Bug's Bleat - - GCF: Politically Correct Rudolph

Volume 7, Issue 50

Hello All,

We’ve got some great seasonal humor in this issue. It’s been hard to get “Da Bleat” out the last few weeks (due to work, illness, the general holiday business, etc.) and I was considering discontinuing it after the last issue this year.
Then I ran into Brother Paul Troquille at Miller’s Cafeteria this week. He thanked me for sending the “Bleat” each week and told me how it kept him feeling connected with home when he’s in Tanzania. Then Claiborne told me one of his friends wanted to subscribe.
And I really do enjoy putting it out.
So I’m gonna keep publishing. However I’d like for all of y’all to think about sending in some humor, personal stories, poems, etc. Anything you’d be willing to have published. The issues with more contributions are always better to me.
~~~~~
We’ve spent most of our free time (as if there were any) this week making our annual “Christmas Trash” party mix. What with working and sleeping, we only produced one batch a day but it’s still been fun. Hopefully we can finish up this weekend and make enough to fulfill our “Appreciation” list. I enjoyed passing the containers out this week, especially the hugs from Merci and Cindy.
~~~~~
Speaking of Hugs, we enjoyed visiting with Aunt Mertis and Ronny last week. Josiah and Ronny played with Terri’s dogs while Annette, Vanessa and I caught up on family news and stories.
Aunt Mertis related how I’d been “weaned” at her house. Ronny chimed in that he’d taught me to tie my shoes the same week.
Visits with my family have never failed to cheer me up.
~~~~~
Our Columbia County Emergency Drill went pretty well this week. The main systems tested were patient handling at the hospital, along with Media Relations and Incident Command. The improvements in our local Incident Command System were well worth the effort we put into the drill.
Of course, those weren’t the only groups to participate, everyone did a good job. It was also a pleasure to hear the local “Ham” operators praised for their assistance.
~~~~~
On the same day as our emergency drill, Arkansas voters turned down two bond issues. One of them would have provided much needed capital improvement funds for our colleges and Universities. What you want to bet that the same people who voted against the bond issues will be heard within the coming year complaining about the condition of our education facilities.
~~~~~
I’m 54 years old and still learning. Here’s a tip for you ... you can’t substitute wax paper for the cooking instructions “grease cooking sheet.” Oh well. At least the pieces of wax paper will kind of roll up against your teeth so you can pick them out easily.
~~~~~
Albemarle had an informal Retirement Party this week for the folks retiring this month. I’m really gonna miss Shirley Heath, Glenn Hess, Gary Foreman, Darrel Wright, Jimmy Clark, Connie Triplet, Clayton McNeill and the others. But I predict that they will really enjoy their retirement.
~~~~~
Annette picked up MCC’s Old Camera from “The Field Shop” in Little Rock this week. The only problem is that we started looking at new cameras while we were waiting for the old one to be repaired. It’s typical that we can’t be satisfied once we’ve seen what’s on the other side of the fence. We’re looking at the Panasonic AG-DVC601/4" 3-CCD DV PROLINETM Camcorder with IEEE 1394 Interface, $2,795.00 with a 16x lens. To upgrade our editing, we’re considering the NewTek TriCaster, which combines everything found in a television live truck into a small
box. Technology is truly incredible.
~~~~~
Last week we discussed Prejudice. This week, Morgan Freeman Says the Only Way to Get Rid of Racism is to "Stop Talking About It" - - AP Staff / Teresa Neumann Reporting (Dec 16, 2005)
~
Comment by Founding Editor, Steve Shultz: It is a clear fact that there is racism. It's also clear that most of us feel we are not racist ourselves, though we probably carry more racism than we'd like to believe. Nevertheless, when someone with the status of Morgan Freeman (one of my favorite actors, by the way), speaks, I do listen carefully. Perhaps if we stopped beating the drum of racism and simply looked into our own mirrors of racist attitudes, more would be accomplished than by the way we've addressed it the last 10 years or so. With that in mind, please read this article about Morgan Freeman and his CBS "60 Minutes" interview.--- Steve Shultz, Founder, BCN.
~
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/movies/1402AP_People_Morgan_Freeman.html

Morgan Freeman recently made a statement that is sure to resonate with many Americans. In a CBS - 60 Minutes interview to air Sunday, he is quoted as saying that the concept of a month dedicated to black history is "ridiculous...I don't want a black history month. Black history is American history."

He then said that the only way to get rid of racism is to just "stop talking about it," adding that the labels "black" and "white" are an obstacle to beating racism.

"I am going to stop calling you a white man and I'm going to ask you to stop calling me a black man," Freeman says.
~
I agree whole-heartedly with Morgan Freeman. We all need to look inside and root out the beam of racism in our own hearts. One way to do this is to cease using racial descriptions when they are superfluous.
For instance, when talking about the author of a History of 911 do we need to say he/she was white or black or Asian? When discussing our favorite grocer, do we need to describe their race?
We need to get out of the habit of automatically assigning people to racial groups no matter what their race is.
~~~~~
Claiborne finished up at 1st Presbyterian this week. He installed a new sound system along with multimedia display and a feed to the fellowship hall for overflow. It’s a great improvement for them.
While he was working in Magnolia, he brought me a small (about 1" by 1.5") amplifier to put on MCC’s cassette deck input. It’s tremendously improved our recording quality.
~~~~~
It’s looking a whole lot like Christmas in Columbia County. The Magnolia Square is decorated and many homeowners have put up great displays. Everyone needs to see the display at the Talbot home on US 371 between Magnolia and Bussey.
~~~~~
Hurricane Katrina Continues to Devastate Louisiana - LSU Medical School Running Out of Cash

Louisiana State University officials warned legislators Friday that the medical school will run out of cash by late February, but a top aide to Gov. Kathleen Blanco said she will find the money to keep the system going.

The university's medical training programs and its charity hospital system estimate they need $155 million to tide them over until June 30. The system has been severely cash-strapped since Hurricane Katrina shut down its two New Orleans hospitals and scattered its patients outside the city.

Don Smithburg, the head of the charity hospital system run by LSU, told a joint legislative budget committee he will have to lay off 2,300 previously furloughed employees Sunday. With that, more than 3,000 charity hospital employees and 250 Health Sciences Center faculty will have lost their jobs.

Others have retired or resigned, and LSU officials worry they will lose many permanently to other states, other hospitals and other medical schools.
Senate President Don Hines said the shutdown of the LSU Health Sciences Center would devastate health care in Louisiana. He said 70 percent of the people it trains end up working in the state.
LSU moved its training programs to Baton Rouge temporarily, postgraduate residents are scattered at hospitals around the state, and the charity hospital system is providing care out of tents and planning to lease temporary facilities.
Larry Hollier, acting chancellor of the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, said LSU's medical school and other health sciences programs in New Orleans will run out of cash by the end of February without more funding.
"It is not possible for us to reduce any more without closing the schools," Hollier said.
Commissioner of Administration Jerry Luke LeBlanc, Blanco's top financial adviser, said the administration will get more money to the system by the end of the month.
He didn't commit to a specific figure but said, "Let me be very clear: The administration is going to continue public medical education in this state."
LeBlanc said the Blanco administration is considering several options to generate funds and will have a decision by next week that will not involve borrowing any money.

http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/ap/2005/12/16/ap2398921.html
~~~~~
Just this week, a judge ruled that FEMA couldn’t evict thousands of Katrina evacuees from hotels and motels. This came while thousands of mobile homes sit outside Hope, Arkansas waiting for a place to install them so evacuees can be relocated. The last time we came down I-30 from Little Rock, we saw several FEMA mobile homes on the interstate headed to Hope for storage.
News sources report that FEMA is finding it difficult to persuade communities, especially in Louisiana, to allow the mobile homes to be set up for use.
I defer here to my Louisiana readers.
Is it a great fear of yours that a Katrina family be moved in next door? Or is the fear that a “Katrina Mobile Home Park” would be a source of crime?
~~~~~
We’re still enjoying fantastic broadband access wirelessly. Another thing I hate about technology. It’s addictive.
~~~~~
The Washington Post leads this week with the House voting 308 to 122 for a non-binding resolution in support of Senator McCain's amendment mandating humane treatment of detainees. The New York Times, which also fronts the resolution, says House GOP leaders had pushed to avoid any vote on McCain. In the end, 107 Republicans supported McCain's proposal. Meanwhile, the amendment itself is still stuck in congressional negotiations, where the White House is reportedly pushing for protections against possible prosecution of interrogators.
~
Here again, I seem to be rowing upstream while the rest of the nation is floating down stream. How can we claim the moral high ground when we stoop to practices used by those we call evil? We can’t win a war based on our moral authority when we’re giving up that moral authority for expediency.
~~~~~
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 (and anyone else who is so inclined).
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)

Back Scratcher
Basic tools of any kind
Batteries, AA
Batteries, 9 volt
Batteries, AAA
Blankets or Quilts
“Boot” Horn
Chair, office $49 from SAMS (5 of them)
Cordless Drill
Cordless Screwdriver
A DeLorme Earthmate GPS LT-20 device
A copy of DeLorme Street Atlas USA 2006 Plus
A copy of DeLorme Topo USA 5.0
Digital Video Recorder (Pioneer DVR-533H-S $333 at Beach Camera)
Eyeglasses, “Computer type” to use at church (and some new ones to use at home and at work.)
Floor Mats (for the truck)
Handkerchiefs
“Happy Birthday” Jesus Offering
Hat (warm, for bald guys winter wear.)
Magnifying Glass.
New Showerhead
Non-skid toilet rug
Oven Thermometer
Refrigerator Thermometer
Small, lightweight “head light” so I can see small things on the desk or workbench.
Socks (the $30 a pair kind)
Some Warm-up Suits to wear around the house after we get that first gas bill.
Trackball for the home computer
USB Key (1 Gig )
VHS - DVD Recorder (Lite-On LVC-9006 $219 @ Buy.com)


This will continue to grow as the season approaches.
~~~~~
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. $2.202 $2.338 $2.424 $2.558
http://www.fuelgaugereport.com/
~~~~~
Recipe(s) of the week - Green Beans Slow-Cooked with Bacon and Onions - Tyler Florence
Show: Food 911 Episode: Soul Food Praises


Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings



2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 to 6 slices bacon, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 pounds fresh green beans
2 quarts chicken stock or water
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper


Heat a heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat. Add the olive oil, bacon, and onions and cook until the onion is soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the green beans and chicken stock; season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, and cook the green beans until they are soft but not mushy, about 30 to 45 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_29022,00.html
~~~~~
Chicken and Vegetable Sauté with Lemon Parmesan Rice
Serves 1; | Prep time: 15 minutes | Total time: 35 minutes


ingredients
3 teaspoons olive oil
1 skinless bone-in chicken breast half, about 10 oz.
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1-tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup grape tomatoes
3 to 4 ounces green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
¼ cup long-grain white rice
½ teaspoon lemon zest, grated


The rice cooks while the chicken, tomatoes, and green beans simmer on the stove.

The chicken:
In a small nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour; shake off any excess. Place in skillet, and cook until lightly browned on one side, about 3 minutes.
