Bug's Bleat - - GCF: Tax Forms

Volume 7, Issue 44

Hello All,

Dusty and Zac attended University Assembly of God’s Fall Festival last Saturday as well as ours on Monday evening. They had a great time, collecting candy, playing games and generally acting like boys. I had a great time at the University event listening to the music as wells as looking at the costumes at ours.
~~~~~
Let me tell you about Lois Doss. Lois is a full time student at SAU, a wife, a mother, a grandmother and, in her free time, works at Magnolia Christian Center with the kids. She’s one of the sweetest, smartest, hardest working, most compassionate, toughest, full of the Lord people I know.
Lois drives a bus picking up “Dream Center” kids on Saturdays, she and her husband, Hoover, both do church visitation, as well as numerous other jobs.
At MCC’s “Hallelujah Night” this week, Lois was the “Benevolence Bunny.” She was dressed in a bunny costume and gave tickets to the games and treats to kids who’d either run out of money or didn’t have any money.
At Dream Center Saturday, she came in and unloaded her busload, then took a mop and bucket to clean up the mess one of the kids had made. At the end of the morning, I found her ministering to a young child who’d torn her fingernail while playing.
How can you doubt there’s a God in Heaven when you see people like Lois?
~~~~~
Veteran's Day is November 11th and I hope that EVERY American will be flying the flag in honor of our troops fighting in Iraq and around the world to preserve our freedoms!
~~~~~
Central Baptist Church is again the relay station for Operation Christmas Child. Shoeboxes may be dropped off at the church activity building 9 to 5 Monday - Friday, 9 to noon on Saturday and 1 to 5 on Sundays. For details go to http://www.samaritanspurse.org/OCC_Index.asp
~~~~~
An article in the paper reviews a court ruling allowing Uncle Sam to take part of a disabled man’s social security check as payment for student loans. Do you owe any student loans?
~~~~~
Thursday, David came by to help me get the heat going in his travel trailer. David and Bobbie loaned it to MCC for our new Youth Minister to stay in when he’s in town. They’ll finish moving to Magnolia in a couple of weeks.
~~~~~
Claiborne has been working at First Presbyterian here for the last two weeks. He’s installing a new sound and multi-media system.
~~~~~
A word from one of our favorite missionaries in Tanzania; Paul & Debbie Troquille. Check out www.magnolia-net.com/~paulndeb/ it's good
~~~~~
Noticed a story about the destruction of our Titan II rockets and the launch of the last working one last week. Humm... Soviets are still using old workhorse rocket to ferry cosmonauts into space. I wonder what the cost per pound transported is for the shuttle vs. the Russian rocket?
~~~~~
Best Toys of 2005 - - http://familyfun.go.com/parties/holiday-seasonal/specialfeature/famf0905-toy-main/
~~~~~
The ARKLA Amateur Radio Club Met last Saturday. One of the things we discussed was the ARRL Toy Drive - - ARRL 2005 HOLIDAY TOY DRIVE KICKING INTO GEAR

Toys already have begun showing up in Memphis, Tennessee, in response to the ARRL 2005 Holiday Toy Drive appeal. The League has partnered with The Salvation Army for this year's effort to brighten the holiday season for children in the coastal areas of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana left homeless or displaced in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

"As The Salvation Army continues to provide assistance to the victims of the largest natural disaster in modern US history, we are excited to partner with the ARRL in providing toys for children affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita this holiday season," said Mark Jones, The Salvation Army's public relations director.

Because it still has the facilities to manage a large toy drive, The Salvation Army will handle the distribution end of the program. Its facility in Jackson, Mississippi, will coordinate distribution throughout the Gulf Coast region.

Country music artist Patty Loveless, KD4WUJ, is the Holiday Toy Drive's national chairperson.

The collection point for the toys is in Memphis, Tennessee, where the League has secured a warehouse facility. Between now and December 10, the ARRL is encouraging ham radio operators throughout the US to purchase new, unwrapped toys for children ages 1 through 4 and send them with a QSL card to ARRL Toy Drive/The Salvation Army, 1775 Moriah Woods Blvd--Suite 12, Memphis, TN 38117-7125.

Volunteers in Memphis will sort and stock the toys, and in early December, the toys will be transported to The Salvation Army facilities in hurricane areas that need help the most at that time.

Amateur Radio volunteers turned out in force to support communication for relief and recovery operations in the Gulf Coast. ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP, says the Amateur Radio community is once again in a position to make a difference.

"Thousands of families are without a place to live and will be homeless over the coming holiday season," he said. "For a child living out of a tent or car, FEMA trailer or someone else's home, the 2005 holiday season will be anything but jolly. But hams from all across the country are coming to their rescue again through the ARRL Holiday Toy Drive."

Cash donations from ARRL members also are welcome. League members may send checks to ARRL Holiday Toy Drive, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111.

"Knowing that someone 'out there' remembers you is a start for these children," Pitts said.

More information about the ARRL 2005 Holiday Toy Drive is available on the League's Web site .
~~~~~
It’s never too early to start making your Christmas list. I’m going to keep this one running here for the benefit of my family.

1 Gig USB Key
GPS
$49 office chair from SAMS (5 of them)
AA Batteries
9-volt batteries
AAA Batteries
Digital Video Recorder (Pioneer DVR-533H-S $333 at Beach Camera)
VHS - DVD Recorder (Lite-On LVC-9006 $219 @ Buy.com)
Rechargeable Batteries for the following “Ham” radios: Kenwood TH-22-AT (9.6 volts, 600 mAh battery, 2 each (for our two radios)), Yaesu FT-50 (it takes a FNB-83 7.2V1400mAh battery), Yaesu, VX-1 (it takes a FNB-52LI 3.6V 700mAh Lithium-Ion battery).
New “Rubber Ducky” antennas for the following “Ham” radios: Kenwood TH-22-AT (two radios)
Trackball for the home computer
Computer glasses to use at church

This will grow as the season approaches.
~~~~~
We received this update from Patty Clary;

"I now have a new job...I have gone to work for Community Hospice. Community Hospice is part of the Share Foundation in El Dorado. It is a coordinated home-care program for terminally ill patients and their families. I am saying every day "this job is just to good to be true"

The service I have seen given to the terminally ill and their families over this past month and been so rewarding.

