moses, Joseph, Abraham, and Paul. In order for God to mold and shape them into His nature, it appears that He had to remove them from the life of comfort. A teacher once said, "You cannot go with God and remain where you are."

Next, there is usually a time of solitude. God often brings leaders into a time of solitude in order to speak to them without other distractions. Hosea 2:14b says, "I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her." Paul was sent to Arabia for two years for a time of solitude. Joseph spent years in the solitude of prison. Moses spent 40 years in the desert herding sheep.

The third characteristic of God's preparation for leaders is discomfort. The setting in which the preparation takes place usually is not a place of comfort. Abraham traveled through the difficult deserts. David lived in caves fleeing Saul. Paul was frequently persecuted.

Are you ready for the classroom of leadership preparation? If God chooses to bring you into this class, you may have one of three reactions to the events. First, you may say, "I don't need it." Perhaps you know intellectually that you do need this, but God wants you to know it in your heart. Pride prevents us from entering this classroom. The second reaction may be, "I'm tired of it." You decide you've had enough. If so, this will disqualify you from leadership. Finally, God's desired response from us in this preparation is, "I accept it." To accept it with joy is the place of maturity in Christ. God often keeps us in these places until we come to accept and agree that Jesus is enough. Is He all you need?

Like the people of Israel, I think we have something to do with the timetable of our education. "If My people would but listen to Me, if Israel would follow My ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their foes!" (Ps. 81:13-14)

Are you ready for the process required for being a godly leader? Ask for His grace to willingly embrace these times of preparation.

-=+=-

Spiritual Warfare
Thursday, September 08, 2005
by Os Hillman

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ~ Ephesians 6:12

My wife walked out of the airport restroom. She looked as if she was going to throw up. We were about to go through the airport checkpoint when we paused.

"I feel awful. It came on suddenly. I don't know if I should go," she said.

We were going on an overnight trip to meet with a workplace ministry about a possible joint venture project. It was important for me to have her there. But she was feeling so badly and would probably be miserable traveling in her condition.

"You may be right. Perhaps you should not go."

We were both disappointed. We began to transfer my clothing into my bag. We prayed together and I proceeded to the gate. I was disappointed, perplexed, and a bit angry.

"Lord, I don't know about this. If this is not of Your hand, I pray against it in Jesus' name. I pray for Angie's healing right now and I bind this spirit of infirmity."

I got to the gate about ten minutes later. As I was waiting to check in, I looked up and there was Angie.

"I'm going. I kept asking if I should go and a voice said, 'No.' I changed my mind three times. But I finally decided that I am not dead and I should be going on this trip."

We got on the plane and within a few minutes, the symptoms of illness were completely gone. The symptoms were a counterfeit. She was fine the rest of the trip. It was critical for her to participate with me because it became a major turning point in my own spiritual pilgrimage. She needed to experience what I was going to experience.

There is the spiritual and there is the physical. The spiritual involves two forces. One is good. One is evil. We must realize that the spiritual is more real than the physical. Satan has his agents in the world to thwart God's purposes. We need to recognize when these are at work. Pray that you might have spiritual eyes and ears to discern these forces today in your work.

-=+=-

Dying for Lack of Knowledge
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
by Os Hillman

The Lord's anger burned against Uzzah, and He struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God. ~ 1 Chronicles 13:10

A business friend of mine confessed that he did not like to read. He found it a difficult discipline. I replied, "If you do not commit yourself to knowing what is in God's Word and following it, you will fail to know and experience God. God's Word is life to our souls. It provides knowledge that leads to life." The prophet Hosea tells us, "My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as My priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children" (Hos. 4:6).

God has given us His Word that has specific laws and principles that must be followed if we expect His blessing. King David forgot to follow one of those laws related to the ark. "...But they must not touch the holy things or they will die..." (Num. 4:15). When they were transporting the ark, Uzzah innocently reached to steady the ark but was immediately stricken dead when his hands touched the ark of God. Did David know this law or did he simply forget? Did Uzzah know this law? If so, did he really believe it? David thought it was okay to carry the ark the way Uzzah did. A man lost his life for his presumption.

Many workplace believers I know take God's Word lightly. They believe they can violate His Word without consequence. This is not true; the Lord stands by to uphold His Word. It can be life, or it can bring death. When God provides instructions, we need to follow them.

Knowing this about God brings a healthy fear of the Lord. "David was afraid of God that day and asked, 'How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?' " (1 Chron. 13:12) We must all have a fearful respect of God's Word. For truly, it is life or death.