Turn chicken breast, and add garlic, tomatoes, and 1/3 cup water; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Cover, and cook 12 minutes. Add beans and mint; cover, and cook until beans are crisp-tender and chicken is cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate, and spoon tomato mixture on top.

The rice:
In a saucepan, heat remaining teaspoon olive oil over low heat. Add 1/4 cup long-grain white rice; cook, stirring occasionally, until grains start to color, about 5 minutes.
Add 2/3-cup water and 1/4-teaspoon salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover, and cook until rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and ½ teaspoon lemon zest.
Per serving: 445 calories; 12.7 grams fat; 57.6 grams protein; 25.4 grams carbohydrates; 7.1 grams fiber
Thanks to this weeks "Everyday Foods" broadcast
http://www.pbs.org/everydayfood/recipes/chicken_vegetable_saute.html
~~~~~
BreakPoint
With Chuck Colson

Rated ‘A’ for ‘Assault’
Video Games and Your Kids
December 16, 2005

Earlier this week, Mark Earley told you about the dangers associated with some of most-sought-after items on your kids’ Christmas list. If the pornography industry has its way, that state-of-the-art cell phone will be used for more than talking to friends.

And the problems are not limited to presents that our kids can put in their backpacks. Some of the worst stuff may find its way into your living room or your kid’s bedroom without you being the wiser. I’m talking, of course, about video games.

Concerns about video games are not new. Such concerns forced the industry to adopt a rating system for its products: rating from “E” for “everyone” to “M” for “mature.” The problem is that the outfit doing the rating, the Entertainment Software Review Board (ESRB), is a subsidiary of the video game industry.

Little wonder, then, that the media watchdog group Media Wise gives the ratings an “F” for accuracy and retailers a “D” for their enforcement efforts. Combine that with what the group calls a “widening gap between what kids do and what parents know,” and you have a system that is “beyond repair.”

This does not mean that you should not let your children play video games, at least in moderation. It does mean that you need to do your homework before you head to the mall. And if the rating system is “beyond repair,” where do you turn for information?

Fortunately, groups like Media Wise can at least tell you what to avoid. The group recently issued a Video Game Report, which listed twelve games that parents should “keep out of the hands of their children and teenagers.”

In one of the dirty dozen, “Stubbs the Zombie,” your child assumes the role of a revenge-seeking zombie. And the zombie not only kills anyone who gets in its way, it also cuts open their skulls and eats their brains.

Then there’s the “Grand Theft Auto” series. As the title suggests, the game is played from the point of view of a car thief. But the fantasy does not stop there: Money and points are gained by causing as much mayhem as possible, including running people over and murdering city officials.

I agree with Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D) when he calls these games “an assault on the value structure and discipline of our society.” Like him, I fear that “much of what we do” as parents to raise good kids is “undercut by the worst of these games.”

Neither Sen. Lieberman nor I is saying anything so extreme as playing “Grand Theft Auto” will lead your kid to run people over with the family car. We are merely pointing out the obvious: What we see influences how we think and feel. If this were not true, there would be no advertising industry. And besides, in our media-soaked culture, there is a whole range of alternatives that we can choose instead of these games.

So, before you pull out your credit card, ask yourself how much you know about what you plan on putting under the tree this Christmas: Is it the stuff of wise parenting or an assault on everything you hold dear?

For further reading and information:

Please help BreakPoint’s Christian worldview ministry continue strong into the new year with your tax-deductible donation today: Donate online or call 1-877-322-5527!

BreakPoint Commentary No. 051213, “Technological Toys: Are You Gift-Wrapping Porn?”

See the tenth annual MediaWise Video Game Report, which includes a list of the twelve worst video games to keep out of the hands of children and teens.

Robert B. Bluey, “XXX-Mas: Sex and Blood Video Games Just in Time for Jr.’s New Xbox,” Human Events, 29 November 2005.

Andrew Miga, “Groups Protest Cannibalism in Video Games,” Associated Press, 29 November 2005.

“Hillary Targets Violent Games,” News24.com, 30 November 2005.

“Hillary Clinton to Introduce Family Entertainment Protection Act,” Gamasutra.com, 30 November 2005.

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.
~~~~~

Words of the Week:
inure: to make used to; also, to take or have effect.
auspicious: favorable; also, prosperous; fortunate.
tmesis: in grammar and rhetoric, the separation of the parts of a compound word.
carapace: a shell; a protective covering.
paladin: a champion of a cause.
hale: free from disease and weakening conditions; healthy.
sacrosanct: sacred; inviolable.
from Dictionary.Com


~~~~~
"The advice of their elders to young men is very apt to be as unreal as a list of the hundred best books." - Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

"The music than can deepest reach, / And cure all ill, is cordial speech." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"I believe that man will not merely endure: he will prevail. He is immortal, not because he alone among creatures has an inexhaustible voice, but because he has a soul, a spirit capable of compassion and sacrifice and endurance." - William Faulkner

"We are shaped and fashioned by what we love." - Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

"I must lose myself in action, lest I wither in despair." - Alfred Lord Tennyson

"The uniformity of earth’s life, more astonishing than its diversity, is accountable by the high probability that we derived, originally, from some single cell, fertilized in a bolt of lightning as the earth cooled." - Lewis Thomas

"What will our children remember of us, ten, fifteen years from now? The mobile we bought or didn't buy? Or the tone in our voices, the look in our eyes, the enthusiasm for life - and for them - that we felt? They, and we, will remember the spirit of things, not the letter. Those memories will go so deep that no one could measure it, capture it, bronze it, or put it in a scrapbook." - Sonia Taitz

"Always be a little kinder than necessary." - James M. Barrie
~~~~~
"Sometimes, when one person is missing the whole world seems depopulated."
-Alphonse De Lamartine
~~~~~
Our favorite caterer at College Station is J. Cody. Terry Neal got his corn recipe to share with us.


1 large can whole kernel corn drained ( restaurant size )
½ cup Jalapenos ( Deseeded & Chopped )
½ cup Onion Chopped
½ # Butter or Margarine
1 # cream cheese


Saute onions & peppers in butter
Add cream cheese & corn
Melt cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste


Thanks to Terry Neal

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GCF: Politically Correct Rudolph

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

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(From the GCF archives)

Original text is followed by the "politically correct" translation.

Original: Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer ...
Translation: Rudolf was a four-hooved ungulate,

Original: Had a very shiny nose ...
Translation: Who, incidentally, possessed a nasal appendage of a maroon lustre.

Original: And if you ever saw him ...
Translation: Consequently, if circumstances were to present themselves that he ever came into your view,

Original: You would even say it glows ...
Translation: You would most undoubtedly remark at to its illuminary qualities.

Original: All of the other reindeer ...
Translation: The multitude of other members of the population in his ecological community,

Original: Used to laugh and call him names ...
Translation: Had previously teased, chuckled boisterously, and dubbed him unspeakable pseudonyms -- the objective of which was to lower his self-esteen and make him miserable.

Original: They never let poor Rudolph join in any reindeer games ...
Translation: They also excluded him from participation in leisure activities consistent with their species.

Original: Then one foggy Christmas eve ...
Translation: However, on the twenty-fourth of December in an unspecified year,

Original: Santa came to say ...
Translation: A mythological, supernatural being inherent to western culture (who symbolizes the Christmas attitude and allegedly brings gifts to children) arrived through the supersaturated, humid air.

Original: Rudolph, with your nose so bright ...
Translation: He formally invited Rudolph, due to his extraordinary nasal characteristic,

Original: Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?
Translation: To stand at the forefront of his snow vehicle with the express purpose that he navigate through the nocturnal mist.

Original: Then all the reindeer loved him ...
Translation: At that point, the multitude of other members of the population in his ecological community who had previously teased, chuckled boisterously, and dubbed him unspeakable pseudonyms, reversed their disposition toward Rudolph to a more congenial, amicable relationship.

Original: And they shouted out with glee ...
Translation: They consequently exclaimed with great exaltation and fervor,

Original: Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer ...
Translation: Rudolph, the antlered mammal with a maroon nasal appendage,

Original: You'll go down in history!
Translation: You shall most certainly be recorded in the annals of time and your memory will be preserved for posterity!
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Learning Numbers

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 teacher asked one of her young students if he knew his numbers.

"Yes," he said. "I do. My father taught me."

"Good. What comes after three."

"Four," answers the boy.

"What comes after six?"

"Seven."

"Very good," says the teacher. "Your dad did a good job. What comes after ten?"

"A jack," says the little boy.
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: The Night Before Christmas (Legal Style)

(from the GCF Archives)
Emailed to me by a friend (Thanks, Joseph) -Tom
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Whereas, on or about the night prior to Christmas, there did occur at a certain improved piece of real property (hereinafter "the House") a general lack of stirring by all creatures therein, including, but not limited to a mouse.

A variety of foot apparel, e.g. stocking, socks, etc., had been affixed by and around the chimney in said House in the hope and/or belief that St. Nick a/k/a/ St. Nicholas a/k/a/ Santa Claus (hereinafter "Claus") would arrive at sometime thereafter.

The minor residents, i.e. the children, of the aforementioned House were located in their individual beds and were engaged in nocturnal hallucinations, i.e. dreams, wherein visions of confectionery treats, including, but not limited to, candies, nuts and/or sugar plums, did dance, cavort and otherwise appear in said dreams.

Whereupon the party of the first part (sometimes hereinafter referred to as "I"), being the joint-owner in fee simple of the House with the party of the second part (hereinafter "Mamma"), and said Mamma had retired for a sustained period of sleep. (At such time, the parties were clad in various forms of headgear, e.g. kerchief and cap.)

Suddenly, and without prior notice or warning, there did occur upon the unimproved real property adjacent and appurtenant to said House, i.e. the lawn, a certain disruption of unknown nature, cause and/or circumstance. The party of the first part did immediately rush to a window in the House to investigate the cause of such disturbance.

At that time, the party of the first part did observe, with some degree of wonder and/or disbelief, a miniature sleigh (hereinafter "the Vehicle") being pulled and/or drawn very rapidly through the air by approximately eight (8) reindeer. The driver of the Vehicle appeared to be and in fact was, the previously referenced Claus.

Said Claus was providing specific direction, instruction and guidance to the approximately eight (8) reindeer and specifically identified the animal co-conspirators by name: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen (hereinafter "the Deer"). (Upon information and belief, it is further asserted that an additional co-conspirator named "Rudolph" may have been involved.)

The party of the first part witnessed Claus, the Vehicle and the Deer intentionally and willfully trespass upon the roofs of several residences located adjacent to and in the vicinity of the House, and noted that the Vehicle was heavily laden with packages, toys and other items of unknown origin or nature. Suddenly, without prior invitation or permission, either express or implied, the Vehicle arrived at the House, and Claus entered said House via the chimney.

Said Claus was clad in a red fur suit, which was partially covered with residue from the chimney, and he carried a large sack containing a portion of the aforementioned packages, toys, and other unknown items. He was smoking what appeared to be tobacco in a small pipe in blatant violation of local ordinances and health regulations.