I am also available for public speaking on this program to let the good folks of Columbia know just what we have to offer. The good news is no one every gets a bill!!!! Sound too good to be true???? Well trust me, it is all true. I can be reached at 870.904.6885."
~~~~~
Heb 10:25 -Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: ... Annette prayed with a person who was in the hospital after trying to commit suicide today. It reminded me of how many are ignorant of basic spiritual laws. Hebrews 10:25 is one of those basic laws.
We get more than just social support from attending church. God can minister to us through worship, the Word, and through our Brothers and Sisters.
If your born again but don’t attend church regularly, please give it a try. It will make a difference in your life, I guarantee.
If you’re not born again, I challenge you to find a good bible teaching church and attend regularly for 90 days. See if you don’t experience a marked improvement in your life.
~~~~~
We heard from Todd and Kathy Raymond this week. They’re stationed overseas.”... I'll give ya'll an update on what's happening with us over here in Germany. So far we've got to see a lot of old castles and a lot of WWII sites! It's beautiful here but we can't wait to get back home. We're finally down to one year left. I'm trying to get stationed at either Little Rock or Barksdale. If we get either of those two, we'll let you know and ya'll will have to come visit and let me give you a tour of the flight line. Right now my job is to dispatch our fuels drivers out to the flight line whenever a crew chief calls in a fuel request. It can get pretty stressful in there sometimes. ... Oh, by the way...tell Jimmy I've moved up to a 5 string bass now and I just bought a fretless, so when I get back we'll have to play!! Love and miss ya'll!!!!!!”
~~~~~
Terry Stockdale shared these thoughts with us. I think he’s hitting the “nail on the head” when he comments on our willingness to lump people into preconceived groups to fit our personal prejudices.

“They're not all bad..”

The rotten eggs exist. We all know it and we hope we never meet them. Unfortunately, now, some of the rotten eggs of society are showing up with a new title -- "hurricane refugee."

In an article on Tuesday, November 1st, Associated Press (AP) reported that a New Orleans evacuee was killed in Houston. The article goes on to say that an 18-year-old pickup owner apparently stabbed the 38 year old evacuee, when the evacuee tried to carjack the 18-year-old's pickup at knifepoint.

The rest of the article talked about the tragic strangling death of a friend of mine, Betty Blair of Pasadena, Texas. Betty was a caring person who was helping evacuees personally, in addition to assisting through her church. Betty was the widow of Bobby R. "Bob" Blair, a former co-worker, a former boss and a friend.

Just after Hurricane Katrina, Betty took three women from New Orleans into her home. All went well and they left after about a month. Betty continued to actively help evacuees through her personal actions and her church's efforts.

Betty, a 77 year old widow, was murdered last Friday in her home in Pasadena Texas. Three evacuees, who are accused of murdering her and who are in the Harris County Sheriff's custody, are a second group of hurricane evacuees, whom she had been paying to do odd jobs and yard work.

These three, unrelated to the first evacuees she helped, were arrested Friday night while driving Betty's Buick -- after her death and after her car was reported to be missing. They even had the 10-month-old son of one of the accused in the car with them. Police found some of Betty's belongings in the car, too.

The car was located via GM's ONSTAR electronic tracking system, after Betty's murder had been reported and the missing car was reported to police. Harris County Sheriff's Deputies arrested the three before they managed even to get out of the county. Two of the accused are from Beaumont, TX. The other is from New Orleans.

I have no idea about the Blair family's feelings with regard to the death penalty. To me, however, this is a case where the death penalty is appropriate. Perhaps, this time, we won't hear howls from the anti-death-penalty protestors -- they might have some political sense -- or at least maybe the press will ignore them.

Despite the news media's focus on "hurricane evacuees," please remember that these are a few of the bad people who are in every city and town. In both of these cases, the carjacking and the murder, the villains happen to be hurricane evacuees.

Would they have done the same things in another town if they weren't hurricane evacuees? I think so.

Nearly all hurricane evacuees are normal, law-abiding people and need your help and your respect. When you read that "hurricane evacuees" did this or "hurricane evacuees" did that, think back also to the print and television media. They need attention. They need sound-bites. "Hurricane evacuees" gets your attention, doesn't it? We've gotten past a number of these kinds of labels -- no longer do we hear about the "Lady Senator" or the "female Senator," we hear "Senator."

"Hurricane evacuees" is just a convenient title for mis-classifying people. Hurricane evacuees are not a class of people.

We need to remember that "hurricane evacuees" are not just a subset of society, they were the entire society of a number of East Texas, South Louisiana and South Mississippi cities, towns and farms.

Their homes were destroyed or made unlivable for a time. The hurricane evacuees were everyone.

Terry Stockdale -- Baton Rouge, LA
Website: http://www.TerryStockdale.com
My home theater site: http://www.TerrysHomeTheater.com
My tips site and free newsletter: http://www.TerrysComputerTips.com
My blogs: http://www.TheNextWindow.com and http://blog.TerrysComputerTips.com
~~~~~
WASHINGTON - The Senate moved the digital TV transition one step closer to reality on Thursday, setting a firm date for television broadcasters to switch to all-digital transmissions.
Lawmakers gave broadcasters until April 7, 2009, to end their traditional analog transmissions. The so-called "hard date" was included in a sweeping budget bill.
The bill also would provide $3 billion to help millions of Americans buy digital-to-analog converter boxes for their older television sets — so those consumers will continue to receive a signal once the switch is made permanent.
Legislation approved last month by the House Energy and Commerce Committee calls for a Dec. 31, 2008, deadline and provides nearly $1 billion for the converter boxes.
Differences between the measures would need to be worked out in a House-Senate conference.
In the Senate, an amendment by Republican John Ensign of Nevada that would have reduced the converter box subsidy to $1 billion was withdrawn. Spokesman Jack Finn said Ensign was concerned that the $2 billion in savings would be spent on other projects instead of deficit reduction.
Digital television promises sharper pictures and better sound than analog TV.
National Association of Broadcasters president Eddie Fritts said the 2009 deadline "represents a victory for millions of Americans who could have been left stranded by a premature end to analog television service."
The move to all-digital will free valuable radio spectrum, some of which will be allocated to improve radio communications among fire and police departments and other first responders.
Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record), R-Ariz., unsuccessfully offered an amendment to move up the hard date by one year, saying "first responders' ability to communicate during times of tragedy can be literally a matter of life and death."
Public safety officials had pressed for the earliest possible transition.
"We would have preferred an earlier date, but the most important thing is that we have a firm date so that people can start the planning and funding process," said Robert Gurss, director of legal and government affairs at the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials.
In addition to the hard date, the Senate measure also set aside an additional $1 billion for public safety to buy new radio communications equipment.
The original digital television bill was sponsored by Sens. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, and Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii.

Separately on Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission moved up by four months the date by which small TV sets sold in the U.S., those 13 inches to 24 inches, must have tuners to receive digital signals. The new deadline will be March 1, 2007. Sets under 13 inches will also have to have digital tuners by that date.
The commission had previously ruled that mid-sized sets, screens from 25 inches to 36 inches, be digital-ready by March 1, 2006.
___

On the Net:
Congress: http://thomas.loc.gov
Federal Communications Commission: http://www.fcc.gov
~~~~~
Recipe(s) of the week - Herbed Zucchini Noodles - - Juan-Carlos Cruz - - Calorie Commando
Episode: Cozy Does It

Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 4 servings



2 large zucchini
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
4 ounces egg noodles, cooked and drained
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon Parmesan, freshly grated


Carefully drag a vegetable peeler the length of the zucchini to create long strands. Discard centers with the seeds.

Heat a large nonstick sauté pan over medium heat with the butter. Add the zucchini and quickly toss to coat with the butter. Add parsley, thyme, oregano, and lemon pepper. Toss again and warm through, about 1 minute. Add the egg noodles. Toss once again until pasta is warmed through but zucchini remains crisp tender. Taste and adjust flavor with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Toss again and serve warm.
~~~~~
BreakPoint
With Chuck Colson

The Man Came Around
Johnny Cash
By Steve Beard
November 4, 2005

This article first appeared in the March 2005 issue of BreakPoint WorldView magazine. Subscribe today or get someone you know a gift subscription! Call 1-877-322-5527.

One imagines that when Johnny Cash first reached the pearly gates, he looked for his wife, June Carter, and asked for directions to the nearest recording studio. The Man in Black seemed bent on recording songs until he took his last breath on Friday, September 12, 2003. It is strangely fitting that the last album released before his death, The Man Comes Around, will epitomize his legacy. It deftly embodied the gritty and brooding sound that marked his extraordinary career.

The title track of the album has been widely heralded as one of Cash’s greatest songs. “The Man Comes Around” is about the Day of Reckoning and the notion that there will be an accounting for the way in which we live on earth.

“Everybody won’t be treated the same,” Cash wrote. “There’ll be a golden ladder reaching down when the Man comes around.” The swinging ladder from above never was an unfamiliar sight to Cash—dodging death numerous times from drug-related addictions earlier in his career to health-related maladies in his later years.

Launched into fame because of hits such as “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Ring of Fire,” and “I Walk the Line,” Cash has sold more than 50 million records and won eleven Grammys. He is the only person to be inducted into the rock-and-roll, country music, and songwriting halls of fame. Cash worked with legends such as Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan and performed before presidents and prisoners.

Throughout his illustrious life, he wrote books, hosted a popular television show, starred in and produced movies, and recorded 1,500 songs that can be found on 500 albums. The crowned king of blue-collar troubadours, Cash had the lurching height of an NBA power forward, the swagger of John Wayne, and the perceived moral authority of Moses.

His appeal is recognized by everyone from gangsta rappers to roughneck steel workers. Cash is, after all, an American original with few peers. His charismatic magnetism spanned five decades of popular culture. “Locust and honey . . . not since John the Baptist has there been a voice like that crying in the wilderness” is how U2’s Bono summed it up in liner notes to God (Legacy). “The most male voice in Christendom. Every man knows he is a sissy compared to Johnny Cash.”

Cash wrote songs the man on the street—or perhaps more appropriately, the guy hanging out in the alley—could relate to. He loved prisoners, the working man, and the welfare mother—those found on the outskirts. His songwriting orbited around the universal human condition of sin and redemption, murder and grace, darkness and light. What you saw was what you got with Cash. When he sang, you could almost taste the hillbilly moonshine, smell the gunpowder of a smoking revolver, and feel the drops of blood off the thorny crown of a crucified Christ.

CAN YOU HEAR THE ANGELS SING?
Cash was brought up as a Depression-era Arkansas farm boy. His family scraped at twenty acres of government-granted land, depending on soil and sweat to eke out a living. He had Baptist blood racing through his veins and the echoes of Pentecostal fire and brimstone preaching reverberating through his soul.

While Jewish boys reach their age of religious responsibility at thirteen for their bar mitzvah, Baptist boys in Cash’s family had to make the decision at twelve. Once the time had come, he already knew that he had reached “the age of moral and spiritual accountability.” While the congregation sang the invitational hymn, “Just As I Am,” Cash walked down the aisle of the church and “accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.”

Only a few months later, he was confronted with the horrible death of his older brother Jack. While he was cutting fence posts, one got tangled up in the swinging saw and jerked him into it, cutting him severely. Jack was rushed to the hospital, but there wasn’t much that could be done. His mother and father were on their knees praying when Jack awoke and asked, “Why is everybody crying over me? Mama, don’t cry over me. Did you see the river?”

“No, I didn’t, son,” Carrie replied.

“Mama, listen to the angels. I’m going there, mama,” Jack said. The family at his bedside listened with stunned attention. “What a beautiful city,” he said. “And the angels singing. Oh, mama, I wish you could hear the angels singing.” Those were Jack’s last words, according to Cash’s book Man in Black (Zondervan).

“It was like a burden had been lifted from all of us,” remembered Cash, “and it wasn’t just the eight day burden of fighting for Jack’s life. Rather, we watched him die in such bliss and glory that it was like we were almost happy because of the way we saw him go. We saw in our mind’s eye what he was seeing—a vision of heaven.”