Do you take God's Word seriously? Is it life or death for you? Do you feed upon His Word daily so that you might know Him and know His precepts? Feed upon this knowledge and be blessed of God.

-=+=-

The Necessity of the Desert
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
by Os Hillman

..."I have become an alien in a foreign land." ~ Exodus 2:22

God's preparation of a leader involves training, extended times of waiting, pain, rejection, and isolation. Are you ready to sign up?

Moses was brought up in Pharaoh's court. He had the very best of everything-education, clothing, food, and personal care. But there came a time when the man God would use to free an entire people from slavery was going to have to learn to be the leader God wanted. At age 40, when most of us want to be thinking about winding down instead of beginning a new career, Moses was forced to flee to the desert.

Like Joseph and Abraham, Moses had to endure some difficult years of preparation that first involved removal from his current situation. He went from notoriety to obscurity, from limitless resources to no resources, from activity and action to inactivity and solitude. And, most importantly, waiting. And waiting. And waiting. He probably thought he would die in the land of Midian.

Then one day, a full 40 years from the day he arrived, God appeared to Moses in a burning bush. Everything changed. God said, "It is time." The years had seasoned the vessel to prepare him to accomplish the work.

God is preparing many workplace believers today. The circumstances may be different. The time frames may not be quite as long. But the characteristics of the training are still the same. Do not try to shortcut the desert time of God. It only leads to cul-de-sacs, which force you to revisit the lessons you are meant to learn. Embrace them, so that He can use your life for something extraordinary.

-=+=-

Significance
Monday, September 05, 2005
by Os Hillman

May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us- yes, establish the work of our hands. ~ Psalm 90:17

Many of us begin our careers with the goal of achieving success. If we haven't entered our work as a result of God's calling, we will eventually face a chasm of deep frustration and emptiness. Success flatters but does not provide a lasting sense of purpose and fulfillment. So often we enter careers with wrong motives-money, prestige, and even pressure from parents or peers. Failing to match our work with our giftedness and calling is like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. If that happens over an extended period, a person crashes.

At this time, many make another mistake. Workplace believers think that beginning a new career in "full-time Christian work" will fill the emptiness they feel. However, this only exacerbates the problem because they are again trying to put another square peg into a round hole. The problem is not whether we should be in "Christian work" or "secular work," but rather what work is inspired by gifts and calling. If there is one phrase I wish I could remove from the English language it is "full-time Christian work." If you are a Christian, you are in full-time Christian work, whether you are driving nails or preaching the gospel. The question must be, are you achieving the God-given calling for your life? God has called people into business to fulfill His purposes just as much as He has called people to be pastors or missionaries.

It is time for workplace believers to stop feeling like second-class citizens for being in business. It is time workplace believers stop working toward financial independence so that they can concentrate on their "true spiritual calling." This is the great deception for those called to business.

Significance comes from fulfilling the God-given purpose for which you were made. Ask Him to confirm this in your own life.

-=+=-

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

Os Hillman Copyright 2005
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Activities and Events of Interest
~~~
Columbia County Fair, Monday, September 19 - Saturday, September 24.
~~~
Steak & Bingo (Sep 24 06:00 PM CDT in Jr. High cafeteria)
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The Emancipation Proclamation will be on display at the Clinton Library September 22-25, 2007.
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"September 11 WDYTJWD" W. P. Florence
Justice first, then peace."
"September 11" Never forget.--Tony Moses
"ONE NATION UNDER GOD ...the only way"--Phillip Story
"We have nothing to fear but fear itself." -- Franklin D. Roosevelt
"Keeping my head down but face toward Heaven" - - Jody Eldred, ABC News Cameraman in Kuwait
"Remember Pearl Harbor? Remember 9/11!" --"Bug"
Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity. - - George Carlin
"Stop telling God how big your storm is. Instead, tell the storm how big your God is!" - - Queen E. Watson
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NEVER FORGET! We're listing the names of our soldiers killed weekly. These records can be found at http://www.defenselink. mil/releases/

01. 1st Lt. Derek S. Hines, 25, of Newburyport, Mass., died on Sept. 1, 2005, in Baylough, Afghanistan, when his unit was conducting security operations and came under attack by enemy forces using small arms fire. Hines was assigned to the 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, Vicenza, Italy.