Claus did not speak, but immediately began to fill the stocking of the minor children, which hung adjacent to the chimney, with toys and other small gifts. (Said items did not, however, constitute "gifts" to said minor pursuant to the applicable provisions of the U.S. Tax Code.)

Upon completion of such task, Claus touched the side of his nose and flew, rose and/or ascended up the chimney of the House to the roof where the Vehicle and Deer waited and/or served as "lookouts." Claus immediately departed for an unknown destination.

However, prior to the departure of the Vehicle, Deer and Claus from said House, the party of the first part did hear Claus state and/or exclaim: "Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!" Or words to that effect.
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Piranha Spell

Emailed to me from another humor list (You Make Me Laugh) -Tom To subscribe to You Make Me Laugh, send a blank email to: SUBSCRIBE-laugh@lists.crosswalk.com
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While my third-grade class was completing a writing exercise, one of the students asked me how to spell "piranha."

I told him I was unsure. To my delight, he went to the dictionary to solve his problem.

That's when I overheard another pupil say to him, "Why bother to look it up? She doesn't know how to spell it anyway."
_ ____________________________ _

GCF: Airport Mistletoe

(from the GCF Archives)
Emailed to me another humor list (Good Clean Funnies List) -Tom To subscribe The Good Clean Funnies List, (not to be confused with this list, which is Good Clean Fun) send an email to: gcfl-request@gcfl.net with subject = add
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It was the beginning of December. The trip had gone reasonably well, and he was ready to go back. The airport on the other hand had turned a tacky red and green with loudspeakers blaring annoying elevator renditions of cherished Christmas carols.

Being someone who took Christmas very seriously, and being slightly tired, he was not in a particularly good mood.

Going to check in his luggage, he saw hanging mistletoe. Not real mistletoe, but very cheap plastic with red paint on some of the rounder parts and green paint on some of the flatter and "pointier" parts, that could be taken for mistletoe only in a very Picasso sort of way.

With a considerable degree of irritation and nowhere else to vent it, he said to the lady attendant, "Even if I were not married, I would not want to kiss you under such a ghastly mockery of mistletoe."

"Sir, look more closely at where the mistletoe is."

(pause)

"Ok, I see that it's above the luggage scale, which is the place you'd have to step forward for a kiss."

"That's not why it's there."

(pause)

"Ok, I give up. Why is it there?"

"It's there so you can kiss your luggage goodbye."

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

For the curious who might not know of the "tradition" of kissing under the mistletoe, let me provide a tiny bit of history.

The history of kissing under the mistletoe means going back to ancient Scandinavia -- to custom and the Norse myths: "It was also the plant of peace in Scandinavian antiquity. If enemies met by chance beneath it in a forest, they laid down their arms and maintained a truce until the next day." This ancient Scandinavian custom led to mistletoe being a symbol of love, peace and goodwill. It may be that this embrace of goodwill among enemies eventually led to the traditional kiss under the mistletoe. Some cultures say that if a man kisses a woman while she is standing under mistletoe, it is a proposal of marriage! Most cultures around the world however, now just view a person standing under mistletoe as being available for a kiss!
_ ____________________________ _
(((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ /I spilled spot remover on my dog.\ /
\ _/ Now he's gone. \_ /
/ / - Steven Wright \ (((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / How much deeper would \ /
\ _/ the ocean be \_ /
/ / if sponges didn't live there? \ (((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / Whenever I think of the past, \ /
\ _/ it brings back so many \_ /
/ / memories . . . \ (((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / Ballerinas are always \ \_/ ////
\ / on their toes. \ /
\ _/ Why don't they just get \_ /
/ / taller ballerinas? \ (((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_| \\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////
\ / Everyone has a \ /
\ _/ photographic memory. \_ /
/ / Some people just don't have film. \ _ ____________________________ _
/ )| Thomas S. Ellsworth |( / / | tellswor@slonet.org | \ _( (_ | http://www.slonet.org/~tellswor | _) )_
(((\ \>|_/ )_______________________( \_|Stop for a visit, leave with a smile! To join Good Clean Fun, email: good-clean-fun-subscribe@yahoogroups.Com To leave Good Clean Fun, email: good-clean-fun-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.Com Or visit the Good Clean Fun web site at http://www. slonet.org/~tellswor/
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[GCFL.net] How Do Customer Service People Keep A Straight Face?

Customer: I'm trying to connect to the Internet with your CD, but it just doesn't work. What am I doing wrong?

Tech support: OK, you've got the CD in the CD drive, right?

Customer: Yeah....

Tech support: And what sort of computer are you using?

Customer: Computer? Oh no, I haven't got a computer. It's in the CD player and all I get is weird noises. Listen.....

Tech support: Aaaarrrrgggghhhh!!!

===============

Tech support: What kind of computer do you have?

Customer: A white one...

===============

Customer: Hi, this is Celine. I can't get my diskette out.

Tech support: Have you tried pushing the button?

Customer: Yes, sure, it's really stuck.

Tech support: That doesn't sound good; I'll make a note.

Customer: No... wait a minute... I hadn't inserted it yet... it's still on my desk... sorry....

===============

Tech support: Click on the "my computer" icon on the left of the screen.

Customer: Your left or my left?

===============

Tech support: Good day. How may I help you?

Male customer: Hello... I can't print.

Tech support: Would you click on "start" for me and...

Customer: Listen, pal -- don't start getting technical on me! I'm not Bill Gates!

===============

Customer: Hi, good afternoon, this is Martha, I can't print. Every time I try, it says, "Can't find printer." I've even lifted the printer and placed it in front of the monitor, but the computer still says he can't find it...

===============

Customer: I have problems printing in red...

Tech support: Do you have a color printer?

Customer: Aaaah....................thank you.

===============

Tech support: What's on your monitor now, ma'am?

Customer: A teddy bear my boyfriend bought for me in the supermarket.

===============

Customer: My keyboard is not working anymore.

Tech support: Are you sure it's plugged in to the computer?

Customer: No. I can't get behind the computer.

Tech support: Pick up your keyboard and walk 10 paces back.

Customer: OK.

Tech support: Did the keyboard come with you?

Customer: Yes.

Tech support: That means the keyboard is not plugged in. Is there another keyboard?

Customer: Yes, there's another one here. Ah...that one does work.

===============

Tech support: Your password is the small letter a as in apple, a capital letter V as in Victor, the number 7.

Customer: Is that 7 in capital letters?

===============

Customer: I can't get on the Internet.

Tech support: Are you sure you used the right password?

Customer: Yes, I'm sure. I saw my colleague do it.

Tech support: Can you tell me what the password was?

Customer: Five stars.

===============

Tech support: What anti-virus program do you use?

Customer: Netscape.

Tech support: That's not an anti-virus program.

Customer: Oh, sorry...Internet Explorer.

===============

Customer: I have a huge problem. A friend has placed a screen saver on my computer, but every time I move the mouse, it disappears.

===============

Tech support: How may I help you?

Customer: I'm writing my first e-mail.

Tech support: OK, and what seems to be the problem?

Customer: Well, I have the letter "a" in the address, but how do I get the circle around it?

===============

A woman customer called the Canon help desk with a problem with her printer.

Tech support: Are you running it under Windows?

Customer: No, my desk is next to the door, but that is a good point. The man sitting in the cubicle next to me is under a window, and his printer is working fine.

===============

And last but not least:....

Tech support: Okay Bob, let's press the control and escape keys at the same time. That brings up a task list in the middle of the screen. Now type the letter "P" to bring up the Program Manager.

Customer: I don't have a P.

Tech support: On your keyboard, Bob.

Customer: What do you mean?

Tech support: "P" ... on your keyboard, Bob.

Customer: I'M NOT GOING TO DO THAT!!

Received from Tarryn Howard.

(-:][:-)

[GCFL.net] Read This First!

Congratulations! You have purchased an extremely fine device that would give you thousands of years of trouble-free service, except that you undoubtably will destroy it via some typical bonehead consumer maneuver. Which is why we ask you to PLEASE FOR [HEAVEN]'S SAKE READ THIS OWNER'S MANUAL CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU UNPACK THE DEVICE. YOU ALREADY UNPACKED IT, DIDN'T YOU? YOU UNPACKED IT AND PLUGGED IT IN AND TURNED IT ON AND FIDDLED WITH THE KNOBS, AND NOW YOUR CHILD, THE SAME CHILD WHO ONCE SHOVED A POLISH SAUSAGE INTO YOUR VIDEOCASSETTE RECORDER AND SET IT ON "FAST FORWARD," THIS CHILD ALSO IS FIDDLING WITH THE KNOBS, RIGHT? AND YOU'RE JUST NOW STARTING TO READ THE INSTRUCTIONS, RIGHT??? WE MIGHT AS WELL JUST BREAK THESE DEVICES RIGHT AT THE FACTORY BEFORE WE SHIP THEM OUT, YOU KNOW THAT?

-- Dave Barry, "Read This First!"
(edited by GCFL)

(-:][:-)

[GCFL.net] A New & Different Math Trick

Here is a math trick that might get you thinking...

1. Grab a calculator. (you won't be able to do this one in your head)
2. Key in the first three digits of your phone number (NOT the area code)
3. Multiply by 80
4. Add 1
5. Multiply by 250
6. Add the last 4 digits of your phone number
7. Add the last 4 digits of your phone number again.
8. Subtract 250
9. Divide number by 2

Do you recognize the answer?

Received from K D Kribbs.

(-:][:-)

[GCFL.net] Raised Security Levels

The British are feeling the pinch in relation to recent bombings and have raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross." Londoners have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies all but ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorised from "Tiresome" to a "Bloody Nuisance." The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was during the great fire of 1666.

Also, the French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide." The only two higher levels in France are "Surrender" and "Collaborate." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively paralysing the country's military capability.

It's not only the English and French that are on a heightened level of alert. Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout Loudly and Excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."

The Germans also increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbour" and "Lose."

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual, and the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels.

Received from Doug Taylor.

(-:][:-)

[GCFL.net] Exercise Plan

As part of our EAPD goals this next year, I came across this exercise to build muscle strength in the arms and shoulders. It seems so easy that I am directing you to include it as part of your EAPD goals for next year.

Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you have plenty of room at each side. With a 5-lb. potato sack in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides and hold them there as long as you can. Try to reach a full minute, then relax. Each day, you'll find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer. After a couple of weeks, move up to 10-lb. potato sacks, then 50-lb. potato sacks, and eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100-lb. potato sack in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute.

After you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each of the sacks; but be careful!

Received from Randall Harris.

(-:][:-)

-=+=-
– NEW! Go to http://www.gcfl.net/archive.php?funny=20050124 to rate this funny from 0 to 5.
-=+=-
Brought to you by GCFL.net: The Good, Clean Funnies List "A cheerful heart is good medicine!" (Prov 17:22a) Go to http://gcfl.net/mlfrontend.php to change your subscription options or unsubscribe. To email this funny to a friend, go to http://gcfl.net/emailit.php?funny=20050107 The latest GCFL funny can always be found on the web at http://gcfl.net/latest.php
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I used to eat a lot of natural foods until I learned that most people die of natural causes.