WRESTLING WITH DEMONS
Cash began popping pills as his success began to blossom in 1958. At first, he looked upon them as a divine gift from above. He told interviewer Larry King, “I honestly thought it was a blessing—a gift from God.” But it did not take him long to realize that the drugs were trinkets of the Devil, luring him deeper into retreat mode from unresolved issues in his life. “Drugs were an escape for me, a crutch—a substitute for what I now feel. I was looking for a spiritual high to put myself above my problems,” he said in a 1975 interview, “and I guess I was running from a lot of things. I was running from family, I was running from God, and from everything I knew I should be doing but wasn’t.”

Throughout this entire time, he never stopped singing gospel songs. He was stoned on amphetamines while he sang “Were You There When They Crucified My Lord,” one of his most beloved songs. “I used to sing all those gospel songs, but I really never felt them,” he told Country Music magazine. “And maybe I was a little bit ashamed of myself at the time because of the hypocrisy of it all: there I was, singing the praises of the Lord and singing about the beauty and the peace you can find in Him—and I was stoned.” He was in a drug-addled hell, but these old gospel songs were etched in his DNA. “They were the first songs I ever heard—and I know this sounds corny, but they’re the songs my mother sang to me.”

Some of those songs from his childhood were performed by the legendary Carter Family, musical pioneers of folk, country, and bluegrass music. Cash became acquainted with members of the musical family, especially Maybelle and Ezra “Eck” Carter. They came to care deeply for the man that would eventually marry their daughter, June.

Sometimes he would come bursting into their house drugged out of his mind. His eyes would bulge, and his legs would flail as he paced around the house. Maybelle would quietly and calmly try to talk him. All the while, Eck would say, “The Lord’s got His hand on Johnny Cash, and nothing’s going to happen to him. The Lord’s got greater things for him to do.”

Cash’s reputation as a rebel grew even more legendary when he was banned from the Grand Ole Opry after smashing all the footlights with his mike stand in 1965. He wrapped June Carter’s Cadillac around a utility pole, accidentally burned down more than five hundred acres of national forest in California (he was fined $85,000), and got busted for smuggling Equanil and Dexedrine tablets across the Mexican border.

Amazingly, the Carters were there for him even in his most self-destructive days, opening their home and hearts to him as if he were one of the family.

‘GO KILL YOURSELF’
A defining moment for Cash occurred in October 1967 after he had been arrested for the seventh time and woke up behind bars in Lafayette, Georgia. Apparently, he had been out pounding on someone’s front door in order to use the telephone after having wrecked his jeep in the woods of north Georgia. The next day, Sheriff Ralph Jones released the singer and said, “Here’s your money—and here’s your dope. . . . Now get out of here and go kill yourself.”

Cash was startled. “What? What do you mean, ‘go kill myself’?”

The sheriff told him, “You got the power to do it, and you’re trying to, so go ahead and finish the job. You don’t have far to go.”

Cash responded, “I don’t want to kill myself.”

Unrelenting, Jones said, “Of course you do. You almost did. When we brought you in here I called a doctor, and he gave you a shot and put you to sleep. But he said you evidently want to kill yourself, so there’s your dope—go ahead and do it.” The sheriff’s disappointment and indignation stung even more when he said, “My wife and I have every record you have made, and it broke my heart when they brought you in here.”

Cash returned home feeling depressed and defeated. He tried to end his life by crawling into the Nickajack Cave on the Tennessee River in hopes of getting lost and dying. He crawled for several hours until his flashlight went out and he was trapped in the darkness, left to contemplate: “I was as far from God as I have ever been. My separation from Him, the deepest and most ravaging of the various kinds of loneliness I’d felt over the years, seemed finally complete. It wasn’t. I thought I’d left Him, but He hadn’t left me. I felt something very powerful start to happen to me, a sensation of utter peace, clarity, and sobriety.”

Although he did not hear an audible voice, he sensed the presence of God in a powerful way. “There in the Nickajack Cave I became conscious of a very clear, simple idea: I was not in charge of my destiny.” Cash began crawling in the deep darkness of the cave’s belly. “I started crawling in whatever direction suggested itself, feeling ahead with my hands to guard against plunging over some precipice. . . . I began to see light, and finally I saw the opening of the cave.”

Like the biblical character Jonah many thousand years ago, Cash emerged from the belly of the beast after tumultuous soul-searching.

Maybelle, Eck, and June moved into Cash’s home and circled his bed and began to pray. He went through withdrawals for weeks, suffering nightmares and torturous stomach cramps. When he was not sleeping, he was tearing up the place looking for drugs. This episode of breaking the addiction took thirty-two days.

Looking back on those difficult years in the 1960s, Cash told Rolling Stone that the drugs “devastated me physically and emotionally—and spiritually. That last one hurt so much: to put myself in such a low state that I couldn’t communicate with God. There’s no lonelier place to be. I was separated from God, and I wasn’t even trying to call on Him. I knew that there was no line of communication. But He came back. And I came back.”

The degree of freedom that Cash enjoyed was attributed to God and June, Maybelle, and Eck Carter. Nevertheless, Cash admitted, even at age 70, that the demons still lurked. “They don’t come knocking on a regular basis. They just kind of hold their distance. I could invite them in: the sex demon, the drug demon. But I don’t. They’re very sinister. You got to watch ’em. They’ll sneak up on you. All of a sudden there’ll be a beautiful little Percodan laying there, and you’ll want it.”

NEVER IGNORE THE GIFT
When he renewed his faith in the 1970s, Cash said Billy Graham advised him to keep singing “Folsom Prison Blues,” “A Boy Named Sue,” and “all those other outlaw songs if that’s what people wanted to hear—and then, when it came time to do a gospel song, give it everything I had. Put my heart and soul into all my music, in fact; never compromise; take no prisoners.” He subsequently sang in the sold-out honky-tonks of the world and the jam-packed arenas of Billy Graham evangelistic crusades—never allowing him to be too easily pigeonholed by the holy or the heathen.

“I believe what I say, but that don’t necessarily make me right,” Cash told Rolling Stone. “There’s nothing hypocritical about it. There is a spiritual side to me that goes real deep, but I confess right up front that I’m the biggest sinner of them all.”

Johnny Cash is an irreplaceable American original who will be remembered as a cross between an outlaw and an Old Testament prophet—an enigmatic man in black, with a heart of gold and a voice that could raise the dead. Now that the Man has come around, one imagines that Johnny has become a welcome addition to the heavenly host.

Steve Beard is the creator of Thunderstruck, a website devoted to faith and pop culture. He is also the editor of Good News magazine and a contributing author of Spiritual Journeys: How Faith Has Influenced 12 Music Icons (Relevant Books, 2003).

FOR FURTHER READING
“God Bless Johnny Cash” by Steve Beard. See also other tributes to Cash.
Peter M. Candler, Jr., “Johnny of the Cross,” First Things, December 2003.
Ted Olsen, “Johnny Cash’s Song of Redemption,” Christianity Today, 20 October 2003.
Dave Urbanski, “Mean Eyed Cat, Kneeling Drunkard’s Plea, and the Wayfaring Stranger,” Mars Hill Review.
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 or websites are for informational purposes only and do not necessarily imply endorsement of their content.

The BreakPoint Web site and BreakPoint WorldView Magazine feature Colson’s commentaries as well as feature articles by other established and up-and-coming writers to equip readers with a biblical perspective on a variety of issues and topics.
© 2004 Prison Fellowship.
~~~~~
Don't forget ... "Da Bleat" is now on the web. Just go to http://bugsbleat4q.blogspot.com
~~~~~
Feel free to share the "Bleat" with any and all. That's why we publish it.
~~~~~
www.aaa.com Regular Mid Premium Diesel
Current Avg. $2.431 $2.581 $2.675 $2.976
http://www.fuelgaugereport.com/
~~~~~

Words of the Week:
malediction: a curse.
susurrus: a whispering or rustling sound.
neophyte: a novice.
immolate: to kill or destroy, often by fire.
alpenglow: a reddish glow seen near sunset or sunrise on the summits of mountains.
subfusc: dark or dull in color.
mores: customs; habits; ways.
dapple: a small contrasting blotch; also, to mark with spots.
winsome: light-hearted.
from Dictionary.Com

~~~~~
"Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know." - Ernest Hemingway

"The power to command frequently causes failure to think." - Barbara Tuchman

"Laws too gentle are seldom obeyed; too severe, seldom executed." - Benjamin Franklin

"Much unhappiness has come into this world because of things left unsaid." - Fyodor Dostoevsky
"Your very silence shows you agree." - Euripides

"I am so convinced of the advantages of looking at mankind instead of reading about them, and of the bitter effects of staying at home with all the narrow prejudices of an Islander, that I think there should be a law amongst us to set our young men abroad for a term among the few allies our wars have left us." - Lord Byron

"Modern man thinks he loses something - time - when he does not do things quickly. Yet he does not know what to do with the time he gains - except kill it." - Erich Fromm

"A feller is a-feelin’ at his best,
With the risin’ sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest,
As he leaves the house, bare-headed, and goes out to feed the stock,
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock." - James Whitcomb Riley
~~~~~
"The world is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion." - Thomas Paine (1737-1809)

"We can do anything we want to if we stick to it long enough." - Helen Keller (1880-1968)

"The best way to destroy your enemy is to make him your friend." - Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)

><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
GCF: Tax Forms

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

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

It was April and Tax Day was looming when an elderly woman showed up at my desk at the IRS. She said she required a thick stack of tax forms. "Why so many?" I asked.