The Department of Defense announced the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died on Sept. 1, 2005, in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their HMMWV during patrol operations. Both soldiers were assigned to the Army National Guard's 108th Cavalry Regiment, 48th Infantry Brigade, Griffin, Ga. Killed were:
02. Staff Sgt. George R. Draughn Jr., 29, of Decatur, Ga.
03. Sgt. 1st Class Robert L. Hollar Jr., 35, of Griffin, Ga.

04. Sgt. 1st Class Lonnie J. Parson, 39, of Norcross, Ga., died on Sept. 2, 2005, in Baghdad, Iraq, when his M3A2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle was struck by an enemy explosive device. Parson was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

05. Lance Cpl. Ryan J. Nass, 21, of Franklin, Wis., died Sept. 3 from a non-hostile gunshot wound at Camp Blessing, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

06. Spc. Luke C. Williams, 35, of Knoxville, Tenn., died on Sept. 5, 2005 in Baghdad, Iraq, when the HMMWV he was riding in accidentally rolled over into a ditch. Williams was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

07. Sgt. Matthew C. Bohling, 22, of Eagle River, Alaska, died on Sept. 5, 2005, in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, where an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during combat operations. Bohling was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga.

08. Hospitalman Robert N. Martens, 20, of Queen Creek, Ariz., died Sept. 6, from injuries sustained as a passenger when his HMMWV rolled over in Al Qaim, Iraq. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, Martens was assigned to II Marine Division, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

The Department of Defense announced the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died on Sept. 6, 2005, in Baghdad, Iraq, where an improvised explosive device detonated near their HMMWV causing it to rollover. Both soldiers were assigned to the Brigade Troops Battalion, Division Support Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga. Killed were:
09. Staff Sgt. Jude R. Jonaus, 27, of Miami, Fla.
10. Sgt. Franklin R. Vilorio, 26, of Miami, Fla.

11. Spc. Jeffrey A. Williams, 20, of Warrenville, Ill., died on Sept. 5, 2005, in Tal Afar, Iraq, where an improvised explosive device detonated near his combat patrol. Williams was assigned to the Support Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colo.
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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
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Alcoholics Anonymous meets at 8 p.m. Monday - Friday. At noon on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and at 7 p.m. Sunday at 914 N. Vine
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Columbia County Amateur Radio Club meets Every second Thursday @ 7:00 p.m. Union Street Station. And YOU'RE invited. Net is every Sunday at 20:30 on 147.105.
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Columbia County Diabetes Support Group - Every third Monday, 7:00 p.m. room 222, Magnolia Hospital
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"Focus on the Family" with Dr. James Dobson weekday afternoons at 1 PM on KVMA am 630 it's a great show!
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MCC - Abraham Prayer - Sunday at 5:00 p.m and Wednesday from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm
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MCC - Early Morning Prayer - Monday - Friday, From 6:30 am to 8:00 am
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MCC - "Beth Moore" Video Class - Thursday nights at 5:45 pm
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MCC - "Faith Builders" Small group meets at 1051 Columbia 36 the second and fourth Tuesdays, 6:30 pm to 7:45 pm.
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MCC - Firm Foundations Class, Sunday 9:30 to 10:15 a.m
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MCC - Meadow Brook Nursing Home Ministry Tuesday from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m
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MCC - Mom's Day Out - Every Tuesday and Thursday from 9 to 2.$10 for the first child, $5 for the second. Call 234-3225 for reservations.
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MCC - Nursing Home Ministry - Meadowbrook Every Tuesday from 10 to 11 am. Taylor, the last Thursday each month.
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MCC - Over comers: Fridays @ 7:00 p.m- Director, Traci Foster invites you to a 12 step Christian support program. For anyone with a life controlling problem. Child care is provided.
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Men's Prayer Breakfast held every Tuesday morning at 6 AM in Miller's Cafeteria. If you aren't a regular participant at the Men's Prayer Breakfast, you're missing some great food, fellowship and inspired teaching of the Word. Hope to see you there.
~~~
Narcotics Anonymous 5-6 pm every Monday at 220 Pine street.
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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"
"It's no big deal doing what God tells you to do. A big deal would be NOT doing what God tells you to do. Just ask Jonah." - - Paul Troquille
"A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in ... and how many want out." - - Tony Blair
"Information is the currency of democracy." - Jefferson
"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
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Hope you enjoy the newsletter.
Again, thanks to all our contributors this week.

God bless and GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!
Neh 4:1-4 Psa 94:11-14 Heb 10:19-22 Jer 17:5-8
God is Good and Faithful CU 73 IC JFM CSP NREMT-I KC5HII

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