Gardening Rule: When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.

The easiest way to find something lost around the house is to buy a replacement.

Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

There are two kinds of pedestrians: the quick and the dead.

Health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.

The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.

Some people are like Slinkies. Not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs.

Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.


Have you noticed since everyone has a camcorder these days no one talks about seeing UFOs like they used to?

Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.

In the 60's, people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.

How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?

Why is there a light in the fridge and not in the freezer?

If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why is there a song about him?

If quizzes are quizzical, what are tests?

If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?

Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Soup?

Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face, he gets mad at you, but when you take him on a car ride, he sticks his head out the window?

Does pushing the elevator button more than once make it arrive faster?
Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?
Do you ever wonder why you gave me your email address

Thanks to John Burge
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Publik Education

you don't have to read much past the subject line to get a clue about the
quality of education we offer here in Louisiana...

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

Date: Mon, 12 Dec 2005 14:45:00 -0600
From: ****************
Subject: Job Oppertunity - Manager Biological Safety - Louisiana State University

MANAGER
(Biological Safety)
Occupational and Environmental Safety

Required Qualifications: Master's degree in microbiology, or a related technical or academic field; two years experience in safety, health and environmental administration or academic research relating to microbiology; Ph.D. in microbiology will substitute for the two years of experience; this position involves interaction with all levels of campus personnel and requires very good interpersonal and presentation skills; familiarity with laboratory safety, health and environmental practices; computer skills; experience and knowledge in word processing programs, computer graphics, presentations and spreadsheet applications; familiarity with state and federal regulations relating to safety, health and environmental programs; valid, class E driver's license. Additional Qualifications Desired: Ph.D. in microbiology or related technical field; professional certification in biological safety, industrial hygiene or equivalent. Physical Requirements: the position is not subject to strenuous activity on a frequent basis, as the day to day requirements of the position are fairly predictable; good eyesight; be in average physical condition; ability to work independently; occasionally, will respond to emergency situations which will require physical stamina and use of a respirator in stressful circumstances. Responsibilities: guides and administers support on the safe and secure handling, storage and use of biological agents and toxins and proper management of biological waste in a growing research and teaching environment; provides technical expertise and evaluations involving biological agents and toxins, including biosafety incidents investigations, facility evaluations, laboratory and facility safety and security inspections, personnel training, and assistance in administering high hazard/risk labs; many of these laboratories and facilities contain chemicals, harmful physical agents and select biological agents which are regulated by federal, state and local laws and regulations; coordinates compliance with the occupational and environmental health and safety regulations relating to biological research; works in conjunction with other safety, health and environmental staff in providing a comprehensive program for the campus; assists in other roles as assigned by the director. Application deadline is December 16, 2005, or until candidate is selected. An offer of employment is contingent on a satisfactory pre-employment background check. Submit letter of application and resume (including e-mail address) to:

************
Occupational & Environmental Safety
Public Safety Bldg., Room 126
Louisiana State University
Ref: #029584
Baton Rouge, LA 70803

Thanks to Joe Tudor
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Welcome to You Make Me Laugh, a free newsletter from Crosswalk.com, the world's largest Christian website.
Today's Clean Laugh

*Santa a Guy?*

I think Santa Claus is a woman....

I hate to be the one to defy sacred myth, but I believe he's a she.

Think about it. Christmas is a big, organized, warm, fuzzy, nurturing social deal, and I have a tough time believing a guy could possibly pull it all off!

For starters, the vast majority of men don't even think about selecting gifts until Christmas Eve. It's as if they are all frozen in some kind of Ebenezerian Time Warp until 3 p.m. on Dec. 24th, when they--with amazing calm--call other errant men and plan for a last-minute shopping spree.

Once at the mall, they always seem surprised to find only Ronco products, socket wrench sets, and mood rings left on the shelves. (You might think this would send them into a fit of panic and guilt, but my husband tells me it's an enormous relief because it lessens the 11th hour decision-making burden.) On this count alone, I'm convinced Santa is a woman.

Surely, if he were a man, everyone in the universe would wake up Christmas morning to find a rotating musical Chia Pet under the tree, still in the bag.

Another problem for a he-Santa would be getting there. First of all, there would be no reindeer because they would all be dead, gutted, and strapped on to the rear bumper of the sleigh, amid wide-eyed, desperate claims that buck season had been extended. Blitzen's rack would already be on the way to the taxidermist.

Even if the male Santa DID have reindeer, he'd still have transportation problems because he would inevitably get lost up there in the snow and clouds and then refuse to stop and ask for directions.

Add to this the fact that there would be unavoidable delays in the chimney, where the Bob Vila-like Santa would stop to inspect and repoint bricks in the flue. He would also need to check for carbon monoxide fumes in every gas fireplace, and get under every Christmas tree that is crooked to straighten it to a perfectly upright 90-degree angle.

Other reasons why Santa can't possibly be a man:
~ Men can't pack a bag.
~ Men would rather be dead than caught wearing red velvet.
~ Men would feel their masculinity is threatened, having to be seen with all those elves.
~ Men don't answer their mail.
~ Men would refuse to allow their physique to be described even in jest as anything remotely resembling a "bowlful of jelly."
~ Men aren't interested in stockings unless somebody's wearing them.
~ Finally, being responsible for Christmas would require a commitment.

I can buy the fact that other mythical holiday characters are men. Father Time shows up once a year unshaven and looking ominous. Definite guy. Cupid flies around carrying weapons. Uncle Sam is a politician who likes to point fingers. Any one of these individuals could pass the testosterone screening test. But not St. Nick.

Not a chance.

(-:][:-)

*Have Yourself a Microsoft Christmas*

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house not a creature was stirring, except Papa's mouse. The computer was humming, the icons were hopping, as Papa did last-minute Internet shopping. The stockings were hung by the modem with care in hopes that St. Nicholas would bring new software.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of computer games danced in their heads. PageMaker for Billy, and Quicken for Dan, and Carmen Sandiego for Pamela Ann. The letters to Santa had been sent out by Mom, to santaclaus@toyshop.northpole.com - Which has now been re-routed to Washington State because Santa's workshop has been bought by Bill Gates.

All the elves and reindeer have had to skedaddle to flashy new quarters in suburban Seattle. After centuries of a life that was simple and spare, St. Nicholas is suddenly a new billionaire, with a shiny red Porsche in the place of his sleigh, and a house on Lake Washington that's just down the way from where Bill has his mansion. The old fellow preens in black Gucci boots and red Calvin jeans. The elves have stock options and desks with a view, here they write computer code for Johnny and Sue.

No more dolls or tin soldiers or little toy drums will be under the tree, only compact disk ROMS with the Microsoft label. So spin up your drive, from now on Christmas runs only on Win95. More rapid than eagles the competitors came, Bill whistled, and shouted, and called them by name. "Now, ADOBE! now, CLARIS! now, INTUIT! too, now, APPLE! and NETSCAPE! you're all of you through, it is Microsoft's SANTA that the kids can't resist, it's the ultimate software with a traditional twist - recommended by no less than the jolly old elf, and on the package, a picture of Santa himself.

Get 'em young, keep 'em long, is Microsoft's scheme, and a merger with Santa is a marketer's dream. To the top of the NASDAQ! to the top of the Dow! Now dash away! dash away! dash away - wow!" And Mama in her 'kerchief and I in my cap, had just settled down for a long winter's nap, when out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, the whir and the hum of our satellite platter, as it turned toward that new Christmas star in the sky, the SANTALITE owned by the Microsoft guy.

As I sprang from my bed and was turning around, my computer turned on with a Jingle-Bells sound. And there on the screen was a smiling Bill Gates next to jolly old Santa, two arm-in-arm mates. And I heard them exclaim in voices so bright,

"A MICROSOFT CHRISTMAS, and TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!"

(-:][:-)

*Unknown Reindeer*

The game show contestant was only 200 points behind the leader and about to answer the final question - worth 500 points!

"To be today's champion," the show's smiling host intoned, "name two of Santa's reindeer."

The contestant, a man in his early thirties, gave a sigh of relief, gratified that he had drawn such an easy question. "Rudolph!" he said confidently, "and, ...Olive!"

The studio audience started to applaud (like the little sign above their heads said to do,) but the clapping quickly faded into mumbling, and the confused host replied, "Yes, we'll accept Rudolph, but could you please explain.... 'Olive?!?'"

"You know," the man circled his hand forward impatiently and began to sing, "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer - had a very shiny nose. And if you ever saw it, you would even say it glowed. *Olive,* the other reindeer..."

(-:][:-)

*Work Phrases Explained*

Activate:
To make carbons and add more names to the memo.

Advanced Design:
Beyond the comprehension of the ad agency's copywriters.

All New:
Parts not interchangeable with existing models.

Approved:
Needs revising

Automatic:
That which you cannot repair yourself.

Channels:
The trails left by interoffice memos.

Clarify:
To fill in the background with so many details that the foreground goes underground.

Conference:
A place where conversation is substituted for the loneliness of thought and the dreariness of labor.

Confidential Memo:
No time to photocopy for the whole office.

Consultant:
Someone who borrows your watch to tell you what time it is and then walks away with the watch.

Forwarded For Your Consideration:
You hold the bag for a while.

FYI:
Found yesterday, interested?

In Conference:
Nobody can find him/her.

Let's Get Together On This:
I'm assuming you're as confused as I.

Note & Initial:
I'm not taking the fall for this myself.

Policy:
We can hide behind this.

Please See Me:
Come down to my office. I'm lonely.

Top Priority:
It may be stupid but the boss wants it.

We Are Taking A Survey:
We need more time to think of an answer or we can't find anyone willing to be responsible for this.

Will Advise In Due Course:
If we figure it out, we'll let you know.

Eye Laugh

"Gloria"
http://www.cybersalt.org/cw/bpgl.htm

"Splata Claus"
http://www.cybersalt.org/go.php?id=cw88

"Decoration Drive"
http://www.cybersalt.org/go.php?id=cw652

"Supermarket Tree"
http://www.cybersalt.org/go.php?id=cw653

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

(-:][:-)

-=+=-
Daily devotionals are available at http://link.Crosswalk.Com/UM/T.asp?A1. 39. 17757. 1. 494611 You can access more information on Crosswalk's Fun page http://www.Crosswalk.Com/fun/! Crosswalk gives credit to the author of a joke when author is known. Feel free to send notification to admin@cybersalt.org in cases where credit has not been given to the author! -SUBSCRIPTION INFO- * Copyright2004 Crosswalk.Com, Inc. and its Content Providers. All rights reserved. Introducing www.Crossguide.Com Where Christians find Products, Services & Ministries.