"My son is overseas," she said. "He asked me to pick up forms for the soldiers on the base."

"You shouldn't have to do this," I told her. "It's the base commander's job to make sure that his troops have access to the forms they need."

"I know. I'm the base commander's mother."
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Division of Labor

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

The couple had an outstandingly happy and successful marriage. The husband was once asked to what he attributed this remarkable situation.

"It's simple," he said. "Division of labor. My wife makes all the small, routine decisions. She decides what house we buy, where we go on vacation, whether the kids go to private schools, if I should change my job, and so on."

"And you?"

"I make the big, fundamental decisions. I decide if the United States should declare war on China, if Congress should appropriate money for a manned expedition to Mars, and so on."
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Words Women Use

Emailed to me from another humor list (Marty's Joke of the Day) -Tom To subscribe to Marty's Joke of the Day, send a blank email to: martysjotd-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
------------------------------------------

Fine
This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

Five Minutes
If she is getting dressed, this is half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given 5 more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

Nothing
This is the calm before the storm. This means "something" and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with "nothing" usually end in "fine".

Go Ahead
This is a dare, not permission, DON'T DO IT! !

Loud Sigh
Although not actually a word, the loud sigh is often misunderstood by men. A "Loud Sigh" means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you over "Nothing".

That's Okay
This is one of the most dangerous statements that woman can make to a man. "That's Okay" means that she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

Thanks
This is the least used of all words in the female vocabulary. If a woman is thanking you. Do not question it, just say you're welcome and back out of the room slowly.
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Truthfully Speaking

Emailed to me from another humor list (Cascade Express E-zine) -Tom To subscribe to Cascade Express E-zine, send a blank email to: Cascade_Express-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
------------------------------------------

A cowboy went to buy an insurance policy. The agent asked, "Have you ever had an accident?"

"Nope," replied the cowboy, "last summer, a bronc kicked in two of my ribs ... and a couple of years ago, a rattlesnake bit me on the ankle."

"Wouldn't you call those accidents?" quizzed the puzzled agent.

"Naw," the cowboy replied. "They did it on purpose!"
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: How True!

Emailed to me from another humor list (Cascade Express E-zine) -Tom To subscribe to Cascade Express E-zine, send a blank email to: Cascade_Express-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
------------------------------------------

A boy who was a witness to a crime was called to testify in court. He was approached by the defense attorney who asked, "Did anyone tell you what to say in court?"

"Yes, sir," answered the boy.

"I thought so," said the attorney. "Who was it?"

"My father, sir."

"And what did he tell you?" the attorney asked accusingly.

"He said that the lawyers would try to get me all tangled up, but if I told the truth, everything would be all right."
_ ____________________________ _
/ )| Thomas S. Ellsworth |( / / | tellswor@slonet.org | \ _( (_ | http://www.slonet.org/~tellswor | _) )_
(((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / Teamwork is essential. \ /
\ _/ It allows you to blame \_ /
/ / someone else. \ \
(((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / The two most common elements \ /
\ _/ in the universe are \_ /
/ / hydrogen and stupidity. \ (((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / Why is it so hard to \ /
\ _/ remember how to spell MNEMONIC? \_ /
/ / \ (((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / Why is there only ONE \ /
\ _/ Monopolies Commission? \_ /
/ / \ (((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / Why doesn't glue stick to \ /
\ _/ the inside of the bottle? \_ /
/ / \ _ ____________________________ _
(((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_|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/
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
[GCFL.net] Chicago Museum of Natural History

Some tourists in the Chicago Museum of Natural History are marveling at the dinosaur bones. One of them asks the guard, "Can you tell me how old the dinosaur bones are?"

The guard replies, "They are three million, four years, and six months old."

"That's an awfully exact number," says the tourist. "How do you know their age so precisely?"

The guard answers, "Well, the dinosaur bones were three million years old when I started working here, and that was four and a half years ago!"

Received from WestiMom.

(-:][:-)

[GCFL.net] Parking Concern

While walking through a parking lot, I tripped and fell flat on my face.

As I was lying there, a woman stopped her car and called out, "Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine," I said, touched by her concern.

"Oh, good," she continued. "So will you be vacating your parking space now?"

Received from Pastor Tim.

(-:][:-)

[GCFL.net] RaPUNzel

Fair Ladies and Noble Gentlemen:

I, RaPUNzel, have a HAIR-raising tale to SHEAR with you written by the Brothers TRIMM.

When I was a young CURL, a jealous queen LOCKed me in a tower.

I was STRANDed and was at my SPLITS END -- truly a damsel in THESE TRESSES!

The queen thought it was a PERMANENT SOLUTION but, day after day, knight after knight would try to climb the tower, which was so tall the FOLLICLE you!

They would climb my BRAID, and if they weren't so handsome, I would give them the BRUSH off.

Gee, I wonder if that's where I got my reputation for being such a big TEASE.

One day, a handsome knight named Prince LATHERRINSE tried to rescue me.

He was HEAD & SHOULDERS above the rest.

I said, "COMB and SHAVE me!"

The queen found out about it and cut off my hair.

And let me tell you, Hell hath no fury as a woman SHORNED!

She'll have Hell TOUPEE because I am not someone to TANGLE with.

Prince Latherrinse WISPed me away and we got married and had twins.

But, we didn't live happily ever after because he placed too many CONDITIONERS on our marriage, which were really CRIMPING my STYLE.

So, we PARTED ways and a custody battle ensued.

It came down to SPLITTING HAIRS (heirs) so he took one twin and I took the other.

So, now I don't date princes anymore because I don't want a LATHER RINSE REPEAT... (read the shampoo label).

And I've gotten back to my ROOTS by changing my hair from BLONDE to brown and this new color is to DYE for.

After all, BRUNETTES have more pun.

Well, that's the LONG AND SHORT of my HAIRY tale.

I bid you all ADO!

(By Tiff Wimberly)

Received from Stan Kegel.

(-:][:-)

[GCFL.net] House Points

"This house," said the real estate salesman, "has both its good points and its bad points. To show you I'm honest, I'm going to tell you about both.

"The disadvantages are that there is a chemical plant one block south and a slaughterhouse a block north."

"What are the advantages?" inquired the prospective buyer.

"The advantage is that you can always tell which way the wind is blowing."

Received from Pastor Tim.

(-:][:-)

[GCFL.net] Scout Vision

An old Wild West fort is about to be attacked. The wily old general sends for his trusty Indian scout. "You must use all your thirty years of skill in trying to estimate the sort of army we are up against here."

The trusty Indian scout lies down and puts his ear to the ground. "Heap large war party," he says, "maybe three hundred braves, four chiefs, two on black stallions, two on white stallions. All have war paint. Many many guns. Medicine man also with them."

"Good grief!" exclaims the general. "You can tell all of that just by listening to the ground?"

"No," replies the Indian, "I can see under the gate."

Received from Pastor Tim.

(-:][:-)

-=+=-
– 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
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Welcome to You Make Me Laugh, a free newsletter from Crosswalk.com, the world's largest Christian website.
Today's Clean Laugh

A Great Job

A guy came home to his wife and said, "Guess what? I've found a great job. A 10 a.m. start, 2 p.m. finish, no overtime, no weekends and it pays $600 a week!"

"That's great," his wife said.

"Yeah, I thought so too," he agreed. "You start Monday."

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

"Eye Laugh"

Cat Summer

http://www.cybersalt.org/g05.php?id=173

(-:][:-)

Three Rules

One of my husband's duties as a novice drill instructor at Fort Jackson, S.C., was to escort new recruits to the mess hall. After everyone had made it through the chow line, he sat them down and told them, "There are three rules in this mess hall: Shut up! Eat up! Get up!"

Checking to see that he had everyone's attention, he asked, "What is the first rule?"

Much to the amusement of the other instructors, 60 privates yelled in unison, "Shut up, Drill Sergeant!"

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

"Eye Laugh"

Transit Battle

http://www.cybersalt.org/g05.php?id=172

(-:][:-)

2 Words

A man joined the priesthood. The order he joined could not speak for seven years. Then they could only say 2 words.

The first seven years passed and they went into a small room. His 2 word were "too cold".

The next seven years passed and they took him back into the small room and his 2 words were "bad food".

The next seven years passed they took him back into the small room and his 2 words were "I quit".

"Good," they said, "all you have done is complain."

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

"Eye Laugh"

Map Hold

http://www.cybersalt.org/g05.php?id=170

(-:][:-)

Impressions

A man commissioned Picasso to paint a portrait of his wife. Startled by the nonrepresentational image on the canvas, the woman's husband complained, "It isn't how she really looks."

When asked by the painter how she really looked, the man produced a photograph from his wallet.

Returning the photography Pablo observed, "Small, isn't she?"

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

"Eye Laugh"

Parking Champ

http://www.cybersalt.org/g05.php?id=169

(-:][:-)

Gorilla Sundae

A gorilla walked into a drugstore and ordered a $1.50 chocolate sundae. He put a ten-dollar bill on the counter to pay for it.

The clerk thought, what could a gorilla know about money? So he gave the gorilla a single dollar bill in change. As he did, the clerk said, "You know, we don't get too many gorillas in here."

"No wonder," the gorilla replied, "at nine dollars a sundae."

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

"Eye Laugh"

Senior Games

http://www.cybersalt.org/g05.php?id=147

(-:][:-)

-=+=-
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.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
"Don't strive for recognition, but work for achievement." -- Vanessa Malone
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Madeleine Begun Kane Latest Columns - - http://www.madkane.com/tosleep.html - - To Sleep, Perchance To Clean "One of my favorite pastimes (besides begging my husband Mark to teach me how to nap) is unearthing useless surveys and..."
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
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Microsoft AntiSpyware - - http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx - - Microsoft AntiSpyware offers a capable spyware scan and removal engine that has proven superior to popular freeware offerings like Ad-Aware and Spybot Search and Destroy. Microsoft AntiSpyware goes even further, letting you purge Internet caches, recently used file lists, and cookie files to better ensure your privacy.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Avian Flu Factsheet - - http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/ - - This Center for Disease Control and Prevention webpage provides background information about avian influenza, including recent outbreaks, the viruses, and the risk to human health. Related site: Bird-flu Journey. - - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/world/2005/bird_flu/
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Computer and Internet usage - - http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051027/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/internet_states_1 - - Percentage of U.S. households that had a computer and Internet access in October 2003.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Digest of Education Statistics, 2004 - - http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d04/ - - In the fall of 2004, about 71.7 million persons were enrolled in American schools and colleges. About 4.3 million persons were employed as elementary and secondary school teachers and as college faculty. Other professional, administrative, and support staff at educational institutions numbered 5.0 million. Thus, about 81.0 million people were involved, directly or indirectly, in providing or receiving formal education. All data for 2004 in this Introduction are projected. Some data for other years are projected or estimated as noted.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Flu Shot Finder - - http://www.aafa.org/flu.cfm - - This site by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America helps you locate by zip code where you can get a flu shot.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Tufts University: Child & Family WebGuide - - http://www.cfw.tufts.edu/ - - The WebGuide helps parents find a variety of research and practical information on the child and family. Includes child development research, articles, tips, guides, and more on a host of issues.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Exercise Library - - http://www.acefitness.org/getfit/freeexercise.aspx - - From basic to advanced workouts, proper form is essential. Choose from each exercise category to create your own workout depending on the amount of time you have and the equipment available to you.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Walking with Dinosaurs - - http://www.bbc.co.uk/dinosaurs/index.shtml - - A comprehensive, easy to navigate collection of "Dino Fact Files" that provide detailed text and graphic information on dinosaurs. This site is sponsored by the BBC in conjunction with their television series "Walking with Dinosaurs".
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
FirstGov for Kids - - http://www.kids.gov/ - - Welcome to the U.S. government interagency Kids' Portal. This site was developed and is maintained by the Federal Citizen Information Center. It provides links to Federal kids' sites along with some of the best kids' sites from other organizations all grouped by subject. Explore, learn, have fun and don't forget to add us to your favorites!
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
NationalAtlas.gov - - http://nationalatlas.gov/ - - Make interactive maps within your web browser! This program allows you to make your own maps. Select, change, and display map layers. Roam across America and zoom in to reveal more detail. Point at map features to learn more about them. Locate and map more than 2,000,000 geographic names in the United States. New map layers are added each month.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Halloween Guide - - http://www.infoplease.com/spot/halloween.html - - Halloween history, facts, information and resources from infoplease.com. Related site: The History of Halloween. - - - - http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/halloween/
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Halloween: Oct. 31, 2005 - - http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/005606.html - - The observance of Halloween, which dates from the Dark Ages, has long been associated with thoughts of witches, ghosts, devils and hobgoblins. In the United States, the first recorded instance of a Halloween celebration occurred in Anoka, Minn., in 1921. Over the years, the customs and rituals associated with Halloween have changed dramatically. Today, many of the young and “young-at-heart” take a more light-hearted approach - donning a scary disguise or one that may bring on smiles when they go door-to-door for treats or attend or host a Halloween party. Related site: Happy Halloween! / Halloween Safety: Safety Alert
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
"Seventy-three percent of Americans lack confidence in their leaders and a majority believe the country would be better off with more women in power, a survey showed on October 25, 2005. The survey by Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government and the U.S. News & World Report also showed that 66 percent of Americans believe the United States faces a leadership crisis. The release of the poll comes as President George W. Bush is struggling to stem a slide in popularity caused by the slow federal response to Hurricane Katrina, the Iraq war and soaring gasoline prices. The nationwide telephone survey of 1,374 adults, taken from September 13 to September 23, covered all levels of U.S. leaders -- from the White House to Congress and state and local governments."
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
"Dogs may be more than man's best friend; they may also be a tool for losing weight, according to a new study that shows making a commitment to walk a dog -- your own or someone else's -- leads to increased exercise and weight loss. The goal of the study, according to Rebecca Johnson, was to encourage sedentary overweight people to exercise and specifically to walk. 'We know that walking is good for people but we don't know how to get people to continue to do it. We wanted to see whether bonding with a dog might be a motivator to continue walking,' said Johnson, who is an associate professor of nursing and director of the College of Veterinary Medicine's Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction at the University of Missouri-Columbia." -
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
"The poorer mental function seen among alcoholics, many of whom also regularly smoke cigarettes, may be partially due to the long-term effects of nicotine, new research suggests. 'People who are also smokers are at a much higher risk,' Dr. Jennifer M. Glass, of the University of Michigan's Addiction Research Center, told Reuters Health. In her study, 'cigarette smoking was negatively related to IQ and thinking,' she said. This finding may seem counterintuitive, since many smokers attest to feeling more alert and focused after smoking. Indeed, research shows that improved mental functioning is one of the immediate effects of nicotine exposure. Chronic smoking, however, is known to have the opposite effect." -
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
"Consumers, their employers and health plans in the commercial market could have saved more than $20 billion last year through increased use of generic drugs, according to a new report by Express Scripts Inc., a pharmacy benefit manager. The study examined six major classes of drugs including antidepressants and cholesterol-lowering medications and was based on a sample of roughly 3 million Express Scripts commercial members. Government programs such as Medicaid, the health plan for the poor, were not included in the study. Express Scripts estimates that if more actions aren't taken to increase generic use, $24 billion in saving will be lost this year and $25 billion will be left on the table in 2006. It said that on average a generic drug costs about $60 less per monthly prescription than a brand name medicine. Consumers also pay lower copayments for generics, saving $10 or more per prescription by forgoing a brand name medicine." -
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
"Thousands of people have money sitting at the Internal Revenue Service that could be claimed if they would just tell the tax collectors where they live. The IRS said October 25, 2005 that $73 million in tax refunds that were sent to taxpayers this year did not reach the destination. In most cases, the post office returned the checks as undeliverable because the taxpayers had moved. The money belongs to more than 84,000 taxpayers, some of whom have more than one check waiting to be claimed. Checking on the status of a refund - by calling 1-800-829-4477 or visiting IRS Web site at http://www.irs.gov - could be worth $871 to the average taxpayer due an unclaimed refund. 'Our goal is to get this money back in the hands of the people it belongs to,' IRS Commissioner Mark Everson said."
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
November 1, 2005
Teen Driving
Today's Safety From the Heart message was submitted by Keith Black.

Teens' Driving Riskier with Male Teen Passenger
Teen Boy's Driving Safer with Female Teen Passenger

Teenage drivers-both males and females-were more likely to tailgate and exceed the speed
limit if there was a teenage male passenger in the front seat, according to a study by the
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of
Health.

Conversely, male teenagers were less likely to tailgate or exceed the speed limit when a
teenage female was in the front passenger seat. In addition, female teen drivers were
slightly more likely to tailgate if there was a female teen passenger in the vehicle with
them.

According to these criteria, of the 14.9 percent of teen males engaging in risky driving,
21.7 percent had a male teen passenger in the vehicle. In contrast, only 5.5 percent of
teen male drivers showed risky driving behavior in the presence of a female passenger.