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"Don't strive for recognition, but work for achievement." -- Vanessa Malone
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Madeleine Begun Kane Latest Columns - - http://www.madkane.com/starbucks.html - - # Ode To Starbucks (Humor column about cappuccino addiction, the Starbucks revolution, and life in Bayside, Queens, New York)
http://www.madkane.com
http://www.madkane.com/notable.html (Notables Weblog)
http://www.madkane.com/bush.html (Dubya's Dayly Diary)
Subscribe to MadKane Humor Newsletter (weekly) here:
http://www.madkane.com/email.html
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World Time Server - - http://www.worldtimeserver.com/current_time_in_BO.aspx - - Look up current time from database containing any country or major city in the world. Displays the time, the GMT offset, a globe image, and a section map. Features a world time calculator and a freeware utility to synchronize your PC with an atomic clock.
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Guidelines For Good Nutrition - - http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-diet/NU00200 - - guidelines are significantly different from those of the past, particularly in regard to carbohydrates and fat. More fat is allowed, and carbohydrates have a lower minimum percentage - from 55 percent to 45 percent. This is due to research indicating that people with a certain body type and metabolic profile may benefit from fewer carbohydrates and more monounsaturated fat.
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The Virtual Library - - http://vlib.org/ - - The Virtual Library is the oldest catalog of the web, started by Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of html and the web itself. Unlike commercial catalogs, it is run by a loose confederation of volunteers, who compile pages of key links for particular areas in which they are expert; even though it isn't the biggest index of the web, the VL pages are widely recognized as being amongst the highest-quality guides to particular sections of the web.
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Lost at Sea: The Search for Longitude - - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/longitude/ - - This site is a companion to a PBS NOVA program. Based on the bestselling book Longitude by Dava Sobel, the program tells the story of how an unknown genius, John Harrison, discovered the key to navigating on the open seas and thus solved one of the thorniest problems of the 1700s.
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Is Wal-Mart Good for America? - - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/walmart/ - - The companion site for the Public Broadcasting Service Frontline program examines the growing controversy over the Wal-Mart way of doing business and asks whether a single retail giant has changed the American economy.
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FindLaw - - http://www.findlaw.com/ - - FindLaw.com is the nation's leading provider of online legal information and solutions for the legal community, businesses and individuals. According to comScore Media Metrix, a leading independent Web usage reporting service, the FindLaw.com Internet portal is the highest-trafficked legal Web site with 3.7 million unique monthly users. This site provides comprehensive set of legal resources on the Internet for legal professionals, businesses, students and individuals.
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History's Worst Software Bugs - - http://www.wired.com/news/technology/bugs/0,2924,69355,00.html - - What seems certain is that bugs are here to stay. Here, in chronological order, is the Wired News list of the 10 worst software bugs of all time … so far. Related site: The Twenty Most Critical Internet Security Vulnerabilities. - - http://www.sans.org/top20/
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BBC Audio Interviews - - http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/audiointerviews/ - - This BBC site presents archived interviews with cultural greats of the 20th Century talking about their work.
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Best of What's New 2005 - - http://www.popsci.com/popsci/bown2005/index.html - - The Best of What's New awards are a celebration of 2005's top 100 technological innovations as determined by the editors of Popular Science magazine.
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The Harper's Index - - http://www.harpers.org/HarpersIndex.html - - Each month, the Harper's Index provides a statistical snapshot of the world's economic, political, and cultural climate. The Harper's Index is published to Harpers.org one month after print publication. Archives available back through 1998.
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Google Sightseeing - - http://www.googlesightseeing.com/ - - This site takes you to the best tourist spots in the world via Google Maps' satellite imagery. Locations are listed by categories and most popular posts.
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|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
December 15, 2005

Holiday Tree Fire Hazards
Water That Tree!

What's a holiday party or even the traditional Christmas morning scene itself without a beautifully decorated tree? If your household, as those of more than 33 million other American homes, includes a natural tree in its festivities, take to heart the sales person's suggestion --"Keep the tree watered." That's good advice and not just to create a fragrant indoor winter wonderland atmosphere. Christmas trees account for 400 fires annually, resulting in 10 deaths, 80 injuries and more than $15 million in property damage. Typically shorts in electrical lights or open flames from candles, lighters or matches start tree fires. Well-watered trees are not a problem. Dry and neglected trees can be.

What happens when fire touches a dry tree? Within three seconds of ignition, the dry Scotch pine is completely ablaze. At five seconds, the fire extends up the tree and black smoke with searing gases streaks across the ceiling. Fresh air near the floor feeds the fire. The sofa, coffee table and the carpet ignite prior to any flame contact. Within 40 seconds "flashover" occurs -- that's when an entire room erupts into flames, oxygen is depleted and dense, deadly toxic smoke engulfs the scene.

Wet trees tell a different story. For comparative purposes, the NIST fire safety engineers selected a green Scotch pine, had it cut in their presence, had an additional two inches cut from the trunk's bottom, and placed the tree in a stand with at least a 7.6 liter water capacity. The researchers maintained the Scotch pine's water on a daily basis. A single match could not ignite the tree. A second attempt in which an electric current ignited an entire matchbook failed to fire the tree. Finally they applied an open flame to the tree using a propane torch. The branches ignited briefly, but self-extinguished when the researchers removed the torch from the branches. As NIST fire safety engineers say: REMEMBER, A WET TREE IS A SAFE TREE!

|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
December 13, 2005

Today's Safety From the Heart message was submitted by Allen Smoak.

With winter fast approaching, it is time to make preparations for electrical power outages.

So what does one do when the lights suddenly go out in the evening? A little planning will help with the transition.

1. Change flashlight batteries now.
2. Place flashlights in easily accessible places:
..night stand by the bed
..furniture drawer in the living room
..kitchen broom cabinet
3. Purchase long term candles and place matches or lighters beside them.
4. If one has small children, be extra careful and seriously consider not placing candles in their rooms.

The fourth item brings to mind a cousin who during a power outage was playing a game with his bothers in their bedroom. A part of the game ended under the bed. My cousin ... in the grand wisdom of an eight year old ... took the candle under the bed to look for the missing game piece.

Yes, you guess it.....the mattress box springs caught on fire. My cousin ran into the kitchen to tell his mother. Both parents raced to the smoke-filled room and snatched the top mattress off the bed. It was smoldering from the heat of the bed frame and burst into flames in the corner of the room. Now there were two fires in the bedroom. The parents were able to smother the flames and get them into the yard. They were able to douse the smoldering mattresses with water.

|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
December 12, 2005

Today's Safety From the Heart message is from Charles McMurry.

"Just When You Least Expect It."

My wife and I visited with our daughter and her family in Simpsonville during the Thanksgiving holidays. The traffic was terrible on the super highways both going and returning. We passed several wrecks that had occurred due to the congested roadways.

I have always heard that most accidents occur within 5 miles of where you live, probably because of dropping your guard when in familiar surroundings. Well, it had been a great trip until we were on Cannon Bridge Road just below Albemarle. There had been an accident just this side of Riley Road. A truck was overturned on the side of the road, blue lights were flashing, traffic was backing up and pedestrians and policemen were standing in the road.

One of the officers began to direct traffic around the accident which caused the cars in that lane to straddle the center line. As luck would have it, when my turn came to pass, WHAM. I was sideswiped by an oncoming truck that failed to yield. Fortunately, no one else was injured due to this mishap. The morale to the story: Just because a police officer motions you around an accident, don't assume the oncoming traffic is going to yield.

|------------ Safety From The Heart ----------|
December 7, 2005

Today's Safety From the Heart message is from Allen Smoak.

Ahhhhh the holiday season.....

....the smells of food and the fellowship of family that surrounds Thanksgiving....
....blends into the shopping of Black Friday and the anticipation of the coming Christmas season....

This time of year is one of my most favorite seasons of the year....
.....the warmth of a wood fire on a cold night
...Christmas music playing softly on the ear
.....the smell of scented candles burning throughout the house.

This is also a good time to remember the danger of candles in the home.

My wife had lit several scented candles throughout our home. The dim light and smell of cinnamon lent to the Christmas season. One candle was burning in our bathroom. I entered the room to take a shower and placed my pajamas on the area between our double sinks. As I was showering, I could smell a hint smoke and thought, " must be the outed match from lighting the candle." A few moments later I could smell a stronger scent of smoke and thought, " maybe a little blow back from the wood stove is causing the odor...I will check this will I finish."

The odor was stronger and I looked toward the candle in our bathroom. Yes, you guessed it....my pajamas were on fire. I leaped from the shower, turned the spigot on in the sink and placed the burning pajamas under the water. My, my the smoke and steam that came off those clothes. I turned on the vent, opened the window then finished showering. My favorite pair of pajamas ... you know the ones...they fit just right, comfortable and broke in.....ruined. Gone in a blaze of glory. The folded edge of the material straightened allowing the pajama edge to contact the candle flame.

Tips for burning candles during the holidays:
1. Place in an area out of reach of small children.
2. Never place under a cabinet.
3. If lighting with a match.. outen the match with tap water, leave on the sink frame, the later trash.
4. Make sure the candles are snuffed out before leaving your home or before retiring for the night.
5. Place a suitable pad or saucer under the candle to prevent furniture damage from the melting wax.
6. Secure the candle to prevent tipping.
7. Do not place near curtains or flammable material.

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TOURBUS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -:) - :)- :)
Volume 11, Number 29 --- 13 December 2005
Tourbus Home - http://www.TOURBUS.com
Best of Tourbus – http://tourbus.com/best.html

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

TODAY'S TOURBUS STOP(S): Online Shopping / Bots

Did you know it's actually SAFER to use your credit card online, than in a brick & mortar store or over the telephone? That's because your transaction is automated -- no human will have a chance to copy down your card info and sell it to a guy in a trenchcoat behind the store.

Read on for product reviews, price comparison sites, web coupons and some cool Bots to make your online life easier. Also in this issue, an analysis of the David Rhoades scam, and goodies for pet owners.

-----------------
Online Shopping
-----------------

I still meet people who tell me they've never purchased anything on the Internet. I always tell 'em that it's safer to use a credit card online than in a department store, and there are so many tools to help you find the right product AND save money in the process.

Do you want to find online product reviews? Compare prices at online stores? Pick up web-only discount and coupons BEFORE you shop? How about learning some online auction tips, or how to avoid online shopping scams and fraud? Read on!

http://www.askbobrankin.com/online_shopping.html

----- Bots and Intelligent Agents ---------------------

Remember back when you were a kid, watching The Jetsons and wishing someone would invent a robot to do your chores? Decades later, we still haven't realized the promise of a machine to clear the dishes off the table, but nowadays there ARE some useful Bots roaming the Internet, ready to help you with shopping, information gathering and other tasks.

What's a Bot? The word is derived from "robot", and refers to a computer program that gathers information or performs a service, usually on some regular schedule. Learn about Chatter Bots,
Shopping Bots and intelligent agents ready to do your bidding.

http://www.askbobrankin.com/bots_and_intelligent_agents.html

-------------------------
Create Currency Quickly
-------------------------

If you've been online for more than an hour, you've probably gotten one of those "PHENO MENAL MUNNEY MAYKING PROGRAMS" that promise to make you 50 grand in short order. It's the classic David Rhoades scheme, now legendary on the Net. Have you ever wondered if those things really work?