Of the 13.1 percent of teen female drivers showing risky driving behavior, 12.9 percent
had a male teen passenger, and 15.5 percent had a female passenger. Most cases of risky
driving in this 15.5 percent of risky teen female drivers were due to following too
closely.
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/aug2005/nichd-24a.htm

|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
October 31, 2005
Albemarle Corporation - Health, Safety, & Environment
Have a Safe & Happy Halloween

S C A N
Survey Consider Act Notify
Sweet Reminder
Safety will Pay each Day
Safety takes a Team effort
Stick to Safe Practices
Working safely is a great Achievement

|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
October 28, 2005

Just recently, a neighbor of ours down the street lost their home as a result of hot grease fire. Fortunately, everyone got out of the house and no one was injured. According to the National Fire Protection Association, a home fire is reported to a fire department in the United States every 1-1/2 minute, and someone dies in a home fire every 2-1/2 hours.
With the weather turning cooler, you will be turning on the furnaces to heat your homes. Have you had your furnaces check to make certain they are in good working order and there is no crack in the furnace. A cracked furnace is a major fire hazard.
Following preventive measures help to minimize the chance and effects of fire:
Be careful when frying over the stove – Grease catches fire easily. Make certain you are assessable to a fire extinguisher. If not, place a heavy lid over the pan to smolder the fire. DO NOT POUR WATER ON THE FIRE!!!.
Be careful with candles - Keep candles away from combustible materials. Don't leave children unattended in a room with lit candles. Keep candles, matches and lighters out of the reach of children. Never display lighted candles in windows or near exits.
Inspect fireplaces and wood stoves - Have your chimney connections and flues inspected by a professional and cleaned, if necessary, prior to the start of every heating season. Use a sturdy screen when burning fires. Burn only wood--never burn paper, including discarded gift wrap, or pine boughs. Do not hang holiday decorations from or on your fireplace if you plan to use it as a heat source.
Check smoke detectors - Make sure detectors are working properly and that new batteries are installed.
Be aware of overuse of electrical outlets - Don't overload your electrical outlets. Be careful of extension cords that present hazardous walkways.
Have one or more working fire extinguishers in your home - Get training from the fire department in how to use them.
Inspect the furnace – Furnace tends to accumulate soot and in our house, the birds even come in to build their nests there. Make certain the furnace is checked annually to avoid fire.
Remember: Every 1-1/2 minute a house fire is reported to a fire department in the U.S. Don’t let that be your call!!!

Louise L. Wen
Manager, Regulatory Affairs
Albemarle Corporation

|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
Today's Safety From the Heart message was submitted by Darrell Kennerly.
Winter Weather Safety Rules!
How to stay safe this winter!

1. Dressing for cold weather:
Wear several layers of loose fitting, lightweight clothing. Wear mittens instead of gloves. Wear a hat.
Remember that entrapped, insulating air, warmed by body heat is the best protection from the cold.

2. Avoid Overexertion:
The strain from cold temperatures and heavy labor such as shoveling, pushing a car, or walking in deep snow may cause a heart attack in older and less physically fit individuals.

3. Winterize Your Vehicle Early:
Be prepared against the first blast of winter. Avoid automobile gas line freeze ups by keeping your tank greater than half full at all times.
Make sure that your car has adequate antifreeze.
Make sure that your tires have good traction and are inflated to the right pressure.
Make sure that your heater and defroster work properly.
Make sure that your battery is not more than 3 years old and that it can carry a full charge.
Make sure that you have a good ice scraper.

4. Carry a Winter-Survival Safety Kit in your vehicle:
Bring along blankets and a bright piece of cloth to tie on your antenna if you become stranded.
Flashlight with spare batteries.
Extra change of clothing to keep dry.
Non-perishable foods such as candy bars, canned goods, or high calorie food like Power Bars.
A can and waterproof matches (used to melt snow for drinking water).
A compass, shovel and sand, tow rope, and jumper cables.

5. Before traveling:
Check the latest road conditions before you head out into Winter weather.
Let someone know where you are going and when you think you will reach your destination.

6. If you become stranded in your vehicle during a Winter storm:
Stay in your car, truck, or minivan.
Run the engine at 10 minute intervals for heat.
Maintain proper ventilation by making sure the exhaust pipe is not plugged.
Leave the windows open slightly to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
Make yourself visible to rescuers. Tie a bright cloth to your antenna or door handle.
Turn on the dome light at night, but only when running the engine.

7. At home, do the following before Winter becomes a reality:
Have your furnace checked before you need to use it.
Seal any windows that you suspect allow cold air into the house with caulking or plastic.
Include a home safety kit that includes extra non-perishable food, medicine, and a battery operated radio.
Keep a flashlight and extra batteries handy.
Keep candles and matches handy for extended periods of electrical loss.

8. If you lose heat in your home:
Seal off any unused rooms by stuffing towels or rags in the cracks under the door.
Cover the windows with blankets or sheets at night if you have some extras available.
Use only devices that are designed for heating indoors during as emergency heat source and handle all safety precautions.

9. Install and test smoke alarms in your home:
Have fire extinguishers checked to combat an accidental fire due to the use of alternative heat sources.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
TOURBUS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -:) - :)- :)
Volume 11, Number 22 -- 01 Nov 2005
Tourbus Home - http://www.TOURBUS.com
Best of Tourbus -- http://tourbus.com/best.html

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

TODAY'S TOURBUS TOPIC: Useless Information / Bad Literature

Okay, who's up for a little time wasting? The Internet seems to inspire some people to greatness. Others find kindred spirits in the expression of ideas and art forms that to most of us seem truly baffling. But who's to say what's really useless? You be the judge, read on!

--------------------------
A Complete Waste of Time
--------------------------

If, like the wretched writers who enter the BFLC (see below), you simply have too much time on your hands, you'll be pleased to learn that there are still plenty of websites that have ABSOLUTELY NO REDEEMING VALUE. My scholarly research into the best of the utterly useless in the online world is now yours for the taking: http://www.askbobrankin.com/worst_of_the_web.html

-------------------------
A Dark and Stormy Night
-------------------------

Remember the wonderful 'Bad Literature' parody that Saturday Night Live created years ago? If you can't find the re-runs, take heart.
The Internet is filled with bad literature, bad writers, and websites where they are celebrated. The most famous of those is the Bulwer-
Lytton Fiction Contest website.

For the past 23 years, San Jose State University's English Department has sponsored a whimsical literary competition that challenges writers to compose the worst possible opening sentence for a novel. The inspiration for the contest was Edward George Bulwer-Lytton's 1830 novel "Paul Clifford" which began with the oft-plagiarized words, "It
was a dark and stormy night..."

Although his entry was not selected as the winner, Ken Aclin of Shreveport, LA, did receive the "Grand Panjandrum's Special Award" for the entry below, which was my personal favorite:

"India, which hangs like a wet washcloth from the towel rack of Asia, presented itself to Tex as he landed in Delhi (or was it Bombay?), as if it mattered because Tex finally had an idea to make his mark and fortune and that idea was a chain of steak houses to serve the millions and he wondered, as he deplaned down the steep, shiny, steel steps, why no one had thought of it before."

You can find the winner, and a bunch of other humorous entries deemed worthy of special mention, here:

http://www.bulwer-lytton.com

--------------------
You Got Questions?
--------------------

Doctor Bob has answers! Manifold thousands of netizens voted last month with their mouse clicks, and these were the ten most popular articles on the AskBobRankin site:
http://AskBobRankin.com/clearing_browser_history.html
http://AskBobRankin.com/is_your_printer_spying_on_you.html
http://AskBobRankin.com/do_i_need_a_registry_cleaner.html
http://AskBobRankin.com/do_computers_get_tired.html
http://AskBobRankin.com/backing_up_your_files.html
http://AskBobRankin.com/do_i_need_a_firewall.html

http://AskBobRankin.com/make_windows_xp_run_faster.html
http://AskBobRankin.com/removing_winfixer_popups.html

http://AskBobRankin.com/is_firefox_for_everyone.html
http://AskBobRankin.com/worst_problem_on_the_net_stupid_users.html

Did you miss any of them? Read up... you never know when I'll throw another Pop Quiz at you! Got a computer or internet question? Pop on over to http://AskBobRankin.com and ask away -- the doctor is in!

---------------------
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!

http://www.tourbus.com/smart.htm

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

+---------------------------------------+
==[ 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.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Coca-Cola extracting Vanilla Coke in U.S. Company to phase out the flavored cola by end of year After introducing Vanilla Coke in 2002, demand has steadily fallen, with Diet Vanilla Coke sales dropping to 13 million unit cases last year from 23 million unit cases in 2003.
NEW YORK - Coca-Cola Co., the world's largest soft drink maker, said Friday it will phase out its Vanilla Coke and Vanilla Diet Coke beverages in the United States by end of this year.
The announcement came just a day after Coca-Cola said it will phase out the brands in the United Kingdom early next year. The company said sales declined.
Coca-Cola said it plans to introduce Diet Black Cherry Vanilla Coke and Black Cherry Vanilla Coke in the United States in January 2006.
The company said Vanilla Coke, which was introduced in the United States in 2002 and Diet Vanilla Coke in 2003, could return sometime in the future.
However "I don't know if we have ever taken out a flavor and brought it back to the market. None immediately come to mind," said Scott Williamson, a spokesperson for Coca-Cola.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
May you have $0.00 balances on all your bills FINANCIAL SALVATION FOR 2005. We can all use this. Here is your financial salvation! It's a simple prayer, you got 30 seconds? Don't sleep on this....Someone recently read this for the first time and received exactly enough for a $0 balance on all bills. If you need a financial blessing, continue reading this email.
The Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Most Gracious and Loving God, I ask that You will abundantly bless my family and I. I know that You recognize that a family is more than just a mother and f ather, sister and brother, husband and wife, but all who believe and trust in You. Father, I send up a prayer request for financial blessing for not only the person who sent this to me, but for me and all that I have forwarded this message to. And that the power of joined prayer by those who believe and trust in you is more powerful than anything. I thank you in advance for your blessings. Father GOD, deliver the person reading this right now from debt and debt burdens. Release your Godly Wisdom that they may be good stewards over all that YOU have called them to be in their financial handling. Father, I know how Wonderful and Mighty You are and how if we just obey You and walk in Your Word and have the faith of a mustard seed, that you will pour out Your blessings. I th ank you now Lord for all the blessings I have received and for the blessings yet to come because I know You are not done with me yet.

In Jesus Name, I pray, Amen.

Thanks to Tina Montgomery
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
TGIF-Today God Is First


Fear Not!
by Os Hillman, October 30, 2005

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. - 2 Timothy 1:7

God calls each of us to engage in spiritual warfare at times. Whenever satan wants to come against one of God's children, he does so by trying to intimidate through fear.

Goliath's formidable size and arrogant boasting intimidated Saul and Israel's army. And because God's anointing had fallen from Saul, he was unable to respond with courage to Goliath's charge. Fear paralyzes and torments. That is why Saul could not respond.

The anointing had fallen on David, who was just a young boy, but mighty in spirit. David did not cower at the size or shouts of the giant Goliath. He saw Goliath through the eyes of God, who saw him as a mere speck. David had righteous indignation for an affront to the armies of the living God.

David did not weigh the risk of failure because his faith was resting totally in God. That is another important factor in overcoming fear-complete trust in God.

When the Lord began training me to confront fear, the training grounds were a groundless lawsuit, intimidations, and calamity that confronted my very existence. Learning that these were merely tactics of the enemy, designed to instill fear, allowed me to stand firm in God's power to overcome.

Do not fear sudden calamity if you are walking uprightly before God. It may be setting the stage for a great victory that will bring praise and honor to your heavenly Father. These battles are training grounds for greater victories to come.

-=+=-

Keeping Oaths
by Os Hillman, October 31, 2005

This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, so that wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath we swore to them. - Joshua 9:20

Joshua and the people of Israel were in the Promised Land. They were winning battles and were feeling good about their progress. One day a band of Gibeonites came by dressed as travelers in order to fool Joshua. They wanted to make Joshua believe they were merely travelers instead of enemies. The Gibeonites asked Joshua to make a peace treaty with them. Since Joshua chose to believe their story, he did just that. That was a mistake on Joshua's part. The Bible says Joshua did not inquire of the Lord about the Gibeonites. This forced Joshua to uphold the peace treaty with the Gibeonites, even though it was made under false pretenses.

Keeping our oaths before the Lord is a serious matter. One might think that Joshua had every right to consider the agreement with the Gibeonites null and void since it was done on false pretense. However, Joshua knew how God viewed oaths. He knew that a man's word, once it was given, should be good as done. There was no reversing it. He also knew that if he did not keep his oath, he was subject to God's disfavor, which meant his ways would not be blessed.

Whenever we become a child of God, we represent Him. When His children follow unrighteousness, He takes this personally. Unrighteousness opens us up to satan's attack. God's protection shield is removed. So Joshua knew that if he did not honor his oath, he would be subject to God's judgment.

Is there any unfulfilled oath you have made to anyone? Ask God this morning if you have not fulfilled a commitment to anyone. Then, if there is, go and fulfill. Otherwise, you will be subject to God's judgment for your unrighteousness.

-=+=-

Worldly Planning
by Os Hillman, November 1, 2005

Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say, "Yes, yes" and "No, no"? - 2 Corinthians 1:17

The apostle Paul was discussing his plans to come to the church at Corinth. He was acknowledging the serious nature of his trip and informing the Corinthians that he did not flippantly come to this decision to visit them. It was a matter that had been given serious prayer, not one made in the spur of the moment.

Planning from God's view is a process. It isn't merely an exercise in reason and analysis. It requires entering into the mind of Christ together with our minds to determine which course to take. In the Old Testament, the priests wore breastplates with the Urim and Thummim in a pouch on their breasts. It was like a roll of dice that the priests were required to perform to know which direction they were to take on a matter. It was the ultimate release of all decisions into God's hand. God did not want the priests to rely on their own intellects for final decisions.

We have an uncanny ability to make decisions based on our own needs and wants. However, God desires that we seek Him to know His plans for us. David was a skilled warrior who never lost a battle. He consulted God on every decision. He knew the results of the battle rested in God's hand. So, if he was to gain victory, he had to know God's mind on the matter. Sometimes this requires more time given to the process in order to hear His voice. Sometimes it may even require fasting and prayer. Sometimes it may require input from other godly friends.

Are you a man or woman who makes decisions based on God's purposes for your life? Do you take every major decision and put it before the throne to determine God's mind on the matter? If so, you will avoid making decisions in a worldly manner.

-=+=-

The Root of Bitterness
by Os Hillman, November 3, 2005

See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. - Hebrews 12:15

The enemy of our souls has a very specific strategy to destroy relationships. Whether these relationships are in business, marriage, or friendships, the strategy is the same. A conflict arises, judgments are made, and feelings are hurt. What happens next is the defining point of whether the enemy gains a foothold, or the grace of God covers the wrong.

When a root of bitterness is allowed to be planted and grown, it not only affects that person, but it also affects all others who are involved. It is like a cancer.

Breaking satan's foothold requires at least one person to press into God's grace. It cannot happen when either party "feels" like it, for none of us will ever feel like forgiving. None of us feel like talking when we have been hurt. Our natural response is to withdraw or lash out at the offending party. It is only obedience that allows God's grace to cover the wrongs incurred. This grace prevents the parties from becoming victims who will seek compensation for their pain.

The next time you are hurt by someone, realize the gravity of the crossroads where you find yourself. Choose grace instead of bitterness. Then you will be free to move past the hurt, and a root of bitterness will not be given opportunity to grow.

-=+=-

Face to Face
by Os Hillman, November 4, 2005

I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete. - 2 John 12

It is easy to fire off a letter to someone in this age of electronic communication because of its expediency. In business we call this being efficient. However, there are times when nothing but a face-to-face meeting is the appropriate means of communication. We know that verbal skills are a very small portion of communication. Body language, voice tone, and our expressions make up the majority of our overall communication. This cannot be seen through a letter or electronic medium.

John knew that being face to face with those he ministered to was important. And for John, it meant some major trouble to get from one place to another. It wasn't as simple as getting into a car or hopping onto an airplane. John's desire and determination to visit and talk face to face reinforces the importance of one-on-one personal communication.

I once had to confront a businessman about some problems we were having in a business deal. He lived in another town. The negotiations had stalled to some degree. I could have attempted to solve the problem over the phone. But I realized the serious nature of the issues required a face-to-face meeting. I drove two hours to his office and met with him face to face. It meant all the difference. It demonstrated to my friend I was serious enough about solving the problem to take a day to come see him. It also showed I valued him and he was worth the effort. This resulted in him giving greater emphasis to the issue.

Next time a situation arises that requires more focused communication, consider whether the situation requires a personal visit. You may find this will be the key to resolving issues that otherwise might end in a stalemate.

-=+=-

Share TGIF With A Friend - - http://www.marketplaceleaders.org/pages.asp?pageid=27851
Copyright 2005. www.MarketplaceLeaders.org
---------------------------------------------------
To contact Os Hillman, request reprint permission, or to book Os to speak in your town write to os@marketplaceleaders.org. Marketplace Leaders Website: http://www.marketplaceleaders.org/ Copyright 2005
--------------------------------------------------
Please recommend this TGIF daily devotional to everyone interested in applying their faith to their worklife. Tell them to subscribe at http://www.TodayGodIsFirst.com