(Out-of-control spam filters required me to make some "cosmetic" modifications to the text above. I hope the simple substitutions in words and letters below are not too distracting. Anti-spam technology needs to get better, sigh...)

http://www.askbobrankin.com/create_currency_quickly.html

---------------
Pet Resources
---------------

Calling all cats, dogs, exotic critters and those who love them... Here's an annotated list of the best websites for and about pets, covering pet health, training tips, travelling with Fido & Fluffy,
and other cool pet sites you won't want to miss!

http://www.askbobrankin.com/cats_and_dogs.html

---------------------
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 it for today. Have a safe and happy week, and we'll talk again soon.

+---------------------------------------+
Volume 11, Number 29 --- 15 December 2005
Tourbus Home - http://www.TOURBUS.com
Best of Tourbus -- http://tourbus.com/best.html
+---------------------------------------+
TODAY'S TOURBUS TOPIC: Make Your Own Videos - Part 1

Howdy, y'all, and greetings once again from deep behind the orange curtain in beautiful Irvine, California, where as you add units of a variable input to the production process while holding one or more fixed, total production will increase at an increasing rate, increase at a decreasing rate, peak, and decline absolute. Why? Because that's THE LAW! :)
+---------------------------------------+
By popular demand, I'm temporarily turning the wheel of our little bus of internet happiness over to my father, the Rev. Bob "Bob" Crispen. If you are interested in creating videos on your computer for free, this post is for you.

On with the show... Here's Bob!

While Patrick has been very kind about introducing me, he neglected to mention the one truly spectacular event in my life. No, it wasn't the time when Mike Vax, who played lead trumpet in the Stan Kenton band, was visiting in our apartment, and he took his trumpet out of his case, played a double high C, and put his trumpet back in his case -- though that was pretty spectacular.

No, what Patrick has neglected to tell you was that when I was a mere sprout, Video Ranger saved my life! It's absolutely true. I was a stone fan of Captain Video, and during an appearance at the Allegheny County Fair I had joined the mob of kids to get his autograph. As I was returning to my seat in the stands, I didn't notice a small truck puttering along the path I was about to cross. The Video Ranger did, though, and he pulled me back in the nick of time. It was a small truck, and it was moving very slowly, but it's my claim to fame.

If you're one of those young whippersnapper who's never heard of Captain Video, Commissioner Carey, or I TOBOR, I pity you, but I can set you on the path of wisdom by pointing you to Professor Rory Coker's space heroes page where you'll learn about Captain Video, Tom Corbett, and Buzz Corry, Commander in Chief of the Spaaaaace Patroool!

http://www.slick-net.com/space

As usual, I digress. What I'm really here to tell you about isn't my childhood hero, but a website that's so amazing that, once you've visited it, your friends and neighbors will be calling you Captain Video.

If you've played around with video on your PC, then one of two things has happened: (a) you've played around with Windows Movie Maker, got frustrated because it's pretty much a toy, and gave up; or (b) you've found about

http://www.videohelp.com

Nothing I could say here can possibly do justice to the wonderful step by step instructions you'll find on this site. So all I'll do here is throw out a couple of pointers to things I've found especially useful: the cream of the crop.

The cream at the very top of the cream: Virtual Dub at

http://www.virtualdub.org

This is the video editor, especially at the price (free, open source). It will let you capture, edit, clean up, and do virtually anything to video files.

Here's one thing they don't talk about as a feature. If you've ever downloaded AVI files, you know that the morons who designed that file format put some critical information at the *end* of the file. That means if you've got a partial AVI file, you can't play it. But Virtual Dub will do its best to accept partial AVI files, and in most cases will make them playable up to the point where they're cut off. I've heard of other tools that will play partial AVI's, but Virtual Dub has done the job so well, I've never bothered to download them.

Since Virtual Dub's native output format is uncompressed AVI, and since those files are humongous, the next thing you need to do is put them on a serious diet. So let's run them through AVI2MPG2 at

http://members.cox.net/beyeler/bbmpeg.html

Note the "2" at the end of that program name. There's another program out there called AVI2MPG which isn't nearly as nice. You can let Virtual Dub save the slices you want to keep in separate files and join them all together with AVI2MPG2. That program will save your files in MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) format, which means that, unlike AVI files which can only be played on Windows machines, you can play them anywhere.

Or you can use yet another tool, TMPGEnc, which converts your AVI Files to VCD (Video CD) or Super VCD format.

http://www.tmpgenc.net

If your CD burner is Nero [ http://www.nero.com/en/index.html ] you can burn your video CD directly from there (select "other CD format" in the wizard that comes up when you start, and check "video CD"). If you have Easy CD Creator [ http://www.roxio.com ] or the CD burner that comes with Windows XP, then you may have to upgrade to a higher version or use some of the tools they recommend on vcdhelp.com to burn it onto a CD.

But take heart: you absolutely can take a movie, edit it, tweak it with special effects, burn it on a CD-ROM, and pop it in your DVD player and play it. Apart from the cost of your CD burning software, you won't have to spend a nickel.
+---------------------------------------+
Tourbus riders rave about the practical advice that Smart Computing Magazine offers. We highly recommend it for plain English answers to your computing questions. 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 it for today. Have a safe and happy week, and we'll be back next week with "Make Your Own Videos - Part 2"
+---------------------------------------+
==[ Tourbus Rider Information ]==
The Internet Tourbus - U.S. Library of Congress ISSN #1094-2238 Copyright 1995-2005, Rankin & Crispen - All rights reserved Tourbus News Service - http://tourbus.com/news.html Subscribe, Signoff, Archives, Free Stuff and More at the Tourbus Website - http://www.TOURBUS.com
========================
.~~~. ))
(\__/) .' ) )) Patrick Douglas Crispen
/o o \/ .~
{o_, \ { crispen@netsquirrel.com
/ , , ) \ http://www.netsquirrel.com/
`~ -' \ } )) AOL Instant Messenger: Squirrel2K
_( ( )_.'
---..{____} Warning: squirrels.
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Our Church, Magnolia Christian Center, has the following mission statement. Our purpose is to build a great church for the glory of God through the great commission and the great commandment. MCC' Vision - That MCC will be a place hopping with children, energized with teenagers, balanced with diversity and transformed by the power of God! We want to turn uninterested people into interested people and win the lost to make fully devoted followers of Christ.
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AFR Christmas Specials

See below for a detailed listing of special Christmas broadcasts on KBPW 88.1 FM or visit http://www.afr.net. All times are Central Standard, and schedule subject to change.



Saturday, December 17

Priceless Gifts… For a Woman After God’s Own Heart (1:00 p.m.) - With Humor, drama and a heartfelt challenge for the Christmas season, Elizabeth George shares priceless gifts-all wrapped up to delight and inspire listeners to share in God’s majesty, power and glory!

Christmas with Denver and the Mile High Orchestra (3:00 p.m.) – Formed by a group of friends at Nashville’s Belmont University in 1999, this exceptional group of musicians is comprised of three trumpet players, three saxophone players, two trombone players and a rhythm section. In the five years since their inception, the group has traveled around the globe, performing at churches, conferences, festivals—even at the Olympics—taking their electrifying horn-driven sound to the masses. The big band sound of the 30’s and 40’s had long intrigued Denver, who had played the trumpet for 16 years, so he assembled a group of musicians—friends to reinvent the style for the modern age. The special features music from their most recent Christmas project.

On The Way To Christmas (9:00 p.m.) - This is a Focus On the Family production of a sparkling array of Christmas stories, fun and family activities. Includes drama, music and a reading from former President Ronald Reagan. Hosted by Bill Maier.

Sunday, December 18

12 voices Of Christmas (7:00 p.m.) - Join Back To The Bible, as they introduce you to the 12 voices of Christmas who made an impact on Christmas day. This is a dramatic presentation.

Most Treasured Gift (8:00 p.m.) - This special features singer and songwriter Michael Card from his Christmas project “ The Promise.” Michael Card shares his thoughts on the incarnation along with his unique perspective of Christmas.

Monday, December 19

Christmas with Denver and the Mile High Orchestra (6:00 p.m.) - Formed by a group of friends at Nashville’s Belmont University in 1999, this exceptional group of musicians is comprised of three trumpet players, three saxophone players, two trombone players and a rhythm section. In the five years since their inception, the group has traveled around the globe, performing at churches, conferences, festivals—even at the Olympics—taking their electrifying horn-driven sound to the masses. The big band sound of the 30’s and 40’s had long intrigued Denver, who had played the trumpet for 16 years, so he assembled a group of musicians—friends to reinvent the style for the modern age. The special features music from their most recent Christmas project.

Tuesday, December 20

The Case For Christmas (6:00 p.m.) - A journalist investigates the identity of the child in the manager. The program is based on information from best selling author Lee Strobel's book “ The Case For Christmas.” The special will look at eyewitness evidence, scientific evidence, profile evidence and fingerprint evidence.

Wednesday, December 21

Holding Heaven: Episode I: Moonlight Soliloquy (6:00 p.m.) - This special will allow you an opportunity to eavesdrop on the rarely depicted relationship between Jesus and His earthly father Joseph. With the creativity and talent of Jerry Jenkins and production expertise of Chris Fabry, “Holding Heaven” is bound to become a modern classic. Based on the book, "Holding Heaven by author Jerry Jenkins.

Thursday, December 22

Holding Heaven: Episode II: Deathbed Conversation (6:00 p.m.) - This special will allow you an opportunity to eavesdrop on the rarely depicted relationship between Jesus and His earthly father Joseph. With the creativity and talent of Jerry Jenkins and production expertise of Chris Fabry, “Holding Heaven” is bound to become a modern classic. Based on the book, "Holding Heaven by author Jerry Jenkins.

Friday, December 23

Real Christmas with Kim Hill (6:00 p.m.) - Listen to the music and conversation of songwriter, worship leader, and author Kim Hill. The special will feature music from her Christmas project “Real Christmas.”

Saturday, December 24

Christmas with Denver and the Mile High Orchestra (1:00 p.m.) - Formed by a group of friends at Nashville’s Belmont University in 1999, this exceptional group of musicians is comprised of three trumpet players, three saxophone players, two trombone players and a rhythm section. In the five years since their inception, the group has traveled around the globe, performing at churches, conferences, festivals—even at the Olympics—taking their electrifying horn-driven sound to the masses. The big band sound of the 30’s and 40’s had long intrigued Denver, who had played the trumpet for 16 years, so he assembled a group of musicians—friends to reinvent the style for the modern age. The special features music from their most recent Christmas project.

The Story Of Christmas (6:00 p.m.) - This special features the Christmas reading from Max McLean.
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One of our favorite e:mail ministries is Today’s Seed. We heartily support their fund rasing activities.
~
We are grateful to all those who support this ministry. But this request is especially for those who have never given a donation to E-MIN.

If that is you, for whatever reason, please consider making a small one-time gift before this year ends. Just a dollar a month from the many receiving "Today's Seed" would make a great impact on our ability to remain dependable and continue the services we provide. (The response to our request in October for help to upgrade our systems (http://www.e-min.org/7anniv.htm) was not near what we had hoped.)

We know that some are not able to help, and that is all right. We will continue to provide messages free to everyone who wants to receive them as long as we can do so, regardless of their situation.

But if you can, please consider making a one-time donation of $12.00 (the equivalent of $1.00 per month) for this coming year. You might think of it as a special Christmas present. I know of nowhere else your dollar could stretch so far in reaching people with God's Word in such an intimate and personal way every day. Of course, you could make it more, but this is what we ask now.

You can donate by check, debit or credit card, or PayPal. Go to http://www.e-min.org/ppl01.htm to make your gift online. It is easy, just a few steps, and it is secure. Postal mailing address for checks is below. We do not share your information with anyone. Your gifts to E-MIN are tax-deductible (U.S.) and we will send you an annual receipt for your giving.
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LAUS DEO: A little history lesson you may enjoy.

I thought that you and others may like to see this. One detail that is not mentioned, in DC, is that there can never be a building of greater height than the Washington Monument.

With all the uproar about removing the ten commandments, etc... This is worth a moment or two of your time. I was not aware of this historical information.

On the aluminum cap, atop the Washington Monument in Washington, DC, are displayed two words: Laus Deo. No one can see these words. In fact, most visitors to the monument are totally unaware they are even there and for that matter, probably couldn't care less.

Once you know Laus Deo's history, you will want to share this with everyone you know. But these words have been there for many years; they are 555feet, 5.125 inches high, perched top the monument, facing skyward to the Father of our nation, overlooking the 69 square miles which comprise the District of Columbia, capital of the United States of America.

Laus Deo! Two seemingly insignificant, un-noticed words. Out of sight and, one might think, out of mind, but very meaningfully placed at the highest point over what is the most powerful city in the most successful nation in the world.

So, what do those two words, in Latin, composed of just four syllables
and only seven letters, possibly mean? Very simply, they say "Praise be to God!"
Though construction of this giant obelisk began in 1848, when James Polk was President of the United States, it was not until 1888 that the monument was inaugurated and opened to the public. It took twenty five years to finally cap the memorial with a tribute to the Father of our nation, Laus Deo ..............Praise be to God!"

>From atop this magnificent granite and marble structure, visitors may take in the beautiful panoramic view of the city with its division into four major segments. >From that vantage point, one can also easily see the original plan of the designer, Pierre Charles l'Enfant...a perfect cross imposed upon the landscape, with the White House to the north. The Jefferson Memorial is to the south, the Capitol to the east and the Lincoln Memorial to the west.

A cross you ask? Why a cross? What about separation of church and state? Yes, a cross; separation of church and state was not, is not, in the Constitution. So, read on. How interesting and, no doubt, intended to carry a profound meaning for those who bother to notice.

Praise be to God! Within the monument itself are 898 steps and 50landings. As one climbs the steps and pauses at the landings the memorial stones share a message. On the 12th Landing is a prayer offered by the City of Baltimore; on the 20th is a memorial presented by some Chinese Christians; on the 24th a presentation made by Sunday School children from New York and Philadelphia quoting Proverbs 10:7, Luke 18:16 and Proverbs22:6. Praise be to God!

When the cornerstone of the Washington Monument was laid on July 4th, 1848 deposited within it were many items including the Holy Bible presented by the Bible Society. Praise be to God! Such was the discipline, the moral direction, and the spiritual mood given by the founder and first President of our unique democracy .."One Nation, Under God."

I am awed by Washington's prayer for America. Have you never read it? Well, now is your unique opportunity, so read on!

"Almighty God; We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection; that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government; and entertain a brotherly affection ! and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United States at large. And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

Laus Deo!

When one stops to observe the inscriptions found in public places all over our nation's capitol, he or she will easily find the signature of God, as it is unmistakably inscribed everywhere you look. You may forget the width and height of "Laus Deo", its location, or the architects but no one who reads this will be able to forget its meaning, or ! these words: "Unless the Lord builds the house its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain." (Psalm 127: 1)

Thanks to Larry Taylor
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Gaza's Growing Conditions Not Holding the Same Blessings that the Israelis Enjoyed
Hillel Fendel / Sarah Leanore, Aimee Herd reporting (Dec 14, 2005)

According to a report in Israel National News , Gaza's new Palestinian residents cannot seem to replicate the bug-free vegetables that flourished under the hands of the Jews.

Have the sands of Gaza reverted to their pre-Israel ways? Gush Katif hothouse workers may wonder as they recently reported to the Israel-PA Coordination office that they have failed to yield the same bug-free lettuce and other vegetables.

Thirty years ago, when the Jews first arrived in Gaza, they were said to have been told "repeatedly" by the Arabs there that the land was "cursed and they would never succeed agriculturally."

But Jewish farmers in Gush Katif had become some of Israel's most successful, with exports of $100 million; 15 percent of the nation's agricultural exports. One mother of two who was uprooted from Gaza spoke recently at the National Council of Young Israel in NY.

"It is difficult for me to believe that this obviously blessed area is the very same area that our Moslem neighbors called the ‘cursed land' of El G'erara," she said. "They have told me that nobody lived in this area from the time that the last Jews left because there was not enough rain, and nothing could grow properly. They were happy when the Jews returned because the rain started again, and the land began to produce."

However, all that seems to have changed since the Jews left Gaza a few months ago.

More...
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=94711
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The House Behind The Weeds...

Just two little boys walking down a dusty lane.....
They came upon this old white house...
with broken window panes.

The paint was faded, the shine was gone....
the grass had grown so high.....
still they made their little feet...
to see what was inside.

They opened up the squeaky door.
and then it came to light....
This must have been an old church house...
once upon a time.

Dirty, dusty wooden pews..
a pulpit that still stood...
A bible laid upon it....
though the pages weren't too good.

An offering plate and song books too...
were lying on the floor.
They must have left this old church fast...
the day they closed these doors.

And over in the corner.
a piano was still there..
it must have played a pretty tune...
but I guess nobody cared.

So little Bill looked up at Tommy...
and Tommy looked at Bill...
Why don't we clean this old church up,
and get these old pews filled?"

They took a rag and wiped the dust...
to try and make things shine....
And then they took the offering plate...
and put in it their last dime.

They took a broom and swept the floor...
and picked up broken glass....
They got it all so nice and neat...
and then they mowed the grass.

They lifted up the old church sign...
and stood it by a tree...
right down by that old dirt road....
where everyone could see.

They ran back home, to find Daddy gone...
but their Momma was inside....
Just to find her hurt again..
where Daddy had made her cry.

"Don't cry Momma, wipe those tears,"
Little Bill and Tommy smiled....
"Cause we have a big surprise for you....
just down the road a mile."

Hand in hand they tugged at her...
until they made her run....
"What is it Bill, Oh Tommy,
just what have you two kids done?"

And then they came upon the house...
once hidden by the weeds...
and there it stood a country church...
just like it used to be.

"But what is it, Mother? What's with your tears?
We thought this would bring you joy."
"Yes, but hush kids now and listen close...
my two sweet precious boys."

They both got quiet and stood real still....
for the words they heard so true....
was Daddy praying in the church...
with his head bowed on the pew.

"Forgive me Lord! Forgive me Lord!
though I'm not worthy of Your love...
shine down on this sinner man...
sweet Salvation from above."

"For I've been out in the world, You know....
living my life all wrong....
until I came upon this church;
the place where I belong."

"I never noticed it before...
all those times I passed it up....
I guess I wasn't looking, Lord....
or maybe I was drunk."

"Bless oh Lord, yes, bless oh Lord...
the one who made me see....
this little church that used to hide...
behind all those tall weeds."

And then he raised his head and stood....
with his hands high in the air....
to find two, dirty, tear-faced boys...
with Momma standing there.

They ran up to him, hugged him tight...
as their tears fell on the floor.
"Don't worry kids, I'm not the Dad,
the one you've known before."

Things are different for us now...
so keep on those pretty smiles...
and let's go gather people in...
to walk down these church aisles."

Then Bill looked up at Tommy...
and Tommy looked at Bill...
"Come on brother, let's get to work....
to get these old pews filled."

"For we need no special blessing...
for cleaning up this church....
cause, God gave us back our Daddy...
and that's more than gold is worth."

Sunday morning, pews all filled....
and smiles on every face...
Especially two little country boys...
the ones who found this place.

Though it was hid back in the weeds....
and so far out of sight...
Nothing's ever hard to find...
if you're walking toward God's light.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
1John 1:7 we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."

Thanks to Norma Kay
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Arkansas Children's Hospital Advises:
Take Steps this Holiday Season to Prevent House Fires, Burns
Hot foods and drinks, stoves and fireplaces are all part of taking the sting out of the winter cold. While they each make us feel cozy this time of year, there are some additional risks. Before you enjoy your hot chocolate in front of the fireplace this year, take a few easy precautions to keep you and your family safe during the winter months.

According to the United States Fire Administration (USFA), half of all home fire deaths occur between the first day of November and the last day of February. The biggest reason for that is the cold weather or the way that people try to keep warm in the cold weather.

The USFA reveals that heating-related fires are the leading cause of fire deaths in the winter. Fixed local heating units, like wood-burning stoves and kerosene heaters, are the most likely type of equipment to be involved in heating fires followed by central heating units, chimneys, water heaters, indoor fireplaces and portable heating units.

"Since mechanical failure or improper maintenance was the most likely reason that any heating device was involved in house fires, it is imperative that you have your heating equipment professionally cleaned and inspected before you begin using it for the winter," says Jimmy Parks, R.N. and outreach coordinator for the Burn Center at Arkansas Children's Hospital. "Another reason heating units are involved in fires is that combustibles were too close to the heater. The word combustible sounds like it means explosives, but really it just means anything that can catch fire? paper, clothing, wood, carpet, hair, etc. These things should be kept at least three feet away from a heat source."

Parks also advises only using the kind of fuel that your heater is designed to burn. Never use gasoline in any kind of heater and don't use flammable liquids to start a fire in a fireplace or wood burning stove.

"Some of the worst burns I've seen have come from using gasoline to start a fire. This is particularly devastating indoors," explains Parks.

Fireplaces also present special problems because, unlike stoves, they usually don't have a door to provide a barrier between the fire and combustibles in the room. The best fire screens will cover the whole mouth of the fireplace and even those screens cannot block all the sparks.

"Besides the fire risk, remember that heaters and fireplaces are common causes of burns too," adds Parks. "Children are especially at risk. Stoves and heaters don't always look hot so it's up to adults to keep small children away. Most children who are burned by heaters, are burned on their hands when they reach to touch the stove. Remember, fire is interesting so you can expect children to be fascinated by the flames, heat, sparks and smoke. It's important to teach them about fire as a tool and not something to touch or play with. Children who are wearing snug-fitting, fire resistant clothing are safer from sparks as well."

Activities surrounding the holidays are another important winter fire issue. Christmas trees, candles, cooking and fireworks all make fires a little more likely during this festive season.

Parks offers a few fire and burn prevention tips for the holidays:
Don't leave cooking food unattended.
Don't leave children unattended in the kitchen.
Use flashlights and battery operated lamps, not candles, if the power goes out.