Os Hillman Copyright 2005
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Activities and Events of Interest
~~~
Albemarle Kids' Christmas Party - Saturday, December 3, 10 am to 1 pm - SAU Skating Rink
~~~
Albemarle Christmas Party - December 6 and December 8
~~~
The Emancipation Proclamation will be on display at the Clinton Library September 22-25, 2007.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
"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
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
NEVER FORGET! We're listing the names of our soldiers killed weekly. These records can be found at http://www.defenselink. mil/releases/

01. Staff Sgt. Lewis J. Gentry, 48, of Detroit, Mich., died in Mosul, Iraq, on Oct. 26, from a noncombat related cause. Gentry was assigned to the Army's 94th Engineer Battalion, Vilseck, Germany.

02. 1st Lt. Debra A. Banaszak, 35, of Bloomington, Ill., died at Camp Victory, Kuwait, on Oct. 28, from noncombat related injuries. Banaszak was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1035th Maintenance Company, Jefferson Barracks, Mo.

03. Pfc. Dillon M. Jutras, 20, of Fairfax Station, Va., died in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, on Oct. 28, from injuries sustained while conducting combat operations. Jutras was assigned to the Army's 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga.

04. Sgt. Michael P. Hodshire, 25, of North Adams, Mich., died Oct. 30 of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device during combat operations near Nasser Wa Salaam, Iraq on Oct. 29. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

05. Col. William W. Wood, 44, of Panama City, Fla., died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Oct. 27, when he was directing security operations in response to the detonation of an improvised explosive device. During this response, a second improvised explosive device detonated near his position. Wood was a regular Army soldier assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 184th Infantry Regiment, Modesto, Calif.

06. Spc. Kenny D. Rojas, 21, of Pembroke Pines, Fla., died near Bayji, Iraq, on Oct. 29, when his unit was conducting a combat patrol and a landmine exploded near his HMMWV. Rojas was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

The Department of Defense announced the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Oct. 29, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their HMMWV during patrol operations. Both Soldiers were assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 184th Infantry Regiment, Modesto, Calif. Killed were:

07. Capt. Raymond D. Hill II 39, of Turlock, Calif.
08. Sgt. Shakere T. Guy, 23, of Pomona, Calif.

09. Sgt. 1st Class Matthew R. Kading, 32, of Madison, Wis., died at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, on Oct. 31, of injuries sustained near Tikrit, Iraq, on Oct. 19, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his convoy vehicle. Kading was assigned to the Army Reserve's 983rd Engineer Battalion, Monclova, Ohio.

The Department of Defense announced the death of four soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died in Al Mahmudiyah, Iraq, on Oct. 31, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their HMMWV during patrol operations. The Soldiers were assigned to the Army's 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky. Killed were:
10. Sgt. 1st Class Jonathan Tessar, 36, of Simi Valley, Calif.
11. Spc. William J. Byler, 23, of Ballinger, Texas.
12. Pfc. David J. Martin, 21, of Edmond, Okla.
13. Pfc. Adam R. Johnson, 22, of Clayton, Ohio.

14. Staff Sgt. Travis W. Nixon, 24, of Saint John, Wash., died from injuries sustained north of Lwara, Afghanistan, on Oct. 29, when his patrol was attacked by enemy forces using small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades. Nixon was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

15. Staff Sgt. Joel P. Dameron, 27, of Ellabell, Ga., died Oct. 30 from an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations in the vicinity of Al Amiriyah, Iraq. He was assigned to the 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Force Service Support Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

16. Petty Officer 1st Class Howard E. Babcock IV, 33, of Houston, Texas, died in a motorcycle accident on Oct. 13 in Bahrain. Babcock was assigned to the Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station in Bahrain.

17. 1st Lt. Robert C. Oneto-Sikorski, 33, of Bay St. Louis, Miss., died in Iskandariyah, Iraq, on Oct. 31, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his dismounted patrol. Oneto-Sikorski was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 155th Infantry, Biloxi, Miss.

The Department of Defense announced the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died in Balad, Iraq, on Oct. 31, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their HMMWV during patrol operations. Both soldiers were assigned to the Army Reserve's 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry, 29th Brigade Combat Team, Barrigada, Guam.
Killed were:
18. Staff Sgt. Wilgene T. Lieto, 28, of Saipan, Marianas Islands of the Pacific.
19. Spc. Derence W. Jack, 31, of Saipan, Marinas Islands of the Pacific.

20. Sgt. Daniel A. Tsue, 27, of Honolulu, Hawaii, died Nov. 1 from an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations in the vicinity of Ar Ramadi, Iraq. He was assigned to 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, his unit was attached to 2nd Force Service Support Group, II MEF (Forward).

21. Spc. Dennis J. Ferderer Jr., 20, of New Salem, N.D., died in Ad Duluiyah, Iraq, on Nov. 2, when enemy forces threw a hand grenade at his HMMWV during convoy operations. Ferderer was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga.

22. Petty Officer 2nd Class Allan M. Cundanga Espiritu, 28, of Oxnard, Calif., died Nov. 1 from an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations in the vicinity of Ar Ramadi, Iraq. Espiritu was assigned to 2nd Force Service Support Group (Forward), II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).

The Department of Defense announced the death of two Marines who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
23. Maj. Gerald M. Bloomfield II, 38, of Ypsilanti, Mich.
24. Capt. Michael D. Martino, 32, of Fairfax, Va.
Both Marines died Nov. 2 when their AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter crashed while flying in support of security and stabilization operations near Ar Ramadi, Iraq. Both Marines were with Marine Light-Attack Helicopter Squadron 369, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, their unit was attached to 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, II MEF (Forward). The crash is currently under investigation.

25. 2nd Lt. Mark J. Procopio, 28, of Stowe, Vt., died on Nov. 2, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during combat operations in Ar Ramadi, Iraq. Procopio was assigned to the Army National Guard's 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment, Jericho, Vt.

26. Staff Sgt. Kyle B. Wehrly, 28, of Galesburg, Ill., died in Ashraf, Iraq, on Nov. 3, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during patrol operations. Wehrly was assigned to the Army National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 123rd Field Artillery, Macomb, Ill.

The Department of Defense announced the death of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died near Baghdad, Iraq, on Nov. 2, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their HMMWV. The soldiers were assigned to the Army's 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky. Killed were:
27. Spc. Joshua J. Munger, 22, of Maysville, Mo.
28. Spc. Benjamin A. Smith, 21, of Hudson, Wis.
29. Pfc. Tyler R. MacKenzie, 20, of Evans, Colo.

30. Sgt. 1st Class Daniel J. Pratt, 48, of Youngstown, Ohio, died in An Nasiriyah, Iraq, on Nov. 3, from a non-combat related cause. Pratt was assigned to the Army National Guard's 211th Maintenance Company, Newark, Ohio.

http://icasualties.org/oif/default.aspx
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
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.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Scheduled Activities
~~~
Alcoholics Anonymous meets at 8 p.m. Monday - Friday. At noon on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and at 7 p.m. Sunday at 914 N. Vine
~~~
Columbia County Amateur Radio Club meets Every second Thursday @ 7:00 p.m. Union Street Station. And YOU'RE invited. Net is every Sunday at 20:30 on 147.105.
~~~
Columbia County Diabetes Support Group - Every third Monday, 7:00 p.m. room 222, Magnolia Hospital
~~~
"Focus on the Family" with Dr. James Dobson weekday afternoons at 1 PM on KVMA am 630 it's a great show!
~~~
MCC - Abraham Prayer - Sunday at 5:00 p.m and Wednesday from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm
~~~
MCC - Early Morning Prayer - Monday - Friday, From 6:30 am to 8:00 am
~~~
MCC - "Beth Moore" Video Class - Thursday nights at 5:45 pm
~~~
MCC - "Faith Builders" Small group meets at 1051 Columbia 36 the second and fourth Tuesdays, 6:30 pm to 7:45 pm.
~~~
MCC - Firm Foundations Class, Sunday 9:30 to 10:15 a.m
~~~
MCC - Meadow Brook Nursing Home Ministry Tuesday from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m
~~~
MCC - Mom's Day Out - Every Tuesday and Thursday from 9 to 2.$10 for the first child, $5 for the second. Call 234-3225 for reservations.
~~~
MCC - Nursing Home Ministry - Meadowbrook Every Tuesday from 10 to 11 am. Taylor, the last Thursday each month.
~~~
MCC - Over comers: Fridays @ 7:00 p.m- Director, Traci Foster invites you to a 12 step Christian support program. For anyone with a life controlling problem. Child care is provided.
~~~
Men's Prayer Breakfast held every Tuesday morning at 6 AM in Miller's Cafeteria. If you aren't a regular participant at the Men's Prayer Breakfast, you're missing some great food, fellowship and inspired teaching of the Word. Hope to see you there.
~~~
Narcotics Anonymous 5-6 pm every Monday at 220 Pine street.
~~~
TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) 5 pm every Tuesday in the Magnolia Hospital break room.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
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/
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
"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
~~~~~
Hope you enjoy the newsletter.
Again, thanks to all our contributors this week.

God bless and GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!
Lev 20:7-8,26 1 Sam 17:4-8,11 Luke 7:6-9 2 Cor 8:16-19
God is Good and Faithful CU 73 IC JFM CSP NREMT-I KC5HII

P. S. If you'd like to be added to the distribution, just drop us E-mail at KC5HII@Magnolia-Net.Com. We offer "Da Bleat" as text, a "Blog" and as a newsletter with pictures in Word and PDF format. For the "Blog" version just go to http://bugsbleat4q.blogspot.com/ to see the latest issue. This week, "Word" and "PDF" subscribers get to see photos of our most recent Bingo Supper, Da Boys at University Assembly’s Harvest Festival and Scooby Doo and Gang with their Van at MCC’s “Hallelujah Night.”.
Let us hear from you if we can switch you over to the "Word" or "PDF" version of "Da Bleat".
If you'd prefer to read "Da Blog" version, just drop us a note at KC5HII@Magnolia-Net.Com and we'll switch you from e:mail delivery to "Da Bleat" Blog. Of course "Da Bleat" is now on the web. Just go to http://bugsbleat4q.blogspot.com to see the latest issue (usually updated sometime Friday evening or Saturday morning. We appreciate your encouragement. We also appreciate your communication when you desire to be taken off our mail list. If you are on this mail list by mistake or do not wish to receive "Da Bleat," please reply back and tell us to discontinue service to you. This email was scanned by Norton AntiVirus 2005 before it was sent.
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>