Don't leave candles unattended.
Place candles in sturdy, non-flammable candle holders.
Don't put candles near combustibles like decorations, curtains, etc.
Water your Christmas tree every day to keep it from drying out.
Keep the Christmas tree and presents away from heat sources.
Make sure Christmas lights are in good condition and used as directed.
Leave fireworks to the experts.

"Staying safe during the winter months really comes down to three main things," says Parks. "First, make sure your heaters are in good condition and clean. Only use your heaters as directed. And keep things that can catch fire away from heaters. With a little preparation, your house can be a cozy and safe place to escape the cold winter."

Arkansas Children's Hospital is the only pediatric medical center in Arkansas and one of the largest in the United States serving children from birth to age 21. The campus spans 24 city blocks and houses 290 beds, a staff of approximately 500 physicians, 80 residents in pediatrics and pediatric specialties and more than 3,600 employees. The private, nonprofit healthcare facility boasts an internationally renowned reputation for medical breakthroughs and intensive treatments, unique surgical procedures and forward-thinking medical research - all dedicated to fulfilling our mission of enhancing, sustaining and restoring children's health and development. For more information, visit www.archildrens.org.

For more information:
Arkansas Children's Hospital
Kerri Dutile - (501)364-6445
dutilekl@archildrens.org

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

01. Sgt. Michael C. Taylor, 23, of Hockley, Texas, died in Balad, Iraq, on Dec. 7, when an improvised expolsive device detonated near his Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck while his unit was conducting combat operations. Taylor was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 13th Field Artillery, 214th Field Artillery Brigade, III Corps Artillery, Fort Sill, Okla.

02. Sgt. Spencer C. Akers, 35, of Traverse City, Mich., died at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, on Dec. 8, of injuries sustained in Habbaniyah, Iraq, on Nov. 21, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during combat operations. Akers was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment, Saginaw, Mich.

03. Sgt. 1st Class James S. Moudy, 37, of Newark, Del., died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Dec. 11, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during combat operations. Moudy was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.


04. Sgt. Julia V. Atkins, 22, of Bossier City, La., died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Dec. 10, when an improvised explosive device detonated near her HMMWV during patrol operations. Atkins was assigned to the 64th Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas.

05. Sgt. Adrian N. Orosco, 26, of Corcoran, Calif., died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Dec. 9, when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated near his dismounted position during combat operations. Orosco was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Irwin, Calif.

06. Staff Sgt. Milton Rivera-Vargas, 55, of Boqueron, Puerto Rico, died in Kalsu, Iraq, on Dec. 8, from a non-combat related cause while on guard duty. Rivera-Vargas was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 296th Infantry Regiment, Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico.

07. Sgt. Clarence L. Floyd, Jr., 28, of Newark, N.J., died in Taji, Iraq, on Dec. 10, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces using small arms fire during combat operations. Floyd was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

08. Staff Sgt. Keith A. Bennett, 32, of Holtwood, Pa., died in Ar Ramadi, Iraq on Dec. 11, as the result of a suicide, vehicle-borne improvised explosive device. Bennett was assigned to the Army National Guard's 28th Military Police Company, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, Johnstown, Pa.

09. Spc. Lex S. Nelson, 21, of Salt Lake City, Utah, died in Tikrit, Iraq on Dec. 12, when he fell from a guard tower. Nelson was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery, 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

10. Spc. Jared W. Kubasak, 25, of Rocky Mount, Va., died in Baghdad, Iraq on Dec. 12, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his M2A2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle during patrol operations. Kubasak was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colo.

The Department of Defense announced the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Dec. 10, as a result of enemy small arms fire. Both soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky. Killed were:
11. Staff Sgt. Travis L. Nelson, 41, of Anniston, Ala.
12. Sgt. Kenith Casica, 32, of Virginia Beach, Va.

13. Staff Sgt. Curtis A. Mitchell, 28, of Evansville, Ind., died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Dec. 12, when an improvised expolosive device detonated near his M1A1 Abrams tank during combat operations. Mitchell was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry, 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

14. Staff Sgt. Kenneth B. Pospisil, 35, of Andover, Minn., died Dec. 14 from an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in the vicinity of Ar Ramadi, Iraq. He was assigned to 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

15. Cpl. Michael B. Presley, 21, of Batesville, Miss., died Dec. 14 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany of wounds sustained from a suicide, vehicle-borne improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Fallujah, Iraq, on Dec. 12. He was assigned to 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

The Department of Defense announced the death of four soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died inTaji, Iraq, on Dec. 13, where they were conducting combat operations when an improvised explosive device detonated near their HMMWV. The soldiers were assigned to the Army's 2nd Battalion, 70th Armor, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, Fort Riley, Kan. Killed were:
16. Staff Sgt. Michael S. Zyla, 32, of Elgin, Ore.
17. Sgt. Brian C. Karim, 22, of Talcott, W. Va.
18. Spc. James C. Kesinger, 32, of Pharr, Texas.
19. Spc. Peter J. Navarro, 20, of Wildwood, Mo.

20. Sgt. 1st Class John D. Morton, 31, ofStanton, Ky., died in Shah Wali Kot, Afghanistan on Dec. 15, when his dismounted patrol came under attack by enemy forces using small arms fire. Morton was assigned to the 74th Infantry Detachment (Long Range Surveillance), 173rd Airborne Brigade, Vicenza, Italy.

~~

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and returned to his family for burial tomorrow with full military honors.

Seaman 2nd Class Dee Hall, of Syra, Okla. He is to be buried at the Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio.

Hall was one of seven crewmen aboard a U.S. Navy PBY-5 Catalina that took off from Kodiak Island, Alaska on June 14, 1942, to attack Japanese targets in Kiska Harbor, Alaska.

The crew encountered inclement weather and heavy Japanese anti-aircraft fire near the target. Their plane crashed on the Japanese-held Kiska Island, Alaska with all seven crewmen on board.

In August 1943, the United States retook Kiska Island from the Japanese. Wreckage of the PBY-5 was found on the side of Kiska volcano. The remains of the crew were buried in a common grave marked "Seven U.S.N. Airmen" with a wooden marker. Following the war, attempts to locate the common grave were unsuccessful and the remains of all seven were declared to be non-recoverable.

In 2002, a wildlife biologist notified DPMO that he had found the wreckage of a World War II aircraft on the slope of Kiska volcano. Using that information, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) excavated the crash site in August 2003 and found debris from the PBY-5 as well as crew-related items. The JPAC team also located the wooden marker as well as the remains buried nearby. Subsequent JPAC laboratory analysis led to the individual identification of all seven crewmembers.

Of the 88,000 unaccounted-for Americans from all conflicts, 78,000 are from World War II. For additional information visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.

~~

Navy Seaman Missing from Pearl Harbor Attack is Identified
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a U.S. Navy seaman missing in action from the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor have been identified and will soon be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

He is Seaman 2nd Class Warren P. Hickok of Kalamazoo, Mich. The family has not set a date for his burial.

Hickok was assigned to the Light Mine Layer the USS Sicard when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Many crewmembers from the USS Sicard, including Hickok, were dispatched to assist the crew of the USS Cummings, a destroyer docked nearby. The Cummings succeeded in getting underway and clearing Pearl Harbor with no casualties reported. However, an investigation into those still unaccounted-for after the attack surmised that Hickok may have been a casualty aboard the battleship, the USS Pennsylvania, since some crewmen from the USS Sicard had been dispatched to the USS Pennsylvania during the attack. But records indicate that Hickok was not lost aboard that ship.

In the days following the attack, burial details interred many of the unknown dead in Nuuanu Cemetery on Oahu. Among those buried were an unknown sailor identified only as X-2. Following the war, the Army Graves Registration Service oversaw the disinterment of unknown remains, including the X-2 remains. They could not be identified and were reburied in Section E, Grave 73 at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the Punchbowl, on June 9, 1949.

In 2004, an avocational historian contacted the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) in Hawaii and suggested that the remains in Grave 731 may be those of Hickok. Based on available records, JPAC exhumed the grave in June 2005. Forensic anthropologists at JPAC were able to match those remains, including dental remains, with detailed information found in Hickok's World War II medical and dental records.

Of the 88,000 unaccounted-for Americans from all conflicts, 78,000 are from World War II.

http://icasualties.org/oif/default.aspx
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Please remember to pray for the American soldiers stationed everywhere around the globe and especially in Iraq. Times have been and are very tough and it would be nice if you would all just say a prayer for their safety and for their families.
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Scheduled Activities
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Alcoholics Anonymous meets at 8 p.m. Monday - Friday. At noon on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and at 7 p.m. Sunday at 914 N. Vine
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Columbia County Amateur Radio Club meets Every second Thursday @ 7:00 p.m. Union Street Station. And YOU'RE invited. Net is every Sunday at 20:30 on 147.105.
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Columbia County Diabetes Support Group - Every third Monday, 7:00 p.m. room 222, Magnolia Hospital
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"Focus on the Family" with Dr. James Dobson weekday afternoons at 1 PM on KVMA am 630 it's a great show!
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MCC - Abraham Prayer - Sunday at 5:00 p.m and Wednesday from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm
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MCC - Early Morning Prayer - Monday - Friday, From 6:30 am to 8:00 am
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MCC - "Beth Moore" Video Class - Thursday nights at 5:45 pm
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MCC - "Faith Builders" Small group meets at 1051 Columbia 36 the second and fourth Tuesdays, 6:30 pm to 7:45 pm.
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MCC - Firm Foundations Class, Sunday 9:30 to 10:15 a.m
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MCC - Meadow Brook Nursing Home Ministry Tuesday from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m
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MCC - Mom's Day Out - Every Tuesday and Thursday from 9 to 2.$10 for the first child, $5 for the second. Call 234-3225 for reservations.
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MCC - Nursing Home Ministry - Meadowbrook Every Tuesday from 10 to 11 am. Taylor, the last Thursday each month.
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MCC - Over comers: Fridays @ 7:00 p.m- Director, Traci Foster invites you to a 12 step Christian support program. For anyone with a life controlling problem. Child care is provided.
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Men's Prayer Breakfast held every Tuesday morning at 6 AM in Miller's Cafeteria. If you aren't a regular participant at the Men's Prayer Breakfast, you're missing some great food, fellowship and inspired teaching of the Word. Hope to see you there.
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Narcotics Anonymous 5-6 pm every Monday at 220 Pine street.
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TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) 5 pm every Tuesday in the Magnolia Hospital break room.
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Emergency Phone Number 911
(Fire, Police, Ambulance, Sheriff, etc. )
Central Dispatch 234-5655
(Non - Emergency Number)
Direct Numbers
Ambulance - 234-7371 (24 Hour)
Jail - 234-5331 (24 Hour)
Poison Control - 800-222-1222 (24 Hour)
http://www. aapcc. org/
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"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
~~~~~
Hope you enjoy the newsletter.
Again, thanks to all our contributors this week.

God bless and GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!
Psa 50:12-15 Num 12:1,2,5-8 Prov 16:1-3 1 Cor 9:19-22 Rom 8:15-16 http://www.e-min.org/
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 that we used on this year’s Christmas Cards.
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.
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